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**Dawn of War Professional**, also known as **DoWpro**, is a competitive gaming mod for Dawn of War.

The mod focuses on returning to, and enhancing, the gameplay-experience of Dawn of War Game of the Year Edition (referred as DoW GOTY from now on).

Player vs Player permeates the entire game. The mod can challenge you to grow as an RTS player.

## Features

### Gameplay

* Units do not become obsolete. At every Tier they add value.
* The entire Tech Tree is available to you, with a level of balance that exceeds the original game.
* Increased range of strategy and tactics. Every game mechanic has been examined for veteran RTS players who seek a deeper competitive gaming experience.
* Racial uniqueness is emphasized. For instance, Swarm races, like the Orks and the Imperial Guard, fit their theme.
* Expect relentless battles for map control, dominance and advantage, with a feel closer to that of classic Dawn of War.

### Micro-management

* The skill ceiling has been increased.
* Removal of the Fire on the Move Accuracy Penalty implemented in Dark Crusade. 'Run and Shoot' unit control is back.
* Return of the Hard Counter system. Everything can be countered.
* Many outplay opportunities have been introduced, through a significantly tweaked combat system.
* Tweaks to the pathing to improve it, such as for vehicles.

### Macro-management

* The tech tree is flatter, with units being available earlier in the tech tree.
* The economic system has been reworked, with a focus on meaningful economic decisions.

* More frequent, smaller, decisions are made, which reward timing window attacks and multi-tasking.

There exists dynamics to army building decisions that barely existed in the original game:

* What approach will you use to increase your army size and strength?
* Will you build towards concentrating your force in one area or disperse it across the map?
* Strike a balance between hard and soft counter units to devastate the enemy.

### Balance

* The original game for a long time has had problems with patching, and as of a long time ago no longer receives balance patches.
* Dowpro has two versions: official and test. Test receives patches rapidly, as we try out new things. Official receives patches on a more relaxed pace, once we're happy with the results of the test. The community regularly plays on both.
* As we've had active balancing for a long time, the game is no longer about how you manage an ever escalating series of imba units.

### Content

* Content is only added with care, with an eye to improving the strategy and tactics of the game.
* The Dawn of Skirmish AI has been introduced and customised for the mod (used with permission).
* Vanilla content has been reintroduced.
* DoWpro also implements new content from certain other mods (used with permission).
* A range of cosmetic improvements (too many to list) have been carefully done to modernise the content, without introducing bugs into the game.

## Factions

### Space Marines

* Space Marines are an elite ranged focused Heavy Infantry army with supporting melee elements.
	+ The Astartes are often outnumbered, but rarely outgunned.
	+ Possessing unmatched force amplification and health regeneration abilities, their overall strategic goal is to achieve a critical mass of firepower that cut down the enemy piecemeal.
* They have the most potent buffs and auras, which all overlap and stack.
	+ Force Commander:
		- Rapid Deployment (SQUAD: -15% reload time, -80% set up time)
		- Inspiring Aura (AURA: +10% DPS, -5% ranged damage received)
		- Battle Cry (AURA: +40% DPS, +200 max morale)
	+ Chaplain.
		- Litany of Hatred (SQUAD: +30% DPS, +5 melee charge range, enables charge modifiers)
		- Catechism of the Righteous Emperor (AURA: +20% speed, -40% ranged and melee damage received, +6 health regen/sec, +50% mass)
	+ Apothecaries.
		- Narthecium (AURA: +3.5 health regen/sec)

* The Astartes have the advantage in morale and anti-morale warfare:
	+ Space Marine leaders tend to provide the highest morale maximums.
	+ Librarian's Weaken Resolve cuts the enemy max morale in half for the duration.
	+ Access to the promethium canisters research, increasing morale damage of all their flamers.

