[Spoilers] Sylvanas just tried to kill...

[Snorri]

Do you really think she would send 2 unnamed common rogues to kill a fucking raid boss? They were there to make a push and not to kill him.

Two assassins move faster and more quietly than a small group. You can also blame the CGI budget.

[bowlink]

watching sylvanas fanatics bullshit their way out of this one is hilarious

[watatsuya]

Pretty obvious Sylvanas felt her power slipping and decided to act. Whether Saurfang was tracking the rogues or vice versa makes no difference, because once Saurfang realizes they're going to the Dark Portal, it's pretty damned obvious why they're there. They aren't going for a summer vacation. They're there to perform an assassination.

Just recall he said to Anduin that he hoped he would take care of Sylvanas. Anduin said he cannot do it alone and lets Saurfang escape. In some way, this is what Anduin wanted -- he knew that if someone as high up as high commander was against Sylvanas and would rebel against her, then others would follow. Saurfang would be able to lead that rebellion because of the respect he holds within the Horde ranks. It was a gamble on his part, because perhaps Saurfang sees no honor in rebellion and simply rejoins the Horde. But he also detects that Saurfang saw a chance to take the head of the Alliance and possibly fracture it for good -- but did not. He asks Saurfang why not, and Saurfang replies saying he gave everything to the Horde and she's trying to destroy it. Saurfang's anguish about the burning of Teldrassil was still fresh in his mind; he saw that -- when Anduin then spared him at Lordaeron -- that the Alliance are the ones fighting for honor. Anduin knew after that conversation that Saurfang felt the Horde has lost its way and that he could no longer support it. Anduin left Saurfang to make this choice. Go. Find others like you, and we will help you stop her. Saurfang chose honor.

It's really brilliant from a tactical standpoint by Anduin. I didn't think the kid had it in him. Now, I don't think he expected that Saurfang would go find Thrall again. Thrall will be a unifying force again for the Horde and may well rekindle the war. But he may also bring peace.

[A Chozo]

There is no reason Sylvanas would go after Thrall.

Thrall just needs to show up in Orgrimmar with the hint of an intention of becoming Warchief once more to gain the favor of Orgirmmar, the United Mag'har Clans (but we would have to prove his honor before), Thunder Bluff, Highmountain, Darkspear Trolls, Zandalari Empire, Silvermoon, Suramar, the Huojin and the Bilgewater Cartel.

Easily.

Sylvanas killed Calia for a very similar reason - she just wanted to do the deed more silently this time.

[Goldielocks]

What's annoying to me is that Sylvanas thought Thrall would die by random rogues. Yeah, he's not really a shaman anymore, but he's still a war grizzled massive orc. He's a threat. If you ask me, the game should've built up a character who we know is competent enough for the player to know their name and then have them die by Thrall and Saurfang.

And no, I don't agree that Saurfang's presence necessarily helped. Watching the cinematic, all Saurfang did was catch an already dispatched Rogue by Thrall and then broke his neck. Thrall could've handled them on his own.

[ohwell]

Undead can't stealth away the smell of rotting flesh.

I mean if I were an undead rogue that is something I would try to accomplish.... If a mage can turn invisible, finding magical or chemical means to mask a rogue's smell should be doable. Then again I'm sure other races have odors too. Does deodorant even exist in WoW? Perfume does, but perfume would smell. I'm talking just flat almost odorless substances to make you not have armpit stench. If I don't wear anything my pits reek like a skunk within 8 hours.

[dope_danny]

ITS ALMOST LIKE SUPER TURBO MEGA HITLER 64 DX ARCADE EDITION IS THE BAD GUY.

but muh morally gray...

[ohwell]

What's annoying to me is that Sylvanas thought Thrall would die by random rogues. Yeah, he's not really a shaman anymore, but he's still a war grizzled massive orc. He's a threat. If you ask me, the game should've built up a character who we know is competent enough for the player to know their name and then have them die by Thrall and Saurfang.

And no, I don't agree that Saurfang's presence necessarily helped. Watching the cinematic, all Saurfang did was catch an already dispatched Rogue by Thrall and then broke his neck. Thrall could've handled them on his own.

Hence most people think Saurfang was the one who really brought them(maybe there are "true horde" loyalists like him that are forsaken), but most likely Blizzard's bad storytelling and lore will make it that it was always her. They were clearly a joke as they really didn't even wound either one much less kill. Then again maybe she wants him back for some reason and intentionally made them easily dispatched. Maybe after all of the terrible twists and lies(Argus doesnt have a world soul......) they actually have an intricate plot being devised here. Then again anything short of Azshara having gotten ahold of more Azerite than we ever have the entire time it's been around and her betraying Nzoth hence him needing us to free him now would pretty much be bad storytelling and them not knowing their own lore as usual (but but but Magtheridon said.....)

[lockybalboa]

Our green savior is back to save the day again! Fuck yeah! Awesome writing!

[Palapop]

The only REASONABLE explanation would be that Saurfang LIED to Thrall.

Anything else than that is just MORONIC writing. That's my opinion tho....

[ohwell]

Thrall just needs to show up in Orgrimmar with the hint of an intention of becoming Warchief once more to gain the favor of Orgirmmar, the United Mag'har Clans (but we would have to prove his honor before), Thunder Bluff, Highmountain, Darkspear Trolls, Zandalari Empire, Silvermoon, Suramar, the Huojin and the Bilgewater Cartel.

Easily.

Sylvanas killed Calia for a very similar reason - she just wanted to do the deed more silently this time.

