Time to deliver Varian's promise: We will end you.

[Flatspriest]

And now we learn that the horde burned Teldrassil. A freaking world tree stump that was blessed by the aspects and contained the night elf capital. WTF?

Fixed that for you. You also have to realize that you don't know if it was under Sylvanas's orders to burn Teldrassil, or even if it was before or after Genn getting Anduin to go after Undercity.

[ello]

Fixed that for you. You also have to realize that you don't know if it was under Sylvanas's orders to burn Teldrassil, or even if it was before or after Genn getting Anduin to go after Undercity.

Blizz rep confirmed Teldrassil happened first.

[Deleted]

I don't like to use the word "cringe" but it's all that can come to mind when I read threads like this. Holy hell, do you forget you're not actually a member of the Alliance?

I hate to break this to you, but the reason why this faction conflict crap is so shallow is that neither side is actually allowed to lose. SInce they're both playable factions, Blizzard won't let either of them actually emerge victorious.

Also, we have no idea and they've made a point repeatedly in Q&As and at Blizzcon to emphasize that we don't know the context or the order in which these actions happen. The Horde could very well torch Teldrassil in response to the siege on the Undercity.

I second this. And just to add a comment that seems to make a lot of sense to me:

- Very obviously there are "some people" (don't know, where, who or what they are...) who seem to genuinely worship Sylvanas as a character, and Blizzard surely seems to have headed a direction where she isn't going out of sight any time soon. It is very trendy to have powerful female character - mind you, I am very fond of them, that is when they are well fleshed-out - and I cannot imagine Blizzard demonizing then killing Sylvanas off like they did Garrosh. She's here to stay, and that implies that whatever conflict we're about to be thrown into is quite more complex than just her setting Teldrassil ablaze "because reasons". Not sure what is the underlying plot here, it will likely be many months before we get to see this with added perspective, but it is almost certain that Sylvanas's responsibility in starting this war will eventually be lifted, as we discover burrowed plot elements and dynamics.

- While I'm really not one to credit Blizzard with quality or even imaginative writing, I can't imagine them doing the MoP scenario all over again, just because what lies ahead (aka an old god/void related threat) demands BfA's storyline to lead us somewhere specific. My guess is that we'll be unveiling a sizable cabal of some sort that orchestrated whatever it is that reignited old hatred. Nevermind the fact that there are some interesting theories about what actually led to the destruction of Teldrassil (assuming it is the original reason for this renewed conflict) Sylvanas being the baddy of this xpac makes next to no sense considering what where we have yet to go in our storyline to reach a point where we realize the Old Gods are the one true threat...

[Schattenlied]

The alliance started this war

By what logic. All of the information we have right now points at Sylvanas starting it... Even she didn't consider the factions as being at war post Legion as she herself was considering disbanding the unified Horde army, but instead decided not to so she could use it in her attack on Stormwind.

[Flatspriest]

By what logic. All of the information we have right now points at Sylvanas starting it.

Genn going against his kings orders and attacking Sylvanas in Stormheim started the war.

[Schattenlied]

Genn going against his kings orders and attacking Sylvanas in Stormheim started the war.

Even Sylvanas didn't consider the factions as being at war post Legion as she herself was considering disbanding the unified Horde army, but instead decided not to so she could use it in her attack on Stormwind.

She would never consider disbanding the army if they were at war with the Alliance.

[BossManRoth]

why is everyone assuming Lordaeron is the retaliatory act? Genn has been a warmonger since his inception and would gladly convince Anduin to march on Capital City to retake his (Genn's) "Homeland." He tried using the Horde's retreat from Broken Shore as an excuse to go to war, even though the retreat was completely justified. Broken shore was never meant to be a "final stand" kind of battle, so who in their right mind wouldn't leave? Meanwhile, Sylvannas has little to no reason to attack Teldrassil.

[Onikaroshi]

Mm think the tree wasn’t all that blessed by the aspects, the nightnelfs didn’t get immortality from it

It was blessed, but not by all of them. Nozdormu didn't bless it, which led to the NE not regaining their immortality.

[Ehrenpanzer]

Kinda sounds like Varian writing cheques with his mouth that his......faction... cant cash

[Onikaroshi]

Fixed that for you. You also have to realize that you don't know if it was under Sylvanas's orders to burn Teldrassil, or even if it was before or after Genn getting Anduin to go after Undercity.