* The greatest Astartes abilities tend to have a longer cooldown than that of the other races.
	+ Word of the Emperor, which both the Chaplain and Librarian have access to, must be used carefully. Though it prevents death it also reduces health regeneration by half for the duration.
* The Space marines have no access to Daemon armour. Though, they have the greatest access to Terminator-equivalent armour.
	+ Such armour mitigates the anti-heavy infantry weaponry of hostile foes, such as plasmaguns and dark reapers' launchers.
	+ Those units are Tactical Space Marine Sergeants, Apothecaries, Grey Knights, Terminators and Assault Terminators.
* Lascannon-equipped units, such as Predators and Landraiders, are some of the most lethal yet costly anti-tank units in the game. They are venerated units that must be protected at all costs.

### Chaos

* Chaos forces play similarly to the Space Marines, but with a greater focus on melee combat and daemonic support units.
	+ Whereas the Astartes abilities tend to focus on augmenting their battle brothers, Chaos abilities are about violently destroying their enemy.
* Hero wargear augments the Chaos Lord (for example, with the Scythe) so that he can retain his combat monster status in later Tiers.
* Heretic's Forced Labour (which allows it to construct buildings at the expense of its HP) shapes the build times and match-ups of the race.
	+ The Heretic is an easy target, which affects the very early game.
	+ The Chaos Space Marine deploys earlier than an equivalently built Tactical Space Marine, creating early game asymmetry.
	+ Chaos structures build slower than Space Marines without Forced Labour, but faster with it.
	+ Heretic gains health regeneration in Tier 2, which stacks with the health regeneration aura that Tier 2 structures provide. This allows Chaos to make strategic decisions on what to Forced Labour later in the game.
* Chaos has vastly more options than before.
	+ Chaos units getting made obsolete and replaced with newer chaos units was core focus of their race in later DoW expansions.
	+ Cultists gain Tainted Auspex, which when deployed provides vision over an area. This helps Chaos achieve map control.
	+ Chaos Space Marines gain rebalanced Infiltration in Tier 2 (from Tier 3).
	+ Raptors gain Speed Fiend upon reaching Tier 2, if they have an Aspiring Champion. Feral Leap is gained from the Tier 2 Raptor research.
* Access to daemon armour (which is now countered by flamers, among other weapons and abilities) now shapes their mid/late game.
* The Sacrificial Circle is available in Tier 1, allowing horror-based early game strategies or faster tech switches to counter plasma weapons or dark reapers.
* With the sole exception of the Chaos Predator, their vehicle choices are more versatile yet more limited than the Space Marines. They cover many roles:
	+ The Defiler - artillery, melee, anti-daemon, morale damage, soft counter infantry and vehicles, hard counters structures
	+ The Chaos Dreadnought - hard counter anti-tank, rapid health regeneration in melee, teleportation. Technically has Daemon armour, so counters anti-tank weapons but losses to anti-Daemon weapons.
	+ The Chaos Rhino - anti-tank and disruption via the Chaos Havoc Launcher, anti-ranged DPS via smoke screen, anti-morale/light structure via combi-flamer, transport

### Orks

* Orks are rebalanced to be the melee swarm race, like in the original dawn of war (or DoW GOTY).
	+ Units no longer are obsolete, and can be used in competitive play.
		- Slugga Boy is scary in both the early and late game. Their DPS/Cost is higher than Tactical Space Marines.
		- Shoota Boyz are a fire support unit, not a primary ranged unit. They excel at map control, defending bases, chasing fleeing enemies and killing light infantry.
		- Mega Armoured Nobz are combat monsters (50% more expensive than the base game, and far far more scarier).
		- Stormboys are a harrier / map control unit.
	+ Researches reworked to encourage horde gameplay and to allow alternate tech strategies.
		- Previously researches were biased to favour certain units, making many non-viable. Even More Choppy are now balanced between all Ork units (in the base game, other Ork units got +35% DPS increase while Sluggas only got +10% DPS).
		- More Burny research is now Burny 'n Boom. Increasing all rokkit launcha and burnas DPS (from only slugga boy burna DPS).
		- More Choppy research now increases Power Klaw DPS (in addition to all choppas). It also increases Stikk bomb DPS.
		- Big Mek can beat a power sword Force Commander in melee duels using hero wargear. There is no one sided hero duel.
* Orks dominate wars of attrition through sheer numbers.
	+ Their ability to out reinforce enemies mean resource leads are pressed even further.
		- In-combat reinforcement penalties are minimised compared to other races.
		- Orks out-squad most other races - as a result of their unique population system - furthering their advantage in reinforcement times.
	+ Ork resource gain replenishes faster in-combat. They enjoy endemic violence.
* The mob aura system was reworked.
	+ Orks are fearsome when amassed as a horde. Ranged ork units get a lower bonus than melee.
	+ Enables a tactical choice between few large squads or many small squads.
	+ Mob values reworked
		- Units have different levels of cost efficiency when it comes to increasing mob value, adding an additional dimension to gameplay.
		- Squad leaders give more mob value for cost than squad members.
* Orks have more outplay potential
	+ Ork units die rapidly when faced with their hard counter. As such, fight initiation and continuation is a big deal.
	+ To be a swarm race, all ork units late game provide threat. Thus you can attack in multiple places at once, fight multiple enemy assets at once.
	+ In the mid/late game, it is risky to leave Ork squads alone in your base because many have squad leaders that can build Power Klaws.

