alliance-vs-horde
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Method square off against Midwinter in the BlizzCon live raid
BlizzCon is just a shade over one week away, and the time to start getting excited is now! In the past, one of the most fun player events at the convention has been the live raid, and this year will likely be no exceptions. Blizzard has brought in world #1 ranked Horde guild Method to face off against world #1 ranked Alliance guild Midwinter (what is it with M names anyway?) in a race against some of the Siege of Orgrimmar's most challenging bosses. The live raid will feature the heroic 25-man verions of Sha of Pride, the Kor'kron Dark Shaman, Malkorok, Siegecrafter Blackfuse, and Garrosh Hellscream. It will begin at 10 am Pacific time on Saturday, and commentary will be provided by lead encounter designer Ion "Watcher" Hazzikostas and community manager Josh "Lore" Allen so us audience members can better follow the action. Make sure to tune in for the live raid, and let us know if you're for the Alliance (Midwinter) or the Horde (Method)!
WoW Moviewatch: Alliance vs Horde - Mists of Pandaria, episode 3
The final installment of Alliance vs Horde - Mists of Pandaria is a surprisingly philosophy-laden episode. Filled with love, zen, and peaceful statements, it ends in exactly the way you imagine it will. This has been a fun series, and the final breakdown and punchline is totally worth the anticipation. I don't think I'm alone when I say that this third episode is, hands down, the best. Phat Loot Phriday brings you the scoop on some of the most ... interesting ... loot in the World of Warcraft, often viewed through the eyes of the stalwart Throgg and indelible Lolegolas. Suggest items you think we should feature by emailing mikeg@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Alliance vs. Horde - Mists of Pandaria, ep. 2
When last we left our heroes in the Alliance vs. Horde, an argument was about to begin. Namely, both factions want the beloved brewmasters, the Pandaren, and it would be down to a battle of wits to decide who got to enjoy Chen's Stout. (See what I did there?) The second installment is just as much fun as the first. Let's be honest, here. We all had high hopes for the Gilneans but something just fell a little short. I'll stand by my spacegoat allies until the day I die, though. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
Know Your Lore, Tinfoil Hat Edition: Wrathion's War
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. Clever, vicious and sometimes cruel, the black dragon Wrathion is not just the son of Deathwing, he's the only black dragon currently in existence that is free of the corruption of the Old Gods. In Cataclysm, he arrived with quiet fanfare, and just as quietly plotted to take out every single other black dragon on Azeroth. And with the help of an unnamed rogue, he succeeded, even bringing down the corrupted, infested mess of his father, with said rogue's assistance. Patch 5.0.4 brought plenty of class and system changes, but it also brought a ton of new achievements as well. And while some are easily defined, others remain an intriguing mystery. Wrathion's part in Azeroth's history is far from done, and there's a series of achievements in the Quests section that clearly point that out. However, we've little to no indication what these achievements actually mean. Which means it's the perfect time for some rampant speculation about everyone's favorite not-quite-evil young mastermind, Wrathion the Purified. Today's Know Your Lore is a Tinfoil Hat edition, meaning the following is a look into what has gone before with pure speculation on why and what is to come as a result. These speculations are merely theories and shouldn't be taken as fact or official lore. Please note: This post contains some content spoilers from Mists of Pandaria.
Third faction or logistical nightmare?
In the beginning, there was Azeroth and there was Draenor. The two worlds clashed together repeatedly over the course of three RTS games, each with expansions. But it didn't stay Azeroth vs. Draenor -- the orcs of Draenor had made Azeroth their new home, and the feud between the Alliance and Horde was forever etched in Warcraft history. And when World of Warcraft was released, players could choose either side" the native races of Azeroth, united as the Alliance, a group of good guys, or the orcs and other castaway races, thrown together as one motley group of bad guys, the Horde. Each side has its own justifications for what they view as right, just, and honorable. Yet there are races on either side that seem more neutral than anything, whether it be the peaceful draenei, the equally peaceful tauren, or even the blood elves, who have spent time on both sides of the faction fence. These races participate in the battles and bloodshed as readily as any other, but their motives never seem quite in the right place. And that's caused more than one person to wonder: Just what exactly would happen if World of Warcraft created a third faction?
