But the beauty of this new development is that both sides are equally interesting for the first time ever. For Alliance player, maybe you want to be on the side of Saurfang or Sylvanas when that volcano finally erupts. For the Alliance, maybe you want stable, powerful leadership that will bring about new allies and friends. Both of those missions are interesting in their own way, and each are worth playing through. I may play Alliance, but I want to see what the Horde is doing from their perspective — even if my main characters is supposed to hate them.
Alliance or Horde, Horde or Alliance, it makes no difference. Battle for Azeroth sets out to sensationalize the two factions, making it clear that war is the only option. Even after the Horde and Alliance move away from attempting to kill each other, we can assume that the factions will still have their own parts to play in the war against the void ahead, a unique way to see the world of Warcraft.
Orcs - The surviving orcs of Azeroth's First , Second and Third Wars, who were released by Thrall from the Internment camps of Lordaeron and led by him to form their new destiny in Kalimdor while attempting to re-embrace their once honorable, shamanistic ways and fight the corruption of demonic magic. Their culture is split mostly between the orcs' warrior spirit and their shamanistic roots, which has recently wrought on a conflict between the younger and older generations.
Dedicated to carving out an existence in a world that has come to largely revile them, the orcs have recently turned their attention to reinvigorated conquests. Ashenvale and Stonetalon were among their first targets, and ultimately Warchief Hellscream intended to unite the entirety of Azeroth under a single banner. Jungle trolls - The jungle trolls of the Darkspear Islands in the Great Sea have a very savage and dark history studying voodoo arts and worshiping the loa , however after Thrall had saved their tribe from extinction, Vol'jin son of Sen'jin pledged his tribe to the Horde and founded a new home on the Darkspear Isle of the Echo Isles off the coast of Durotar.
Some trolls have now begun to study shamanism and more recently druidism, some of these trolls even mix shamanism with voodoo arts, most of the members of the tribe have or are attempting to give up the ways of cannibalism and the other traits of their race's darker history. After retaking much of their territory from the Kul Tiras marines and the treacherous Zalazane , the Darkspear have been invited to join a revitalized troll empire under the Zandalari 's leadership - though Vol'jin declined this offer.
Icon of the Earth Mother. Tauren - The noble tauren of Kalimdor are a race that had hunted the lands of central Kalimdor for generations; however, when Thrall and his orcs had arrived onto the lands of Kalimdor they had already been driven near extinction by the marauding centaur that rampaged through their lands. Under the leadership of their high chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof and the young warchief Thrall, the tauren managed to drive back most of the centaur, and find a permanent home in Thunder Bluff.
Since then, Cairne has pledged his people to the Horde, offering the orcs spiritual guidance and aid. After Cairne's death, the young Baine Bloodhoof has arisen to take his father's place and lead the tauren into a brighter future. With the recent Alliance incursion into the Barrens , the tauren have created a mighty gate to protect their homeland of Mulgore. Even if their Horde allies turn down dark paths during this war, the tauren have resolved to be the light that guides them through it.
Forsaken - The Horde of the Eastern Kingdoms was initially next to non-existent, with only the Frostwolf orcs and other smaller forces in operation around the continent. In recent years, however, the Horde's presence has been bolstered by the inclusion of the Forsaken of Eastern Kingdoms and the blood elves of Quel'Thalas.
While considered members of the Horde, their bonds with the western Horde are perhaps not on the same level as the orcs, trolls, and tauren. The Forsaken were once part of the Scourge , forced into mindless servitude under the Lich King.
After the Lich King's grip began to weaken, the banshee queen Sylvanas Windrunner broke free from his will, and went on to both free and rally other undead beings to join her own empire of undeath, dubbed the "Forsaken.
After expelling the Scourge from the capital city and massacring the last remaining holdouts of the Alliance , they took over the catacombs of the former capital in Tirisfal Glades , founding a capital of their own called the Undercity. With the backing of the tauren , Thrall warily accepted the Forsaken into the Horde, though this alliance of convenience has been tested - great betrayal at the hands of Grand Apothecary Putress has put the Forsaken on a tight leash, made tighter by his successor's less lenient stance on their modus operandi.
Following Vol'jin 's ascension to Warchief and especially once Sylvanas Windrunner took the reins of power, this increased scrutiny has all but evaporated. The group also consists of other undead creatures, such as abominations. The blood elves worked tirelessly to reclaim their homeland from lingering Scourge and the ever-vengeful Amani tribe , with the volatile new powers the magisters advocated, the kingdom of Quel'Thalas was offered aid from an unlikely source - the Forsaken, whose queen, Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, a former Ranger-general of Silvermoon who had lost her life during the Scourge invasion.
With their assistance, the blood elves were able to fend off the lingering Scourge in the kingdom and were able to enter the Horde as an equal nation of its own. Quel'Thalas suffered another dark hour in recent years when its twisted scion Kael'thas Sunstrider attacked his homeland in a mad bid to usher the Burning Legion 's master into Azeroth.
He was put to death for this on Quel'Danas , and Lor'themar Theron has thus become the sole leader of the blood elven people. With the Sunwell restored and the monumental betrayal of their prince behind them, a bright future now lies ahead for the blood elves of Quel'Thalas.
