wow Patch 8.1: Horde War Campaign Ending

[Stan 5,240]

A new War Campaign chapter is available to both factions in Tides of Vengeance and today, we're looking at the Horde ending. This article contains major spoilers.

The following article contains 8.1 story spoilers that involve major characters. Click here to leave the article.

8.1 Horde Campaign Highlights

In the 8.1 Horde campaign, you'll help Rexxar in Tiragarde Sound, Gallywix confront Mekkatorque in Drustvar, Sylvanas free Ashvane from Tol Dagor, and Talanji fend off a staged Alliance attack in Nazmir. The campaign ends with a raid quest to defeat Jaina Proudmoore in the Battle of Dazar'alor and honoring King Rastakhan who was killed by the Alliance when they assaulted the city unbeknownst to the Horde.

For the latest Patch 8.1 news, check out our Tides of Vengeance hub.

The King's Death

King Rastakhan is dead, the Zandalari fleet has been decimated, and we have lost valuable soldiers. The Dark Lady is on her way from Orgrimmar to assess the situation. We must figure out our next move before the Alliance strike again. I believe protocol now would be to pay respects to the fallen king. We will determine our next move afterwards.

Nathanos tells you to go Dazar'alor and pay respects to the fallen king. There, you'll see his altar, plenty of Zandalari Trolls as well as Baine, Nathanos, and Sylvanas who all came to pay tribute to Rastakhan.

Quote

Princess Talanji: Thank you for coming, champion. Zuldazar is still reeling from de Alliance attack. My people's faith has been shaken... and so has my own.

Baine Bloodhoof: I too know the pain of losing a father. If there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to ask.

Nathanos Blightcaller: You have seen firsthand the treachery of the Alliance. Let your grief be sated by vengeance against them.

Baine Bloodhoof: This is not the time to speak of revenge, Blightcaller!

Nathanos Blightcaller: Enough! The warchief has arrived.

The Return of Derek Proudmoore

I'll admit, I did not thing the Little Lion had it in him to kill King Rastakhan. Blood has been spilled, and vengeance must be had. Give me a moment to express my condolences, then come with me. We have more to do to win this war.

Quote

Lady Sylvanas Windrunner: My condolences on your loss, princess. Excuse me... Queen Talanji.

Princess Talanji: Titles mean little to me now. I must know... with de Zandalari navy in ruins, does de Horde intend to abandon us?

Lady Sylvanas Windrunner: We do not turn our back on our allies, Talanji. The war campaign has taken an unfortunate turn, to be certain... but our cause is not lost.

Nathanos Blightcaller: my queen... reports are coming in from all outposts. The Alliance is tightening its grip. Victory is within their grasp.

Baine Bloodhoof: Perhaps we can open negotiations--

Lady Sylvanas Windrunner: The Alliance slays the leader of the Zandalari, and you speak of negotiations?

Lady Sylvanas Windrunner: No. This war will not end until we stand victorious. Until the Little Lion kneels before my throne.

Lady Sylvanas Windrunner: Meet me aboard the Banshee's Wail. I have a plan to ensure the Proudmoore family pays dearly for Rastakhan's death.

Aboard the Banshee's Wail, Sylvanas raises Derek Proudmoore as a Forsaken and plans to use him as tool of vengeance. There's a not yet implemented cutscene with the description:

PLACEHOLDER - Cutscene of Derek Proudmoore being revived, Baine getting angry about it.

Sylvanas has already managed to raise Delaryn Summermoon and Sira Moonwarden in Tyrande's Ascension and now, she's also raised Jaina's brother. It almost seems that she's raising pretty much every foe she can. Do you like where the story is heading? Let us know in the comments!

Horde Campaign Ending Video

Horde War Campaign continues in 8.1 and our summary covers its most important moments.

[Arcling 898]

With all these resurrections, Sylvanas is becoming more and more like Scourge... Rather boring if it becomes just a different version of MoP scenario in the end. Horde would have been more interesting as enemy for the Alliance, if someone with at least some values was in charge, something that could make Alliance question their own actions more. Perhaps it's time to finish Alliance-Horde all-out wars for good (and maybe keep to some occasional smaller conflicts, like in some expansions) and focus on fighting other factions, from Azeroth and beyond, as some potential is still there.

Also, there appears to be a plothole, Val'kyr in Cataclysm were stated as being able to only resurrect related races (humans and vrykul), but in this campaign they were able to raise other races. Here they changed that.

Edited October 29, 2018 by Arcling

[Teufel 331]

Just now, Arcling said:

With all these resurrections, Sylvanas is becoming more and more like Scourge...

I think an emphasis here is on 'whom' she's bringing back, rathen than just Lich King-y bolstering the numbers. Both Sira and Derek held high rank amongst the Wardens and Kul'Tiras respectively, which means they could be privy to some secrets that can be used in war as an asset. That leaves Delaryn, though.

