PRIMARY · FULL BUILD SCRIPT

Your Human build order

Do these in order.

HUMAN BUILDHuman + Night Elf vs Orc + Undead

OPENING

Start → Keep tech

Stable opening with Archmage → Mountain King. First branch check: Orc: Bestiary/Lodge split, Kodo count, and Batriders · Undead: Slaughterhouse, Web, Banshee Temple, and hero mana

Queue Peasants nonstop.START
All 5 Peasants touch Gold once.START
Peasant → Altar of Kings.1ST PULL
Peasant → Farm #1.2ND PULL
Peasant → Barracks.3RD PULL
Refill Gold to 5/5; everyone else → Lumber.NEXT
Build Farm #2.≈0:56
Train Archmage; take Water Elemental.ALTAR
Make 4–5 Footmen; add 6–7 only vs Tier-1 pressure.BARRACKS
Build Farm #3, then stay one Farm ahead.BEFORE CAP
Keep 5 on Gold; everyone else → Lumber or buildings.≈15 PEASANTS
Start Keep; build Arcane Vault during tech.≈28–30 FOOD

TIER 2

Keep power spike vs Orc + Undead

Orc: Priest Adept → 2 Sorceresses; add Breakers only for real magic · Undead: Priests sustain Human units; add Mortars for Statues or fortified Zigs

Train Mountain King; take Storm Bolt.KEEP
Build Arcane Sanctum #1.KEEP
Make Priest #1 + Priest #2.SANCTUM
Research Priest Adept now.IF DISPEL
Add Sanctum #2 only for fast Priest / Sorceress / Breaker mass.CASTER VOLUME
Blacksmith → Rifles/Knight path; Workshop → Mortars/Flying Machines.COUNTER BUILDING
Make only the counter unit the scout requires.THEN
Orc: 3 Priests + 2 Sorceresses; protected ranged only · Undead: Paladin save + 2 Mortars; Flak vs Destroyers/WyrmsMATCHUP ADD

TIER 3

Castle conversion vs Orc + Undead

Start only with MK + 3 Priests/Adept + a useful 45–50 food army.

Core army ready → start Castle; keep Arcane Vault ready for Staff.T3 GATE
Orc: Paladin + Staff; Gryphons only after Batrider/AA control · Undead: Paladin + Staff; Flak first vs air, Gryphons only after Web controlMATCHUP BRANCH
Train Paladin third; Holy Light first.CASTLE
Buy Staff of Sanctuary first.SHOP

Items + first fightShop check · focus call

SHOP CHECK

Invulnerability on the Hex target + RegenerationInvulnerability + Staff for the Coil–Nova targetScroll of RegenerationClarity

FIRST FIGHT RULEOrc: Dispel Wolves/Link, Slow the line, and Bolt Kodos or support. · Undead: Save the burst target, then Bolt Statues, Lich, or exposed Fiends.

DEEP REFERENCEMatchup overviewRoles · synergy · main danger

YOUR GAME PLAN · ALLIANCE

Archmage pressure → Mountain King caster support

Use Footmen and Water Elementals to own the first fights, reach Keep without going passive, then become the team’s dispel, control, and siege toolbox.

GUIDE TYPEStable mid-game controlReplay-derived reference opening; matchup pivots are mechanics-based synthesis.

YOUR ROLE

Front line · mana aura · sustain · utility

Enter first, call the target, keep Brilliance on both heroes, and add the counter unit the Huntress shell lacks.

WITH NIGHT ELF

Front line for the flank

Your Footmen, Water Elementals, aura, and dispel create the stable center while Night Elf attacks the retreat angle.

VS ORC + UNDEAD

Deny the chained pickoff

Grunt/Fiend pressure, Hex/Ensnare/Web with Coil–Nova, Walker/Statue sustain, and Batrider/Destroyer/Wyrm traps.

FULL REFERENCE · BUILD

Detailed timings and matchup notes

Open this only when you need exact timing confidence, supply targets, scouting gates, or the reason behind an order.

Show all 19 detailed checkpointsTimings · scouting triggers · purpose · team calls

OPENING ARMYArchmage · 4–5 Footmen · level 2 before the first committed fight

ECONOMY CHECK15 Peasants · 5 on gold · the rest on lumber, buildings, or temporary Militia

FIRST TECH SPENDKeep → Mountain King → Sanctum → 2–3 Priests/Adept → enabled counter branch

