Greetings,
Warcraft III: Reforged is coming. This means that WC3 will be added to the Battle.Net Launcher, advertised and supported by Blizzard once again. Our favorite game will be brought into modern times with global matchmaking and accessibility. There will be many previous players returning to the game as well as an influx of new blood! With this amazing news, I'd like to revisit and update a project of mine I've worked over the years: Seksi's Comprehensive Guide to Free For All. This latest version has been updated for 2018 and reflects the recent patches we've received (1.29 and 1.30).
This guide will also cover the current state of FFA, including how the recent patches 1.29 and 1.30 have affected the game type.
Come join the FFA community! Discord Channel:
https://discord.gg/Mgh82k6
Website:
www.ffamasters.com
Streams:
www.twitch.tv/ffamastersleague /
www.twitch.tv/fml_seksi
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INTRO:
Once upon a time, many years ago, conversation stirred about this epic game type known as FFA. While not the most popular format, a community had been brewing that has since thrived going on through this very day. Players have come and gone, yet the resolve and passion of our community has remained consistent. The challenge it presents to a WC3 player is like none other. The possibilities for skill and strategy are unlimited. FFA stands for Free For All and is, in my opinion, the greatest game type available.
Even after years of experience, one can never truly master FFA. Some may look over this game type and deem it as merely luck, but those are the ones who don't understand the complexity and mechanics behind Free For All. In fact, at higher levels the luck factor is very low. Skill, decision making, and "FFA sense" play a much greater role in determining an outcome. Of course you can be unlucky and be rushed by two players, hit by two players etc. but it is about managing an economy and army to be able to withstand various circumstances and potential opponents.
In FFA, you can lose a major battle or persevere through teaming with a proper economy. One major deterrent to players new to FFA is the idea of teaming. You play well, grab an advantage and then get teamed?! Well, first you must understand that teaming in FFA is temporary. To win a FFA game, you must be the last player standing -- there is only one winner. Naturally, if a player becomes too strong or dominant, the attention will shift towards them in an attempt to balance the scales and give the other players better position. You may get teamed in the the short term, but the tides will often turn multiple times in any given game.
Of course, there are always ways around being teamed. As the dominant player you can make decisive moves to secure your position. After establishing map control, you may want to seek out the weakest player and cripple him, effectively feeding experience and preventing a rebuild. Or you might want to seek out your biggest competition and hit him hard and fast before they have a chance to prepare for you. Another option is to lay low, grab your additional expansions and wait for the right time to act. There are so many ways to play your cards in an FFA game, and opportunities will continue to present themselves throughout a match.
Free for all is Warcraft on a grand scheme. The games are epic, armies and hero levels unmatched, and strategies unlimited. There is no cookie-cutter way to play FFA. You must combine a myriad of skills including micro, macro, scouting, decision making, strategic maneuvers, economy management, army compositions, hero building, etc. in order to be a successful FFA player. Flexibility is key, with the ability to adapt to different circumstances on the fly. Each decision should be thought out, as it will have implications later in the game. You will find that there is an artistic element to each player's game and style. A well played FFA game often looks like a puzzle being pieced together beautifully.
Plus, who wouldn't want to battle others in an epic war with three-hero combos often surpassing level 6?
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How do the recent balance changes affect FFA?
Patch 1.29 balance changes:
https://eu.battle.net/forums/en/bnet/topic/17618223243
Patch 1.30 balance changes:
https://us.battle.net/forums/en/bnet.../20767596655#1
I'm sure Blizzard didn't emphasize FFA balance when determining these, but overall I am happy with the changes as they pertain to the Free For All game type. Here are the most significant changes for FFA:
HUMAN:
Siege Engine: Increased Supply cost from 3 to 4. Increased Barrage base damage 12- to 14 (13-14 damage to 15-16 damage) - This is the most significant change, and a glorious one at that. I've called for this balance change for years and was definitely happy to see it. The fact is that Tanks were extremely overpowered for their food cost in FFA. However, they also increased their damage against air units which was a buff that may have not been realized by some (it is in a different section of the patch notes). These two changes have led to Tanks being used in smaller numbers (3-6) to combat light air units and less so in mass numbers. Make no mistake, Siege Engines are still incredibly powerful, but their food cost is more in line with their strength and in FFA this has helped balance the races significantly.
Paladin: Divine Shield (Level 3) reduced duration from 45s to 35s - This is the other change that I wanted for years to help balance FFA. The truth is before this nerf, Paladin was insanely strong because his shield lasted forever. Coupled with Brilliance Aura, it was nearly impossible to out damage the healing that a Paladin provided while invulnerable for 45s at a time. This change allows opposing players to wait out the Divine Shield in more instances which has changed how players engage Human in FFA.
Archmage: Brilliance Aura (Level 3) decreased mana regeneration from 2.25 to 1.75 per second - Level 3 Brilliance Aura was OP. High level Human heroes would seemingly never run out of mana. This nerf was also welcomed, and Brilliance Aura is still very strong even at 1.75/second. This change primarily reduces the times where Human could stay in battle for so long and outlast other's mana. It's not as significant as the first two changes, but still noteworthy.
Flying Machine: Increased Hit Points from 200 to 250. Increased Gold cost from 90 to 100. Increased Damage from 14-15 to 18-19 (air-vs-air only) - They nerfed Tanks, but buffed Flying Machines. This is a significant buff that allows Human to consider playing Flying Machine's more often instead of Tanks almost always being the superior choice.
Rifleman: Decreased attack cooldown from 1.5 to 1.35 - A buff for Rifleman! This seemingly had to come as Tanks, Paladin, and Archmage were nerfed. I love this change. Rifleman have usually been a poor choice in FFA as they quickly lost power compared to Tier 3 units. However, now their attack speed is significantly increased so their power can be sustained further into the game supplemented by casters. Human's playing Rifle/Caster in the early to mid game is a lot more interesting then always teching for Aviaries and/or Workshops. This has improved Human's early game to where it is viable against all races with some early momentum.
ORC:
Blademaster: Critical Strike nerfed; removed +damage item interaction from multiplier calculation - This was a major nerf for the BM. To be fair, the Blademaster was overpowered with items in all game types. In FFA... it would get pretty ridiculous with the amount of Claws +12/15, Crown of Kings or Helm of Valors. Gone are the days of 400+ crits! This has, along with a buff on the Alchemist, changed the first hero choice for Orc more often away from the BM. He is still a good hero though, excellent at scouting and harassing and has synergy with TC/SH, Orb of Lightning and Wind Riders... just not so OP anymore.
