Rust
Mar 7 2006, 12:18 AM
Main reason for me turning this into a catch-all thread is because I'm a WarCraft junkie (Been playing it since the original WarCraft came out - own all the novels including the new manga. Only thing I don't own is the Source Books, and no...I'm not doing that. I spend ENOUGH money as it is) and after playing WoW for a bit, I got nostalgic and dug this up from the dredges of the Internet.
Made back in 2003, it's my "Big Book of WC3 Units" with my opinion of each one. Being 03, it's obviously outdated to the max and my unit obersvation comes from the Battle.Net Metagame at the time as well as the game I had participated in. But still, I wanna share!
The Night Elves
The Oldest, most Ancient Race in the entire world of WarCraft is also, ironically, one of the weakest to start with. But the Night Elves shouldn't be underestimated. They are mobile, hostile, and very dangerous if allowed to tech to their higher levels.
Night Elf Heroes
Priestess of the Moon
"Curiosity killed my last ride."
These archers on White Tigers are fearsome heroes indeed. Their starting skills of Scout, Immolation Arrows, and Trueshot Aura can really boost the rather weak start of the Night Elves. If you can get them to Level 6, God save the enemy. Starfall sends meteors crashing to earth and they all lock onto enemy units. The absolute best Hero to start out with if you plan on using Archers and Hippo Riders.
Keeper of the Grove
"Someone threatens the Wild?"
The Mage hero of the Night Elves, these Centaur beings know Entangle Roots, Thorns Aura, and Summon Treant to start. The last skill is probably the best one to invest in first, as it not only summons three Tree Creatures to your aid, but it decimates a group of trees to summon them. Once inside the enemy's perimeter, devastating lumber is always a sound tactic. Even if you don't win, you've dealt them resource damage. These Heroes are sound secondary heroes, or even to start if you plan on using the Night Elves' few Melee Units, as Thorns Aura deals damage back at an enemy. Their Level 6 ability, Tranquility of Nature heals nearby units in a pretty massive radius.
Demon Hunter
"I'm Blind not Deaf."
The purest Melee Hero of the Night Elves, Demon Hunters are excellent Heroes if you plan on using a Mixed Army. Their skills all help themselves, but at the same time their Mana Burn Skill can strip enemy heroes of their mana quickly. Evasion (Same as with the Orc Blademaster) is also present. But my favorite of their starting skills is Immolation, which sucks up your Mana to keep active, but it "burns" nearby enemy units. This makes the Demon Hunter great as he can rush ahead, turn on Immolation, and weaken the enemies while the Night Elves' ranged attackers deal with a now weakened opposition. Their level 6 ability, Transformation, turns them into a Demon.
Warden
“Have we reached a verdict?”
The Expansion’s new Night Elf hero, the Warden is a good hero choice for a harasser. Fan of Knives deals an area damage effect, Blink can teleport the Warden a short distance, while Shadow Strike is a good spell to cast on enemy heroes and run away. Her ultimate skill, Vengeance, is insane. It creates a “Shadow Copy” of the Warden that, in turn, spawns little minions from dead corpses. So the Warden has the only summonable that can, in turn, spawn more summonables.
Night Elf Units
Wisp
"*Shine*"
Wisps are little orbs of light that are also your gatherers. Like the Undead, Gold Mines have to be altered for Night Elves to enter, and even then only five Wisps may enter. They also harvest lumber, but not in the way you'd expect. They harvest less lumber than normal, but they never destroy the tree. They can also detonate themselves to vaporize the mana of enemy heroes and units.
Archer
"Oooo, I'm all a-quiver."
The Archer is the base line for any Night Elf attack or Defense. She’s also the only starting unit that is ranged. Able to learn both Marksmanship and Long Bow (Both upgrades for Archers in WCII), she easily becomes a threat. The only problem is she can only take so many hits before falling… that isn’t many. :/ Archers have Shadowmeld. Fortunately, they can become a force in-and-of themselves with Trueshot Aura, or mounted on the back of a certain winged creature.
Huntress
"This is my Owl, there are many like him but this one is mine."
The Huntress is a direct skip to a Knight-like character. Riding on the back of a Black Panther, these ladies have to get up close and personal to throw their Glaives. Initially they bounce from one enemy to another then back, but with Magical Glaive upgrade the things bounce like Pinballs. She can also use Shadowmeld and has an upgradeable "Sentry" ability that plants a Spirit Owl in a tree. The plus is this thing never runs out and the only way to remove it is to destroy the Tree.
Glaive Thrower
"*creak*"
Formerly the Ballista in the original WC3, the Glaive Thrower is the new siege weapon of the Night Elves. It can even research Vorporal Blades, similar to the Magical Glaive upgrade of the Huntress.
Druid of the Talon
"*ACHOO!* Damn, wouldn't you know? Allergic to Feathers..."
Druids of the Talon are interesting units. Their initial ability is to cast the autocastable ability of Faire Fire, an ability that decreases enemy armor and makes them visible to you, but I recommend upgrading them a notch. Truthfully, these boys aren't powerful on their own, but with an upgrade they have the ability to transform into a raven and patrol the map unhindered. Gotta love that. They also have the useful Cyclone ability at their master level. The Expansion also grants them the mighty ability to cast Faire Fire in their Bird form.
