Table of Contents
----------------------------------------
I. Introduction and Contact Information
II. Orc Heroes
A. Tauren Chieftain
A1. Shockwave
A2. War Stomp
A3. Endurance Aura
A4. Reincarnation
B. Far Seer
B1. Chain Lightning
B2. Far Sight
B3. Feral Spirit
B4. Earthquake
C. Blademaster
C1. Wind Walk
C2. Mirrored Image
C3. Critical Strike
C4. Bladestorm
D. Shadow Hunter
D1. Healing Wave
D2. Hex
D3. Serpent Ward
D4. Big Bad Voodoo
III. Units
A. Peon
B. Grunt
C. Troll Headhunter/Berserker
D. Raider
E. Kodo Beast
F. Troll Batrider
G. Wind Rider
H. Shaman
H1. Purge
H2. Lightning Shield
H3. Bloodlust
I. Troll Witch Doctor
I1. Sentry Ward
I2. Stasis Trap
I3. Healing Ward
J. Spirit Walker
J1. Spirit Link
J2. Disenchant
J3. Ancestral Spirit
K. Demolisher
L. Tauren
IV. Structures
A. Great Hall
B. Altar of Storms
C. Barracks
D. War Mill
E. Tauren Totem
F. Spirit Lodge
G. Beastiary
H. Orc Burrow
I. Watch Tower
J. Voodoo Lounge
V. Harassing Strategies
A. Blademaster
B. Far Seer
C. Tauren Chieftain
VI. Building Orders
A. Velmarg's Build Order
B. Acidslayer57's Build Order
VII. General Strategies
A. Grunts and Casters
B. Grunts and Headhunters/Berserkers
C. Tauren and Casters
D. Mass Wind Riders
E. Grunts and Raiders
F. Chieftain and Raiders
VIII. Team Strategies
A. Two on Two
a. Orc and Night Elf
i. Grunts and Archers
ii. Tauren/Casters - MGs/Dryads
iii. Tauren - Chims
iv. Raiders - Archers
b. Orc and Human
i. Grunts - Rifles
c. Orc and Undead
i. Grunts - Fiends
ii. Vampiric Aura + Bloodlust
iii. The Anti
d. Orc and Orc
i. Tauren and Casters
IX. Hero Combinations
A. Chieftain & Far Seer
B. Chieftain and Shadow Hunter
C. Blademaster and Shadow Hunter
D. Chieftain and Mountain King
E. Chieftain and Death Knight
F. Shadow Hunter and Paladin
X. Random Nonsense
A. When Kodos Attack...
B. Fingon's Last Stand
XI. Credits
Update
----------------------
March 18 '04: Not much of an update. Threw in a few contributions, and updated
the contact information section. Anyone that has anything they'd like to
contribute to this FAQ should see the Introduction and Contact Information
section, as I've made a few changes.
May 23 '04: More of an "I'm still alive" update than anything else. Added some
contributed stuff. Planning on making a major update in the coming weeks.
June 21 '04: Made a few additions. Added a the Hero Combination section,
a few harassing strategies, a Random Nonsense section... Mm-hmm.
April 19 '05: No, I didn't forget that this FAQ was here. Okay, so I did. Back
off. A few minor strategies thrown in here and there... Probably the most
important new tidbit of information is that I have a new email address:
remo12@gmail.com
I check this account all the time, since G-mail gets rid of virtually all the
spam. If you got somethin' on your mind, and you want to see it in this FAQ,
lay it on me, sister.
Introduction and Contact Information
----------------------------------------
This is my first FAQ, so bare with me if the set-up is a little shaky. The Orcs
are my favorite race in WC3, primarily because of their unmatched melee power.
Their ranged and air capabilities are nothing to get excited about, but when
you've got units like the powerful Grunt, the beefy Tauren, and the excellent
orcish casters, those seem like minor set-backs. This FAQ explains all of the
orc units, structures, and abilities in detail, and I'll give my personal view
on the capabilities of each. Might throw in some strategies for good measure.
As for submissions, I apologize to anyone who e-mailed me and never had their
strategies or tips posted. It wasn't because I didn't think what you sent was
useful; it's because I'm a lazy schmuck and I don't check my e-mail as often as
I should with a FAQ like this posted. That being said, if you want to submit
something to the FAQ, Now that I've gotten back into the swing
of things here, I'll probably be a little more watchful of what goes into my
inbox...
***NEW*** E-mail: remo12@gmail.com
I'd also like to note that I'm not a die-hard, hardcore, in your FACE WC3
player, and any significant changes in any updates are likely to slip right
under the radar. If something's amiss on this FAQ, e-mail me and let me know
and I'll fix it up. I'll give you a cookie, too. Or at least some credit.
What kind of WC3 player is this Velmarg?
--------------------------------------
Not a very good one... see my record on B.Net East for proof of that. Base
building and micro-management seem to be my two biggest weaknesses. I'm pretty
good at controlling armies in combat, and I can come up with some decent
strategies, but other than that, I'm a pretty average player. The Orcs are
the only race I have a really good understanding of. Orc vs. Orc games I tend
to kick ass in; everything else is a hit or miss affair. I'm thinking of
starting a FAQ on another race, if only to get a better understanding of
the game. Keep an eye out for the Velmarg Human FAQ. That sounds kinda
nifty, doesn't it? The Human FAQ; everything you ever wanted to know
about... humans... Muaha... Muahaha... *Lightning Strikes*. Or is he just
turning the lights on and off? ..... MUAHAHAHAHA!
...
Anyway, enjoy the FAQ...
II. Orc Heroes
----------------------------------------
The Orc heroes are all very unique. Unlike the heroes of other races, the
Orcish heroes aren't as supportive of their troops; by that, I mean that the
Orc heroesare more focused on bringing down enemy forces that strengthening
their own. TheShadow Hunter is an exception (as he is all about assisting).
From the earth shaking Tauren Chieftain to the... well... earth shaking Far
Seer, the heroes of the horde are all powerful, and for very different reasons.
A. Tauren Chieftain
Prim. Attribute: Strength
----------------------------------------
The Chieftain is a powerhouse; arguably the best melee hero in the game. His
abilities focus on disabling enemy troops and empowering friendly melee
attackers. He attacks land units.
A1. Shockwave
----------------------------------------
The Chieftain slams the ground with his totems, causing a shockwave to ripple
forth in a straight line. Any enemy units caught in its path takes damage.
Shockwave is a very underrated ability. In the early stages of a game, it can
wreak havoc on weaker enemy troops (footmen, archers, etc.). If you know your
opponent is gathering a large force of weak units, it might be a good idea to
put a point or two into Shockwave.
A2. War Stomp
----------------------------------------
The Chieftain stomps the ground with such force that any enemy units near him
are damaged and stunned.
War Stomp is a very effective ability, if used with precision. It's main
purpose is to stun attack melee troops, but it's also effective against ranged
units and casters. Pulling the Chieftain out of the thick of battle, moving
him near the enemy's ranged units or casters and War Stomping can take the
heat off of of friendly troops for a while. It's particularly effective against
Necromancers, when used in this manner (especially at level 3).
A3. Endurance Aura
----------------------------------------
Any friendly units near the Chieftain are empowered with faster attack and
movement speeds.
Endurance Aura is my favorite aura in the game. Just putting one point into
it increases your army's movement rate considerably. The attack rate boost
doesn't seem like much, but it actually helps quite a bit. Couple that 15%
increase with Bloodlust, and you've got yourself one powerful melee force.
