What exactly did Sylvanas do wrong with the blight in Battle for Lordareon?

[Cayumi]

Seeing all these threads about Sylvanas and Saurfang and people defending them both pretty hard got me thinking.
One of the main recurring arguments on the anti-Sylvanas train is along the lines of "would you like to be on the front lines fighting for Sylvanas knowing she could possibly kill you with blight at any second like she did in the Battle for Lordareon"?

Yes, during the Battle for Lordareon Sylvanas ordered her troops to deploy the blight on the field, catching both alliance and horde and she raised all fallen to push the alliance back. The alliance was gaining ground, the horde was losing. Our war machines were destroyed. So lets have a look at these 2 options:

1. Alliance gains ground, all the horde forces on the field die, alliance win (certainly if Jaina would've still come to save the day)
Result: All those horde forces dead and potential alliance victory.

2. Alliance gains grund, deploy blight, kill it all.
Result: Same horde forces dead, alliance dead too, all in the favor of the horde.

Now tell me, what did she do wrong?

[Aucald]

It's an emotional reaction to the idea that Sylvanas prioritized victory over the welfare and very lives of her own soldiers (willing to gas them with the Blight, a terrible form of a death as shown as the Wrathgate). On top of that, she then employed Necromancy to raise both the Alliance and Horde fallen of the Blight as undead skeletons to continue waging the war - a direct and profound violation of several races own funerary and spiritual practices including Humans, Orcs, Tauren, and Trolls (and almost all other sentient races).

From a tactical viewpoint alone, Sylvanas' methods were all in an attempt to achieve victory - and if that were the only parameter for judging them they would be laudable. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on context), there is more to war and its waging than the simple goal of victory. If a war costs you everything including the moral center of your people then victory rings somewhat hollow, what is traditionally called a Pyrrhic victory.

[Azurenys]

If you seriously need to have this explained, you wouldn't understand the explanation.

[Vampyrr]

Simply put? She used it period. She wasn't even supposed to still HAVE it much less use it. Same reason why it is against the Geneva Convention to use chemical weapons, yes they are effective but most of the world feels it isn't worth the loss of humanity to use it. For a faction priding itself on their honor, using the blight is one of the most dishonorable things one can possibly do. Most horde races would rather fight to the last man than resort to using this kind of attack.

[Friendlyimmolation]

For the same reason people cry about the blight but then turn around and say warlocks, death knights, mages, evisceration, crushing, suffocation, shock, explosives etc are all fine, but in a world of magic? The poison gas is the no no weapon.

The only bad part of it was that she used it when there were dying Horde on the feild, the unfortunate alternative though was the Alliance zerg rushing the gate before the rest of the Horde was safely away for her to blight bomb the city.

[Broken Fox]

Simply put? She used it period. She wasn't even supposed to still HAVE it much less use it. Same reason why it is against the Geneva Convention to use chemical weapons, yes they are effective but most of the world feels it isn't worth the loss of humanity to use it. For a faction priding itself on their honor, using the blight is one of the most dishonorable things one can possibly do. Most horde races would rather fight to the last man than resort to using this kind of attack.

Complaining about the blight in a world where people get melted, immolated, electrocuted, impaled, blown up, and obliterated in every way you can think of is so fuckin dumb

[js3915]

Now tell me, what did she do wrong?

She didnt use it fast enough in the room where she stood off against auduin to kill the boy king that was her failure.

[Kwaai]

For the same reason people cry about the blight but then turn around and say warlocks, death knights, mages, evisceration, crushing, suffocation, shock, explosives etc are all fine, but in a world of magic? The poison gas is the no no weapon.

The only bad part of it was that she used it when there were dying Horde on the feild, the unfortunate alternative though was the Alliance zerg rushing the gate before the rest of the Horde was safely away for her to blight bomb the city.

This, seriously. War in Azeroth is horrific.

Why isn't anyone screaming over DK's use of biological warfare? Or that Arcane is basically using nuclear weapons? Or that Hunters are Rogues try to kill you with poison? Why is the line blight and not hellfire? Literally any class with a dot is violating the Hague Convention but no one cares because apparently trying to incinerate someone over time isn't bad.

The only classes even remotely making an effort at what we would consider just warfare are monks, and paladins.

[Aresk]

Tactically for that battle, her actions make sense. Morally, she's killing her own troops instead of trying to save them. Even if they were likely to die, some of them could have retreated and lived. As for raising the undead, it was really just unnecessary. The blight forced the Alliance back, and the undead didn't really do anything; the Alliance killed them and were still driven back by the blight. She might've killed a few soldiers with them, but the blight itself did far more damage.

In terms of overall Horde morale, using the blight was probably not a wise decision. We already know that Sylvanas is striking deals with evil titan constructs. The last time the blight was used against the Horde was in a declaration of war against the living by Putress. Garrosh, a deposed warchief, considered the blight too dangerous to use. Coupled with the scene in the Lordaeron throne room, a parallel is being drawn between Sylvanas and Arthas.

[Aucald]

This, seriously. War in Azeroth is horrific.

Why isn't anyone screaming over DK's use of biological warfare? Or that Arcane is basically using nuclear weapons? Or that Hunters are Rogues try to kill you with poison? Why is the line blight and not hellfire? Literally any class with a dot is violating the Hague Convention but no one cares because apparently trying to incinerate someone over time isn't bad.

The only classes even remotely making an effort at what we would consider just warfare are monks, and paladins.

