Why is thrall so powerful?

[Zulkhan]

exactly, malf just summoned the wisps, but it was them who killed him.

Excatly like Thrall that held in hand the Dragon Soul, but in fact has been the full power combined of four Aspects that killed Deathwing.

[Jessicka]

I think the biggest problem people have with Thrall is that he was portrayed as the "only" person who killed Deathwing in Dragon Soul.

Yeah, to get back on topic I think this. I think it's more a matter of spotlight than power; I don't doubt there are other members of the Earthen Ring who aren't a million miles behind Thrall in terms of raw power and ability. Thrall just happens to be the one who gets all the attention (I would certainly agree that he got too much focus in Cataclysm when really the Dragon Aspects should have received a lot more attention than they were given) and it's the lack of counter-weight that makes him stand out so much and seem over-powered.

A lot of people are comparing him with Jaina amongst Mages; she gets all the focus, but she is counter-weighted by other named Mages who you know are also pretty potent themselves; Khadgar, Aethas, and previously Rhonin and Medivh for example. She might well be the most powerful Mage on Azeroth, but you know there are a few who are very close behind and that makes her that bit more acceptable that she's not above and beyond the power limit of the game world.

[Trassk]

... I can understand the irony, BUT! .. There is a huge but here (badum tish), and thats that you had to actually walk SOMEWHAT in those raids, even though they did have portal functions, to make it easier for you to get through the raid after progressing. But beyond the very first part, you didn't really have to walk at all in Dragon Soul. You got to the tower, had a dragon portal you to one side, kill the boss, then the other side. Then you are dragged on top of the tower, then through a portal, then back through the portal, then jump onto gunship, jump onto Deathwing, then jump off Deathwing, then thats that ...

and tbh the bosses in dragonsoul aside from deathwing himself and maybe Ultraxion where just forgettable. generic rock elemental, generic orc shaman, generic old god minions, generic grimtotem tauren.. just.. bad.

[xezar]

The elemental lords are evil. They are servants of the old gods.
But the elemental spirits are natural beings, who can bestow their powers on selected individuals.

Elementals are also somewhat unstable, not sure up to what extent but fire elementals are filled with rage and they like to burn and destroy stuff, obviously...

Theres a difference between the elementals on the elemental plane (in where all elementals were banished by titans) and those who are peaceful on azeroth.
Dunno what it is but there are friendly npc elementals in Deepholm who are quite powerful.

Depends what Elemental Lords you're referring to, the ones on Draenor/Outland seem fairly friendly for the most part...well at least the core main ones in Nagrand, as you have the oddball ones like Murmur, which doesn't even really seem like an elemental lord...

[Deleted]

why was illidan so powerful? and arthas?

and malfurion. and medivh. and Sargaras.

individualistic traits, talents and abilities. along with training and experience and willingness to learn.

Thrall put in the work, he got powerful. He pumped those shaman muscles.

I wouldn't wanna include Sargeras in that list, because at his full strength, neither of them can even scratch him .

[Deleted]

Pretty much covers it.

I asked myself this very same question: "When did Thrall become Azeroth's most powerful Shaman"

The last time prior to this was him using them in "Lord of the Clans" to help him escape... and that's pretty much it. (Note: I never played WCIII - so I assume that game has some shaman stuff in there too?)

The next case from that point on of when his Shaman powers were brought up would be at Blizzcon when Metzen told us "Thrall is Azaroth's most powerful Shaman".

...seriously... there was no transition at all. Just Metzen declaring him as such...

I really like that kind of post.
"I don't play the games, I don't read the books, but hey - I play WoW without reading quest texts, so I FUCKING KNOW EVERYTHING!"

[Zulkhan]

I guess so. I just hope blizzard are smart and do something of an after thought to this in the next expansion, like an orc shaman saying about how there own kind tried to enslave the elements and theres a lot that has to be restored to establish there link with the spirits again.

Well, would be interesting see something about it even in the 5.4 to be honest, still it is not clear which kind of use Garrosh will have of the Dark Shamans during all the siege, apart the boss encounter.

By the way, the two Dark Shamans that look like the masters of all of them and serve as boss encounter in SoO, Earthbreaker Haromm and Wavebinder Kardris, are the old good shaman trainers present by the times of Vanilla in Stonard (the first) and Orgrimmar, in the Valley of Spirits (the second). Such a shame they ended like this.

