Orc Units Listing - Guide for Warcraft 2: Beyond The Dark Portal

Orcish Building Listing - Version 1.0
By Roland Carlos

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Version Updates

1.0 - January 15, 1999: Descriptions added.
0.5 - January 13, 1999: First release of guide. Basic stats included, 
descriptions soon to be included.

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Little Intro
Orcs that crossed through the portal also brought their builders, or Peons.
They were forced to have the building plans in their minds since they were 
the ones who built. New ideas from their goblin and troll allies were soon
forced into their brain, sometimes fatally.

Explanations:
Visual Range - How far the building can see
HP - How much damage it can take
Build Time - How much time it takes to build
Gold Cost - How much gold it costs to build this building
Lumber Cost - How much lumber it costs to build this building
Oil Cost - How much oil it costs to build this building
Armor - How much protection this building has
Requirements - What, if anything, is needed to build this building
Options - The options this building has (Requirements listed)
(GUARD & CANNON TOWER ONLY)
Basic Damage - The damage that is done that is affected by armor
Piercing Damage - The damage that is done regardless of any factors
Effective Damage - The least damage done to the most
Attack Range - How far it can attack

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Great Hall

Visual Range: 4
HP: 1,200
Build Time: 255
Gold Cost: 1,200
Lumber Cost: 800
Armor: 20
Requirements: None

The Great Hall provides 5 supply points.

Options:
Train Peon
Upgrade to Stronghold (Requires Barracks)

The Great Hall is the most important building of all, because without it, you
would not be able to collect gold, a important resource. The Great Hall is 
the only place where you get build Peons. The Great Hall should be guarded
all the time by other units and also should be at the center of your town.
Make sure that the Great Hall is placed as close as possible to the closest
Gold Mine and that you have two by the time you need to upgrade one since
upgrading makes the Great Hall not be able to make Peon.

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Stronghold

Visual Range: 6
HP: 1,400
Build Time: 200
Gold Cost: 2,000
Lumber Cost: 1,000
Oil Cost: 200
Armor: 20
Requirements: Barracks

The Stronghold makes every gold returned by a Peon have a +10 bonus.

Options:
Train Peon
Upgrade to Fortress (Requires Lumber Mill, Blacksmith, Ogre Mound)

The Stronghold is just like the Great Hall, except stronger and a better 
visual range. You should only make Strongholds in developed cities, not 
unguarded or wild expansions.

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Fortress

Visual Range: 9
HP: 1,600
Build Time: 200
Gold Cost: 2,500
Lumber Cost: 1,200
Oil Cost: 500
Armor: 20
Requirements: Lumber Mill, Blacksmith, Ogre Mound

The Fortress makes every gold returned by a Peon have a +20 bonus.

Options:
Train Peon

The final level of the Great Hall, it is the strongest and the one with the
most vision. You should only build Fortresses at major cities, like your 
first city.

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Pig Farm

Visual Range: 3
HP: 400
Build Time: 100
Gold Cost: 500
Lumber Cost: 250
Armor: 20
Requirements: None

The Pig Farm provides 5 supply points.

You build farms so you gain supply units to build units. You can use farms
to block up choke points or to use as cover for towers. Use make sure you
have a surplus so when you lose farms, you don't lose the ability to make
units.

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Barracks

Visual Range: 3
HP: 800
Build Time: 200
Gold Cost: 700
Lumber Cost: 450
Armor: 20
Requirements: None

Options:
Train Grunt
Train Axethrower (Requires Lumber Mill)
Train Berserker (Overrides Archer, Requires Keep, Lumber Mill, Ranger 
Upgrade)
Build Catapult (Requires Lumber Mill, Blacksmith)
Train Ogre (Requires Stables)
Train Ogre-Mage (Overrides Knight, Requires Stables, Church, Paladin Upgrade)

The Barracks is where you can make the basic fighting units. You will only
be able to make the Grunt at first, but after you build the right buildings, 
you can make the more advanced fighting units. Grunt are good in early 
attacking, but ogres and axethrowers should be used as the game goes on.

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Troll Lumber Mill

Visual Range: 3
HP: 600
Build Time: 150
Gold Cost: 600
Lumber Cost: 450
Armor: 20
Requirements: None

The Troll Lumber Mill makes every lumber returned by a Peasant have a +25 
bonus.