Hippogryph
"*roar*"
The Hippogryphs by themselves are effective Air-to-Air flyers. But they can learn the ability to have an Archer mount them becoming Hippogryph Riders, which boosts both hp and attack strength. The Riders quickly become the Night Elves Air of Choice.
Faire Dragon
“*Shine*”
One Word: Sucks. It’s the Night Elves’ “Caster Killer” unit, and even then it doesn’t do a good job at it. It’s Autocasting “Phase” ability takes it out of combat as well as into combat and their HP and ATK is laughable, even with the Feedback Ability (Which is mega hurt for Casters and Heroes). I suppose its possible to use them well, but the Phase ability hurts them more then aids them as they just keep blinking into and out of existence.
Dryad
"Fear the Fearsome Fury of the Forest Fawn!"
These Centaur Ladies, barring anything else, will become a staple of your Night Elf army. Cheap, Ranged, Magical. How Magical? Very. For starters they have the build in abilities of Spell Immunity (Meaning they're unaffected by any enemy spell), and they throw poisoned spears. They can learn the Autocastable ability of Abolish Magic, which will quickly have your opponents screaming as now not even the oh-so-good Bloodlust will stick....
Druid of the Claw
"Can't...Stop...Dancing!"
Egads! A Night Elf MELEE Unit! Druids of the Claw can learn the ability to Roar, which boosts nearby units attack strength, and to transform into a big ol' Grizzly Bear, which makes them insane hard to kill. And guess what? Like their Talon cousins, the Expansion gives the ability to cast Roar in Bear Form.
Mountain Giant
“Ho. Ho. Ho.”
The Night Elves get a “Walking Building” in the Expansion. These Rock Giants, when fully upgraded, become annoyances on the field as they can direct all attacks on their punishable person. They can also pick up trees and use them as clubs till they break.
Chimaera
"*roar*"
The Uber-Air of the Night Elves is, at its core, a Flying Siege Unit of severe death. Unless you have Air units yourself when these things come knocking, just end the game and save yourself the punishment.
Human Alliance
Of course the Humans are going to be in WCIII. The Humans haven't changed much since WarCraft II, which is sadly probably their biggest disadvantage in terms of playability. They're far from a bad race, but they do have several disadvantages. For instance, the other three races in the game need only to build on building (Mainly a "Lumber Mill" generic building) to get their upgrades. Humans must build a Lumber Mill to get certain upgrades (Building and Lumber Harvesting) and build a Blacksmith to get their Unit Upgrades.
Also, the Human's resource Depots, Farms, unlike the other three races, don't have an alternative purpose (Orcs' Burrows can be used as Bunkers, Undead Ziggurats are Defensive Structures, and Night Elves Moon Wells restore Unit HP/MP.) Their Defensives Structures, the Scout Tower, must be upgraded first, like the Undead, however it takes a lot more money to build Defensive Structures for Humans than any other race. That being said, however, Humans are no force to be underestimated. They will own you old school style.
Human Hero Units
Paladin
"Touch Me Not, I am Chaise!"
The Paladin, an upgraded Knight in WarCraft II, returns as a Hero Unit. They're good Melee fighters, wielding Warhammers of Unyielding Smite, and can act as Early Healing Units and Defensive Units. They have four abilities (As all Heroes do) they can learn through Leveling: Holy Light (A Healing Spell), Divine Shield (Makes the Paladin invulnerable for a short amount of time), Defense Aura (Boosts the Defense of all nearby friendly units) and Reincarnation (Resurrects six nearby friendly units from the dead). Who can't love this guy? He's got a lot going for him. Definitely a good choice for a starting Hero.
Archmage
"Get On With It."
These Mages on Horseback are the weakest and the strongest hero in the Human arsenal. Their four abilities: Blizzard, Water Elemental, Regeneration Aura, and Mass Teleport are all very good. Blizzard is good for groups of enemies or Peasant Slaughter, the Water Elemental basically means you've always got a "Buddy" for the Archmage, Regeneration Aura is a MUST if you plan on using Spellcasters because it regenerates their mana faster, and Mass Teleport can get you the hell out of dodge in a hurry. As it stands though, the Archmage can't hold his own in most of the larger encounters that will happen late in the game. But he does make a good backup defensive hero.
Mountain King
"Could ya put a couple of bonus points in mah drinkin skill?"
These guys are the purest form of Melee Fighter in the Human Hero arsenal. If you want to go super Melee, the Mountain King is your Hero. His skills: Storm Bolt, Thunder Clap, Bash, and Avatar are fairly good skills...if you don't care about other Units. This is a guy that newbies either flock to or ignore outright. Truth be told, I once didn’t think of him that highly. But if you give him the right stuff to hold onto, he can be a one dwarf hurricane.
Blood Mage
“Hi, my name is Roy…I’m a Magic Addict.” “Hi Roy.”
Probably THE most Broken Hero in the Game, there is nothing about the Blood Mage that is not good. Fire Strike is equally effective against units and buildings, Banish can get Level 6 heroes casting their Uber-Spells off the field, Siphon Mana can get more mana from enemy heroes while draining their supply. And Phoenix creates a Unit that, in both theory and practice, will keep coming back! So long as the egg survives, the Phoenix returns to the field.
Human Units
Peasant
"A Horse kicked me once, it hurt."
