What was Sylvanas doing?

[Aliven]

Nah, it was known for a while. It's just Blizzard is too lazy with their own lore (as they are with everything else) and haven't bothered to remember that part before, even though had she used it in Stormheim, for example, she'd have wrecked Genn. What we know now is the scope of combat usefulness of this particular power.

Genn owned Saurfang.

[Mehrunes]

Genn owned Saurfang.

And? Besides, all he did was smack him off-screen for a moment and then the cinematic shifted to Trolls and Anduin.

[Deleted]

And? Besides, all he did was smack him off-screen for a moment and then the cinematic shifted to Trolls and Anduin.

A saurfang who had 3 or 4 arrows embedded in his chest and was still walking around the battlefield kicking ass while Glenn was hiding behind his puppet king sending others to die in his stead.

[Driht]

A saurfang who had 3 or 4 arrows embedded in his chest and was still walking around the battlefield kicking ass while Glenn was hiding behind his puppet king sending others to die in his stead.

Right? Honestly surprised Genn wasn't like "we have to leave now!" after Sylvanas went banshee mode.

[Hawkknight97]

What move was Sylvanas using in the cinematic when she opened up a can of kick-ass on those poor alliance soldiers?

It was her Mary Sue Banshee Mode from the Fans.

[SirCowdog]

It was her Mary Sue Banshee Mode from the Fans.

You mean like Varian one-shotting a giant boss felreaver?

[killwithpwr]

She popped Blood Lust... Even though she is a Mark/Surv Shadow hunter Banshee... And not BM.

[Deleted]

He never had the chance because Anduin actually stepped up and acted like a warrior king. If he hadn't Genn would've been the first one skittering back to his den with his tail between his legs.

[Powerogue]

Ghostly Wail.

[Karagar]

Nah, it was known for a while. It's just Blizzard is too lazy with their own lore (as they are with everything else) and haven't bothered to remember that part before, even though had she used it in Stormheim, for example, she'd have wrecked Genn. What we know now is the scope of combat usefulness of this particular power.

This is only a theory; but perhaps it involves some level of preparation/forethought/ability to focus? In the BfA cinematic it was pretty clear that Sylvanas' actions were quite deliberate, she knew exactly where she was going and seemingly exactly what she was going to do once she got there; in Stormheim on the other hand she was already distracted by...whatever she was doing to Eyir (which my have been physically/mentally draining as well) and Genn distinctly got the drop on her. So perhaps "re-etherealizing" just takes more forethought or mental energy than she could muster at that point?

[Mehrunes]

This is only a theory; but perhaps it involves some level of preparation/forethought/ability to focus? In the BfA cinematic it was pretty clear that Sylvanas' actions were quite deliberate, she knew exactly where she was going and seemingly exactly what she was going to do once she got there; in Stormheim on the other hand she was already distracted by...whatever she was doing to Eyir (which my have been physically/mentally draining as well) and Genn distinctly got the drop on her. So perhaps "re-etherealizing" just takes more forethought or mental energy than she could muster at that point?

She was falling off an exploding siege-tower (dafuq could explode there after she shot some gears, or why it had gears to begin with is another topic). Not exactly the best circumstances to focus. Moments after she jumped off a wall onto the siege tower, which she did more or less in the spur of a moment after she analyzed the situation. So not a lot of preparation or forethought there either. And since Genn moved to Azeroth straight from shounen manga and just had to give a monologue, ruining his element of surprise, he gave Sylvanas opportunity to channel her chakra of whatever, after she lowered the lantern. Besides, when Blizzard initially confirmed that to be her ability in a blue post they likened her to Kitty Pride from X-men, who can do this at will.

[Xloudman]

She was falling off an exploding siege-tower (dafuq could explode there after she shot some gears, or why it had gears to begin with is another topic). Not exactly the best circumstances to focus. Moments after she jumped off a wall onto the siege tower, which she did more or less in the spur of a moment after she analyzed the situation. So not a lot of preparation or forethought there either. And since Genn moved to Azeroth straight from shounen manga and just had to give a monologue, ruining his element of surprise, he gave Sylvanas opportunity to channel her chakra of whatever, after she lowered the lantern. Besides, when Blizzard initially confirmed that to be her ability in a blue post they likened her to Kitty Pride from X-men, who can do this at will.

Sylvanas also felt in control during the entire fight in stormheim, until it's revealed Greymane stole the lantern. If it's a mentally/physically taxing ability with a long "cooldown" she may not have wanted to use it if she felt Genn could be easily taken down or couldn't hurt her. In the BFA cinematic, you can tell that she can see the battle will soon be lost and she needs to do something drastic to change it, so she goes with her trump card of the banshee mode.

edit: we all know the real reason is that blizzard is just plain forgetful a lot of the time.

