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Elven Forward Barracks

By Crabby Lobster - 30th January 2010 - 18:14 PM

Normally, when players see someone using a forward Barracks as Elves, they just laugh and expect an easy win. This guide will tell you how, believe it or not, starting with a forward Barracks can actually be a legitimate strategy. Starting with a forward Barracks will not get you your first creep any faster than building the barracks in your base. So, how could this strategy possibly be better than just building the Barracks in your base? The answer is that this build order allows you to build a second Mallorn Tree, before making your first archer.

Build Orders



Against Men of the West: Early Lancers

Mallorn Tree - Forward Barracks - Mallorn Tree - 2 Archers - Mallorn Tree - Mithlond Sentry - 2 Mallorn Trees - Archers - Pasture

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This strategy works very well against Men of the West when they do the Barracks/Archery Range start, but it is weak against quick Knights or a Knight rush. If you use Far Sight and see the opponent going for fast Knights, do not get an archer as your second battalion; instead, make a Mithlond Sentry. You will also want a Mithlond Sentry as your third battalion without making quick archers or swords, but Men of the West will almost always follow their cavalry rush with either fast archers or get cavalry around the same time as they make swords.

Against Elves: Dual Barracks

Mallorn Tree - Forward Barracks - Mallorn Tree - 2 Archers - Mallorn Tree - Archers - 2 Mallorn Trees - Lorien Warriors - Barracks

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The best match up to use this strategy in is Elven mirrors. The extra economy gives you a great head start over your opponent. You also rarely have to worry about losing your Barracks because Elves have weak harassment and have no effective way to destroy it early game unless they Lancer rush. Your strong economy will allow you to either get a second Barracks and more units or make Mirkwood Archers sooner than your opponent. This will oftentimes be enough give you the win.

Against Dwarves: Dual Barracks

Mallorn Tree - Forward Barracks - Mallorn Tree - Lorien Archers - Lorien Warriors - Mallorn Tree - Lorien Archers - 2 Mallorn Trees - Lorien Warriors - Barracks

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This strategy works pretty well against Dwarves. Your strong economy allows you to get a second Barracks up very fast, allowing you to make lots of units to defend against the strong Guardians. Dwarves are also very strong against buildings though, so it may be difficult for you to keep your forward Barracks up. Quick Battlewagons will make your start very difficult. If your opponent does get fast Battlewagons, I would suggest building a Tower near your Barracks, since Battlewagons die very fast to structural damage.

Against Isengard: Early Second Barracks

Mallorn Tree - Forward Barracks - Mallorn Tree - Lorien Archers - Mithlond Sentry - Mallorn Tree - Mithlond Sentry - Mallorn Tree - Barracks - Lorien Archers

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Elves against Isengard is probably the worst match up you can use this build order in. Wargs and their Howl ablility will destroy a Barracks in just a couple hits. This strategy can work very well against Isengard though, you just need to mix lots of Mithlond Sentries with your Lorien Archers. This will give the Wargs difficulty when harassing and destroying your Barracks. Your faster second Barracks should also help you to unit mix, which is the key to this match up.

Against Mordor: Dual Barracks

Mallorn Tree - Forward Barracks - Mallorn Tree - Lorien Archers - Lorien Archers - Mallorn Tree - Lorien Archers - 2 Mallorn Trees - Lorien Archers - Barracks

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Elves against Mordor is a good match up for using a forward Barracks. The stronger economy and faster second Barracks will give you a much stronger start, allowing you to defend better. With more units sooner and a stronger economy you will be able to harass sooner, giving you a much better chance in this match up. Another thing you can do is the Glorfindel rush, which works better with forward Barracks due to your stronger economy.

Against Goblins: Early Lancers

Mallorn Tree - Forward Barracks - Mallorn Tree - Lorien Archers - Lorien Warriors - Mallorn Tree - Lorien Archers - 2 Mallorn Trees - Mithlond Sentry - Green Pasture

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Elves against Goblins is a very good match up for a forward Barracks. Your stronger economy helps you get Lancers a lot sooner to defend against Goblin Warriors. You can also choose to get two Barracks, instead of a Green Pasture. Both work well against Goblins. I would prefer getting Lancers, so massed Goblin Warriors will not destroy your Barracks, and because it is easier to harass.

