Getting started with The Forge and mods

The Forge is the map editor, and it runs in your browser at /map-editor. No download, and you don't need an account to start. Saving keeps a copy in your browser.

Your first map

1. 1Open /map-editor and start a new map.
2. 2Paint terrain, raise hills and cliffs, add water or lava.
3. 3Place start positions, gold mines and anything else you want, and set up players and teams.
4. 4Press Ctrl+F9 to test it in the game straight away.
5. 5When you're happy, File → Publish to Custom Games (this part needs an account). The share link opens straight into your map, even for guests.

The Your First Map guide goes through this properly.

Going further

• Triggers add rules like waves, timers, objectives and custom victory, built from sentences. See the triggers guide.
• Data overrides change a unit's health, damage or cost, or clone one into something new, for that map only.
• Mods are .sosmod packages of those changes you can share and load on top of maps. Two samples are in the mods guide.
• The [validator](/tools/validator) checks a mod before you share it.
• AI assistants can draft maps and triggers. File → Import from AI / JSON checks what you paste before merging it, and you can undo it.

The custom games and mods page has more background, and there's a longer comparison there if you're coming from the Warcraft III or StarCraft II editors.

Post questions, WIPs and "why won't this trigger fire" threads here.