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WarCraft 2:Tides of Darkness
And
WarCraft 2:Beyond the Dark Portal
Multiplayer Strategies
By RMC

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Version 0.3 11/06/99

-Started WarCraft 2 Strategy Guide

-Completed Orcs or Humans Section

-Completed General Strategy Section

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Welcome!  Before we get started let me note some things.  This strategy 
guide is not for those of you who do not know the difference between a 
town hall and footman.  Before reading this go play and find out what 
everything does.  You may be surprised how much you can learn.  Please 
work with me too.  This is my first FAQ/Walkthrough.  It is also being 
done on what I have experienced and remember. Ok now that we got that 
out of the way.  Let me show you what you will be finding in this 
guide…

Table of Contents:

- Basic Strategies for the Average Joe

  - Orcs or Humans?

  - General Strategies

 - Defense Strategies
 
 - Offense Strategies

 - Water Strategies

 - Magic Strategies
  
- Misc. Strategies and Info

 - When Playing on Multiplayer…

  - Cheap ways to get a lead

 - Useful and fun ways to kill opponents

- Tips for Improvement

- Final Notes

- Copyright
 
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Basic Strategies for the Average Joe

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Orcs or Humans?

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Ok now what everyone wants to know…is Orcs or Humans better?  Now 
unlike StarCraft as you know, the races are almost exactly the same.  
Now this can be a personal opinion or you could get down into the core 
of the real answer.
Ok lets start with Orcs.  It seems that everyone thinks Orcs are 
topnotch because of bloodlust and hastened ogres can not be stopped.  
This is why it most people say they are the Orcs. Well if you're going 
to play on a land map use the orcs. 
	Ok now for Humans.  All I can say is INVISIBLE MAGE!  That's 
their best quality.  Also they have the best advantage on water since 
the shipyard (or was it the lumber mill) is cheaper.  Casting 
invisibility on a transport is also very effective.  Use them if you're 
going to be on an all out water map.

Character Interview:

Peons/Peasants: The first unit that you will most likely control. Lousy 
attack power, hp, and defense.  Only use to attack in emergencies.  
They should all be devoted to chopping, mining, and building. BUILD A 
HELL OF A LOT OF THEM TOO!

Grunt/Footman: The first attacking unit you will most likely control.  
Do not underestimate them.  These guys are great if you upgrade them 
fully.  As game goes on though there usefulness goes down.  Use them to 
team up on players in beginning.

Axethrower/Archer/Bezerker/Ranger: The worst attacking unit till the 
end of the game.  These guys are slow, weak, and have little defense.  
Upgrade them fully once you get to the Castle stage so you can fend off 
attacks from Dragons/Gryphons.  Use them also to get rid of those nasty 
sappers/ demo squad.

Catapult/Ballista: A unit that is barely ever built, but it is one of 
the more useful attackers.  You can use these guys for defense too 
since they got such long range.  They attack to slow to hit most fast 
units like Sapper/Demo Squad, but there usefulness comes in when taking 
down towers and walls since when fully upgraded these babies can take 
out them in almost one hit.  Always have ground attackers along because 
they can't attack units right next to them.

Zepplin/Flying Machine: This is one of the most useful units in the 
game.  With it you can see if your enemy is planning an attack so you 
can get the right Defense or see if its time to attack.  Make sure you 
explore for expansions too.

Ogre/Knight: These are your friends.  Use them well.  Always have a lot 
more of them then your enemy.  Always upgrade them fully.  These guys 
have great speed; attack, defense, and hp. BUILD A HELL OF A LOT OF 
THESE FOR DEFENSE AND ATTACKING!

Sapper/Demo Squad: A lot of people do not know the power and usefulness 
of these guys.  They do a whopping 400 damage when they explode.  This 
is enough to take out a couple of farms.  They can only destroy one 
layer of wall at a time though.  Use these to bust through a forest to 
give your enemy a back attack.  Watch out for guard towers and 
Rangers/Bezerkers. 

Ogre Mages/Paladins: These are the upgraded version of Ogre/Knights.  
Sadly they are way too out balanced.  Since the Ogre mages of blood 
lust they are of course better.  If those stupid Paladins would 
automatically heal the nearest hurt guy like the Medics in StarCraft 
they would be nice.  Like I said above, use orcs on an all out land map 
like Garden of War.

