The Warhammer series has seen many solid installments in the past and that tradition will continue with Namco's Warhammer: Mark of Chaos. While the real-time strategy title is not scheduled to hit stores until late 2006, we took an early look at how the game is coming together. RTS fans have a lot to look forward to here as the development team already has a solid foundation going with a lot of time left to fine tune the title to perfection.

In Mark of Chaos you will play as the General of your army in a game where the military is everything. Instead of fighting several campaigns back to back, Mark of Chaos is one big war campaign. Each battle you fight will be part of the larger war. You'll need to decide when it's best to give up certain territories for the greater good of the war. Holding on to the strategies territories will win the war, so you'll need to make wise decisions. Just remember, if you lose your capital city, you lose the war.

In each of the battles, the two armies will start on either side of the playing field. They will then meet in the middle to do battle. Along the way you will be able to secure buildings and use them for medic stations to heal your wounded, or as ways to gain the upper hand in battle. One example we were shown was an old burned out building. It was actually possible to hide troops in the building and your enemies would not see them until they were being attacked. Even when playing against a human opponent, the troops hidden in the building will not show up on the map.

Mark of Chaos will also feature a great deal of customization. Each player will come to the battle with a different strategy unique to their army. Since there are so many troop types with so many different strategies tied to them, no two armies will fight the same. Some troop types will be much larger than standard troops, so different strategies will need to be used to defeat them. Will you attack with a large amount of less powerful creatures, or will you bring up your own brute to take out the enemy's?

Another example of how individual troop types can change the way a battle is fought would be the mages. Mages are extremely powerful, but also very vulnerable to attack. You can start off a battle with a single mage facing off against an entire brigade from a distance. The mage will be able to take down most of the enemy troops, but you'll need to know when to call the mage back and bring in the normal troops.

There will also be battles between heroes. Each army will have a hero that is one of their greatest warriors. These champions can quickly change the flow of the battle. If you take down your enemy's champion, it will be a huge blow to their morale and victory could come much faster. Other troop types consist of flying units like dragons, and units mounted on horses that can plow through rows of enemies.

A siege engine has also been added to the game that will allow players to lay siege to castles and other establishments. Battering rams and catapults will play a large roll here, so plan your attack accordingly. There will also be standard battles of capture the flag or a scenario that will have you holding control of a specific area for a set time frame. The developers have tried to create a game that will appeal to all players.

Warhammer: Mark of Chaos is still a long way from releasing, but it's already looking like a top notch RTS. The developers are looking to include at least eight players online or via LAN as well as team support. You can even play through the story mode in co-op with two armies changing how the story mode progresses. Staying true to the Warhammer universe, the game is aiming for an M rating and will be filed with blood and gore. If you zoom in on the map, even at this early stage, the graphics are already very detailed. We'll have more on Warhammer as we draw closer to its late 2006 release date.