The Horde burns down Teldrassil and the Alliance takes Lordaeron in response.

[Oneirophobia]

Why would Sylvannas be concerned about Teldrassil attacking orgrimmar, while she should be more concerned about Stormwind, Ironforge, Dark Iron and Wildhammer dwarfs closer to her Lordaeron's Undercity?

Sylvanna is clever, she knows that if she put down Teldrassil the entire alliance will come for her Undercity, whislt the alliance would never expect Sylvannas to burn down Teldrassil after losing Lordaeron. They would expect an attack in Stormwind.

As I said, it's a start. It isn't a good one, but it's at least SOME sort of motivation.

[Mehrunes]

Secondly: Why the fuck is this tree burnable? Are you telling me the Horde could have tossed a fucking torch on it and that would be the end? We waited until now to do this why?

Yeah, Garrosh looks even more incompetent than he did before now.

[Megas Elekmatos]

This goes directly against what was said at Blizzcon during their panel where they specifically said "it could have happened either way. we will have to wait until the expansion releases to know for sure". Not taking the quote from an article from gamespot over what was said live at Blizzcon's WoW panel itself.

[Deleted]

This goes directly against what was said at Blizzcon during their panel where they specifically said "it could have happened either way. we will have to wait until the expansion releases to know for sure". Not taking the quote from an article from gamespot over what was said live at Blizzcon's WoW panel itself.

Pretty much. I bet there is something more going on. As I said in my last post look who is there. Nathanos and most likely Varok. I bet Wrathion is involved somehow. Plus Saurfang is fighting at the undercity if Sylvanas had done something truly heninous why haven't any of them called a mak'gora?

[Mehrunes]

You know why she would burn down the tree first? Cause fighting a two front war is stupid.

And given that the tree would requires some immense amount of power to be turned into a torch, it'd make just as much sense to use it to attack Stormwind with first, in a surprise attack, leaving the smaller Darnassus as the only remaining front.

[Halyon]

I don't get why the Tauren were the ones who burned it down though, and not some more personal lackeys of Sylvanass's...

[Meanshield]

Whose to say its not the other way around?

[CthulhuFhtagn]

Strategicly it is even bette rto burn it down.
Teldrassil is a fortress with 200 meter walls right next to orgrimmar that could have been used as an operation base for a counterattack against orgrimmar once sylvanas starts war with stormwind.

So by destroying the only big city in the reagion she secures the defense of orgrimmar and kalimdor and can concentrate on the war on the eastern kingdoms, she might thought she could defend off a siege against a fully prepared and defended undercity hence why saurfang and the entire horde army was there, they expected an attack there but still failed which then leads to BFA where sylvanas needs a navy to be able to attack again as she lust her foothold on the whole continent after that.

Care to explain why Saurfang and Baine, who Sylvanas specifically said were keeping an eye on her, would follow her to UC after she launches an unprovoked assault on Teldrassil? Or why Sylvanas, who you've stated is pure evil, would give two shits about protecting Orgrimmar?

As for Teldrassil's strategic importance, it's not exactly right next to Orgrimmar, you have to go through Darkshore, Ashenvale and Barrens/Azshara to get to Orgrimmar. Also, it's only connection to land is a tiny port not nearly sufficient to launch large scale military assaults. And last but not least, it has a negligible military presence which means Alliance would first have have to get troops and weapons to Teldrassil in order to launch attacks from there, a route that would take them past Orgrimmar and around the the north of Kalimdor. Seems a bit roundabout and counterproductive to me.

[Chernobyll]

As I said, it's a start. It isn't a good one, but it's at least SOME sort of motivation.

I highly doubt, and I bet (all in) that Sylvannas will not burn Teldrassil for no good reason. A good reason would be a payback for Lordaeron for example. There has to be a motivation to the attack, otherwise it would be a dumb attack that not even Garrosh would take, since in his vision he had everyone killed in Stormwind Harbor

[Combatbutler]

And given that the tree would requires some immense amount of power to be turned into a torch, it'd make just as much sense to use it to attack Stormwind with first, in a surprise attack, leaving the smaller Darnassus as the only remaining front.