The backbones on the Human Alliance economy, these guys are your gatherers. Unlike previous incarnations though, ringing the "Call to Arms" bell at a Town Hall makes all your Peasants that are nearby to rush and don armor and a battle ax, basically becoming makeshift Footmen. Good in a pinch and one up on other races, as it makes Harassing that much harder. Unfortunately, most players overlook this feature and the Peasants are slaughtered. Though in retrospect, that might be why I always kill the enemy hero…he doesn’t expect the workers to done helmets and swords and run his ass down. I’ve seen a few players wield Peasant armies extremely effectively. I’ve also seen them run absolutely horribly. My advice: Keep them as Base Defense and gatherers. Don’t make them your core army.
Footman
"Grab yer sword and fight the Horde!"
These guys are the bread and butter of WarCraft's Humans, and this game is no different. Decent HP, low cost, and decent damage make these guys stellar melee fighters and Hero "escorts". Later in the game, they lose their flair, but early game they are an essential part of Human forces. They can learn the "Defend" ability, which allows them to take more punishment from arrow/spear units. Always a plus if going up against those pesky Night Elves.
Rifleman
"I shot the sheriff, the deputy, and yer wee doggie too!"
Replacing the Elvish Archers, these drunken Scotsmen will entertain you to no end, but they're also stellar units. Unlike most other Ranged Combat units, the Rifleman costs nearly double that of his Melee counterpart, but the cost is well worth it. The Rifleman is like the Marine in StarCraft...extremely valuable. They can take a fair amount of punishment too, provided the right protection (A Priest or a Paladin).
Knight
"I never say 'Ni'."
The uber-Melee unit of the Humans, if your going Melee, get these guys to replace your footmen late game. Not much else to say about em sans they’re faster than the Footmen also.
Mortar Team
"MORTAR KOMBAAAAAAAAAT!"
The Dwaven Demolition Teams from WarCraft II have returned, this time as a non-suicidal unit! They're ranged attackers that act as Siege Units really. They can also level trees and learn the "Flare" ability, which allows you to see invisible units (Not very handy). And with the expansion, can deal extra damage to enemy ground troops and armored buildings. If you want siege, build these.
Gyrocopter
"They'll never hear me coming. *Clunk-Sputter-Clunk*"
The Gyrocopter is back, and NOT as a worthless scout anymore! These guys are pretty handy anti-air units, and can be upgraded to attack ground units. I love these guys, no matter what anybody else says. But do note, they cost the amount of a Scout Tower (30 Gold, 20 Wood) and you DO get what you pay for. If you’re going to use Gyros, mass them. Mass them like you have never massed before. Only way they will be truly effective against a large-scale air assault. That being said, whenever I’m in a quirky mood or the enemy is mounting all out Air, my fleets darken (Or brighten, depends on my color) the minimap.
Steam Tank
"*Engine Rev*"
They Human Siege Machine.... SUCKS. It has to get almost point blank to do any damage and can't attack units. But attacking Buildings...it does do its job very well. I'd only use these POS when the enemy has a pretty tight Defense, but even then. The Expansion gives them a decent upgrade though, the ability to attack air units. So in theory, you can protect your tanks from pesky flyers now. Mortar Teams are the better Siege bet for Humans.
Priest
"I have been chosen by the Big Metal Hand in the sky!"
These guys are like the Medics in StarCraft...BUILD THEM! They instantly know Heal, and with more research can learn the ability to Dispell negative spells and Inner Fire, which improves the attack strength of all nearby units. More often than not though, you'll just leave him as the Healer of the Group. Unlike the Medics in StarCraft, Priests aren't bound by the Hippocratic Oath, and can defend themselves with a ranged magical attack. Myself, I tend to devote an entire hotkey to a squad of these guys. Six on Heal and Six on Inner Fire. It’s a pretty dangerous combo, considering both are Autocast abilities.
Sorceress
"Funny, I don't remember casting Slow on you..."
These ladies replace the Mages in WarCraft II, but at the same time ARE the Mages from WarCraft II. And thanks to the glory that is Autocast (The ability to allow the unit to cast that ability as long as there is mana/units to cast it on), these girls, like all Spellcasters in the game, don't need as much Micromanagement. They initially cast the spell Slow, which slows the attack speed of enemy units. Being Autocast Ability, having two Sorceresses accompanying any attack force is a wise idea because of this. She can also learn Invisibility (Rather pointless unless you want to scout), and the ever-lovable Polymorph.
Spell Breaker
“I stole your Precious!”
The Spell Breakers are the Human’s “Caster Killer” unit, and it’s not half bad. They can yank spell buffs off units and redirect them as they see fit. It’s not uncommon to see units suddenly having Roar, Inner Fire, and Bloodlust on them all at once in team games. They can also learn the ability to steal enemy summonables (Cept those pesky ones that are immune to magic). They also have the Feedback ability, meaning Focus Fire on Heroes = Death. I enjoy building Spell Breakers, and like to think of myself as an expect on them as much as I am an expect on Gyrocopters. They’re a good unit, about equal to the Footman in terms of raw attack power, but they’re still a reactive, not a proactive, unit. Meaning, of course, don’t build them unless you need them and sometimes that can be too late. You can build them from the get go, of course, but the enemy will more then likely alter his attack strategy if its mainly just casters.
