Having the right pathways is a very important aspect, if you want to be successful in quickmatch. Wrong pathways can lead you on a bad way so that you will lose. However, sometimes its not easy to decide which are the best pathways. Thats why I made this guide. Hopefully it will help you to improve your game. Read the texts that are written to each map thoroughly, otherwise you may do something wrong. This guide was started by Falcon, but after my promotion to Strategy Specialist I fully refreshed it.
Maps:Pathways:- Blue = starting Soldiers
- Red = Pippin
- Green = extra battalion of Soldiers
- FoL = Forces of Light
- FoD = Forces of Darkness
Dunharrow
This is a map with advantages for both players. The bottom player can take his Farms easier while the top player has more Goblin creeps on his side. It is quite difficult here if you face a good Forces of Darkness player, but winnable.
Against Forces of Light
Against Gondor 
Onhost:Starting buildings: Blacksmith + Farm
Take the Farms on the right side with one of your Soldier battalions and then kill the Goblins on the right with your hobbit and finish the creep off with your Soldier battalion. After killing this creep, go to the Golbins in the upper half of the map. With your second Soldier battalion you should take your left Farm.
Offhost:Starting buildings: Blacksmith + Farm
Take your Farms as shown in the picture, and then go creeping. You might meet the enemy at the right Farm near the Goblins, so be wary.
Against Rohan 
Onhost:Starting buildings: Blacksmith + Farm
Use the same pathways as vs. Gondor here. Just be a bit more passive with your left Soldiers because he might send his Peasants there.
Offhost:Starting buildings: Blacksmith + Farm
Use the same as vs. Gondor here as well, just play passive. It could happen that he tries to sneak one Peasant battalion to your top Farms, and then it could be too late to save it.
Against Forces of Darkness
Against Isengard 
Onhost:Starting buildings: Blacksmith + Farm
You won't be able to even get close to Isengard's Mills, so the best pathways here are to use your Soldiers for creeping and the hobbit for getting the left Farm/luring the Troll to the Mill if Isengard has already taken it. Creep as much as you can with your Soldiers and then use your first horse to rush his Mill or even his base if he has no Towers.
Offhost:Starting buildings: Blacksmith + Farm
Starting from the offhost position means you have to use an effective strategy. Start with Blacksmith/Farm and send both of your Soldiers downwards. Get a Barracks as soon as possible and get your top farms with your hobbit. Get one Soldier which you send to the top right farm and which helps Pippin to defend, and then get another one after taking your Farms to harass his bottom left Farm. Sell your Barracks afterwards and get Stables.
Against Mordor 
Onhost:Starting buildings: Two Farms
It is very hard to play a good Mordor on this map, so using the right pathways here is essential. You won't be able to even get close to Mordor's farm, so the best pathways here are to use your Soldiers for creeping and the hobbit for getting the left Farm/luring the Troll to the Mill if Mordor has already taken it. Creep as much as you can with your Soldiers and then use your first horse to rush his Mill or even his base if he has no Towers.
Offhost:Starting buildings: Two Farms
On this map, the offhost position is slightly better than the onhost position if you play against Mordor. Send both of your Soldiers downwards. You will be able to harass at least one of his two Mills, if your Heal is rightly timed you can do a devastating damage here. Use your hobbit to catch your two Farms above your base, and after that use him to defend against his Orcs or to harass his bottom left Mill.
