The mighty Tauren of the Kalimdor plains have pledged their allegiance to the new Horde out of respect for their courage and honor. The bold Tauren seek only to safeguard their quiet culture from the deathly fires of the Burning Legion. When roused, Tauren are fierce fighters and use their flails and horns alike to smash their enemies.
Tauren are the most powerful ground melee unit, thanks to their Pulverize ability which allows them to spread a massive amount of damage onto nearby ground units in battle. They also have high damage and health, making them ideal for tanking like Mountain Giants, but with better offensive capabilities.
Combine Tauren with Shamans and if possible, Necromancers so they can be given Bloodlust and Unholy Frenzy. This increases their attack speed and thus the overall chance of activating Pulverize in battle.
In The Frozen Throne, train several Spirit Walkers to accompany the Tauren. Their master spell, Ancestral Spirit, allows them to revive any deceased friendly non-Tauren hero unit, saving you both resources and training time. Spirit Walkers' Spirit Link spell also ensures the Tauren can survive longer thanks to their already high health.
Counters
Any magic-heavy damage unit such as Frost Wyrms can easily dispose of Tauren.
Spells and abilities
Pulverize (Passive)
Pulverize gives the Tauren a 25% chance of dealing area effect damage on their attacks.
Research Cost
Researched At
Requirements
Upgrade Time
100 250
Tauren Totem
None
40 sec.
Duration
Cooldown
Mana Cost
Range
Area of Effect
Allowed Targets
Effect
Instant
N/A
None
N/A
25/35
Ground, Enemy
60 damage (25 range)/30 damage (35 range)
This is a mandatory research - without it, Tauren are pretty much like Abominations in combat.
Upgrades
Steel Melee Weapons
Increases the melee attack damage of Grunts, Raiders, and Tauren.
Research Cost
Researched At
Requirements
Upgrade Time
100 75
War Mill
None
60 sec.
Thorium Melee Weapons
Further increases the melee attack damage of Grunts, Raiders, and Tauren.
Research Cost
Researched At
Requirements
Upgrade Time
150 175
War Mill
Stronghold
75 sec.
Arcanite Melee Weapons
Further increases the melee attack damage of Grunts, Raiders, and Tauren.
Research Cost
Researched At
Requirements
Upgrade Time
200 275
War Mill
Fortress
90 sec.
Steel Unit Armor
Increases the armor of Grunts, Raiders, Troll Batriders, Tauren, Troll Headhunters, Troll Berserkers, Wind Riders, and Demolishers.
Research Cost
Researched At
Requirements
Upgrade Time
150 75
War Mill
None
60 sec.
Thorium Unit Armor
Further increases the armor of Grunts, Raiders, Troll Batriders, Tauren, Troll Headhunters, Troll Berserkers, Wind Riders, and Demolishers.
Research Cost
Researched At
Requirements
Upgrade Time
225 225
War Mill
Stronghold
75 sec.
Arcanite Unit Armor
Further increases the armor of Grunts, Raiders, Troll Batriders, Tauren, Troll Headhunters, Troll Berserkers, Wind Riders, and Demolishers.
Research Cost
Researched At
Requirements
Upgrade Time
300 375
War Mill
Fortress
90 sec.
Manual description
Note: The manual description is identical with the exception of the last sentence.
When roused, tauren are fierce fighters and use their mighty totems to smash their enemies into the dust of the plains.
Battle.net Warcraft III - Orcs -> Units -> Tauren