Options:
Upgrade Axes 1 (Damage +1, Build Time: 200, Gold: 300, Lumber: 300)
Upgrade Axes 2 (Damage +1, Build Time: 250, Gold: 900, Lumber: 500)
Berserker Training (Requires Stronghold, Build Time: 250, Gold: 1,500)
Scouting Research (Sight +9, Build Time: 250, Gold: 1,500)
Lighter Axes Research (Range +1, Build Time: 250, Gold: 2,000)
Berserker Regeneration (Build Time: 250, Gold: 3,000)

The Lumber Mill should be built near trees that are far away from your Great
Hall, but still in your city. Peons will bring their lumber to the Lumber
Mill instead of the Great Hall if the Mill is closer. Also, the Lumber Mill
is a requirement for many of the advanced buildings and it also has some
good Axethrower upgrades.

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Blacksmith

Visual Range: 3
HP: 775
Build Time: 200
Gold Cost: 800
Lumber Cost: 450
Oil Cost: 100
Armor: 20
Requirements: None

Options:
Upgrade Weapons 1 (Damage +2, Build Time: 200, Gold: 500, Lumber: 100)
Upgrade Weapons 2 (Damage +2, Build Time: 250, Gold: 1,500, Lumber: 300)
Upgrade Shields 1 (Armor +2, Build Time: 200, Gold: 300, Lumber: 300)
Upgrade Shields 2 (Armor +2, Build Time: 250, Gold: 900, Lumber: 500)
Upgrade Ballista 1 (Damage +15, Build Time: 250, Gold: 1,500)
Upgrade Ballista 2 (Damage +15, Build Time: 250, Gold: 4,000)

The Blacksmith is built for upgrades for your Grunt, Ogres, and Axethrowers.
Very important, since as the game goes on, the Level of your fighters counts
a lot between winning and losing. Make sure to upgrade when resources and
time allow.

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Scout Tower

Visual Range: 9
HP: 100
Build Time: 60
Gold Cost: 550
Lumber Cost: 200
Armor: 20
Requirements: None

Options:
Upgrade to Guard Tower (Requires Lumber Mill)
Upgrade to Cannon Tower (Requires Blacksmith)

You should only build Scout Towers so you can upgrade them. Building just
Scout Towers is a waste of resources and space. All they can do is see far,
and that isnt a good reason to build them.

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Guard Tower

Visual Range: 9
HP: 130
Build Time: 140
Gold Cost: 500
Lumber Cost: 150
Armor: 20
Requirements: Lumber Mill
Basic Damage: 4
Piercing Damage: 12
Effective Damage: 6-16
Attack Range: 6

Guard Towers are good for defending since they do not do splash damage and
that they can attack air units. The range is good too, but not as much as a
Ballista/Catapult. Their HP total is lower than a Cannon Tower though.

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Cannon Tower

Visual Range: 9
HP: 160
Build Time: 190
Gold Cost: 1,000
Lumber Cost: 300
Armor: 20
Requirements: Blacksmith
Basic Damage: 50
Piercing Damage: 0
Effective Damage: 10-50
Attack Range: 7

Cannon Towers are good since they do a lot more damage than a Guard Tower.
However, it does splash damage so it can hurt units that are near the blast
(even allies). The range is still not longer than that of a 
Ballista/Catapult and it cannot attack air units.

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Ogre Mound

Visual Range: 3
HP: 500
Build Time: 150
Gold Cost: 1,000
Lumber Cost: 300
Armor: 20
Requirements: Stronghold

Build the Ogre Mound as soon as you make the Keep so you can build Ogres. 
Ogres are very important in the ground fight.

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Altar of Storms

Visual Range: 3
HP: 700
Build Time: 175
Gold Cost: 900
Lumber Cost: 500
Armor: 20
Requirements: Fortress

Options:
Ogre-Mage Training (Build Time: 250, Gold: 1,000)
Research Bloodlust (Build Time: 100, Gold: 1,000)
Reserach Runes (Build Time: 150, Gold: 1,000)

The Altar of Storms should be built as soon as you make the Fortress. The 
ability to have Ogre-Mage is very important. The spells they have can change 
the flow of battle to your advantage due to the spells the Ogre-Mage have.

