Night Elf Guide

[Magess]

The Night Elf Primer by Patience can be found here: http://www.wcreplays.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95081

Build Orders

Archers with Altar hero
4 of 5 starting Wisps to Gold, one makes Altar of Elders.
First Wisp -> Moon Well
Second Wisp -> Gold
Third Wisp -> Ancient of War
Fourth+ Wisps -> Wood

You want to make up to 18 food of Wisps, including your hero, so 13 Wisps total (at first). Once your Ancient of War finishes, queue up one Archer.

At 40 Wood make a second Moon Well.

There are a variety of ways to go from here. You can do a fast tech, which usually means making one more Moon Well, a few more Wisps (while still pumping Archers), and teching ASAP. This is your standard reason to go Archers. You can tech a little slower and make a Hunter's Hall before teching for a quicker switch to Huntress, but this all depends on the matchup, which will be covered below.

Sample Replay

Archers with Tavern hero
(there are numerous build orders with tiny variations for a Tavern hero, but here is the easiest one in my opinion)

4 of 5 starting Wisps to Gold, one on wood
First Wisp -> Moon Well, and you can use Shift-Click to select him to make an Altar of Elders when the Moon Well is done.
Second Wisp -> Ancient of War
Third Wisp -> Gold
Fourth+ -> Wood

At 40 wood, which will be right about when your Altar starts, make another Moon Well.

As with all build orders, this one has a bit of variety as well. With the above build you will have almost 3 Archers by the time you can pick up your Tavern hero. Usually I will tech to tier 2 at about 5 Archers, but you can also set up a fast expansion or stick with a few more Archers if you feel you'll be rushed. Either way, you'll most likely be relying on your summons to help you since you're teching so fast, so practice your micro.

Sample Relay

Huntress with Altar hero
(again there are two variations, this is the one I prefer)
4 of 5 starting Wisps to Gold, one makes Altar of Elders.
First Wisp -> Moon Well
Second Wisp -> Gold
Third+ -> Wood

Once you get 160 wood make an Ancient of War and Hunter's Hall at the same time. Then once you hit 40 Wood, make a Moon Well. Then once you get another 60 wood, make another Ancient of War.

Tech speeds vary greatly, but odds are if you're going 2 AoW Huntress you won't tech very fast. For one AoW Huntress do the above build order, but skip making the second one. This will let you tech quicker, and is one of the more common build orders top-level players use.

Sample Replay (2 AoW)

Huntress with Tavern hero
4 of 5 starting Wisps to Gold, one on wood
First Wisp -> Moon Well, and you can use Shift-Click to select him to make an Altar of Elders when the Moon Well is done.
Second wisp+ -> Wood

Then you follow the build order as if you were going Altar hero/Huntress. At 160 Wood, make an Ancient of War and Hunter's Hall. At 40 Wood, a Moon Well, another 60 make another AoW, etc. etc.

Sample Replay

Altar hero w/ no AoW tech
4 of 5 starting Wisps to Gold, one makes Altar of Elders.
First Wisp -> Moon Well
Second Wisp -> Gold
Third+ -> Wood

There are two standard versions. The one I prefer is to make one more Moon Well before teching, as it gives me time to get a bit of extra wood, but some players prefer to tech with just their initial Well for an extra second or two. It's up to you, but you're going to be teching at either 18 or 19 food.

Sample Replay

[Magess]

Hero Selection

Night Elf vs. Human

Primary Hero Choices
The most used choice in this matchup is the Demon Hunter first. He's chosen because Mana Burn is useful early game in slowing the Archmage's creeping, as well as late-game making the Mountain King much less of a threat.

The Beastmaster and Firelord can work due to their summons making your creeping be able to keep up with the Human player, but once they get Defend or Priests for dispell your summon heroes aren't too hot. On the plus side though, if you go with a tavern hero and Archers and he tries to pull a quick tower rush you will have a much easier time fending it off then if you chose the DH.

The Warden is also not bad, but late-game without Mana Burn it's hard to stop her from getting Storm Bolted, and she dies really really fast. On the plus side, Fan of Knives, Blink, and Shadow Strike are all very good skills vs. Human, so feel free to experiment with her.

Secondary Hero Choices
This one has a lot more variety then the first, which will almost always be the Demon Hunter. The Panda is becoming very popular due to his ability to cripple the inevitable Riflemen that will come to your base.

Summon heroes, like the Firelord and Beastmaster, aren't a bad choice either, especially if he's doing a quick tier-2 press and you need quick units to hold him off.

If you're packing a lot of range (though not advised against Human) the Priestess of the Moon is something to consider.

The Naga Sea Witch is also pretty common as she helps your Demon Hunter pick off those fleeing units and heroes, but be sure you're watching her at all times because she's an easy Storm Bolt target.

Night Elf vs. Orc

Primary Hero Choices
Again, the Demon Hunter is usually the primary choice of the gosus because Mana Burn dominates the Far Seer and he is not a bad tank at all.

Summon heroes, unlike vs. Human, work very well against Orc. Going with the Beastmaster or Firelord first with Archers is very common, but you'll more then likely be harassed very heavily as you try to creep, so make sure your detonate micro is up to par.

On small maps the Keeper of the Grove is sometimes a good choice. Entangle with 2 AoW Huntress is very strong early game and if you keep up the pressure it's very possible to pull out the victory - this is highly not advised for large maps.