Edited October 29, 2018 by Teufel

[PatrickHenry 293]

2 minutes ago, Teufel said:

rathen than just Lich King-y bolstering the numbers.

Initially, maybe... but the entire ending to the Battle For Lordaeron shows otherwise. 

As does her intentions (with nathanos) to raze Stormwind and make more Forsaken.

[ArusVicious 156]

32 minutes ago, Arcling said:

With all these resurrections, Sylvanas is becoming more and more like Scourge... Rather boring if it becomes just a different version of MoP scenario in the end. Horde would have been more interesting as enemy for the Alliance, if someone with at least some values was in charge, something that could make Alliance question their own actions more. Perhaps it's time to finish Alliance-Horde all-out wars for good (and maybe keep to some occasional smaller conflicts, like in some expansions) and focus on fighting other factions, from Azeroth and beyond, as some potential is still there.

Also, there appears to be a plothole, Val'kyr in Cataclysm were stated as being able to only resurrect related races (humans and vrykul), but in this campaign they were able to raise other races. Here they changed that.

I don't like the "power hungry" route Sylvanas is taking. I feel like she's a great character, but isn't getting the story she deserves. She's a very sophistocated and complex character with an interesting story, but now, she's becoming more of a one-dimensional character who's obsessed with nothing but victory and war. I really want to see a different side of Sylvanas. She's a character with so much potential, but if she's going to be this power hungry, I'm hoping to see a story building off of that which delves into why she's acting like she is. 

That being said, I do have hope, but I can't help but feeling like the story is a bit sloppy and rushed. I'm also happy to see that Baine is getting involved in parts of the story, and I think he might team up with Saurfang later in the expansion and try to restore honor to the Horde. That could be pretty neat.

Edited October 29, 2018 by Maxkitty

[Teufel 331]

Just now, PatrickHenry said:

Initially, maybe... but the entire ending to the Battle For Lordaeron shows otherwise. 

As does her intentions (with nathanos) to raze Stormwind and make more Forsaken.

I suppose she doesn't expect to conquer SW without heavy losses, so bolsetring her numbers aferwards seems logical.
BoL is her basically cornered into the Undercity, and we all know how scared Sylvanas is to die, and working towards survival, I don't think she'd put any kind of limits onto herself.

Here, though, the situation is different, and if Baine's reaction to Derek's revival is representing Horde's disdain for necromancy in general, Sylvanas would be better off not alienating them further and fight war with outmaneuvering the opponents, rathen than brute-forcing through with a high odorous body count.

That is, of course, my opinion, and I personally don't like Sylvanas at all, but I imagine this is how her mind would probably work. Then again, Blizzard is known for having plotholes.

Edited October 29, 2018 by Teufel

[PatrickHenry 293]

46 minutes ago, Teufel said:

BoL is her basically cornered into the Undercity, and we all know how scared Sylvanas is to die, and working towards survival, I don't think she'd put any kind of limits onto herself.

she planned the events of undercity.  All the equipment and preparation was done, just needed implementing.  Cornered was her endgame.  Draw them in, kill them close. 

Plotholes ineed lol!

[Teufel 331]

Just now, PatrickHenry said:

she planned the events of undercity.  All the equipment and preparation was done, just needed implementing.  Cornered was her endgame.  Draw them in, kill them close. 

Plotholes ineed lol!

And, how does this contradict what I have said?
Cornering yourself, despite you making it looking like an endgame, is one huge  gamble. However good you are at predicting and planning traps, there's no guarantee it'll go this way, espeically in the world where magic and deus-ex-machinas are common. In the event it doesn't go as planeed, she'd need those kind of tactics to repel, if not decimate, the Alliance army, regardless of whether she wanted it or no.

Edited October 29, 2018 by Teufel

[PatrickHenry 293]

Its not necessarily a contradiction at all.  It is however notable that 'a big gamble' would have not been possible had Jaina not intervened, since the alliance was literally in full retreat prior. 

Again, its all plotholes.  Necessary ones i suppose?  idk im not a story writer for blizz. 

[Jinzuru 9]

First Saurfang gets impressed how Sylvanas is able to open his narrow "army vs army" mindset, then fails to stick to the plan he helped to design, and when Sylvanas has to improvize, he goes full emo. Blight stuff was wicked, but it got the job done.

To me it just sounds like such a legendary war veteran has forgotten everything about war, or is too afraid to become the orc he was during their very 1st arrival.

So at the moment he and Baine are just whiny hippies, and they also try do drag Vol'jin's spirit into their boat. I'd wish to see real alternative ending of this story, but I know it won't happen.

[ThomasC 65]

I play horde and i cannot see a scenario where we arent the bad guys. I cant get behind or support our side of the story in any way. 

