Military tactics in Warcraft

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight]

Other than the military tactics and battle plans that were already shown in WOW and its expansions, or in the novels or shot stories, what kind of tactics could you see the various races or factions of Warcraft use in battle to get the edge on their foes or reduce their casualties or reinforce their defenses or all of these at the same time ?

No need to say that some races like Trolls, Worgens and Elves, especially the Night Elves would be very good at guerilla using their natural agility and speed, as well as their knowledge of the lands, and in the Kaldorei's case their ability to become invisible with their ability to meld into shadows to observe enemies without being seen, ambushing the enemies or taking them by surprise and then retreat before the foes can properly react and incite the foes to try to pursue them only to be better isolated or trapped in a hostile environment. The Trolls already used this tactic a lot in the lore against the Aqir and the Horde during the First War but it's never shown and used in novels or the games.

The Centaurs would be also be very good at using the hit and run tactic frequently used by parthians, mongols and other nomadic tribes or civilizations using horses of harrassing the enemies by circling them, raining arrows on them, faking retreat to lure the enemy out of its defensive positions and then reraining arrows while staying out of reach. Centaurs' shamans and druids would also have an interest into specializing in long-range elemental attacks and spells.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Realistically, any Horde vs Alliance war should end within a couple years, and pretty bloodlessly for the Alliance. The Alliance has utter naval and aerial superiority. Thunder Bluff, Orgrimmar, and Highmountain are cities made out of flameable wood and cloth materials and could be wiped off the face of the earth overnight by a firebombing run from airships and gyrocopters, if the Alliance really wanted to. Not even the Undercity would be safe and would be buried under dirt and rubble from bombing. That said, the Alliance are pretty aren't the blood thirsty types and would probably just conduct a blockade of every Horde city and they'll surrender one by one.

Mainland Pandaren could have tacitly "weaponized" the Sha against their enemies. Mainland Pandaren society has adjusted to living under the threat of the Sha, changing their life style, social interactions, and mentality to avoid feeding the Sha. The Pandaren could just lure their enemies into Pandaria (or perhaps figure out how to spread the Sha) and allow the emotions of their enemies to get the better of them and summon the Sha and be devoured by it. The Shado-Pan would arrive to mop up the Sha, and there you go: the Pandaren have eliminated their enemies.

It's incredible that shapeshifters (dragons, dreadlords, mages, etc) haven't taken over countries more often. They could easily replace and impersonate world leaders. The Mogu's flesh shaping could probably also create near identical replacements loyal to the Mogu. Hell even the Gnomes could probably create android replacements. Tactically, the replacements could also be used as spies (posing as soldiers or whatever) in the enemy's camp. They could perform sabotage, burn the food supply. Perhaps even replace the enemy commanders and make tactical blunders that would allow the imposter's faction to easily win.

On a related note, the Worgen would be able to easily take over any city with a major human population. While in human form, they could filter into a city over the course of a few days or weeks, disguised as traders and such. Or perhaps they could time their visit to align with a festival or a market day, so the larger than normal amount of humans in town wouldn't raise eyebrows. They could then transform and easily eliminate any opposition, catching their foes unaware, scaring them into submission with their fearsome appearance and sudden arrival and shock and awe, and being huge, powerful werewolves, they would win against most foes.

Gnomes would be unironically amazing at fighting giant monsters like Orcs or Tauren. They have a very small profile and are very nimble. The strength of an Orc or a Tauren wouldn't matter if they could never hit their opponent. Gnomes would like carry spears to make up for their height and thrust into the Orcs or Tauren through the gaps in their armor, if they were wearing any, that is.

The Gnomes, Mogu, Blood Elves, Draenei, and Trolls can create automatons. They should be mass producing automaton armies to fight on their behalf. This could eventually lead to those factions becoming increasingly inhuman as they are divorced from the horrors of war and can easily, casually order their armies to conquer another land and kill people with little thought. Furthermore, these societies could eventually become oppressive against their own people, as having automated armies which obey the rulers would remove the last link connecting the military to the civilian population: a soldier who can refuse to obey orders.