The Warden is sometimes chosen, but not often. Shadow Strike and Blink really tear up the Far Seer, but if you're going Warden you only want to get her on large maps like Lost Temple where you can outlevel your opponent (due to the single hero experience bonus you get at tier 2 and 3).

Secondary Hero Choices
Again, there is much more variety here to chose from. The Panda is strong second in all matchups, and the two summon heroes are very helpful if your opponent is going Gruntapult and plans to hit before you have too much of an army.

The Priestess of the Moon second is definitely a viable hero, and Owl can be priceless if your opponent goes Blademaster. The Keeper of the Grove with Entangle is also a good choice.

Night Elf vs. Undead

Primary Hero Choices
Demon Hunter is still a good choice because he can take away a lot of Death Coil mana, but the one problem with the good ol' DH is his lack of AoE.

Beastmaster and Firelord are good first heroes because they can power creep with their summons and Undead doesn't have any real dispell until they get Destroyers. Dark Ranger is also becoming somewhat common since her skeletons make creeping a breeze and she can't be Death Coiled (well, offensively).

Warden is also a very good choice because her AoE (Fan of Knives) works well against the masses of low hit point units you usually see from Undead (Ghouls and Gargoyles).

Secondary Hero Choices
Rule of thumb is you need at least one AoE hero against Undead. In most cases you'll see players (again) get the Panda second. Breath of Fire and Drunken Haze tear up Ghouls and Gargoyles like a joke and is definitely a solid choice.

If you didn't get a summon hero first, the Beastmaster or Firelord are still decent choices because they can help with a tier-2 push. The Beastmaster is also good second because he's a Strength hero and has more hit points.

Pit Lord and Dark Ranger, though not popular, can still work excellent. They are immune to offensive Death Coils and have good skills overall. Howl of Terror is extremely good, and having Cleaving Attack as passive, the Pit Lord isn't a bad choice.

Night Elf vs. Night Elf

Primary Hero Choices
This is by far the most versatile matchup for Night Elf and, in my (completely, I assure you) unbiased opinion, in the game.

Demon Hunter is your hero choice if you plan to tech or go Archers, while most players prefer the Priestess of the Moon if they are massing Huntress.

Tavern heroes can work, but if the enemy goes Demon Hunter, your mana-relient tavern heroes aren't gonna be too hot.

But Night Elf vs. Night Elf is all Rock/Paper/Scissors, and I will go into much more detail later.

Secondary Hero Choices
If you went Priestess of the Moon with mass Huntress, you usually won't tech or even get a second hero.

Demon Hunter is usually followed by the Naga Sea Witch, unless you're doing an Archer push mid-game, then you might pick up the Dark Ranger.

Honestly any combination can work, but your best bet is to either stick with the DH/Naga strategy or the PotM/mass Huntress strategy until you get a good feel for the game.

[Magess]

Misc

ALWAYS get Ultravision. For 50 gold and 50 wood this is by far the best upgrade in the game. The potential for creepjacks, scouting tower rushes, and avoiding the enemy is amazing and this is definitely worth the small price.

Taking off items that boost stats, such as Circlets, Pendants, and Periapts, before using Moon Wells will save you well mana because the items work on a % base when re-equiped.

When you're being harassed, it's often a good idea to cycle weak Wisps into your goldmine and put the healthy ones back out into the open.

With items that have cooldowns (i.e. Crystal Ball) you can switch it around on your heroes to avoid the cooldown and get double/triple use out of it.

[Magess]

Strategies/Unit Selection

Night Elf vs. Undead

Strategy 1: 4-unit mix
This is a very common and powerful strategy Night Elf players can use against Undead. You'll usually start off with an Altar hero, preferably the Demon Hunter, and 1 Ancient of War Huntress. Tech to tier-2 after 2 or 3 Huntress.

Once you get a decent number of Huntress (5-6 maximum) switch to Archers. You're going to be harassing with your DH and Hunts while you tech. At tier-2 the Panda is your best choice for a second hero, but the Beastmaster, Firelord, Priestess of the Moon, or Keeper of the Grove can all work. Set up one Ancient of Wind and one Ancient of Lore.

Pump a continuous supply of Druids of the Talon and Dryads while power-creeping your Panda to level 3. Your goal is to get to 50 food and try to set up an expansion. Most Undead players will get Gargoyles to harass you so make sure you set up an Ancient Protector in your main base.

Depending on how your early game went you can either try to win at tier-2, or set up an expansion and continue pumping your 4-unit combination (Hunt/Archer/Dryad/DotT). If the game looks like it's going to draw out long go to tier-3 and make a switch to Hippogryph and Chimaeras, Undead has a hard time countering this.

Strategy 2: Tavern summoning hero
Going with the Beastmaster or Firelord is a very common strategy against Undead, and for good reason - it's strong. Going with the Beastmaster or Firelord and Archers you have very good early creeping potential and can set up a fast expansion without much trouble. You can also tech fairly quickly.

Start with power-creeping your hero to level 3 as fast as you can. The Undead will more then likely try to harass you so try to creep in uncommon spots (across map from your base, for example). Once you get a few Archers make a switch to Huntress. At tier-2 I again recommend the Panda second.