It's only a stump in game though, in lore is a bigger tree than Nordrassil

[Lorgar Aurelian]

By what logic. All of the information we have right now points at Sylvanas starting it... Even she didn't consider the factions as being at war post Legion as she herself was considering disbanding the unified Horde army, but instead decided not to so she could use it in her attack on Stormwind.

the faction war doesn't just end in stormheim that's now how wars work what ever sylvanases plans are the factions are still at war.

[Phuongvi]

In other news
*Horde is eveeeul, they literally abandon the alliance on on the broken shore they deserve to die for the alliance hur dur hur dur*

[Ursiel]

In other news
*Horde is eveeeul, they literally abandon the alliance on on the broken shore they deserve to die for the alliance hur dur hur dur*

alliance never do nuthin wrong. jaina is goddess. sylvy is poop

[Schattenlied]

why is everyone assuming Lordaeron is the retaliatory act?

Because Blizzard said, in an interview, that it was.

Genn has been a warmonger since his inception

If you call wanting justice for having your homeland invaded, your people slaughtered, and your son killed right in front of you "warmongering" you have problems. His anger is justified, if you claim you wouldn't be just as pissed off, if not more were you in his shoes, something is wrong with you.

[Schattenlied]

the faction war doesn't just end in stormheim

that wasnt a faction war, that was Genn and Sylvanas having a grudge match,

that's now how wars work what ever sylvanases plans are the factions are still at war.

She would have never even considered disbanding the army if the war was ongoing in her eyes, that alone proves the war is over.

[deviltoist]

you ain't ending shit retard

[Hitei]

Genn going against his kings orders and attacking Sylvanas in Stormheim started the war.

Friendly reminder that Genn attacked her forces because she literally marched on his neutral country and started slaughtering and plaguing his people, and killed his son who sacrificed himself for Genn.

Friendly reminder that even before that, Sylvanas was slaughtering the innocent human farmers in WPL and Hillsbrad, and the mages outside of Dalaran.

No matter how you look at it. She started it.

[Schattenlied]

Fixed that for you. You also have to realize that you don't know if it was under Sylvanas's orders to burn Teldrassil, or even if it was before or after Genn getting Anduin to go after Undercity.

We do know that it was before, because Blizzard said so already.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

that wasnt a faction war, that was Genn and Sylvanas having a grudge match,


She would have never even considered disbanding the army if the war was ongoing in her eyes, that alone proves the war is over.

do you have any canon source that it wasn't a faction war? they are both rep's for there faction slyanvas being the leader of the horde.

[blackblade]

At the end of MoP the High King proclaimed: "If your Horde fails to uphold honor, we will end you."

It was kinda the silver lining to an otherwise rather unsatisfactory, horde centric raid.
After that at Blizzcon Metzen asks the alliance: "You remain the world's standing superpower! How does that feel?"
(see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34cyC1SrTx0 - around 7.30)

I assume Warlords hardly had any effect on the faction power levels, as we heroes literally took care of the threat without any troops from Azeroth.
Legion was different, but here both sides had considerable losses due to the demons.

And now we learn that the horde burned Teldrassil. A freaking world tree that was blessed by the aspects and contained the elfen capital. WTF?
So to answer Metzen's question from 2013: It feels kinda stupid to be the standing superpower if you can't even defend your capitals! Let alone reclaiming those lands the alliance has lost to the horde since classic or a proper retaliation for the invasion of Gilneas.

But ya, the reward is "attacking Lordaeron". Great! Does that mean we take control of eastern kingdoms? Hell no, the coming Warfront is in Arathi! That means in about 40 % of eastern kingdoms - everything north of Arathi - the horde remains the most influential faction.

I want Varian's promise and the superpower statement to mean something. I want a pro active Alliance leadership that does not wait for the next provocation before thinking of how to respond. I want them to assert their - so far only talked about - dominance and put an end to the warmongering, with Helya conspiring Sylvanas as Warchief.
I don't have a lot of hope as Blizzard seems to enjoy giving the alliance only pyrrhic victories. After Warcraft 2 those defeated Orcs where put into camps until they rose again. After Wrathgate Jaina ported us out of the Undercity. After MoP we simply walked out of Orgrimmar with no concessions whatsoever except a trial for Garrosh. About time to change tack and stop being appeasing idiots.

Let's end that undead bitch.

I'm guessing horde will hold the north east coast: silvermoon, Eastern Plaguelands, hinterlands and hammerfall. Forsaken Civilians will migrate to EPL and as far as silvermoon.

My guess is based on the fact that the description for warfronts suggests that hammerfall and stromguarde will be the respective bases "at stake" in warfronts, and the warfronts preview explicitly calls it out as being pivital to the seige of gilenas and the defence of silvermoon.