Eh I mean a lot of people are forgetting or we really don't know in general if his powers are still gone, but 2 random easily dispatched rogues? I mean MAYBE if they poisoned his food, but they attacked him. That LITERALLY had the opposite effect. Maybe she doesn't want to be warchief so she can pursue her goals and will hand it over to him willingly. She never wanted it. If she really wanted him dead, she should have done it differently.

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The only REASONABLE explanation would be that Saurfang LIED to Thrall.

Anything else than that is just MORONIC writing. That's my opinion tho....

Or see above. I agree with the lie part as possible, but I think she'd be willing to abdicate to Thrall so she can do what she wants like she always has.

- - - Updated - - -

Our green savior is back to save the day again! Fuck yeah! Awesome writing!

That was typically about Cataclysm. In leadership and relations, Thrall was pretty reasonable and good compared to any other.

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watching sylvanas fanatics bullshit their way out of this one is hilarious

Watching people who blindly hate her call anyone who questions anything a fanatic and bullshit is even more hilarious.

[Ielenia]

that's why he casually strolled toward thrall ,taking the time to grabs plants and admire the scenary ? because he hope he would arrived before the rogues ?

doesn't make much sense to me , if i knew that someone i care about was targeted i would rush to them and even scream to them what is up as soon as they are in sight. not taking my time strolling around and casually striking a convo

Thrall was right there in the open. The wheat fields were barely reaching Saurfang's waist and the entire area was basically long, long plains. Saurfang could see Thrall easily, and since he was just sharpening his sickle (I assume it was a sickle, with a blade that curved), meaning that the assassins haven't arrived yet, and so he had time.

That said... those two forsaken just have to be the most incredibly stupid assassins in the world. One just runs without a care in the world, basically blowing his cover, and the other decides to play springboard on Thrall's hut roof, instead of both just slow and carefully approaching the two from behind and driving those poisoned blades all the way into their backs.

Makes one think that Sylvanas maybe wanted the assassination attempt to fail and wanted Thrall to know that she's fucking shit up big time in the Horde.

[A Chozo]

Eh I mean a lot of people are forgetting or we really don't know in general if his powers are still gone, but 2 random easily dispatched rogues? I mean MAYBE if they poisoned his food, but they attacked him. That LITERALLY had the opposite effect. Maybe she doesn't want to be warchief so she can pursue her goals and will hand it over to him willingly. She never wanted it. If she really wanted him dead, she should have done it differently.

Oh yeah, the powerlevel of the rogues she sent was ridiculously low. Saurfang one-shotted one while parrying every strike it did. I understand sending only two - more would risk drawing attention, but two weak ones?

But maybe they weren't expecting Saurfang there and panicked. What if it was just a scouting party to check on Thrall but they saw Saurfang and went all "hell nah, priority target, let's complete this quest first"?

[vilememory]

Trying to have her cake and eat it too. If the assassins kill Thrall, sweet. If they kill Saurfang, sweet. Both, that is super sweet. If they fail, well then she can point at them and start spouting look who is back. The orc that abandoned the Horde twice, the one that had you settle in the desert to pay for crimes most of you didn't commit. The orc that wants you to try to make peace with the Alliance, the Alliance that is more than capable of wiping us all out on a whim! Sylvanas is trying to Xanatos her way to victory, but the writers aren't talented enough to make that work.

[Gref]

Sylvannas is way too intelligent for common plebs like us, so we cannot figure out what she is planning.
Seriously, I just really believe she would not do dumb things. There is no room for that in her character. She can plan wrong but sending 2 nobody to kill thrall and saurfang is flat out dumb which is impossible to be done by the orders of sylvannas.

[Zyky]

Saurfang is a very honorable orc. He wouldn't lie to an old friend, former warchief and brother in arms. Blame the actions of the rogues on Blizzard. There were many different and better options for them to kill Thrall and Saurfang than a direct assault.

Blizzard does their CGI in a very meticulous way, them not aiming for Thrall isn't "coincidence" or "bad writing/directing", there's a reason for it. They had zero interest in Thrall, that's why the one who attacked Saurfang had poisoned Daggers and the other one didn't. The second one's intention was to distract Thrall, not kill him.

[rowaasr13]

I really doubt Saurfang is a Dreadlord, if that's what you're indicating?

Not just any Dreadlord, but a single one with relationship with Thrall and who is already central character in BfA.

_{(Don't mind me, I'm just trying to match stupidity of mental gymnastic of people who refuse to see what it shown to them and try to invent some outlandish excuse just to whitewash their beloved Sylvanas with equally stupid alternative ideas of my own).}

[Stonecloak]

The cinematic was nothing short of amazing. A full featured movie with this kind of animation and sound would blow film away. I'm an alliance player too, but as an adult, this speaks to me in ways only other adults can understand. Unless we are omniscient, we've been in Thralls position before.

[Snorri]

Blizzard does their CGI in a very meticulous way, them not aiming for Thrall isn't "coincidence" or "bad writing/directing", there's a reason for it. They had zero interest in Thrall, that's why the one who attacked Saurfang had poisoned Daggers and the other one didn't. The second one's intention was to distract Thrall, not kill him.

The reason you saw the poison of the one attacking Saurfang was because he blocked them. The blades clashed against his armor. Thrall dodged them instead. They both used poison, as befitting rogues and assassins.

[Fenzha]

If Thrall was the target of the assassins then what reason would they possibly have to strike while Saurfang was there?
If Saurfang was the target why would they strike while he was with Thrall and why would Saurfang say he followed them?
If Saurfang followed and knew the assassins were there then why not deal with them beforehand while he had the element of surprise?
Why not warn Thrall? Even if asking about the family was to see if it was clear he had plenty of time after.

A few things i had problems with.