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Hello!

I haven't downloaded the GOG version yet, but I did do a playthrough shortly before Battle for Azeroth was released. I reckon a lot of folks would have some difficulty with the game, so I'm going to offer a few campaign tips.

1) X-bows and spear throwers - Pretty much the key to success. Have your workers chop trees so that there is a wall of trees that your ranged units can get behind (not your casters though). They will shoot down enemies before they can reach your base. Crossbowmen have more range, and spear throwers have more damage. Line them up behind your tree wall and your opponent can't touch you.

2) The enemy will send their units directly to your base. It is easier to kill them while they are on the way there, as opposed to waiting for them to get to your base. If you can get two melee, two to four ranged, and one or two catapults to man the path they take, your campaign skirmishes would be a breeze.

3) Pinch points. These are usually bridges. Two knights/worg riders are enough to block the catapults behind you. put two ranged units (not casters) on each side of your catapults. It should look something like this:

Legend: B = bridge area, C = catapults, M = melee, R = ranged

https://imgur.com/a/tpR37DF

This formation can change the difficulty of a mission from brutal to ludicrously easy.

4) Summons. In later missions you will get powerful summons. Orc warlocks get the daemon, and human conjurers get water elementals. Elementals are weaker than daemons, but that's like saying a meteor is weaker than an asteroid. They are still incredibly powerful, and can inflict a lot of damage if there is enough of them. You want to make enough casters so that when your summons get killed or despawn, your other casters have enough mana to create another group of summons. And when those are gone you summon another bunch...ad nauseum. I find the most efficient number for each summon is 1 pair of daemons if you are orc, and a group of four water elemental if you are human. You do need four elementals to overcome the stronger daemons (which the AI will usually send 1 at a time). Sending 2 daemons is best because in case your enemy cuts down the first one before it can do too much damage. Doesn't happen that often, but I have seen it happen.

5) Attrition. The AI has more APM, and therefore they are better at healing than you are. You can take advantage of attrition if you are human vs orc, but not orc vs human or human vs human matchchups.

6) Buff spells. If you are fighting humans you need several archers in town. The human AI will make a group of units invisible, and they will sneak in to town. If the only way in your base is through bridges, use the formation I mentioned above and this shouldn't be an issue. Some people say unholy armour is best used on daemons, but I disagree. When the spell wears off your daemon becomes too easy to kill. Instead you should use it on lesser summons, like spiders and skeletons. It's also best to use unholy armour and invisibility as near to your enemy's base as possible, to maximize the time your buff spells are used in combat.

Well, that's all I can think of for now. If you see an error please let me know.

Edit: formatting.

Edit 2: replaced diagram with imgr link, as the letters weren't lining up properly.
Post edited March 29, 2019 by jsidhu762
Also: wanna check your objectives? Press F8. To see the minimap, press F5. F6 and F7 show some nice game stats (resources, kills stuff like that).
Small correction: the AI doesn't always send units straight to your base. Some units are scripted to go to gold mines or flank you.
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Leonaru: Small correction: the AI doesn't always send units straight to your base. Some units are scripted to go to gold mines or flank you.
this is not true, ai is allways sending the same way to your base(it can be more than one way) AI enemy units will allways focus on catauplts then peons
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Leonaru: Small correction: the AI doesn't always send units straight to your base. Some units are scripted to go to gold mines or flank you.
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Szwagiermc: this is not true, ai is allways sending the same way to your base(it can be more than one way) AI enemy units will allways focus on catauplts then peons
No, it doesn't. Just play the game. The AI sometimes send units to secondary goldmines where they hang around.
Bro, I know this game more than you think, I got WR speedrun, also i remade campaign to make more dificult and I know hows work AI
N° 3 is extremely important, yes!!!

If well positioned, a few units only can block completely a bridge and will require almost no management at all, except against enemy catapults. You just have to heal your men from time to time and check that no unit has left their position to run after an enemy.

As there are no air units, this enables to secure entire areas of the maps and build one's army quietly, making levels with bridges very easy.
I never had any trouble in a WC1 mission that more Wolf Riders couldnt fix. Except that time i needed even more Wolf Riders. And the time I needed even more Wolf Riders than that. But other than that... Wolf Riders.
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Szwagiermc: Bro, I know this game more than you think, I got WR speedrun, also i remade campaign to make more dificult and I know hows work AI
Then you need to pay more attention. The AI does stuff like placing Conjurers/Warlocks away from you base and summon units in regular intervals. But feel free to brag about your expertise all you want.
Of course they summon units, thats why im killing them allways and i havent got problems with that, they are also using fire of rain, but whenever they trying do that im killing them
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Leonaru: Small correction: the AI doesn't always send units straight to your base. Some units are scripted to go to gold mines or flank you.
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Szwagiermc: this is not true, ai is allways sending the same way to your base(it can be more than one way) AI enemy units will allways focus on catauplts then peons
As I playing the game currently I think some AI has a script where to go. Like on the map of Grand Hamlet the AI advances towards to the south bridge as well as north. Did not come straight to my camp. Cleared my side and discovered the other side and I saw as AI reaching after a certain amount of soldiers starts moving and posting them forward. Not a single one come to my base mindless, nope. They are maning up before approach.
Each level has AI routes (see attachment)
Unit can select route according to predefined probability.
Also level has an option which number of units is needed to attack. And when this number (or more) is present in one point, all the units go to the next one.
Attachments:
untitled.png (302 Kb)
Post edited July 21, 2021 by Zelya
Another source for campaign tips
[url=http://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Warcraft:_Orcs_%26_Humans_missions]http://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Warcraft:_Orcs_%26_Humans_missions[/url]
[url=http://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Warcraft_II:_Tides_of_Darkness_missions]http://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Warcraft_II:_Tides_of_Darkness_missions[/url]
[url=http://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Warcraft_II:_Beyond_the_Dark_Portal_missions]http://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Warcraft_II:_Beyond_the_Dark_Portal_missions[/url]