Zarhym weighs in on Theramore rumors in Mists of Pandaria
Scrolls of Lore is reporting that Theramore will find itself destroyed in the war between the Alliance and Horde, and it's set off a flurry of posts on the official forums as well. In fact, there are not just one, but two threads worth of commentary on the matter that has Alliance players feeling a little angry. Community Manager Zarhym weighed in on the issue with a few posts of his own. Zarhym So, at BlizzCon we provided a few details about a new expansion and how it's going to have an ever-growing focus on the fight between the Horde and the Alliance in the wake of dispelling many very powerful threats to all of Azeroth. Then we find out a vague detail that some sort of unrelenting attack by the Horde on Theramore is to come. The Horde, to remind you, is currently a faction with an overzealous ruler and significant turmoil among their faction leaders; while the Alliance has almost never been quite so unified and far removed from the days of imprisoning orcs. The first pawn on the chess board of what is to be the story for Mists of Pandaria is being moved, and you're angry at whose turn is first? I only offer that maybe there's a little more to the Horde and Alliance story lines in Mists than an Alliance town being leveled... like the entire expansion story you don't know about yet. ;) If you wanna make an omelette... source Jaina Proudmoore is one of those characters who has remained relatively static during World of Warcraft's run, with few exceptions. I'm curious to see what Jaina's reaction to all of this will be, especially given that she sacrificed her father's life because she believed so fervently that peace was possible between Alliance and Horde. We haven't seen Jaina get truly angry -- this could be an exciting possibility. The news is out -- we'll be playing Mists of Pandaria! Find out what's in store with an all-new talent system, peek over our shoulder at our Pandaren hands-on, and get ready to battle your companion pets against others. It's all here right at WoW Insider!
WoW Moviewatch: Alliance vs. Horde: Firelands
The team over at TheWarpZone has put together a new WoW-themed video. Alliance vs. Horde: Firelands revisits the old Mac vs. PC format, although I really think of the Alliance vs. Horde series as its own creature; it's working within its own mythology at this point and developing its own character. I'll admit the Horde had me going with its complaints about Ragnaros. Those sort of nitpicks and opinions are exactly the kind of thing we see in the official forums all the time, so I thought it was reasonable that might be the Horde's editorial stance. The Alliance vs. Horde series is a lot of fun. I'm always interested in the head-to-head style and the lighthearted, amusing opinions each character espouses. By the way, if you don't follow TheWarpZone normally, jump back and check out this X-Men Born This Way parody. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Alliance vs. Horde - Cataclysm (A Whole New World)
Work warning: There's a bit of cursing and swearing herein. Those fellas over at the Warp Zone are back with a brand new edition of Alliance vs. Horde, this time featuring TotalBiscuit. When the gentlemen discuss the amazing changes to Azeroth, it seems like the perfect time to break into song. After all, it's A Whole New World. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at machinima@wow.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Alliance vs. Horde: Episode 3
It's been quite a while since we've heard from BroncoTV, but it seems like they're getting back into the swing of making machinima. They're re-honing their skills with the release of Alliance vs. Horde: Episode 3. Similar to the other Alliance vs. Horde series, this episodes features a quick punchline between a member of each faction. I'm not sure the humor is quite as strong as previously, since so much of the success was based on the character interaction. That being said, BroncoTV's returning effort shows the same knack for tongue-in-cheek humor as always. Their video is quick, clean, and crisp. Welcome back to BroncoTV! I hope to be seeing more from you, since you've always been a strong favorite. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
Abyssal Maw Cataclysm zone preview posted to the official site
We've all been waiting with bated breath since BlizzCon in hopes of getting more solid news about the expansion, and today, it seems like we've started getting it. Blizzard has updated the official Cataclysm site with some screen shots and lore information of one of the new areas of the expansion, the Abyssal Maw.The Abyssal Maw is the elemental plane of water, one of the four such planes created by the Titans to contain the elemental servants of the Old Gods so that their own creations could thrive on Azeroth. Deathwing's prison break will break the walls between the elemental planes and Azeroth, with the Abyssal Maw being no exception.
WoW Moviewatch: Alliance vs. Horde - Episode 2
BroncoTV has really been doing a great job providing interesting videos for the World of Warcraft community. They've just released the new episode in their Alliance vs. Horde series, in which they examine the differences between Azeroth's factions to great comedic effect.Alliance vs. Horde - Episode 2 focuses on one of the fundamental aspects of WoW game play -- how we group. The Alliance dwarf is eager to go plumb the depths of an instance, while the Horde character is more interested in personal, individual achievement. Michael Davis and Michael Schroeder are working hard to keep their series "balanced," to avoid out-of-character bias for or against one faction or another. I definitely appreciate the effort, especially since they seem to do a good job keeping their protagonist "true to form." They don't seem to need to adjust the characters' behavior just to suit the joke; instead, both characters seem consistent across the two episodes. I think there's a lot of art that goes into that balancing act, and I tip my hat to BroncoTV for pulling it off. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
WoW Moviewatch: Alliance vs. Horde - Episode 1
We've seen WoW-based Mac commercial spoofs before, such as the epically famous Frost Shock. BroncoTV is now continuing the legacy with their own donation to the effort, Alliance vs. Horde - Episode 1. The series will be focused on the two player factions, and their ongoing argument about who is better and why.This particular episode digs up the old chestnut about who has the best girlfriend and why. I admit, I had a brief chuckle when the dwarf claimed Onyxia as his girlfriend. I guess I can't blame him, as there was something a little fetching about her appearance in BLIND.Ultimately, I thought the video was amusing, and I really look forward to more. I think the later episodes are going to get better, though, as the authors expand their development of the two main characters. As these figures "grow up" in the comedy series, I think the dialogue will get even better. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