Gryphon Rider
"Somebody gave me the bird."
The Gryphon Rider returns in WarCraft III as the Humans' primary Flying Attacker. They still have the Storm Hammer upgrade. If you've played WarCraft II, you know all about the Gryphon Rider.
Dragonhawk Rider
“What’s a mountain goat doing way up here…?”
A new flyer to the Human Alliance, these guys are interesting. They can rope in an enemy flyer to prevent it from escaping, and cast a Cloud with basically renders defensive structures, and the ability to strike air units with non-air units, null and void. Most don’t run them because they come up really short in the power department when stacked against the Gryphon Rider, and their Air-to-Air is nothing compared to the Gyrocopter. But they are a second tier flyer and good for breaking opponents that just like to camp and build towers.
The Orcish Horde
The Orcs have undergone a massive rehaul in this game. Losing the Ogres, Goblins, Death Knights, and Dragons, as well as all their dark necromancy the Orcs have become Shamanistic, and have emerged more powerful as a result. They’re a Melee oriented race, and their ranged and fliers are well and good, but you won’t find the same kind of punch other race’s air has.
Orc Hero Units
Far Seer
"My eyes are open."
The Far Seer is a powerful Orc Shaman that rides on the back of a Dire Wolf. He's the Spellcaster Hero of the bunch, with four very useful abilities: Chain Lightning (Bounces from one enemy to another to another, decreasing in damage each hit), Feral Spirit (Summons two Wolves to fight for you for a certain period of time), Far Sight (See the Map...for free!), and Earthquake (Disrupts Enemy Units and causes insane damage). Because of the three for one deal, if you pick Feral Spirit as your primary ability that is, the Far Seer is a good choice for a starting Hero.
Blademaster
"My blade can cut through armor.... and still cut a tomato!"
The Blademaster is the real Melee Hero and a good "General" of a Melee Force. His abilities make him excellent at early loner rushes: Mirror Image, Wind Walk, Evasion, and Bladestorm. He's a superb hero through and through for leading troops into battle and causing some chaos.
Tauren Chieftain
"Only two things come from Texas…and I’ve got horns!"
The Chieftain is my personal favorite hero for the Orcs. He's also a good Defensive Hero. His Endurance Aura, War Stomp, Bash, and Reincarnation Abilities make him a hard Hero to keep down.
Troll Shadow Hunter
“Keeping it real up in the feel…”
The Troll Shadow Hunter is probably the best-received hero in the entire Expansion. Namely because of one ability: Healing Wave. Think the Paladin’s Heal…on CRACK! It bounces from unit to unit, making it a much needed addition to the Orcish Horde, as easily accessible healing is nil for them. He’s also got Hex, which is basically Polymorph for Heroes. And also a Ward like his Witch Doctor cousins, the Serpent Ward is a stationary POS early on, but upgraded it becomes annoying. His Level Six skill, Big Bad Voodoo, makes all nearby units invulnerable too.
Orc Units
Peon
"Me not that kind of Orc!"
Exactly the same as the Human Peasant sans the ability to turn into makeshift Grunts. They can man Orc Burrows (The Replacement of the Pig Farm) to make them Bunkers though.
Grunt
"Poke, Poke, Poke. Is that all you do?"
It's a Grunt. There's not much too him outside the fact with his new Berserker Strength upgrade, he becomes the TOUGHEST melee unit at a decent price. He still costs more than regular though (200 gold.) The bonus is he starts with 700 hp (Compared to the Footman's measly 160 hp). They also can learn the "Pillage" ability, which allows it to steal Gold and Lumber when it hits an enemy building. Handy doo-dad early game.
Troll Headhunter
"Leave it to me I take a big weight off your shoulders."
These Trolls are Spear throwers, despite what their name suggests. They replace the Axe Throwers that were apperantly “Evil” Trolls. Though Axe Throwers are still available as Mercenaries. They can learn Troll Regeneration and in the Expansion, can upgrade to become their WC2 counterpart Berserkers, that have an ability to deal twice as much damage as normal at the cost of taking twice as much damage.
Catapult/Demolisher
"*creak*"
It's the Catapult. If you've played WarCraft II you know what this thing does. In the Expansion it becomes a “Demolisher”, which is a Catapult that knows how to throw pitch aka Burning Oil, that temporarily ceases all activity at the building hit with said flame. Also deals more damage to units it hits too.
Raider
"You're annoying my dog."
The Raider is a Wolf Mounted Rider that also knows Pillage once researched. They can also learn the Ensnare ability that forces flying units to the ground where Ground Units can attack them. More expensive and with less HP than a Grunt, the Raider also does more damage. BUT that does not make it better than a Grunt. Raiders do Siege Damage and, in testing, I’ve discovered Raiders do less damage vs Units than other units. However against buildings they’re money stealing siege machines.
Tauren
“Why do I have this big X on my ass?”
The Tauren are the ultimate in Melee combat. High in HP, Defense, and just plain nuts. Can learn the Pulverize ability, which causes it to stun nearby enemies. What other races do in the air, the Tauren do on the ground.
Kodo Beast
"...Here comes the grunts again!..."
