Warcraft II — How to Play
What it is
Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness (1995) is the Second War: the Horde against the Alliance of Lordaeron, on land, at sea and in the air. Beyond the Dark Portal (1996) carries the war to Draenor. It is the game that made Warcraft a multiplayer classic.
Getting the game
- Warcraft II: Remastered (2024) on Battle.net — new art and modern controls, with the original look one key away, and online play.
- Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition (1999) is the version the old online community grew up on; it is sold on GOG.
The basics
- Three resources: gold, lumber and, at sea, oil from oil platforms.
- Farms supply food for your army.
- Both sides have mirrored units with different spells, so the war turns on micro, economy and timing.
- Water maps add a whole naval game: destroyers, transports and battleships.
Starting out
- Play the first Orc and Human campaign missions to learn every unit.
- Then play skirmishes against the AI on a land map before going online.
- Keep workers busy, build farms early, and upgrade your Town Hall to a Keep for the stronger units.
Where to next
Read the Alliance and Horde pages under Factions.