[Combatbutler]

Imagine a toddler holding a toy in each hand, smashing them together, that pretty much sums up warcraft military tactics.

[aceperson]

humans are obvious.

dwarves and gnomes are human tactics with more technology and drinking.

nelf probably use a lot of hit and run tactics.

draenei would just carpet bomb everything if they had all their technology available.

pandas wouldn't have any.

worgen would be humans with no need for attack dogs.

orcs before thrall would probably just be zerg rush.

undead is a mix of all tactics since undead are a mix of all races.

tauren would probably be more about using natural terrain.

trolls would likely use voodoo totems to empower friends, depower and confuse enemies, and ward off weak areas. also probably some guerilla tactics.

belf honestly just seem incompetent to me. i would think human style tactics but their lore doesn't show much for varied thinking. probably just magic and and firing lines. probably the worst military force given their ego.

goblins wouldn't have battle tactics. they would just enslave their fellow goblins by making them get into massive debt and throw them at people.

kul tirans would be more naval based.

vulpera would likely have the most natural variety of tactics due to being a physically weaker species with brains that aren't greed or cartoon logic driven.

nightborne would probably carpet bomb everything. but with magic.

those would be my first thoughts.

[Nathreim]

Realistically, any Horde vs Alliance war should end within a couple years, and pretty bloodlessly for the Alliance. The Alliance has utter naval and aerial superiority. Thunder Bluff, Orgrimmar, and Highmountain are cities made out of flameable wood and cloth materials and could be wiped off the face of the earth overnight by a firebombing run from airships and gyrocopters, if the Alliance really wanted to. Not even the Undercity would be safe and would be buried under dirt and rubble from bombing. That said, the Alliance are pretty aren't the blood thirsty types and would probably just conduct a blockade of every Horde city and they'll surrender one by one.

Magic really limits tech. What good is a squadron of bombers if a handful of shaman and druids can create a storm strong enough to bring them down. Aircraft in WoW are not particularly fast either meaning large flying creatures can attack and destroy them. These animals are also going to be far more agile that any aircraft meaning fighting them would be incredible difficult. Aircraft tech in wow has not advanced much at all in 20 years the biggest change has been gunships and they are slow and easily destroyed.

WoW explosive tech (outside of Azerite) is basically still rather primitive. You cant collapse an underground city with that level of tech even in WWII old underground crypts and subways were safe from conventional bomb. Its only recently that bunker busters were invented that could collapse a place like UC.

Automatons are likely very difficult to build, maintain, and power its notable that only the Titans are capable of fielding large forces of them. No race on Azeroth is that advanced not even the Draenei. Specially since Titan creations actually have a unique soul created just for that individual.


Magic carries the day in Wow if you cant counter the enemies magic then you are at their mercy UC is a prime example of what uncontested magic can do. But when magic is equal then your warriors and other units are necessary to try to push the line.

[KainneAbsolute]

It's incredible that shapeshifters (dragons, dreadlords, mages, etc) haven't taken over countries more often. They could easily replace and impersonate world leaders. The Mogu's flesh shaping could probably also create near identical replacements loyal to the Mogu. Hell even the Gnomes could probably create android replacements. Tactically, the replacements could also be used as spies (posing as soldiers or whatever) in the enemy's camp. They could perform sabotage, burn the food supply. Perhaps even replace the enemy commanders and make tactical blunders that would allow the imposter's faction to easily win.

With Nzoth, I wanted him to play mind games with both factions, and impersonate leaders and convince the BFA war wasn't over.

[Deneios]

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Gnomes would be unironically amazing at fighting giant monsters like Orcs or Tauren. They have a very small profile and are very nimble. The strength of an Orc or a Tauren wouldn't matter if they could never hit their opponent. Gnomes would like carry spears to make up for their height and thrust into the Orcs or Tauren through the gaps in their armor, if they were wearing any, that is.