The Kodos are a strange addition to the Orcish Horde. If you're going anywhere, take one Kodo. Their War Drums Ability make them the only normal unit with an aura effect, plus they have Hit Points rivaling most buildings (1200 hp) and, for a bit of hilarity, can defend themselves by throwing stone pebbles from their drummer or...EATING an enemy and slowly digesting them. They can't eat Enemy Heroes though.
Shaman
"Ever get a Lightning Bolt shoved up where the Sun Don't Shine?"
Shamans are good for one reason and one reason alone: Autocast Bloodlust. Remember Ogre Magi? Remember Bloodlust? Shamans have it and they can Autocast it. Don't make an Attack Force without one...or two.
Troll Witch Doctor
"It's a Cook Book! A COOK BOOK!"
The Troll Witch Doctor is a riot to listen to, but frankly in Multiplayer he isn't that great. He casts "Sentries" that do one of three things: Act as a Scout (Sentry Ward), slows down the enemy (Stasis Trap), or Heals friendly units (Healing Ward). I personally don't like Witch Doctors because you spend so much money just to get the Healing Ward upgrade and then it doesn't pay off. Just build more Shamans with Bloodlust and have a Shadow Hunter handy.
Tauren Spirit Walker
“Hoof to the Head!”
The Tauren Spirit Walker is a Spellcaster that isn’t actually ‘there’, in that he takes on a non-corporal form immune to all damage sans magical but can’t attack. He knows three handy-dandy spells: Spirit Link divis up damage dealt to units among four other units, Disenchant removes all buffs from an area and deals damage to enemy units, and Ancestral Spirit is directly linked to the Tauren, as it will raise a non-hero Tauren from the dead.
Wind Riders
"Un Daboom!"
The Wyvern riding Riders replace the Dragons. They're Flying "Dragonettes" with Orcs mounted on them with Poison Tipped Spears. POISION. They're definitely a bit better than Gryphon Riders in that regard, but at the same time they don’t do near the same kind of damage. Most Orc players on Battle.Net mass these guys, and I honestly don’t understand why. The Orcs are a Melee Race, they shouldn’t be using Air in an offensive capacity like they do. I’ve seen a lot of Orc players get their butts kicked because they forget that one simple fact.
Troll Batrider
“The ends justify the means!”
Here’s something crazy: A flying Siege weapon. Here’s something even more crazy: People abuse this guy to the point I want to have him removed from the game. It also can learn Burning Oil, which is why he’s so annoying because they fly in, strike a building in production, stall it, then fly out again, but Unstable Concoction turns the Batriders into the WC3 equivalent of Scourges in StarCraft.
The Undead Scourge
A Little Bit Zerg, a Little Bit Protoss. A little bit something new. Undead are meant for Swarm attacks, and one worker can build the whole base. But here's the kicker: the first level attackers are the Lumber Harvesters. How's that for a bit whack?
Undead Heroes
Death Knight
"Don't Touch Me....I'm EVIL!"
Here's where the Orc's Death Knights went. They've still got Death Coil, plus Death Pact (Kill a friendly, gain health) and Unholy Aura. His maximum skill is to raise six recently slain dead (Regardless of who’s side they were on) to fight for him. Decent hero...definitely a middle road type.
Dreadlord
"*Ring* Hello? For the last time, I'm a DREADlord, not a DRUGlord."
These guys are the Hero to have if you're going Melee. With Carrion Swarm (A rather silly attack), Sleep (USEFUL), Vampiric Aura (Which allows you and nearby friendly melee units to siphon Health off enemies when you strike them), and the All Mighty Inferno, which drops a fiery rock demon on the masses, these guys are good Heroes to have.
Lich
"I am the ghost of WarCraft Past..."
The Spellcaster Hero, this guy would appear to be the weakest of the three, but is actually the strongest. Out of his three starting skills, two are absolutely worthless. Frost Nova merely slows down a single enemy, and Dark Ritual is like Consume from StarCraft, kill a unit, get Mana. Frost Armor however increases the armor rating of units cast with it and they slow any enemies nearby. Plus it’s Autocast ability. His ultimate ability is sheer nuts: Death and Decay. It does what it says. Cast it in a Town and then go get something to drink, the town shouldn't be standing once you get back. I love this hero. Not to mention a Skeleton in Drag rocks. XD
Crypt Lord
“And Blizzard says there are no bugs in its software…”
The Crypt Lord is a great big Mummy Spider. It’s Impale ability can really screw over units in a line, while it’s Spiked Carapace makes it punish units that get too close, Carrion Beetle produces a little ‘playmate’ from the corpse of a slain foe or friend that never goes away till it’s killed, but the price is there can only be five at one time. Locust Swarm basically is a mobile Death and Decay.
Undead Units
Acolyte
"My Life for Auir!....I mean Ner'Zhul..." (Yes it actually DOES say that! XD)
The worker of the Undead really doesn't do much. One of them can 'summon' the buildings (Warping in) but only buildings on Blight (Defiled land). Strange mixture of Protoss and Zerg building but it works. Note they can't Harvest Lumber and only five of them can mine gold at a time. So Five Acolytes are all you need less you build Shades or quick Expansions.
Ghoul
"Me Scary."
The Ghoul is your starting attacker that can learn the ability to cannibalize enemies to regain health and a skill similar to the Grunts Berserk Strength, called Berserk Fury ironically. But truthfully, these guys are used for one thing alone: Harvesting Lumber. They work at the beginning of the game, but their low hp makes them easy prey. Though teamed with a Dreadlord and with an upgrade or two they do become...pests.
