Warhammer 40,000: Gladius Relics of War

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War PC is a combat-heavy, turn-based 4X strategy game set on the contested world of Gladius Prime. Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, and publisher listings continue to use this name, with no verified rebrand or replacement edition. Developed by Proxy Studios and published by Slitherine, it focuses on territorial warfare, asymmetric factions, and battlefield decisions rather than diplomacy or peaceful empire building.

The game is best understood as a military-first 4X. You explore a randomly generated hex map, secure resource sites, develop settlements, research technologies, recruit armies, and eliminate rival forces. Players who prefer a more conventional civilization-building structure may find the emphasis on direct conflict unusual, while fans of tactical war games will appreciate how quickly expansion creates new military problems.

A 4X game built around conquest

Each match begins with a faction establishing control over a small portion of Gladius Prime. The strategic view uses a top-down hex grid, with hostile wildlife, ancient relics, resource locations, and rival settlements shaping the opening turns. Exploration is not passive scouting: every newly revealed area can expose a threat, a valuable position, or a route toward an enemy base.

Expansion depends on more than capturing territory. Cities require carefully balanced production, population, infrastructure, and upkeep, while units need the right combination of resources and technology to remain effective. Research unlocks buildings, weapons, vehicles, infantry, and support options, so the technology tree becomes a practical army-planning tool rather than a detached long-term bonus system.

Combat is resolved turn by turn, with unit positioning, weapon range, terrain, morale, damage types, and movement points all affecting the result. Destroying enemy units is important, but preserving experienced forces can be just as valuable because veteran units gain improved battlefield performance and can become the core of a reliable offensive force.

Four factions, four economic identities

The base game includes the Space Marines, Astra Militarum, Orks, and Necrons. They do not simply share one economy with different unit rosters. Each faction changes how cities, resources, expansion, and military momentum work, which gives replay value to learning the game from multiple perspectives.

• Space Marines operate around a limited city structure, requisition-based production, and orbital deployment tools.
• Astra Militarum use a broader settlement and resource economy supported by large conventional armies, vehicles, and combined-arms formations.
• Orks are rewarded for aggressive warfare, with influence and battlefield activity supporting their expansion and military identity.
• Necrons connect settlement placement to ancient tomb sites and use a resource model that reflects their durable, technologically advanced forces.

Later faction expansions add armies such as the Tyranids, Chaos Space Marines, T'au, Craftworld Aeldari, Adeptus Mechanicus, Adepta Sororitas, and Drukhari. These are not cosmetic additions. Each faction introduces its own units, technology structure, strategic priorities, and economy, making the optional content relevant to players who want a larger matchup pool rather than only extra missions.

Heroes, relics, and battlefield momentum

Hero units provide a character-driven layer inside the wider 4X structure. They can gain ranks, acquire equipment, and use special abilities that change how an army attacks, holds ground, or supports nearby units. Losing a high-level hero can damage a battle plan well beyond the value of a single unit, so reckless attacks often create problems several turns later.

Ancient artifacts and map objectives add another reason to contest territory. Capturing a powerful relic can provide army-wide advantages, while resource sites determine how quickly a faction can support new cities and advanced units. The result is a constant pressure loop: explore to find advantages, expand to secure them, and fight because an opponent wants the same territory.

The game also includes faction-specific story objectives that give each core army a different narrative route through the conflict on Gladius Prime. These objectives sit alongside the wider match structure rather than replacing it, so the main experience remains a replayable series of skirmish-style campaigns against human or AI opponents.

Content model and current editions

The standard product is a paid base game with four playable factions. Optional content is sold through individual add-ons and bundles. The current storefront catalog lists faction expansions, unit-focused packs, neutral units, defensive additions, offensive additions, and cosmetic extras, with the complete bundle grouping the base game and the broader add-on collection.

Faction packs are the most substantial purchases because they add an entire playable army with a distinct economy and roster. Smaller releases such as the Reinforcement Pack, Fortification Pack, Assault Pack, Firepower Pack, Demolition Pack, Onslaught Pack, Rampage Pack, and Eradication Pack focus on new units or tactical options. The Lord of Skulls content adds a neutral battlefield threat rather than another full faction.

Players do not need every add-on to play the base factions or enter multiplayer. However, faction ownership affects which armies are available for personal use and, depending on the host and match setup, which expanded factions can appear in a game. That distinction matters when comparing the base game with the complete collection.

Who should play Gladius?

Gladius suits players who want turn-based combat to dominate the 4X formula. It is a strong fit for Warhammer 40,000 fans who want to command recognizable armies, but familiarity with the setting is not required to understand the central loop of expansion, research, production, and conquest.

It is less suitable for players who expect a deep diplomacy system, trade-focused victory routes, or a peaceful sandbox. The design keeps attention on military superiority, and the most meaningful decisions usually involve when to attack, which unit line to research, where to place cities, and how much territory the economy can sustain.

Players who enjoy large-scale empire management with a science-fiction setting may also find useful points of comparison in science-fiction 4X strategy games such as Civilization: Beyond Earth, although Gladius is markedly more focused on tactical warfare and faction asymmetry.

PC features and multiplayer

The PC version supports single-player, online PvP, LAN PvP, online co-op, LAN co-op, shared or split-screen multiplayer, cross-platform multiplayer, and Steam Remote Play Together according to the current Steam listing. Multiplayer can therefore support both competitive matches and cooperative battles against the AI, while solo players can use the faction systems and AI difficulty settings to practice different strategies.

Steam also lists Steam Workshop, Steam Cloud, achievements, trading cards, and full controller support. The game is presented as a traditional desktop strategy title with a mouse-friendly interface and a map designed for deliberate turn planning. The Steam edition requires the platform client and a third-party EULA; the storefront does not identify a separate anti-cheat system or an additional launcher.

Interface and subtitle support covers English, German, Spanish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and French, while full audio is listed for English. The publisher also identifies moddable data files, giving experienced PC players room to customize or extend aspects of the game through the established community ecosystem.

Related strategy games on PC

For another Warhammer 40,000 experience built around deliberate turn-based encounters rather than real-time army control, tactical Warhammer campaigns like Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II provide a natural comparison. Mechanicus is more mission-focused, while Gladius operates as a broader territorial strategy game with resource management and persistent faction economies.

Players looking for a more traditional historical 4X structure can try large-scale turn-based empire games such as Oriental Empires. The comparison is useful for understanding Gladius's unusual priorities: both explore, expand, research, and manage territory, but Gladius puts far more weight on unit matchups, faction identity, and immediate military pressure.

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War FAQ

Is Gladius still called Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War?

Yes. Current Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, and Slitherine listings retain the title Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War. No verified storefront rebrand or replacement name supersedes it.

What kind of game is Gladius?

It is a turn-based 4X strategy game with a combat-heavy design. Exploration, expansion, resource management, research, city construction, and extermination are all present, but military victory is the central objective.

How many factions are in the base game?

The base game includes four factions: Space Marines, Astra Militarum, Orks, and Necrons. Additional faction packs expand the playable roster with several other Warhammer 40,000 armies.

Does Gladius have multiplayer and co-op?

Yes. The PC storefront listing includes online PvP, LAN PvP, online co-op, LAN co-op, shared or split-screen options, cross-platform multiplayer, and Steam Remote Play Together.

Does every faction play the same way?

No. Factions use different economic structures, city rules, technologies, units, heroes, and strategic priorities. Learning those differences is one of the main reasons to replay the game.

Is the complete edition required?

No. The base game is playable on its own with four factions. The optional add-ons are aimed at players who want additional armies, units, neutral threats, and tactical variety, while the complete bundle collects the broader content catalog.