### Eldar

* Eldar, being more like in DoW GOTY, are the most hard counter race. They have to make careful decisions between:
	+ highly specialised and effective units.
	+ less specialised soft counter units that are less efficient but more flexible.
* They are the shadow race that are shaped around Fleet of Foot, Teleports and the Webway.
* They are, perhaps, the masters of unpredictability.
* Eldar population system has been balanced.
	+ Aspect Warriors (Banshees, Fire Dragons, Warp Spiders and Dark Reapers) are 3 population units (from 2), being elite units.
	+ In the early game, Eldar makes tradeoffs between guardians (which are 2 pop), rangers (which are 1 pop) and aspect warriors.
	+ Webway Portals require a costly Add-On (they are lost and need to be rebuilt when the structure is destroyed) to provide population, to encourage counter play. This means that Eldar is encouraged to hide these specific structures or risk base bashing.
	+ The Avatar no longer provides population (and instead costs population, in particular 2 infantry pop, 3 support pop) as:
		- Eldar is a race focused around elite units, not horde units.
		- Eldar now make a considered decision to build the Avatar, as it means less vehicles and infantry.
		- Inspiring Aura now provides +50% morale regeneration and +10% DPS to nearby units (instead of morale immunity and a population increase).
* The Eldar build multiple Soul Shrines, which can be done even in Tier 1, in addition to the usual Tier 2 / Tier 3 research that all races have.
	+ In order to unlock researches and advanced units, at the appropriate Tier.
	+ It can be worth building 2-3 Soul Shrines in Tier 1, just to increase the size of Aspect Warrior squads.
* The Webway portal's Shroud (which cloaks nearby buildings) and Relocation Matrix have been modified such that it is used in 1v1s.
* The Webway Network now has 3 slots (from 10) to permit isolated guerrilla warfare and ambushes, while permitting counterplay.
* Many units have to be exact in their target selection and micro to be effective. Being glass cannon they are high risk high reward.

### Imperial Guard

* The Imperial Guard are rebalanced towards significantly outnumbering the enemy (a horde race), where a guardsmen squad costs 100 requisition (from 160).
* Mini-Heroes (Commissar, Priest, Psyker) have been reworked.
	+ Each provides an aura (and they all stack), which is in addition to the abilities they get: Commissar provides increased ranged DPS aura, Priest provides increased health regeneration aura, Psyker provides ranged damage reduction aura.
	+ The Mini-Heroes are available in Tier 1, providing further variation in the early game (psykers were Tier 1.5, priests were Tier 2).

* In order to defeat the superhuman warriors available to other races, the IG rely on a combination of:
	+ Unmatched disruption
	+ Dense multi-layered formations and overlapping fields of firepower.
	+ Siege warfare, using tunnel networks to compete for map control.
	+ Clashes multiple fronts at once, either wars of attrition or raids, by utilizing their numerical advantage.

* Conflicts often involves the Imperial Guard creating a stalemate, with both forces seeking to break it to their advantage.