Crypt Fiend
"Spider Sense...tingling...."
These Spiders are the Ranged Unit of the Undead mixed with the Autocast learned ability Web, which can throw Air Units from the sky with ease. These are my Undead Unit of Choice. They're not too expensive (210 Gold and 40 Lumber) and have good armor and hp. Upgraded they become mean SOBs. Team them with a Lich for the fine results of Melee Units not quite getting to them before dying because of Frost Armor. The expansion further makes them more Zerg Like, with the ability to Burrow.
Gargoyle
"*roar*"
The first Flying Unit of the Undead and an interesting one at that. Can attack both Air and Ground to moderate success, though Ground not so much. But they have the Stone Form ability that turns them into nigh-indestructible statues. They make great Lawn Ornaments for the front of the base. It really throws the attack plan on an enemy off when their units go for nearby statues instead of the counter attack force.
Meat wagon
"*creak*'
The Siege Weapon of the Undead, the Meat wagon chucks corpses (Which seem to just appear) at enemies. Researching Disease Cloud leaves a nice little cloud of poison the enemy has to pass through to reach you. Their use in Multiplayer is limited, but is there. They can also carry corpses across the map for you for quick Necromancer Skeletal Army. The Expansion also turned them into Corpse dispensers, like micro-Graveyards.
Abomination
"We come in Peace...es."
The Abomination is akin to the Ogre. Big and hard to kill, but not overly spectacular. The fun happens when you research Disease Cloud. Now they become Big, Hard to kill, and a big walking Disease Factory that'll have countering Melee Units hurting even if they do kill him.
Obsidian Statue/Destroyer
“*Rumble*”
This is a two-in-one unit. It’s initial form, Obsidian Statue, it acts as an honest to god Healer for the Undead, but it can also Autocast the ability to regenerate Mana. So it’s normally a sound tactic to have two Healers and a Mana Regenerator following behind any attack force. They can learn the ability to transform into the Destroyer, the Uber-“Spell Killer” that can’t regenerate it’s own mana, but can ‘eat’ mana from other units.
Necromancer
"I love Dead People...Frequently."
The Necromancer is the primary Spellcaster for the Undead. He automatically knows how to Raise Skeletons (Which seem to pop out two at a time from one corpse and is Autocast to boot!) and can learn Unholy Frenzy (Undead version of Bloodlust minus Auto-Cast and some negative side-effects) and Cripple, which shuts down enemy units. In the Expansion, they can learn Skeleton Mastery, which turns their Two Skeletons into a Skeleton Warrior and a Skeleton Mage. Necromancer Rushes are common early game, and hard to counter since every fallen enemy gives the Necromancers more pets.
Banshee
"There is no Banshee only Zhul"
The Secondary Spellcaster for the Undead, and my personal favorite. She knows Curse, a fine little doo-dad that acts a little like Slow, cept it makes the opponent miss. Combined with Frost Armor, it's Slow on Crack. Her middle of the road skill can erect anti-magic shells over your units. Possession kills the Banshee but it allows you to 'hijack' an enemy and take possession of it. This is useful for grabbing enemy units (Can't work on Heroes, sadly), but the more fun use is to possess the various "Creeps" (Neutral hostile creatures used to level up your Hero and cause you annoyance) that you can possess (Anything Level 6 or above is immune) to bolster your army with a bunch of units your not suppose to have. Wait until Nightfall when the Creeps go to sleep to smuggle the Creeps out without incident.
Shade
"Oh I aint got no bod-ee!"
The Shades are Acolytes that are sacrificed at the Sacrificial Pit. When they re-emerge as Shades they are invisible units that can't attack. They make spectacular scouts though. Since dealing with them in non-existent in Team Play Multiplayer, you can shoot for broke with them fairly easily, as nobody wastes resources to detect them.
Death Wyrm
"*roar*"
Undead Dragon. UNDEAD DRAGON! These mean zombies of the sky can learn Frost Breath, which will freeze enemy buildings for a time and make them not do anything. So freezing an enemy tower will cause that tower not to function. Once a herd of Death Wyrms (Three or more) hits the field, it's Game Over, unless of course you have a fleet of handy-dandy Air-to-Air. Anti-Air has difficulty against these things since they're so powerful.
And as if this post isn't long enough already...I found my coverage of the initial neutral heroes written in 2004!
-THE NEUTRAL HEROES-
Neutrals are Mercenaries you hire at cost to fight for you. Some are good, some are bad, some are redundant, depending on what race you play as. I won’t get into the various mercenaries there are, as that would take far too long. But the Neutral Heroes see quite a lot more play, so its only fair I start with them.
-Pit Lord
“Ya know what burns my ass? A flame about this high.”
Neutral Hero. You can hire this guy from any map with a tavern. He’s a solid Neutral Hero, a good melee fighter with some really crazy abilities you can put to good use, if you want. Like every Hero, he comes with four abilities you can learn through leveling up:
= Rain of Fire – Similar to Blizzard of the Human Archmage, Rain of Fire deals slightly more damage over time and last a little longer (I think). A decent skill but comes with the disadvantage of working in a stationary area and the Pit Lord cease activity to cast the spell. Depending on what your fighting, this could be a very bad thing.