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Goblin Alchemist

Visual Range: 3
HP: 500
Build Time: 150
Gold Cost: 1,000
Lumber Cost: 400
Armor: 20
Requirements: Keep

Options:
Build Goblin Zeppelin
Train Goblin Sappers

The Goblin Alchemist is important since you can make the flying scout as well
as the suicide bomber. Both are fun to use and deploy and the bomber can 
wreck havoc on enemy buildings.

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Temple of the Damned

Visual Range: 3
HP: 500
Build Time: 125
Gold Cost: 1,000
Lumber Cost: 200
Armor: 20
Requirements: Castle

Options:
Train Death Knight
Research Haste (Build Time: 100, Gold: 500)
Research Raise Dead (Build Time: 100, Gold: 1,500)
Research Whirlwind (Build Time: 150, Gold: 1,500)
Research Unholy Armor (Build Time: 200, Gold: 2,500)
Research Death and Decay (Build Time: 200, Gold: 2,000)

The Temple of the Damned is very important to you at the Fortress Stage. The 
battle will go from the ground to air and magic. Whoever gets Magic first and
uses it well will most likely win the war.

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Dragon Roost

Visual Range: 3
HP: 500
Build Time: 150
Gold Cost: 1,000
Lumber Cost: 400
Armor: 20
Requirements: Fortress

Options:
Train Dragon

The second part of the Fortress battles are the Air. The Dragon Riders are 
slow to build and expensive, but when made, are a powerful ally. Make sure
not to lose this building.

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Shipyard

Visual Range: 3
HP: 1,100
Build Time: 200
Gold Cost: 800
Lumber Cost: 450
Armor: 20
Requirements: Lumber Mill

Options:
Build Oil Tanker
Build Destroyer
Build Transport (Requires Foundry)
Build Juggernaut (Requires Foundry)
Build Giant Turtle (Requires Gnomish Inventor)

You will only build Shipyards if needed. On island map, power over the seas
is critcal. Also note this is where Oil Tankers will return Oil so build it
close to Oil spots until a Refinery can be built. Build as many of these
across the shore as possible so you can build as many ships as possible.

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Foundry

Visual Range: 3
HP: 750
Build Time: 175
Gold Cost: 700
Lumber Cost: 400
Oil Cost: 400
Armor: 20
Requirements: Shipyard

Options:
Upgrade Ship Cannons 1 (Damage +5, Build Time: 200, Gold: 700, Lumber: 100, 
Oil: 1,000)
Upgrade Ship Cannons 2 (Damage +5, Build Time: 250, Gold: 2,000, Lumber: 250,
Oil: 3,000)
Upgrade Ship Armor 1 (Armor +5, Build Time: 200, Gold: 500, Lumber: 500)
Upgrade Ship Armor 2 (Armor +5, Build Time: 250, Gold: 1,500, Lumber: 900)

The Foundry is important since you can upgrade your ships and make the
advanced ships. Build the Foundry as soon as Oil allows.

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Oil Refinery

Visual Range: 3
HP: 600
Build Time: 225
Gold Cost: 800
Lumber Cost: 350
Oil Cost: 200
Armor: 20
Requirements: Shipyard

The Oil Refinery makes every oil barrel brought back by a Oil Tanker have a
+25 bonus.

The Oil Refinery should be built at far away Oil Spots so your Oil Tankers
will not have to go far to return oil.

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Oil Platform

Visual Range: 3
HP: 650
Build Time: 200
Gold Cost: 700
Lumber Cost: 450
Armor: 20
Requirements: Oil Tanker

Protect these as much as you can. Damage done to these cannot be healed, so
if your Oil Platform is at red, decide if it is worth the risk of protecting.

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Disclaimer

This guide can and should be given out as long as it is not altered in any 
way. The guide's purpose is to help people play Warcraft 2 and that is its 
only purpose. This guide cannot be used in any commerically such as, but not 
limited to, Magazines, Books, Guides, without first contacting the author for
his consent. Credit must given if you take information from this guide.

Warcraft 2 is a trademark of Blizzard Inc., copyright 1996.  
All other trademarks copyright their respective owners.

Copyright Roland Carlos 1999