Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne/Footmen Frenzy

Footmen Frenzy is a Footmen Wars map for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne made predominately by TheBigGame (formerly known as HatoUP), Metal.Bark, Cattlebruiser, and the rest of the Clan NoHunters team. The current official version is 5.1.

The Map
Players start the map in one of the four corners, along with up to two other teammates. The objective of the game is to defend your barracks whilst trying to destroy the other teams' barracks. The barracks (upgradable to four different tiers) spawn units, starting with Footmen, and is also used to upgrade your army and revive heroes.

In the center of the map lies the Archvault, which sells consumables, as well as providing a high mana regeneration. Control of the Archvault is desirable, as it enables heroes to cast spells very rapidly. There are also Weapon and Armor shops to purchase items for heroes, and four 'personal' shops in each corner of the map which sell even more items.

Upon starting the map, players are given the choice of choosing or randoming a hero at the Hero stores. Once a hero is chosen, one of the players typically sends out his army, which is met by the other players' armies. Killing units gives a small amount of bounty and experience, and heroes give a great amount of bounty (typically 267 gold), as well as a large sum of experience. If a player leaves, his barracks and units are all destroyed, and his money is lost unless he transferred the money to another player first.

Teams
Footmen Frenzy is a game designed for anywhere between two and twelve players. Preferably, the game is played with a “Full House,” that is to say, with four teams of three people. Each player is given his or her own colour, as with all Warcraft III games, and the colour scheme is as follows:

Tiers
When Footmen Frenzy first starts, each player has a "Home Base," or Tier Zero. This is where players can upgrade their units, their Tier's Level, and revive their heroes. The Tiers start at "Tier Zero," which spawns Footmen. As the game progresses, players are able to upgrade their tiers to any of the four Warcraft races: Human, Orc, Undead, and Night Elf. Afterwards, players are able to further upgrade their Tiers. In total, there are five Tiers per race not including Tier Zero. As of Footmen Frenzy Version 5.1, Tiers are delayed as to encourage the usage of heroes.

Races
As explained earlier, each player has the option of upgrading his or her tier into one of the four Warcraft races. Each race five additional upgrades, unique to that particular race; in chronological order, they are as follows:

Tier 5 was first added in version 5.0. It was not meant to be a proper extension of the other Tiers due to balancing problems. Instead, it was made immensely powerful and was intended to be one of the many ways of breaking the stalemate of a long game. Tier 5 is not easily countered and the first team that manages to reach it will usually win the game.

Players can also upgrade their units in either attack damage or armour. Each race also has a "racial" upgrade which boosts the particular advantage of that race. The humans get upgrades on hit points and attack speed, the undead receive upgrades on attack speed and movement speed, the Night Elves upgrade increases the range of all its units, and the Orc's racial upgrade increases their attack damage and their hit points. Racial upgrades are only avaliable upon reaching the second tier and up.

If a player wishes to do so, they can change their Tier to that of a different race for the same amount of gold as they used to upgrade with. For example, a player with Human Tier 2 can pay 1400g to change to Undead Tier 2. There is no option to downgrade to a lower Tier.

Human The Human tiers are generally not used as much as the others, but many players underestimate their power. Once the player upgrades to Militia, he will be able to use Feedback. This is a passive ability which drains a small amount of mana, and also damages the unit for an equivilant amount, and is especially useful against Undead and Night elf units (which utilize mana for special abilities). However, the Humans' Tier 4 unit, the Knight, has considerably less attack power than the Undead Abominations or the Orc Tauren, but it makes up for it with its innate ability to stun units.

Orc Orc units have the most health out of all the races, but only their high level units, Tauren and Peons, have abilities. Because of their large amount of health, Orc units are effective tanking. Generally, Orc units do the largest amount of damage per hit, but this varies on how much a player has upgraded. Disadvantages of Orcs include a slow spawning rate and the fact that Raiders give as much gold and experience as a Tier 4 unit, yet are much weaker.