From Fingon: The TC's endurance aura and the DK's unholy aura if used
together with wyverns and gargs/wyrms is incredibly powerful. Hit an enemy base
and run when the ranged comes. You have a (up to) 60% movement upgrade, so
even the wyrms can make it safely. The sheer melee power of the TC and DK
in shockwave and even death coil is very fun against ranged. People usually
go for the air.
A4. Reincarnation (Ultimate)
----------------------------------------
Nothing like seeing the look on your enemy's face when your Chieftain gets
right back up after he's taken down. Not that you can see their face, since
it's a game, but... y'know what I mean.
Reincarnation in a very powerful ability that can easily turn the tide of a
battle, but it has its downsides. For one, in comparison to the Ultimate
abilities of other Orc heroes, it seems a little weak. For another, if your
entire army is taken out before your chieftain gets up, it's basically a
waste, since he'll get knocked right back down in a short amount of time.
Still, it's good to know that if the Chief goes down in a fight, he'll
be getting right back up.
The cooldown for reincarnation is pretty significant, so the Chieftain is
by no means invincible with this ability.
B. Far Seer
Prim. Attribute: Intelligence
---------------------------------------
The Far Seer is the horde's mystical hero, with abilities like Chain
Lightning and Feral Spirit. Ironically, the ability that gives the hero his
name is one of the most useless in the game. Ah well... his other skills
more than make up for it. He can attack both land and air units.
B1. Chain Lightning
---------------------------------------
The Far Seer sends forth a stream of lightning which bounces from enemy to
enemy, weakening with each "bounce" until it fizzles out. The amount of times
the spell can bounce increases with level.
Chain Lightning is one of the best attack spells, and can really turn the tide
of a fight. If two armies have been going at it for a good while and are both
low on health, this spell can mop up a number of the opponent's units. It's
also very effective against air units.
B2. Far Sight
---------------------------------------
While not entirely useless, Far Sight isn't a very powerful ability. The fact
that you can send a Feral Spirit into your opponents base to accomplish the
same goal puts this ability at the bottom of the list. Only put points into
this if it's the only ability left to put points in.
Ridel241@aol.com's take on the Far Sight ability: It was a little difficult to
read (no offense to him, since he really does know what he's talking about),
but he basically said that if you can manage it, having Far Sight at a high
level can be very nice indeed, since you can look over a huge chunk o' the
map for a little bit o' mana. I still think it's his weakest ability, but it's
not useless.
Far Sight is a useful spell, but only in Orc v Orc or Orc v Undead, since it
sees invisible units. No more blademaster or shades!(SlashingWolf)
B3. Feral Spirit
---------------------------------------
The Far Seer summons two spirit wolves to attack his enemies. The wolves
increase with each level put into the ability.
One of the Far Seers more useful abilities, the wolves are effective in combat,
and near invaluable as scouts. The Feral Spirits ability makes the Far Seer
an effective harasser as well.
B4. Earthquake (Ultimate)
---------------------------------------
Devastating against enemy structures (particularly defensive ones), Earthquake
can quickly make short work of an opponent's base. It's ability to slow enemy
troops is often over-looked.
Some good uses for Earthquake, aside from tearing apart a base, are:
a) If you have a number of ranged units or air, you can slow your enemy's units
and easily pick them off (since you won't have to enter the area of the spell
to attack them).
b) If placed just right, Earthquake can have devastating effects on enemy
melee units during a large confrontation. Wait for your two armies to clash,
cast it on your opponents side, and let the slaughter commence. Bring in some
master Shamans and Witch Doctors, and you've basically owned your opponent.
C. Blademaster
Prim. Attribute: Agility
---------------------------------------
A quick and stealthy hero effective against single opponents, the Blademaster
is the horde's best hero killer and the best harasser. His abilities focus on
confusing the opponent and dispatching enemies quickly. He attacks land units.
C1. Wind Walk
---------------------------------------
This ability allows the Blademaster to disappear from enemy sight. While
invisible, the Blademaster has increased movement speed. Attacking while
Wind Walking gives a significant bonus to damage, but makes the Blademaster
visible again. The movement speed and damage bonuses increase with level.
Wind Walk is what makes the Blademaster the best harassing orc hero. The
Blademaster can attack the worker units, Wind Walk to get away from the
enemy's units that have come to assist, and then continue the assault.
Annoying? Yes. Effective. Mm-hmm. On top of the excellent harassing
capabilities, Wind Walk makes the Blademaster a capable scout. It also allows
him to escape a fight that isn't going your way, if need be.
C2. Mirror Image
---------------------------------------
By use of this ability, the Blademaster creates phantom images of himself to
confuse his opponent. The images don't actually inflict any damage, and are
defeated much faster than the Blademaster himself.
None of the Blademaster's abilities are really useless, but Mirror Image is
probably my least favorite. At early levels, it's very easy to distinguish
between the image and the real Blademaster; you can see who does damage on
each strike, and the image's health will go down faster. The ability is
most useful when the Blademaster's health is down, but you don't want to
take him out of the fight. It's also useful to take some heat off of fellow
troops in a large battle, as some enemy units may shift their focus from
hitting one of your troops and attack one of the images instead.
C3. Critical Strike
---------------------------------------
A passive ability, Critical Strike gives a 15% chance that the Blademaster
will do much more damage than he usually does. At level 3, you'll have a 15%
chance to do 4 times the usual damage. Beefy.
Critical Strike, along with Wind Walk, make the Blademaster the horde's best
anti-hero hero.
C4. Bladestorm (Ultimate)
---------------------------------------
The Blademaster suddenly becomes the Blind Swordsman from the 60's samurai
flicks, wreaking havoc on all enemy units in his vicinity. He spins in a fury
of orc and sword, making him a mobile cyclone of metal death. Or... something.
Bladestorm is one of the best ultimate abilities in the game. It's effective
against melee attackers, but also against casters. Nothing like Wind Walking
out of a fight, getting behind the enemy casters, and unleashing Bladestorm
hell.
D. Shadow Hunter
---------------------------------------
The Shadow Hunter is the new hero introduced in Frozen Throne. Unlike the
other orcish heroes, the Shadow Hunter is all about assisting the troops.
Probably my least favorite of the orc heroes (though his ultimate ability
is insanely powerful). Attacks land and air units.
D1. Healing Wave
---------------------------------------
Basically the opposite of Chain Lightning. Instead of bouncing from enemy to
enemy, dealing less damage as it goes, Healing Wave bounces from friendly to
friendly, healing less and less damage. Very effective.
Healing Wave makes the Shadow Hunter an effective creeper. You can clear quite
a few creep areas with a single attack force of 4 or 5 grunts with Healing
Wave at your disposal. It's not just for creeping, though; Healing Wave is
especially powerful in larger battles. Be sure to focus the spell on the unit
with the least amount of health left, as it decreases in power with each
bounce. To make it easier, hold ALT as the battle rages.
D2. Hex
---------------------------------------
Hex temporarily transforms an enemy unit into some random creature, disabling
their special abilities.
Hex is particularly effective against enemy heroes; nothing like turning that
pesky Archmage who won't knock off the Blizzard into a sheep or something.
The duration is much shorter for heroes, however...
Also, according to this dude here, Hex can turn off any channeling spell.
The victim still loses the mana cost and CD.(SlashingWolf)
D3. Serpent Ward
---------------------------------------
Through use of this ability, the Shadow Hunter summons a immobile snake-like
ward that attacks enemy land and air units. It doesn't cost a whole lot of
mana, and has a reasonable cool-down, which allows the Shadow Hunter to put
up multiple wards.
At first, I didn't think much of this ability. Healing Wave and Hex always
seemed more useful. Then someone e-mailed me and brought it to my attention
that at third level, Serpent Ward does about as much damage as a Wind Rider.