Headhunter: Increased gold cost from 135 to 140. Increase Hit Points from 350 to 375. Increased Regeneration upgrade from 0.8 to 1.0 Hit Points per second. Increased Range from 450 to 550 - Headhunters were buffed! This was a welcomed change, just like the Rifleman buff. Orc ground was usually skipped in favor of Wind Riders/Bats and casters. Headhunters now have a significantly longer range which make them more viable at all stages of the game. Chimera splash damage was also reduced so Orc ground is more attractive to play now. It is still underused, but definitely more viable with these changes.
Shaman: Increased Hit Points from 335 to 350, Increased Base Damage by 2, Increased Mana regeneration from 0.67 to 0.72. Purge mana cost reduced from 75 to 65, Bloodlust mana cost decreased from 40 to 35. These are nice changes from a FFA perspective. Bloodlust is incredibly powerful and now Shamans are more efficient.
Reinforced Defenses: Now available at Tier 2 (Stronghold) instead of Tier 3 (Fortress) - This was not expected and plays out in FFA now to allow Orc to more safely expand (especially with a Headhunter first build). You can now expand with 2 peons, one making the expansion and the other making towers. You can safely have an expo + 2 towers when you hit Tier 2 and research Reinforced Defenses. I like this change a lot because before Orc's expansions were so vulnerable compared to the other 3 races. The upgrade for burrows is helpful too but your burrows don't get rushed at Tier 2 as often in FFA.
UNDEAD:
Dreadlord: The most significant change in these patches for FFA outside of Tanks was the buffs that the Dreadlord received.
Carrion Swarm's maximum damage increased from 1000 to 1200, mana cost reduced to 100 from 110, and most importantly - now damages mechanical units. This is a great change because Tanks always dominated Undead... there was almost nothing they could do against Human with a bunch of tanks in their base to prevent it from falling. Now at least they can use Swarm to defend better. Blizzard quickly buffed Flying Machine's Hit Points after this change so you couldn't "one-shot" a group of Flying Machines with Carrion Swarm.
The next change DL received was a buff to Sleep. Cooldown was reduced from 6 to 4 seconds as well as mana cost reduced. The duration of Sleep was also reduced but that didn't matter too much because Sleep is mainly used as an interrupt. Sleep is an amazing skill, and when used property has a considerable impact.
Lastly, Vampiric Aura was slightly buffed. These buffs to the Dreadlord have brought Undead up to similar levels to the other races in FFA. He is much more versatile and effective, overall.
Acolyte: Increased Hit Points from 220 to 230, Increased Hit Point regeneration on Blight from 2 to 4 per second, Increased armor from 0 to 1, Increased movement speed from 220 to 250 - Great buffs to Acolytes who were pretty slow and weak before. The main difference in FFA is the Acolyte is now a better early game scout.
Frost Wyrm: Reduced Frost Breath attack duration on Heroes from 10 seconds to 3 seconds. -I really don't like this change. In all fairness, Frost Wyrms did in essence permanently ensnare your hero if you were attacked by it, but to me that made sense and it wasn't OP. Now the snare is so little that units and heroes can escape from a Frost Wyrm pretty easily. One of the few nerfs UD received but this one has FFA implications.
Necromancer: Buffed base damage, reduced cost of Cripple, reduced negative drain of Unholy Frenzy, and increased skeleton duration slightly, increased Hit Points of skeletons. -These are all nice changes that help make Necrowagon more viable. Usually Undead's will play primarly Gargoyle based armies, but Necrowagon has always been strong in the right situation. With these buffs you should see more Necromancers.
Haunted Gold Mine and Necropolis: The cost of of each of these were slightly reduced as well as build time. These changes are nice for Undead in FFA but don't make too much of a difference. It opens up more build orders with a Necropolis instead of 2nd Ziggurat, and allows Undead to expand slightly faster. Any economical buffs given to UD are welcomed as generally other races (Human/Elf) have better economic tools.
Ziggurats: Ziggurats HP were increased by 50. This makes their towers slightly stronger, definitely a welcome change as Undead bases often fall like paper to other races siege units (Chims, Tanks, Bats).
Orb of Corruption: Decreased armor reduction from 5 to 4. A nerf that is felt, but Orb is still very powerful.
NIGHT ELF:
Keeper of the Grove: Entangle buffed to last longer on heroes, and Tranquility changed. Tranquility now adds a 3 second invulnerability on spellcast, reduces duration from 30 seconds to 15 seconds, and increases healing per second from 20 to 40. It's twice as powerful and lasts half the time. The Tranquility change is really strong in FFA, now hastening the full heals between battles and allows Kotg to be more effective in a short amount of time in battle. The only downfall of this change is that you can no longer use an Anti Magic Potion before casting (like you would with Starfall) to prevent interruption as the 3 second invulnerability would cancel the AMS. Overall, this is still a significant buff.
Warden: Level 3 Blink: Increased cooldown from 1 second to 4 seconds. Boooo! This change is no fun and all but eliminates Warden from being a strong hero. As it was before, you could have a Warden with levels and items blink all around the map non-stop and doing damage. A longer cooldown prevents the instant blinking thus her effectiveness has been severely reduced.
Demon Hunter: Mana burn was increased to 60 mana (up from 50) and the duration of "Superman" ultimate was reduced by 15 seconds. These are good changes, and DH is still a strong first hero pick.
Archers/Hippogryph Riders: Increased Hit Points of Archers from 245 to 260. Hippogryph Taming is researched by default - These changes make Hippo Riders a bit more useful, with more HP and not having to research taming. Hippo Riders are already very good, but their issue is they fall on a different upgrade tree compared to Chimeras and regular Hippogryphs.
Mountain Giant: Decreased cost from 425 to 350 gold. Decreased Supply from 7 to 6. Taunt now activates a second time after 3 seconds. Cooldown increased from 15 to 16 seconds - Very cool changes for MGs in FFA. MGs were already seen some times against Human, in mirror, or against Undead. At 6 food and a cheaper price, plus the automatic 2nd taunt without having to micro it make MGs more attractive now. They are still underused, but should be seen more in the matchups mentioned above.
Glaive Thrower: Increased base damage from 36-53 to 51-68. -A huge buff in damage for Glaive Throwers. These should be used now more often vs Tanks, but also could be used with ground armies against opposing casters/light armored units.
Druid of the Talon: Increased gold cost from 135 to 150 gold and reduced duration of Faerie Fire on units and heroes. This was a necessary nerf as Dotts were really strong (still are) in FFA.