* Expect atrociously high casualty rates even in victory.
* They use Fire Support Resource, instead of Support Cap, for vehicles, which promotes the purchase of infrastructure or infantry to build more vehicles.
* Each Depot add-on at the Mechanized Command increase the structure's production speed, enabling IG to deploy armoured companies faster than other races.

### Tau

* Tau emphasize mobile firepower that is rebalanced towards the use of infiltration, jetpacks and ambushes.
	+ Firewarriors are a mobile fire support unit, as fast as Kroot. Photon Grenade (available immediately from Tier 2 Mont'ka) is now a 3-second stun grenade.
	+ Vespids are a semi-elite ranged hard counter unit (Anti-Heavy Infantry), with melee to kill Light Infantry.
		- Sonic Pulse now requires the Auxiliary Training research, available in Tier 1.5.
		- Vespid Strain Leader (now in Tier 1.5, from Tier 2) provides the squad 20% movement speed and +2 health regen (instead of max HP which did not fit their theme).
	+ Stealth Suits are no longer cappers as in Soulstorm, because there was very little early game counter play with perma-infiltration. Instead, they are rebalanced as a Tier 1 semi-elite ranged hard counter to Light Infantry. They move faster than before.
	+ Pathfinders are now the Tier 0 capper unit, gaining Infiltration in Tier 1.5. Markerlight is now a core part of Tau gameplay, being available from a Tier 1.5 research. In Tier 2 they gain access to Railguns, which are anti-vehicle/anti structure weapons.
	+ Kroot now gain Kroot Hounds as squad leaders, available Tier 1.5. Kroot Hounds are no longer a separate squad. Feral Leap research is available Tier 1.5 (from Tier 2). Kroot Shaping Center no longer exists - the barracks is sufficient.
	+ Tau Commander benefits from hero wargear that open up many tactical opportunities.
		- Advanced Jetpack Booster provides a temporary and significant speed boost. It also reduces the hero's Fire on the Move penalties.
		- Drones. Upto 4 drones once all hero wargear is attained.
			* Decoy Drone - provides health regeneration to aid in protracted warfare
			* Shield Drone - provides personal shield
			* Gun Drone - provides fire support
		- Stealth Field - available in Tier 3, provides Infiltrators

* Tau can now go both Mont'ka and Kauyon, allowing for far more squad combinations.
	+ Their tech tree branches at Tier 2 and can merge back again at Tier 2.5 or Tier 3.
	+ Path to Enlightenment is now their Tier 1.5, following the classic Dawn of War tech tree.
	+ Hammerheads are now available to both Kauyon and Mont'ka. They are rebalanced to be glass cannons, being faster but with much less HP.
* The Tau emphasize cooperation between their Elite and Troop units.
	+ Certain Elite units require a certain number of Troops to be on the field before they can be deployed.
	+ Abilities tend to focus on disrupting or focus firing units.
	+ With the new army design and rebalance, massing of one unit type is discouraged.
	+ They have a wide range of soft and hard counter units, with relatively few special weapons.
* The Tau lack specialised Squad/Support Cap Increase researches as such, and instead rely upon multi-purpose Teachings researches.
* Their Elite units (Broadsides, Crisis Suit, Greater Knarloc, Kroot Shaper and Krootox) require Teachings researches to be purchasable, in addition to the relevant tech structure.
	+ Krootox are the only walker producible without a Vehicle Bay, which results in a tempo advantage.
	+ Consequently, base bashing the Tau HQ has a minor effect on what units they have available.

### Necrons

* The Necrons don't engage in war so much as they engage in raids, and they do so by means that defy the capabilities of the lesser races:
	+ Through the self resurrection of units, as their infantry can only reinforce in proximity of a Monolith.
	+ By undermining the sight radius of enemies, so that they cannot fire their special weapons at their maximum range.
	+ Locking a portion of the enemy force in stasis, such that the rest can be slain piecemeal.
	+ Through solar pulse, which allows them to shut down the weapons of an entrenched enemy, forcing them to relocate.
	+ Through phase shifting, which allows them the Necron army a moment of respite while they gap close or prepare for teleportation.
* Teleportation shapes the strategy of the entire race. Their infantry zap from point A to point B. They have four means to do so (each with a separate cooldown, allowing multiple teleports in quick succession):
	+ Displacement Arc, which enable up to 2 squads in proximity to one another to teleport.
	+ Ascension Grid, which enables all Necron infantry to teleport.
	+ Veil of Darkness, which enables all Necron infantry in proximity to the Necron Lord to teleport.
	+ When morale broken, which enables teleportation for free.