Goblins - The cunning Bilgewater Cartel goblins from Kezan , one of the most if not the most powerful goblin cartels that dominates trade in the south seas, have recently joined the Horde.
After Deathwing assaulted Kezan and the goblins were forced to flee, their first escape ships were attacked by an Alliance fleet in the Battle of the Lost Isles. With a common enemy, the goblins assisted the captive former Warchief Thrall in breaking his bonds and obliterating the Alliance on the Lost Isles. Their future was tested when their leader, the angered Trade Prince Gallywix , attempted to defeat Thrall and take over Azshara for himself, though this ultimately ended in failure.
Thrall mercifully allowed him to retain his position as Trade Prince , and thus the Bilgewater goblins were accepted into the Horde, founding Bilgewater Harbor in the heavily-reshaped Azshara and the Goblin Slums of Orgrimmar led by Boss Mida.
Pandaren - These pandaren who hail from the Wandering Isle follow the path of the Huojin , a philosophy among the pandaren that inaction is the greatest injustice, and that there is no shame in defending one's homes and loved ones regardless of cost. Those pandaren who follow the path of Huojin are allies of the Horde , and are represented and led by the intrepid Ji Firepaw , a staunch adherent of this philosophy.
The Huojin are quick to act and quicker to fight for what they believe in. Impulsive and practical, they feel that the ends can justify the means. Nightborne - The shal'dorei are a powerful and mystical race of night elves who live in Suramar City in Suramar. Since the city was first separated from the rest of the world over 10, years ago, isolated behind a protective barrier, they have evolved by the Nightwell into an arcane-enhanced version of their former selves, and in the process, grew increasingly dependent upon its arcane magic.
To protect this font of power, the leaders of the nightborne struck a bargain with the Burning Legion that plunged their kingdom into civil war. After fighting for freedom from their demonic masters, the nightborne seek allies to help them reclaim their place in the world. After the death of Grand Magistrix Elisande and the end of the third invasion of the Burning Legion , the shal'dorei wished to rejoin the world. After a harsh exchange between Thalyssra and Tyrande Whisperwind , and an offer of mutual friendship from Lady Liadrin , the shal'dorei leader decided that it would be best to ally with the Horde, who share ideals similar to those of the nightborne.
Highmountain tauren - The Highmountain tauren are found in the region of Highmountain on the Broken Isles in their capital of Thunder Totem. Divided into four tribes Highmountain , Rivermane , Skyhorn and Bloodtotem , they are the direct descendants of the tauren led by Huln Highmountain who assisted the Kaldorei Resistance during the War of the Ancients.
Mag'har orc - The Mag'har are a noble race with a shamanistic tradition cultivating a mighty tribal society that was centered around survival, regulating themselves through ritualized combat and personal honor. For untold generations, the orc clans of Draenor battled one another in endless war, but when Gul'dan offered them the blood of his demonic masters , the disparate tribes of Mag'har — the orcish word for "uncorrupted" — refused the dark bargain and banded together to drive out the Burning Legion , after their victory, the clans stood united as one tribe under the leadership of Grommash Hellscream.
After their escape from Draenor and their Warchief's sacrifice against the fanatical crusade of the Lightbound , the clans pledged their loyalty to the Horde, residing in Orgrimmar. Zandalari troll - The Zandalari trolls in Dazar'alor of Zuldazar are a powerful and superstitious tribe descended from the first troll tribes, they settled on the highest peaks of this mountain range populated with loa , where they built crude shrines that eventually became the massive temple city of Zuldazar.
These trolls are scholarly and value knowledge; they preserve troll history but are also deeply steeped in ritual and superstition. They are also masters of war and strategy, having led the trolls in many battles before, and having for many millennia tamed massive dinosaurs. But as enemies encroach upon the borders of Zuldazar, unrest within the king's council threatens to topple the empire. Vulpera - The vulpera in Vol'dun are a keen and intelligent race of nomadic scavengers capable of turning what they find into opportunities to thrive.
Over time, they have learned to take anything that looks even remotely useful and be creative using what they have, [59] and they have learned to recognize value wherever it hides in the desert. While a huge portion of the Horde's military power consists of representatives from the faction's member states, there are also several examples of organizations within the Horde which do not belong to any of the member states and instead of answering to a particular racial leader, they are organized by the leader of the Horde, the Warchief, and their advisors.
However, while these organizations are not tied directly to any of the member states, the sub-organizations within them are often sent by one of the member states. Thrallmar - is the name for the Horde expeditionary forces to Outland , who quickly found many native allies.
Consist of all the Horde races. The expedition's settlements are scattered all over Outland's zones, except Nagrand and Netherstorm. Horde Expedition - The military umbrella organization overseeing the Horde forces that have established themselves throughout Northrend, formerly unified under Garrosh Hellscream who had been chosen to lead the expedition by the Warchief.
The Horde banner from Old Soldier. Krom'gar - An army named after it's leader, Krom'gar, given by Garrosh Hellscream with the intention to conquer the Stonetalon Mountains. Following the end of the questline, it is implied the army is dissolved entirely. Hellscream's Reach - An elite Horde regiment comprised solely of veterans of multiple tours of duty.