[Narveid]

Depends what Elemental Lords you're referring to, the ones on Draenor/Outland seem fairly friendly for the most part...well at least the core main ones in Nagrand, as you have the oddball ones like Murmur, which doesn't even really seem like an elemental lord...

Thats because its hard to call Murmur a real elemental lord in the sense we understand them. He isn't an elemental, so to say, not air, fire, water or earth. Nor is he from Azeroth or Outland. His essence is sound itself, and he IS called an elemental lord however, so one might assume he comes from a different plane of existence where ... the world itself works differently? I dunno .. He is at least not a native elemental lord of Outland.

[Trassk]

I really like that kind of post.
"I don't play the games, I don't read the books, but hey - I play WoW without reading quest texts, so I FUCKING KNOW EVERYTHING!"

yep, seems how logic works here.
People could be appreciative of those here actually telling the story to them, to those who can't be bothered to learn, but nope, not even.

[Zulkhan]

and tbh the bosses in dragonsoul aside from deathwing himself and maybe Ultraxion where just forgettable. generic rock elemental, generic orc shaman, generic old god minions, generic grimtotem tauren.. just.. bad.

Deathwing was the less generic, but compensated it by having awful mechanics, especially the Spine...god, how much i HATED that fight with my warlock. Simply unbearable, I had no choices but stick endlessly with my rogue there.

[Trassk]

Well, would be interesting see something about it even in the 5.4 to be honest, still it is not clear which kind of use Garrosh will have of the Dark Shamans during all the siege, apart the boss encounter.

By the way, the two Dark Shamans that look like the masters of all of them and serve as boss encounter in SoO, Earthbreaker Haromm and Wavebinder Kardris, are the old good shaman trainers present by the times of Vanilla in Stonard (the first) and Orgrimmar, in the Valley of Spirits (the second). Such a shame they ended like this.

thats what I mean, my mains a shaman, and I learned from them, so its a real downer seeing them reduced to this

[Zulkhan]

I really like that kind of post.
"I don't play the games, I don't read the books, but hey - I play WoW without reading quest texts, so I FUCKING KNOW EVERYTHING!"

This is the same reason for which so much people bitch ENDLESSLY about Garrosh being lolturned from good to bad. You explain things and they still don't get it, pretend to know, pretend to have the reason because they have their opinion and treat what you say like invented fan-service, simply because they are ignorant. Pretty annoying, seriously.

---------- Post added 2013-06-30 at 12:03 AM ----------

thats what I mean, my mains a shaman, and I learned from them, so its a real downer seeing them reduced to this

It is not my main, but I have a tauren shaman by the times of TBC and I remember very well these guys.

[Trassk]

This is the same reason for which so many people bitch ENDLESSLY about Garrosh being lolturned from bad to good. You explain things and they still don't get, pretend to know, pretend to have the reason because they have their opinion and treat what you say like invented fan-service, simply because they are ignorant. Pretty annoying, seriously.

yeah. just.. yeah, so much this. You summed it up perfectly.

[RicardoZ]

It's mostly just because Metzen loves him some Orcs and Thrall happens to be his favorite. Lore-wise Velen is probably the most powerful leader in the game. I don't think that anybody is really surprised at how little we've heard about him compared to how much we've heard about Metzen's orc buddies in the last 6 years, though.

[Narveid]

It's mostly just because Metzen loves him some Orcs and Thrall happens to be his favorite. Lore-wise Velen is probably the most powerful leader in the game. I don't think that anybody is really surprised at how little we've heard about him compared to how much we've heard about Metzen's orc buddies in the last 6 years, though.

Never really understood why people think Velen is so strong. I mean, sure, he has lived for a crazy long time, and he has probably picked up some "tricks-of-the-trade" by now, but we have never really seen Velen do ANYTHING extraordinary, have we? In tbc, he reignited the Sunwell .. But it wasn't really him doing, it was the remains of Mu'ru. Then he trained Anduin a bit, gave him a bit of wisdom (smart, but still no show of power). Then he locked himself in, and let people be murdered just outside his door (not as smart), before Anduin went in a talked some wisdom into him (smart again), and thats .. that?

Like I said, he is pretty wise. He has thousands of years of experience, and that of course builds his power somewhat, not to mention his close affinity with the Naaru. But we have never seen him as EXCEPTIONALLY strong, or ever seen him do something amazing. Think I'd rather put my money on Azshara or Malfurion.