= Howl of Terror – This reduces the attack damage of nearby enemy units. A very solid skill to know if swarmed by Creeps or other foes. However, if its just you vs them, Howl of Terror might not be enough.
= Cleaving Attack – A Passive attack, it gives the Pit Lord a chance to smack around multiple enemies at once. This is a powerful ability that increases the survivability of the Pit Lord in combat.
= Doom – Kind of like a Micro-Inferno, Doom curses a target unit (Making it unable to cast spells and takes damage over time). When that unit dies, a Doom Guard will emerge to aid your fight. A bonus to this is Doom can’t be dispelled or cancelled. Use it to shut up annoying Spellcasters.
The Pit Lord works, and works well. The problem with him is he’s a melee Hero, and he’s big. I mean four feet, girth big. This means swarming him is fairly easy and he’s not one of the faster heroes. He can cause chaos in battle, no doubt about it, but getting him out of trouble is pretty null and void here. A decent sized force can make his life Hell (Pun intended). Not a Neutral Hero I’d personally recommend, since the Race Specific Melee Heroes have more to bring to the table then this guy.
-Pandaren Brewmaster
“My dad, he was Bi-Polar”
Neutral Hero. Another Melee fighter, unlike the Pit Lord, the Brewmaster offers a lot more synergy, and a lot more spunk. Awhile back, I remember he was quite popular, but I haven’t seen him lately.
= Breath of Fire – A cone shaped blast of fire that damages enemy units. Good to cast on a rushing force. But it gets even better when you tag team it with another of the Brewmaster’s abilities.
= Drunken Haze – Drenches an Enemy in alcohol, causing a reduction of movement speed and giving it a percent chance of missing in combat. This makes it a two-for-one Slow and Evasion spell in one. As a bonus, if you use Breath of Fire after drenching the opponent in Drunken Haze, they ignite and do more damage.
= Drunken Brawler – A passive ability, it’s similar to Evasion but with a twist, not only does it give the Brewmaster a chance to dodge attacks, but also deal more damage. Always nice.
= Storm, Earth, and Fire – The Brewmaster’s ultimate skill is to break into three separate parts (O.o) with various abilities, which sadly escape me at the moment. If I recall, Fire has immolation, Earth has Earthquake or War Stomp, and Storm has Chained Lightning and Blizzard. I remember that Storm is the main Spellcaster of the three. A typical strategy is having Storm use its spells, then flee combat, since if just one of the pieces survive, it reverts back to the Brewmaster. A insta-Three Hero army is nothing to scoff at, especially late game.
The Brewmaster has a lot going on for him. Certainly a better Melee Hero choice then Pit Lord, his biggest advantage and biggest drawback was the fact his three normal skills work so in sync with one another. It makes choosing a starting skill difficult, as Breath of Fire and Drunken Haze are both really good, but only get REALLY good when used together. Like I said, he was really popular for a while, now has kind of vanished. He also has an advantage of being able to lead the charge in battle and weaken the enemy, making him adapt in both a Melee army, or Ranged Army (If team games) or even a mixed army in Free For Alls. He’s a Neutral Hero I would never question on the reasons for picking and never underestimate.
-Beastmaster
“I will now summon a-ACHOO!” “*ROAAAAAAAAAR*”
Neutral Hero. An interesting edition, a Summoner. The Beastmaster is a decent Melee Neutral Hero in his own right, but he takes the idea of Hero Pets (Far Seers, Keepers of the Grove, Archmage, Warden, and Crypt Lords all have a “pet” skill) and runs with it to all new levels.
= Summon Bear – Just like it says, summons a beefcake bear to help smack stuff. As you pump skill points into it, it becomes beefier, with some passive skills to boot.
= Summon Quillbeast – The Quillbeast is a ranged summonable, always a bonus. Just like the Bear, pump some points in it, and it keeps getting stronger and with some passive skills (I’m sorry, but I don’t have specifics on what skills they do get)
= Summon Hawk – Okay. Let’s think about this. Summon Hawk. Summon a flying unit. Summon a flying unit very early. Granted, the Hawk doesn’t get the ability to attack until its Level 2, but that’s not difficult, especially if your playing an FFA game and can just bum rush the Creeps and beefcake it up (That’s assuming you’re using it as your first skill). Holy Crap. I’ve seen lone Hawk rushes before, and let me tell you, if you aren’t ready for them, they’ll burn you in the rear. Fortunately, by the time a Beastmaster has a Level 2 Hawk, you should hopefully have some Anti-Air. If not, well, kiss your workers goodbye.
= Stampede – The Beastmaster’s super skill is probably least impressive of them all. Just sends Thunder Lizards screaming at the enemy in a ranged area. Yes, they hurt, but at the same time, the Beastmaster is stationary and is in a position to get spanked since the Lizards, unlike Starfall, aren’t guided. And also, unlike Starfall, they don’t hit air units.
The Beastmaster is a Hero with a lot of flavor, and a huge flaw…all his spells are Summonables. Abolish, Control Magic, etc. love Beastmaster. However, if you plan on fast teching to higher levels and don’t want to waste money on barracks and what not, if your map has a Tavern, get a Beastmaster. He can field a micro-army to defend your base in a pinch. He’s also a great “Creep Killer” hero, in that with his micro-army skills, he can get it on with creeps easily and early. He’s a solid choice for a Neutral Hero, if you aren’t too concerned with interaction between units.