Undead Undead units usually come in large numbers, but they have lower health and more abilities. After Ghouls, all undead units can "Slam" the ground, slowing non-heros for a few seconds. At the third undead tier, the Skeletal Mages can use Unholy Frenzy to improve their attack speed, but receive more damage at the same time. The Undead's Abombination, which is the fourth tier, has "Disease Cloud" which is a passive spell that damages surrounding enemy units. This is very effective, and will only reduce enemy units health to a minimum of 1. Upgraded undead units can do a lot of damage quickly.

Night Elf The Night Elves in Footmen Frenzy have the lowest Health Points, but attack quickly and are all ranged. Because of their low health, they are especially vulnerable to Area of Effect spells such as Flamestrike, Rain of Fire, and Blizzard. Aside from Archers, all Night Elf units are given the ability Phase Shift. Whenever they receive damage, they temporarily shift out of existence. During this time, would be attackers shift their targets to something else, thus distributing the damage.

Heroes
As in regular games, Footmen Frenzy allows people to buy heroes to command. As of Version 5.1, there were 40 usable heroes plus one secret hero, "Bill Kazmaier" who is only available if you choose the "Random Hero" option. Heroes are units with four specialized abilites and can buy items. Generally, heroes are the most important units in the game. Heroes are vital in a game as their spells can eventually do absurd amounts of damage. Unlike in a regular Warcraft III game, heroes in Footmen Frenzy can reach a maximum level of 18, and its abilities can reach level 6, while its ultimate ability can reach level 3. Because of their great value on the battlefield, most heroes usually give out 267 gold when killed, wich is a sizeable ammount considering one footmen is worth between 35 and 42 gold. Exceptions include The Avalanche, which gives out a 400 gold bounty due to its thousands of hit points, Bill K, the secret hero that can only be chosen through random who gives out a 512 gold bounty, and the Metamorphosized versions of Fox and the Demon Hunter, which also give out a 512 gold bounty.

Common Types of Hero
Hero Killers Hero Killers are generally inefficient at killing units since their spells are more focused on one target. Therefore, they are a must at keeping the AoE heroes in check and away from their army. An example is the Death Knight, who has a powerful Death Coil attack that does a large amount of damage to a single unit.

Some Agility Heroes are also commonly used as Hero Killers - with agility and/or damage items and a Mask of Death, wich grants life steal, they can quickly deal high amounts of damage to Heroes whilst healing themselves in the process. An example would be the Blademaster, whose passive Critical Strike spell ensures that a certain percentage of the time, his attack will do many times the amount of his normal damage. Another would be Jaood, who has the Bloodlust ability, letting him move and attack extremely fast.

AoE Heroes AoE (Area of Effect) heroes are a popular choice, because of their tendency to rapidly earn huge amounts of gold. Their spells allow them to kill many units quickly. An example is the Archmage, who doesn't have a lot of HP, yet has a spell called Blizzard wich deals a good amount of damage to units in a certain area of effect.

Support Heroes Support heroes rely on their armies presence for effectiveness. Support heroes are usually seen using disabling spells, auras, healing spells, or more. An example is the Shadow Hunter, who can heal his army and use hex to disable heroes.

Other There are two irregular heroes in the game: the Death Sheep and Avalanche. Essentially, the two heroes are polar opposites. While Avalanche can have several thousand health and 600+ damage, the Sheep starts out with only 150 health, less than a Footman. The sheep also moves extremely slowly. However, the Death Sheep has an advantage in its spells. The sheep's basic spells are Starfall, Big Bad Voodoo, and Tranquility - normally level 6 spells. If a player is able to cast one of these ultimate spells without dying within the first minutes of the game, it usually guarantees a win. Avalanche pays for its massive health and slow, but strong attack with its abilities. The only Active ability it has is "Blink," allowing it to teleport a short distance. Its other abilities are all passive, and simply boost the Hero's armor, the armor of surrounding allied units, and cause enemies attacking you to receive a percentage of their damage dealt back to them.

