Build Orders

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Author: MaxPowerEdain

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Build orders consist of a detailed list of actions that a player follows to optimise the start of the game. Some build orders are very standard and can lead to different strategies depending on the game, while others are strongly dependent on your meta strategy. For example, rushing an Exile Camp as Rohan usually means that you are going to rush cavalry (Exiles), and that it is likely your late game involves Meduseld troops.

Build orders are highly related to good macro, so properly executing a build order should give you a good macro start. In Edain, build orders should take into account what buildings you build, what troops you produce, and what you do with those troops (especially which creeps you target). As you get better with standard build orders, you can decide to modify those to your own style/meta strategy. For this, it is extremely important that you understand build orders and not just blindly follow them. It takes a lot of games repeating the same build order to understand its strengths, weaknesses, etc.

In this page, I will explain some of the most representative build orders (as explaining every one of them should require an entire book), and link replays of all the build orders I know. Understanding the most important ones will help you understand the others and their variations. Most of the build orders I will give are for the map Fords of Isen 2, as it is the most played in multiplayer. However, I will try to include some different maps in the future.

## **Understanding Build Orders**

Some concepts are key to understand build orders:

* Barracks vs Eco start: While most games feature barracks start, economy starts are also possible, or even mixed starts. Barracks starts tend to focus on taking map control quickly and being aggressive, while eco starts focus on inside eco and allow less initial aggression (as you have naturally fewer troops to attack). Don't do a barrack start if you don't plan to produce troops from that barracks soon. It is better to invest in an internal economy building then.
* Unit production: Produce units that you need. If you plan to creep wargs early, get pikes as you will need them. If you plan to creep the flanks of the map, produce enough units to do so (you will likely need two small armies, as one can't creep on both flanks).
* Scouting: All build orders (or almost all of them) should take into account scouting the enemy faction and strategy as soon as possible and as often as possible, either via spellbook powers or scout heroes.
* Adapt: Very few build orders are good regardless of the enemy strategy. Knowing different variations of your favourite build orders, as well as adapting and thinking properly, will help to keep your enemy from preventing your planned development.

## **Explained Build Orders**

This section contains some selected build orders that exemplify all the previous concepts, and serve as model and example for most of the other ones. I will try to explain at least one build order for every faction:

## **More Build Orders**

Here, you can find more build orders that are not explained, but can be enlightening and interesting to know and use. These replays are classified by faction and map. I will also link replays of real games using that build order as often as possible.

## **Learning more Build Orders**

Any build order list will miss some. If you want to learn many different build orders, I strongly recommend looking for and studying replays of top players in different match-ups and maps. You will be able to learn lots of different ones. Remember to always understand them before copying.