One Boss Leaves: Skadi crushes Svala

Two Bosses Enter ... but only One Boss Leaves, in WoW.com's series of fantasy death matches. Welcome to the end of the current round of the five-man Wrath of the Lich King season. Grab a seat, and let's get ready to rumble!

It wasn't much of a contest this week, as Skadi the Ruthless swept to a whirlwind victory over Svala Sorrowgrave. Sixty-three percent of the spectators roared their approval of the spear-wielding, undead Frost Vrykul, undoubtedly moving him into a solid position for the upcoming semi-finals. But however one-sided its ultimate conclusion, this matchup offered the opportunity for a number of interesting scenarios.

Dominika: Let's review the facts. Skadi doesn't do his own fighting. Skadi throws Vargul at his opponents, slows them down with his Proto-Drake ... It's only when you really piss him off that he jumps down to take you on one on one. Now, what are these Vargul he throws at you? Vargul, of course, are the Vrykul judged as unworthy by the Val'kyr.

There's but one reason a Val'kyr would fight a Vrykul: to prove his worth. And he's not going to do that by hiding behind the unworthy. Skadi's hands are tied. He has to take her on one on one. His main advantage then, is his Poisoned Spear. His Whirlwind hurts, but it's difficult to hit someone who can fly. When he finds himself trapped on the altar to be sacrificed, his Vargul brothers know that they can't hold back any longer. They bum rush the stage to free him. The enraged Skadi tells everyone to take Svala (that's what she said), but if there's one thing that hordes of undead do poorly against, it's fire. The flames from the brazier make short work of them all, leaving just the Vrykul and the Val'kyr once more.

And when the next ritual comes, Skadi will only have enough time to think of the words he heard echoing down from the keep below long ago ... "Your pathetic failure will serve as a warning to all."

fromtheboxofweasel: Okay, let's think about this. First off, as stated in the rules, this happens on Skadi's hallway ... The skies are open. In an effort to avoid the problems traditionally associated with the gauntlet event, Svala would of course take to the air, refusing to play Skadi's game. Skadi would want to maintain his height advantage, so Utgarde Keep is now rapidly shrinking below the combatants; Skadi trying to maintain his height advantage and Svala trying to get into melee range ...

Tired of the game, Svala decides to sacrifice Skadi atop her altar, only to discover she has moved too far away. In the world of Azeroth, time, space and distance all matter with magic. Svala is "out of range." Now, minions forgotten, it's an aerial slug-fest. In a one-on-one, Svala stands no chance. Skadi has a lot of things going for him, not the least of which is brute strength. Even if Svala tried kiting him with some fancy shadow magic she has yet to reveal to players, all it'd take is a good harpoon through a wing to send Svala plummeting like a plucked chicken.

Diegocentric: If that is the logic you are following (heh ... logic), then Svala has the best chance in the world to take out Skadi. Sure, she might be out of range from her altar, but she can fly. All she has to do is manage to take out Skadi's Proto-Drake and he would come crashing down, no matter how hard he tried to Whirlwind/helicopter to slow down his fall.

fromtheboxofweasel: A Proto-Drake, especially one as well conditioned as Skadi's, would likely be much more enduring than Svala ... Svala is a princess compared to Skadi's drake. She'd never be able to take it down before they take care of her.

Diegocentric: True, that drake is a beast, but he would still go down way before her. The Lich King didn't give her his blessing because she was a dainty little flower.

Izmo: So I'm pretty new to this whole thing, but I guess I see it like this: Svala waits until Skadi is in the air, then when he's in the sky, she teleports the Proto-Drake into the Ritual, causing Skadi to plummet. ... Not the most fun fight, but technically speaking, it's fair and efficient.

Original Wrath Five-Man Season: Semi-Finals
So here we are, down to the final four matches. The winners of these matches will be duking it out for a berth in the final battle, starting with Match 1 later this afternoon.

MATCH 1
Anub'Arak (Azjol-Nerub) 73.5%
vs.
King Dred (Drak'tharon Keep) 50.5%

MATCH 2
Skadi the Ruthless (Utgarde Pinnacle) 63.8%
vs.
Ley-Guardian Eregos (The Oculus) 50.7%

MATCH 3
Xevozz (Violet Hold) 62.1%
vs.
Loken (Halls of Lightning) 58.1%

MATCH 4
King Ymiron (Utgarde Pinnacle) 60.3%
vs.
Krik'thir the Gatewatcher (Azjol-Nerub) 58.6%

Who rocks Wrath's five-man world? Come back this afternoon to cheer on your favorite inside the Two Bosses Thunderdome, during the next round of Two Bosses Enter, One Boss Leaves: The Original Wrath Five-Man Season.