You can either mix Dryads and DotTs in with your army if you want, or you can go for a mass Cyclone strategy by setting up two Ancients of Wind and going for a fast tier-3. Again, you're going to want to try to set up an expansion around 50 food. Try to pressure them right as you get Cyclone if you went with the two Ancients of Wind strategy or right before they finish tier-3 if you went for the Dryad/DotT mix. You want to seal the deal before they get too many Abominations.

If the game drags on, Chimaeras and Hippogryphs are again your best bet, unless he has switched to a large number of Fiends, then Mountain Giants are a good choice, but make sure you get both their upgrades (Resistant and Hardened Skin).

Strategy 3: Demon Hunter/Lore tech
There are two different starts to this strategy but both basically boil down to the same thing - mass Dryads.

You'll start with either a 1 Ancient of War Huntress build or a no AoW build and get the Demon Hunter. Harass heavily while the Undead tries to creep and get tier-2 relatively fast. Once you hit tier-2 you'll get the Panda second on Tavern maps or a Keeper of the Grove second on non-Tavern. Making an Ancient Protector while teching if you went no AoW is highly recommended.

This strategy is all about picking off units. Once you hit tier-2 make two Ancients of Lore and start pumping a lot of Dryads. It's a good idea to buy Boots of Speed for your Demon Hunter, but not essential. Go around the map finding your opponent trying to creep, and with a combination of Slow Poison and Drunken Haze (and Mana Burn to reduce his Death Coil count) you should be able to pick off a good number of Ghouls.

The goal is to gain a significant enough advantage mid-game that you can end it there. If things drag on for too long, set up an expansion, switch to Bears, and make an Ancient of Wind or two so your army can have some variety and better Anti-Air.

Night Elf vs. Orc

Strategy 1: 4-unit mix
This is almost identical to the strategy I typed up above that you use against Undead, so I'm not going to retype all of it.

A few notes - Healing Scrolls are a must against Orc. Demolishers will tear up your army big time, and the 250 gold is well worth it.

It's better, in my opinion, to get a summon hero second as opposed to the Panda against Orc, though they all work excellent. The reason I prefer the summoning heroes is because Orc has quite a big advantage at the early stages of tier-2 against Night Elf and the summons help offset that and also come in handy if they try to Tower you.

Strategy 2: Tavern summoning hero
Also almost identical to what I typed above. You're going to want to get either the Beastmaster or Firelord first with Archers. The Orc will ALWAYS harass you, so make sure you practice aiming your detonate and hide micro. You need to get level 3 as fast as you can.

Once you hit tier-2 either pick up the Panda or another Summon hero. Make a strong mix of Dryads, Archers, Druids of the Talon, and Huntress. Buy plenty of Heal Scrolls (I cannot stress this enough).

You want to win before his Tauren Chieftain gets too high in levels because Chain Lightning and Shockwave, when both levels 2+, are very very strong (hence why you mass Heal Scrolls).

With this strategy you also want to aim for a mid-game win. If you wait too long and somehow he pops Tauren, don't be scared to mass Cyclone against him.

Strategy 3: Mass Cyclone/the Moon Strategy
For those of you who didn't watch the VODs of Moon beating Zacard 3-0, I'm going to go over what his strategy was. Keep in mind this is very micro-intensive, but definitely a strong strategy when used right.

Start with the Demon Hunter and one Ancient of War Archers. Do a very quick tech. Harass constantly. Don't bother making a Hunter's Hall.

At tier-2 get the Beastmaster, set up two Ancients of Win, and tech to tier-3. Your goal is to harass with your DH while creeping with your Beastmaster and Archers. Once your Ancients of Win finish start pumping Druids of the Talon and get their Adept training.

At tier-3 get a third hero, the Firelord (mass summons to offset the lack of units you have since you're teching so hard), and research Master training for your DotTs. You're definitely going to need a large number of Heal Scrolls since DotTs are very weak. Powercreep your heroes for a few levels, and once you have a decent number of DotTs (6 with full mana, maybe 8-10 if they haven't had time to fill up), go engage him and keep his units cycloned. With a majority of his army out of the battle, three heroes, and lots of summons, when timed right this is a strong strategy. But again, not for those without exceptional multitasking skills.

Night Elf vs. Night Elf
(there are tons of variations, but I'm going to cover the two extremes)

Strategy 1: PotM/Mass tier-1
This strategy is relatively simple. Go with the Priestess of the Moon, two Ancients of War, and mass Huntress. This strategy is optimal on maps with a lot of creeping potential.

If your opponent is doing a DH/Tech (described below), you'll want to hit him before he can get up his tier-2 buildings. Harassing him and picking off Wisps is your best bet. Once you get 5+ Huntresses keep up the pressure and don't let off. Make a switch to Glaive Throwers if he puts up an Ancient Protector.

Focus his Demon Hunter whenever it gets close - he dies pretty fast and his Moon Wells won't last forever. Once he loses his hero it should pretty much be GG if you time it right.

If your opponent is doing the same strategy as you, you're gonna want to get level 3 as fast as possible. On small maps get Owl as your second skill to make creepjacks easier, but on large maps Searing Arrow is better. Though both work and have their ups and downs.

If it's a mirror PotM/Hunt wars try to make them fight uphill, get as many scrolls as you can (both Healing and Protection), and if you can catch them outside their base, run in, focus their Tree of Life with all your units, then TP out once you kill it. The bouncing glaives will make it almost impossible to repair. This cheap tactic can mean an easy win if you pull it off.