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Forward Barracks Placement

Execution



Your forward Barracks should go in the same spot as you would place a forward Barracks as Men of the West. You can either put it in the trees or you can place it next to the trees, directly between your Fortress and the Warg creep. It is easier to defend the Barracks if you build it in the trees, but you will not get the creep as early as you would if you built it beside them. If you place your Barracks the correct distance from the lair, you will not need a Builder to help creep. The archers will fire at the lair and Wargs without you having to micro them at all, it is normally a better idea to use a Builder anyway though. You will have your second battalion right when you finish the creep or even earlier if you make a Lorien Archer second, so you should not have to worry about creep steals, unless the opponent cavalry rushed.

If you get a Lorien Warrior as your second battalion you should harass resource buildings with it or try to creep-steal pikes. The main match up you would look to creep-steal would be against Dwarves. If you choose to get a second archer, you can either creep in groups of one or send them both to the same creep. If you get a Mithlond Sentry as your second unit, you should creep with them together. Always get a Mithlond Sentry as your second and third units when your opponent is getting early cavalry. You should be creeping with your first two units together, so if your next is an archer, it will not have any pikes to defend it.


Advantages



Improved Economy

This build order gives you the strongest economy possible for early game. You will still get your first creep at the same time as you would with the regular Mallorn Tree, Barracks, Lorien Archers build order, but with this build order you will also have an early second Mallorn Tree. This Mallorn Tree will improve your economy greatly and can make all the difference in what would be a close game. One resource building collects about 300 resources per minute over the course of a game (if you include leveling); in a fifteen minute game, it will give you approximately 4000 resources. Just think about all you can do with those resources! Your second Mallorn Tree can also pay for another Barracks, if you happen to lose your first one, in the time it takes to build three Lorien Archers.

Map Control

Most players will want to destroy your forward Barracks right away and will be distracted from harassing your Mallorn Trees. This will help you build an even greater economy. Your opponent is also likely to waste his units while making attempts at destroying your Barracks. It is fairly easy to defend the Barracks because it is near trees for stealth and Elves have strong archers. You can also make Lancers or a tower to help you establish map control. When you have Lancers your opponent will rarely be able to destroy your Barracks with swords. Another thing you can do is to make a tower in the middle of the map and then garrison it. This can block off an entire ford, making defense much easier and keeping your Barracks and some Mallorn Trees safe.


Disadvantages



Weaker Defense and Harassment

With a forward Barracks you get your units by the middle of the map, rather than at your base. This results in weaker defense from around your Fortress. You will also be forced to defend near your Barracks at certain points, making it much more difficult to defend other areas of the map. When your defense is weaker, you are focused to put more effort into defense. This can lead to weaker harassment. Elven harassment is already the weakest of all the factions, and you do not want to make risks that will make your harassment even worse. Fortunately, the disadvantages of weaker defense and harassment can be avoided by playing additional games and gaining experience.

Cavalry Rush

Cavalry rushing is the proper counter to starting with a forward Barracks. Any cavalry unit can destroy a Barracks in just a few hits. It can also be hard to stop cavalry from killing the Barracks because of their speed. Although losing your Barracks can lose you the game, the worst scenario is that cavalry will creep steal your archers. Fortunately, you will usually have your second battalion out at around the time you get your first creep, so you can make a sentry as your second unit and it will hopefully be able to stop cavalry from taking both the creep and your archers. Another problem is that your pikes will not be able to counter the cavalry by destroying the opponent's Stables because they die too fast against the Fortress.

More Predictable

Your strategy is always more predictable, regardless of your faction, when you start with a forward Barracks. If your opponent scouts you and sees your forward Barracks or somehow guesses that you are going to do it, he will probably know exactly where you are going to creep and know exactly where he should send his units on the attack. The main counter to this strategy is a cavalry rush. If you suspect that your opponent will rush cavalry at you, you may want to make a Mithlond Sentry as your second or even first battalion. Try using your own predictability to your advantage by surprising the opponent. You can stealth a Mithlond Sentry in the trees by the Barracks and hopefully the cavalry will crush right through them.


Conclusion



Starting with a forward Barracks is definitely more risky than the traditional start of making the Barracks near your Fortress, but it can definitely pay off and sometimes it is well worth the risk. The strategy definitely takes some getting used to, and the style of play is even quite a bit different than most other build orders. This strategy does have potential though, you just have to get used to it through experience.

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