Chimeras: Decreased half damage splash radius from 125 to 100 - This change is most noticeable now as Orc when playing Headhunters against Chims. It's also notable against Fiends or casters of any race. Chimeras are still really powerful and the splash is good too albeit slightly weaker.
Ancient Protector / Moon Wells: Both of these buildings were buffed. APs now attack faster and build quicker, and Moon Wells have increased regeneration at night from 1.25 to 1.50 per second. Elf players love these changes. It is often high-value to build multiple moon wells in your base as they replenish themselves each night. The increased regeneration isn't completely noticeable but surely makes a difference. Ancient Protectors were the worst towers so this buff makes sense. I still would advocate for more wells and less APs, but it's definitely okay to mix some APs in your base.
NEUTRAL:
Goblin Alchemist: The Alchemist is my favorite hero. To my delight, he was buffed significantly.
Healing Spray no longer heals enemy units and heals the Alchemist. Acid Bomb was significantly buffed to deal more damage while still 'splashing' -5 armor in a AOE. Plus, Acid Bomb can not be dispelled. Transmute was significantly buffed to give you a 125% conversion rate (up from 80%). This means that if you transmute a Frost Wyrm which costs 385 gold, you will now receive 481 gold (based on Upkeep). Transmute is affected by upkeep, so if you are in Low Upkeep (where you receive 70% of gold per bag), you would receive 70% of the total conversion.. in this case being 70% of 481 = 337 gold. In High Upkeep, transmuting a Frost Wyrm would net 192 gold. Either way, the Alchemist is a top tier hero now and is often seen as a first hero with Elf or Orc, as well as used by Human. These new patches have brought on an "Alchemist Meta" and rightfully so.
Pandarian Brewmaster: The Panda on the other hand has went the other way. One of the absolute strongest heroes in FFA got nerfed to where Breath of Fire does significantly less damage.
Breath of Fire is now 75 mana (up from 70) and max damage cap at level 3 is 1080 (down from 1360). Thankfully, Drunken Haze (the best unit debuff) was untouched. Panda is still very strong and should be used by most Elfs, some Humans and even Undead at times, but he is not quite as OP as before. The Alchemist is probably has more of an Impact in FFA now.
Naga Sea Witch: The Naga was buffed in that Mana Shield now is much more effective.
It doubled in effectiveness each level, absorbing 4 damage per 1 mana at level 3. You will see Naga being skilled with only Cold Arrow and Mana Shield some times now. The Naga is an underrated hero in FFA because she scales better than almost any other hero as she levels (scales meaning how her stats increase). She has the best Intelligence scaling of any hero, making Forked Lightning, Cold Arrow and now Mana Shield quite efficient. She is most effective in an aggressive build such as DH or Alchemist + Naga/Potm, or AM/Naga/Paladin with Rifle/Caster.
Pit Lord: Pitlord's Cleave was buffed to increase the AOE and Splash Damage, and his base Agility was increased by 1.
Cleave splash damage at level 3 increased from 80% to 90% and the AoE for all levels from 200 to 250. These are cool changes but Pitlord is still not that effective. Pitlord first with Orc can be pretty strong now with Bloodlust and improved Cleave, specifically with ground units (Headhunters/casters) because Howl of Terror (reducing enemy damage) combined with spirit link, healing ward and healing wave adds another layer of sustain. Pitlord can be played with Elf or Undead as well but usually there are still superior choices.
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CURRENT STATE OF FFA:
Overall, I believe these changes have improved FFA balance. Before, the racial balance in FFA went something like this: Human > Orc = Elf > Undead. Now, all races are close to equal with maybe Elf slightly ahead of the other races. Undead has improved both by it's significant Dreadlord buffs and also by the fact that Tanks were nerfed. Elf has also improved with the Tank nerf and also primarily the KotG and Moon Well buffs. Orc has improved because of better ground armies and casters, as well as earlier Fortified towers. Human was nerfed the most, but they also received buffed Rifleman which provides more strategic flexibility.
Humans can play more Rifle/Caster openings up to 80 food and can also mix in Alchemist as the 2nd (or 1st) hero. They should utilize more Flying Machines against light air and use Tanks to a lesser degree. Human is still at it's strongest when it is aggressive and aims to gain levels early.
Orc should usually start with Alchemist, but Dark Ranger or Blademaster are still viable options based on the map and opponents. I like the idea of starting w/ Headhunters with a Tavern Hero and building 1-2 towers with your initial expansion to Fortify at Tier 2.
Undeads should play Dreadlord first more often. A high level DL is very powerful no matter which skill order you choose. Necrowagon can be considered more often as a pivot instead of a Gargoyle base. Gargs are very expensive units so if you can play a Fiend based or Necrowagon army first and transition into Gargoyles later, it will often help sustain your economy.
Elf is the most flexible race and still has a number of strategies and hero choices available to them. They can play top tier combos starting with a number of heroes (DH, DR, Panda, Alchemist) and are flexible in their unit choices and strategy.
Alchemist is the most played Neutral hero at high levels. The buffs to Acid Bomb and Transmute have pushed Alchemist to the top and he really is a safe choice vs all races if you are Elf or Orc. He can be frustrating to play against in the late game facing Transmute, but he is a whole lot of fun to play with.
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GENERAL STRATEGY:
It's important to realize the concept of FFA is to be the last player standing -- to outplay and eventually outlast each opponent. In grasping this concept, you'll find that harassing or starting a very early 1v1 is rarely in your best interest. Remember that while you are doing this, your other opponents are happily creeping, expanding and advancing their tech. An example is most solo players who come to FFA for the first time with strong micro and an inflated confidence. They believe they can out-micro their opponents and commit too heavily to a solo-style 1v1, only to find out later that they are far behind others in tech percentage, resources, or even hero levels if they missed out on major creeps. At this point they may fall victim to another player's 80 or 100 food push or simply be behind and forced to play catch up with a weaker army and inferior position.
You'll want to be decisive, yet diplomatic. Be strong, but reasonable. There is no sense in making an early enemy by harassing someone with your hero. In the same idea, it doesn't make sense to creep jack someone either. Creep jack someone only if you have a plan to continue and take them out. If not, all it will do is create an enemy that may attack you at an inopportune time. Instead, focus on your own creeping, tech, expanding and scouting.