HUMAN DETAILED BUILDOrder/queue targets, not completion promises

Detailed build order for Human in Human + Night Elf vs Orc + Undead · Any / unknown map
Time / target	Exact command	Trigger / purpose
0:005 Peasants · all touch gold	Queue Peasant #6 immediately. Let all five starting Peasants deliver one gold trip, then begin pulling the opening builders.COREREPLAY TIME	The first gold returns fund the three-building opening without stopping Peasant production.
0:06–0:20Peasants #6–8 assigned	Order Altar first, Farm #1 next, then Barracks. New Peasants refill the mine to five; completed builders go to lumber.COREREPLAY TIME	This is the fast-altar shell: hero, supply, and Footman production all start without an idle queue.
0:55–1:109–11 Peasants · no cap	Order Farm #2 around 0:56 and Archmage around 1:08. Rally the Altar toward the first safe creep route.COREREPLAY TIME	Farm #2 protects the Archmage plus early Footman reservations.
1:20–1:50Archmage queued · Footmen #1–2	Queue Footman #1 around 1:20, Footman #2 around 1:42, and Farm #3 around 1:47. Skill Water Elemental first.COREREPLAY TIME	Two Footmen plus Water Elemental create the safe first camp and an immediate scouting option.
1:25–2:0512+ Peasants · defense check	Place a Scout Tower around 1:28; upgrade it to Arcane around 2:00 only when the scout shows summons, hero pressure, or a worker rush.SCOUTAPPROX	IF: Summon hero, worker pressure, or a fast two-player lane is confirmed.Buy the defensive tower only when it protects the tech path from a visible threat.
2:10–3:10Footmen #3–5 · 5 gold	Keep Peasant production moving, add Footmen #3–5, and send one Footman or Peasant through both enemy production lines.COREAPPROX	Reach Archmage level 2 without sharing the teammate’s first camp, then identify the first real counter requirement.
2:45–3:454–5 Footmen · 24–30 food	Cap the normal opening at 4–5 Footmen; add 6–7 only against confirmed Tier-1 pressure. Add the next Farm before the block and research Defend only against a real piercing commitment.SCOUTGAME STATE	IF: Two ranged production lines or a committed Tier-1 push is forecast.The Footman shell must hold contact without pushing Mountain King and Priest timing out of reach.
3:50–4:20≈15 Peasants · 5 gold / rest lumber	Order Keep once the first pressure shell is funded. The reference replay command was 4:10; keep the Footmen active instead of retreating to watch the upgrade.COREREPLAY TIME	Keep unlocks the Mountain King, Priests, dispel, and the adaptable counter slot.
FIRST CONTACTHuman + Night Elf vs Orc + Undead	Meet after separate level-2 creep routes; Human shows center, Night Elf arrives from the side.MATCHUPGAME STATE	IF: Track both Tier 2 support buildings and buy a save item before the disable chain comes online.Win condition: Keep formation, remove Statues/Walkers, and punish whichever ranged or melee half is left unsupported.
4:20–5:15Teching · 30–38 food	Add Farms before 36/42, build Arcane Vault around 5:00, and replace Town Portal if it was spent. Carry Regeneration and Clarity for the team reset.COREAPPROX	Arcane Vault unlocks the shop, Spell Breakers, and the later Staff; building it during tech prevents a hidden utility block.
5:15–6:25Lumber bank for first Sanctum	Preserve Footmen, maintain five on gold, and avoid a speculative Blacksmith, Workshop, or second Sanctum before the enemy tech is identified.SCOUTGAME STATE	IF: No early air structure or fortified expansion requires a different production building.The first Priest pair and Mountain King must not be delayed by unused production.
TIER 2 MATCHUPHuman core vs Orc + Undead	Build toward Archmage + MK · 4–5 Footmen · 3 Priests · one ranged/siege answer. Orc: Priest Adept → 2 Sorceresses; add Breakers only for real magic · Undead: Priests sustain Human units; add Mortars for Statues or fortified ZigsMATCHUPGAME STATE	IF: Orc: Bestiary/Lodge split, Kodo count, and Batriders · Undead: Slaughterhouse, Web, Banshee Temple, and hero manaOrc: Dispel Wolves/Link, Slow the line, and Bolt Kodos or support. · Undead: Save the burst target, then Bolt Statues, Lich, or exposed Fiends.
Scout camp + route firstAny / unknown map · Conditional	Fast expansion: Conditional. You expand; your teammate holds the map.MAPGAME STATE	IF: Every green expansion gate remains true and no cancel trigger has fired.Map call: Use the generic gate: vision, ally cover, and no active two-player pressure.
6:25–6:50Tier 2 · leave food for hero/casters	Immediately queue Mountain King and order Arcane Sanctum #1. Add Sanctum #2 only for fast caster/Breaker volume. Skill Storm Bolt first.COREREPLAY TIME	Bolt plus the first Priest pair creates the controlled Tier-2 focus window without an automatic double-building tax.
6:45–7:452–3 Priests · Adept gate	Queue Priests #1–2. Research Adept immediately when Dispel has a live target; otherwise add Priest #3 first for sustain.COREAPPROX	Dispel timing follows the threat while the normal three-Priest ceiling still supports both living armies.
7:45–9:0045–56 food · enabled counter slot	Build Blacksmith for Rifles or the Knight path; build Workshop for Mortars or Flying Machines. Then produce only the counter the scout requires.MATCHUPGAME STATE	IF: Enemy buffs, tower concentration, heavy ground, or air tech has been identified.Naming the enabling building makes the branch executable and prevents unsupported unit recommendations.
8:00–10:00Three builders · map control	Take a delayed Town Hall only when the ally can hold the map. Keep all three builders together and do not fund static defense until the attack route is known.MAPAPPROX	IF: The expansion verdict and every green gate permit the spend.A second base is valuable only if it does not abandon the teammate’s live fight.
9:30+45–50 useful food · Tier-3 gate	With Mountain King, 3 Priests/Adept, and the active counter funded, order Castle. Keep Arcane Vault for Staff; add Lumber Mill plus Blacksmith only for a prepared Knight branch.SCOUTGAME STATE	Castle is a conversion after the live army exists, not a naked resource sink.
Tier 3Paladin + Staff + one finisher	Train Paladin third and buy Staff of Sanctuary. Use Priest Master plus Knights for durable living ground, or Flak/Mortars for the scouted air/tower problem.MATCHUPGAME STATE	The Tier-3 payoff is a save tool, third-hero utility, and one committed finishing branch.

