One of the strangest and most dire tools utilized by the undeadScourge is the dreaded Meat Wagon. This rickety contraption is used to collect and store recently slain corpses from the field of battle. At any time, corpses can be pulled from the Meat Wagon and raised into undead warriors. The Meat Wagon can also 'fling' diseased corpses at enemy units by use of a crude catapult device. An invaluable support vehicle for the Scourge, the Meat Wagon strikes fear and woe into the hearts of even the most resolute defenders.
The Meat Wagon functions similarly to the Night Elven Glaive Thrower and Orcish Demolishers as long-range mechanical siege units, and as such are effective against heavily fortified enemies where a simple head-on attack would be unfeasible. However, despite this use, they're fairly uncommon due to their lack of versatility compared to other siege units (Demolishers have Burning Oil for DoT, Mortar Teams can be affected by spells and Glaive Throwers can multihit), along with the fact that they only help Necromancer-heavy setups.
Unlike its other counterparts, the Meat Wagon is also designed to hold corpses - up to eight at any given time. The Meat Wagon preserves the corpses held inside them, so they will never decay. This makes it particularly useful for Death Knights and Necromancers. While it is unlikely that there will be many high-level creeps on any given map, the Meat Wagon may hold onto them for the Death Knight to reanimate, temporarily giving players powerful assistants for their side. Necromancers also enjoy the benefit of the Meat Wagon by quickly summoning Skeletal warriors and/or mages as soon as they enter the battlefield for additional assistance. However, their long attack range means the summoned skeletons must be directed to attack enemies as they will be too far to acquire targets. This can be remedied by bringing the Meat Wagons closer to the Necromancers.
The Meat Wagon doesn't automatically pick up corpses unless set on automatic - they collect the nearest corpses. If Exhumed Corpses has been researched, then the Meat Wagon automatically supplies itself with corpses like the Graveyards, making the process of collecting corpses unnecessary. Meat Wagons can also benefit from the Disease Cloud research as their attacks become capable of spreading disease onto enemies.
If destroyed with corpses inside, all of the corpses will spill out of the Meat Wagon.
Spells and abilities
Get Corpse (Autocast)
Picks up a nearby corpse for later use.
Drop All Corpses
Drops all corpses for immediate use.
Disease Cloud
Meat Wagons will cause Disease Clouds wherever they attack that deal 1 damage per second for 120 seconds to nearby enemy units.
Undead are immune to Disease Cloud.
Research Cost
Researched At
Requirements
Upgrade Time
100 200
Slaughterhouse
Black Citadel
45 sec.
Exhume Corpses
Gives Meat Wagons the ability to generate corpses.
Research Cost
Researched At
Requirements
Upgrade Time
75 50
Slaughterhouse
Halls of the Dead
20 sec.
Upgrades
Unholy Strength
Increases the attack damage of Ghouls, Meat Wagons, Abominations, Skeleton Warriors, and Skeletal Mages.
Research Cost
Researched At
Upgrade Time
125 50
Graveyard
60 sec.
Improved Unholy Strength
Further increases the attack damage of Ghouls, Meat Wagons, Abominations, Skeleton Warriors, and Skeletal Mages.
Research Cost
Researched At
Requirements
Upgrade Time
200 150
Graveyard
Halls of the Dead
75 sec.
Advanced Unholy Strength
Further increases the attack damage of Ghouls, Meat Wagons, Abominations, Skeleton Warriors, and Skeletal Mages.
Research Cost
Researched At
Requirements
Upgrade Time
275 250
Graveyard
Black Citadel
90 sec.
Patch changes
Patch 1.19 (09/18/2005)
Exhume Corpses research now costs 75 gold / 50 lumber down from 125 gold / 100 lumber.
Patch 1.15 (05/11/2004)
Exhume Corpses now requires Halls of the Dead instead of Black Citadel.
Patch 1.06 (2003-06-03): All basic siege units (Mortar Teams, Catapults, etc.) have had their night sight increased to 1100 from 1000.
Patch 1.01 (2002-07-05):Hit points reduced to 380 from 450.
External links
Battle.net Warcraft III - Undead -> Units -> Meat Wagon