BM Grunt Standard

How it plays

• BM Wind Walk into enemy base for worker kills while Grunts creep
• Mass Grunts are cost-effective and trade well in melee engagements
• Shadow Hunter second — Healing Wave keeps Grunts alive in sustained fights
• Push timing at 50-60 food with BM3 + SH + 5-6 Grunts
• Wins against: greedy NE fast expansions, NE Archer openers without Huntresses
• Loses to: well-positioned Ancient Protectors, NE mass Huntress with Moon Glaive

Tier progression

Hero skill order

Blademaster

• Wind Walk — level 3
• Critical Strike — level 3
• Mirror Image — level 1

Shadow Hunter

• Hex — level 2
• Healing Wave — level 2
• Serpent Ward — level 1

Core upgrades

• Spirit Walker Training
• Ensnare
• orc backpack

If you are new to this build

• Burrows are your food AND your defense -- you don't build Farms. When you're attacked, garrison 1-2 peons inside a Burrow; they shoot out of it.
• Make Grunts non-stop. They're cheap, tanky, and trade well in melee -- you don't need anything fancy at T1.
• Wind Walk the Blademaster into the enemy base for a worker kill or two while your Grunts creep. If you can't get in safely, just creep with the BM instead -- a level-3 BM is the goal either way.
• Don't rush T3 or Taurens. Get a Shadow Hunter as your second hero (Healing Wave keeps Grunts alive) and push at ~50-60 food. Most games end there.

Common mistakes

Building a Great Hall but not enough Burrows, then hitting the food cap and stalling production.

Build Burrows ahead of need. If you're not making units because you're food-blocked, you've already lost tempo.

Throwing the Blademaster into the enemy base and feeding him.

Wind Walk in, grab 1-2 worker kills, Wind Walk out. If their hero or army is home, don't commit -- a dead BM is a lost game.

A-moving Grunts into towers or Ancient Protectors.

If the front is fortified, don't force it. Take your expansion and out-produce them instead.

Forgetting attack/defense upgrades at the War Mill.

Melee Weapons / Unit Armor level 1 are cheap and huge for a Grunt line. Start them as soon as you can afford it.

Before you try it

• Comfortable using Wind Walk to harass and to disengage.
• Know that Orc Burrows hold workers for defense and provide food (no Farms).

Pro replays running this build

13 tournament games. Each opens in the 3D simulator on this player's side.