Warhammer 40,000 will be making a big return when Dawn of War 2 surfaces on the PC early next year. Following our exclusive first look at the eagerly awaited RTS sequel, TVG brings you word on the next faction to appear in the game alongside the Space Marines and the Orks with the introduction of the Eldar.

Sharing his thoughts is Philippe Boulle, Senior Designer on DOW2.

Make sure to check out our exclusive look at the Eldar in action on TVG.TV.

TVG: Can you give us some background on the Eldar? The Eldar are one of the oldest races in the Dawn of War universe. Long before Humanity rose up, they ruled a huge galactic Empire. That Empire became decadent, however, and collapsed.

Those who escaped the fall rejected that decadence. They became deadly warriors and peerless psychics. Individual Eldar are incredibly long lived, but their race is slowly dwindling due to a lack of children.

TVG: What went into your decision to include them in DoW II? The Eldar make a great counter-point to the heavily armored Space Marines on one hand, and the savage Orks on the other. They are sleek and deadly where the others are brutal and loud.

Their psychic powers also made them a great addition to DoW II. Eldar can hit and shoot with the best of them, but when their Warlocks and Farseers unleash a devastating Psychic Storm on you... well, that's when they are just plain awesome.

TVG: How have the Eldar in DoW II changed from the Eldar in the original DoW? Like everything in DoW II, we took a hard look at the Eldar and asked ourselves how to take them to the next level. The basic combination of speed and special abilities made the Eldar lots of fun in original DoW, and we've definitely retained that.

What we've focused on adding is a stronger sense of deadly menace to the race. These aren't fragile "space elves" - these are ninja-like warriors who can kill you in an instant.

TVG: What really excites you about having the Eldar in DoW II? The variety of enemies and playable units the Eldar give us to work with. Giant Warbosses stomping guys into the ground is awesome, but with the Eldar we also get sleek Howling Banshees cutting enemies in half before they can move, Warp Spiders teleporting in the blink of an eye and much, much more.

We want players to keep coming back to DoW II. Having such a variety of toys for them to use and fight is what will make that happen.

Oh, and did we mention Psychic Storm . . .

TVG: How much of the Warhammer 40,000 lore inspired your version of the Eldar? Will we be seeing any recurring characters either from the lore or from the original game?

Our goal has always been to bring the 40k universe to life in ways people never thought possible.

One of our guiding principles has been to reward those who know the universe but never to punish those who don't. So fans of 40k and of original DoW will see faces they recognize and pick up on new bits of setting, but fresh players will find a game that puts them right in the heart of epic action.

TVG: We know you've just announced the Eldar as a playable faction, but are there any details you can share with us about their presence in the game?

The Avatar or Khaine will blow your mind.

TVG would like to thank Philippe Boulle and THQ for the opportunity to take a closer look at the Eldar race and Dawn of War II. Expect plenty of further coverage and all things Warhammer 40k very soon...