* They can only teleport to three locations: the Necrontyr Pillar which is exists temporarily and is deployed by the Necron Lord, to Listening Posts and to the Monolith.
* Necron builder scarabs must deploy Slag Volcanos in order to build a Generator on top. These cannot be placed within near proximity of each other.
* The Necrons must acquire map control in order to reduce their build times, and to give them space to deploy more Generators.

### Dark Eldar

* Dark Eldar are a soft counter Fleet of Foot race, combining aspects of the Eldar while still being notably distinct.
	+ The Archon, Haemonculus, Tortured Slave (builder) and Mandrakes (via an upgrade) can deploy temporary Webway Portals enabling rapid hit and run assaults.
	+ Eldar research technologies faster than the Dark Eldar, however.
	+ Throughout the game, like Eldar, DE units become more glass cannon. Infantry HP upgrades increase their HP by 15%, instead of 20%.
* They do not focus on melee or ranged, unlike the other races.
	+ They have two Tier 1.5 structures, one focused on ranged researches (Haemonculus Laboratory), the other melee researches (Wych Cult Arena).
	+ Squad leader melee weapon upgrades are available earlier than other races (Tier 1.5 vs Tier 2).
* Dark Eldar have a Tier 1 tempo advantage over other races.
	+ The Archon is available from the HQ, allowing the construction of a Warrior and Archon simultaneously.
	+ They only need 1 builder to build multiple structures simultaneously, making fast Tier 1.5 openings stronger.
	+ However, to a certain extent DE lack access to significant anti-morale capabilities until Tier 2 (other races tend to get flamers at Tier 1.5).
* The soul powers have been reworked:
	+ Most have a lower cooldowns and lower soul costs, encouraging more frequent engagements. DE units are balanced around the expectation of using them.
	+ Rekindle Rage has completely reworked to be a part of the defining feature of the race and counter system:
		- As Dark Eldar have far less armour type diversity than other races (having mostly have light infantry units), they are susceptible to certain special weapons such as Heavy Bolters and Grenade Launchers. Rekindle Rage temporarily alters the armour type of the unit, such that they are countered by different weapons.
		- Rekindle Rage also rallies the squad (to help them counter morale weapons), which provides secondary utility.
		- Rekindle Rage is now Tier 1 (from Tier 3).
	+ Piercing Vision increases the sight range of a unit and provides short range keen sight (from only 30 keen sight), making it multi-purpose. Use it to:
		- Out maneuver the enemy by seeing them before they see you.
		- Deal with infiltrators.
		- Pick enemies off at long range, especially if they're entrenched in Heavy Cover.
	+ Screams of the Damned reduces maximum morale to 1/4 (from 1/2) and inflicts morale damage. Its now Tier 2 (from Tier 1).
		- As morale damage reduces movement speed, instead of increasing it, this ability provides further secondary/tertiary utility: such as helping you escape a conflict, helping you ambush units or helping you deal with dedicated melee units.
	+ Corrosion also applies health degeneration and has a larger AOE. It is now Tier 3 (from Tier 2).
	+ Rend Soul was removed, as we have not yet found valid usecases for it.
	+ Certain researches now have a soul cost, in particular:
		- Daughters of Pain research.
		- Incubi Researches.
		- Mandrake Shadow Skin research.
		- Warp Mutation research.
		- Enhanced Reaver Jetbike research.

