Commanders

Dawn of War 4 names 10 Commanders: four Space Marines (two per Chapter) and two each for Orks, Necrons and Adeptus Mechanicus. In campaigns they are story characters; elsewhere they are generic faction units picked before a match and usually produced mid-match.

9:26 Dawn of War 4 names 10 Commanders: one of two per faction is picked, and the Space Marines have four, two per Chapter, per KING Art. KING Art has not published a total, so 10 is this page's count from its faction posts. Each Commander shapes how a faction plays, and outside the campaigns they are generic faction units you choose before a match. Everything here predates the Dec 3, 2026 launch. The clip is KING Art's Jul 2026 Battlefield Report.

Quick facts

Named Commanders	10 (this page's count)
Space Marines	4
Orks, Necrons, Adeptus Mechanicus	2 each
Chosen	Before a match, with faction and start position
Arrive	Produced from the headquarters at a cost, usually mid-match
Match settings	Can make them starting units or disable them
Only multi-model Commander	Sek-Ix-23

Sources: KING Art's Space Marines deep dive, Oct 8, 2026; KING Art's multiplayer AMA, Jul 24, 2026; KING Art's Adeptus Mechanicus post, May 7, 2026.

Every Commander

Commander	Faction	Voice	Style
Captain Cyrus	Blood Ravens	Steve Blum	Vanguard: stealth and killing at range
Chief Librarian Jonah Orion	Blood Ravens	Aaron Neil	Psychic warfare that sows chaos in enemy troops
Chaplain Ezrael	Dark Angels	Alex Jordan	Highly mobile, on a Raider-pattern bike, with the Ravenwing
Company Master Astoran	Dark Angels	Ashley Zhangazha	Terminator armor, slow one-man army, with the Deathwing
Warboss Gorgutz	Orks	Brian Drummond	Mega Armor, slow, strong in melee and at range, challenging to play
Beastboss Guzcutta	Orks	Joshua Manning	Tough on foot; rides a Squigosaur later in the campaign
Chronomancer Thothmek	Necrons	James Alexander	Manipulates time to empower troops and confound enemies
Ahmnok	Necrons	Not credited	Melee-minded, fights with claws
Potentia Delta-9	Adeptus Mechanicus	Jess Nesling	Technoarcheologist, servo-skull scout, grows into melee or ranged
Skitarii Marshal Sek-Ix-23	Adeptus Mechanicus	Richard Reed	Buffs nearby units; multiple models, can lead 20 Skitarii

Sources: KING Art on the Space Marines, Oct 8, 2026, Orks, Jan 28, 2026, Necrons, Jul 29, 2026, and Adeptus Mechanicus, May 7, 2026; the Story Trailer post, Dec 12, 2025; the cast post, Aug 5, 2026.

Lion El'Jonson is not on this list because KING Art does not present him as a Commander you pick: he has a small but pivotal role, not every mission. See Characters and Voice Cast for the wider cast.

In the campaign

1:00 In the campaigns they are named characters with story roles. The two Commanders of a faction often mean a choice. The Ork Campaign has you back Gorgutz or Guzcutta, with each mission tipping the balance, and the Adeptus Mechanicus Campaign has you side with Nulpherus-1 as the Marshal or follow Potentia. In the Space Marine Campaign you choose between controlling the Blood Ravens and the Dark Angels when the latter arrive. Gameswelt's preview build shows hero units reviving near your troops after dying in the campaign. The clip is the official Game Overview Trailer.

7:52 Some growth is campaign-only as described: Guzcutta's Squigosaur unlocks later in the campaign, and IGN says taming it changes his playstyle for the rest of that campaign. The clip is IGN's Jan 2026 hands-on.

In Skirmish and multiplayer

9:58 The multiplayer AMA explains the difference. Outside campaigns, Commanders are generic faction units chosen before a match along with faction and start position. They are produced from the headquarters at a cost, usually mid-match after unlocks, and settings can make them starting units or disable them. KING Art also balances campaign and multiplayer separately. See Multiplayer and Skirmish.