Death Knights/Mages: Ok now this is where big differences come in.  
They both have their advantages though which makes it much more even 
then ogre and Paladins.  Mages advantage would have to be invisibility.  
You can easily crush some ones peon line with an invisible mage.  Just 
go in and blizzard.  Slow is also useful for taking out those nasty 
Sapper/Demo Squads.  The Death Knights also have their advantage.  
Simply get to their peon line (if you can) with 2-3 death knights with 
full mana. Have one cast death and decay to kill the peons then have 
the other too cast raise dead.  Oh look an army of dead guys ready to 
rampage their town.  Also their death coil can be used to instantly 
kill Sappers/Demo Squads.

Dragons/Gryphons: I personally hate these guys.  They cost way too much 
for me.  They're also only useful in-groups and can easily be taken 
down my Mages/Death Knights.  I used them once I think.  I build 40 of 
them and rampaged everyone.  They can make a good attack, but get taken 
down so easily…what a pity…it's the only flying attacking unit.

Oil Tanker: They are just like peons, but all they do is mine oil.   
Don't need too many of them unless your playing a huge water map and 
you want to conquer the ocean.  Be aware though if you conquer the 
ocean most likely everyone will try to dragon kill you.

Destroyer: Don't waste your money on them till the castle stage.  Just 
wait a bit longer so you get Juggernaughts/Battleships.  The reason 
though you should build them later on though, is because they can 
attack air.  They slaughter dragons.

Juggernaught/Battle Ship: If there's water! USE THEM!  These babies are 
tanks.  Slow, HUGE DEFENSE, HUGE HP, and HUGE ATTACK power without 
upgrades.  These are what you need to win an ocean battle.

Submarine/Turtle: What can I say?  This unit SUCKS!  Very weak Defense, 
Offense, and speed makes these guys horrible. They may be invisible, 
but that can be easily countered and once you do see them they die 
almost instantly.  I say there a waste of precious gold and oil.

Transports:  These are the keys to winning battles of water.  You need 
them to expand, attack enemies' main bases, and just getting land units 
off your island to hide.  Use them wisely.  They can mean life or 
death.  If humans or have a human ally.  Have a mage cast invisibility 
on them.  Also you CAN repair transports.

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General Strategies

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Below are some General Strategies I use when playing WarCraft.  Some 
may seem pretty stupid, but some people may not do it.  I have seen it.

1.	Build town hall as close as you can to mine.  Yes some people do not 
do this.

2.	Especially when playing on low resources.  Do the lumber bug.  To do 
it simply right click on a tree with your peon and then build the 
town hall.  You will get 100 lumber.  You can also do this with the 
lumber mill, but you will get 125.

3.	Build buildings that don't produce units in back of city.  Put 
buildings that do produce units in front of town.  Incept for the 
town hall.

4.	NEVER put buildings between your town hall and gold mine.  You can 
do it to your enemies though. :)

5.	BUILD MORE THEN ONE BARRACK, MAGE TOWER, AND ALCHEMIST! Also you can 
build more then one blacksmith for double pong upgrades.

6.	Never stop building peons. 


7.	You don't have to upgrade to keep as soon as you can.  If you can 
build another town hall so you get double peons and can still build 
some when you upgrade.

8.	 Always get all blacksmith upgrades.

9.	Use hotkeys.  This is great for blood lust. Simply select an ogre 
press b and double click on another ogre.  This will blood lust him 
and select him.  Keep doing this to all of them and you will make 
the process much faster without getting the not enough mana message 
too.  I did 40 in 10 seconds once. :)

10.	Always check what your opponent is building so you can 
counterattack with the right units.  Try to learn everything about 
them!

11.	Don't use the same strategy again and again.

12.	Help and plan attacks with your teammates.

13.	Never give up.

14.	Expand early on.  I like doing it before keep stage.

15.	Use the AI to advantage.

16.	Never stop attacking!  Don't just sit in defense.

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Defense Strategies - Coming Soon

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Offense Strategies - Coming Soon

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Water Strategies - Coming Soon 

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Magic Strategies - Coming Soon

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Misc. Strategies and Info

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When Playing Multiplayer - Coming Soon

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Cheap Ways to get a Lead - Coming Soon

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Useful and Fun Ways to Kill a Opponent - Coming Soon

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Tips for Improvement - Coming Soon

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Final Notes

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	Thank you for reading my first strategy guide ever on this great 
game.  If you have any comments or something you would like me to add 
send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  I could really use the help.  Also I 
will be making more of these in the future, Probably on PSX RPG's.  I 
am a real fan of them.  Thank you again and I will try to keep 
updating.

I would like to thank Blizzard for making this Great Game.

I would also like to thank Secnuop for his great WarCraft 2 Strategy 
Page.

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Copyright 

This document Copyright 1998 Ray Connolly
You may not use this in anyway without my permission.
You may not copy, use in your work, or print and sell this.

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