Units can be selected and commanded to engage in combat or interact with structures on the battlefield. The battlefield is initially shrouded by the fog of war, which is uncovered by moving units to clouded regions of the map. Base buildings can be upgraded to grant passive bonuses and unlock access to higher-tier units. Some units and buildings require a second resource, power, which is produced using a generator or extractor building. Supplies collected via supply pads or the battlefield are expended to deploy units and construct buildings. Barracks and vehicle depots can be constructed at bases to deploy infantry and vehicles. In most game modes, players establish a base of operations at a predetermined location. Like its predecessor Halo Wars, it features two playable factions: humanity's military arm, the United Nations Space Command, and an alien faction, the Banished. The game may be played using a gamepad or using a mouse and keyboard. Halo Wars 2 is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game, in which players command armies from a bird's-eye view of the battlefield.
