The following is a guide written by Kaiser. If you do not know who he is, drop in and see some no hands action here https://www.twitch.tv/der_kaiser47
These tips assume you can execute fast dk push around 9:20-9:50 in game time of minimum 3/1/1 heroes + orb. Check out https://warcraft-gym.com/fast-death-knight-with-fiends-build/ (which includes a video from kaiser) if you cannot yet do so.
Note: This is not the word of god ofc, if a better UD suggests something otherwise here listen to them. This is just a general gameplan tip and depending on map will often change your gameplay.
Key tip: FORGET destroyers. They are 5 food experience donations. You simply don’t need them vs orc, even with spirit link you can fight through it (unless orc does tier 2 walker stuff, then get them.) Xlord and Syde both have suggested to me to never make destroyers vs orc. Happy is also skipping them vs blade in favor of faster banshees recently.
If the orc is aggressive on tier 2 with hex, coil the hurt fiend and immediately TP out. Buy mana pot, go back and be aggressive to prevent SH creeping. By FAR the easiest way for orc to lose vs ud is tier 2 aggression vs undead if you properly respond.
Here is a scientific graph of UD vs Orc. Time may also be read as “food” as they’re typically related.
Gameplan:
Your job is to use either a 45/47 food push depending on the game and your strategy and follow up with a 60 food push or just straight push 60 at those times you are stronger than orc.
Additionally level 2 dk w/ level 1 frost armor is better than orc. But at the same time items can severely reduce your effectiveness such as greater mana pots, greater invul etc.
Fighting vs orc is all about momentum and control, try to start off every fight with coil nova on whatever unit is most exposed, prioritizing raiders. If you have a bad early/mid dont bother with a 45-47 food push and go for 60 food.
Be aggressive on tier 2 when frost armor is available to delay shadow hunter from getting level 3. if you are tier 3 with 3/2/1 hero levels vs orc with level 2/2/1 or 3/2/1 hero levels you should win or gain a huge lead each time.
If your push is very successful, follow up with an expo. Otherwise when you are attacking drop a ziggurat and temple of damned and prepare to break upkeep with more fiends/banshees. Your goal is to creep the map after you are forced to TP out of the push or deal enough damage to orc to slow him down, but not quite force a GG yet.
If this fight goes terribly you are in a very rough spot. why you might ask?
With standard DK vs blade orc, you have to win 2 fights pretty much. You need to win a timing push and at around 60 food again.
If an orc wins a big fight they often win the game because they force 2 win conditions. They will have both the macro and map control after a good fight. They also have pocket expands. Furthermore there is the fact if you lose too much on a timing push they will also creep faster and more safely than you.
3rd hero choices: Pit Lord vs. Dark Ranger?
PL pros – scales better than DR. PL builds on UD’s inherent strengths (sustained fights). With curse, frost armor, and howl instead of the BM doing massive damage it will be doing less damage, slowed, and missing some attacks. PL allows you to howl and a-click
PL cons – weaker at level 1 / lower impact on 45 push timing* If orc is smart, statues will be targeted with 0 counter play vs lightning orb and makes it harder to sustain fights.
*can be stronger if SH is level 2
DR pros – much stronger at level 1 due to silence. You can can feed skeles to lich via dark ritual in longer games. DR lets you hero focus much easier. DR also can creep way faster than PL with black arrow level 1. 120 often hires DR 3rd, creeps a bunch of small green camps until 3/2/2 and then goes. It is all about speed.
DR cons – silence is dispellable and is very fragile. Imagine having 2 liches. DR requires a lot more control.
DR prefers “explosive” fights while PL is exceptional at UDs primary strength, sustained fights. You want to REALLY be careful with statues with PL. Your goal is to have DK mana outlast SH mana and between your other spells of cleave and nova the orc army is slowly whittled down.
Execution Tips
- Defensive micro. Each time you move the army click dk or press f1 pull him back. Avoid getting lich and dk stomped at the same time. Frost armor the unit the blade targets and curse blade ASAP. Always move fiends if you can and don’t burrow unless it is a last resort. This seems obvious but you cant micro burrowed units and you can often lose units you’d otherwise save due to burrowing when not needed. Spread your units out to reduce the effectiveness of stomp.
- Offensively. Focus fire literally any unit you can. You should consider aiming raiders first, then any kodos moving forward to eat your units or any Headhunters you can target, then out of position heroes and finally grunts. Check your opponents heroe’s inventories and adjust as needed. Constantly use your rod of necromancy. Skeles are “free” damage and have favorable damage types vs the entire orc army. Pass your rod of necromancy between heroes so you can potentially have 6 free ghoul dps eating away at orc.
- 120 with DR often HARD focused blade with coil/nova/army to force him back while happy focuses on units first. Experiment a bit and see what you like most.