Building Statistics and Functions (Human Alliance)

Building Statistics and Functions (Human Alliance)

Mastering the Human Alliance in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness hinges on a deep understanding of your structures. Each building serves a crucial purpose, from resource generation to unit production and technological advancement. This section details every Human Alliance building, providing their costs, build times, hit points, and strategic applications.

Town Hall

• Cost: 1200 Gold, 800 Lumber
• Build Time: 200 seconds
• Hit Points: 1500
• Functions:
  • Heart of Your Base: The Town Hall is your initial structure and the foundation of your economy. Its destruction means defeat.
  • Peasant Production: Produces Peasants, your primary resource gatherers and builders. Prioritize continuous Peasant production early game.
  • Resource Drop-off: Peasants deposit Gold and Lumber here. Position it strategically near Gold Mines and Lumber patches.
  • Upgrades: Required for building Barracks and Lumber Mill.
  • Upgrade to Keep: Can be upgraded to a Keep for 1000 Gold, 500 Lumber (150 seconds, 2000 HP). This unlocks advanced buildings like the Church and Mage Tower.
• Strategy: Always protect your Town Hall. Early expansion to a second Gold Mine should involve building a new Town Hall or upgrading an existing one.

Farm

• Cost: 250 Gold, 200 Lumber
• Build Time: 50 seconds
• Hit Points: 400
• Functions:
  • Food Supply: Each Farm provides 4 units of Food, essential for supporting your growing army. Your unit cap is directly tied to your total Food supply.
• Strategy: Build Farms proactively. Don't wait until you're capped on units; anticipate your needs. Spread them out to avoid area-of-effect damage from enemy spells.

Barracks

• Cost: 400 Gold, 200 Lumber
• Build Time: 75 seconds
• Hit Points: 800
• Functions:
  • Basic Unit Production: Produces Footmen and Archers, your early-game combat units.
  • Required for: Stables.
• Strategy: Build Barracks early to establish a fighting force. Consider multiple Barracks for faster unit production in larger engagements.

Lumber Mill

• Cost: 300 Gold, 200 Lumber
• Build Time: 60 seconds
• Hit Points: 600
• Functions:
  • Lumber Drop-off: Peasants can deposit Lumber here, potentially closer to distant lumber patches than the Town Hall.
  • Upgrades:
    • Wood Cutting: Increases Lumber gathered per trip by 1. (100 Gold, 50 Lumber, 45 seconds)
    • Improved Wood Cutting: Further increases Lumber gathered per trip by 1. (200 Gold, 100 Lumber, 60 seconds)
• Strategy: Build a Lumber Mill early to improve your Lumber economy and potentially shorten Peasant travel times. Researching both Wood Cutting upgrades is crucial for sustained resource income.

Scout Tower

• Cost: 100 Gold, 50 Lumber
• Build Time: 30 seconds
• Hit Points: 300
• Functions:
  • Vision: Provides a small radius of permanent vision, revealing hidden areas and enemy movements.
  • Upgrade to Guard Tower: Can be upgraded to a Guard Tower for 200 Gold, 100 Lumber (45 seconds, 600 HP), which attacks nearby enemies.
• Strategy: Place Scout Towers at strategic choke points, potential enemy attack routes, and around your resource operations for early warning.

Shipyard

• Cost: 400 Gold, 250 Lumber
• Build Time: 75 seconds
• Hit Points: 800
• Functions:
  • Naval Production: Produces Human Transport Ships, Destroyers, and Battleships.
  • Required for: Foundry.
• Strategy: Essential for maps with water. Build on a coastline. Transport Ships are vital for island hopping or flanking maneuvers. Destroyers and Battleships provide powerful naval combat and bombardment capabilities.

Foundry

• Cost: 500 Gold, 300 Lumber
• Build Time: 90 seconds
• Hit Points: 900
• Functions:
  • Naval Upgrades:
    • Ship Cannon: Increases the attack range of Destroyers and Battleships. (300 Gold, 150 Lumber, 60 seconds)
    • Improved Ship Cannon: Further increases the attack range of Destroyers and Battleships. (400 Gold, 200 Lumber, 75 seconds)
    • Ship Armor: Increases the armor of all Human naval units. (250 Gold, 125 Lumber, 50 seconds)
    • Improved Ship Armor: Further increases the armor of all Human naval units. (350 Gold, 175 Lumber, 65 seconds)
• Strategy: Build a Foundry if you plan to engage in naval warfare. The range upgrades are particularly potent, allowing your ships to out-range enemy defenses.

Stables

• Cost: 600 Gold, 300 Lumber
• Build Time: 100 seconds
• Hit Points: 1000
• Functions:
  • Cavalry Production: Produces Knights, powerful melee units with high hit points and damage.
• Strategy: Knights are your mid-to-late game frontline. Build Stables once your economy can support their higher cost.

Church

• Cost: 800 Gold, 400 Lumber
• Build Time: 120 seconds
• Hit Points: 1200
• Functions:
  • Priest Production: Produces Priests, support units capable of healing and dispelling magic.
  • Upgrades:
    • Heal: Allows Priests to heal friendly units. (200 Gold, 100 Lumber, 45 seconds)
    • Dispel Magic: Allows Priests to remove magical effects from units. (250 Gold, 125 Lumber, 50 seconds)
    • Holy Vision: Increases the vision range of Priests. (150 Gold, 75 Lumber, 30 seconds)
• Strategy: Priests are invaluable for sustaining your army. Research Heal immediately. Dispel Magic is crucial against enemy spellcasters.