As such, it's not really useless at all. While I still consider it the shadow
Hunter's weakest ability, it's not as weak as I once deemed it.
Fun with Serpent Wards:
Ridel241@aol.com is the one who brought it to my attention that beefy Serpent
Wards do some decent damage. He also pointed out that they're useful during a
tower rush. I hate tower rushing as much as the next guy, but the man's got a
point. Kudos to Ridel for bringing this to my attention.
D4. Big Bad Voodoo (Ultimate)
---------------------------------------
One of the most powerful (if not, THE most powerful) ultimate abilities, Big
Bad Voodoo makes all units in an area around the Shadow Hunter invulnerable.
The Shadow Hunter himself isn't invincible, and since enemy units can't attack
any of the other units, they all automatically shift their attention to the
Shadow Hunter. This is bad mojo if the enemy has some ranged or air units.
In my opinion, it's a bit overpowered. But then, the attack force on the other
side of the spell can just run away, forcing the Shadow Hunter to cancel the
spell to move on. Still, if a Shadow Hunter moves into the middle of an enemy
base, surrounds himself with a considerable army of melee units and ranged or
air units, and casts this spell... the enemy may as well throw in the towel.
Positioning is the key with this spell. If you're attacking an enemy base in
a 1v1 game and you're pretty sure you won't get attacked from behind, stick
the Shadow Hunter in the back of the army and use it. If you're in a pincer
attack and are getting smacked on both fronts, obviously the best place would
be in the middle. If you and a team mate and flanking an enemy army, it's
probably a better idea to keep him in the back or toward the middle of your
army. One might argue that it'd be more efficient to place the SH in the front
of the army so that the spell affects your team mate's units as well, but that
puts the SH at risk. Just have both sides close in on your opponent and hope
that your team mate's units hold out long enough so that the enemy can't slash
through them and head for the hills. In short, your team mate becomes a sort
of dam, holding the enemy at bay so your invincible units can make short work
of them. The player who's playing as the proverbial "dam" would do well to
to focus most of his efforts on just keeping his units alive rather than
bringing down the enemy's. Healing spells and auras will work wonders here.
III. Units
---------------------------------------
The horde's army focuses on melee power. The Grunt and Tauren are two of the
best melee units in the game, and the casters only rub it in, with spells like
Bloodlust, Healing Ward, and Ancestral Spirit. The ranged and air units are
decent, but they're overshadowed by the horde's casters and front-line troops.
The format I'll be presenting them in is...
Name of the Unit.
Structure the Unit is trained at.
Cost to Build the Unit.
Pre-requisites for building the Unit.
Detailed description of the unit.
A. Peon
Great Hall, Stronghold, or Fortress
75 Gold - 1 Food
---------------------------------------
The orc worker unit, peons mine the gold and gather the lumber for the Horde.
They're the least effective lumber harvesters in the game. The Humans can
upgrade the amount of lumber they carry, the Night Elves can stick 8 or 9
wisps on a group of trees and have a constant, steady supply of lumber, and
the Undead have the ghouls, which harvest lumber quickly and efficiently. This
is very bad mojo, since the orc structures and some of the more powerful units
(such as the Tauren) cost a good bit of lumber. I'd recommend putting at
least 6 peons on lumber. If and when you expand, move your lumber gathering
units to that expansion and have them harvest lumber there, if possible.
Chances are, by the time you're prepared to expand, they'll have cut through
a significant portion of the forest they started at, and it'll take them
longer to fetch and return the lumber.
Aside from the basic gold and lumber gathering, the peons can repair
structures, gather resources from enemy buildings if you've researched
Pillage (though why you'd want to send peons in to attack an enemy
structure is beyond me), and flee into the Orc Burrows, turning them into
defensive structures. This makes it somewhat difficult to effectively harass
an orc base, since the player can just burrow. Constant burrow fire plus an
unhappy hero usually leads to an unsuccessful harass.
B. Grunt
Barracks
200 gold - 3 Food
---------------------------------------
The Grunt is the basic attack unit of the Horde. They're the most powerful
tier 1 melee unit in the game, and can easily hold their own against more
powerful units such as knights and abominations. Grunts are known for their
staying power; you can get through an entire game with an attack force
composed of nothing but Grunts. Throw in some master Shamans and Witch
Doctors, and you have a powerful attack force that's difficult to bring down.
Grunts attack land units.
The Grunts can pillage resources from enemy buildings, which can actually be
helpful if you're running low. They can also be "beefed up" through the
Berserker Strength upgrade at the Barracks. This increases their maximum
health and attack damage.
C. Troll Headhunter
Barracks
135 Gold - 20 Lumber - 2 Food
Requires: War Mill
---------------------------------------
The Headhunter is the horde's basic ranged unit. They're overshadowed by the
more capable melee units, but by no means are the Headhunters useless.
A balanced force of grunts and trolls is a force to be reckoned with in the
early stages of a game, and let's face it; if you're orc, and your opponent
is making mass air, you don't have a lot of options (unless you're going to
make a bunch of raiders, which cost more, take up more space, and aren't as
effective if the enemy has a LOT of air units. Then again, there's always the
Batriders.. hmm..).
Once you have a Fortress, the Headhunters can be upgraded to Berserkers,
which are stronger. The Berserkers also have the Berserk ability, which
raises their attack rate by 50%, but also makes them take 50% more damage.
This ability can be very effective against air units, but Healing Wards are
a must.
D. Raider
Bestiary
180 Gold - 40 Lumber - 3 Food
----------------------------------------
The Raiders are an interesting unit. They do siege damage with their huge
war blades, and can use the Ensnare ability, which holds enemies in place
and can bring air units to the ground so that melee units can engage them.
A massive amount of Raiders can quickly level a base, if met with little
resistance. Unfortunately, that's rarely the case. The important thing to
remember is that Raiders aren't melee units; they're siege units. If the
opponent has nothing but Grunts, and you have nothing but Raiders, you're
screwed.
If you're battling air units with Raiders, you may want to take advantage of
the hotkey for Ensnare. This makes it much easier to quickly bring down a
large number of air units. It'd be nice if there was an auto-cast, but there
isn't... so we have to make do.
Also, Ensnare is useful against heroes. Just trap that pesky Archmage and
surround him and he's good as dead.
Ensnare can wrap a ground OR an air unit, making it useful for killing
stragglers when the enemy army is running away.(SlashingWolf)
E. Kodo Beast
Bestiary
255 Gold - 60 Lumber - 4 Food
----------------------------------------
Kodos are large, rhino-like beasts with orcs riding on top. The orc throws
axes, and can attack land and air units, but its attack is weak. It's the
Kodo's special abilities that make it an important unit.
War Drums is a passive ability for the Kodo Beasts. It gives all units in
an area around the Kodo a boost to their damage. Just bringing along one
Kodo Beast can have a noticeable impact on the effectiveness of your troops.
The other ability of the Kodo Beast is Devour. This ability allows the Kodo
to... well... EAT an enemy land unit. Once a unit is devoured, the only
methods of escape are to kill the Kodo, or let nature take its course
(and your unit is lost in the process). One drawback to the ability is
that the player still has the sight of the Devoured unit. It's a good
idea to leave a Kodo that is digesting a unit somewhere away from your
base, so you don't scout for your opponent.
F. Troll Batrider
Bestiary
160 Gold - 40 Lumber - 2 Food
----------------------------------------
Troll Batriders are air units effective against buildings and other air units.