Handpicked by Garrosh himself, he has commanded them to take complete control of Tol Barad. Dominance Offensive - The major Horde force for the Pandaria campaign.
Vol'jin's Spear - Horde forces in Ashran , stationed at Warspear. Honorbound - Special force of the Horde army tasked with disrupting Alliance operations within Kul Tiras. Stonemaul - This faction joined the Horde after Rexxar bested Kor'gall in a duel for the leadership of the clan.
After, Rexxar disappeared into the Barren wilderness and made the ogre Mok'Morokk the leader of the clan. Although Mok'Morokk fell prey to temptations of power after Rexxar 's departure and so the Stonemaul Village , actual former capital of the clan , was raided by Onyxia 's brood. Dunemaul - Shortly after the shattering the Dunemaul band joined the Horde due to the efforts of Megs Dreadshredder and the Dunemaul "Emissary" who are stationed at the Dunemaul Recruitment Camp.
Revantusk - Situated in the Hinterlands , the Revantusk have also been known to have Dire Trolls such as Ongo'longo among them. At Elder Torntusk 's return, the Revantusk have joined the Horde as full members.
Shatterspear - Personally recruited by Garrosh Hellscream to fight against the night elves. The village was all but wiped out by night elf forces, and while there were some survivors that joined the Horde and various other organizations, the tribe itself effectively no longer exists. The Mag'har of Outland - Mag'har orcs are orcs from various clans that escaped corruption and remained in Outland throughout all three wars.
The Taunka - Ancient relatives of the tauren, were thought to be lost until re-discovered by Garrosh Hellscream and his orc forces upon their arrival to Northrend. They are welcomed into the Horde soon after their leader is rescued. Grookin tribe - A faction of hozen that has made their home in Jade Forest and was in constant war against the Jinyu. They find themselves allied with the Horde after the Horde gains their favor by rescuing some of their members, sating their appetite for fish, and killing some of their most fearsome enemies.
Armed and equipped by the Horde, this tribe of hozen are recruited to fight the Horde's war against the Alliance. Unshackled - A faction of former naga slaves found in Nazjatar. An oppressed group consisting of gilgoblins , makura , and sea giants , these refugees have banded together to rise up and seize their freedom. When Horde forces arrive in Nazjatar, they ally with the Unshackled against the naga while the Alliance befriends the Waveblade Ankoan.
Unshackled Mercenaries are gilgoblins that are troops that participate in various War Campaign missions. Although not officially part of the Horde, the following groups have allied themselves with the Horde:. Dreadmaul - After losing Dreadmaul Hold a portion of the Dreadmaul tribe have become slaves to the conquering Horde forces while another portion of the clan fight to reclaim their former home.
They have managed to break free by allying themselves with the Iron Horde. The Dustbelcher band - These ogres were hired to assist the Horde, but betrayed them. Witherbark tribe - Joined the Horde sometime after the Third War, but betrayed Thrall , bringing on the wrath of the Darkspear tribe. Magram clan - They allied with the Horde during Year 25 to suppress the other centaur clans and kill Theradras. Val'kyr - Following the death of the Lich King , many Val'kyr swore fealty to Sylvanas and raised slain enemies as Forsaken.
Ultimately loyal and bound to Sylvanas, the Val'kyr followed their mistress following her betrayal of the Forsaken and the Horde at large. Many orcs slipped through the portal to Azeroth before Khadgar's forces set up their defensive perimeter; among them was Grom Hellscream , who brought a large chunk of the Warsong Clan through the portal.
The Warsong Clan became a nuisance for the humans, who had placed most of the remaining orcs in internment camps rather than simply slaughtering them. During this time, the family of one of Lord Aedelas Blackmoore 's servants raised Thrall for the first few years of his life.
These fleeting years were more kind to Thrall than the next score; the young daughter of the servant's family befriended him and treated him as a younger brother. Her name was Taretha , and she was the closest thing to family that Thrall ever had.
Sadly, Thrall was torn away from the servant family as soon as he was old enough to begin his scholastic training, and even that was brief; he was taught the basics of how to read before his military training would begin.
Blackmoore intended to use Thrall as a gladiator at first but later developed a much darker plan to give himself power over the Alliance. Plots and mechanics that have been built upon for years now could be upended by something seemingly small like cross-faction play. It's a safe assumption that many players could suspend their disbelief in service of a more cohesive multiplayer, but others would likely be put off by such a core change to the formula. World of Warcraft is already in a precarious place with many of its players, so that drastic of a shift is something that needs to be considered carefully.
Looking toward the future is key for World of Warcraft. A shake-up as major as cross-faction play could be what the game needs to reinvigorate some players, and make it easier for new players to jump in regardless of which faction their friends have joined.
On the flip side, that kind of change has a lot of baggage as well. There's a lot more competition from MMOs like Final Fantasy 14 than historically, in which World of Warcraft has largely dominated the space. Change could be what the game needs most, and at least trying out a version of WoW where the factions can play together might be the mix-up Blizzard needs for its long-running online game.
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