Squad Command (Video Game)

Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command is a strategy game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, released on November 16, 2007, for the PlayStation Portable. It was developed by RedLynx. The game features three Space Marine Chapters pitted against three Legions of Chaos (two and two for the NDS) battling it out on the planet of Rhur III. The game features units from the tabletop wargame such as Dreadnoughts, Defilers, Land Raiders, Whirlwinds, Scouts, Terminators and more.

Single Player Mode
The single-player campaign follows the Imperium's Ultramarines forces over the course of 15 cinematically-linked missions as they fend off an incursion by the Word Bearers Legion of Chaos on the planet Rhur III.

Multiplayer
The multi-player function can support up to nine players on local wireless connection or globally via Wi-Fi. The mode has nine different maps and players choose between three Space Marine chapters or three Chaos Legions to side with and battle against.

Squad command on the DS also allows for a limited (1 VS 1) DS download play option, featuring 4 different chapters to choose from.

Gameplay Features
Squad Command uses a unique turn-based gameplay system to mimic the play of the tabletop wargame. It features fully destructible 3D environments and over 20 weapons to utilize, such as the bolter and powerfist. According to THQ, Squad Command will fully make use of the two platforms portable functionality.

Squad Command uses Hit Points (HP) and Action Points (AP). Hit Points are used to calculate damage to a unit, when a unit's HP hits zero they are removed from the battle as a casualty. Action Points represent the time a unit has to act in a round, and are expended when the unit moves or fires a weapon. Movement uses up varying amounts of AP depending on the distance moved (up to all a unit's AP, if so desired) whereas weapons have a minimum amount allowable. The player can simulate taking time to aim a shot to increase accuracy, by increasing the amount of AP used whilst firing. This is depicted by a band of fluctuating color, which tightens and darkens as more AP are spent, until a shot is virtually guaranteed to hit. Terrain is destructible as well, allowing for sufficiently powerful weapons to destroy an object and simultaneously damage enemies taking cover behind it.

If a unit ends its turn with enough AP to fire their weapon, they enter "Overwatch" mode during the enemy's turn. In Overwatch any enemy unit that enters the Overwatch unit's line-of-sight is fired upon. Some heavy weapons (such as Sniper Rifles or Plasma Guns) lower the amount of AP a unit may use in a turn, to simulate the added time taken and complexity of their use.