Unfortunately, their effectiveness against said air units comes with a price;
you lose the unit in the process. The Unstable Concoction ability sends the
Batrider forth in a Kamikaze rage. He crashes into one air unit, dealing an
insane amount of damage, and moderately damaging all air units around the
targeted unit. It's usually worth the trade, however. Taking out a more
expensive, more powerful Wind Rider in one fell swoop leaves you with the
upper hand. If you have no anti-air at all, and your opponent has nothing but
air, Batriders may be your best bet. They make good scouts, too.
The other ability of the Batriders is Liquid Fire. When a Batrider attacks a
building with this passive ability researched, the building catches fire. It
continues to burn and take damage, and can't be repaired while it's on fire.
This is a nice touch, but it doesn't make the Batriders all that effective
against buildings; at least not in destroying them. Now, if your opponent has
a line of towers that's not sitting well with you, toss some o' that Liquid
Fire on them and you'll reduce their attack power by 80%. Oof, indeed.
They're cheap, they don't take a lot of food, and they have two very good
uses. The Batrider may be the biggest bargain in the game.
Ridel241@aol.com pointed out that Batriders are effective against Night Elf
and Undead gold mines because they don't have much life. A good point, I
reckon.
G. Wind Rider
Bestiary
265 Gold - 40 Lumber - 4 Food
-----------------------------------------
Wind Riders are the primary air unit of the Horde. They make excellent scouts,
as they're very fast and have great perception. Their attack power is decent,
but not all that powerful in comparison to some of the air units of other
races. Wind Riders are effective as support for ground troops, but not all
that effective when built in bulk (at least not against a skilled player).
When you've reached tier 3, you can upgrade the Wind Riders with Envenomed
Weapons, which poisons enemies. It's a nice touch, but it doesn't help the
Wind Riders a whole lot. In a 1v1 game, they can be effective if your opponent
doesn't scout much. Other than that, they work best as scouts and
supporting units.
Want more information from Konrad Dalecki?: Wyverns (I am still attached to
that name) are very very good against huntresses. A group of 6-8 and a TC
can kill one in a series of hits, especially if they have been weakened be
stomp or shockwave. They are not as good as gryphs or wyrms vs heros but they
are very useful vs hunts and casters.
H. Shaman
Spirit Lodge
130 Gold - 20 Lumber - 2 Food
-----------------------------------------
The Shaman is one of the three orc casters trained at the Spirit Lodge. Their
abilities focus on weakening enemy units and beefing up friendly troops.
H1. Purge
-----------------------------------------
Through the use of this spell, the Shaman can remove any magical effects from
a unit, friendly or otherwise. Purge also slows units, so if you're going to
use it to remove a negative buff from a friendly unit, remember to give that
unit time to recover from the spell.
H2. Lightning Shield (Requires Adept Training)
-----------------------------------------
Lightning Shield is one of my favorite spells in the game, since it can be used
both defensively and offensively. A unit under the effects of Lightning Shield
damages all other units in a close vicinity. Thus, it's probably not a good
idea to throw this spell at a unit that's in the middle of a large battle, as
you'll damage your own troops with the spell. If the opponent has ranged
support, casting this spell on one or two of those units will considerably
weaken the other ranged units around it, making it easy to mop them up after
the enemy melee units are taken down. It's also effective against enemy
casters and air units.
H3. Bloodlust (Requires Master Training)
----------------------------------------
By use of this spell, the Shaman increases the effectiveness of a unit
considerably, giving them a 40% increase in attack speed. This spell can be
incredibly effective, as it doesn't cost a large amount of mana and can be
cast on a few units before the Shaman is out of mana. An entire melee force
under the effects of Bloodlust can be truly devastating.
I. Troll Witch Doctor
Spirit Lodge
145 Gold - 25 Lumber - 2 Food
-----------------------------------------
The Troll Witch Doctor is the supporting caster, with abilities that scout,
disable, and heal.
I1. Sentry Ward
----------------------------------------
This spell allows the Witch Doctor to place an invisible ward that can spy on
a target area for a significant amount of time. These are particularly
effective when you're under the gun and need to know exactly where your
opponent is at all times. Dotting the map with 3 or 4 Sentry Wards can give
you a tremendous advantage, especially when your opponent is moving to engage
your base.
I2. Stasis Trap (Requires Adept Training)
----------------------------------------
Activated when an enemy troop walks near it, the Stasis Trap releases a
shockwave that stuns all enemy units caught in its wake. This spell is
particularly effective against an approaching enemy attack force. When used
in tandem with the Sentry Wards, Stasis Traps can be incredibly effective.
A nifty strategy with the traps is to set them in anticipation of an enemy
attack force; then, pummel the enemy into submission with everything you've
got. As the battle commences within your base, place another Stasis Trap on
your opponent's escape route. If they try to flee, they'll find themselves
stunned once again, allowing you to mop up whatever troops you can before it
wears off.
I3. Healing Ward (Requires Master Training)
----------------------------------------
The Healing Ward is the Witch Doctor's most powerful spell. Any friendly unit
that enters a large radius around one of these wards slowly regenerates health.
When used during combat, these wards can easily turn the tide of battle,
considerably increasing the lifespan of your troops. And the more wards you
lay down, the merrier.
J. Spirit Walker
Spirit Lodge
195 Gold - 35 Lumber - 3 Food
----------------------------------------
The Spirit Walkers are the new casters introduced in Frozen Throne. Their
abilities focus on increasing the longevity of frontline troops, and removing
magical effects.
J1. Spirit Link
----------------------------------------
A unique spell, indeed. Spirit Link links several friendly units together so
that the damage one unit takes is divided amongst the other units. This can
increase troop longevity to some extent, but it's not all that effective during
larger confrontations.
J2. Disenchant (Requires Adept Training)
----------------------------------------
This spell removes all buffs from units in a target area, be they positive
buffs on enemy units or negative buffs on friendlies. It also deals damage to
summoned units. It's sort of like the Orcish equivalent to the Dispel spell of
the Human Priest.
J3. Ancestral Spirit (Requires Master Training)
----------------------------------------
The mother of all spells, Ancestral Spirit allows the Spirit Walker to resurrect
a fallen non-hero Tauren from the dead; back to full health. I don't think I
need to go into much detail about this spell; it kicks more ass than bacon and
eggs (which kicks a considerable amount of ass).
K. Demolisher
Barracks
220 Gold - 50 Lumber - 4 Food
----------------------------------------
The Demolisher is the long-range siege unit of the Horde. Devastating against
buildings, the Demolisher is also somewhat effective against enemy troops now.
With the Burning Oil upgrade, Demolishers can ignite the ground enemy units
stand on, slowly burning away at them. It's not THAT effective, but it can
help. Watch that you don't get your own troops caught in the flames.
Being that siege does extra damage to unarmored units, the Demolisher is also
effective against these unlucky schmucks. If you're facing a force of
huntresses, casters, or anything else that's unarmored, it couldn't hurt
to bring along a few Demolishers to show 'em you mean business.
L. Tauren
Tauren Totem
280 Gold - 80 Lumber - 5 Food
----------------------------------------
The most powerful melee unit in the game, the lumbering Tauren are pure beef.
Swinging their giant totems, they can make short work of any lesser melee
force in a relatively short amount of time. The Pulverize upgrade gives a
chance that the Tauren's attack will deal damage in a radius around him.
Combine them with master Shamans, Witch Doctors, and Spirit Walkers, and you
have an unstoppable melee force that can only be conquered if its outnumbered,
out-teched, or attacked from the air.
IV. Structures
----------------------------------------
A. Great Hall
385 Gold - 185 Lumber
----------------------------------------
The Great Hall is the primary orc structure. It allows you to build peons,
it's the drop-off point for gold and lumber, and it needs to be upgraded if
you have any intentions of making use of the more powerful units. It can be
upgraded to Stronghold and Fortress. You can also research the Pillage and
Backpack abilities here.
