--- title: "Warcraft III build orders" url: https://wc3v.com/builds description: "18 curated Warcraft III build orders by race and matchup, each backed by a tournament replay." updated: 2026-08-17 --- # Warcraft III build orders 18 curated builds, every one taken from a tournament game you can watch. ## Human - [AM Caster](https://wc3v.com/builds/hu-am-caster): HvN, HvO, HvU, Ladder, 19 replays. Archmage into Footmen, then Priests and Spell Breakers at T2. The dominant Human build in the current meta. Inner Fire buffs Footmen, Spell Steal counters summons. - [AM Rifle](https://wc3v.com/builds/hu-am-rifle): HvN, HvH, HvO, New player, 3 replays. Archmage into Footmen transitioning to Riflemen and Sorceresses. Rifle range controls space, Slow from Sorceresses kites melee armies. - [MK Fast Expand](https://wc3v.com/builds/hu-mk-fast-expand): HvU, HvN, Ladder, 7 replays. Mountain King first into fast expansion. Storm Bolt stuns harassers, Bash provides melee dominance. Build army to 60 food then upgrade to Castle for Knights. - [Paladin Rifle](https://wc3v.com/builds/hu-paladin-rifle): HvO, HvN, HvU, Pro meta, 2 replays. Paladin first hero for Holy Light sustain on early Footmen. Tower up at base, mass Riflemen with Priest support. Defensive opener that scales into a powerful T2 ranged army. ## Orc - [BM Wind Rider](https://wc3v.com/builds/orc-bm-wind-rider): OvU, Pro meta, 18 replays. Blademaster opener with heavy early harassment, transitioning into Wind Rider air superiority. Denies expansion and wins on economic disruption. - [FS Headhunter](https://wc3v.com/builds/orc-fs-headhunter-shaman): OvU, OvH, Ladder, 15 replays. Far Seer opener with Headhunters and Shamans. The most versatile Orc opener — Bloodlust makes Headhunters burst targets down, Hex and Purge shut down enemy heroes. - [BM Grunt Standard](https://wc3v.com/builds/orc-bm-grunt-push): OvN, OvU, New player, 13 replays. Blademaster opener into mass Grunts for an aggressive ground push. BM harasses workers while Grunts pressure the front door. Transitions into Spirit Walkers or Raiders at T2. ## Night Elf - [KotG Mountain Giant](https://wc3v.com/builds/ne-kotg-mountain-giant): EvH, EvO, EvU, EvE, Ladder, 10 replays. Keeper of the Grove opener into Mountain Giant tank line. Entangle roots Human heroes, Giants taunt Human armies, and Treant summons provide free reinforcements. - [DH Standard](https://wc3v.com/builds/ne-dh-fast-bear): EvU, EvO, EvH, Ladder, 42 replays. The standard Night Elf build. Demon Hunter first for Manaburn harassment, fast tech to T3 for Druid of the Claw (bears). Bears in Bear Form have massive HP and Roar aura. - [DH Mass Talons](https://wc3v.com/builds/ne-dh-mass-talons): EvO, Pro meta, 11 replays. Demon Hunter into mass Druids of the Talon with Cyclone spam. Exploits Orc's limited dispel options. Cyclone removes key units from fights, Faerie Fire reduces armor. - [PotM Mass Huntress](https://wc3v.com/builds/ne-potm-mass-hunts): EvH, EvE, EvO, New player, 1 replay. PotM first hero for Trueshot Aura damage boost and Searing Arrows hero harass. Mass Huntresses provide ranged DPS and Sentinel scout vision. Strong open-map control build. - [Warden Fast Expand](https://wc3v.com/builds/ne-warden-expand): EvH, EvU, Pro off-meta, 6 replays. Warden first — she is the cheapest hero Night Elf can field, so the gold saved goes straight into an early expansion. Across the pro games behind this build she is out at 1:07 every time, Tier 2 lands around 3:03-3:42, and five of six games take a second base at 5:03-6:13. Fan of Knives and Blink are both maxed: Fan clears creep camps and punishes clumped armies, Blink gets her out of the trouble a squishy hero finds. The army is Archers into Dryads, so Abolish Magic answers casters while the expansion pays off. - [Dark Ranger Huntress](https://wc3v.com/builds/ne-dr-tavern-hunts): EvH, EvO, EvU, EvE, Pro off-meta, 9 replays. Skip the Altar and hire a Dark Ranger from the Tavern instead. Every game behind this build does it at the same moment — 2:15 to 2:19, without exception — which is what separates it from a desperation pick. Black Arrow turns every creep and every kill into a free skeleton, so the hero creeps faster than the gold she cost. Archers and Huntresses carry the fight while six of nine games expand between 3:19 and 4:54. Five players ran these nine games, which is the honest shape of an off-meta build: a small group who have the timing memorised. ## Undead - [DK Fiend Standard](https://wc3v.com/builds/udo-dk-fast-fiend): UvO, UvH, UvU, New player, 5 replays. A simple Undead build for new players. Death Knight opener, Ghouls mine lumber, and your fighting army is Crypt Fiends -- you never have to micro Ghouls in a fight. Reach Tier 2, pump Fiends, add Obsidian Statues for sustain, and bring in a Lich second hero for Frost Nova burst. - [DK Destroyer](https://wc3v.com/builds/ud-dk-destroyer): UvN, UvH, UvO, Pro meta, 10 replays. DK Fiend opener that priorities a fast T3 for Destroyer tech. Destroyers' Devour Magic hard-counters caster-heavy armies like NE Dryads or HU Priests. - [DK Gargoyle](https://wc3v.com/builds/ud-dk-mass-gargoyle): UvO, Pro meta, 18 replays. DK opener into mass Ghouls for lumber, then flood Gargoyles from multiple Crypts. Air superiority overwhelms Orc ground armies. Dark Ranger or Dreadlord third hero for utility. - [Lich Fast Tech](https://wc3v.com/builds/ud-lich-fast-tech): UvH, UvU, UvO, Pro meta, 10 replays. Lich first hero for early Frost Armor tankiness and Frost Nova burst. Slightly defensive opener that creeps with Ghouls and rushes T2 Crypt Fiends. DK as second hero anchors the army at level 6 with Death Coil sustain. - [Crypt Lord Standard](https://wc3v.com/builds/ud-cl-standard): UvH, UvN, UvO, Ladder, 1 replay. Crypt Lord first hero for Carrion Beetles map presence and Impale stun. Ghoul opener like other UD builds, transitions to Crypt Fiends and Statues at T2. Strong vs Night Elf Bears (Impale shuts down DPS) and Human casters (CL tankiness in the front line).