Beginner Rifle Caster

The timeless Human opener for new players: Archmage, Footmen, Keep at 29 food, then Riflemen, Priests and a Mountain King for a 50 food midgame attack. Decent in every matchup and on every map.

By GotQuail· Updated 23 September 2026

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About this build

Full guideBeginner Guide: Rifle Caster

Rifle caster is a timeless classic for Human. The idea is to build towards a midgame power spike of Riflemen and Priests and then go attack the opponent. Its real strength is flexibility: it is decent in every matchup and on every map, which makes it ideal for beginners and an excellent way to practise fundamentals like executing a build, creeping and microing a fight.

Weak early game and slow to move, so expect to be harassed and set up fights patiently. Two benchmarks: the Keep should start around 3:10 (17:30 on the in-game clock), and at 7:20 (dawn of day two) you should be at 49-50 food with upgrades on the way.

Build order · 22 steps

0:00

#	Time	Food	Instruction
1	-	5	Make a Peasant and keep producing them. 4 Peasants mine gold, 1 builds an Altar.
2	-	6	1st new Peasant builds a Barracks.
3	-	7	2nd new Peasant builds a Farm.
4	-	8	3rd new Peasant mines gold.
5	-	9	4th new Peasant builds a Farm.
6	-	10	Altar finishes: train the Archmage.
7	-	16	Barracks finishes: train a Footman and keep producing them.
8	-	18	Build a Farm.
9	-	21	First Footman spawns: use it to scout the opponent.
10	-	21	Build a Scout Tower.
11	-	22	Pause Peasant production.
12	-	22	Archmage spawns: call 5 Militia and start creeping.
13	-	24	Upgrade the Scout Tower to an Arcane Tower.
14	-	24	Make one final Peasant. You should have 14 in total: 5 on gold, 9 on lumber.
15	-	29	Stop making Footmen. You should have 5 in total.
16	3:10	29	Upgrade the Town Hall to a Keep. Benchmark: around 3:10, ten seconds before nightfall.
17	-	-	As soon as you have the resources research/build: Defend, Arcane Vault, Blacksmith, Farm, Farm.
18	-	-	Blacksmith finishes: start Rifleman production.
19	-	-	Keep finishes: Make a Mountain King, then an Arcane Sanctum (power build it with 2 Peasants).
20	-	-	Arcane Sanctum finishes: start Priest production.
21	-	50	Research the following upgrades whenever you can: Long Rifles, Priest Adept Training, +1 ranged attack.
22	7:20	50	Benchmark 7:20, dawn of day two. If you didn't lose any units you should be at 49-50 food with upgrades on the way.