A critical aspect of Warcraft 3 is creeping. Overtime players have learned what creeps can do and how to abuse them as to creep quicker or bigger creeps than was likely ever intended by the map makers. This post will explain many of the creep mechanics and abilities and also how to abuse them.
Changing the target of a creep
Everyone knows that when you start attacking a creep they will start attacking your units back. At some point you may want a certain unit to not be attacked anymore whether it is due to the unit being weak or because you simply do not want it to take damage. To stop the creeps from attacking a certain unit (or hero) take the unit being targeted and issue an attack command on one of your own units. Once you do this, the creeps will aim a different one of your units and you can take your original unit and go back to attacking the creep and it will not be attacked.
It is important to note that higher level creeps (level 7 or higher) will not follow this rule. Creeps lvl 7 or over always attack the lowest hitpoint unit in reach.
Check out this grubby video explaining it:
Frost Armor
Some priests cast frost armor, which slows the attack rate and speed of melee units/heroes that has attacked a frost armored unit. Creeps will cast frost armor on the unit being attacked. Depending on the situation you either want to take out creeps that cast frost armor quickly or maybe leave it till the end.
You can also abuse this on certain maps. For example on Terenas Stand (TS) the 2 green creep camps in the middle on both sides of the Tavern typically drop good early game items from the level 3 rogue wizard and the creep is extremely easy and quick to take if you properly abuse the frost armor mechanic. To abuse this mechanic you attack one of the other units in the camp first and then as soon frost armor is casted on the attacked creep do not attack it again but attack the level 3 rogue wizard and kill it before frost armor is casted again. This way your units are not slowed and you can get the item and move to the next creep.
Sometimes you cannot kill the priest before it will cast another frost armor. You will need to re-target a different creep right before it is capable of casting frost armor again so that it will once again cast frost armor on a different creep and not itself.
Here are examples of abusing this on TS depending on if its day or night.
Here is Grubby talking generally about Frost Armor on creeps.
Lightning Shield
This topic has already been discussed by rechram in this post: https://warcraft3.info/articles/176/interacting-with-creeps Check out what he says about Lightning shield.
This spell is incredibly powerful early game and has overtime evolved from being something that prevented players from creeping a camp, to actually being used by players who properly abuse it to creep even quicker. Always remember, if the lightning shield casted by a creep on you kills another creep, you do not get the experience. Thus you can weaken the unit with lightning shield but never let it kill the creep, you want to get the last hit.
Here are 3 videos showing/explaining how to abuse this mechanic. Players have come up with numerous creative ways to pull this LS creeping off. These are just the basic parameters of how to do it with a few different race examples.
Purge
This topic has already been discussed by rechram in this post: https://warcraft3.info/articles/176/interacting-with-creeps Check out what he says about purge (which is right below lightning shield).
It is important to note that just like frost armor, units who can cast purge can do it multiple times if you do not kill the creep before its cooldown resets. As a result you need to be careful that if the creep is able to cast purge multiple times that you do not have a summoned unit that is capable of being purged in range and attacking or else the creep will dispel it. This takes time and practice to get the timing down on to avoid this.
Preventing a troll priest creep from casting Inner Fire with a Blademaster
It has been discovered that blademasters have the ability to prevent a troll priest creep from casting Inner Fire. This has allowed orcs to take bigger creeps quicker than they normally could have since the creeps will not have +5 armor placed upon them by the troll priest.
Their is a general rule to do this however it does take a little bit of practice. First- before you enter aggro range on the creep you must be in windwalk (with no other of your units in aggro range) and then run towards the troll priest. Generally you must position yourself at the 4 oclock position of the troll priest right next to it and then come out of windwalk with an attack (do not let the windwalk expire) on the troll priest. Once you complete this first attack you can either kill the whole creep without the troll priest ever casting inner fire or simply pick whichever creep you want to kill (maybe just the item creep) and kill it.
Here are some example pictures of where you must stand in windwalk before attacking in order for this trick to work. There is some wiggle room on where to stand. This is something to test and practice vs computers and you will learn it quickly.
Ensnare
This topic has already been discussed by rechram in this post: https://warcraft3.info/articles/176/interacting-with-creeps Check out what he says about ensare (under envenomed spears).
Some players have learned how to abuse ensare creeps on some maps both offensively and defensively. In regards to using it offensively, on some maps such as Last Refuge, the ensare creeps are often time used by one of the parties by purposefully waking them up to try and get their opponents units ensared. And it is sometimes used defensively or to the own players benefit on maps like Amazonia. Some players have learned how to creep the middle oranges more efficiently by using their hero to attack the item creep and then sending a unit BEHIND the trees behind the creep camp so as that the troll trappers will run after the creep to ensare it. Thus reducing the damage being taken since the troll trappers will be running around and not attacking.
Hurl Boulder Creeps
This topic has already been discussed by rechram in this post: https://warcraft3.info/articles/176/interacting-with-creeps Check out what he says about Hurl Boulder.
Pulling creeps to prevent them from casting spells
As discussed in rechram’s post about Hurl Boulder Creeps you can pull the creep with a unit. Once the creep camp runs after the unit you are using to pull the creeps move in the rest of your army in from the opposite direction to stop the creep from returning to its original starting position. At this point the creep will not cast spells on you.
Check out this portion of a video by Grubby who shows and explains how you do this:
Pulling creeps and attacking them while they are pulled.
There are many times where pulling a creep so that the whole camp is attacking you at once is advantageous and allows you to take bigger camps than if you simply ran up to the creep and began attacking it. The creep camp will sometimes attempt to run back to its original starting point which reduces the amount of damage you take in general from the camp.
Or sometimes pulling a creep is a good idea so as to take the creep in a position in which you are harder to creep jack.
But you can also sometimes pull a creep in order to then surround it away from the rest of the creep so as to get easy experience and/or items.
Poison Creeps
This topic has already been discussed by rechram in this post: https://warcraft3.info/articles/176/interacting-with-creeps Check out what he says about envenomed spears.
Wave/Clap
The Ogre Lord can use the shock wave ability on units that are clumped together. If you have 3 or more units clumped together it will use shock wave upon it which means all damages hit by it will take damage. Spreading out your units in a way so that 3 units cannot be hit by one shock wave can prevent this movefrom happening.
The Granite Golem has the ability to not only cast hurl boulder but also use clap/slam. This occurs if you have 3 units in range of a clap. It will damage and slow the units hit. Spreading out your units in a way so that 3 units cannot be hit by one clap can prevent this move from happening.
Final Notes
As you can see above there are numerous ways to abuse creeps and their mechanics. There are also many articles and videos out there explaining various ways to abuse creeps or explaining their mechanics. I would recommend you also watch carsonnn’s videos on this. While the videos are old and some of the information is out of date they are both still very informative on the matter. Lots of what was discussed above is discussed here as well as some additional information on these topics as well as topics I did not touch upon above.