-Goblin Tinkerer
“I’m more than meets the eye.”
Neutral Hero. The ‘newbie’ to the Neutral Hero crowd, actually introduced in an April Fools Joke, and later a patch. He fights with two massive robotic arms, so I count him as a Melee Hero, but he’s got some support/ranged skills that make him a mid-way Hero.
= Pocket Factory – Actually constructs a building, out of which little mechanical goblins pop out. Similar to their Sapper counterparts, these little guys love blowing stuff up. The Pocket Factory exists for a finite time, but churns out the Clockwork Goblins at a decent rate. Put it up near a Hall and watch the fireworks.
= Cluster Rockets – Lets sail a batch of tiny rockets which lock onto nearby enemy units and hit them, stunning them briefly as well as causing damage. A good ‘crowd control’ skill that shouldn’t be overlooked, and I’d say grab it first or second.
= Engineering Upgrade – A Passive Skill to End all Passive Skills, not only does it beefcake up the Tinkerer in terms of attack strength and speed, but it actually helps out his other skills as well! This should be a definite ‘first choice’ pick.
= Robo-Goblin – Tinkerer transforms into a giant robot battering ram, still having access to all his skills but now dealing Siege damage and with building armor. It’s also good to note this is one of the few Super Skills with a very short cool down time (Similar to the cool down of the Druids). His damage to buildings in this form is extraordinary, so always make sure to transform him when hitting a base; Cluster Rockets still work, after all…
The Tinkerer is still relatively new, so what he’ll do in the long-term to the game remains to be seen. As it stands, he adds some interesting new toys to take into account (Not to mention gives the Goblins some love with a Hero of their own), but nothing so earth shaking that he requires gushing praises. If you like testing new ground and seeing how he interacts with other Heroes, give the Tinkerer a shot.
-Naga Sea Witch
“Keep…Tripping…over this damn…Tail…”
Neutral Hero. The Sea Witch is a ranged, magical Neutral Hero that not only offers some abilities that other racial heroes have, but she’s also the only non-campaign unit that can swim. It’s an often-overlooked ability that has some strategic importance. Especially with so many Tavern Maps having a ring of water surrounding it…
= Forked Lightning – A lightning blast that hits one enemy unit, then branches off from there; similar in use to Chained Lightning, Orc’s Far Seer ability.
= Frost Arrows – An Autocast effect that enchants the Sea Witch’s arrows with the ability to slow enemy units. It’s a combination of Frost Nova (Undead Lich) and Immolation Arrow (Night Elf Priestess of the Moon).
= Mana Shield – It allows you to dip into your mana pool to take damage instead of your health. Always handy in “backwards marches”.
= Tornado – Her ultimate skill whips up a giant tornado that slows enemy units and damages buildings. Here’s the kicker people overlook – You can control the path of the tornado.
The Sea Witch has some pretty handy skills, but really her true power lies in the fact she’s one of a kind. Since the Naga don’t seem to be coming over to Multiplayer any time soon, she’s the only one who can transverse the waterways that seem to encircle every major multiplayer map. Why I don’t seem more people abuse this, I have no idea. Maybe because she doesn’t have anything of real originality to offer in the Skills department…and the fact where she goes, she’ll be going alone.
-Dark Ranger
“I hate what I’ve become.”
Neutral Hero. The second Ranged Neutral Hero, and possibly the deadliest of all of them. She’s a powerhouse in terms of what she can accomplish, and when used correctly, can be absolutely evil. A personal favorite of mine, for some obvious reasons.
= Silence – Stops all enemies in a target area from casting spells for a time. That alone makes her a force to be reckoned with. Shutting up enemy Heroes and Casters can be life saving, especially if your gonna be facing Necromancers. Many players (Myself included) overlook this ability.
= Black Arrow – And we overlook Silence for this. An Autocast spell, Black Arrow strikes a foe every-other-arrow with a mystical attack that not only deals extra damage, but if a group unit killed by the Black Arrow will resurrect as a Skeletal Warrior. This means the Dark Ranger can make her own reinforcements.
=Life Drain – Oh so good. It siphons the health of a nearby enemy unit and adds it to Dark Ranger’s own Health. It’s usually used on Enemy Heroes for the same reason the Human Blood Mage’s Siphon Mana is used on them…it reduces threat. It also keeps the Ranger alive for more Skeletal Warrior fun.
=Charm – Arguably the most powerful Level Six skill that doesn’t force your opponent to Alt-F4. Charm takes control of an enemy unit. Like Possession, it can’t be used on Heroes or Creeps above Level Six…nor pesky Magic Immunity Creatures. Still, yanking an opponent’s warrior in the thick of battle could turn the tide. Especially if it was the like of say a Shaman or Priest. Or, for a bit of Old School StarCraft fun…jack a Worker from the enemy. Unlike StarCraft, they’re still under your 200 food limit, but you just got yourself another race to play with.
The Dark Ranger is a powerhouse in everything she does. This, unfortunately, makes her a big target in the game, and she’s rather delicate in handling. Still, she’s got a lot going on for her. In any army, she’s a welcome edition.
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