i. Damage/armor

Understand Warcraft III: Reforged damage types (Normal, Piercing, Siege, Magic, Hero, Chaos) and armor types (Light, Medium, Heavy, Unarmored, Fortified, Hero) to optimize combat effectiveness.

Every unit, hero, and structure in Warcraft III: Reforged has a specific armor value and type, along with damage values and types for applicable units and structures. Effective combat requires mixing units with different damage and armor types. Your goal is to position units with armor types that mitigate the most common incoming damage on your front lines.

Most attack types deal reduced damage to some armor types and increased damage to others. Armor types not listed for a specific attack receive 100% damage. You can view a unit's damage type by hovering over its damage icon and its armor type by hovering over its armor icon.

Damage Types

• Normal: Deals extra damage to light armor and reduced damage to fortified armor. This is a balanced attack type, dealing 100% or more damage to most units except buildings. Most normal attacks are melee.
• Piercing: Deals extra damage to unarmored units and heavy armor, and reduced damage to fortified, light armor, and heroes. Piercing attacks are typically ranged and can be devastating against the right armor types, but weak against others. While piercing damage numbers are often high, damage type is more important than raw damage value.
• Siege: Deals extra damage to fortified armor (buildings) and unarmored units, and reduced damage to light armor and heroes. Siege attacks usually have the highest damage, longest range, and slowest attack speed, primarily intended for attacking buildings. They are also effective against unarmored casters. Any attack besides siege (and chaos) deals highly reduced damage to fortified armor.
• Magic: Primarily used by spellcasters, dealing extra damage to medium armor and reduced damage to fortified armor and heroes. Magic attacks usually have low damage values and are not intended for direct offensive units, but can be useful against medium armor.
• Hero: Applies only to hero units and deals reduced damage to fortified armor. It's a well-rounded attack type, dealing full damage to most armor.
• Chaos: Applies to special units like creeps or summoned units. It's the most balanced attack type, dealing full damage to all armor types, including buildings. Chaos damage is very helpful for destroying bases.

Armor Types

• Light: Takes extra damage from normal attacks and reduces damage from piercing and siege attacks. This is the best armor for ranged units, which typically have it.
• Medium: Takes extra damage from magic attacks. This is a balanced armor type found on several units, often weaker melee, siege, or air units.
• Heavy: Takes extra damage from piercing attacks. This armor type is usually found on more expensive and stronger units. It takes less damage from other types except piercing, making it useful on the front lines against melee.
• Unarmored: Found on casters, this armor type takes increased damage from piercing and siege attacks. It's the weakest armor in the game and designed for units not intended for direct combat.
• Fortified: Found on buildings and a few units, this armor greatly reduces damage from all attacks except siege. Siege deals extra damage against fortified armor, while other attacks are reduced by about 60%.
• Hero: Reduces damage taken from piercing attacks.