Begin each game by familiarizing yourself with the mini map. Are there Shredders? Labs? Shops? Marketplaces? Mana Fountain? Where is your natural expansion? Where are the contested expansions? Send early game scouts both directions so you can determine where your spawn is relative to others on the map. You may have to be aggressive to break out of a surround (players on both immediate sides) or go across the map to expand further. You may have no one immediately to your left, but someone to your right (In this case you can possibly expo your natural and the natural of the spawn left of you.) Maybe you'll get a fortunate spawn with no one around you at all. In this case you could consider being greedy with early expansions or simply keeping tabs on the free ones near you. Remember that if you get too greedy you could be seen as the threat and targeted more. Player spawns should be scouted early as they will dictate the direction in which you expand and often your first opponent.
Choose your actions wisely. A common mistake I see from new players is expanding everything they see and then wondering why they are getting teamed. The same notion works when a player attacks everything they see and wonder why they are getting teamed. It is often better to secure your portion of the map and slowly conquer instead of over extending.
Different maps have different neutral buildings that are very important in FFA games. On maps with a Goblin Lab, you can purchase a Goblin Shredder (aka 13 peons on crack). Lumber is a much more important resource in FFA and the Shredder makes a major difference in the speed of your tech, upgrades, and army composition. It also allows you to produce less lumber peasants giving you more food to utilize. Know that the Shredder is first available at the 4th dot in the first night. Be ready, as good players will rush to grab one as soon as they become available and you may miss out at first if there are a limited amount of Goblin Labs.
Most maps have Shops, some have Fountains, some have Markets, and a few have unique things like Dragon Roosts or Way Gates. I will go into more detail on each of these later, but it's important to realize which are available and how to maximize their use. For example, Mana Fountains benefit Orc and Undead the most, where as Elf gets more use out of a Health Fountain.
Heroes are your core strength. Heroes last throughout the game, thus are very efficient, so don't hesitate to prioritize buying items. Periapts of Health, Boots of Speed, scrolls, and various market place items all have a major impact. You should begin building your heroes from the beginning of the game and continue to do so throughout. I will go into more detail about specific items later.
The first 10-12 minutes are vital in a FFA game. In most cases, you won't have to worry about being harassed or rushed. Your focus should be the macro of expanding, teching, creeping, and scouting. In skilled FFA games, this beginning phase is all about grabbing your portion of the map's creeps and expansions. The exact timing of tech is not as important in FFA, so don't be afraid to spend some more time at Tier 1 producing a few more workers as an early investment into your resources (especially on maps without a shredder).
In general, you will always want to expand as soon as possible while scouting and creeping. If you can creep to level 3, have an expo (or 2) running, and grab a shredder before you hit tier 2 - you are on pace.
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TYPICAL EXAMPLE:
The game starts out on Twilight Ruins. I am Human. I view the mini map and see that there are Shops, Labs, Mercs, and Markets as well as a Tavern in the middle. There are 8 possible spawn points. I send a scout each direction (Militia and first Footmen). There is a player on one side of me and other side is free. I continue my scouts past those spawns to see if players are spawned in the next spots. If there was a player on the other side of my neighbor it would mean he was surrounded, making me reconsider my game plan. I may not want to attack into a surround being that there wouldn't be much to gain as another player is next to him. In this case, there is not, the other players are at least 2 spawns away.
I creep my natural expansion and gain level 2, producing enough peasants to both expand and tech simultaneously. I now go to the middle ring of map and creep the shop, waiting to creep the lab until the 4th dot in the first night. By the time I set up my natural expansion and creep the shop nearby, it is approaching the time of night for a shredder. I move to the lab and creep this + purchase a shredder. At this point, my first hero is level 3, I am almost Tier 2, my first expansion is running and I have a shredder. At Tier 2, I grab my second hero and throw up production buildings (with a shredder plus an expansion, you can afford to tech again to Tier 3 while adding Aviaries, Sanctuaries, Workshops etc.)
I am researching and upgrading while creeping and sending another scout out. I want to see if my neighbor is putting up his second expansion yet. I go to my second natural myself and throw up an expansion with my remaining wood peasants (I have a shredder so these extra peasants are no longer needed). I see that my neighbor has elected to fast Tech with Orc and he put up his second expansion very quickly, before any units. Knowing that Orc is vulnerable to an early rush, I begin to prepare for an 80 food army of Gryphons and Master Priests. I am upgrading armor to 3 before attack to make bats inefficient as I continue to creep the map.
At Tier 3, I add a Paladin and purchase a staff. I am finalizing upgrades on Master Priests, Animal War Training, etc. I will have bought important items like boots and scrolls and made enough production buildings to make the jump from 50 food -> 80 food. It is important to manage your food counts... more on this later. Now I have something like 4/3/2 heroes, 3 Aviaries, 2 Sanctuaries, 3 running mines (2 expansions), and ~4k gold. My air units have around 1/3 upgrades. I have macroed well, crept the map and set up expansions/upgraded efficiently. I feel comfortable that the Orc is most likely still researching master casters, and regardless not ready for this kind of attack. I pre-buff my army with Inner Fire and aggressively take out his expansions. I send 5 more militia to his expansion to take over it after it falls.
This push could not happen without effective macro and creeping. The first 10-12 minutes of this game determined my advantage in being able to go from expanding, creeping, and teching into a strong 80 food Tier 3 army. It is vital to perfect this first phase of the game. Even if I am not totally successful in this attack, I can fall back and make a different army counter with a fortified economy and enough production buildings.
Even without high-level micro, players can always grab an early advantage by performing their creep routes and FFA macro well (creeping, expanding, and teching into preparing your initial army). This will set you up for success and lower the need to out micro your opponent. If you have better "first phase" macro, your army/economy will be superior which will streamline into success on the battlefield.
"What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease" (Sun Tzu). Macro is more important then micro in FFA. You can always improve on your first phase macro which is the first 10-15 minutes of the game.
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ECONOMY MANAGEMENT:
Free For All requires a different mindset in that the most important idea to master is your Economy. There are three distinct upkeep levels in WC3 based on your food counts. These upkeeps affect your gold intake, but not your lumber.
'No Upkeep' is 50 food or less. While under this upkeep, you gain 100% of the gold you mine. Your workers gain 10 gold per bag.
'Low Upkeep' is 80 food or less. While under this upkeep, you gain 70% of the gold you mine. Your workers gain 7 gold per bag.
'High Upkeep' is anything over 80 food. While under this upkeep, you gain only 40% of the gold you mine. Your workers gain 4 gold per bag.
