Table of Contents

Mission Walkthrough
Orc Campaign
Human Campaign
Neutral Units
Buildings
Heroes
Tips and Tricks
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Table of Contents

Mission Walkthrough

Orcs

Mission	Objectives
The Battle of Blackrock Spire	Defeat the humans and capture the Spire
The Invasion of Ashenvale	Destroy the human settlements and conquer Ashenvale
The Defense of Jintha’Alor	Protect Jintha’Alor from the human invasion
The Siege of Lorna’Lain	Lay siege to Lorna’Lain and destroy the human resistance
The Onslaught of Blackrock Mountain	Invade Blackrock Mountain and defeat the humans once and for all

Humans

Mission	Objectives
The Defense of Lordaeron	Protect Lordaeron from the orcish invasion
The Battle of Quel’Thalas	Aid the elves in their defense against the orcs
The Invasion of Draenor	Invade Draenor and defeat the orcs on their homeworld
The Siege of Stormwind	Lay siege to Stormwind and reclaim human lands
The Reckoning of Zul’Aman	Confront the orcish leaders at Zul’Aman and end the war

Neutral Units

Unit	Description
Centaur	Powerful melee fighters with a ranged attack
Gryphon Rider	Flying units that can attack both air and ground targets
Troll Batrider	Fast-moving melee units with a powerful ranged attack
Naga Myrmidon	Amphibious units that can attack both land and sea targets
Fel Orc	Powerful melee fighters with a fire resistance
Goblin Zeppelin	Flying units that can drop bombs and transport troops

Buildings

Building	Function
Town Hall	Produces workers and buildings
Barracks	Produces infantry units
Blacksmith	Upgrades infantry and siege units
Stable	Produces cavalry units
Archery Range	Produces ranged units
Siege Works	Produces siege engines
Mage Tower	Produces spellcasters
Keep	Defends against enemy attacks

Heroes

Hero	Race	Abilities
Thrall	Orc	Chain Lightning, Feral Spirit, Wind Walk
Grom Hellscream	Orc	Berserker, Enrage, Mortal Strike
Sylvanas Windrunner	Undead	Black Arrow, Charm, Banshee Curse
Arthas Menethil	Undead	Frostmourne, Death Grip, Death Coil
Jaina Proudmoore	Human	Blizzard, Summon Water Elemental, Deep Freeze
Uther the Lightbringer	Human	Heal, Holy Light, Divine Shield

Tips and Tricks

Control the Gold Mines: Gold is essential for building and upgrading your forces.
Utilize Heroes: Heroes are powerful units that can turn the tide of battle.
Build Defenses: Protect your base and resources from enemy attacks.
Attack in Waves: Send your troops in waves to overwhelm the enemy.
Use Siege Engines: Siege engines can destroy buildings and walls.
Research Upgrades: Upgrades make your units stronger and more efficient.
Cooperate with Neutral Units: Use neutral units to support your army.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What are the system requirements for Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness?

A: Windows XP or later, 1 GHz processor, 256 MB RAM, 1 GB hard drive space, DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics card

Q: How can I play multiplayer in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness?

A: You can play multiplayer through Battle.net or local area network (LAN).

Q: Is Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness available on mobile devices?

A: No, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness is not available on mobile devices.

Q: What are the different factions in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness?

A: The two factions in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness are the Orcs and the Humans.

Q: How do I complete the mission "The Defense of Lordaeron"?

A: Protect the Castle of Lordaeron from the orcish invasion. Build defenses, produce units, and use your heroes to repel the enemy attacks.

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Blizzard Entertainment Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness Cheats

Debug Mode: Hold Shift + Alt + F10 during gameplay
God Mode: Enter "WAULGAMORG"
Reveal Map: Enter "ALLYOURBASEAREBELONGTOUS"
Win Mission: Enter "POWER OVERWHELMING"
Lose Mission: Enter "STAYING ALIVE"
Skip Intro: Enter "ITSYOURDEATHNOW"
Set Difficulty: Enter "THE COW GOES MOO" (followed by a difficulty level: 1 for Easy, 2 for Normal, 3 for Hard)
Increase Gold: Enter "GREEDISGOOD"
Increase Lumber: Enter "LUMBERJACK"
Increase Oil: Enter "THEBIG OIL"
No Build Time: Enter "THEREISNOSPOON"

