This build is a strategy to be used ONLY vs night elf to cancel and/or slow the Ancient of War (AoW) creeping of a Night Elf (NE). It is not effective vs any other race. As the build outlines you must go straight with your ghoul to where the NE is AoW creeping in order to pull it in time. If you fail at pulling the creep or finding the AoW you are far behind due to lack of wood early game. You will be using a second necropolis for additional food instead of a second ziggurat. You must know how the creeps mechanics work in order to properly abuse it and pull the creep to the AoW.
Difficulty of Build: Intermediate as it involves knowing creep mechanics and also where the NE is creeping.
Pros:
- If you kill/cancel the AoW you greatly slow down the NE as they cannot build archers and cannot use the AoW to creep and tank attacks.
- If you severely injure the AoW the creep this also slows down the NE as they do not want to creep with a hurt AoW. Creeps will sometimes still kill the AoW if the NE does not react properly and tries to still creep.
- Second necropolis can be beneficial later to replace acolytes if harassed by NE.
- If you do enough damage and kill the AoW you can sometimes double crypt rush follow up and end the game.
Cons:
- If you do not find the AoW in time and the AoW goes up you are severely behind as you did not slow the NE down but did severely slow your wood income.
- Slow tier 2 tech because you have to wait to mine enough wood without your first ghoul ever getting any wood.
Race Match Ups:
- This build should ONLY be used vs NE and on maps in which you know the NE is taking creeps that can be pulled.
Below is a general guide on how to execute the build. It is critical that before you attempt this build you understand how the Night Elf will creep and the creep mechanics of that creep in order to properly pull the creep.
Mid to Late Game transitions
If you kill the aow there is the possibility of just killing the Night Elf at tier 1 by getting a second ghoul and out massing the Night Elf. This obviously is risky and is a slow double crypt rush due to lack of wood early.
With this build you almost always transition into ghoul/gargoyles mid game, however, later game you can transition into other armies (see Krav video below)..
Once you are tier 2 this game is much like any other game in which you are going ghoul gargs on one base and the same pros and cons apply.
If somehow the NE expands (which should not happen if you pull the creep on the AoW successfully) you can get a lich and hit at tier 2 with gargs and ghouls before the expansion allows the NE to get too far ahead. Another consideration depending on the timing of the expansion is to quickly go tier 3, get frenzy ghoul, and hit a timing attack with just your DK, frenzy ghouls, and gargoyles near 50 food.
If the NE stays on one base you can stay on just DK allowing you a quicker tier 3 tech or more gargs.
Typically an NE will get a panda against you as tier 2. You must prevent the panda from gaining to high of a level or else the panda and a venom orb will counter most gargoyles. Or you must transition into a different build composition.
If the NE gets bears, consider frost wyrms (2 is usually good) to counter the bears or destroyers.
Eventually teching into statues and then a destroyer or 2 allows for healing in between fights and dispel if kotg is the first hero. Also effective vs bears.
Expanding is very hard if NE is on top of things. If you try to expand at tier 2 you need a lich and more units. Tier 3 and later in the game it is easier to expand.