Game Strategies

This section is out of date, please help improve it by adding strategies from 2.8x onwards!

Listed below is some general strategies, why they work or don't and appropriate countermeasures.

=Builds=

A quick guide to the format,

[X.Y] is the game build that this was last updated to a build that works in that build.

Notes in italics are guides on how to handle beating & performing the build

Castle first into House, Den. [3.3x][[File:Greedy.png]]
This build is designed to obtain an economic advantage going into the midgame as a beast player.
 * castle at 7 supply
 * house at 9 supply
 * as soon as house is done get Den
 * keep building workers and get second den
 * make wolves non stop from dens
 * from here you can transition to standard beast play

This build one of the most greedy builds that exists, it will lose to a 2 rax but should hold vs most other forms of pressure if controlled well. If you face a aggressive wolf opening pull workers to defend, even if you lose 1 or 2 you will still be ahead because of how fast your castle was. Make sure you build your first house and den in such a way to make it hard for the enemy units to get large surface area. On some maps wich are very open at the natural this build does not work. YOu can find a youtube vid which shows how this build is supposed to look like Here.

= AA4 Strongest MvB allin by Rynus into = 0.Build 2workers (0:00-0:13)

1.Build House (0:35) (9)

2.Build Worshop (1:05) (10workers)

3.Build a gun (2:01) (11)

4.Build a second castle (12)

5.Finish one worker more and stop production (2:13) (13)

6.Build a mill (2:49)

7.Build a catapult (3:02)

8.Build second mill (3:23)

9.Build second catapult (3:37)

10.Build a gyrocraft (3:53)

11.Build third catapult (4:03)

12.Build second house (4:11)

13.Build second gyrocraft (4:22) (we have supplay block at that moment,its ok)

14.Build third gyro in ur finished second mill (4:32)

15.Build second gun (4:42)

16.Build third house (4:51)

at this moment you have 3 catapults/a gun(second in production)/one gyrocraft (2 in production) and you can move to push with 5 repair workers

BETA version

Tips:...

Video example:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FTW5P-AAAM&ab_channel=SlammerIV super old version (but he losed twice to it before)

HUNTER12 VERSION OF PROXY 2DENS. ULTRA AGGRESSIVE. WORKS 8.5.2016!
THIS STRATEGY WORKS 8.5.2016!!

As a rule of thumb: KEEP MAKING VILLAGERS ALL THE TIME, until your base is fully saturated.

The point here is to rush your opponent as fast as possible with 2 dens and TOWERS, so he wastes his worker time/apm on your rush so much, that you can easily defeat him. Here is how to do this:

When game starts instantly build a house and send 2 workers forward.

When house finishes instantly build 2 dens in a place near ur opponents base, but so that he won't be able to find ur dens.

Build second house after your dens are finished.

When dens are finished KEEP YOUR 2 VILLAGERS, that built dens NEARBY and send 3RD villager from ur main.

Build more houses when you need them!

Keep making wolves from your dens and try to build a TOWER into your opponents base. Keep your extra workers NEARBY hidden all the time and only show your opponent the one that is currently building the TOWER.

When you get that TOWER up in your enemy's base you probably won the game, but keep trying to build more TOWERS to your opponent's base with your workers.

2Den "The 20/20 build" (Opening) [1.921]
This build is a solid aggressive opening that allows you the option to followup on mistakes or transition into the midgame

House first, when it finishes you should have around 250g to build 2 wolf dens Continue producing wolves and workers until you saturate one base, you should have 10 workers and 5 wolves (20/20 supply) These wolves can be used to contest map control or to put pressure on your opponent

From here, you can expand at 20/20 to transition into the midgame and dragons, or build a house instead & commit to further pressure Recently, this build has become outdated due to the lack of focus on economy.

1Den expand [2.8x] [[File:Safe.png]] Updated as of 8.5.2016!
Updated as of 8.5.2016!

This is the main opening of the best player of the game: Aicy.

This is the most common beast opener and must know for two reasons: If you are beast player yourself you will want to try this out and if you play rax this is what beast player does if he plays by the most common "playbook."

Here Aicy shows us how to do this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ebzpGDaTII

1Den expand is a fairly safe build, as it gives typically free scouting and basic map presence * Upgrading castle is the default option!
 * Worker (6/10)
 * House
 * Worker (7/10)
 * Den
 * Worker (8/10)
 * Two wolves
 * Castle
 * Depending on situation: Upgrade castle*, build more den(s), or take quick 3rd base.

 IN CASE OF 2 DEN (PROXY) RUSH, AICY's RESPONSE IS TO CUT WORKER PRODUCTION AND MAKE 2ND DEN HIMSELF (this is from the youtube video's comments): 

SlammerIV:

Is it not harder to hold a 2 den without your house part of the wall? or is it better to get faster wolves out?

Aicy:

+SlammerIV Better to get faster wolves out. Against 2den my response is to cut worker production and make a 2nd den anyway - which I wall with.

