The Horde possesses the game's most powerful ground units, including the savage Grunt and gargantuan Tauren. The Orcish Horde has modest air and ranged capabilities, but their true strength lies in their brute strength and raw melee power. Even the magic of their spellcasters is designed to enhance their frontline troops.

Advantages

Spiked Barricades
The buildings of the Orcish Horde can be outfitted with spikes that damage all enemy melee units that attack them. There are multiple upgrades, each empowering the spikes to do more damage. The Spiked Barricades upgrades are researched at the War Mill.

Pillage
Certain Orc units can be upgraded to salvage gold and lumber when attacking enemy buildings. Once trained, Pillage enables Peons, Grunts, and Raiders to add gold to your coffers every time they hit an enemy building.

Protective Burrows
The Orcish food supply building is the Orc Burrow; however, it also doubles as a defensive structure. When garrisoned with Peons, it can provide defense against land and air units in the form of a ranged attack.

The Orc Raiders are very good for destroying buildings.