Mission Walkthroughs (Human Alliance)

Welcome, aspiring strategists, to the comprehensive guide for the Human Alliance campaign in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness! This section will provide detailed, actionable steps to lead your forces to victory against the encroaching Orcish Horde. Remember, adaptability and resource management are key to success on the battlefields of Azeroth.

Mission 1: The New Frontier

Objective: Establish a base and destroy all Orcish forces.

Initial Setup: You begin with a Town Hall, a Barracks, and several Peasants. Immediately assign two Peasants to harvest Gold from the Gold Mine to the north of your Town Hall. Assign another two Peasants to chop Lumber from the nearby forests.
Early Expansion: Train additional Peasants from your Town Hall. Aim for at least 6-8 Peasants on Gold and 4-5 on Lumber.
Defense: Your starting Footmen can patrol the immediate vicinity of your base. Expect small Orcish Scout attacks from the east. Build a Farm or two to support your growing population.
Barracks Production: Once you have a steady income, begin training more Footmen from your Barracks. A force of 6-8 Footmen should be sufficient for the initial push.
First Assault: Head east with your Footmen. You'll encounter a small Orcish encampment consisting of a few Grunts and a Watch Tower. Focus fire on the Grunts first, then the Watch Tower.
Consolidation: After clearing the first camp, continue east. You'll find the main Orcish base. It will likely have a Great Hall, Barracks, and several more Grunts and Watch Towers.
Final Push: Use your Footmen to systematically dismantle their base. Prioritize their Grunts, then their Barracks to stop reinforcements, and finally their Great Hall. Keep an eye on your Footmen's health and retreat damaged units if necessary.

Mission 2: The Attack on Crestfall

Objective: Rescue the captured Knights and destroy the Orcish encampment on Crestfall.

Starting Units: You begin with a small force of Footmen and a few Peasants.
Resource Gathering: Immediately send your Peasants to the Gold Mine and Lumber Mill near your starting position. Build a Farm or two to increase your food supply.
Base Building: Construct a Barracks and a Lumber Mill if you don't already have them. Begin training additional Footmen.
Locating the Knights: The captured Knights are located on a small island to the northeast of your starting position. You will need to build a Shipyard to construct Transports.
Shipyard Construction: Build a Shipyard along the coastline. Train 1-2 Transports.
Transporting Forces: Load a contingent of 4-6 Footmen onto a Transport. Sail northeast to the island.
Rescuing the Knights: Disembark your Footmen on the island. You'll encounter a few Orcish Grunts guarding the Knights. Eliminate them to free the Knights. The Knights will automatically join your forces.
Assaulting the Orcish Base: The main Orcish encampment is located on the larger island to the east. Load your combined force of Footmen and Knights onto your Transports.
Naval Support (Optional): If you have resources to spare, consider building a few Destroyers from your Shipyard to provide naval bombardment against Orcish coastal defenses or transports.
Landing and Conquest: Land your forces on the eastern island. The Orcish base will be more heavily defended than in Mission 1, featuring Grunts, Axe Throwers, and potentially a few Ogres. Focus fire on their units, then their production buildings (Great Hall, Barracks, Ogre Mound if present).

Mission 3: The Battle of Northshore

Objective: Establish a fortified base and defend against waves of Orcish attacks. Destroy all Orcish forces.

Initial Defenses: You start with a Town Hall, Barracks, and several Peasants. Immediately assign Peasants to Gold and Lumber. Build Farms to support your population.
Key Structures: Prioritize building a Blacksmith and a Guard Tower or two near your main entrance (likely to the south or east). Upgrade your Barracks to allow for Archery Range construction.
Unit Composition: Train a mix of Footmen and Archers. Archers are excellent for defending against Grunts and Axe Throwers from behind your Footmen or Guard Towers.
Early Waves: The Orcs will send early waves of Grunts and Axe Throwers. Use your Footmen to engage them directly and your Archers to provide ranged support. Repair damaged Guard Towers with Peasants.
Upgrades: Research upgrades at the Blacksmith (e.g., Swords, Shields) to improve your Footmen's combat effectiveness. Research upgrades at the Archery Range for your Archers.
Scouting: Once you have a stable defense, send a Footman or two to scout the map. The main Orcish base is typically located to the north or northwest.
Mid-Game Expansion: Consider building a Lumber Mill and a second Barracks to increase your unit production speed.
Counter-Attack Force: Once you have a sizable army (10-12 Footmen, 6-8 Archers, and potentially 2-3 Knights if you've built a Stable), begin your offensive.
Assault Strategy: Advance cautiously towards the Orcish base. Use your Footmen to tank damage and your Archers to pick off enemy units. Focus on destroying their Barracks and Great Hall first to cripple their production. Be wary of Orcish Catapults if they have built them; target them with your faster units.