Two Bosses Enter: Ymiron moves on; Eregos and Loken rematch
Two Bosses Enter ... but only One Boss Leaves, in WoW.com's series of fantasy death matches. We're moving from the quarter-finals into the semi-finals of the Original Five-Man Wrath of the Lich King season. Grab a seat, and let's get ready to rumble!
This week, the Original Five-Man Wrath of the Lich King season of Two Bosses Enter moves into the semi-finals with a repeat match: Ley-Guardian Eregos versus Loken. If you believe voters cheated Loken out of his last victory against the Ley-Guardian based on their distaste for Eregos and The Oculus, now's your chance to set things right!
In last week's final quarter-finals battle, King Ymiron demonstrated the power behind his throne with a decisive Thunderdome victory over Krik'thir the Gatewatcher. More than 64 percent of the crowd roared its support for the King, while just shy of one-third believed Krik'thir could hold his own. Here's a sampling of the debate from the stands:
Dreamstorm: This is one complicated fight. I'm going to wait with voting until I read what others think and why.
Qot: Two Bosses Enter is sort of like the NBA All-Star voting. The people decide, but they usually decide based on reputation or history rather than actual skill. Xevozz was perfectly tuned to kill Loken, but Loken's a BAMF in the lore, so he wins the match.
Dreamstorm: If the king wins, we'll have ourselves a Nerubian, a Vrykul, a blue dragon and a creation of the Titans ... PIT FIGHT!! :D
Eddy: I was kind of thinking that. I feel like I'm biased towards King because then the fights would just seem so balanced -- the end bosses from a number of lore-intensive instances. I feel like the lore supports the king's victory.
Reader Salomas called the victory for the king.
Salomas: The rowdy Thunderdome crowd is roiling with anticipation. Krik'thir is the heavy favourite and many are eager to cash in on a sure thing, clutching Goblin betting slips in their sweaty mitts. The king, however, is unfazed and as the bell rings, he hesitates for only a moment to consider his kill order before he gets to work.
He wades into the first clot of giant spiders and start hewing limbs. At eight legs a pop, he doesn't waste time aiming for the vulnerable joints and puts all his strength into cracking the ancient carapaces. With that deadly blade trailing death like a comet, the spiders can't get close enough to use their venomous bite. With his minions shedding legs at an alarming rate, Watcher Silthik attempts to trap the giant in webbing, but the king is twice the size of the usual prey. The sticky strands cling to his limbs but do nothing to stop the fatal blow that pierces the spider's brain.
The other two watchers do not wait for Ymiron to come to them and attack in unison. They hope to pin him down under a press of clattering monsters, but instead fall into one of the King's deadliest traps. Each blow from the spiders sends a torrent of dark Bane through their midst, and with so many attacking at once, their onslaught is startlingly brief. The screaming crowd is shocked into silence.
Alone with the king, Krik'thir's odds no longer look so good. Many had counted on Ymiron to be suffering the effects of many deadly bites before facing Krik'thir himself, and seeing him nearly unscathed strikes dread into their hearts. The King allows himself a moment of quiet satisfaction and readies himself for the desperate frenzy that Krik'thir is known for. Sidestepping the initial frantic lunge, Ymiron carries the momentum into a tree felling strike of textbook form. With a master's natural ease, he channels the power from his stance, through his core and shoulders, down his arms and into the grim blade in his hands. Moving with unstoppable force, the blow cleaves Krik'thir in two, his top half toppling to the ground while his lower parts carry on under their own momentum and topple in a heap in the dust.
ORIGINAL WRATH FIVE-MAN SEASON: SEMI-FINALS
We've come full circle: For the second time this season, Ley-Guardian Eregos finds himself facing off against Loken. In our second semi-final deathmatch, King Ymiron will battle Anub'Arak.
