Is Warchief Sylvanas really insane? The short story “A Good War” reveals how the leader of the Horde really thinks in WoW.
Since Sylvanas ignited Teldrassil and wiped out a large part of the Night Elves in World of Warcraft, there has been criticism of her actions.
Fans are asking: Is the Banshee Queen just crazy now? Does she only react to feelings? Is she simply Garrosh 2.0?
Blizzard has now published two short stories that are part of the Collector’s Edition of Battle for Azeroth. These shed new light on Sylvanas’ plans – and give corresponding context.
The original plan: Darnassus as hostages
Life of the Night Elves as leverage. Sylvanas’ great goal is the conquest and destruction of Stormwind. However, she knows that Stormwind cannot be attacked head-on – the city is fortified and more than the harbor would not be conquerable. Orgrimmar, on the other hand, would be easier for the Alliance to besiege.
Even Saurfang agrees with these two points. To settle the war in the long term, Sylvanas chooses a different plan: Kalimdor must be completely conquered.
Political problems within the Alliance. Darnassus and Teldrassil as hostages would have caused strife within the Alliance. The Gilneans under Greymane are still waiting for the Alliance to retake Gilneas. However, the Night Elves would have insisted on retaking Teldrassil – that would have led to political problems and possibly weakened the unity of the Alliance.
Anduin would be torn between the wishes of his allies, and no matter which wish he fulfills, he would have spurned one side. The armies of the nations would have retreated to their own countries to protect their homes.
Incorporation of the Alliance races. Due to the disputes within the Alliance, the individual nations would have been weakened and individually weaker than the Horde. Gradually, the Horde would have made peace with the individual races (under threat or logical cooperation) and integrated them into the Horde – until there was no more Alliance. This would have made Stormwind vulnerable.
Protection through hostages. At the same time, Sylvanas would have ensured that there would be no way for the Alliance to retaliate with Darnassus as hostages. She knows that the Alliance would attack Silvermoon or Undercity in revenge – but they could not do it if the Horde threatens to kill all the inhabitants of Darnassus.
That’s the original plan. Varok Saurfang fully agrees with this original plan – he even considers it brilliant.
Saurfang ruined the plan and he knows it
The major weakness in Sylvanas’ plan was Saurfang. Because Sylvanas fundamentally wanted to achieve one thing: To inflict a wound on the Alliance from which they would not recover so quickly. That would have been the death of Malfurion, a war hero who has existed for over 10,000 years and masters the forces of nature like no other.
Even though Malfurion is on the brink of death, Saurfang allows him to live because he considers the death of the Night Elf to be dishonorable.
Night Elves believe in a miracle. With Malfurion as a survivor, the Night Elves would have gained new courage. They would have seen it as a miracle that Malfurion survived despite the ambush of the Horde. Elune and fate would have been on the side of the Night Elves, which would have given them new courage.
Ultimately, Sylvanas realizes that she cannot weaken the Alliance as planned because Malfurion survived.
To increase her chances of victory for the Horde, she chooses a different path: She inflicts a wound that no one can heal and destroys Teldrassil. Because an angry Alliance might make a mistake.
Players will experience the first mistake starting today in the Battle for Undercity.
Cortyn says: I can only recommend reading the nearly 100 pages of “A Good War,” as they shed a much more detailed light on the War of the Thorns and its course. The exact strategy between the individual attacks of the Horde and Alliance becomes clear, and it results in a much better picture of what Sylvanas and Saurfang are doing. It’s worth a look not just for Horde players.
If you want to read “A Good War”, here is the download link for the PDF file.
What did you think of “A Good War” and the War of the Thorns?