Strategy 2: Demon Hunter/Tech
This one takes a lot more micro then the first, but is also much better as the game length increases. Start with the Demon Hunter and do a no-AoW tech.

If you see he's pressing hard with PotM/Hunts, set up an Ancient Protector. At tier-2 get the Naga Sea Witch second (buying Boots of Speed is a good idea), and set up two Ancients of Lore. If you had a really good early game you can think about going straight to tier-3 for Bears, but more then likely you'll want a few Dryads.

Also make a Ancient of Wonders and get a Staff of Preservation on both heroes - this will save you a lot of time and gold in the long run.

Until you get units you're gonna want to harass your opponent and keep him away from your base. Once you get a few Dryads and/or Druids of the Claw start playing catch-up in hero levels. Ideally you'll still be alive at this point, and once you have a few Druids of the Claw you can easily creep the red camps. Set up an expansion at 50 food and go attack your opponent. Keep him distracted. Just keep massing your Lore units. The longer the game drags on the better it is for you, but if you see an opportunity to finish off your opponent, obviously don't pass it up!

Night Elf vs. Human

Strategy 1: Demon Hunter/Archers/Bears
This is the most common strategy against Human and definitely your best bet. Start with the Altar hero build order. If it's a small map (Two Rivers) and you expect a tower rush, you definitely want to start with Archers. On larger maps (Gnoll Wood) it's alright to start with Huntress if you don't think your Archer micro is up to par.

Either way you're going to do a quick tech to tier-2 and harass non-stop with your Demon Hunter while creeping very small green camps with your Archers at the same time. Once you hit tier-2 get a second hero (Panda and Naga work well, summoning heroes aren't bad either. KotG on non-tavern maps) and set up one or two Ancients of Lore, depending on how much wood you have. You're going to want to go to tier-3 as soon as possible and eventually get two Ancients of Lore up.

Get Abolish Magic for your Dryads and use it on the Water Elementals, but don't get too many Dryads because Defend and Riflemen tear them up. Start making a few Druids of the Claw and getting their training upgrades while (still) harassing with your DH.

The Human will most likely hit you before or right after you get the Master Training for your Druids of the Claw. Just turtle in the back of your base, then once you get the upgrade engange him. Be sure you use your Wisps!

Once you get your Bears it should be your game. If/when you fend off his push, go power-creep some big camps (using Rejuv on your units so you don't have to go home and heal) and set up an expansion. Burst into low upkeep and pressure his base. With some good micro and decent hero levels your Bear/Dryad army should have no trouble taking on his Rifle/Caster.

Strategy 2: Countering the Fast Expansion
This isn't really a whole "Strategy" since it relies on your opponent doing something specific, but this is a major problem for anyone when playing againsr Human, so I might as well cover it. Nothing is more annoying then a Human player being able to set up an expansion, camp it with his army until it's set up, then run across map to cancel force you to cancel an expansion of your own, so I'll let you in on a few secrets to maximize your chances of victory.

Usually Human players will fast expand on Lost Temple and they run to creep their gold mine with an Archmage, 2 Water Elementals, 2-3 Footmen, and 4-5 Militia. Most of the time you're going to want to go Demon Hunter and Mana Burn against Human, but if the map is Lost Temple hold off on placing your skill point until you scout him a bit.

If he's setting up an expansion Immolation can be your best friend. Initially you're going to try to pick off the Peasants building the Town Hall and Towers, but don't let your DH get too weak - if you have to run to heal too soon it could mean you lose the game.

Once you see he's setting up an expansion, you have three choices: mass, tech, expand.

If you're feeling gutsy you can prop up two Ancients of War, start mass producing Huntress, and keep constant pressure on him until his expansion falls. In all honesty I rarely see this strategy work. It won't work across map, and if he has the "good spawn" (i.e. you are at 3, he is at 6), not a good bet either. The only time I could recommend this is if his expansion is between your main bases.

Next you can try to win on a tech advantage. Teching hard for Bears and heavily harassing the Human's main base (which usually lacks defense because he made all the towers at his expansion) can buy you some time, and once you get a few Bears you can run in, kill his Town Hall, and TP out without much loss. The only problem with this is that he still got a huge income advantage from his expansion (that he is no doubt reconstructing) and has a much bigger army, even though they're all Footmen and Riflemen. Not your best bet unless you had a really really good initial harass.

Your third and best bet is to expand your self and mix the above two strategies. You can either tech to tier-2 and then expand, or expand then tech to tier-2. I prefer the former, but both work. Either way you'll want to be expanding and teching at the same time. You can make your Tree of Life on the ramp between goldmines so it starts construction without you having to creep the mine yet. The key is good harassment. Once you get tier-2 prop up two Ancients of Lore like in a normal NE vs. HU matchup and go for a pretty quick tier-3. Don't forget to make Dryads for Abolish, and making an Ancient Protector isn't a bad idea. Try to finish off the game once you get a few Bears and before his own tech can really kick in (it will be much more delayed then yours).

