One of several RPG elements included in Dawn Of War II is Wargear. Wargear is basically another name for items, such as armor and weapons, which can be added to squads. Wargear isn't hard to grasp, but the lack of documentation on Relic's part means that some nuances are often missed.
Suit Up
One of the more interesting gameplay features included in Dawn Of War II is Wargear. These items, which include various weapons, armors, health packs, and grenades, are usable in both single-player and multi-player. Then have a major effect on what your squads are capable of. Choosing certain pieces of Wargear over others will make a squad stronger in some areas and weaker in others. Wargear can also unlock special abilities that can turn the tide of battle.
Despite this, Dawn Of War II is not exactly keen on explaining what Wargear does. Players getting into the game will immediately notice that the way Wargear works in single-player is completely different than the way it works in multi-player. This guide will help you understand how to use Wargear, so that you'll be better in both single-player and multi-player.
Finding Single-Player Wargear
The single-player campaign of Dawn Of War II includes elements that have been borrowed directly from the RPG genre. Your individual squads are identified by their leader, who is also a main character in the campaign. For example, your scout squad is lead by Cyrus. Your squads will level up like characters in a standard RPG, and you can also customize squads with items, or Wargear.
Wargear is essential if you plan to get good ratings in every campaign mission. Of course, you can't equip Wargear unless you have it, so you will want to look out for it. You will always be rewarded with some type of Wargear when you complete a mission, and the Wargear which you'll be given is outlined at the beginning of the mission. But you will also often find Wargear randomly dropped by defeated opponents. Keep an eye out for this, as some great Wargear can be had this way, and it is easy to skip over a Wargear drop when under assault by a mass of Tyranids.
Using Wargear in Single-Player
You can outfit your squads with whatever Wargear you choose between missions. In the early campaign this is simple, as you won't have many Wargear options. As the campaign moves on, however, you'll gain a larger and larger collection of weapons, armors, and other equipment. Choosing the right equipment can mean the difference between victory and defeat, particularly in the storyline missions, which often throw a specific challenge towards you. Luckily, you can prepare. The mission summary usually offers some kind of hint which will tell you if you're going to run into a specifc threat. If the hint suggests that missiles are great against vehicles, then it is a good bet that you'll run into a Wartrukk or Wraithlord. Also, the missions usually pit you against one type of enemy. If its Tyranids, bring weapons that a good at taking out swarms of melee enemies. If its the Eldar, you should probably veer towards heavy-hitting ranged weapons that will be good in a shoot-out.
Finally, make sure that you use classic RPG common-sense when out-fitting your squads with Wargear. Just as in any RPG, you'll want to specialize and coordinate your Wargear use not only with your objectives and the enemies you face, but also with the things a squad is best at. A new bolter may look awesome, but sticking it on your Force Commander isn't a good choice.