Warhammer 40k: Battlesector – Deeds of the Fallen DLC Review
It’s pretty overwhelming trying to work out where to start with Warhammer’s video game side of the business. It’s a vastly crowded space with something quite literally for everyone, be it card game, shooter, or RPG fans, but knowing where to begin as a turn-based gamer is particularly baffling. But amongst the multitude of options, Battlesector stands out, offering the closest thing to a proper Warhammer experience without spending thousands of pounds on plastic figures you’ll undoubtedly do a terrible job at painting.
But while there’s no shortage of DLC for Battlesector over the years, adding a heap of iconic races to the frontline (how else are you going to build your very own mob of Ork Boyz, otherwise), Battlesector fans have been desperate for one thing in particular since its 2021 release – more single-player content. Luckily, Deeds of the Fallen looks to right past DLC wrongs, introducing 12 new missions to turn your tactical hand to.
And all in all, it does a great job. Unlike the base campaign, where you boot up as the Space Marines, the DLC centres on the Sisters of Battle as they go toe-to-toe against an Ork invasion on the doomed, icy Imperial world of Ashenfall. It’s a great way to tantalise you into playing a DLC-locked race, and the Sisters of Battle play differently enough from the base game Marines that the campaign feels fresh. Is it enough to make me want to purchase them to use online and in skirmish mode? Maybe, but I appreciate that Deeds doesn’t lazily chuck us back in control of the Blood Angels.
Speaking of the Sisters of Battle, the DLC also introduces three new units (and yes, you’ll need to own the race to use these outside of the campaign). The Zephyrim in particular are incredibly useful on the battlefield, with highly adaptable movement allowing them to be where they’re needed in a flash. And speed is important for the Sisters, as comparatively, they’re much weaker than the Space Marines, so getting in and out is a tactic you’ll come to rely on throughout the campaign.
Not being able to take as much of a punch as the Space Marines isn’t a slight on the ability of the Sisters, though. In fact, it’s something that makes Deeds’ campaign feel worth picking up, as you’ll need to use completely different strategies when compared to the base solo missions. Basic Sisters have a lower armour rating than the majority of the other races cannon fodder, so there’s heavy reliance on some of the buffs applied by the Sisters’ fanatical leader units, as well as the healing light of the Hospitaller. Much of the campaign is a little light on vehicle combat, too, so you’ll soon grow fond of the sword-swinging devotees that make up the Sisters of Battle’s backline units.
I love mowing down Tyranids as much as the next person, but playing against the Orks in a campaign setting is also a welcome addition. With their focus on explosive weaponry and distance warfare, the campaign feels distinctly different to the heavily melee-focused Tyranid brood. That said, missions are unfortunately a little samey, but that’s nothing particularly new. Battlesector creates an extremely impressive representation of the tabletop experience, which means most missions more or less come down to simply eradicating a screen full of enemies.
It’s still super fun, though, and, like in the base game, the addition of unit upgrades, as well as units that you carry through the campaign, is a nice touch. There are also plenty of secondary objectives, and I genuinely enjoyed trying my hardest to complete each mission’s full set of objectives. Like the rest of Battlesector, Deeds of the Fallen is still tough as nails, and even though I consider myself pretty good at turn-based strategies, I struggled on most difficulty levels. This isn’t, however, a bad thing, and it allowed me to adapt to each mission’s particular challenges and re-evaluate what units I was taking into each battle.
I was also impressed with how well Battlesector ran on my Legion Go. While it’s, naturally, a better experience with a mouse and keyboard, the game is well-suited for handhelds, and the controller support has been implemented to a level that feels totally natural. Of course, a bigger screen means you’re able to follow the action a little easier, especially on enemy turns, but Battlesector makes for a great on-the-go turn-based experience.
Considering Battlesector has just celebrated its fourth birthday, Deeds of the Fallen makes it clear that there’s still some life left in the old strategy yet. Deeds of the Fallen was released alongside a brand new game mode, Crusade, further expanding the options available to solo players, and there’s still more content promised on the horizon. Lost in the endless sea of Warhammer games? If you want all the thrills of the tabletop experience, Battlesector, and in particular, Deeds of the Fallen, is the best place to start.
4/5
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