[Magess]

Maps

Gnoll Wood
This was one of the best maps for Night Elf back in the day when you could get Mercenaries from two of the three camps without disturbing the creeps, but unfortunately that is no longer the case. But even so, this is a good map for all you NE players out there. Three Taverns and lots of green creep camps are great, as well as plenty of places you can set up expansions that can go unnoticed. On this map be sure to scout with two Wisps, not just one, and if your opponent close spawns (and is Human) don't neglect your base because they might rush you hard. On the other hand, if they are across map, feel free to tech as fast as you want. You can get Sentry Wards from the Goblin Merchant creeps, and the best place to set them up is at the fountain in the middle so you can get a good creepjack if your opponent creeps it first.

Lost Temple
Lost Temple has been around, well, forever, and over the years there have been some cool strategies found - I'm going to cover some basics. First off, you can start your Tree of Life expansion on the ramp between your main gold mine and expansion gold mine so that it gets up sooner and can help tank creeps. During night time you can sneak around the golem and buy items from the shop by walking around back. Also during the day if you are really careful you can buy items as well.

Buying items from the RIGHT shop
Buying items from the LEFT shop

During the day, if you don't want to waste Moon Well mana healing your hero, you can also stand on the corner of the tile by the fountain in the middle to get the healing regen on your hero/unit without triggering the creeps. Just be really careful because if you mess up your hero will get purged and possibly die. See the screenshot below.

Where to position your hero by the fountain

Since the creeps at the Labs sleep at night, it's a good idea to have one Wisp harvesting lumber on the back trees behind the creeps which will give you easy access to using the lab and also knowledge of when your opponent goes to creep it. Another good place to put Wisps is on the trees above the ledges by main start locations so you can see over the cliff and they can't see your Wisp (because it's up higher and out of their line of sight).

Turtle Rock
This is a good map for Night Elf due to lots of choke points in which you can take advantage of. Also it's a good map for summon heroes because there are plenty of creep camps, but be sure you scout the adjacent spawn location very early. If the opponent close spawns don't do something stupid like a no-AoW tech because you'll get dominated by a rush. There aren't too many tricks you can abuse about the terrain anymore since Blizzard fixed a lot of stuff. Just keep in mind that the game can be completely different depending on spawn locations, so scout ASAP.

Plunder Isle
Not really a Night Elf map, but there are some things to note. You can start building a Tree of Life on the corner areas of the gold mines between bases, as well as on the edge of the islands to the sides. I recommend the latter since players normally scout the one in the middle and rush you to take it down.

Top goldmine Tree placement
Bottom goldmine Tree placement

Also note that it's not uncommon for Orcs to start tower creeping their expansion, so keep a Wisp scout looking for that. Also Undead players like to mass Gargoyles so they can easily creep the Ogre camps and the Dragons. Scouting is the key to victory, and don't be scared to go mass Hippogryphs against Undead.

Echo Isles
This new map seems like it has a lot of potential to exploit, but a lot hasn't been discovered yet. All races can creep their starting fountain as soon as their hero comes out, so if you're planning to harass, know where to go, and if you want to creep, you know where to do it. Hit the creeps to draw them out of the healing area, then beat them down for a good item drop and level 2. Limited expansions mean you want to win fast, and the creep camps are limited as well, so try to creep as much on the opponent's side of the map as possible once you get a decent army size.

The shop has no Golem so once it's night you can go buy your Boots of Speed or whatever without worry. Also the expansion isn't too hard to creep, so setting up a quick expo shouldn't be too hard, but you'll be vulnerable after due to the small map size, so plan carefully. The creep camps below each expansion gold mine (behind the trees) only have one way out, so put a Wisp back there behind your opponent's mine, and when he goes to creep it, jacking him (especially if he doesn't have a TP) can win you the game because he'll be forced to fight.

Twisted Meadows
I'd say this is the most balanced of all the maps. A lot of the good Wisp scout locations were fixed by Blizzard, but you can still put a Wisp on the tree by the bottom shop and get an excellent view of both sides.

Wisp placement

You can start up expansions in between the expansion gold mine and the Goblin Lab without disturbing the creeps. Tavern heroes are avaliable, but the creep locations on this map are very predictable so keep that in mind if your hide and detonate micro isn't too hot. If an Undead player goes mass Gargoyles be sure you scout the island by his base because it's common for them to expand there.

Two Rivers
Personally my least favorite map, but it's common and I'll go over some basics. If it's a NE vs NE mirror match and you go PotM, on this small map you should always get Owl instead of Searing Arrow. It will be really helpful in getting/preventing creepjacks. For both gold mines you can start up an expansion far away and walk it to the expansion.

The Golems at the shop give really good items, but be really careful because a creepjack there could cost you the game (due to Slow and Stun from the Golems). Also there is no longer any way to buy items from the shop without creeping it (unless you draw the creeps away with another unit, then buy with your hero, but you're still taking some damage. Practice makes perfect).

Against Human on Two Rivers you should always go Archers first. If you go Huntress you'll be extremely vulnerable to a tower rush due to the smallness of the map.

[Magess]

Lost Temple stuff

[Magess]

Plunder Isle/Twisted Meadows stuff

[Magess]

Items

All the items found at the Ancient of Wonders are explained here.

Moonstone - 50 gold - This item isn't all that spectacular, but it does have a few uses. Without Well Spring I think it will put 32 mana back into all your wells, which can make or break a game, but only worry about it when all your wells are drained. Also this item can sometimes come in handy to get creeps to fall asleep so you can use the Goblin Merchant, Merc Camps, or the Lab. Those are also rare cases though, so don't bother with this item too often.