Not all Heroes are of a single particular type - many are a combination of two or more types. A good example is the Dreadlord - his skills include Vampiric Aura (a supporting aura), Carrion Swarm (an AoE spell), and Sleep - which, with a supporting army behind him, can quickly be used to surround any Heroes caught off guard.

Items and Shops
Items add another dimension to Footmen Frenzy. Many players buy items for their hero to increase their efficiency. There are also items which help your army as well, such as the Scroll of Speed. However, players which invest too much in items leave their base vulnerable, as Tier Zero bases have a low amount of hitpoints.

Communal Shops
Name: Archvault The Archvault is located in the center of the map. It sells consumables such as health and mana potions and Dust of Appearence, which is used to reveal invisible units for a certain amount of time. It also provides mana regeneration.

Name: Weapon Shop The Weapon Shops are located both on the west and east sides of the battlefield. They sell items that generally assist in providing your hero with better offensive capabilities. Examples include the Claws of Attack, which increase attack damage, and the Orb of Static, which is commonly used to dispel summonable units.

Name: Armor Shop The Armor Shops are located both on the north and south sides of the battlefield, and sell items that will boost your hero's stats. For example, the Crown of Kings provides +7 to all stats for 1150 gold.

Personal Shops
These shops are all located in the back of each team's base, and is only accessible to the players of that team. Any enemy unit trying to go near the shops will be blocked.

Name: Personal Shop Sells miscellaneous items to your heroes. While selling slightly more expensive items than any of the communal shops, the items sold nonetheless prove their usefulness in a variety of circumstances.

Name: Altar Of Legends The Altar Of Legends sells quirky and expensive items that are intended for very situational use. For example, the expensive Altar of the Gods can cast a modified Starfall that instantly destroys all units in an AoE that covers the entire map, and the Talisman of the Gods will summon several Penguins of the Gods that are very effective at attacking units, but are useless against bases.

Name: Creep Shop The Creep Shop sells 'creeps' to players. As of version 5.0, the customized creeps were removed in favour of the default spellcasting units such as the Sorceress and the Shaman. The purchasing of Creeps is often regarded as essential to victory. They cost ranging from 200 to 450 gold, and can help buff your army or disable your enemies. For an example, a strong Jaood player is easily countered with a Sentry Ward from the Troll Witch Doctor, along with Purge and Cripple from the Shaman and Necromancer. See below for more information about Creeps.

Name: Barks' Store Bark's Store is a new addition to the personal shops, present since 5.0. Barks Store sells a variety of items, including Town Portal scrolls and free Healing Salves. Healing Salves are the replacement of 'base healing', aimed to reduce the defensive style of play present in 4.2 and previous versions. The first four items are items with a huge boost of +25 for a single stat - the exception being the "Flask of Soda" which provides a +15 boost to all stats. These four items are all very expensive and also grant some smaller bonuses wich can help the kind of hero who would buy these items. For example, the "Really Fast Wood", which grants +25 for agility and a small chance to bash and a small chance to evade attacks.

Creeps
Creeps are non-hero non-regular units that can be bought at the creep shop. They are an essential part of your army. They come at a low price, but you are restricted to 3. This is due to the creeps each consuming one food, while your base only produces 3. The only creeps that do not require food are the peasant and the goblin zeppelin, as they do not have any spells that weaken the ennemy or strengthen its allies.

Name: Priest Cost: 200 gold Priests can cast Heal, Inner Fire, and Dispel Magic. Dispel Magic is a good counter to the Dark Ranger's Ghouls, and well as other summons, such as the Necromancer's Skeletal Warriors, Lava Spawns, and the Beastmaster's summons. Heal is generally used to heal a hero and Inner Fire upgrades a unit's armour and attack. Tactical usage of a Priest against any summoner will quickly earn back the gold spent.