[Trassk]

It's mostly just because Metzen loves him some Orcs and Thrall happens to be his favorite. Lore-wise Velen is probably the most powerful leader in the game. I don't think that anybody is really surprised at how little we've heard about him compared to how much we've heard about Metzen's orc buddies in the last 6 years, though.

oh god will you READ THE THREAD. People have posted links and information that doesn't just contradict what you just said, but flat out makes what your saying nothing.
Yeah, i'm sorry, but you say something like 'he's clearly metzens favourite' when its know that malfurion is metzens favorite character, or how you assume so much without anything to back it with except false bias.

[Resentful]

oh god will you READ THE THREAD. People have posted links and information that doesn't just contradict what you just said, but flat out makes what your saying nothing.
Yeah, i'm sorry, but you say something like 'he's clearly metzens favourite' when its know that malfurion is metzens favorite character, or how you assume so much without anything to back it with except false bias.

Why do you keep being so aggressive whenever someone keeps mention Metzen? Like stop It's getting silly

[RicardoZ]

oh god will you READ THE THREAD. People have posted links and information that doesn't just contradict what you just said, but flat out makes what your saying nothing.
Yeah, i'm sorry, but you say something like 'he's clearly metzens favourite' when its know that malfurion is metzens favorite character, or how you assume so much without anything to back it with except false bias.

You can dig through all kinds of lore and stuff all day, but the fact remains that the Horde and the orcs in particular get more face time in-game than anybody else. The climax of two consecutive expansions has revolved around orcs and Horde superheroes/villains. We get to liberate the great Thrall from the clutches of the vile Alliance in a special dungeon all about how Thrall got to be so great. They erected a statue to Thrall in front of their corporate office. They form a band and sing hymns to the Horde at Blizzcon. They give the Horde war cry from the stage at Blizzcon. Hell, even the last WoW novel that was supposed to be all about Varian Wrynn turned out being all about Garrosh and the Horde invading Ashenvale.

But yeah, all that really means that the Alliance gets all the attention and is obviously the favorite faction. You win.

[Trassk]

Why do you keep being so aggressive whenever someone keeps mention Metzen? Like stop It's getting silly

Your one of the ones who does the same, you and those still saying 'he's metzens favorite' are the silly ones, because such assumptions are never based on reason, just trying to sound more clever then what the convictions are.

---------- Post added 2013-06-30 at 01:27 AM ----------

You can dig through all kinds of lore and stuff all day, but the fact remains that the Horde and the orcs in particular get more face time in-game than anybody else. The climax of two consecutive expansions has revolved around orcs and Horde superheroes/villains. We get to liberate the great Thrall from the clutches of the vile Alliance in a special dungeon all about how Thrall got to be so great. They erected a statue to Thrall in front of their corporate office. They form a band and sing hymns to the Horde at Blizzcon. They give the Horde war cry from the stage at Blizzcon. Hell, even the last WoW novel that was supposed to be all about Varian Wrynn turned out being all about Garrosh and the Horde invading Ashenvale.

But yeah, all that really means that the Alliance gets all the attention and is obviously the favorite faction.

oh so this thread has officially devolved into a 'blizzard loves horde more then me' thread again, wonderful.

[Zulkhan]

You can dig through all kinds of lore and stuff all day, but the fact remains that the Horde and the orcs in particular get more face time in-game than anybody else. The climax of two consecutive expansions has revolved around orcs and Horde superheroes/villains. They erected a statue to Thrall in front of their corporate office. They form a band and sing hymns to the Horde at Blizzcon. They give the Horde war cry from the stage at Blizzcon. Hell, even the last WoW novel that was supposed to be all about Varian Wrynn turned out being all about Garrosh and the Horde invading Ashenvale.

But yeah, all that really means that the Alliance gets all the attention and is obviously the favorite faction.

Your argument is another argument, which can be discussed, indeed, but using that for responding the question of the thread is a bit silly. If you have problems with Horde/Alliance comparison, just open a thread about it. But say things like:

It's mostly just because Metzen loves him some Orcs and Thrall happens to be his favorite

it's stupid, especially if you consider how much explanation the question already had. If you think (your opinion) that the Alliance is the butthurt faction, that is another matter.