Being in 'No Upkeep' with multiple gold mines is commonly referred to as Hoarding. In general, you'll want to be in No Upkeep as much as you can. Since you are playing to be the last player standing, you'll want to maximize your resources. There are multiple ways to do this. Being efficient in how you fight, including saving units and choosing your battles wisely is important. Know when to Town Portal out, and only fight if it will benefit you. Sometimes you'll fight to establish map control, take a player out or gain experience. Utilize your gold but don't waste it. Often times you will end the game with very little gold so every bit counts.
The most important concept to understand is how to manage your food counts. A general rule of thumb in FFA is to be either 50, 80, or 100 food (or getting there). If you are in Low Upkeep you might as well maximize your effectiveness by being 80 food. An 80 food army with multiple expansions is common and strong. Being 50 food with multiple expansions is often risky. Try to find your spots but remember that it might be devastating if you are hit with a strong 80 or 100 food army while at 50 food. Being above 80 food is horrible for your economy. You should only be in high upkeep when absolutely necessary (To take a strong player out, defending another 100 food, or when you have no active gold mines).
In order to be a successful FFA player, you'll need to fluctuate between these upkeeps. Having multiple production buildings is important because it gives you the ability to quickly jump from 50 to 80 or 100 food as well as from 80 food to 100. Multiple production buildings allows you to be riskier with lower food counts. With a strong economy (multiple expansions, 3K+ gold), you should have 2-4 of each production building you will be using. An example is 3-4 Aviaries, 2 Sanctuaries, and 3-4 Workshops. You can even make a second or third Alter (and shops) if you have plenty of gold just in case you need to revive all heroes immediately.
You will start the game in 'No Upkeep' and eventually break into 80 or 100 food. After fighting you should always consider your position and your food counts. Sometimes it's worth it to kill off a few units to get you back to 50 food (or to get you back to 80 food from High Upkeep). Scouting is important to keep tabs on players. You'll want to know if someone is 50 food for too long or has a 100 food army being prepared.
It's key in FFA to learn to build and manage a strong economy while creating various army compositions to counter the opposition. You will need different food counts and different army compositions throughout the game. The best players learn how to mix in units into their army for different circumstances. Sometimes you will be able to fight at lower food counts with proper counters. Other times you might have to create the right blend to take on two completely different army makeups. It's a constant game of adjustment and balance.
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DIPLOMACY:
"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. If we wish to wrest an advantage from the enemy, we must not fix our minds on that alone, but allow for the possibility of the enemy also doing some harm to us, and let this enter as a factor into our calculations. Opportunities multiply as they are seized."
These are some quotes from Sun Tzu's "The Art of War". They very much apply to FFA in Warcraft III. It is often the intelligent players who make the best decisions that end up winning the game.
Manipulation is an under appreciated and mostly misunderstood factor in FFA. Many players see "manip" today as lying or crying to others for help. These are lame tactics that have become somewhat common in today's FFA. While you can pick up information through the chat, always trust your instincts and scouting first and foremost to combat those who use chat as their primary weapon.
Skilled manipulation is a bit of a lost art, as Sun Tzu said,
"All warfare is based on deception". In an FFA game, you'll want to conceal your true strengths and intentions until the opportune moment. Make it difficult for your opponents to have a read on you. Be smart; unpredictable; deceptive.
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FFA HERO RANKINGS #1-24:
This section is for fun, where the overall rankings are determined for every hero pertaining to FFA. It is subjective and there is no perfect science to this. With that being said, I have spent a lot of time truly considering each spot and had numerous discussions with other players in the community to hear their opinions. I've had a list for years since the first iteration of this guide and it's interesting to see how it's evolved.
In general, the criteria used to determine the ranks is the "overall usefulness of the individual hero in FFA". The necessity by race (See: Death Knight) is not taken into account, thus the DK for example is lower ranked, because as an individual hero he is not very good despite being essential to Undead.
Without further adieu...
FFA HERO RANKINGS #1-24
1. Tauren Chieftain
2. Dreadlord
3. Archmage
4. Alchemist
5. Dark Ranger
6. Pandarian Brewmaster
7. Paladin
8. Shadow Hunter
9. Mountain King
10. Priestess of the Moon
11. Keeper of the Grove
12. Demon Hunter
13. Lich
14. Blood Mage
15. Blademaster
16. Tinker
17. Death Knight
18. Naga Sea Witch
19. Pitlord
20. Far Seer
21. Warden
22. Crypt Lord
23. Beastmaster
24. Firelord
1. Tauren Chieftain - The undisputed champion of Free For All is the big, bad, Tauren Chieftain. The TC is the ultimate FFA hero; he has no weaknesses whatsoever. He has the best skill in the game, even better then Silence, Haze, Sleep, or Hex -- War Stomp. Level 3 Stomp is completely imbalanced. It has a huge radius capable of stomping an entire front line and all three opposing heroes in one stomp. Unlike Silence, Stomp cannot be dispelled and has a lengthy duration. There is virtually no way to stop an incoming Stomp other then constant disabling of the TC. But still, you better believe he will break loose with incredible speed and create havoc. He has the best battle aura in the game in Endurance Aura: +30% Movement Speed and +15% Attack Rate. Shockwave is really good too, it's just never skilled first because Stomp is that insanely powerful. Last but not least, his ultimate makes him practically invincible. In fact, most times you won't want to kill the TC because he will revive with full health and mana! Yes, Full mana; making Reincarnation much better than a normal revive or an Ankh. Amidst all of Orc's strength, he is the number one factor. The TC stands alone on top.
2. Dreadlord - Take a look at Mal'Ganis in Warcraft III: Reforged:
https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms...1005859226.png. The Dreadlord is equipped with game-changing skills. The latest patches have buffed DL significantly where now he sits at #2 only behind the TC. His greatest skill is Sleep, which is a unique ability in that is actually lowers in mana cost as it's leveled up. Sleep is arguably the best disable, because it has a short cool down and can be used repetitively for little mana to shut down a threatening hero or as an interrupt. Anyone who has lost to a skilled Undead understands the power of Sleep. Carrion Swarm has been buffed and now is in the argument for the best AoE damage spell. 1200 damage cap for 100 mana
and it hits mechanical units! Vampiric Aura is good with Gargs and Infernal is a Tier 1 ultimate skill. It has a major impact in battle as an AoE stun, plus doubles as a chaos-damage, very-fast movement speed scout capable of destroying expansions and worker lines. A high level Dreadlord will instill a sense of fear in even the strongest of souls.
