how do you wish to play?
If you wish to go "cookie cutter" which is standard orc builds which you will see "most" players play then it's fairly simple.
1. Altar + burrow barracks fairly shortly after, then a second burrow then shop (sometimes shop first) and then tech. This is a standard build order.
2. Unit composition:
Heroes: Blademaster, Shadow hunter.
Units: T1: grunts.
T2: Grunts/Spirit Walkers/Raiders + 1-2 kodos.
Playstyle:
Tier 1: Send a scout peon (this is usually the one that builds your altar, is sent to find the enemy base), this 1. Tells you their race if they're random, 2. Tells you there location on 4 player maps, 3. Tells you what sort of strategy they are doing (fast tech/for NE huntresses or archers) 4. If your blademaster can get into their base to their worker line.
Option 1: Harass.
There are several options for this, I suggest for your build order, you practice one where your shop STARTS TO BUILD when your BM starts building. this creates roughly the correct timing for shop + hero to finish same time so you can grab items, sell tp. You then either want to head to their base if they have not blocked it off and cancel buildings, harass workers and deal damage that way. OR you can watch where they are creeping and pick off last hits.
Option 2: Creep.
You need to memorise maps for this, in which creep drops the item (watch pro replays for this, as this is very common) or to bring grunts and take out orange creep camps which can drop claws of attack/circlet of nobility.
Tier 2:
Start by getting SH in training, spirit lodge and bestiary. get a spirit walker + raider and then ensnare/adept training.
No matter which route you took, your first order of business is getting your blademaster to level 3. Once he is level 3, he should be following the other players army/heroes as if he was glued to them, picking off creeps/low hp units as much as possible and healing up with heal salves when he gets low.
Once your BM is level 3. You now want your SH level 3. your SH's level is WAY WAY more important than BM's after he hits level 3. as when he lets level 5, level 3 heal wave is AMAZING.
Preparing the fight:
Items: Your blademaster should have as much damage as possible, with claws +6, circlets. He should also have an invulnerability potion from the neutral shop, and quite often a heal scroll.
Your SH will have as much mana as possible, i would recommend a mana potion, either grab an invuln pot, or be prepared to switch invuln pot from BM to SH on short notice and use it. He should also have a heal scroll.
You should have 50 food (stay at 50 for as long as possible, buying items such as mana pots/heal scrolls), consisting generally of 1 kodo, 2 heroes, ~4 grunts, 3 raiders, 3 SW's.
Fight begins:
1. get your spirit walkers to use spirit link on basically everything.
2. get your kodo to devour something then move back away again (you may wish to ensnare it first)
3. ensnare several melee units
4. get BM to attack one of those units, get your army to try and focus another ensnared unit.
5. heal wave/hex as required. Heal scrolls + invulns may be needed.
What this is BAD against:
1. Night elf mass dott. Generally you will come across "DECENT" players of this strat only after you've played a bunch of games. Check replays to see how some orcs coutner this, personally i tower rush elves which i find massively effective.
2. Tower rushes. You will NOT want hex or raiders against a tower rush 90% of the time. This is likely to come from orcs and humans. You'll have to figure out how to manage, but the strategy should still win a decent amount of games if you harassed well.
Replays:
1.
http://www.wcreplays.com/replay.php?m=View&rid=63339 orc using strategy as mentioned. As there are healing fountains he opts for a late shop. Shows a decent build order if you add in the shop earlier.
2.
http://www.wcreplays.com/replay.php?m=View&rid=62965 orc using strategy as mentioned.
Other things to try:
1. Wyverns.
http://www.wcreplays.com/replay.php?m=View&rid=62966 Worked especially well this game due to 1. Close spawn, 2. Focus's playstyle causing a low level AM.
http://www.wcreplays.com/replay.php?m=View&rid=61707 Different heroes, Far seer is usually played with this strat due to wolves + range being generally slightly better than a BM at harassing.
Generally this is a fast tech strat to hopefully catch the opponent off guard for not being prepared for air.
If you'd like more information on tower rushing please post/pm me and i'll provide replays/info.
Cost me 30 mins this post did, hope it's appreciated.
obviously this is 1v1. There is actually a very very good strat for 2v2 with orc/hu floating around at the moment if interested in that also.
This post was edited by mclarke on Mar 25 2012 05:04pm