1Den dragon rush [2.8x] [[File:Agressive.png]][[File:Greedy.png]]
Taken from yummy's match against veni in the march tournament
 * Worker (6/10)
 * House
 * Worker (7/10)
 * Den
 * Worker (8/10)
 * wolf
 * Castle
 * 3 wolves (More if necessary)
 * On castle completion, start fortress
 * House
 * 2 Dragon Lairs (~4:30)
 * 2 Dragons
 * Den
 * 2 Dragons
 * House

Two barracks allin [2.8x] [[File:Agressive.png]]
This build is an all in, designed to hit hard and fast. Losing the initial battle will probably result in a loss. Try to perform it on maps without ramps to the bases as the lack of highground vision can make it difficult.
 * 0:00(5/10) - Start workers
 * 0:10(5/10) - Start a house
 * 0:50(6/10) - Start a barracks
 * 1:35(8/10) - Start a second barracks

Produce units constantly to pressure your opponent and do damage, you will have exactly enough gold income for 2 barracks and no more You should have 5 riflemen at 3:30, 45s before most other 2rax builds. The downside is there is no transition without cutting units, this is an allin. This build was developed with only two goals in mind: 7 workers to supply 2rax and 2 rax to produce from. Safer/more economic builds will vary.

1Rax expand into 6rax [2.8x] [[File:Safe.png]][[File:Agressive.png]]

 * House
 * Barracks
 * Castle
 * 5 more barracks
 * Push out at 40/40 and keep rallying units to the army

4 Soldier 1 Archer Timing attack [2.8x] [[File:Safe.png]][[File:Agressive.png]]
This is based on Jbs' game against yummy in the april tournament, it's designed to kill a Beast player using the 1Den DoubleExpand build, by attacking when they're vunerable from taking the 3rd.
 * House
 * Barracks (Keep making units until 4Soldier 1Archer
 * Castle
 * Push out
 * Barracks
 * House

1Rax expand into quick 3rd [2.8x] [[File:Greedy.png]]

 * House
 * Barracks
 * Castle
 * Barracks
 * Castle
 * Forge & continue to make barracks

Fast Expand 1/1 attack[2.8x] [[File:Safe.png]][[File:Greedy.png]]

 * Worker
 * Castle (7/10)
 * Tower
 * Workers
 * Forge
 * House
 * Barracks
 * +1 Attack
 * Barracks
 * Barracks
 * Barracks
 * +1 Armor

Fast expand Mage Timing [2.8x] [[File:Safe.png]]

 * Castle (7/10)
 * Keep making workers until both bases are saturated
 * Tower (Cancelled if against fast expand)
 * House
 * Barracks
 * Keep making soldiers except when supply blocked or making mages
 * Barracks (Sim city'd to deflect a 2base timing attack)
 * Mage's Guild
 * On Mage's Guild completion, start fireball & then 3 mages
 * House
 * Barracks
 * Barracks
 * House
 * Expand or +2Rax
 * Push out at ~8mins with 3Mages and ~15Soldiers
 * Good fireballs should allow you to take the engagement and do damage

Fast 3Base response to fast expand [2.8x] [[File:Greedy.png]]

 * Worker
 * Castle (7/10)
 * Scout (7/10)
 * Start Tower
 * If scouting shows fast expand, cancel the tower & save up for a 3rd base

Fast Expand Drop [2.8x] [[File:Greedy.png]][[File:Agressive.png]]

 * Castle (7/10)
 * Tower
 * Workshop
 * Catapult
 * Advanced Workshop
 * House
 * Cata + Airship
 * Forge
 * Drop
 * Start +1 Mechanical Attack
 * Castle

=Techniques=

Prole Rush
(Proletariat rush)

We were on the very edge of defeat, and then the workers of the mines and the fields rallied forth and brought their fury upon the invaders of their homes!

A prole rush is when all of the workers are pulled off the player's gold to perform an attack or defence. This typically happens when the majority of the player's bases are mined out or when performing an allin.

Mineral walk/Mine walk
Workers turn off unit collisions when going to get gold from a mine, this can be used to escape enemy units by walking through them.

Splitting
The Mages brought their fury down from the sky, but we scrambled aside, escaping the worse of the blast.

This technique requires splitting groups of units apart so that AoE effects cannot be as effective and to attempt to get a better surface area with your soldiers than your opponent (So more are attacking at a given time)

Focus Fire
High quality commanders know what the most important part of the enemy's army is and takes it out quickly and efficiently

Putting a section of units to attack a single target, usually of high priority (low HP, high DPS or AoE capability), in order to kill it quickly. This can also be used in army engagements to get early kills to ensure a snowball effect.

Worker Hiding [Removed in 1.84]
Workers are the only ones who truly know the maze of tunnels in the mines, we are safe here from the roaming armies.

The technique of saving the life of a worker by protecting them from fire by either putting them into a gold mine or creating a building.

Stutter step kiting
Tactical retreats and engagements are the core of turning a battle to a slaughter.

This is performed by running ranged units (riflemen are popular for this) away from melee, turning around to fire then continuing to run away, increasing the time for them to get to backup and decrease the amount of hits they take from the melee units.

Attack animation cancel
''Properly commanded soldiers are nearly unstoppable, the brief respite after an attack simply never comes, there is no escape. None.''

This is a technique only possible from patch 1.8, taking advantage of the way that the soldier AI works. By microing the soldier to move as soon as the hit sound plays, overriding the automatic pause, the soldier can stay in range of the unit it's fighting, preventing being kited & kill a unit before it can retreat too far.