Sylvanas is evil, Nathanos is a dick - what is there to like?

[krapmyself 60]

Heck yeah! Glory to the Dark Lady. Let's trash some Alliance scum!

[Thunderbull 2]

All those pvplike expansions the Horde was bad. It's boring and unfair at least. When we kill alliance, it is not gud, when they are slaughtering us, dis gud.

Screw it. "For the Horde!", at last. I won't betray my warchief.

[CorneliusBrutus 6]

22 hours ago, Maxkitty said:

I don't like the "power hungry" route Sylvanas is taking. I feel like she's a great character, but isn't getting the story she deserves. She's a very sophistocated and complex character with an interesting story, but now, she's becoming more of a one-dimensional character who's obsessed with nothing but victory and war. I really want to see a different side of Sylvanas. She's a character with so much potential, but if she's going to be this power hungry, I'm hoping to see a story building off of that which delves into why she's acting like she is.

I guess I don't understand how this is so consistently brought up as a talking point ("we need more nuance BLIZZ"). She's failed and lost her people once before (in her view). The burden of being named Warchief and being responsible for their safety and prosperity is clearly weighing heavily on her. She recognized the strategic potential of Azerite and made a proactive series of moves to position the Horde well in what she viewed as an inevitable conflict (and it honestly would have been). Her ruthlessness is a thematic foil to the Horde's traditional sense of "honor", and pushes the limit of what other Horde figures are willing to accept from a Warchief. These are character beats that I find intriguing, and as a Horde player I can appreciate having a leader who fights to win, who puts the prosperity of their people above concerns of how they are perceived.

[riparooni 0]

Baine's being a baby again I see

[Arcling 898]

6 hours ago, ThomasC said:

I play horde and i cannot see a scenario where we arent the bad guys. I cant get behind or support our side of the story in any way. 

It's not thay they can't, it's just that they are being written that way, perhaps writers don't have any better idea. Old Horde were the bad guys (and a puppet to Legion's and Gul'Dan's schemes), but Thrall's horde was established upon having values such as honor. It's more interesing when both sides are neither completely good or bad. Besides Sylvanas and Talanji (at least until focus shifts on different content), other Horde leaders are barely in the spotlight and mostly following her, while Saurfang spends his time in exile. Forsaken and blood elves, as former Alliance, always felt a bit like outsiders in the Horde, perhaps it was a better spot for them from story perspective. 

Main issue is, they didn't bother to develop many new Horde characters, so there aren't many notable characters to replace Sylvanas. Most notable orcs are either dead or old, others not developed, Sylvanas is basically the only developed forsaken with Nathanos just being a follower etc.

At least Alliance is getting something a bit more interesting with Tyrande and Genn focused more on vengeance, while Anduin is opposing it. 

Baine considering surrender makes sense. If enemy decimated your army, it's better to negotiate, rather than being slaughtered.

Edited October 30, 2018 by Arcling

[LunarGamble 1]

It feels like a lot of people are missing some nuance that IS in this ending. 

First with Sylvanas. If she was simply power hungry it would be better to cut her loses and abandon the Zandalari. Without thief navy the trolls aren't much more then warm bodies and a strategic landmass that is swarming with Alliance. But instead of doing the logical thing and leaving she chooses to play her hand, likely earlier then she would of wanted, and raise Derek Proudmore. Sylvanas isn't just doing this for her people's sake, sure forsaken are priority number one but the Horde is valuable to her too. Hell she didn't even kill/banish Baine for being an out and out traitor who sympathizes with the Alliance more then his allies even if getting rid of him would leave no strong dissenting voices. While Sylvanas may be power hungry she clearly has some honor for the Allies she has and hates those that aren't loyal see Saurfang, The dreadlord and the plague doctor from Wrath. 

Now I'm not excusing anything and I would like to see more of the brooding person that was Wrath Sylvanas but give credit where it is due

[Arcling 898]

5 hours ago, LunarGamble said:

First with Sylvanas. If she was simply power hungry it would be better to cut her loses and abandon the Zandalari.

She's afraid of dying, when she was briefly dead, apparently her soul was about to be taken/consumed by Void Lords (they didn't flesh it out yet, but that's probably what could have happened). Zandalar tribe is still useful to her, even with diminished numbers, she will take any help she can get (and she may always resurrect some fallen allies).

[CorneliusBrutus 6]

14 hours ago, LunarGamble said:

Sylvanas isn't just doing this for her people's sake, sure forsaken are priority number one but the Horde is valuable to her too.

I was using "her people" a shorthand for the Horde in general. I think she does have a stronger sense of loyalty and obligation to the Horde after the events of Legion and just before, no longer just dedicated to the Forsaken and their continued existence. But basically I agree with you.

Edited October 31, 2018 by CorneliusBrutus
Rewording something