Dawn of War II’s Imperial Guard wants you, free of charge

All you have to do to get into the multiplayer beta for Dawn of War II: Retribution is to register on the community site. This will let you try out the all-new Imperial Guard, who seem to be in over their heads. I get the impression that the dudes from Company of Heroes were transplanted into the Warhammer 40,000 A.D. universe, where they set up their turrets and barricades and — holy crap, what the heck are those things, because we’re gonna need a bigger tank? Pictured.

The beta also lets you play the other races with their new toys. I’m quite fond of a new Tyranid beetle that has a heck of time keeping up with its spry leaping companions, but can hunker down to heal himself up between fights.

This should be a pretty dramatic time for Dawn of War II. For hardcore players, Relic and balance have never been on very friendly terms. But for the rest of us, this is one of the most generous RTS sandboxes you can play in. Get the multiplayer beta here while the gettin’s good.