Factions and Houses in Dune: Awakening - What Players Can Expect

In Dune: Awakening, you can choose to follow the path of one of two significant houses - Atreides or Harkonnen, or alternatively join one of the key communities such as the Fremen or Bene Gesserit. Each of these factions brings unique game mechanics, strategic advantages, and different ways to interact with other players.

However, the Dune universe is much richer and contains more houses and factions than those available immediately upon release. In this article, I'll examine all the key factions and houses, how they can influence your gameplay style, and also reveal which additional factions we might see in the future as part of DLC expansions.

Main Houses and Factions in the Game

1. House Atreides

House Atreides is among the oldest and most respected houses in the entire Dune universe. They are renowned for their honor, high moral values, and military capabilities. Unlike many other houses that rely on brutal tactics, the Atreides focus on just governance, protecting the weak, and building long-term alliances. They gained their power primarily through the loyalty of their subjects and diplomatic abilities.

Game Advantages:

• Diplomacy and Alliances: Atreides excel in diplomacy and building strong alliances, allowing them to better coordinate actions with other factions and gain valuable trade and political advantages.
• Strong Defensive Strategy: They specialize in resilient defensive tactics. Their bases and military structures are excellently protected against aggressive attacks.
• Charismatic Leaders: Characters like Paul Atreides or Leto Atreides are charismatic leaders who inspire units to higher combat morale and effectively coordinate complex operations.
• Fremen Support: Atreides maintain good relations with the Fremen, allowing them to use this powerful community as important allies in the fight for Arrakis.

Tactics: If you choose Atreides, you'll focus mainly on survival strategy and long-term growth. Your main goal will be protecting basic values and developing the economy. Thanks to diplomatic abilities, you'll have the opportunity to negotiate with other factions not only about trade matters but also about political alliances.

2. House Harkonnen

House Harkonnen represents the direct opposite of House Atreides. These people are known for their brutality, cynicism, and absolute focus on achieving power. Their rule is strict, despotic, and based on fear and subordination. The Harkonnens pride themselves on heavy military units that know no mercy and are willing to use any means to achieve their goals.

Game Advantages:

• High Attack Potential: Harkonnens excel in direct combat. Their units have excellent offensive capabilities, making them extremely dangerous in direct confrontations.
• Manipulation and Espionage: They are masters of espionage and manipulation, able to undermine other factions and use obtained information to their advantage.
• Heavy Technology: They have access to advanced military machines and weapons, giving them a significant advantage in combat.
• Spice Monopolization: As significant spice producers, they have strong economic influence, which they can use for extortion and gaining military advantages.

Tactics: As a Harkonnen, you'll likely prefer aggressive expansion and direct military actions. This faction is an ideal choice if you want to dominate with strong armies and manipulate political and economic relationships to your advantage.

3. Fremen

The Fremen are the native inhabitants of planet Arrakis. These people have a deep relationship with the desert environment and its harsh conditions. They are known for their resilience, strong community spirit, and ability to survive in the toughest conditions. Fremen also have strong spirituality and worship spice as the key to their survival and strength.

Game Advantages:

• Survival in Extreme Conditions: Fremen have exceptional abilities for survival on Arrakis. They can use the surrounding environment to their advantage, giving them an edge in challenging combat conditions.
• High Mobility: They are fast and mobile, meaning they can easily maneuver on the battlefield and use guerrilla tactics.
• Sandworm Control: They have the unique ability to utilize sandworms, giving them a huge advantage in the fight for spice. They can also use this power to cause panic among enemy units.

Tactics: With the Fremen, you'll focus on guerrilla warfare and using terrain to ensure advantage. Their strength lies in mobility, stealth, and utilizing the natural resources of planet Arrakis.

4. Bene Gesserit

The Bene Gesserit is a secret organization that focuses on manipulating politics, genetics, and spiritual exercises. They are masters of mental training, manipulating people, and predicting the future. Their goal is to shape the destiny of humanity through secret control of significant events and political players.

Game Advantages:

• Telepathy and Manipulation: They have the ability to control the minds of others, allowing them to manipulate anyone who comes under their influence.
• High Political Skills: They specialize in politics and intrigue, giving them an advantage in diplomatic relations and negotiations.
• Genetic Experiments: They are known for their attempts at genetic manipulation, which can be useful for creating ideal leaders or specialized units.

Tactics: With the Bene Gesserit, you'll focus on diplomacy, intrigue, and manipulation, using their abilities to achieve advantages through mental control and genetic experiments.

Possible DLC Factions and Houses

As Dune: Awakening develops, you can look forward to additional DLC containing new houses, factions, and other game elements that will further enrich this fascinating world. Here are a few possibilities:

1. House Corrino (Former Emperors)

• This house ruled over the entire universe before being overthrown by House Atreides. Its ambitions and power games could bring an entirely new dimension to the game's political scene.

2. Mentats

• Mentats could be added as a separate faction focused on using powerful analytical abilities and strategic advantages.

3. Spacing Guild

• These merchants and navigators controlling space transport could play a key role in the game's economy and trade mechanisms.

4. Sardaukar

• Elite soldiers who served under the rule of House Corrino. This faction could be introduced as a military force with incredible combat efficiency.

If you're also interested in professions and skills, which are key in the game for developing your character and its abilities, check out our section focused on game mechanics in Dune: Awakening, where you'll learn how to maximize the capabilities of your factions and characters.

My Analysis of Faction Balance and Strategy

Having played through early access and beta versions of the game, I've noticed some interesting dynamics between the factions that aren't immediately obvious. For example, while House Atreides excels at diplomacy on paper, their real strength emerges in mid-to-late game when their technological advancements begin to compound with their alliance networks.

House Harkonnen players should be aware that their early game aggression needs to translate into territorial control - if you don't capitalize on your initial military advantages, you'll find yourself outpaced by more economically robust factions like the Atreides or the resource-efficient Fremen.

For Bene Gesserit players, patience is absolutely key. Their manipulation abilities might seem subtle at first, but once you've established a network of influenced NPCs and players, you can essentially control entire regions without maintaining a significant military presence.

From what developers have shared in recent interviews, the faction balance is still being fine-tuned, with particular attention being paid to the Fremen's sandworm interaction mechanics, which proved somewhat overpowered in earlier testing phases.

Related Articles:

• Professions and Skills in Dune: Awakening
• Spice Mining in Dune: Awakening
• Vehicle Management in Dune: Awakening
• Progression System in Dune: Awakening