Had the Forsaken not been a playable race, when would they have been taken out?

[Giovaaa]

Lets just say that instead of them joining the Horde to make up the Horde's 4th playable race it had been the goblins or whatever. So WoW launches with the Horde as it was but without Sylvanas and her crew of merry trouble makers. Realistically there's no way they would have outlived Arthas or made it this far into the story without being wiped out. Which makes me think, when would they have been eliminated? Without them being a playable race their plot armor would have gone out the window a long time ago. With how the story panned out though I think they would have been a vanilla enemy to be taken care of, kinda like the Scarlet Crusade. Maybe parts of them would have survived past that and then taken out for good in Wrath/Cata sort of like how the SC were. BC had us ignore Azeroth for the most part so I am reluctant to think they would have been a threat back then. But maybe the blood elf zones and storylines would have been adjusted and they'd be low level fodder enemies? What do you guys think?

[McFuu]

We should ask the dark iron dwarves.

[omeomorfismo]

the same plot that all playable character would have if unplayable. throwable random enemies like forest trolls, DI dwarf, venture co.
maybe they would replace scarlet crusared in wrath considering that probably they wouldnt exist in the first place

[Broken Fox]

Unrestrained they plague the shit out of the everything and the entire planet is now undead

[Giovaaa]

Unrestrained they plague the shit out of the everything and the entire planet is now undead

Nah, without plot armor they'd never have gotten that far. Instead of having horde resources used to develop the plague in secret, they'd be getting raided by both factions over and over preventing them from really getting too far with the development.

[Broken Fox]

Nah, without plot armor they'd never have gotten that far. Instead of having horde resources used to develop the plague in secret, they'd be getting raided by both factions over and over preventing them from really getting too far with the development.

Plot armor QQ

Sorry the undead rogue corpse camped you

[mickybrighteyes]

Nah, without plot armor they'd never have gotten that far. Instead of having horde resources used to develop the plague in secret, they'd be getting raided by both factions over and over preventing them from really getting too far with the development.

the forsaken as a race need teh fewest resources of all the factions. They just exist regardless of other circumstances, regardless of infrastructure or supplies. Hell, for recruitment they simply need to find a supply od dead people and bring them back?

the only canon threat to their existence seems to be whatever plot related limit to their sanity/mental ability gets placed or groups that decide to purge them from this mortal realm. Likely they would always remain as a faction in some capacity, much like Alterac and Stromgarde still exist in some form and wouldn't be fully wiped out.

[Daevied]

Actually, they would have been our surprise allies against the Lich King and then left forgotten as a race in Northrend as the taunka, nerubians and tuskarrs.

[Giovaaa]

Plot armor QQ

Sorry the undead rogue corpse camped you

I've played horde since vanilla.

the forsaken as a race need teh fewest resources of all the factions. They just exist regardless of other circumstances, regardless of infrastructure or supplies. Hell, for recruitment they simply need to find a supply od dead people and bring them back?

the only canon threat to their existence seems to be whatever plot related limit to their sanity/mental ability gets placed or groups that decide to purge them from this mortal realm. Likely they would always remain as a faction in some capacity, much like Alterac and Stromgarde still exist in some form and wouldn't be fully wiped out.

They didn't have the ability to rez people before Cata.

[Aeula]

Probably a major, mysterious race operating in Lordaeron and Northrend to break the subjects of the Lich King free from his control. Probably using methods that cause them to clash with the Argent Dawn quite frequently.

They'd probably have become an enemy faction after Cata with the Argent Crusade turning their attention towards them and their plague/blight experiments.

I really hate the direction Blizzard took them after Warcraft 3. Particularly during Wrath/Cata.

[Deleted]

We should ask the dark iron dwarves.

Hahaha great

[mickybrighteyes]

They didn't have the ability to rez people before Cata.

they didn't have Valkyr rez. raising undead isn't exclusive to Valkyr and the Valkyr weren't present to make the first batch of undead that turned into the forsaken as they weren't aroudn until wrath of the Lich King.

Necromancy was and still is a thing and while the forsaken aren't shown using it all that freely it remains a big part of the lore concerning undeath. So if the forsaken didn't become a playable faction, they likely would have gone more into the necromancy angle in a similar manner to the burning blade diving into demonology. Probably remaining in existence and sitting in the places furthest from society's reach.

