The strength of your army in Warcraft 3 can be measured by looking at your heroes. In many cases, a well-stacked hero can take out the entire enemy army single-handedly. If you let an Orc level a Blademaster to 10, you better have an equally formidable hero to counter.
With 4 options available uniquely to each faction, as well as 8 additional heroes ready for action at the tavern, hero choice isn’t easy. While you’ll always want to consider the state of your current game in your hero selection, all of these heroes are all a cut above the rest.
10 Priestess Of The Moon
The Night Elves have the best selection of Agility heroes among the 4 factions. The Priestess of the Moon attacks from the shadows while providing aid to her allies. The major strength of the PotM is in her passive ability, Trueshot Aura, granting increased base ranged damage to all nearby friendly units.
This aura is one of the strongest in the game, as ranged damage is responsible for most of the damage done. Particularly in team games like 3v3 and 4v4, Trueshot Aura scales in power as it affects more units.
9 Goblin Alchemist
Perhaps the most surprising hero on this list, the Goblin Alchemist, is easily overlooked and often neglected. Not to be confused with the Goblin Tinker, the Alchemist provides the only healing ability available from Neutral heroes. This can be incredibly helpful for some team compositions, as all the factions can use more access to heals.
Outside of Healing Spray, the Alchemist can also decrease an enemy unit's armor with Acid Bomb and increase its own attack rate with Chemical Rage. The Alchemist should be hired when your army needs an edge that only a healer can provide.
8 Lich
While the Lich isn’t a strong 1st hero to build, it is the best option as a 2nd hero for an Undead player. What the Lich lacks in auto-attack damage and hit points, it more than makes up for with its abilities. The Lich has one of the best spells in the game with Frost Nova.
Hitting an area-of-effect of nearby ground and air enemy units, Frost Nova can quickly turn the tides. Frost Nova not only deals damage to all units it affects but also slows movement speed and attack rate. This alone makes the Lich a valuable addition to any army.
7 Pandaren Brewmaster
The keg-wielding Pandaren Brewmaster is one of the best options for dealing with low-hit-point units. The Brewmaster can easily decimate squishy armies by dousing enemies in Drunken Haze and igniting them with Breath of Fire.
Night Elf Archers, Troll Headhunters, and other units with low-health pools should all run from the hero Panda. The Brewmaster shines when it sees a group of low-health units clumped up in a ball. With a strong 1-2 punch, the Brewmaster can dominate fights by diving into the backline and causing pandemonium.
6 Far Seer
One of the strongest early-game heroes is the Horde’s Orc shaman, the Far Seer. When summoning Fearl Spirits, the Far Seer can easily take out creep camps, harass enemy workers, or hold the frontline. These wolves have solid hit points, deal a lot of damage, and move quickly on the battlefield.
The Far Seer can also contribute to enemy battles in a big way. With ranged attacks, the Far Seer can sit safely in the backline while looking for kills by launching Chain Lightnings at weak enemy units.
5 Mountain King
The Human Alliance’s mightiest hero is small in stature but large in power. The Mountain King is a melee-strength hero that has one of the best overall toolkits in the game. Storm Bolt can isolate and eliminate enemies, while Thunder Clap damages and slows entire armies.
In addition to its two main spells, the Mountain King can also stun and increase its stats with Bash and Avatar. The biggest issue a Mountain King can have is that it doesn’t have enough mana to cast spells and make use of its tremendous power.
4 Demon Hunter
The worst hero matchup for a Mountain King is when it has to face off against a Demon Hunter. While a Mountain King thrives by casting spells and Bashing enemies, the Demon Hunter shines by burning mana and avoiding attacks.
When an army relies on its spellcasting or auto-attacks, the Demon Hunter can burn their chances for victory. The Demon Hunter is a perfect anti-mage, which can also protect itself from incoming attacks with Evasion. If a Demon Hunter makes it to level 6, watch out for Metamorphosis, as this ultimate can easily dominate the battlefield.
3 Tauren Chieftain
With incredibly powerful and versatile spells, the Tauren Chieftain is the strongest hero of the Orcish Horde. The advantage of building a Tauren Chieftain lies in its ability to boost your army as well as destroy the enemy. Endurance Aura is the Tauren Chieftain’s passive ability that grants movement speed and attack rate to nearby friendly units.
For the 2nd spell on your Tauren Chieftain, Shockwave and War Stomp are in heavy competition to be your selection. Shockwave deals high area-of-effect damage in a line, while War Stomp deals less damage in a circle around the TC but adds a stun.
2 Archmage
The Archmage can summon a powerful Water Elemental, reign down Blizzards, and grant mana to allies with Brilliance Aura. Generally, you want to start with Water Elemental for creep camps, followed by Brilliance Aura for more spell casts.
The Archmage is a fantastic 1st hero that scales well into the late game. Water Elementals can tank hits and deal strong damage, while Brilliance Aura can empower an entire team. Particularly when paired with Priests, Sorceresses, or other heroes, the Archmage is the ultimate support unit.
1 Death Knight
The strongest hero in Warcraft 3 is the unholy fallen paladin, the Death Knight. This Undead hero can nuke enemies, heal allies, and grant a bonus to all friendly units. Death Knights are melee-strength heroes that can hold the frontline while empowering their allies.
Death Knights can cast Death Coil, either dealing 100 damage to an enemy or healing an allied Undead unit for 200 hit points. This spell synergizes with the 2nd Undead hero on this list, the Lich, as you can destroy enemy health pools with Death Coil + Frost Nova.