Every Space Marine Commander brings a unique Stratagem, though which goes with whom is unpublished, and Deathmarks can outrange and kill Commanders, so they are not safe at range. The only ability named outright for a Commander is Gorgutz's I'm Out of Here, a teleport that leaves bombs behind.

Coming after launch

6:25 Last Stand offers five heroes at launch, not yet named. Crusade Mode, a free 2027 update, gives five Commanders their own Crusade, also unnamed. Steam's Year One Roadmap adds:

Commander	Addition	Timing on Steam's roadmap
Lord Ahmnok	Last Stand and Crusade, with Map Pack II	Second free update, 2027
Guzcutta	Last Stand and Crusade, with Map Pack IV	Near Summer 2027

Source: Steam store page, marked "DLC & release windows subject to change." The paid Aftermath expansion also adds new playable Commanders, per PLAION.

Frequently asked questions

How many Commanders are in Dawn of War 4? Ten are named as of Oct 31, 2026: four Space Marines and two each for Orks, Necrons and Adeptus Mechanicus. That is a count from KING Art's posts, not a published total.

Can you choose your Commander in Dawn of War 4? Yes. Outside the campaigns you pick one with your faction and start position before a match, and match settings can make Commanders starting units or disable them.

Do Commanders start on the field in Dawn of War 4 multiplayer? Not usually. KING Art says they are produced from the headquarters at a cost, usually mid-match after unlocks.

Are Commanders the same in campaign and multiplayer in Dawn of War 4? No. In campaigns they are story characters, and elsewhere they are generic faction units. KING Art balances the two separately.

Which Commanders are in Dawn of War 4's Last Stand? Five heroes are promised at launch but none is named as of Oct 31, 2026. Steam's roadmap adds Lord Ahmnok and Guzcutta in 2027.

Sources

Faction Deep Dive - Space Marines, KING Art Games, Oct 8, 2026
Game Overview Trailer, Previews & Closed Beta, KING Art Games, Oct 23, 2026
Introducing the cast, KING Art Games, Aug 5, 2026
Faction Deep Dive - Necrons, KING Art Games, Jul 29, 2026
AMA Developer Blog - Multiplayer, KING Art Games, Jul 24, 2026
Crusade mode returns, KING Art Games, May 21, 2026
Introducing Dawn of War IV's Adeptus Mechanicus, KING Art Games, May 7, 2026
Faction Deep Dive - Orks, KING Art Games, Jan 28, 2026
Meet the new faces from our epic Story Trailer, KING Art Games, Dec 12, 2025
Crafting an epic Dawn of War IV story, KING Art Games, Nov 20, 2025
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV store page and roadmap, Steam, as of Oct 31, 2026
The Next Chapter of Dawn of War Begins on September 17, PLAION press, May 21, 2026
New Trailer: Dawn of War IV Deploys Massive Game Overview, Deep Silver press release on GamesPress, Oct 2026
Hands-On with the Ork Campaign, IGN First, IGN via Yahoo, Jan 29, 2026
Stundenlang gespielt, Gameswelt, Oct 23, 2026
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV Battlefield Report - Space Marines vs Orks, Dawn of War IV, Jul 1, 2026 (video)
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV - Official Game Overview Trailer, Dawn of War IV, Oct 21, 2026 (video)
Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War 4 - Hands-On with the Ork Campaign | IGN First, IGN, Jan 29, 2026 (video)

Moments

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV Battlefield Report - Space Marines vs Orks

Dawn of War IV

9:26 Dawn of War 4 names 10 Commanders: one of two per faction is picked, and the Space Marines have four, two per Chapter…
9:58 The multiplayer AMA explains the difference. Outside campaigns, Commanders are generic faction units chosen before a…

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV - Official Game Overview Trailer

Dawn of War IV

1:00 In the campaigns they are named characters with story roles. The two Commanders of a faction often mean a choice. The…
6:25 Last Stand offers five heroes at launch, not yet named. Crusade Mode, a free 2027 update, gives five Commanders their…