B. Altar of Storms
180 Gold - 50 Lumber
----------------------------------------
The structure that allows the player to train hero units. With each upgrade of
the Great Hall, you can train another hero unit.
C. Barracks
180 Gold - 50 Lumber
----------------------------------------
The barracks is the primary training facility for combat units. Here, you
train Grunts, Headhunters/Berserkers, and Demolishers. It also contained
the Berserker Strength, Troll Regeneration, Troll Berserker, and Burning
Oil upgrades.
D. War Mill
205 Gold
----------------------------------------
The War Mill serves as the upgrade center for the hordes weapons and armor, as
well as a drop-off point for lumber. The Spiked Barricades upgrades, which
cover all buildings in spikes that damage melee attackers, are available here
as well. Lastly, you can upgrade to Reinforced Defenses, which gives Orc
Burrows and Watch Towers fortified armor.
E. Tauren Totem
90 Gold - 200 Lumber
Requires: Fortress
----------------------------------------
The Tauren Totem is the structure that allows you to train the powerful Tauren
units. It also contains the Pulverize upgrade.
F. Spirit Lodge
150 Gold - 150 Lumber
Requires: Stronghold
----------------------------------------
The Spirit Lodge is where you can train the spell casters of the Horde. It
contains the upgrades for said spell casters as well.
G. Beastiary
145 Gold - 140 Lumber
Requires: Stronghold
----------------------------------------
The Beastiary is the structure in which you train the Raiders, Wind Riders,
Kodo Beasts, and Troll Batriders. It contains the Liquid Fire, Envenomed
Weapons, War Drums, and Ensnare upgrades.
H. Orc Burrow
160 Gold - 40 Lumber
----------------------------------------
The food structure for the horde, the Orc Burrow also serves as a defensive
structure when Peons flee into them. Can be upgraded with fortified armor
through the Reinforced Defenses upgrade at the War Mill.
I. Watch Tower
110 Gold - 80 Lumber
Requires: War Mill
----------------------------------------
The defensive structure of the Horde. Coupled with the Orc Burrows, these
structures can put up a strong defense against enemy attackers. Can be
upgraded with fortified armor through the Reinforced Defenses upgrade at the
War Mill.
J. Voodoo Lounge
130 Gold - 30 Lumber
----------------------------------------
The Orcish merchant structure. Here, you can purchase a number of upgrades,
from the Scroll of Speed to the Orb of Lightning.
V. Harassing Strategies
----------------------------------------
Harassing is evil. It's annoying. And... it's effective. "Harassing" in WC3
refers to the player using their hero unit to disrupt the other player's gold
or lumber intake. Indeed, harassing has a much larger impact on a player than
some people think. Some run into an Orc base and get upset when all of the
peons flee to the burrows. The fact is, that's the best thing that can happen.
As long as those burrows are full of peons, your opponent isn't getting any
gold or lumber. If you want your own orc harassing strategy to appear here,
e-mail or message it to me.
The two heroes most suited for harassing are the Blademaster and the Far Seer.
The Tauren Chieftain and Shadow Hunter can harass, but they're not as
effective.
A. Blademaster
----------------------------------------
There are a few methods of harassing with a Blademaster. The "Wind Walk
and Run" is the most effective, but it's not the only one.
Wind Walk and Run
Game Type: Works best in 1v1 or 2v2
Against: Any race except Night Elves
----------------------------------------
Have your Blademaster run into the enemy base, and immediately begin to attack
their worker units. A number of things can happen from there.
A) Orc Burrows: If you're playing against someone who's new to the game, often
their first reaction to harassing is to have all peons flee to the burrows.
This, of course, is exactly what you want them to do. Once they've burrowed,
run away from the base, Wind Walk, and return. Wait for him to send his peons
back to work, and then continue to the assault. If the player brings his hero
and other units to stop you, Wind Walk out of there. During the harass, you
may Wind Walk from time to time to get that bonus damage and quickly kill of a
worker. If you do this, pay close attention to you mana. Nothing like getting
stuck in an orc base with no mana, and all the burrows firing on you, and a
hero and some tier one units cornering you. Bad Mojo.
B) Militia: Rushing a Human base can be a bit more difficult than rushing an
Orc base. If you're standing in between the gold mine and the Town Hall, and
that player uses "Call to Arms", there's a good chance you'll be surrounded
with no way out. Wind Walking won't help you here, as all the player has to
do is stand there and wait for it to wear off. Of course, while he's doing
this, his income is being severely hindered. On top of that, you'll probably
end up killing a few of his workers. It's usually a good idea to harass a
little, Wind Walk out of there, and then return. Don't worry about losing your
hero in the process; when you take into consideration the damage you've done
to his gold stockpile, you come out ahead in the game.
C)Undead: The Undead are the easiest race to harass. The peons can burrow, the
peasants can arm themselves, the wisps on gold can't be attacked... All the
acolytes can do is run away like pansies. Unless there's some Spirit or
Nerubian Towers, or they're teching and they get a Halls of the Dead quickly,
you're free to go Acolyte Hunting. One thing to watch for is the Undead Heroes
and the Ghouls. They can easily corner you by the gold mine the point where
you can't escape; if that happens, your hero's basically dead (unless you can
bring up some of your tier 1 units and start attacking the other side of his
base to distract them). Remember that you can Wind Walk for bonus damage, but
don't do it too much. It's usually best to just Wind Walk the hell out of
there as soon as you meet resistance.
Mirror Image Harassing
Game Type: Works best in 1v1 or 2v2
Against: Any race except Night Elves
----------------------------------------
Against a good player, this usually isn't very effective, since they can tell
which is which by watching the sword strikes and seeing who is doing the
damage. However, if you can time it right to where the image and the
Blademaster continue to land their strikes at the same time, it makes
it more difficult for the player to tell who's doing the damage.
Critical Strike
Game Type: Best for 1v1
Against: Any race except Night Elves
----------------------------------------
Players will often choose Critical Strike as the first ability for the
Blademaster, since it makes him a more efficient creeper. However, this
can also make him an effective harasser. The problem is, you have no control
over when the Blademaster is going to score a critical hit. He may not at all.
I wouldn't recommend using this method unless you've already put the point
into Critical Strike, and circumstances have forced you to harass the
player.
This doesn't mean Critical Strike is the worst ability for harassing. If you
can creep quickly enough and reach level 2 with the Blademaster, having
Critical Strike and Wind Walk at the same time can lead to very good results.
Harassing a NE base
Game Type: Best for 1v1
Against: Night Elves
----------------------------------------
Harassing a NE base is difficult. You can't hinder their gold income, and you
can't take out their hero or supporting units due to the Moon Well. The best
course of action is usually to just Wind Walk strike the lumber harvesting
wisps and dispatch as many as you can before met with resistance. Once a
hero unit and some archers are firing your way, it's best to just Wind Walk
your ass out.
B. Far Seer
----------------------------------------
The Far Seer, in my opinion, isn't as effective a harasser as the Blademaster;
feel free to disagree with me there. Feral Spirit and Chain Lightning are both
great harassing abilities, but if the player takes a defensive stance and
burrows or calls arms, you're in trouble. While not as capable as the
Blademaster, the Far Seer can still harass effectively.
Feral Spirit Harassing
Game Type: 1v1 or 2v2
Against: Any Race
----------------------------------------
Harassing with the Feral Spirits can be effective or completely useless.
They're not very strong, and if the player takes advantage of basic base
defenses, the wolves will drop pretty quickly. It's best to focus the attacks
of both the wolves and the Seer on one worker unit.