Don't forget the heavy hitters from ironforge, dwarves are pretty much the only population that hasn't been utterly decimated over the years. Why they don't run the Alliance is rather weird.

[Traveler Voltin]

sounds like someone is getting fired. since alex or whoever wanted left in the air until the prepatch.

[Techno-Druid]

I don't get why the Tauren were the ones who burned it down though, and not some more personal lackeys of Sylvanass's...

Yeah I'm pretty sure most tauren would never stand for something like that. Most shamans wouldn't even stand for something like that, whether they were orc, tauren, troll or pandaren.

[Chernobyll]

Don't forget the heavy hitters from ironforge, dwarves are pretty much the only population that hasn't been utterly decimated over the years. Why they don't run the Alliance is rather weird.

Orgrimmar and Ironforge used to be the faction city capitals of Horde and Alliance. It changed a bit when Varian came back and become the High King of the alliance.

Thrall and Magni were the leaders back then. Thrall even tries to help Magni with Moira in the quest he give us for BRD (back in Vanilla/TBC).

[Mehrunes]

Another thing to consider. An opposite of a thought I had in a thread about the possibility of Alliance attacking first. Just like it's ridiculous for the Horde to steamroll Night Elves after a crippling blow in Lordaeron, it's ridiculous for the Alliance to steamroll Lordaeron after losing Night Elven territory. Especially when you add the geography of Lordaeron into that. I mean, someone even told me in another thread that the Alliance apparently doesn't even control Hillsbrad and Silverpine, just Arathi, Gilneas and Tirisfal.

So, on top of the "after a crippling blow" bit, the Alliance also either steamrolls its way into Undercity without proper supply lines from Arathi/Gilneas or they land directly in Tirisfal, the heart of the Forsaken kingdom, rather than going via land from those zones, lacking any momentum or foothold, after a large part of their fleet went up in flames in Darnassus.

Blizzard sucks at believable warfare and logistics so fucking much...

NO0Oo0oO0oOO WHY

Well, it's one of the theories I read. She did have somewhat similar armor in one of her artworks, I think. But who knows. maybe it's just a random corpse.

[Shedeo]

I could see a bit of logic in her taking down Teldrassil to galvanize the orcs to her side. It's close to Orgrimmar, very defensible, and the orcs have been trying to take over Ashenvale for its resources for a long time. Saurfang might stand behind her politically, and beside her in battle, if such tactics resulted in the resource pressure being taken off Durotar. If I recall correctly, he didn't take issue with Theramore or Garrosh until after he turned on the Horde more wholesale.

[Hctaz]

No hitler and napleon did that and looked how it turned out for them

Hitler did that in what regards? With Poland? He didn't attack Russia or the UK unannounced. In fact, if Slyvanas burns down Teldrassil first, it's basically identical to what Hitler did. Start invading other places nearby that aren't really a threat to you instead of taking out one of the major threats IMMEDIATELY with a surprise attack.

[Varitok]

I don't think so.

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/2332188

Source: Blizzard

So was the interview. He spoiled it. We did find out and he said it himself. They burned it down first.

[Oneirophobia]

Well, it's one of the theories I read. She did have somewhat similar armor in one of her artworks, I think. But who knows. maybe it's just a random corpse.

I would feel so bad for Tyrande and Malfurion. If I remember correctly, Tyrande can't have kids and Shandris is/was her only shot at that.

[Khaza-R]

Makes sense. I’m guessing Teldrassil is what Varimathras meant by “holy places”. Only the sacking of Stormwind remains to see if he was correct.

Varimathras: When your thrones run red with betrayal... when your holy places burn and the shattered mask hangs above your hearth... only then you will know. And it will be too late.
Varimathras: It matters not. You are blind to the true darkne

[DesMephisto]

There's no way Anduin would allow the Alliance to strike first and judging by Sylvanas' speech in the cinematic, I doubt she would have allowed the Horde to strike first.

I going to assume that Teldrassil was destroyed first but the attack wasn't sanctioned by the Horde leadership. Whether it was perpetrated by a warmongering rogue faction within the Horde, a false flag attack carried out by a faction within the Alliance or a third party who would benefit from the Horde and Alliance fighting is anyone's guess.

My speculation exactly.