Two Bosses Enter: Aethas Sunreaver vs. Roanauk Icemist

In Two Bosses Enter, WoW Insider's series of fantasy death matches, bosses, leaders, and powerful figures of World of Warcraft face off in the squared circle. Your vote determines who wins and claims the season title.

In last week's thrilling episode of Two Bosses Enter, Scryer head honcho Voren'thal the Seer went head-to-head against Yorg Stormheart, king of the Frostborn dwarves. Vorenthal's magister abilities were not match for the dwarven mountain king and his crazy hammer of jormungar bashing. Yorg Stormheart, also known as Muradin Bronzebeard, easily trounced this round, giving the dwarf a bona fide win.

This week's matchup signals the end of the first round of exhibition season one with an all-Horde fight between Archmage Aethas Sunreaver of the Sunreaver faction versus Roanauk Icemist, proud taunka chieftain of the Dragonblight. Aethas' leadership, vigilence, and savvy goes up against the brute strength and cunning of an elder taunka warrior. Only you readers have the power to decide who goes on to the next round.

Vote now -- the fate of the universe depends on your action.

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The rules of the ring

• The WoW Insider Ring is considered neutral territory, where both combatants are able to access their usual encounter mechanics and abilities. If you can't visualize it inside the squared circle, visualize it someplace else -- but you must take into consideration all of each bosses' abilities and mechanics.

• Assume that each opponent is intelligent and capable of strategic thinking.

• 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; seeking balance is your goal as a spectator and judge.

In Corner One: Archmage Aethas Sunreaver

Archmage Aethas Sunreaver is an incredibly powerful mage and leader in the Kirin Tor, sitting on the Council of Six leadership of Dalaran. After the events of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne and Kael'thas Sunstrider's departure from the Council of Six, the tensions between the Horde-aligned blood elves and the humans and high elves of the Kirin Tor were at a high point. Through Aethas' work and membership as a mage of the Council of Six, he got the blood elves back in the good graces of Dalaran. These followers eventually called themselves the Sunreavers after their leader and worked to get the Horde itself welcome in the floating city.

Aethas Sunreaver has had a feud with Grand Magister Rommath of Silvermoon, both differing on their attitudes toward the Kirin Tor mages. These two heavy personalities come to an agreement during the Quel'dalar quest line in Wrath of the Lich King, with both Rommath and Sunreaver expressing great joy if a blood elf brings them the broken blade. Both very much wish for the blood elves to put Quel'dalar back in the hands of one of their own.

Here are some cool things about Aethas Sunreaver:

• He's a powerful mage. The Kirin Tor Council of Six is the best of the best, once called home by such mage luminaries as Kel'Thuzad, Kael'thas Sunstrider, Arugal, Krasus, and their current leader, Rhonin.

• He wielded cross-faction power. Sunreaver was so persuasive in his arguments that he went to the Kirin Tor and got the Horde their own quarter in Dalaran, much to the dismay of Vereesa Windrunner.

• He wears awesome armor. Aethas Sunreaver appears in mage tier 8, one of the best sets ever.

• Many people think he is redeemed Kael'thas. Could be? Probably not. Keep the mask on, buddy.

In Corner Two: Roanauk Icemist

There is no bigger, badder, or more stalwart hero of the taunka people of Northrend than Roanauk Icemist. After his home, Icemist Village, was completely overrun and destroyed by the Scourge, Roanauk was captured and held prisoner. Eventually, players free him, and he proceeds to enact swift vengeance on his captors. Roanauk ends the Scourge occupation of his precious village and leads his people into the arms of the Horde for honor, protection, and value.

As we found out in Wrath of the Lich King, the taunka people are a different breed, both figuratively and literally, than the tauren native to Kalimdor. The taunka bend the elements' will around them, choosing an active life to one where the weather and climate would take them if they didn't act against it. Roanauk is no exception. He is a man of honor and power, leading his people as best he can amidst a never ending invasion of the undead.

Here are some cool things about Roanauk Icemist:

• He's a taunka hero. Tauren players were very happy during Wrath to get some cool tauren lore as well as get to be best friends with the new taunka heroes.

• He kicks scourge butt. Roanauk stands with the player side by side, fighting off wave after wave of Scourge invaders.

• He's an ally of the Horde. Roanauk and his people, after players' help, become full-fledged members of the Horde in an awesome induction ceremony at Agmar's Hammer.

• The Icemist clan has a town named after it, Icemist Village.

Last Week's Winner: Yorg Stormheart

Poor, poor Voren'thal. You just had to have your first round against a Bronzebeard, didn't you? It's a shame, really. Leader of an army, friend of a naaru, and keeper of a ton of those tomes I turned in for reputation with his faction, all for nothing. Reader Jaq thought that this fight was a pretty simple one to call, on account of Yorg Stormheart's beating a jormungar in the face with a giant hammer after using his avatar ability:

I can't say I disagree. Yorg is a resilient little bugger who smashes pretty good with that hammer. And, let's be honest, avatar is one of the coolest abilities in Warcraft history. I can't say I'm surprised.

GrandOldDuke makes a good point -- Yorg has technically sort of maybe already died once and then didn't:

You know, I didn't think of that. Now that's resilience! Not only has Yorg survived the blast from the reawakening of Frostmourne but also the harsh weather of Northrend and the aforementioned jormungar. To put a point in Voren'thal's favor, though, sitting out in the cold never gave you protection against fire and the arcane. You can only cover yourself in so much snow before the mage decides to use a different school of spells.

kyneska0 brought up Voren'thal's potential fragility and illness as a concern that might push the favor in Yorg's direction:

Have you been to Terokkar? There are a million moths all over the place, huge ones, and all they do every hour of every day is pump moth dust and spores into the air. Terokkar is killer on the allergies, and you can bet that Voren'thal has some sort of asthma. It's his hardship. If you spent one day in Terokkar forest, you would die from inhaling too much moth byproduct. Poor guy is just congested.

So there you have it -- an easy, solid win for Yorg Stormheart. For now, though, you should all be voting on who wins this week's matchup and decide which of these contenders goes on to the next round.

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Set aside the world order -- let the WoW Insider Ring determine who's the champion! Your votes determine the outcome in WoW Insider's series of fantasy deathmatches, Two Bosses Enter, One Boss Leaves.