3. Archmage - Coming in at #3 is the illustrious Archmage. He can be a tricky hero to rank. Mass Teleport can widely vary from the best ultimate in the game to only mediocre depending on the player. Mass TP has a tremendously high skill ceiling. For those who use it well, the terms of battle will almost always be dictated in your favor. Combined with invisibility and Tanks, Mass TP is one of the most powerful tools in FFA. The Archmage is also great at creeping and securing early game position. At level 5, retraining to Blizzard makes the AM a considerable battle force that has to be dealt with. Blizzard is very good at applying pressure to opposing casters, tanks or towers. Lastly, Brilliance Aura gives your other heroes (and casters) significant mana regeneration. I've previously had the AM as high as rank #1 and as low as rank #7. His skills are great, though his impact can vary. The Brilliance Aura nerf reduced his effectiveness slightly and in a battle, the Archmage is not as dominant as some of these other top heroes. Still, the AM is often the leader of the Human army and in the right hands can definitely be the most powerful hero in FFA.
4. Alchemist - Welcome to FFA in 2018, aka the "Alchemist Meta". The Alchemist was already a strong hero and he received significant buffs across the board on his skills. Healing Spray no longer heals enemy units, Acid Bomb does much more damage, and Transmute sells units for more gold. The Alchemist is a unique hero in that he has the lowest armor of
any hero in WC3 while also having the highest HP. This makes it especially important to get +armor items on the Alchy. Ring of Protection +3 has higher value on an Alchemist in comparison to a Periapt of Vitality. He also has the highest possible DPS with Chemical Rage activated (and his attack hits air without an orb)! The Alchemist is awesome. Acid Bomb is a unique skill in that it deals immediate damage and applies a damage-over-time effect, plus -5 armor to as a splash attack. Acid Bomb cannot be dispelled. Acid Bomb is particularly effective in air battles, or when using Bats or Flying Machines against units with reduced armor. Transmute is a FFA player's dream, granting the ability to not only instantly kill any unit, but also receive gold!! There is no better feeling then Transmuting an opposing Siege Tank or Frost Wyrm. A knock on the Alchemist is that he is a poor early game creeper due to his low armor, and he generally needs some items and levels before he really gets going.
5. Dark Ranger - The fifth best hero in FFA is the Dark Ranger. The DR is still, to this day, totally underrated. Players choose to play other heroes as Orc as Elf more often, but the DR is so powerful in FFA it's insane. In fact, she held the #1 ranking for years during the first versions of this list. The number one reason why is because of Silence. At level 3, Silence is completely imbalanced. The radius in which you can Silence is huge! You can easily silence and effectively shut down all three opposing heroes in one shot (plus casters, statues, channeling ultimates, etc). Even against a player who can dispel quickly, Silence is extremely effective. The DR is the best creeping hero, giving an advantage early game in setting up expansions and taking camps. Lastly, she has a game-changing ultimate in Charm. You can add other race's units to your army... Charm a Frost Wyrm, Witch Doctor, Kodo Beast, Bear... you get the point. One of my favorite moves is to Charm a Bat and use the Bat on the other Bats! Or you can tech a whole new race by stealing their worker. Charm is often a 5 to 7 food swing in a battle which is imbalanced in its self. The combination of both Silence and Charm equals the best combo of skills in the game. On the other hand, Life Drain is weak, her body is not the toughest, and she isn't great in late game situations when it's only down to heroes.
6. Pandarian Brewmaster - Coming in at number six, just under the top 5 is the Drunken Brawler himself, the Pandarian Brewmaster! FFA is about air armies and the Panda is the ultimate anti-air hero. His combination of Haze/Fire is unmatched and is the most effective weapon against air. Panda's Breath of Fire was nerfed significantly which brought him down some in these rankings, but Drunken Haze was untouched and is still the best debuff in the game. It cripples light air units and is effective against everything else too. An opposing Panda is still the first hero you look to disable before engaging. Lastly, his ultimate provides a second life of sorts to the Panda while giving him insane DPS against the units that normally counter him (such as Dryads or Breakers). Level 5 Panda allows you to defend against almost anything in the mid game and as long as he has mana and an Anti Magic Potion he will be a force to be reckoned with.
7. Paladin - Right behind the Top 6 sits the best healing hero in the game. The Paladin is really an amazing hero with incredible skills. Holy Light is a better much version of Death Coil, having longer range and and instant cast, all while costing less mana. Divine Shield was nerfed which reduces his overall power but it's still a great skill that leaves him invulnerable for 35 seconds at level 3! The Paladin also has an underrated skill in Devotion Aura. At level 3, it gives +4.5 armor! That's like a super scroll of protection at all times. Lastly, his ultimate is another superior version of the Death Knight skill in that is revives 6 fallen units. You can even kill your units, retrain to 100 food, and revive the corpses to get an army of up to 124 food. The Paladin is a great hero and is the lifeline of the Human army.
8. Shadow Hunter - Standing next to the Paladin is the Orc's Shadow Hunter. The SH is incredibly useful and impacts battles in two different but equally dominant fashions. First is Healing Wave, which is arguably even better then Holy Light. It is surely better to heal multiple units, and its natural AI is to heal those who have taken the most damage. It is easy to use, you can spam it and are guaranteed to heal those who need it. Healing Wave is crazy strong and gets even better in conjunction with Orc's other healing tools. Next is Hex, which is equally strong as one of the very best disables in the game. You can Hex a hero to prevent item use, often leading to a big kill or simply hex units like Chims or Wyrms to take them out of a battle. Big Bad Voodoo is just a bonus on this hero that can be tricky to use but provides an undeniable impact in the right situation. If you can find a weakness, it's that the SH can be an easy target (and better be) since his combination of unique battle skills are so potent.
9. Mountain King - Ah, the Dwarven King. Throwing Storm Bolts with the power of Zeus, the Mountain King has unparalleled strength. He has the best single target skill in the game, dealing a high amount of damage with a lengthy stun. Storm Bolt also has a surprisingly long range, making the MK a top notch hero killer. While Storm Bolt's damage was nerfed, Storm Clap was buffed. Storm Clap is especially effective in combination with Blizzard and has a real impact on opposing front lines as well. Bash is underrated (especially against Air units) helping stop and stun fleeing units or heroes. His Avatar ultimate makes him practically invulnerable, granting +500 HP and a magic immunity. He provides Human's only disable, and is often the key force behind their offensive power. The Mountain King is an awesome hero. It goes to show how powerful all of these top heroes are that the MK lands at #9.
