Scouting and Adapting !

[Nery]

~ORC~

Scouting and adapting are two of the most important things when playing Orc. While the overall concepts are not difficult, they're essential in a well-rounded game. The early game Orc scout generally involves using a peon directly after receiving the 40 wood needed for your second burrow, while mid-game and late-game scouts are more likely to utilize wolves or wind walk. There are some maps where scouting in a particular manner is highly beneficial, and hopefully I will be able to illustrate those methods for you.

Lost Temple: As imbalanced as we know this map is, you still need to know how you should be scouting on it. There is a method to the madness, and it isn't just picking a random side to scout to. Once your Blademaster leaves the altar, it is best to creep the small green camp located within the temple, whether on the bottom-right or top-left. If your not facing a Human, it’s safe to assume they’ll be creeping these same early spots as you. This will allow you to know where your opponent is intending to creep with only having creeped one spot. In order to do this, you must scout to the side that is closest to your respective green camp. For example, if I spawn on the right side of the map then I want to scout to the bottom, in order to see which of the two middle camps my opponent will be going for.

This is an example of LT. The red Arrows highlight proper scouting direction.
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When facing Human, you need to differ your game plan. You have two options. One of which involves scouting to the side that where the fast expansion is farther away from you (scout clockwise). This allows you to check out the close-spawn quickly, and if it‘s not there - head across the map. However it is also possible to scout the close expo, and if they are not there, then to creep the middle temple and expand..

As for adapting, you should always be on the lookout for expansions. If they get an expo up, life can be very frustrating. Sometimes it is very effective to just use your Blademaster with staff of teleportation to harass, while your TC creeps with your army and the town portal. That way if anything should go wrong, you can get your entire army back within seconds, while still retaining the ability to constantly harass.

Turtle Rock: The scouting on this map is fairly basic. Scout to your closest side then crossmap and to the spot over. If your opponent is cross map you always need to watch out for the natural spawn to their side, because that is a popular expo point due to its hard to reach position and nice item drop.

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The most difficult part of TR is getting a close spawn to a Human or Orc. In both of these situations, you need to be scouting right as you hit tier 2. In orc mirror, this is so you can see if they are doing hh or kodos. In all situations, scouting is important so that you can adjust to your strengths accordingly. Also with human, you have to realize that the tower push is coming. Make sure you can get to your base in a moments notice and that you have the army to fight a push. Make sure to scout them anyways, just to confirm your suspicions. While it may feel safe to assume, sometimes you need to check to see if they have that lumber mill and dual sanctum. (Chances are they will.) If you see a blacksmith, then you are going to be fine with grunt raider because that means they are using riflemen. Otherwise you need to be prepared for the rush, and know where they teching.

Twisted Meadows: is whichever way you wish to scout, because there is no particular advantage to any specific scouting method (unless you are vs human, where it’s effective to scout counter clockwise, so if they creep the lab, there is a 1/3 shot of doing some serious damage).


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Echo Isles and Terenas: both only have two spawns, so scouting is fairly simple. Although one word to the wise. On both of those maps, accurate scouting of the expos is so crucial, it can make or break you. If your opponent (especially a human) clears an expo, always continue to check there with wolves because if they get one up with towers then they can harass you and the positioning will make it awkward to defend and kill the expansion.

Scouting. We all forget to do it, and sometimes we can get away with it. But from base builds we can tell a lot about what a person is doing, and by watching replays of the opposite race, you can get in there head. Why they make a building, and when. For Orc, this is especially important because with no magic immune unit, and quick counters to your low-health air, your strategy can quickly get turned around. If you don’t scout, don’t expect to win.

~by T-Rider

[Nery]

~NIGHT ELF~

Welcome to the next segment of my weekly articles, and this week we will be reviewing the Night Elf perspective of scouting and adapting. Elf is different from Orc in many ways when it comes to scouting, and you have to look at things in a different way in order to be successful. To start with, unlike Orc you are not going to be scouting with a single worker in a single direction. Wisps hold great versatility because they move fast, are slightly cheaper, and can self destruct. Not to mention they can gather wood from anywhere in the map, and in some places they can use the environment around them to protect themselves. It is very important to know all the places that you can place your wisps and I suggest playing a custom game with someone where you try putting wisps in different places. You may find a new place that helps you scout and also allows your wisp safety.

Map strategies change drastically from person to person and map to map, so each scouting route is going to change a lot. A DH archer build, Potm Hunt build, and Tavern build are all going to vary in their scouting patterns.

Altar: Once the first two starting buildings (Alter and Moonwell) have completed, then use these wisps to scout. On two player maps you only need to use one, and obviously if you find your opponent you do not need to continue scouting.

Tavern: Once all of your first four buildings have begun to build (AoW, Well, Altar, Well) it is important to get a wisp to the tavern and on the scouting trail. Do not scout before all of the buildings have been started, as that will cost you time on your second archer and future wisps by delaying your second well.

Hunts: There are a lot more choices here, although typically I you should scout once you have put down your hunters hall and your first AoW.

Make sure when you scout you know at what point the creeps will become aggressive, so that you don’t lose your wisp. This is much easier with elf then orc, so you should be able to get your wisp away even if a camp is accidently triggered.

Lost Temple: This is really a hard match up for elf, and I would like to note there is an exceptional thread in the night elf strategy forum on how to face human here. When facing the dreaded human on this map, keep wisps on all ramps that lead from the main base to the natural expo. This will allow you to make an expansion and walk it down to the creeps. Also it helps keep your opponent in check by keeping an eye out for possible expansions.

Twisted Meadows: There are several places on this map where you can put a wisp that can only be reached by ranged attacks. This is particularly helpful when you are against an orc or a dk harass. Human and Elf tend to have more ranged units, so in these cases it can be helpful but not necessary. Also a relatively unknown fact is that if your wisp is being harassed on its scouting route, you can place him next to one of the Merc camps, and if your opponent decides to chase, they will charge and attack them. Also its important to keep wisps around the map, especially vs ud, as garg harass is very problematic. Be sure you get an expo up if you see him making an island expo, as otherwise your chances at winning the game will be greatly diminished.

Turtle Rock: Overall a solid map for elf. You should scout across the map with the first wisp, and then proceed to the nearest start location with a later wisp or unit. Your wisp is fast enough to get across the map in time to see at least one camp (depending on which build you do). Also use the fact that neither creep camp will become aggressive at the entrance to the start locations. Either for creeping or for expanding, this is very beneficial.

Terenas Stand: Place wisps at both corner expansions, and one in the middle. Also place one near your opponents base, but do realize this wisp has a high risk of being killed. Also you can build AoW's and Tree of Lifes all over this map, most notably near the green camp on the bottom left and top right (The small one with the trappers) and you can walk an tree over.

The thing that elf players must remember is, that it is much more important for elf to know what the enemy is going then actually having the "better" micro. Because of elf's extreme unit diversity (Dryads and Bears are both from the Ancient of Lore) you really have great units at your disposal. The problem comes when you let their hero creep without harassing them, let them expo, or you build the wrong counter. Low level heros are fine as long as you are playing smart, and keeping a good unit counter system. Also what I find great about elf is that really there are so many strategies to choose from that it offers great versatility. Practice your strats and your counters, and learn good wisp placement. A few well places wisps can be the difference in a hard fought game, so take advantage of mobility of wisps and don’t be afraid to put them around the map.

~by T-Rider.