Lesser Clarity Potion - 70 gold - Definitely an awesome item, well worth the money. Be sure you use it when you know your hero's not going to get hit. The only reason to make a shop before tier 2 would be if you went Warden of KotG first and you need this item for mana regen so you don't waste your wells.

Dust of Appearance - 75 gold - A very good item to have if you need to see that annoying Blademaster or if it's a Night Elf mirror and your opponent is making nice use of Shadowmeld. Though a good item, still doesn't really warrant making a shop at tier 1 because this item is also avaliable at the regular Goblin Merchant.

Potion of Healing - 150 gold - Pretty self explanatory. Good item to always have on your Demon Hunter or any other melee heroes like the Warden or Beastmaster.

Potion of Mana - 200 gold - Again, self explanatory. Good item to buy if you're going to be using tons of mana. If you go Warden you'll definitely want one of these on your hero since her mana pool goes really fast.

Scroll of Town Portal - 350 gold - If you burned your original one don't be scared to stock up. It's a good preventative measure to losing your hero and also enables you to creep all over the map without fear of him running in your base and killing your trees before you can walk back.

Staff of Preservation - 150 gold - Probably the best item the Elves have at their shop. Keeping one on each hero this is a good way to save plenty of injured units. Self explanatory, but you should almost always buy one. I say "almost" because sometimes it'd be better to buy something like a Scroll of Protection or another Huntress. For some neat tricks check out the Staff of Teleportation part below. Unfortunately you can't use this item on units that are either Ensnared or Entangled.

Orb of Venom - 325 gold - This is where it gets fun. If you went with a hero that can't attack air (DH, Warden, Beastmaster, Panda, etc) and your opponent does some lame mass Gargoyles or whatnot this is a must-buy item. It's also good combined with Boots of Speed making it really easy to chase down fleeing units because of the poison effect.

Anti-Magic Potion - 100 gold - A definite must-buy against those pesky Undead players who like to get a Dreadlord and mass Sleep, and also extremely useful against the Mountain King. Definitely worth the money when you pick a non-str melee hero (like the DH or Warden).

Goblin Merchant items

All the items found at the Goblin Merchant are explained here.

Circlet of Nobility - 175 gold - Definitely a worth purchase early game if you went with the Demon Hunter and it's either a mirror match or you just want a little extra firepower. Only really consider it if you're teching though or else the gold is better spent elsewhere. If you buy one early game you'll probably end up selling it later because you'll find much more useful items.

Periapt of Vitality - 350 gold - This item costs an arm and a leg and I don't think I've only bought one in my years of playing WarCraft and that's because I had 4000 gold, three heroes, and was hunting for a hidden Farm.

Boots of Speed - 250 gold - Even though the gold price has been pumped up it's still a pretty good buy if you're doing a lot of harassment. Plus it's also a great item when you're trying to catch fleeing units. Don't invest in it too early on though unless you're teching because you'll need the money for units.

Dust of Appearance - 75 gold - See above.

Scroll of Healing - 250 gold - Definitely one of the best and most neglected (by lower players) items in the game. If you're going against ANY kind of Area of Effect (Shockwave, Chain Lightning, Demolishers, Blizzard, Flamestrike, Frost Nova, Impale, Fan of Knives, etc) this item is a MUST buy. It's usually much better to buy one Scroll of Healing then to make your army of 10 Huntresses increase to 11.

Scroll of Town Portal - 350 gold - See above.

Scroll of Protection - 150 gold - An excellent item that can easily turn the tide of a battle. Not a bad purchase, but beware of AoE dispel. If you see your opponent buying one be sure you bring along a Wisp to battle and you'll be able to trade your 60 gold Wisp for his 150 gold item.

Potion of Invisibility - 100 gold - Not a bad item for its cheap price. It's fun to use these with a Warden, run into their base once you have level 2 or 3 Fan of Knives, then use a Staff of TP and get away. It's also a good item to save heroes, but don't forget IT DOES NOT WORK INSTANTLY LIKE OTHER POTIONS. Don't wait until the last second with this item.

Tome of Retraining - 300 gold - Though 300 gold is a little steep, this item isn't something to be overlooked. Human uses it the most (retraining Elementals to Blizzard), but I've seen Elves use it a bit. If you started off with Immolation and realize Mana Burn would be a better choice, or if you want Blink and Shadow Strike instead of SS/FoK don't be scared to buy this item. Just remember that if you use it and a spell you want to retrain has a cooldown and the cooldown isn't recharged (i.e. you have a Bear summoned and you use the item) it will not let you retrain the skill that hasn't cooled down.

Staff of Teleportation - 150 gold - Excellent item for harassing and general map movement. It also works well if you have this item on one hero and the Staff of Preservation on another, that way you can use the Staff of Pres, heal up at your Moon Wells, and be back in battle in just a few seconds.

Potion of Lesser Invulnerability - 150 gold - A really good item to save heroes from... anything. Seven seconds sounds like a long time, but in battle it's not THAT long, but definitely worth the investment if you're packing melee heroes. Note: you CAN cast Rejuvenate on a hero while it is invulnerable so keep that in mind.