Name: Sorceress<BR> Cost: 200 gold<BR> Sorceresses cast Slow, Invisibility, and Polymorph. She is good at disabling other creeps and heroes with Polymorph, and Invisibility is useful for sneak-attacks with a hero. Casting invisibility on a footmen and running behind enemy lines, then using mass teleport to teleport units in is a very effective strategy. Slow can be used repeatedly against an enemy army, or on an enemy hero to prevent it from escaping or attacking effectively.

Name: Troll Witch Doctor<BR> Cost: 200 gold<BR> Troll Witch Doctors can cast Sentry Ward, Stasis Trap, and Healing Wards. Healing Wards and Stasis Traps are great support spells for your army. They can easily turn the tides of battle in your favor, expecially early game. Dropping one or two sentry wards can keep all your footmen and heroes alive. Sentry Wards are great against Jaood, Blademaster, and the Assassin, as well as other units under the effects of invisibility or shadowmeld.

Name: Shaman<BR> Cost: 300 gold<BR> Shamans can cast Purge, Lightning Shield, and Bloodlust. Purge is great on single summoned units, as well as heroes like Jaood, where you can slow him down and dispel his Bloodlust. If your still on tier 0 late game, getting a couple of shamans can protect you against the tank token with Purge. You can use Purge against heroes running away, and get an easy hero kill. Lightning Shield can be cast on footmen for farming gold early game, and Bloodlust is a very nice supporting spell for your hero and army.

Name: Demolisher<BR> Cost: 400 gold<BR> Demolishers deal long-range area of effect damage. Adept at killing footmen, although late game they become less effective. Paired up with a shaman or necromancer makes this unit very effective. When you use Jaood, this creep is a must-have. Casting bloodlust on the demolisher makes it attack very fast, and it is easy to rack up gold.

Name: Banshee<BR> Cost: 250 gold<BR> Banshees can cast Curse and Anti-Magic Shell. Curse works great on stopping Jaood or Avalanche, as well as other heroes with a strong normal attack. Anti-Magic Shell can protect your hero against spell-casting hero killers such as the Death Knight or Cattle Bruiser.

Name: Necromancer<BR> Cost: 200 gold<BR> Necromancers can cast Raise Dead, Unholy Frenzy, and Cripple. Raise Dead is a great ability early game to give you extra units in your army. These extra units give you that early game push, allowing you to control the middle and get higher level than other heroes. Unholy Frenzy is a great supporting spell for heroes that can use an attack speed boost, such as the Blademaster. Cripple works great for slowing down a hero thats running away or Agility Heroes that are attacking your hero or creeps.

Name: Druid of the Claw<BR> Cost: 200 gold<BR> Druid of the Claw can cast Rejuvenation and Roar. Roar is a great support spell for your army - while not as effective as the Scroll of the Beast item, it can be used much more often because its an ability. The only thing you lose is mana. Rejuvenation can heal your hero and creeps very quickly.

Name: Dark Troll Priest<BR> Cost: 250 gold<BR> Dark Troll Priests can cast Heal and Sleep. Sleep is very useful for disrupting a hero using a strong channeling spell such as Starfall, or Death and Decay. Its short duration, however, makes it usually unsuitable for surrounding heroes with units.

Name: Goblin Zeppelin<BR> Cost: 450 gold<BR> Goblin Zeppelins are flying, mechanical transports. The Zeppelin is classified as a Mechanical unit, so it can't be hit by spells such as Death Coil. Your hero can also gain experience inside this transport. This is very useful if you have a weak hero and you're afraid of a hero like the Death Knight killing you. It is also very common for players using the Death Sheep to purchase a Zeppelin.

Name: Peasant<BR> Cost: 300 gold<BR> Peasants can repair your Tier and cast Blink. Peasants can also repair your Demolisher. The Peasant has a lot of health and normal armor. This unit is essential if your building is under attack or is in need of repair.