Although it has a 5v5 game with 3 different maps, this game differs from other MOBAs in its genre in a few different ways. The main contrasting factor is an obvious cheekiness that keeps the game lighthearted and sarcastic.
Besides its charm, Orc Must Die! Unchained focuses on summoning different types of minions to assist you on the battlefront. Combined with the ability to lay traps for your opponents, the quirks of the game will win you over by keeping you interested and making you laugh.
First Things First, How Do You Win?
Your main objective in Orc Must Die! Unchained is to lead your minions into your opponent’s rift. Each team has a rift that is located in their respective fortress.
Your team will face off against the enemy team as you attempt to clear a path for your army of minions, all while fighting off your opponent’s horde.
Each team will start with a static amount of Rift Points. These points will steadily decrease each time an enemy minion enters your rift, so it’s a race against the clock to see which team gets the most minions into the other’s rift.
How to Play the Offense
Since your minions are obviously a very important part of the game, the most vital piece of your offensive puzzle is spawning your minions.
To do so, you and your team will both have to visit the War Camp, which is identified by a shield with two swords behind it. It’ll be the same color as your team.
When you follow the icon on your mini map, you’ll see the towering, wooden doors on your main screen. Press “F” to enter.
Summoning your Minions
Once you’re inside the War Camp, you’ll see 5 available slots for Minion Cards. Each player on your team can play 1 card, provided he/she has enough leadership points.
Leadership points are displayed right underneath the card, right next to the stone fist icon. Access leadership points can also be spent on upgrades, which will unlock more powerful minion camps. The longer the game goes on, the more your should upgrade your minions.
Your minions and your team will then exit the War Camp and automatically begin fighting towards your opponent’s rift.
Leadership Points
To earn more leadership points, you simply have to fight next to your minions on the fields of battle.
Strategy
When you choose to play the offense and you’re going to push, always remember to stay with your minions. If you run ahead and attempt to make your own path without them, it will neither be an intelligent move nor a pretty sight for you.
How to Play Defense
Once your minions are released and begin to attack your opponent’s fortress, you can head to the outer edge of your fortress, called your Front Keep.
Here you can lay traps for unsuspecting enemies to trigger.
How to Lay Traps
Traps can be placed using “F.” It will use your available coins (the top icon to the right of your character portrait). You can only place traps you already have in your inventory.
One important thing to note is that traps can be placed anywhere – on the floor, the wall, or even the ceiling.
How to Collect Coins
Players can earn coins by taking down opponents and their minions on the field of battle.
Play With a Strategy in Mind
As you play through the match, don’t forget to keep laying traps as you earn more coins. These can be vital in tipping the scales against your opponents, so traveling back to the front of your keep to continuously place traps is a great strategy.
Whenever you’re passing through your Front Keep, you should always glace at your coins. This is the easiest way to remember to keep laying traps. Another great way to remind yourself is to make a habit of laying traps as soon as you spawn minions.
You can also use your traps to defend other aspects of your fortress, not just your keep. Try placing them next to your Rift instead of your keep to defend different areas based on how the game is progressing.
How to Use Your Guardian
Your Guardian is a gigantic minion that is fighting for your team right outside your keep.
It will protect its lane at all costs, meaning that it will fight off any minion or hero that approaches it.
Besides offering an extra boost to your defensive line, your Guardian will also grant a regeneration aura to any minions or heroes next to it.
Using it to Your Advantage
Make sure you aren’t ignoring your Guardian, since it’s an important thing to take advantage of during your match.
Use your traps not only to defend the entrance to your fortress, but also to defend your Guardian. Much like an important chess piece, it’s not necessary to your victory, but can assist you greatly if it’s kept alive.
Make sure to also go and fight alongside your Guardian if your health is getting a little low, since it will give you health. It will also give your hero a chance to collect Coins and Leadership Points.
General Tips and Tricks
To Defend or Push
When the game starts and your team summons your horde of minions, you have a choice. You can start by going on the offense and fighting alongside your minions, or you can go on the defense and begin setting traps for your opponents.
It’s important to communicate with your team and split up instead of everyone going to one side and ignoring the other. For example, if everyone goes to push with their minions and no one is there to defend, that lane will be wide open for you opponents to come knocking down your rift.
There are also many different heroes with different abilities, and these should be taken advantage of as well. If your hero has a lot of waveclear, he/she should fight with the minions. If your hero is a better hero-to-hero fighter, he/she should move to place traps because you will be able to defend yourself against incoming heroes.
Make Sure You’re Using Your Hero’s Abilities
As I mentioned above, each hero has his/her own special abilities that make him/her unique.
These can be used by pressing “Q” and “E.” You can see the cooldown by the grey area slowly moving in a circle on the icon (much like World of Warcraft).
Each hero’s abilities are specialized for offense, defense, or both, so make sure you read up on which hero you chose and so you can play them how they’re meant to be played.
Pummel Your Opponent by SPAWNING MORE MINIONS
The biggest factor to remember is to always go back to your War Camps to push out as many minions as you can.
Upgrading your minions is the best thing you can do to improve your chances at winning, so make sure you’re keeping an eye on your Leadership Points as the game progresses.
What Platform Can I Use To Play?
Orcs Must Die! Unchained can currently only be played on the PC or the PlayStation 4.
What Computer Specs Do I Need to Run it?
Minimum Specifications
Windows XP/Vista/7/8 Intel Core2 Duo 2. 66GHz 4GB Ram 10 GB free HD space GeForce GT8800 with 512 MB VRAM Running at 1024x768 screen resolution with “Death Physics Quality,” “Video Quality,” and “Audio Emitter Limit” set to Low.
Recommended Specifications
Windows 7/8 Intel Core i5-2320 3. 0 GHz (or better) 6GB RAM (or better) 10 GB free HD space GeForce GTX 555 with 1GB VRAM (or better) Running at 1920x1200 screen resolution with “Death Physics Quality,” and “Video Quality” set to Medium. “Audio Emitter Limit,” set to “High. "
Off to the Fields of Battle!
Now that you have a head start on Orcs Must Die! Unchained, you’re ready to try it for yourself.
Equipped with some knowledge, you’ll have a leg up on your opponents which will make winning that much easier. You can brush up on even more gameplay and strategy by visiting the official website here.
First you will have to register an account to your email, but once that’s completed you can download the game straight from the website (or the link in your email) here.