10. Priestess of the Moon - The PotM was once a staple for Elf players. Now we see KotG more often who is equally powerful depending on your hero combo and play style. Priestess of the Moon was buffed recently, her Owl Scout is less mana and has faster movement speed. Owl Scout is one of those skills with a very high skill ceiling but often underutilized. Against a good PotM user, you will seemingly always have an Owl Scout on you thats invulnerable and cannot be dispelled. Being that scouting is key, her value in the scout alone is high. Trueshot Aura is great when coupled with Chims, Hippo Riders or Superman DH. Lastly, Starfall is a Tier 1 Ultimate that absolutely is a game-changer. Against a skilled Human opponent, you pretty much need a PotM to combat Mass Teleport and Tanks. Her weakness lays in the fact that her body is weak and she is easily targeted.
11. Keeper of the Grove - Coming in just below the Priestess is the newly buffed Keeper of the Grove. KotG has always been a good hero with synergy between Entangle and Chimera focus. He is the perfect third hero for Elf because of Entangle. Entangle acts as Night Elf's main disable as you would need Cyclone to disable without a KotG. Tranquility is another game-changing ultimate that now is essentially a full army, full-heal in 20 seconds. This saves your moon wells and also allows you to stay in fights for longer while sustaining heavy damage. The Keeper's Entangle and Tranquility were recently buffed and you could surely make an argument for Keeper over PotM. I like this spot for the Keeper as two of his skills are largely useless and he also has a weak body.
12. Demon Hunter - The Demon Hunter is an excellent first hero choice and is effective in every stage of the game. He is dominant in the early-to-mid game when he first levels up to 5. Level 3 Mana Burn on opposing heroes early on completely shuts them down, which often rolls into an early Metamorphosis that can be game-changing. He benefits from items significantly due to Evasion and his ultimate. The DH is a hero that, kind of like the DL or AM, has a higher skill ceiling. In a lesser player's hands, the DH may not have as much of an impact, but when used properly he brings a significant amount of power to the table by destroying opposing' heroes mana pools.
13. Lich - The Lich is the perfect Undead mage-type hero; a potent offensive weapon. Frost Nova is one of the very best skills in the game, both as a nuke and even more so as an anti-air weapon. It's damage is uncapped and it provides a snare. Frost armor is underrated, granting +7 armor at Level 3 plus a snare. Dark Ritual keeps the Frost Novas going and can be used to deny experience on your own units that are about to die. Lastly, the Lich's ultimate provides Undead with a way to clear towers and buildings that forces a TP or disable. The Lich is a significant contributor to Undead's playstyle and has a major impact if not disabled or out of mana.
14. Blood Mage - The Blood Elves' nomination is a difficult hero to rank, and even more difficult to master. I would say that the Blood Mage has the highest skill ceiling of any hero! In the right hands, the Bloodmage can be incredibly powerful and make a case for a higher ranking. Banish has so many uses both offensively and defensively... the potential it has with great micro is crazy. Mana Drain is really cool too and Flamestrike is solid vs groups of casters or towers. Lastly, Phoenix is a chaos-damage flying unit that re-summons. The Blood Mage is an underrated hero in FFA. I'd love to see more skilled play with him.
15. Blademaster - Ah, the poor Blademaster.
*queues violin* No one cries for him. The BM used to be insanely powerful in FFA before the nerf to Critical Strike. Now he is often replaced by an Alchemist or DR, but the BM is still a very good hero. He is excellent and both scouting and harassing. He has synergy with Orb of Lightning, Wind Riders and TC/SH combo. He still deals a good amount of DPS with items and Bloodlust. Bladestorm is a strong ultimate and especially against opposing Tanks or casters. There is nothing weak about the Blademaster, but he simply doesn't have the same type of impact as before which knocked him down some ranks.
16. Tinker - The Tinker is another difficult hero to rank. He is a great early game creeper. He is arguably the best harassing hero while being largely ineffective in battle. I tend to lean a bit more towards battle skills in these rankings which is why Tinker landed at #16. I think I could make a stronger case for any of the top 15 heroes over Tinker overall. Still, Tinker is awesome and can have a serious impact in a FFA game. His ultimate form makes him almost impossible to disable unless you are Orc (ensnare; purge) so he can be really annoying; laying factories on your worker lines and destroying buildings with his siege hammer. I may be underestimated the usefulness of Pocket Rockets in a fight, but I like this spot here for Tinker.
17. Death Knight - Want to know why Undead is often the weakest race? Its main hero is significantly worse than the primary heroes of other races. While Death Coil is a good skill and Unholy Aura is one of the best auras, Death Pact and his ultimate skill are weak. Perhaps the best use of his ultimate is when you are dying in your base, use Animate Dead and Death Pact one of the spawns to heal. Regardless of those two bad skills, Coil is good and Unholy Aura is especially good so the Death Knight sits here at #16. I think a good buff to the DK that wouldn't break the solo meta would be to add some sort of self-heal or scroll of healing type effect when casting Animate Dead. Until then, it's arguably the worst ultimate in the game.
18. Naga Sea Witch - My opinion on the Naga Sea Witch has improved over time including the buff she received to Mana Shield. The Naga is actually a pretty good hero, she scales better then any other Intelligence hero - meaning at high levels she will have plenty of mana for Forked Lightning, Cold Arrow, and Mana Shield. Cold Arrow is good in some strategies that hero focus and Forked Lightning is good in that sense too. Forked Lightning at level 3 is 750 damage (250 x 3 targets) -- not bad. Some times players will play her and skill Cold Arrow and Mana Shield only. Tornado is really bad and she doesn't have any auras or complimentary skills so overall she isn't great; but still a decent pick with Elf or Human in some combos.
19. Pitlord - Slow and fat, the Pitlord is the Obese One. I always wanted the Pit lord to be better but he just doesn't work well as a hero. His skills are solid if only he was an Intelligence hero. Rain of Fire is comparable to Blizzard and Flamestrike, costing the most mana but with the longest range. Howl of Terror is a good skill in FFA, reducing enemy damage by 50% at level 3. Unfortunately, Howl doesn't have a large AoE range. Cleave was buffed, but again his skills are a combination of melee fighter and mage with bad scaling Intelligence and low Agility. Doom is a very good FFA skill. Even though it's not as good as Charm or Transmute, it's still one of the best ultimates. If u want to play Pitlord, I'd play him with Orc ground (Headhunter/caster). His damage mitigation has synergy with Healing Wave, Healing Ward, and Spirit Link. You can play Pitlord/TC/SH or Pitlord/Panda/Alchemist. Alternatively, he can be used with Elf or Undead in a number of combos.