Mage Tower

• Cost: 900 Gold, 500 Lumber
• Build Time: 150 seconds
• Hit Points: 1300
• Functions:
  • Mage Production: Produces Mages, powerful spellcasters with offensive and defensive abilities.
  • Upgrades:
    • Flame Strike: Allows Mages to cast a powerful area-of-effect fire spell. (300 Gold, 150 Lumber, 60 seconds)
    • Blizzard: Allows Mages to cast a damaging area-of-effect ice spell. (400 Gold, 200 Lumber, 75 seconds)
    • Polymorph: Allows Mages to transform enemy units into harmless critters. (350 Gold, 175 Lumber, 65 seconds)
    • Invisibility: Allows Mages to render friendly units invisible. (250 Gold, 125 Lumber, 50 seconds)
• Strategy: Mages are game-changers. Flame Strike and Blizzard are excellent for clearing enemy formations. Polymorph can neutralize dangerous units, and Invisibility offers tactical advantages.

Gnomish Inventor

• Cost: 700 Gold, 350 Lumber
• Build Time: 110 seconds
• Hit Points: 1100
• Functions:
  • Advanced Unit Production: Produces Gryphon Riders and Gnomish Flying Machines.
• Strategy: Gryphon Riders are your premier air-to-ground combat units. Gnomish Flying Machines provide invaluable scouting and anti-air capabilities.

Gnomish Airfield

• Cost: 600 Gold, 300 Lumber
• Build Time: 100 seconds
• Hit Points: 1000
• Functions:
  • Air Unit Upgrades:
    • Gryphon Rider Training: Increases the attack damage of Gryphon Riders. (300 Gold, 150 Lumber, 60 seconds)
    • Flying Machine Bombs: Allows Gnomish Flying Machines to drop bombs. (250 Gold, 125 Lumber, 50 seconds)
• Strategy: If you're utilizing air units, the Gnomish Airfield is essential. Gryphon Rider Training significantly boosts their combat effectiveness, and Flying Machine Bombs provide an additional offensive option.

Blacksmith

• Cost: 500 Gold, 250 Lumber
• Build Time: 80 seconds
• Hit Points: 900
• Functions:
  • Unit Upgrades:
    • Sword Upgrade: Increases the attack damage of Footmen and Knights. (200 Gold, 100 Lumber, 45 seconds)
    • Improved Sword Upgrade: Further increases the attack damage of Footmen and Knights. (300 Gold, 150 Lumber, 60 seconds)
    • Arrow Upgrade: Increases the attack damage of Archers. (150 Gold, 75 Lumber, 30 seconds)
    • Improved Arrow Upgrade: Further increases the attack damage of Archers. (250 Gold, 125 Lumber, 50 seconds)
    • Shield Upgrade: Increases the armor of Footmen and Knights. (200 Gold, 100 Lumber, 45 seconds)
    • Improved Shield Upgrade: Further increases the armor of Footmen and Knights. (300 Gold, 150 Lumber, 60 seconds)
• Strategy: The Blacksmith is crucial for keeping your ground forces competitive. Prioritize upgrades based on your army composition and the enemy's units.

Guard Tower

• Cost: Upgrade from Scout Tower (200 Gold, 100 Lumber)
• Build Time: 45 seconds
• Hit Points: 600
• Functions:
  • Defense: Attacks nearby enemy units with arrows.
  • Upgrade to Cannon Tower: Can be upgraded to a Cannon Tower for 300 Gold, 150 Lumber (60 seconds, 900 HP), which deals siege damage.
• Strategy: Guard Towers provide basic base defense. Upgrade Scout Towers to Guard Towers in key defensive positions.

Cannon Tower

• Cost: Upgrade from Guard Tower (300 Gold, 150 Lumber)
• Build Time: 60 seconds
• Hit Points: 900
• Functions:
  • Siege Defense: Attacks nearby enemy units and buildings with powerful cannonballs, dealing siege damage.
• Strategy: Cannon Towers are excellent for defending against enemy ground pushes and for breaking down enemy siege units. Place them strategically to cover important areas.

Keep

• Cost: Upgrade from Town Hall (1000 Gold, 500 Lumber)
• Build Time: 150 seconds
• Hit Points: 2000
• Functions:
  • Advanced Building Unlock: Required for building the Church, Mage Tower, Gnomish Inventor, and Gnomish Airfield.
  • Upgrade to Castle: Can be upgraded to a Castle for 1500 Gold, 750 Lumber (200 seconds, 2500 HP).
• Strategy: Upgrading to a Keep is a major tech milestone, unlocking your most powerful units and spells. Do this as soon as your economy allows.

Castle

• Cost: Upgrade from Keep (1500 Gold, 750 Lumber)
• Build Time: 200 seconds
• Hit Points: 2500
• Functions:
  • Highest Tier: The ultimate Human Alliance building, providing maximum hit points and serving as a strong defensive anchor.
  • Required for: No further buildings, but provides a significant HP boost to your main base.
• Strategy: The Castle is a late-game investment, primarily for increased base durability. It's a strong deterrent to enemy attacks on your main base.