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness Hidden Units

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness features several hidden units that can be summoned or recruited under specific conditions:

Peon: The Peon is an easter egg unit that can be summoned by using the "Debug Cheat" at a Human Town Hall. It mines gold and constructs buildings.
Ogre Magi: The Ogre Magi are three giant ogres that can be summoned by constructing an Ogre Mound. They have powerful attacks and high health.
Doom Guard: The Doom Guard is a powerful demon that can be summoned by summoning a Pit Lord and sacrificing 15 units. It causes massive damage to enemy structures.
Protoss Carrier: The Protoss Carrier is an easter egg unit that can be recruited from the Khaydarin Crystal. It is a large starship that can transport and deploy units.
Dark Ranger: The Dark Ranger is a hidden unit for the Night Elves. She can be converted from enemy units by Shadow Hunters.

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness Best Strategies

Focus on economy: Build many Peons and Town Halls to increase resource production.
Expand and secure territory: Create Outposts and build Defenses to control map and protect bases.
Choose the right units for the job: Grunts are strong against infantry, while Raiders are effective against buildings.
Use air units to your advantage: Gryphon Riders and Dragons can quickly attack enemy bases and resources.
Develop a strong navy: Create Ships and Destroyers to control sea lanes and attack coastal bases.
Upgrade your units: Research upgrades at Blacksmiths and Laboratories to improve unit abilities and stats.
Coordinated attacks: Coordinate multiple armies and use different unit types to overwhelm enemy defenses.
Siege warfare: Use catapults and ballistae to bombard enemy bases and walls from a distance.
Heroes: Heroes are powerful units with unique abilities. Use them wisely to turn the tide of battle.
Diplomacy: Forge alliances with computer-controlled factions to gain support and access to powerful units.

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness Multiplayer Tips

Master your unit composition: Balance your army with units that counter your opponent’s strengths and exploit their weaknesses.
Control the economy: Prioritize resource collection to out-produce your opponent. Seek choke points and scout for gold mines.
Utilize hero units: Heroes provide powerful bonuses and can turn the tide of battles. Use their abilities wisely and protect them at all costs.
Map awareness: Stay vigilant and gather information through scouting. Know where your opponent is and anticipate their moves.
Teamwork and communication: In cooperative play, coordinate strategies with your allies. Communication is crucial for targeting priority targets and sharing information.
Counter building strategies: Build structures that provide defensive bonuses against your opponent’s unit types, such as towers against flyers.
Know your strengths: Leverage the unique abilities of each race to gain an advantage. Humans excel at naval warfare, while Orcs favor ground combat.
Capitalize on map control: Secure strategic locations, such as choke points or high ground, to restrict your opponent’s movement.
Learn from your mistakes: Analyze your losses and identify areas where you can improve your strategy.
Practice and experiment: Hone your skills through regular play and explore different strategies to find what works best for you.

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness Easter Eggs

Uber Peasant: Summon a powerful peasant with 2,500 hit points and 100 attack.
Big Gun: Spawn a massive cannon that fires artillery shells.
Power Overwhelming: Grants unlimited mana and upgrades all units to level 10.
Rain of Fire: Calls down fiery meteors on enemy units.
The Cheat (AKA "The Sheep code"): Turns enemy units into harmless sheep.
Peace is Strength: Prevents the player from attacking or being attacked.
Ratz Catz: Spawns a horde of harmless cats.
IsOpenSesame: Opens all map entrances, allowing free exploration.
Marco: Plays a random quote from the game’s developer, Chris Metzen.
Gazlowe: Summons a dwarf inventor who repairs friendly units and builds Gold Mines.

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness Lore

Orcish Horde

The Horde, led by Ner’zhul, struggles against the Alliance’s onslaught.
Ner’zhul opens portals to Draenor to replenish his forces after the fall of Orgrimmar.
The Horde establishes a foothold in Lordaeron and Southshore.

Human Alliance

The Alliance, led by Lothar, rallies to defend against the Horde invasion.
The Alliance captures Gul’dan, a powerful warlock, but he escapes and takes control of the Stormreaver clan.
The Alliance forms a powerful alliance with the dwarves of Khaz Modan.

