This map’s natural expansion is not the easiest to take. There is also a potential orange near both bases that can be taken reasonably early by all races and gives a nice consumable. The middle camps are always highly contested and mid game is usually about ensuring that you take or your opponent does not take the middle creeps.
Below are various creep routes for each race (UD still under construction).
Before you try these creep routes you should check this article on how to abuse creep mechanics (including lightning shield creeps and pulling creeps):
https://warcraft-gym.com/a-summary-on-creep-mechanics-and-how-to-abuse-them/
For the night elfs who do not know how to AoW creep, you need to check out this article first: https://warcraft-gym.com/ancient-of-war-creeping/
Human Creep Routes
Early Expansion creep patterns
These are 2 different creep patterns which both get you level 3 and access to an early expansion/good items. You will need militia along with your army for creeps 1 and 3 atleast.
Quick creeping level 3 no expo
These are 2 build orders that get you level 3 but no expansion. Which route you take also depends on your objectives after getting level 3 as one route puts you close to the enemies potential expansion.
Early expansion primarily vs UD
This creep pattern is used vs UD to get an early expansion. You usually have to go to one of the #4 spots to get level 3. However, if no creeps are stolen on 1-3 and you kill some skeletons you may not need #4. You will need militia for the 1st and 2nd spots.
No expansion creep pattern.
This creep route is used vs night elf. It allows you to get an early expansion and thereafter either creep near your base to defend your expansion or go aggressive to interrupt their creep or go to their base. You will not get level 3 from this creep route
Night Elf Creep Routes
Vs UD/HU early expansion
If an undead or human is early expanding then do one of these creep routes. You can either AoW creep either of the #1 camps, then go harass the undead/human.
Early expansion in mirror
AoW creep your expansion, then take the your murloc camps and then your green ogre camp.
Non expansion creep patterns
If you want to creep with no expansion then go for the blue creep pattern. AoW creep the orange and then take the other greens.
If you want to harass or need to harass then go the red creep pattern. AoW creep the orange camp and then the easy murloc camp and harass afterward.
vs Human or if you want to do a little creeping into harass
Either of these creep patterns work. You must AoW creep either of the #1s.
Undead Creep Routes
Under construction. Check back soon for Undead creep routes!
Orc Creep Routes
BM/FS Grunt super passive Lvl3 (vs UD/Orc)
Start with the green ogre spot next to your base. Since Lvl2 on NIS is relatively safe you can even skill critical strike on lvl1 here for faster creeping speed. After that move to the tiny murloc spot, creep it for lvl 2 and take the bigger murloc spot next. Finish with your natural expansion camp for lvl3.
BM vs UD
Start with the green ogre spot next to your base. Since Lvl2 on NIS is relatively safe you can even skill critical strike on lvl1 here for faster creeping speed. After that move to the tiny murloc spot, creep it for lvl 2 and run towards the middle. Buy an Item (claws or circlet) at the goblin shop/marketplace (whichever is closer to you) and trade in unlucky drops (cloak, maybe ring if you don’t want it). Then scout the opponents big murloc camp and natural expansion with your bm and grunt. If you find the Undead at one of the two spots creepjack him there, otherwise creep one or both of the spots yourself.
(If the big murloc spot is freshly crept and nobody is at the expansion spot, the opponent is most likely creeping his tuskar camp which means you have time to creep his whole expansion camp. Either search for the opponent afterwards or get lvl3 at their green ogre spot)
FS HH passive Lvl3 (vs UD/Orc)
Get your big murloc spot, then your small murloc spot. After that, move to your orange tuskar camp. If you got a Staff of Illusion you can use it to tank most of the damage here, while also scouting for the opponent and if you dropped a wand of lightning shield use it on a wolf to increase the creeping speed. You can go back to your base if you wanna get items from your shop now. Then, move into the middle and itemcreep the ice troll warlord at the marketplace with 4-5 headhunters for lvl3. With lvl3 done you can look for the opponent and harass their creeping or move into their base with lvl2 wolves to inflict economic damage.
FS HH aggressive vs UD
Move to your opponents bigger murloc spot first, if you find them there try to steal creeps and put damage on the Deathknight, otherwise creep the spot yourself. Either way, contest them for their smaller murloc spot and one of the orange spots (expansion or tuskar) afterwards.
If their army gets too big or their second hero gets out, move back and do your green murloc spots until your shadowhunter pops out.
BM vs Nightelf
Creep your green ogre spot and one of the murloc spots, then look for the nightelf hero and pressure them. Move towards their bigger murloc spot first and to their natural expansion after.
BM vs Nightelf 2nd option
Itemcreep the nightcrawler at your bigger murloc spot, then try to creepjack the nightelf at their small murloc camp. Pressure the opponents first hero and archer(s). When you have 3 Grunts letting them finish the bigger murloc spot and creeping the smaller one by themselves is an option.
FS vs Nightelf
Get both of your murloc spots and while your units and wolves are still finishing the second one start moving your farseer towards their bigger murloc camp. Harass their creeping and try to kill the archers. If the opponent built a Demonhunter you can safely bring your grunts/headhunters to the harass, if they’re playing Keeper of the Grove you might want to keep your Headhunters back until you reach a nice mass or Farseer Lvl3.
vs Human
Harass immediately and try to keep the human in his base. In the beginning you can send one wolf around the opponents natural expansion towards the green spot and the other one with the farseer to his base in the direction of the tuskar spot, just to see if there might be any fast expo attempts going on. After that try to put damage on the Archmage and the footmen and maybe steal one or two of the green spots. Never loose sight of the human army and don’t loose any hhs, not even in trades for footies.
BM vs Orc
Hard to pin down a fixed route, quick lvl3 is good, stealing spots is good too. It’s best if you’re able to steal orange spots from the enemies side to keep some on yours for your second hero. The ‘BM vs UD’ route is okay here. Green ogre into one of the murloc camps into their tuskarr camp is okay too.
Versus an opponent that plays one of the passive farseer lvl 3 strats you can get a away with taking a very early goblin shop too (something like ogre spot, into both murloc spots, into goblin shop with 2-3 grunts), not versus Blademaster tho.
FS vs Orc
The goal is to get to lvl 3 fast without getting disrupted, which you usually get to by creeping all 3 of your green spots and an orange spot. Any passive route will do (see also the notes vs UD). Can be big murloc spot, into small murloc spot into tuskar camp, into green ogre spot. Or small murloc, into big murloc spot, into green ogre into natural expansion. Or green ogre spot, into bigger murlocs, into small murlocs, into arachnid spot (if you got staff of illusion or wand of lightning shield).
Another option is to get both of your murloc spots and send your FS harassing (either the opponents FS at their orange camp of choice or the opponents base), while creeping the small ogre spot with wolves + headhunters by themselves.