I'd previously stated that Feral Spirits might work against a Night Elf, but
someone brought it to my attention that a Wisp detonation damages the wolves;
something I wasn't aware of... Not sure how that got past me, but.. *shrug*
Thanks to Brian Michaels (acidslayer57@hotmail.com) for pointing that out.
From Fingon: FS's feral spirit and other summoned units. If you can
communicate in time, harassing with a water elemental or a few carrion
beetles on your side will negate the bonus of defense, especialy for UD/NE.
Harassing can win games, especially on lower levels.
Chain Lightning Harassing
Game Type: 1v1 or 2v2
Against: Any Race(?)
----------------------------------------
I'm not entirely sure if Chain Lightning works against lumber harvest wisps.
If it does, I suppose this would make the Far Seer the best hero for
harassing a NE base. Anyway, this one's pretty self explanatory; you use
Chain Lightning against worker units. Works well against Acolytes.
Much like the Wind Walk/Critical Strike combination of the Blademaster,
having both of the above abilities while harassing can increase the
effectiveness considerably. It's often difficult to creep fast enough to
reach level 2 and harass, but hey... if you can manage it, more power to you.
C. Tauren Chieftain
----------------------------------------
Often underestimated as a harasser, the Tauren Chieftain, if done right, can
actually stand with the best of them as a harasser.
Godzilla
Game Type: Any (preferably a 1v1 or 2v2, though)
Against: Any Race besides NE (works best against Orc or Human)
----------------------------------------
This one's pretty simple. Move in your Chief, stand between the enemy gold
mine and their base (or near one some of the Acolytes, if against undead)
and stomp. You can almost hear those little peasants crying out "Guyaka!
Guyaka! Godzillaaaaaaaaaa!". Even though he's a cow, and not a lizard...
Hm...
Shockwaver
Game Type: Any
Against: Any Race besides NE
----------------------------------------
Hmm.. running out of creative names for these. Anywho, this one's pretty self
explanatory. Stand on the opposite side of the base or the gold mine and aim
the Shockwave at the other structure (IE: If you're behind the Great Hall, aim
your Shockwave at the Gold Mine). It does some decent damage to worker units.
If you have some units of your own, or a team mate who's brought along some
support, you'll probably be able to bring down all 5 gold miners. What's nice
about this is, since you're hitting more than one if not all of the player's
workers, the standard "move the one that's getting hurt the most away and let
the others work" routine doesn't cut it. Just watch out for enemy heros and
units. And be prepared to make a hasty TP exit, since you won't have Endurance
Aura and you won't probably won't be fast enough to retreat on foot. If you're
lucky enough to have creeped or killed enough defenders to have reached
level 2, stick that second skill point into Endurance Aura and high-tail it
out of there.
Endurance Aura Harass -- From Fingon
Game Type: 2v2 or 3v3
Against: Any
----------------------------------------
Harassing under Endurance Aura. Especially with a nice ranged hero. You can
just run away. That is very important for harassing. No need to pay 350 gold
for a TP scroll.
This is a supportive rush, obviously. With Endurance Aura, you'll be able to
do your damage and get your ass out without wasting the money on a scroll.
VI. Building Orders
----------------------------------------
Micro-management is a pain in the ass. As such, it's good to have a build
order in mind; that is, a set order for building structures. Mine has served
me well for a while. If you have an orc building strategy that you'd like to
share, send it to me and I'll put 'er up.
A. Velmarg's Building Order
----------------------------------------
Send three peons to the gold mine. Have the other two peons build a burrow
and an Altar. Cue 2 peons at the Great Hall and set the rally point to the
gold mine. When the mine has 5 workers on it, cue 3 more peons and set the
rally point to a tree to begin harvesting lumber. When the burrow is done,
have that peon build another burrow. When the Altar is complete, cue 2 or 3
more peons for lumber, and choose whatever hero you're going to use. When
you have enough lumber, have the peon that built the Altar build a barracks.
Continue to put peons on the lumber until you have 6 or 7. When the second
burrow is complete, have that peon build a third. When your hero is ready,
decide whether you're going to harass or creep. As soon as the barracks is
finished, cue a grunt and have that peon build a second barracks. Have one of
the lumber workers build a War Mill. As soon as you have a Grunt, cue another
and have your hero and the grunt creep at the green areas. Continue pumping
out Grunts to assist your creeping efforts until you have 5 or 6. Upgrade
melee weapons. Upgrade to Stronghold. As soon as the melee upgrade is
finished, upgrade armor. Build 2 more Grunts from your two barracks and
continue creeping.Once you reach tier 2, upgrade to Berserker Strength,
build whatever tier 2 buildings you're going to build (I usually put up
2 Spirit Lodges), and upgrade melee weapons. Be sure to build more burrows
when necessary. When you have enough resources and room, build a second
hero (or hire one at a tavern). Then, expand as soon as possible.
From there, it's in your hands.
B. Brian Michaels'(acidslayer57@hotmail.com) Build Order
----------------------------------------
-Put every peon in the Gold Mine.
-Queue two peons at the Great Hall.
-Right after the first one delivers the first bag of gold to your Great Hall
make him build an altar.
-Make the next one that comes to your Great Hall with gold build a Burrow.
-Stay like this until the next Peon comes out of your Great Hall. When he does
make him build a barracks.
-After the barracks is started queue 3 peons and have them all harvest lumber.
-When the two peons that are building the Altar and Burrow finish make them
both
go on gold.
-Build your hero.
-When the barracks finishes make that peon go to lumber as well.
-Build some Grunts or whatever you are planning on doing.
-Eventually build two more peons for lumber.
Much more micro than my build strategy, and no doubt much more effective.
Haven't tried it out yet, but it probably works well.
VII. General Strategies
----------------------------------------
In this section, I'll list numerous Orc strategies that I've come across in
my year or so of playing the game. The possibilities really are endless. If
you've got a strategy you'd like to submit, you know what to do.
A. Grunts and Casters
Works Well Against: Any Tier 1 or Tier 2 Ground Force
----------------------------------------
An old favorite, none can deny that a load of Grunts combined with master
Shamans and Witch Doctors can be very effective; especially if you've upgraded
weapons and armor. Tauren combined with a group of all three casters can
certainly be more powerful, but sometimes, Grunts will do. And often you
won't have the resources or time to upgrade all three casters and build Tauren.
I'd recommend following my building order (Velmarg's Building Order). Once
you've reached tier 2, build 2 Spirit Lodges (you may want to build a third,
but it's up to you). Continue to build Grunts. Upgrade Weapons and Armor where
you see fit. Get a second hero as soon as possible. As soon as the Lodges are
complete, upgrade to Adept Shaman and Witch Doctor. You make want to expand
sometime soon. Upgrade to Fortress as soon as you have the resources to do so.
As soon as you reach tier 3, upgrade to Master Shamans and Witch Doctors.
If you built more than 2 Lodges, begin pumping out Shamans and Witch Doctors.
Make sure you have a good force of grunts; at least 10. Once you have master
casters, make sure Bloodlust is on auto-cast. During combat, lay Healing Wards
as you see fit. If you're fighting an enemy force, and it begins to retreat,
don't give chase right away. Let the Wards bring you army back up to full
health, then pursue.
Throwing in a few Demolishers is always a good idea, too.
B. Grunts and Headhunters/Berserkers
Works Well Against: Any Tier 1 or Tier 2 Ground Force, Any opponent that's
combining Air and Ground Forces
----------------------------------------
Grunts and Headhunters together can be a deadly. Throw in some casters and/or
air units and you've got yourself a well balanced force that can stand up to
almost anything. It's not always a good idea to stick with nothing but Grunts
and Headhunters, especially if your opponent is teching to third tier units
such as Tauren or Knights. Grunts and Headhunters is more of a rushing force
than anything else. Build this type of army if you plan on taking out your
opponent quickly. Add some Demolishers for a well balanced base attacking army.
