Two Bosses Enter: Mal'Ganis vs. Varos Cloudstrider
Two Bosses Enter ... but only One Boss Leaves, in WoW Insider's series of fantasy death matches. This season's bosses come from the five-man instances of Wrath of the Lich King.
After The Puppy chewed up The Squeak Toy in last week's Two Bosses matchup, we move to a theoretically interesting pairing: Mal'Ganis from The Culling of Stratholme vs. Varos Cloudstrider of The Oculus. Readers will want to consider not only the fighting styles of the two combatants but the considerable power and lore behind Mal'Ganis as a character. Don't cop out or be too l33t to bother – let's see what you've got in some juicy comments!
The usual rules apply: assume that the opponents share similar levels, health pools and damage output, and that they are fighting in neutral territory. While Arthas normally assists against Mal'Ganis in the Culling fight, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense that he should be here to butt in. Let's scoot Arthas out of the picture. However, we think the fact that Varos Cloudstrider summons Azure Ring Captains as an integral part of his battle plan serves as a decent counter to the sheer strength of Mal'Ganis' background. Let's work with it; no Arthas, but we'll allow for the summoned Captains. (And no, all you smarty-pants out there: Varos doesn't have to kill Mal'Ganis outright, simply wear him down to the point where he escapes.)
Remember, focus your debate on the three S's: Style, Story and Scale. Don't get caught up in game mechanics and what players might do in each encounter. Consider the flavor each villainous gladiator brings to bear, then cast your vote for who you think would come out on top.
Mal'Ganis
Mal'Ganis isn't merely the last boss in The Culling of Stratholme – he's one of the nathrezim sent by Archimonde to head up the plot to turn Prince Arthas to darkness and make him the Lich King's greatest champion. You'll want to read up on his background as well as his basic abilities before coming to any conclusions about this battle. And remember – Arthas isn't around for this matchup.
Read player comments from wowhead.com about fighting Mal'Ganis.
Varos Cloudstrider
Varos Cloudstrider, Azure-Lord of the Blue Dragonflight, is the second boss inside The Oculus. Varos summons Azure Ring Captains when he fights, which we'll allow during this matchup.
Read player comments on wowhead.com about fighting Varos Cloudstrider.
The smackdown
Remember: no group-tactic or game-mechanic nitpicking. Vote for the spirit of the battle as set forth above. Set aside differences in opponents' health pools, game level and actual damage output, and size up these villains based on their fighting style.
It's not just who wins -- it's why. What's your reasoning behind who ends up victorious? Post your comments. Let's come up with what goes down!
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