[Sharby]

Imo the only Forsaken with plot armor is Nanathos I don't agree with saying the entire race has it.

[Dagoth Ur]

Slightly off topic, but I always kinda wished they kept Varimatharas as part of the Forsaken. Feels like lots of cool shit could've come from that, maybe even in the context you're getting at.

[NatePsy]

Probably around the time they started using the blight.

[McNeil]

They could either be a neutral race who show interest in asking both Alliance and Horde to help them out in Lordaeron, or turn out as another hostile faction with the Undercity turning into a dungeon or raid. But with Sylvanas being a rather iconic character it would be a waste if she were to turn into a dungeon boss, even as early as in vanilla. And we would have no major capital anywhere in Lordaeron which would make it the most dangerous continent with all the Scourge, Forsaken and Scarlet Crusade all over the place.

Story wise there's a good chance that the Forsaken would not have hold out against the Scourge and Scarlet Crusade. The whole reason they joined the Horde was because they desperately needed their help. And they have Varimathras who was planning to betray Sylvanas since the beginning, and she only made it out because of the Horde who also took her city back for her.

[Lochton]

Nah, without plot armor they'd never have gotten that far. Instead of having horde resources used to develop the plague in secret, they'd be getting raided by both factions over and over preventing them from really getting too far with the development.

Eh, no Horde resources. Was all Forsaken.

As for answering the topic, unknown. A LOT of the events we've had wouldn't have happened... So, I guess somewhere around us finding out about the Lich King? Since we wouldn't have wrathgate, undercity raid and so on..

[cparle87]

Eh, no Horde resources. Was all Forsaken.

As for answering the topic, unknown. A LOT of the events we've had wouldn't have happened... So, I guess somewhere around us finding out about the Lich King? Since we wouldn't have wrathgate, undercity raid and so on..

Did you forget the dozens of quests not only in Lordaeron, but in the Swamps of Sorrow, southern Barrens, Dragonblight, even Thunder Bluff where Horde members were gathering reagents for them?

[Lochton]

Did you forget the dozens of quests not only in Lordaeron, but in the Swamps of Sorrow, southern Barrens, Dragonblight, even Thunder Bluff where Horde members were gathering reagents for them?

Eh, random selected Horde heroes. Naw, not forgotten. Just forget sometimes to count players in.

[Giovaaa]

They could either be a neutral race who show interest in asking both Alliance and Horde to help them out in Lordaeron, or turn out as another hostile faction with the Undercity turning into a dungeon or raid. But with Sylvanas being a rather iconic character it would be a waste if she were to turn into a dungeon boss, even as early as in vanilla. And we would have no major capital anywhere in Lordaeron which would make it the most dangerous continent with all the Scourge, Forsaken and Scarlet Crusade all over the place.

Story wise there's a good chance that the Forsaken would not have hold out against the Scourge and Scarlet Crusade. The whole reason they joined the Horde was because they desperately needed their help. And they have Varimathras who was planning to betray Sylvanas since the beginning, and she only made it out because of the Horde who also took her city back for her.

This seems like the most plausible. Actually I'm glad you brought up Varimathras. I almost forgot about him. I could see them constantly losing ground against the Alliance, SC, and AD. Then due to the dreadlord that was living right with them they could have either 1) succumbed to the Legion for promise of help or 2)Varimathras stages a successful coup against Sylvanas and makes Northern Lordaeron into a Legion stronghold. Actually this might have actually been a good reason to bring the Blood Elves into the mix and set up for Burning Crusade. Have his efforts open up the Dark Portal again instead of Lord Literally-who and we have a nice set up for the first expansion.

Probably a major, mysterious race operating in Lordaeron and Northrend to break the subjects of the Lich King free from his control. Probably using methods that cause them to clash with the Argent Dawn quite frequently.

They'd probably have become an enemy faction after Cata with the Argent Crusade turning their attention towards them and their plague/blight experiments.

I really hate the direction Blizzard took them after Warcraft 3. Particularly during Wrath/Cata.

When WC3 ended I always saw them as playing a sort of minor role. I never imagined them being a race like they did. While I don't like their story all too much, I'm actually a bit impressed that they got as fleshed out as they did.