C. Tauren and Casters
Works Well Against: Any Ground Force
----------------------------------------
The Tauren are the game's strongest melee unit, and Spirit Walkers can revive
them to full health; that's bad mojo for whoever's on the other side of the
beef. Bring in some master Shamans and Witch Doctors, and unless your opponent
has some powerful air units, they're in for a beating. If you're going for
this type of army, MAKE SURE that your opponent isn't massing air. Put up some
Sentry Wards or something; always keep an eye on them. There's nothing like
building a be-all, end-all force like this, only to get slapped in the face
by a wave of Gryphon Riders.
Build a few Grunts as a starting force, and expand quickly. Build two Spirit
Lodges and two Tauren Totems. Make sure you have a lot of burrows up as well,
as Tauren take up 5 food apiece. Upgrade casters as quickly as possible. You
may want to build a third Spirit Lodge so you can upgrade and build all three
casters at once.
D. Mass Wind Riders
Works Well Against: Melee Ground Forces
----------------------------------------
Most 1v1 Orc games usually involve each player racing to get Wind Riders. Why?
Because it usually works. I can't tell you how many games I've lost to a
player that massed Wind Riders. Of course, if the player has mass Headhunters
or some Raiders, you could be in for an ass whooping. If you're going to use
this strategy, make sure your opponent isn't going for that anti-air.
I'd recommend following acidslayer's build order. Have a starting force of
grunts to creep and defend. Build two Beastiaries, and pump out the nasty.
From Fingon: Wyverns (I am still attached to that name) are very very
good against huntresses. A group of 6-8 and a TC can kill one in a
series of hits, especially if they have been weakened be stomp or
shockwave. They are not as good as gryphs or wyrms vs heros but they
are very useful vs hunts and casters.
E. Grunts and Raiders
Works Well Against: An opponent that's teching to tier 3 air
---------------------------------------
This works nicely when your opponent's really teching up and not building a
whole lot of tier 1 or 2 units. If you're going to do this, scout a lot, and
try as hard as you can to leave your opponent in the dark. Building your
Beastiaries away from your main base is a good idea, as he'll probably
only see you pumping out Grunts. Be fast and efficient when using this attack
force. It's common for Human players who are teching to Gryphs to build a lot
of towers; with this in mind, I'd recommend teching your weapons and armor
a bit so that your Raiders can drop them more quickly. If you meet too much
resistance, pull out and bring in some Demolishers. Note that if
you're forced to retreat, don't mess around. Get your ass back in there
ASAP. The longer you wait, the more air units he gets. Ensnare is good and
fun, but a few blasts from a Gryph will drop a Raider like third period
French (Yeah, I got that from Ocean's Eleven. Damn, I love that movie).
Throwing in some Troll Headhunter/Berserkers on the side can help out a bit.
F. Chieftain and Raiders -- From Fingon
"Raiders and a TC. They run in, take out the town hall and run out under
endurance aura. Sometimes, the game turns into a race to see whose base
gets destroyed first. Raiders are nice for that, and the TC is fast enough
both for early-game scout and to help the raiders run away"
VIII. Team Strategies
--------------------------------------
This section focuses on specific strategies when playing on a team, be it 2v2,
3v3, or the dreaded 4v4 (which is all but pointless with the backstabbing
going on). Note that it's always best to adapt your strategy to what your
opponents are doing. Don't just hop into a team game and say "TREN!". With
that in mind, I've pointed out what type of enemy force these combinations
are most efficient against.
A. Two on Two
--------------------------------------
Two on Two games are some of the most exciting games you'll play (or watch) in
Warcraft 3. In a 3v3 game, a player can mass nothing but weak, un-teched
tier 1 units and still come out on the winning side because of the skill
of the other players. It doesn't always work that way in 2v2. If one
player is new, the other player becomes a babysitter of sorts, distracting
him from his own army; that usually leads to slow teching and, ultimately,
defeat.
a. Orc and Night Elf
--------------------------------------
The Orcs are the most powerful melee force; the Night Elves are the most
powerful ranged force. Put them together and you have a lethal combination.
i. Grunts and Archers
An excellent creeping force, and decent rushing force depending
on the opponents' race. Watch that your archers don't get flanked by melee
units. To prevent this, spread your grunts out in a circle around the Archers,
creating a sort of Grunt barrier. Grunts basically serve as meat shields with
this strategy, as its the focus fire of the archers that really puts the
hurtin' on the enemies.
ii. Tauren/Casters - Mountain Giants/Dryads
Pure beef. Works well against just about anything. Healing Wards + Bloodlust +
Ancestral Spirit = some incredibly powerful Tauren that can mop up any ground
force. MGs handle the siege and take the brunt of the damage; Dryads handle
the rest. Make sure the NE player on your team knows to focus Dryad fire on
air units.
iii. Tauren - Chimaeras
A base destroyer of a force. Works well against any ground force. If your
opponent has anti-air just focus the Tauren on them until they're mopped
up. The only force this doesn't work all that well against is another mass
of air (especially Gryphs). Throwing in some Orc casters always helps.
iv. Raiders - Archers
An anti-tech force, this works extremely well against an opponent that's
working toward that tier 3 air. Timing is key when using this strategy.
If you can arrive at the enemy base with Raiders and Archers just as he or
she is building their first air units, you've just owned. The Archers will
pick off the air units that come out and the Raiders will bring down the
training facilities. Watch for back-up ground forces. In fact, bring some
back-up of your own. Having 5 or 6 Grunts or Hunts is always a good idea.
b. Orc and Human
--------------------------------------
As versatile as the Alliance army is, the possibilities are truly endless.
i. Grunts and Rifles
An effective creeping/rush force. Upgrading the armor of the Grunts is a good
idea. Be sure to focus fire with the rifles.
ii. Grunts/Casters - Knights/Casters
A very capable melee force. Throwing in a few ranged units on each side might
be a good idea. Some Human siege helps. Make sure the Priests have Inner Fire
on auto, as they won't need to do any healing with the wards up. Use the
Polymorph hotkey with the Sorcs for best results. Beware of the air, though.
Make sure that schmuck's not getting mass Gryphs, or you'll be in for a world
of hurt.
iii. Tauren - Gryphs
This type of force works well under almost any circumstances (unless you're up
against magic immune units). Throw in a few ranged units and siege here and
there for good measure.
c. Orc and Undead
--------------------------------------
Scary...
i. Grunts - Fiends
Not much to say here. Grunts serve as the meat shields so the Fiends can
lay down the smacking. Nice for early on, but I wouldn't recommend it after
tier 2 units start popping up.
ii. Vampiric Aura & Bloodlust -- From Fingon
"Dreadlord (vampiric aura) and bloodlust. As long as there is no air, you
would have to try very hard to lose any battle with that. Bloodlust
doesn't increase damage, it increases attack speed. So, every attack
gives 15-30-45% health back. I have played around with this and it is
about as effective as a healing ward at lvl 2."
iii. The Anti -- from Lolzinyoface
The second one is more simple, a good Orc&Undead strat, we call it "Anti" one
player, the orc, goes stricly ground units with shaman as backup, preferebly
Tauren, shaman, spirit walkers, max upgraded, Whereas the undead player goes
strictly crypt fiends, not only are the fiends a bit cheap in gold and lumber
but they also provide the ultimate air defence, and the tauren are yyour ground
defenders, also taking out the webed air units. Thus creating the ultimate Air
and ground Attack.
d. Orc and Orc
--------------------------------------
i. Tauren and Casters/Berserkers -- from Lolzinyoface
"One player goes and techs to tauren, while another gets spellcasters, but of
course you always get some grunts or trolls to creep for gold and expansions,
the tauren person should get the tauren chieftan and expand twice, depending on
map 1 expansion is enough, the spell caster player goes with, the spell
casters,his hero should the Shadow Hunter, besides getting spell casters
should back up with beserkers. You and your ally should always creep together,
unless its a creep at beginning."