[Magess]

Specific Heroes/Units

Demon Hunter - Personaly my favorite hero and one of the most fun to use. Usually you'll want to go with Mana Burn first and Evasion as a second skill, but sometimes against Human using Immolation can hurt them really bad.
Pros
-High damage output
-Mana Burn renders most heroes useless
-Evasion makes him a good tank despite being an Agility based hero
-Good move speed
Cons
-No Area of Effect spells
-Doesn't attack air (can be fixed with an Orb of Venom)

Keeper of the Grove - Not so common anymore (in solo) as a first hero - he's still a very good second hero. Entangle is a strong spell and his Treants aren't too bad either.
Pros
-Entangle dominates
-Attacks air
-Good move speed
Cons
-Low hit points
-Weak attack
-Treants are only decent and Thorns stinks so you'll usually only get him for one skill

Priestess of the Moon - Good as a first hero in Night Elf mirror and also a good secondary hero if you're massing ranged units. You'll definitely want Aura as your main skill, and whether you prefer Owl Scout or Searing Arrow is up to you, but both skills are good.
Pros
-Not very mana relient
-Aura is extremely strong
-Can have very high potential damage output
-Attacks air units
-Good move speed
-Shadowmeld
Cons
-Moderately low hit points
-At low levels isn't very powerful
-Not a good anti-harassment hero

Warden - Definitely good as a first or second hero: she has AoE, hero nuking, Blink, and a killer ultimate. Unfortunately her list of cons doesn't always make her the best choice.
Pros
-Really strong skills/Area of Effect
-Shadowmeld
-Good move speed
-Decent attack
Cons
-Low hitpoints for a melee hero
-Extremely mana relient
-No air attack (again, can be remedied with an Orb of Venom)

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Wisp - General worker, but with a twist - they move fast, can detonate, and can harvest on any trees, three awesome advantages. Place them around the map to be able to scout easily and if you're being harassed and you're positive the Wisp will die, detonate it so your opponent doesn't get experience. Also good to get a few extra against things like Wagonmancer or if your opponent is getting lost of Bloodlust.

Archer - Cheap, effective, fragile. One of the better ranged units in the game due to their easy avaliability and magic resistance/hide. In large numbers with a decent tank (a few summons from a Beastmaster or a Demon Hunter with a potion and a decent level Evasion) can really dish it out. Overall a very cost-worthy unit.

Huntress - Ahh, the Huntress, one of the most hated units in the game. They're fast, they can hide, and they do plenty of damage. Just note that they are extremely weak to piercing and siege attack so once you get through the initial game stage you'll want to find other forms of meatshields or pack plenty of Scrolls of Healing.

Glaive Thrower - Argueably the worst siege unit in the game, but it has one advantage - it's avaliable at tier-1. Though this won't help too much against an annoying Orc or Human towering himself in, if you're going for a strong early game push (maybe KotG and 2 Ancients of War) making a few could be useful to lure out your opponent. Their upgrade at tier-2 is also extremely good, especially in a NE mirror where both players went PotM/Hunts.

Dryad - Personally my favorite unit, and for good reason. They're magic immune, can dispell, have a ranged attack, move pretty fast, and have a slow poison attack. But of course there's always a downside, and that's their unarmored nature. It's still almost always good to get a few of these to pick off retreating units and abolish summons like Water Elementals and Lava Spawns (be sure you turn off Auto-cast).

Druid of the Claw - Initially these guys aren't anything hot, but once you get their upgrades they're one of the best units in the game. Rejuvenate is an amazing spell and will save your ass if your Moon Wells are low, Roar can turn the tides in your favor in a losing battle, and of course Bear form gives you your tier-3 melee unit. If you can effectively micro your DotCs in and out of Bear form to maximize on their spells you'll be in really good shape.

Mountain Giant - Even though they cost an arm and a leg, they're still useful in some situations. If my opponent goes Fiends I like to set up an early expansion and mass MGs and Archers. If you're going with the super-tank though be sure you get to tier-3 and learn their upgrade. There's nothing more annoying then losing a 425 gold 7 food unit to a hungry Kodo Beast.

Hippogryph - One of the more amazing units in the game. Their movement speed is only matched by one other unit (I want to say the Gyrocopter but I could be wrong) and their damage ourput is ridiculous. Also they're micro-free anti-air, as opposed to Gargs, which have a ground attack. Unfortunately that's also a drawback, but with good scouting you'll be able to tell when to go Hippos and when to go Archers/Dryads to counter air units.

Hippogryph Rider - Not too common these days, they're only really good for the surprise factor. If you can sneak up about 6 on an unsuspecting Orc player it should be no problem going into his base and picking off a number of Burrows, giving you time to tend to other stuff, like expanding, creeping, or getting units that will actually win in a battle.

Druid of the Talon - Another amazing unit, their initiate spell (Faerie Fire) alone makes them worth getting. Storm Crow form can be useful sometimes with helping them run away, but is often gotten just to make the bridge to Cyclone, one of the best spells in the game. If you have an Ancient of Wind at least make a couple DotTs so you can get Faerie Fire all over your opponent's army.

Faerie Dragon - Not a bad unit overall, they have a few uses. If you're opponent's going heavy casters getting a few for their Mana Flare wouldn't be a bad idea. People like Moon have sometimes massed them, but those scenarios are rare and need exact timing, so just keep in mind they're good if you're opponent is packing a lot of casters.