New Threats

The enigmatic Dark Portal is discovered, connecting Azeroth to the twisted realm of Draenor.
The Burning Legion, led by Archimonde, emerges from the Dark Portal.
The Alliance and Horde must unite to face the demonic threat.

Rise of the Night Elves

Ancient Guardians, known as Night Elves, emerge from long slumber to aid the Alliance.
Led by Tyrande Whisperwind, they bring ancient magic and the power of nature to the conflict.
The Night Elves establish the World Tree Nordrassil as a beacon of hope amid the darkness.

Fate of Azeroth

The final battle between the Alliance, Horde, and Burning Legion takes place at the World Tree.
The Night Elves sacrifice themselves to seal the Dark Portal.
The Horde and Alliance negotiate a ceasefire, but tensions remain high.

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness Mods

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, released in 1995, inspired a thriving modding scene that introduced numerous custom campaigns, new units, and gameplay features to the base game. These mods range from small tweaks to full-fledged total conversions, offering a wide variety of enhancements and challenges for players.

Custom Campaigns:

Numerous custom campaigns were created, offering unique storylines, maps, and objectives. These campaigns often explored different lore and settings, such as the origins of the orcs or alternative outcomes of the Azeroth Conflict.

New Units and Heroes:

Modders expanded the unit roster with custom creations, including new races such as the Naga and the Naga Sea Witch. Heroes also received unique abilities and enhancements, providing additional strategic options.

Gameplay Enhancements:

Mods introduced a variety of gameplay changes, such as altered resource economies, new victory conditions, and terrain modifications. They also allowed for customized unit attributes, allowing players to tailor their armies to specific scenarios.

Total Conversions:

Ambitious mods transformed Warcraft II into completely different games, often with new factions, storylines, and gameplay mechanics. Some notable examples include "Lord of the Rings: War of Power" and "StarCraft: Insurrection."

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness Reviews

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness was met with universal acclaim upon its release. Critics praised its refined gameplay, well-designed levels, and engaging story. The game’s graphics and sound design were also lauded for their impressive quality.

Major publications such as PC Gamer, Computer Gaming World, and Next Generation Magazine awarded the game high scores, ranging from 90 to 100 percent. Many reviewers noted the game’s improvements over its predecessor, Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, particularly in terms of gameplay balance, unit variety, and mission designs.

The game’s multiplayer mode was also highly praised, with reviewers commending its smooth online play and addictive nature. Several outlets declared Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness as one of the best real-time strategy games ever made and a must-play for fans of the genre.

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness Soundtrack

The soundtrack to Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness is a memorable and immersive score that perfectly captures the epic fantasy setting of the game. Composed by Matt Uelmen, the soundtrack features a mix of orchestral pieces and Celtic-inspired folk melodies. The main theme, "Warcraft II," is an instantly recognizable and iconic piece of music that has become synonymous with the Warcraft franchise.

The soundtrack consists of 23 tracks that span a wide range of emotions and atmospheres. From the ominous and foreboding "Orc March" to the triumphant and uplifting "Alliance Victory," Uelmen’s music perfectly complements the game’s storyline and setting. The soundtrack is also notable for its use of leitmotifs, with certain melodies associated with specific characters or factions.

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness soundtrack is a classic in the world of video game music. Its epic and atmospheric score has helped to define the Warcraft franchise and has inspired countless musicians and fans over the years.

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness Behind the Scenes

Developed by Blizzard Entertainment, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness went through several iterations and challenges during its creation:

Initial Concept: The game was originally planned as a real-time strategy game similar to Dune II, but was later expanded to include multiplayer and campaign modes.
Artistic Vision: The game’s art style was influenced by fantasy tabletop games and comic books, with detailed sprites and colorful landscapes.
Gameplay Mechanics: New gameplay elements were introduced, such as hero units with special abilities and the ability to build bases anywhere on the map.
Development Timeline: The game was developed over a period of 18 months, facing challenges with balancing gameplay and managing the sheer volume of content.
Technical Limitations: The game’s DOS operating system limited the number of units that could be displayed on screen, forcing the developers to use creative solutions like pathfinding algorithms.
Multiplayer Innovation: Warcraft II pioneered multiplayer features such as the Battle.net matchmaking service, which revolutionized online gaming.
Legacy Impact: The game became a critical and commercial success, setting the foundation for the Warcraft franchise and contributing to the rise of real-time strategy games.