14 DAY TRIAL // 
The Aggressors always go in the center, forming a battle line that seeks to move as little as possible and absorb enemy attacks. Their ability to trade movement for firepower is one I find myself using whenever available. Intercessors travel where needed, filling gaps and using their grenades to destroy lower-level enemy mobs or to distract real threats.
I tend to keep my heroes relatively back, using them only in emergencies, while a Land Rover and a Dreadnought give me my main punching power against bigger enemies. Inceptors only strike already wounded enemies and represent my solution to Tyranid artillery. My force moves slowly but purposely and rarely loses units.
But Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector supports other approaches as the Blood Angels seek to win their fights against the Xenos.This is a strategy and tactics experience created by Black Lab Games and published by Slitherine. The game puts players in charge of a Space Marine chapter and asks them to find the best way to deal with a massive alien threat.
The campaign is focused on the Blood Angels, starting just after their encounter with the Leviathan Tyranid invasion and the events surrounding the appearance of the Cicatrix Maledictum that split the Empire of Man. The chapter, bloodied by their recent major engagements, gets access to its first complement of Primaris Space Marines. They are better than their older counterparts and might even be able to resist a particular issue the Blood Angels have had to deal with. All this context might require some extra reading, especially for someone who has not kept up with the recent changes in the setting.
Thankfully the narrative of the game as it progresses is more straightforward. There’s a lot of posturing and plenty of very Warhammer speeches for the characters. The writing is not good per se but it captures the spirit of the setting, with its incredible bombast and fake tragedy.
But the core of Battlesector lies in the tactical battles. Players have access to a wide variety of units, from the capable Intercessors to the mighty Dreadnoughts and chapter leaders, and need to use their firepower and abilities to reach objectives. The action is turn-based and action-pointy focused, with each group of Space Marines able to move a certain distance and (mostly) shoot or use an ability.
The unique new concept is Momentum. Units on both sides gain it in combat, using different criteria. Once 100 is stored it can be used to improve an ability or surge and act again. It’s fun to time actions to get these bonuses but they never fully transform the battlefield.
Battlesector also has a solid strategy element. Players decide the units that suit their style and the abilities of their commanders, tailoring a force that can respond to the threat of each mission. The design of the levels is mostly basic but it enables cool tactical moves. Careful use of abilities and Momentum can be very satisfying and the Tyranids can quickly exploit mistakes, although on normal difficulty mission success was never threatened.
The biggest problem of the game is the limited appeal of both mission objectives and level layouts. There are only two missions to fulfill during each battle. There’s a limited variety of the tactical situations the battlefield can generate. Moving Space Marines around and creating clever traps for the Tyranids is always engaging. But after 10 campaign missions, I found myself seeking more variety.
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector is a good-looking strategy game. Zoom in as much as possible to see some solid detail on the Space Marines, a treat for anyone who has never actually painted one in the real world. The Tyranids are solidly creepy but the level design is a little limited, with a grungy industrial look that needs more variety.
The user interface allows gamers to issue orders quickly and there’s plenty of detail for anyone who needs it. The voice work and combat sound design work well with the theme, all bombast and metallic and squishy when needed. The soundtrack is a little more successful because it falls back on the orchestral and choral approaches when a little variety and innovation are needed.
The Good
- Turn-based tactics mechanics
- Blood Angels focused lore
- Momentum concept
The Bad
- Just two army lists
- Limited Momentum impact
- Basic mission design
Conclusion
The Momentum concept, designed to shake up a relatively classic turn-based experience, is interesting but does not affect the action enough. Black Lab has already said that they are planning to add more factions to the game, presumably with a focus on extra variety for skirmishes. The downloadable content for Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector needs to expand on the Momentum idea and add more unit abilities in order to make it a classic for the setting.
Review code provided by the publisher.