Chimaera - Basically one of the most beastly units in the game. It flies. It has two heads. It does plenty of magic damage. It doesn't attack air. Chims are good to counter things like Tauren, Aboms, or Knights, but keep in mind you'll need some anti-air of your own once your opponent sees the Chims because they don't take very long to die to focus fire.

[lowlypawn]

People seemed interested in this knowledge that even a most seasoned NE player might not know so I decided to do a comprehensive guide on building the perfect NE base.


1st you need to think about what your trying to accomplish with your base.
1) Protect wisps by using a wisp block.
2) Deter your enemy form entering by forcing them to run by your ancients.
3) Easy moon-well access for quick healing.

My base build accomplishes all of this by the strange fact that certain building placed right next to each other or 1 space apart can allow a wisp to pass between but not a hero effectively protecting your wisps form any melee hero! You will need to memorize what building combinations will allow a wisp to pass and not a hero. For example an Altar next to a moonwell will allow a wisp to pass but not a hero. A moonwell right next to another moon well is impassible to all units. But an altar next to the TOL will allow every NE unit to squeeze by including MGs.

Lets run down each building in the typical NE build order.

Altar: almost always your 1st building to go up, (except for a neutral hero) this is really a key building to getting that wisp block up ASAP. Place it near a flat spot of trees, the flat spot must be vertical or horizontal and very straight. If the trees are not straight enough you run the risk of your hero getting trapped in a small pocket behind the altar. But if you build your altar in the correct place there won’t be any room on the tree side of the altar and he will automatically pop out on the other side. Virtually every location on every map has a good spot for an altar and it’s best to learn every one of em. If you are on a rare map that truly doesn’t have a good spot for an altar against the trees then just place the altar next to the TOL. An altar next to a TOL still leaves enough room for every NE unit to get by. This is also a good way to start a wall if you want to block off your gold mine yet still have limited access to it.

Moonwells: Now the moonwell will go right next to the altar tight to the trees, It’s important to not leave a pocket or your risk getting your hero stuck. I like to place moonwells on both sided of my altar, that alone will protect 3 or 4 wisps form Blade Master harassment. You can continue to place the moonwells next to the existing moonwells tight to the trees but this time you need to leave 1 space. Remember MW next to MW requires 1 space for a wisp to squeeze by yet heroes still can’t get by.

Hunters hall: pretty much acts like a big moonwell. It needs one space if next to a moonwell and no spaces if placed next to an altar.

AOWar, AOLore & AOWind: They all have the same properties so I will just use Ancient of War for examples. These need to be placed far enough away form your TOL as to leave a pocket for a nice sized army. Hopefully in a location that forces the enemy to walk by when entering your base. At tier 2 you will most likely have 3 Ancients and by putting them in a line or slight curve will pose a formidable barrier for any enemy foolish enough to enter your base. You can also place AOW right next to each other and every unit can still get by except the mountain giant. But it’s no big deal because if any unit dose get stuck you can simply uproot and let them by. In fact I have seen player totally wall in their base and uses the ancients as doors by uprooting to open and close them keeping archers totally safe form attack. Not sure if it’s worth the effort if you ask me but still an interesting idea.

The shop: This handy building works like the altar, you can place moon wells next to it and wisps can still pass but not heroes. Another bonus is if a unit gets trapped you can simply uproot to free it. Placing a shop next to an altar will allow a hero to pass and attack your wisps.


Expansions and how to protect them!
Lets say your fast expanding against UD and need to protect your investment. You will need at a minimum 2 Ancient protectors (APs) and preferably 3. Placement is also key, always build the APs in a hard to reach location, behind the TOL next to some trees. I see people put their APs out in front and 6 or 8 ghouls will take one down out in the open in seconds. Another tick is by eating just a few more trees you can sometimes put the TOL behind the goldmine! You just might avoiding detection even when scouted.

Notes about wisp block: The wisp block will not protect your wisps form everything. Wolfs take the same space as wisp but are easily dealt with by leading one wolf to the other and then detonating (be sure to thank your opponent for the easy experience). Beetles can also squeeze by but there will usually only be one so just lead the beetle near your TOL so it can smack it a few times healing the wisp if necessary. The AM with blizzard or BM with flame strike could cause a problem, luckily human player almost NEVER harass but in the rare case they do just spread out your wisp and cycle them in the goldmine as they get hurt. Range heroes like the POTM can still attack wisps but they are right next to moonwells for quick healing and again, cycle hurt wisps into the mine, it will buy you more then enough time to drive the attacking hero away.



Here is a list of building combinations and what units can pass between, if a hero can pass a bear can pass but a MG might not.

Building               wisp can pass	hero can pass	MG can pass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moonwell + TOL		yes		yes		no
Moonwell + Altar	yes		no		no
Moonwell + HH		no		no		no
Moonwell + Moonwell	no		no		no
Moonwells with 1 space	yes		no		no
Moonwells + AOW         yes		no		no
Moonwells + AP		no		no		no
Moonwell + chim roost	yes		no		no
Chim roost + AOW	yes		no		no
AOW + AOW		yes		yes		no
TOL + Altar		Yes		Yes		Yes

[lowlypawn]

More examples:

BTY how do you get the images to show up in the text rather then attachments?