FULL REFERENCE · EXPANSION

Should your team fast expand?

A fast expansion means committing to a second gold mine before a stable Tier-2 army. The green gates are requirements, not suggestions.

01 · YOUR FE ROLE

Archmage + Water Elemental + 3–5 Footmen — hold the enemy approach — scout camp + route; builders stay home

Scout the camp and enemy route first; do not turn a loading-screen guess into an expansion order.

02 · EXPANDER PACKAGE

Scout with hero/summon — builders stay home

Camp not verified

03 · BUILDERS

Move only after the clear is safe

After the camp is verified: 3 surviving Militia/Peasants powerbuild the Town Hall; send 5 to Gold when safe.

MAP READ

Unknown layout

Camp not verified

Unverified. The closest gold mine is not automatically a safe natural.

ROUTE WARNING

Protect the rotation

Reveal the spawn pattern, closest enemy lane, and reinforcement path before committing workers.

CREEP WARNING

Do not donate the clear

Scout the camp and its escape route before pulling Militia, Acolytes, Wisps, or an Ancient.

COMMIT ONLY IFall gates green

Archmage level 2 or equivalent Water Elemental tanking, with enough Militia to clear without crippling lumber.
Footmen and the teammate are positioned between the enemy route and the new Town Hall.
Both enemy first heroes and the nearest production wave are accounted for.
Map gate: Use the generic gate: vision, ally cover, and no active two-player pressure.

CANCEL / DELAY IFone trigger is enough

Coil–Nova/Fiend pressure reaches full mana before your defender has a hero save or Town Portal.
Your teammate is forced to Town Portal, loses the front line, or calls that they cannot screen the mine.
Forward tower materials, fast siege, or two early combat-production lines reveal an all-in timing.
Map warning: Scout the camp and its escape route before pulling Militia, Acolytes, Wisps, or an Ancient.
The clear leaves the expanding hero low enough to be killed before the new base can defend itself.

WHY THIS IS LOW CONFIDENCE

No map selected; the verdict is intentionally conservative. The verdict combines current map geometry, race economy mechanics, ally cover, and opponent pressure; it is not a measured expansion win rate. View map source ↗

ARMY PACKAGE

Heroes, units, upgrades, and items

Build the core first. The final production slot comes from scouting—not habit.

SUGGESTED HEROESskill direction

Archmage

Water Elemental → Brilliance Aura → Water Elemental → Brilliance Aura

Early tanking, sustained mana, and the safest team aura.

Mountain King

Storm Bolt → Thunder Clap → Thunder Clap

Pickoffs first; area control once enemy ground units clump.

Paladin

Holy Light → Devotion Aura

Third hero or earlier defensive second when allied living heroes keep getting focused.

Holy Light does not heal Undead allies; use it for Human/Night Elf/Orc units and heroes.

Blood Mage

Banish → Siphon Mana

Late anti-caster control and mana denial.

Use when mana-dependent enemy heroes matter more than raw front-line durability.