I think this boils down to both access and scope. While Arcane, Fel, and even Necromantic magics can create horrifying and devastating effects (mutations, mass destruction, apocalypse, you name it) they tend to be rarities and, more than that, remote. Warlocks, Mages, and Death Knights within the context of the story are rarities - and they are also answerable to some degree, they can be killed or imprisoned. The Blight is a tool - anyone can use it, and it has proven to be easy to create and replicate in a variety of potencies. The Blight is answerable to no one - it's a technology, like Gnomish or Goblin engineering, except quite obviously with a single intent and purpose. It also hearkens back to a pretty terrible set of occurrences in the history of Azeroth; connected strongly to the Wrathgate and the war against the Lich King's Scourge.

Mustard gas is pretty horrific, but it is on a smaller scale than something like nerve gas. Sylvanas throwing Necromancy down on top of killing her own with the Blight doesn't help much, either.

[Foolicious]

She didnt use it fast enough in the room where she stood off against auduin to kill the boy king that was her failure.

Jaina and Alleria saved the alliance multiple times especially jainas shiny bubble and her teleport. Sylvanas had impressive fallback lines, but i think her failure was underestimating anduins plot armor

[Deleted]

Now tell me, what did she do wrong?

The difference is morality.

For example, Orcs don't mind dying for a good cause, they're even proud to do so. But being raised into undeath and serving someone who has no regard for them is not something they like. Tauren and Trolls probably feel the same, they respect life and don't want to see unnecessary destruction and death.

Sylvanas has shown to have no sympathy for other Horde races other than the Forsaken. Heck, she probably doesn't have sympathy for the Forsaken either, everything is a means to an end to her. Nothing matters as long as she reaches her personal goal, whatever that is. She's 100% evil.

I wouldn't be surprised that in the end she will give up the Warchief position willingly, having already achieved her goal playing both the Alliance and Horde simultaneously. She might even be the new ruler of the Shadowlands, and the whole faction war strengthened her Undead army while she didn't care about either faction's lives.

[Evilfish]

Jaina and Alleria saved the alliance multiple times especially jainas shiny bubble and her teleport. Sylvanas had impressive fallback lines, but i think her failure was underestimating anduins plot armor

Actually her failure was Jaina, she was the one element Sylvanas didn't (seem to) predict. The rest would have been plague jelly if not for Jaina, including Mrs. Void. Still it was pretty damn close and she really put a dent in two major Alliance armies during her campaign. But yeah, it was pretty clear that she wouldn't succeed at killing nearly all Alliance leaders.

As it stands, Sylvanas is a better strategist than most and one thing I loved about the battle at the Undercity was how she evacuated the majority of her people, unlike the nelfs who were sitting on a fire hazard and didn't bother to put up a fire escape.

[Bigby]

When killing your own troops using chemical weapons is okay, but Jaina arresting elves makes her worse than Hitler.

[LuminaL]

Jaina and Alleria saved the alliance multiple times especially jainas shiny bubble and her teleport. Sylvanas had impressive fallback lines, but i think her failure was underestimating anduins plot armor

everybody talk about anduins plot armor when sylvanas somehow asspulld an instant banshe "flight form" and launched all the way up to the air and then perfectly landed on the horde airship. before that we see she somehow turns into some black mist shit and kill soldiers on the battlefield. but everyone talk about how anduin being saved by one of the most powerful mages in warcraft lore was a plat armor.
tell me about plot armor again ?

[Dundebuns]

Complaining about the blight in a world where people get melted, immolated, electrocuted, impaled, blown up, and obliterated in every way you can think of is so fuckin dumb

Blight is indiscriminate, cruel and probably a lot worse and 'less honourable' than all those other forms of life snuffing. It's also a weapon of mass destruction and destroys the land it is used on. Also maybe something about blight corpses being primed to be raised into mindless undeath? Anyway, the lore has established it's a pretty nasty thing compared to being charred to a crisp by an angry fire creature.

[Tarba]

It seems that people don't play chess anymore.

[naeblis495]

I think this boils down to both access and scope. While Arcane, Fel, and even Necromantic magics can create horrifying and devastating effects (mutations, mass destruction, apocalypse, you name it) they tend to be rarities and, more than that, remote. Warlocks, Mages, and Death Knights within the context of the story are rarities - and they are also answerable to some degree, they can be killed or imprisoned. The Blight is a tool - anyone can use it, and it has proven to be easy to create and replicate in a variety of potencies. The Blight is answerable to no one - it's a technology, like Gnomish or Goblin engineering, except quite obviously with a single intent and purpose. It also hearkens back to a pretty terrible set of occurrences in the history of Azeroth; connected strongly to the Wrathgate and the war against the Lich King's Scourge.

Mustard gas is pretty horrific, but it is on a smaller scale than something like nerve gas. Sylvanas throwing Necromancy down on top of killing her own with the Blight doesn't help much, either.

the blight is easily coutered tho , fire disperse it as well as ice shown with jaina . Don't have a godly mage on hand ? put on some gaz mask .If the Alliance had half a brain , they could have easily prepared counter measure for the blight such as , provide every soldier with gaz mask and won the battle
in a world of magic and engineery ,the blight isn't all that much

[Evilfish]

Blight is indiscriminate, cruel and probably a lot worse and 'less honourable' than all those other forms of life snuffing. It's also a weapon of mass destruction and destroys the land it is used on.

Apparently so is fire. But remember kids, fire is only bad when Sylvanas uses it.

[Zora-Prime]

When killing your own troops using chemical weapons is okay, but Jaina arresting elves makes her worse than Hitler.

Collateral damage, maybe they should have picked up some of those gas masks.

Also, Jaina executing Sunreaver simply for being elves is very much a Hitler-esque move.