Understanding the basics of Warcraft 3 can be a tricky process. This list will help remove the fog of war, improve your upkeep, and enhance your chances of turning the tides of darkness. Whether you’ve been playing for years or you’re new to the battlefields of Azeroth, these tips & tricks can jumpstart your skills.

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When playing online, there are quite a few things you should keep in mind as you’re playing. As the game flows from the beginning stages to the end game, your attention should shift between certain aspects of the game. If you practice these tactics, you will see the victory screen far more often.

10 Learn Build Orders

WC3 Building Orders

Understanding how to allocate your resources is the difference between high-level gameplay and coming up short. Learn to decide in which order to build structures and units — this is done by choosing a strategy and experimenting. If you are massing tier 1, build 2 barracks. If you’re going for air units, tech to tier 2 or 3 fast.

At the start of every game, all players begin with 5 workers and one starting structure. From this starting point, all bases and army compositions are made. How you order your workers, place your structures, and guide your units will determine your outcome.

9 Don’t Build Too Many Towers

WC3 Too Many Towers

A common mistake newer players make is to make too many towers. Towers seem useful as they deal a lot of damage and deter enemies from attacking them. The big downside of towers is that they aren’t mobile and, therefore, can rarely win you the game.

If you have 3 or 4 towers in your base, then you didn’t spend those resources on units. If your opponent’s army meets you anywhere on the battlefield other than in your base, they will have the advantage. If you try to attack, get caught out in the open, or have an expansion that gets attacked, your base towers become wasted resources.

8 Get Tier 2 Fast

WC3 Teching to Tier 2

Many of the best units in the game require you to upgrade your starting structure to tier 2. Priests, Wind Riders, Obsidian Statues, Dryads, and a 2nd hero, all need you to tech to tier 2. If you stay on tier 1 too long, your army will quickly become outclassed when your opponent techs.

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If you’re rushing the opponent, staying on tier 1 can be a valid strategy. However, the longer the game goes on, the weaker your tier 1 units become. An army of Huntresses with a Priestess of the Moon can decimate a lot of armies. However, if your Human opponent gets some Mortar Teams, you’d better run.

7 Army Positioning Is Crucial

WC3 Army Positioning

When a fight breaks out, the player with the superior army position will often win. If your Druids of the Talon are met by the opponent's Abominations, you need to reposition or run. Get your Druids of the Claw in Bear Form on the frontline instead.

If heavy melee units get into the backline, they can shred a higher-value army. If you tank incoming damage with high-hit-point units and let your damage dealers have free rein, you are in a much better situation. If you see your opponent's army, reposition your team for a fight or Town Portal out of there.

6 Harass When You’re Weak

WC3 Harass

The best time to harass is when you’re trying to buy time for your army. Whether you’re sending just your hero or your current army, harass your opponent when you are building your power. When you attack, your opponent is forced to react. This can distract your opponent from creeping or building structures or can prevent them from attacking you.

If you’re skipping tier 1 units, choose a 1st hero that can harass. If you’re expanding or teching, attack with your current forces to misdirect the enemy. This will buy time for you to build your power. This isn’t a good time to all-in attack, but harassing and backing out can really disrupt enemy plans.

5 Manage Your Heroes

WC3 Heroes

The most vital component in your army is your heroes. Heroes need the most consideration in your army composition as they have the most utility and are responsible for most of your damage. While you shouldn’t neglect your other units and only focus on your heroes, they should get the bulk of your actions.

When engaged in a battle, try to lose as few units as possible while killing as many as you can. Unless you have certain heroes like Death Knight with Lich, you shouldn’t focus solely on getting hero kills. Instead, try to kill smaller units with high damage potential first and keep your heroes alive.

4 Build Units Around Your Upkeep

WC3 Upkeep

Upkeep is the most vital economic component of Warcraft 3 — you should always build around your current upkeep. Based on your current population and taken from your income, upkeep is a tax to maintain your army.

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When your army supply goes above 50 and 80, your incoming gold will be penalized. After surpassing 50 supply, all gold you earn will now be taxed by 30%. This essentially means that Peons bringing back a sack from a Gold Mine will now net you 7 gold instead of 10. If you pass 80 supply, gold is taxed at 60% (workers only retrieve 4 gold at a time).

3 Expand At The Right Time

WC3 Expansion

Mining gold from a 2nd location is a powerful way to increase your army’s potency. Expo’s can superpower your economy, allowing you to build more units and buy powerful items. However, there's a small window of time when expanding puts you at an economic disadvantage, so it’s important to expand at the right time.

Establishing an expo costs a lot of gold: 600g for Undead, 700g for Night Elves, and 760g for Orcs and Humans. It also takes time to build the Haunted Goldmine or Tree of Life, as well as for your workers to mine. If you are planning to expand, consider attacking your opponent to take the heat off of your plans. Don’t all in; just attack to buy time. Misdirect your opponent and wait for your expo to produce results.

2 Creep, Creep, Creep

WC3 Creep Camp

Right when your 1st hero pops out of its altar, you want to start creeping. Neutral creeps are quick and easy ways to gain gold, items, and hero experience. Ensure that you aren’t losing your units to creep camps by microing well and attacking camps that are within your power level.

If you have more than 1 hero, they will share XP from creep camps if they are both nearby. If you’re trying to level only 1 hero, move your other heroes away from the camp, and it will isolate the XP. Also, keep in mind that neutral creeps can only provide XP to heroes under level 5.

1 Never Stand Around

WC3 Proactive Map Movement

From the start of the game, there is always something you can and should be doing in WC3. While the start of the game has far fewer things that need your attention, there is always something to do to get ahead. When your 1st hero pops out, start creeping immediately. If you’re teching or expanding, harass. Don’t stand around and wait for something to happen, make it happen.

If you aren’t creeping or attacking your opponent, they can control the game by doing so. Manage your base and economy while you are pushing out toward your enemy. Level up your heroes, establish a good army composition, and look for opportunities to win the game.

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