The gameplay trailer for 'Total War: Warhammer 40,000,' the latest entry in the Total War series based on the Warhammer 40k universe, was finally unveiled today (the 24th).

The footage is set in the Armageddon sector, a location intimately familiar to the Warhammer 40k fandom. In the original lore, Armageddon is the homeworld of the Armageddon Steel Legion and is famous as the site of three brutal wars between the Imperium of Man, Chaos Space Marines, and the Orcs (Greenskins).

As in the original setting, the Armageddon sector in the video is under threat from a Orc invasion. However, the planet itself is not Armageddon; the setting is a civilized world within the Armageddon sector, which appears to correspond to a mid-sized city in previous Total War titles.

Before engaging in full-scale combat, players can perform various actions. Notably, if a capital ship is positioned above the planet, players can weaken the enemy with orbital bombardment before initiating the battle.

The star of this video is the Astra Militarum. As the regular army of the Imperium of Man, they feature powerful armored units, but individual soldiers are quite ordinary. Since they cannot match the Orcs in CQC, players must utilize tactics effectively. The first step is to assess the terrain. The video demonstrates typical Astra Militarum tactics: sending out Scout Sentinels—bipedal walkers known for their speed and wide field of view—to scout the area and identify potential Orc paths, then setting up ambushes with armored units.

However, these armored units are only a fraction of the Astra Militarum's strength. Since most of the actual fighting is done by infantry, players must devise ways to minimize their casualties. The video shows soldiers, including Cadian Shock Troopers and Kasrkin, taking cover in ruins to reduce their exposure to enemy fire.

With the troops roughly dispersed and positioned, the Astra Militarum bolsters its frontline with heavy hitters like the Baneblade and several other tanks, filling the gap in firepower while waiting for the Orcs.

The battle finally begins as the Orcs appear. Fortunately, Orcs are reluctant to use cover. The video shows the player luring the approaching Orcs into a body of water to slow their advance, followed by a Valkyrie rocket strike that wipes out the clustered Orcs, kicking off the main engagement.

Of course, the Orcs don't just walk forward blindly. The Stormboyz in the video use jump packs to close the distance in an instant, overrunning friendly lines and highlighting the disparity in CQC capabilities.

As the situation descends into a chaotic melee, the ambushing forces break through a train that was acting as a wall, creating an entry point to join the front. This relieves pressure on the frontline and allows for a pincer attack on the Orcs. Even so, the Orc offensive remains fierce, eventually causing the frontline to collapse and forcing a regrouping in the rear. Unfortunately, not all remaining troops could be saved, but the player takes advantage of the slowed Orc advance to unleash a powerful bombardment, dealing significant damage.

In the latter part of the video, a Orc Stompa—a massive walking war machine—appears. Comparable to the Imperium's Imperial Knight class, it is slow but armed with a variety of weapons. While it is powerful enough to require multiple standard tanks to take down, the player fortunately has a capital ship in orbit, allowing them to destroy it instantly with a Lance Strike.

The video concludes with the Stompa destroyed by orbital fire, causing the Orcs' Power Balance to collapse rapidly and leading to their retreat.

The release date for 'Total War: Warhammer 40,000,' which has captured the attention of both Warhammer 40k and Total War fans since its announcement, remains unconfirmed. With the Astra Militarum, Space Marines, Orcs, and Aeldari (Asuryani) confirmed as major factions, gameplay trailers for other factions are expected to be released in the future.