SUGGESTED UNITSOrc + Undead

Make nowArchmage + MK · 4–5 Footmen · 3 Priests · one ranged/siege answer. Hold center, provide aura/dispel, and let Night Elf attack from the side.
Add vs Orc + UndeadOrc: 3 Priests + 2 Sorceresses; protected ranged only · Undead: Paladin save + 2 Mortars; Flak vs Destroyers/Wyrms
Scout switchOrc: Bestiary/Lodge split, Kodo count, and Batriders · Undead: Slaughterhouse, Web, Banshee Temple, and hero mana
Stop / avoidOrc: no unsupported Gryphons; do not clump into Stomp · Undead: no exposed hero at half health; no air before Web control

SUGGESTED UPGRADESOrc + Undead

Orc branchPriest Adept first; caster Master only with a surviving group
Undead branchMortar attack/Fragmentation or Flak—never both without targets

SUGGESTED SHOP ITEMSOrc + Undead

Orc checkInvulnerability on the Hex target + Regeneration
Undead checkInvulnerability + Staff for the Coil–Nova target

EXECUTION

How your team takes the fight

One player calls the target. Both armies arrive before either commits.

01
Footmen and Water Elementals enter first; the damage dealer approaches from an angle.
02
Keep Archmage central so both heroes and casters stay inside Brilliance Aura.
03
Use one disable, focus the exposed unit, then chain the next disable as the first ends.
04
Priests stay behind the army and manually Dispel the effect that is deciding the fight.
05
Do not let your expansion timing split you from a teammate who is already committed.

DO NOT

Mistakes this matchup punishes

Every warning includes the condition that can make the choice valid.

EXPANSION RULE · ANY / UNKNOWN MAP

Conditional

Cancel the economy line before it delays the Footman/hero mass needed to keep your teammate alive. Let Night Elf own the first mine only when a Tree is already safely planted or Human must preserve uninterrupted one-base pressure. Do not let both players expand at once unless the opponents have lost an army and cannot punish either base.

PAIR-SPECIFIC

Orc + Undead

Orc: no unsupported Gryphons; do not clump into Stomp · Undead: no exposed hero at half health; no air before Web control

TEAM COMPOSITION

Human + Night Elf

Standing behind the Huntresses or expanding while the Night Elf is already committed.

VERSUS ORC

Respect the counter tools

Do not clump into Chain Lightning/Stomp/Shockwave, chase blindly through Speed Scroll, or ball expensive air into Batriders.

VERSUS UNDEAD

Respect the counter tools

Do not leave wounded heroes in Coil–Nova range, mass unsupported air into Web, or rely on summons/buffs once Destroyers arrive.

HUMAN RULE

Do not mass Riflemen by default

Piercing damage is only 90% into Heavy armor on patch 2.0.4. Use them when air or a protected ranged timing makes sense.

HUMAN RULE

Do not auto-mass Breakers

They are a magic/utility answer, not a universal damage core.

HUMAN RULE

Do not fast-expand through active pressure

Expand after winning space or when the map gives a genuinely safe natural.

METHOD & NOTES

Current, useful, and honest

PATCH BASELINE

2.0.4 · reviewed August 29, 2026

The April 21 hotfix contains bug fixes but no later balance pass. Current patch notes override old numeric unit pages.

CURRENT SAMPLE

13 maps · 248 Season 25 matches

The paginated W3Champions snapshot ran June 19–August 27, 2026 with 248 unique IDs. It supports patterns; it does not prove every matchup cell.

COVERAGE MODEL

4,200 race-and-map selections

Each result combines 300 race states with the 13-map W3Champions Season 25 pool plus a conservative unknown-map fallback.

Read before using exact times.

Standard melee 2v2 guidance for Warcraft III 2.0.4; the map module targets the W3Champions Season 25 pool, which differs from Battle.net. This is a decision aid, not a guaranteed win. Exact timings vary by spawn, route, pressure, and execution. Expansion windows and replay timestamps identify building-order command times—not completion or survival—unless stated otherwise. Random represents an unknown race; select the revealed race as soon as possible. Map verdicts combine current geometry, mechanics, and sparse replay evidence; they are not expansion-specific win rates or proof of universal professional consensus.

Research sources

Quick glossary

Creep: Defeat neutral camps for hero experience, items, and map control.
Creep-jack: Attack an opponent while neutral units are also damaging or blocking them.
Fast expansion: Commit to a second gold mine before a stable Tier-2 army is established.
Focus fire: Both players attack the same reachable target until it is removed.
Natural: The expansion gold mine most directly associated with a starting location.
Dispel: Remove summons, buffs, or debuffs with the race’s anti-magic tools.
Front line: Durable units that take contact and protect ranged damage or casters.
Tier 2: Keep, Stronghold, Tree of Ages, or Halls of the Dead tech.
Tier 3: Castle, Fortress, Tree of Eternity, or Black Citadel tech and its finishing unlocks.
Pivot: Change production or upgrades because scouting invalidated the default plan.