Two Bosses Enter: King Dred vs. King Ymiron
Two Bosses Enter ... but only One Boss Leaves, in WoW.com's series of fantasy death matches. Welcome to Round Two of the five-man Wrath of the Lich King season. Grab a seat, and let's get ready to rumble!
It's Battle Royale among the royals this week, as King Dred of Drak'tharon Keep squares off against King Ymiron of Utgarde Pinnacle. Both contenders enter the Thunderdome on the heels of impressive first-round victories. King Dred crunched the doomed, fanatical Jedoga Shadowseeker in less than two chomps of his great jaws, while King Ymiron practically ushered Drakkari Colossus out of the Thunderdome with a wave of one finger. Will a battle between the King of the Beasts and the King of the Vrykul prove more challenging to both?
Here are the ground rules for this week's royal melee:
Assume that the opponents along with their minions share similar levels, health pools and comparative overall damage output.
This deathmatch takes place in King Ymiron's throne room, but this shall not hinder King Dred from being able to summon raptors during battle.
All the usual minions will be available to each boss.
Don't get caught up in gameplay mechanics and what actual players might do in each encounter.
Don't neglect style, story and scale.
And now, the weekly Thunderdome call-out: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls ... Dyin' time's here.
King Dred (Drak'tharon Keep)
King Dred raises his claws menacingly ...
King Dred, the great Devilsaur, is found within Drak'tharon Keep. His vicious attacks are augmented by those of the smaller raptors he calls to his aid during battle.
King Dred also "raises his claws menacingly," after which he performs all three of his bleed effects in rapid succession.
Although we'll set this deathmatch in Utgarde Pinnacle in order to give King Ymiron access to his longboats, we'll allow King Dred to arrive with a small posse of Raptors. (We'll also, obviously, allow him to fit inside the hall.) They will join him in battle (singly, one per summons) when he performs his Raptor Call.
Read more about the Devilsaur's battle tactics, and look over comments from players who've faced him in Drak'tharon Keep.
King Ymiron (Utgarde Pinnacle)
You invade my home and then dare to challenge me? I will tear the hearts from your chests and offer them as gifts to the death god! Rualg nja gaborr!
King Ymiron is the slumbering king of Northrend's Vrykul, the leader of the Dragonflayer clan who lies sleeping within Gjalerbron. Fanatically adored by his people, the now undead king has proven his worth to the Lich King.
Like the kingly Vrykul he is, King Ymiron hits like Thor's hammer. Normal hits are hard, and his Dark Slash cuts down 50 percent of the target's health. The king protects himself with Bane and complicates matters with the random cast of Fetid Rot.
Periodically during battle, King Ymiron's Screams of the Dead paralyze opponents for 8 seconds. During this time, he runs to one of the four longboats in the room to channel a spell from a Vrykul ancestor there. He will use that ability until the longboat burns shortly thereafter.
Longboat abilities include:
Summons an orb that causes AoE shadow damage and moves around the room.
Summons minions
Read more about King Ymiron's abilities, and look over comments from players who've battled the king.
The smackdown
Two Boss matchups are about substance and style, not game play and mechanics. No player-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.
Who wins, and why? We'll see you down below in the comments – can you come up with a convincing scenario that will sway other readers to your point of view?
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Cast your vote in this match of
Round Two of the five-man Wrath of the Lich King season to help us determine who rocks Wrath's five-man world.