[Mehrunes]

Sylvanas also felt in control during the entire fight in stormheim, until it's revealed Greymane stole the lantern. If it's a mentally/physically taxing ability with a long "cooldown" she may not have wanted to use it if she felt Genn could be easily taken down or couldn't hurt her. In the BFA cinematic, you can tell that she can see the battle will soon be lost and she needs to do something drastic to change it, so she goes with her trump card of the banshee mode.

edit: we all know the real reason is that blizzard is just plain forgetful a lot of the time.

Even if she underestimated Genn in general, the circumstances should have warranted her using it. The lantern and Eyir were her key to immortality. Given how Forsaken's main doctrine in warfare is "there's no kill like an overkill", even when the stakes are much lower, she should have went nuclear on his ass just to make sure there's not even a 1% of losing there. With no other enemy in sight the cooldown or how taxing it'd be wouldn't be of much concern. And once she demolished Genn, which she could do with her scream alone (since it can break bones) before he even stopped his monolgue, she could get back to focusing on her lantern. At best she should have screamed when Genn was about to smash the lantern after he grabbed it. Due to the scream being sound and as such travelling at the speed of, well, sound she'd be able to strike him faster than with an arrow.

[Deleted]

Something I don't see mentioned much is that she HATES being a banshee and why she pretends she's still the ranger she was in life. She's a banshee as a punishment for defying arthas.

That's why she very rarely transforms and why her doing the scream is such a "fist pump" moment for the horde, its sylvanas showing she'll do anything to keep the horde going.

As other have said she was doing the banshee scream, which is relatred to the old irish lore - hearing a banshee means you are a dead man. (also explains why she has tears, Banshees are usually depicted crying.)

[Bronan]

Something I don't see mentioned much is that she HATES being a banshee and why she pretends she's still the ranger she was in life. She's a banshee as a punishment for defying arthas.

That's why she very rarely transforms and why her doing the scream is such a "fist pump" moment for the horde, its sylvanas showing she'll do anything to keep the horde going.

As other have said she was doing the banshee scream, which is relatred to the old irish lore - hearing a banshee means you are a dead man. (also explains why she has tears, Banshees are usually depicted crying.)

Baloney!

From Irish and Scottish folklore, the bean-sidhe (literally, "woman of the fairy folk") is the spirit of a woman who acts as a messenger of death.
She appears outside of the houses of the five oldest Gaelic families (O'Connor, O'Grady, O'Neill, O'Brian, Kavanagh), sobbing and crying through the night to warn the family that death is near for one of them. The wailing of many banshees signifies that death is near for someone of great importance.
The bean-nighe ("washerwoman"), her Scottish counterpart, can be seen by a lake or river, washing the bloodstained clothes of the one who will soon die.
There seems to be a strong misconception in the United States about the banshee; she's usually of a more evil nature, she actively seeks to bring death, and her bawling wail has been replaced by a stridently sharp scream.

The banshee of Gaelic lore is not an evil spirit at all; she's grieving for the one who is about to die and she's trying to warn the family. She is usually heard rather than seen, but she appears as a woman in a silver-grey cloak (she appears as a girl or young woman, a mature woman, or an old woman), her eyes are red from centuries of weeping, and she often tears at her hair as she bawls all night long.

"I heard a woman crying across the fields that night, and death took my grandmother. I knew then that I heard the banshee."

[Flarelaine]

Right? Honestly surprised Genn wasn't like "we have to leave now!" after Sylvanas went banshee mode.

"We have to leave now!" is Horde territory.

[Aquamonkey]

She was falling off an exploding siege-tower (dafuq could explode there after she shot some gears, or why it had gears to begin with is another topic).

The gears either move the tower forward or reset the trebuchet or both. It lobs flaming, explosive balls. It also has a cannon, requiring gun powder. Plenty of stuff to go boom.

[TheFirstOnes]

She was busy losing.

[Alex86el]

not sure.
it was either "Scream of the Waifu" or "Fanservice to the Emoweebs".
i always confuse those two abilities, they are similar.

[Atrea]

Even if she underestimated Genn in general, the circumstances should have warranted her using it. The lantern and Eyir were her key to immortality. Given how Forsaken's main doctrine in warfare is "there's no kill like an overkill", even when the stakes are much lower, she should have went nuclear on his ass just to make sure there's not even a 1% of losing there. With no other enemy in sight the cooldown or how taxing it'd be wouldn't be of much concern. And once she demolished Genn, which she could do with her scream alone (since it can break bones) before he even stopped his monolgue, she could get back to focusing on her lantern. At best she should have screamed when Genn was about to smash the lantern after he grabbed it. Due to the scream being sound and as such travelling at the speed of, well, sound she'd be able to strike him faster than with an arrow.

Doesn't look to be a very powerful ability.

She only killed 2 or 3 nameless Alliance soldiers with it, and it looks like the transformation back to her corporeal form took time, and left her vulnerable.

She probably didn't use it against Genn because a) it wouldn't have been strong enough, and b) because it would have left her dangerously vulnerable after using it.