20. Far Seer - The O.G. of the Horde. The Far Seer is actually a decent hero, but his lack of game-changing skills or auras combined with a mediocre ultimate brings him to the bottom of this list. Chain Lightning was buffed and it's pretty good but nothing special. Spirit Wolves are effective in harass, and Far Sight is moderately useful. FS used to be played with Orc ground at the inception of FFA by Invincible_Rice. He would scout with the wolves constantly and have FS/TC/SH with triple Orbs of Lightning and 100 food Orc ground. The Far Seer is not a bad hero in FFA, but simply there are better options in any scenario.
21. Warden - What happened to the Warden? Another old school legend, Lost.Ancient, used to play Warden/DR/Panda to perfection. It was an offensive combo with Shadow Strike/Fan of Knives and Breath of Fire/Haze with Silence. It worked well with MG/Dryad type armies as the Warden/Panda AoE was good vs light air units. Warden can surely deal a lot of damage but she is fragile and without any auras, stuns, or defensive abilities. Her ultimate is not great. What made Warden strong in the right situation was level 3 Blink which essentially had no cooldown. Now they nerfed it to 4 second cool down; so you can no longer jump in, deal your damage, and blink out. RIP Warden.
22. Crypt Lord - The Crypt Lord lurks near the bottom of these rankings; he doesn't live up to his name. He was buffed recently (impale more damage and beetles more health) and he is still useful as a first hero in some fiend based strategies that can use a meat wall. However, bottom line is he is slow and doesn't have much mana. Impale is good... but it doesn't hit air units nor tanks. If he hit Tanks, he would see more play. Now it's only good on heroes and front lines, but it's often difficult to aim and will miss many targets. Spikes carapace and his ultimate are decent... but you can pretty much ignore a Crypt Lord in any fight, making his overall effectiveness low.
23. Beastmaster - The Beastmaster is an interesting hero. He can be used as Elf with early aggression or as a secondary hero with Human. He scouts well and is a decent hero in the early stages. However, his impact trails off late as his summons become less effective. Summons are free experience late in the game in most cases. The Beastmaster has little battle presence which places him just ahead of the Firelord. Stampede is cool, but it is at best a poor man's Starfall that can be difficult to aim. He can be useful in a base race, however, and has been the culprit of some epic wins in the past.
24. Firelord - "I'm Lit!" - The Firelord was ahead of his time, using the language of today's teenagers before they were even born. Too bad such a bad ass looking hero is so weak. Fire spawns are good only in the very early game in a Tier 1 or Tier 2 rush. He is slow and ineffective. Incinerate just burns your mana and Volcano is a crap ultimate... despite being huge and looking cool. The Firelord's one saving grace is Soul Burn. Soul Burn is actually really effective when used on a hero. At level 3 it does 450 damage and silences a single target! That's strong, proving that even the worst hero in Warcraft III has some usefulness in FFA.
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HUMAN: "Grab your sword and fight the Horde!"
Human has many strengths and can be very powerful in the right hands, or tossed around without skill. As human, you can establish your first expansion before anyone else and pretty easily grab another due to militia and power-building ability. Not only does Human have the best towers and defense, it has the best anti-towers and siege units. Human has the best pure counters, specifically against air units. A mix of Hawks/Gyros/Tanks will take down any air force. Humans have a research to fortify their buildings three times, making them especially tough to destroy. The Dragon Hawk's Cloud ability renders towers useless and Siege Engines run over towers while countering air at the same time.
Human has arguably the best overall hero combo in the game. AM/MK/Paladin has amazing synergy together and is strong from the start to the finish of the game. Human has no glaring weakness, nor a time of the game when they are particularly vulnerable. It has a sure advantage in economy (power-building, best towers and defense), siege units (Tanks, Mortars, Gyros), and anti-air units (Tanks, Gyros, Hawks).
Its casters are great, second only to Orc. Priests and Sorceress together are the best casters early on, Inner Fire is extremely strong, and Sorceress are useful at every stage of the game. Spell Breakers are a unique unit with their magic immunity, mana draining attack, and the ability to steal magical buffs.
Its weakness is that in general, Human can have a difficult time standing toe-to-toe in battle with strong armies of other races -- especially with lower level heroes. Much of Human is using its utility and resource advantage to play smart and pick the right battles. Human does require the most resources overall of any race to tech fully (Orc requires the second most). Its units are on different upgrade trees, and it may be difficult to build an army that can counter multiple races. If a good Undead or Elf player hits you early enough before you can match their tech, it can be difficult to defend.
Human players may be confused on which army to make, unlike other races. You can start with Rifles and Casters and transition into something else or you can go straight for Air. You might want to make two Arcane Sanctuaries at Tier 2 or skip them entirely and go for Workshops or Aviaries. Human's armies are often complex and difficult to build and manage.
After the patches, Human player's must utilize a more balanced approach as mass tanks are no longer as effective. This was a beautiful change for FFA and they surely took a hit, but make no mistake - Human is still a powerhouse race in the right hands.
"Uncle Lothar wants YOU."
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HUMAN SCOUTING:
Human has great scouting tools. You can research to give your Arcane Towers the ability to reveal. Often times I will build multiple Arcane Towers in my main base and hotkey them. This way I can reveal the map or a location at any given time for free barring the cool-down. They are especially useful to reveal a suspected Blademaster, Shade, or Sentry Ward. It's not uncommon to see Human players with at least 5 or 6 Arcane Towers in their main base for this purpose. Remember they are also great anti-hero towers, so surely a smart investment.
You can research Flare for your Mortar Teams as well. Flare is another free reveal on a cool-down on each Mortar Team. I don't use this upgrade enough probably, but it's a nice scouting tool to utilize when including Mortars in your force.
Sometimes the best way to scout is keeping an invisible unit near an opponent's army. I like to do this in combination with Mass TP for a surprise attack right on top of their force. You can also send mechanical critters to your opponents bases to serve as additional scouts.
Early game, militia act as your best scout but also your first footmen. If you get used to creeping without your first footmen you can scout both directions very effectively using one militia and one footmen.
Last but not least, get in the habit of building scout farms. They are cheap and a great way to scout key points of the map. Most times players will not take the time to kill them, giving you valuable information over and over. I try to keep my first scout militia alive and start to make farms around the map with him once he is back to peasant.
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MORE SECTIONS TO BE ADDED SOON