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Gnomes are glorified living footballs and should be treated as such. Only way they survive is either use their robots or let orher races do the heavy lifting ie dwarfs and humans.
Their body composition is 50% head so they couldnt hold a shield without it clipping it in their face. Gnomes are unfit for frontline duty.

[Saltysquidoon]

You guys know before WoW there were these games called "Warcraft".
I hear they may have been about large-scale military combat in the universe and the tactics and strategies used by certain political groups located therein.

[Skayth]

You guys know before WoW there were these games called "Warcraft".
I hear they may have been about large-scale military combat in the universe and the tactics and strategies used by certain political groups located therein.

yup.

sadly Blizzard cant understand how rts works in this setting.

[Grimbold21]

Realistically taurens and orcs would run over the Alliance on account of physical superiority alone

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight]

Dwarves and gnomes should be particulary good at defensive warfare with their knowledge of living in moutainous and underground environments and the quality of their constructions materials and walls/doors and their tech, as shown already during their defense of Ironforge and Gnmeregan against the Old Horde during the Second War.

Gnomes could be particulary dangerous and unpredictable with their creativity and futuristic tech, with defensive robots, electrified defenses, lasers, glue or grease on the floor, gatling guns and snipers, traps, force fields, etc...

[Aleksej89]

i love the tactic where the heroes keep letting the villains escape in entirely predictable and slow paced routines that they repeat every time they are cornered.
i thought i would get sick of it after seeing it for the second time but now its been the 7th time and danuser just keeps doing it so great!!!

also love how every other expansion horde is taken to the brink of defeat but alliance says JK u little rascals its all fine, whatever.
really makes the world seem meaningful and consistent and decisions have impact...

/s

[Verdugo]

You cant expect some socal douchebags to know any other tactic than zerg rush.

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight]

Ironforge should get its own army of golems with the Dark Iron clan having reunited with their Bronzebeard and Wildhammer cousins. There could be a new Omnotron Defense System but made of mithril and set to protect Ironforge.

[DatToffer]

You guys know before WoW there were these games called "Warcraft".
I hear they may have been about large-scale military combat in the universe and the tactics and strategies used by certain political groups located therein.

Large-scale ? With a food limit of 100 chicken legs ?

[Soon-TM]

The best military strategy in Warcraft has been Andy besieging the Undercity without providing his soldiers with gas masks. It wasn't as if it was the first time that Sylv resorted to WMD warfare, was it?

[Mehrunes]

There is no such thing as military tactics in Warcraft. There is only rule of kewl.

Realistically, any Horde vs Alliance war should end within a couple years, and pretty bloodlessly for the Alliance. The Alliance has utter naval and aerial superiority. Thunder Bluff, Orgrimmar, and Highmountain are cities made out of flameable wood and cloth materials and could be wiped off the face of the earth overnight by a firebombing run from airships and gyrocopters, if the Alliance really wanted to. Not even the Undercity would be safe and would be buried under dirt and rubble from bombing. That said, the Alliance are pretty aren't the blood thirsty types and would probably just conduct a blockade of every Horde city and they'll surrender one by one.

The Alliance has such an "utter aerial superiority" that most of the gunships lost over the years were the Alliance ones. And it has such an "utter naval superiority" that prior to Legion the Forsaken blockaded Lordaeron subcontinent while Garrosh blockaded the entirety of Kalimdor between Cata and MoP. And then destroyed a huge part of the Alliance navy with his krakens.

[Dakhath]

The Vindicaar trumps anything and everything the Horde has. The war would be over in short order.

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight]

Gnomes should have worked on and found counters to the plagues and Blight a long time ago. Goblins and Draenei too should be able of finding counters to it with their tech, and with the Draenei having experienced use of biological wargame against them in the red mist.

[aceperson]

There is no such thing as military tactics in Warcraft. There is only rule of kewl.

that's actually false. there is the example of sylvanas using garathos in warcraft 3 as a meat shield to save the bulk of her forces and then killing him off once his usefulness was done. but that was back when the writers cared about fleshing out a character. now, it is in fact all about the rule of kewl.