### Sisters of Battle

* 2 pop Heavy Infantry MEQ race balanced around situationally useful Faith resource powers
	+ Their army sizes are more in line with the DoW GOTY Space Marines, able to mass troops more effectively
	+ They have access to a wide range of short range special weapons, which leads to a more aggressive gap closing style of play.
	+ Unlike the other races, Sisters lack a hard counter to Light Infantry available in Tier 1.5 (such as Heavy Bolters) which influences a number of matchups.
* Faith Powers
	+ Divine Light - an Area of Effect power that wrecks ranged accuracy
	+ Divine Retribution - toogleable ability which enables the unit to return damage wether is close combat or ranged at the cost of decreasing the squad's overall damage.
	+ Emperor's Touch - applied on regular Sisters of Battle, enables them to counter Heavy Infantry-type squads. Enabled on Sisters Repentia, allows them to turn them into a soft-counter unit.
	+ Lay on Hands - provides health regeneration per second for a duration and ranged damage resistance of 15%
	+ Holy Veil - enables the squad to be completly stealth at the cost of losing their movement speed
* Units
	+ **Tier 1** Battle Sisters are a 2 pop Heavy Infantry fire support unit that excel at applying pressure across the map via flamers, meltaguns and/or emperor's touch.
		- Their lower pop cost means they're more efficient than Tactical Marines at battlefield control through the use of grenades.
	+ **Tier 1** Seraphim are a 3 pop Heavy Infantry melee jumper unit available in Tier 1.5.
		- They reinforce and build much faster than Raptors or ASM, enabling the old 'Raptor harass' strategy from DoW GOTY.
		- Seraphim are weaker than other Jumpers in a direct confrontation, making them rely on support to contest map control later in the game.
	+ **Tier 1** Celestians are 3 pop Elite Heavy Infantry (basically Terminator Armour), available in Tier 1 and are good in both ranged and melee.
	+ **Tier 1** The Missionary is single model capper in Tier 0 good in both melee and ranged.
		- The inability to reinforce means they must rely on Faith to contest map control, encouraging different map control tactics.
	+ Sister Assassins are a 3 pop Light Infantry with extraordinarily high speed and permanent Infiltration that excels at reconnaissance through greater sight and killing vulnerable units.
	+ **Tier 2** Retributors are 3 pop Low Heavy Infantry Relic Unit
		- Can be equipped with Multi Meltas.
	+ **Tier 2.5** Repentia are a 3 pop Light Infantry elite melee unit, with massive DPS due to giant Eviscerator chainswords.
		- They are not research dependent, allowing different strategies.
		- Resistant to morale damage, like Terminators.
* Special Weapons
	+ No access to plasmaguns means the way they fight the mid game is different from the other Marine races.
	+ Power Swords are available earlier (Tier 1.5) can surprise those who expect battle sisters to always have weak melee.
	+ No access to missile launchers. Instead reliant on meltaguns and multi meltas which have a shorter range. This leads to an army that is less effective at long range sieges but are more aggressive at close range sieges.
* Generating Faith
	+ **Tier 0 - Add On -** Holy Icons (limit 4) are placed on Listening Posts to generate Faith resource and provide healing auras. They are incrementally more expensive to encourage careful macro decisions.
	+ **Tier 1.5 - Unit -** Canoness and Squad Leaders increase Faith income by almost 5% each.
	+ **Tier 2.5 - Research -** Commander HP research 1 & 2 increases max Faith by 20.
	+ **Tier 3 - Research -** Martyr's Gift enables Faith death resource for all Sister Infantry except the Repentia and the Confessor. In other words, Sisters who die generate Faith.
	+ **Tier 3.5 - Structure -** Shrine increases Faith income from all sources by 20%.
* Commanders
	+ Canoness (available Tier 1) is a primary commander. She has 3 faith powers:
		- Rosarius - makes her invulnerable to health and morale damage for 10 seconds
		- Divine Light - as mentioned earlier
		- Ascension - summons angels (available Tier 3)
	+ Confessor (available Tier 2.5) is a secondary commander that cannot attach to squads. He has 3 faith powers:
		- Mandate - Passive aura that reduces incoming morale damage from melee and ranged by 10%
		- Divine Pronouncement - A 10 second stun that disables movement, combat, jumping and abilities of a target squad
		- Witch Hammer - Area of Effect nuke and disruption

## Links

* https://discordapp.com/invite/0iv7JxFQwCVCSXak - Dowpro Discord Community
* http://www.moddb.com/mods/dowpro - Mod DB page.