SEMI-FINALS MATCH 1
Ley-Guardian Eregos (seeded at 75.3%)
Loken (seeded at 52%)
SEMI-FINALS MATCH 2
Anub'Arak (seeded at 64.5%)
King Ymiron (seeded at 64.1%)
This week: Ley-Guardian Eregos versus Loken
The Two Bosses Thunderdome is considered neutral territory, where both combatants are able to access their usual encounter mechanics and abilities. Yes, we realize that Eregos flies and Loken does not; if you can't imagine it inside the Thunderdome, imagine it someplace else -- but you must take into consideration all of each bosses' abilities and mechanics.
All of the competitors' abilities, including crowd control and other effects to which bosses are usually immune, work on their opponents (with apologies to considerations of lore on this point).
Assume that the opponents share similar levels, health pools and comparative overall damage output.
Don't get caught up in gameplay mechanics and what actual players might do in each encounter.
Don't neglect style, story and scale. Everything is a factor; only you can decide how it balances out.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls ... Dyin' time's here.
In Corner One: Ley-Guardian Eregos (The Oculus)
Simpletons! You cannot comprehend the forces you have set in motion. The ley line conduit will not be disrupted! Your defeat shall be absolute!
Ley-Guardian Eregos, the great Blue Dragon boss, flies at the pinnacle of The Oculus. Players normally battle him astride drake mounts with various abilities.
Inside the Two Bosses Thunderdome, there will be no player drake mechanic. Judge the battle on the basis of the abilities of Eregos and Loken themselves. Eregos may engage in battle in the air and/or on the ground -- your choice, neither is mandatory -- without the player drake mechanic.
Whelps Two to three spawn at a time; heavy DPS can push Eregos into a Planar Shift before he has a chance to summon
Learn more about Ley-Guardian Eregos' key abilities, and review comments from players who've battled him. (Remember: no player drakes!)
In Corner Two: Loken (Halls of Lightning)
My master has shown me the future, and you have no place in it. Azeroth will be reborn in darkness. Yogg-Saron shall be released! The Pantheon shall fall!
Loken, the Dark Titan who resides in the Halls of Lightning, has an extensive history with links to none other than Yogg-Saron. From wowwiki.com: "According to the Tribunal of Ages in Ulduar'sHalls of Stone, Loken -- also known by various sources as "Keeper Loken," "Sentinel Loken," "Kronus" and "prime designate" -- was named the supreme protector of Azeroth by the Pantheon, leading the Aesir (Storm Giants) and Vanir (Earth Giants) following the containment of the Old Gods. Along with his brother Thorim, the Stormlord, as well as Watchers Hodir, Freya, Mimir and Tyr, Loken was designated as a guardian to watch over the prison of Yogg-Saron, deep within Ulduar. Over time, however, Loken succumbed to the whispers of the Old God and turned on his allies, taking control of Ulduar and seeking to unravel the plans of his former masters. At some point, he provoked a global war between the Storm Giants and Earth Giants, which was ended by Loken's 'neutralizing' them. After the conclusion of that war, Loken placed the Earthen, Giants and Vrykul into stasis at designated holding facilities (presumably, facilities like Uldaman or Ulduar)."
Learn more about Loken's battle abilities, and review comments from players who've battled him.
Inside the Thunderdome
Two Boss matchups are about substance and style, not game play and mechanics. Don't base your strategies on player tactics, which opponent has been easiest or most difficult for you personally, or the difficulty of each opponent relative to instance progression. Vote for the spirit of the battle as set forth above. Set aside differences in opponents' health pools, game level and actual damage output. Absolutely no game-mechanic nitpicking!
Before you cast your vote, join the debate in the comments. Who wins, and why? Style points go to spectators who use the comments to sway other readers to their point of view!
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Who rocks Wrath's five-man world? Add your own narrative on what would happen when these mighty opponents meet up inside the Two Bosses Thunderdome. Anything's possible in the semi-finals of Two Bosses Enter, One Boss Leaves: The Original Wrath Five-Man Season.