IX. Hero Combinations
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
An often overlooked aspect of WC3, the various heroes of WC3 open numerous
opportunities for strategy.
A. Chieftain & Far Seer
One's the ultimate melee hero; one's a competent magic hero. One's a cow and
one's an orc. Anyway, as in just about any game, raw melee and powerful magic
complement eachother quite well. The heroes don't necessarily lend anything to
eachother, but they go together like cabbage and noodles. With his Endurance
Aura and War Stomp, the Chieftain can weaken enemies while the Seer swoops in
for the Chain Lightning coup de grace. If you're teching and can't spare a
whole lot of resources on units, these two can stand on their own against
some moderate odds. More over, if you don't have a whole lot of units at your
disposal and want to beef up these two, the Seer's Spirit Wolves can take some
heat off the Chieftain during creeping.
The only real disadvantage with the two is that neither is a really effective
hero killer. Often times, depending on your units, you'll slice through your
enemy's forces only to see that pesky Archmage or Warden head for the hills.
Solution? There really isn't one. This can be especially nasty when you're in
a fight with powerful hero with area of effect spells. If this is the case
(IE: you are fighting a powerful force with a powerful hero who's getting
the upper hand), you have to turn to your regular units. Wyverns
(or Wind Riders) are particularly effective at bringing down a hero. If you
can close the distance and War Stomp with the Chieftain, it might allow enough
time to surround the hero and beat him down; use Tauren with this for best
results.
All in all, a good combination. If you're unsure of which two heroes to
take in a situation, or if you're new and you don't know enough to make
an informed decision, going with the Chief and the Seer is a safe bet.
B. Chieftain & Shadow Hunter
If you had to dub one hero in the Orc army the "supporter", it'd be the Shadow
Hunter. The Chieftain would probably rank in second thanks to his Endurance
Aura and War Stomp abilities. Put the two together and you can be sure that
you'll increase the longevity of your army. In a ground to ground confrontation,
War Stomp with the Chieftain and while the enemies are stunned, throw out a
Healing Wave with your Shadow Hunter. In short, you're reducing the damage you
would normally have taken by stunning the enemy for a few precious seconds, and
you're repairing some of the damage they've done already. Unless they have more
powerful units or some other sort of support that you're not backing yourself
with, they'll more than likely be forced to retreat.
Of course, the ultimate "In your FACE" goody with these two is their ultimates.
The Chief's ability to return after he's fallen is only sweetened by the
Hunter's Healing Wave. And what about Big Bad Voodoo? While it's difficult to
use effectively against an experienced player, if you can corner your
opponent's army and unleash this nasty, you've a guaranteed win/enemy
retreat. The effectiveness of this all depends on the positioning of your
Shadow Hunter. See the Shadow Hunter's section of this FAQ for more
information.
C. Blademaster & Shadow Hunter
This combination has one major boon; Hex + Wind Walk slash. The Shadow Hunter
is the disabler and the Blademaster is the hero killer. This one's pretty
obvious. Outside of this, there isn't a whole lot to say. They make a decent
creeping team, with Mirror Image and any of the Shadow Hunter's abilities.
The Blademaster can rip through enemy forces pretty quickly if he's beefed up,
but he can be taken pretty quickly as well, so the Shadow Hunter's Healing
Wave compensates for this. And of course, you have your Big Bad Voodoo. If
you're lucky enough to have that and the Blademaster's Bladestorm, you'll
almost be able to hear the sobbing of your opponent. An invincible spinning
metal death cyclone of... death? Woe to all!
D. Chieftain & Mountain King -- from Fingon
"TC's stomp and Mountain King's Storm Bolt. With wyverns/gryphs. Think of
what that can do to a hero. I have killed lvls 7+ with that in about three
hits from everyone. And they can't get away. Stomp has the bonus of the area
of effect so the other people can't individually target your heros. Almost
always, after a high level hero dies and you run away, the other person doesn't
follow. This can be fun, especially if you run to one of the players' bases.
Then you take their armies one at a time."
E. Chieftain and Death Knight -- from Fingon
"The TC's endurance aura and the DK's unholy aura if used together with
wyverns and gargs/wyrms is incredibly powerful. Hit an enemy base and run
when the ranged comes. You have a (up to) 60% movement upgrade, so even
the wyrms can make it safely. The sheer melee power of the TC and DK in
shockwave and even death coil is very fun against ranged. People usually
go for the air."
F. Shadow Hunter and Paladin -- from Fingon
"The SH and Paladin. Have a nice melee/ranged combination and healing
wave and holy light, the two cheapest healing spells in the game, will
make sure your units make it. Keep a couple of potions, and if you get up
to lvl 6, you have won the battle. Ever resurrect knights? It is very fun.
And so is voodoo."
More to come, I reckon.
X. Random Nonsense
------------------------------------------------------
Some submissions contain information so sinister, so diabolical, they are
sent to a section so sinister, so diabolical, that it's called Random
Nonsense. *turns light on and off and does his best Dracula laugh*
A. When Kodos Attack... --- From Fingon
Sometimes, you just wanna have some fun with your opponent. This nifty little
submission from Fingon accomplishes just that. Hell, if it happened to me, I
think I'd laugh too. And isn't that all we really want to do? Laugh with each
other? No, we want to win and we want to see our opponents weep over the ruins
of their base, but we can make them think that we're toying with them. Now for
the submission.
"get a kodo beast, find an enemy expansion and start devouring the workers.
The other people will not get a message that they're being attacked and
expansions sometimes aren't defended and usually are mostly ignored. That
is more for fun than for anything."
B. Fingon's Last Stand
While not really nonsense at all, this goes to show how powerful certain units
can be in the hands of certain players.
"Once, I did a 3v3. My orc ally quickly dropped. I split my attention
and soon enough, my base was totally gone. I took over my orc ally's.
The other guys had about 20 hunts, 15 fiends, and 12 wyverns, along
with some nicely levelled heros. We had a lot of mountain giants and
hunts for the night elf and 8 shams, 8 docs, and 8 batriders of the
orc. We won the battle easily, with almost nothing dead.
Lesson-batriders and orc casters will chew up anything that flies.
The casters do about 20 damage a hit because of damage type vs armor
multipliers. Batriders do 500 plus 110 splash (i think). This is the
best way to do anti-air for orc (better than headhunters).
XI. Credits
----------------------------------------
Blizzard: For making such a kickass RTS game.
Fingon: For some nifty lil' strategies.
Brian Michaels (acidslayer57@hotmail.com), for pointing out the Feral Spirit
weakness that I overlooked.
Ridel241@aol.com - submitted a chunk of strategies and tidbits in one
e-mail. Good stuff.
Lolzinyoface - submitted a few strategies.
SlashingWolf - he gave me a few strategies and decided to become my official
link back to this game. Good fellow.
IGN FAQs: For making me feel oh so special when they asked me if they
could host my FAQ.
CJAYC: Because Gamefaqs is as cool as bacon, if not cooler.
To anyone who's ever bothered to look at this FAQ.
And most importantly, to the people who message or e-mail me just to
say, "Hey, great FAQ." You people provide the gas and oil to my monstrous
ego.
