WoWFeb 13, 2018 7:03 pm CT

Datamined Battle for Azeroth spoilers discuss Alliance and Horde hostility

By Matthew Rossi

Before we get rolling, the standard caveats: this is all datamined information from the folks at Wowhead, nothing is set in stone, nothing is live yet. We don’t know if there’s other information yet to be discovered that will change the context of these dialogue lines, and it’s all intensely spoilertastic.

Like, so many spoilers.

If you go further beyond this point, spoilers ye shall receive.

Does Sylvanas order Teldrassil’s capture?

Again, this is just lines of dialogue that have been datamined. It’s not a cinematic, it’s not complete, and it doesn’t rule out behind the scenes details we simply don’t have yet. But the dialogue seems to indicate — again I stress seem — that Sylvanas orders Teldrassil to be captured as part of a Horde offensive to seize control of all of Kalimdor because the wound leaking Azerite is in Silithus to the southern edge of the continent.

“We take this azerite and use it to conquer Kalimdor.
We build the greatest empire ever known; one that is untouchable against the Alliance.
With the seas parting our lands, rather than mere borders, we can live and prosper without conflict.
That is how you ensure the survival of the Horde for the next hundred years, $n.”

Note that nothing in that dialogue directly names Teldrassil or indicates what Sylvanas’ plans for the city were. For all we know, the Night Elves themselves burn the tree rather than let the Horde take it. But combined with what we know from the Before the Storm preview, Sylvanas seems to have her sights set on the conquest of Kalimdor as a means to create a fortress continent and deny the Azerite to the Alliance.

The Battle for the Undercity comes again

It seems indisputable that Teldrassil fell first.

Today, we will claim our victory over the Eastern Kingdoms and take back that which was stolen from us so long ago.
We stand as one to fight for those who were lost at the battle for Teldrassil – for the families who have lost their homelands.
That despicably cowardly act of war, made it clear that we must fight for the survival of our next hundred generations.

These lines of dialogue from the Undercity scenario make it clear that the Alliance is there after the Horde takes action at Teldrassil. Again, we don’t know specifically what happened there — did the Horde burn the tree or did the Night Elves seeking to deny it to them, or were there traitors in either or both side’s ranks, or some other explanation — but the chronology does seem set now. The Horde struck first. The Alliance responded.

Moreover, Sylvanas and Saurfang are definitely not seeing eye to eye as this battle unfolds.

Honor means nothing to a corpse, Saurfang. You have the luxury of underestimating death, but it is something with which I am intimately familiar.
Maybe you don’t care if your people die so long as it is honorable, but to me, this Horde is worth saving. Anyone who disagrees does not deserve to stand among us.
So die your warrior’s death, High Overlord Saurfang. It means little to me. Perhaps I will raise your broken body to serve me once more.
Or perhaps you will have a chance to say hello to your son.

There’s a definite conflict of viewpoints here which makes for an interesting possible schism in the Horde down the road, but moreover, it’s a surprisingly sympathetic argument from Sylvanas’ point of view — she’s extended her view about the Forsaken to the Horde entire. She’s going to save it, whether or not the people in it agree with her methods. It’s an interesting continuation of the person we’ve seen since the days of Warcraft 3, the one who fought to save Silvermoon at all costs. It’s starting to feel like Sylvanas has more in common with a living person than she’d care to admit.

There’s talk of an Azerite War Machine and the battle seems to ebb and flow before the Horde is finally defeated, thanks in large part to the Void Elves, who are apparently far more numerous than we’ve been led to believe. Lor’themar and Baine Bloodhoof make appearances as well. Meanwhile, Anduin himself is directly leading the Alliance offensive and is seen as the leader by the Horde, including Sylvanas, who even uses his name as a goad for her people. “Slay them all, champions! Mark my words, King Anduin and his army did not come here for our amusement – they mean to destroy us! Show them no mercy, for they would show you none in return!” How this ends up with Saurfang sallying out to die with Sylvanas’ parting words less than cordial isn’t entirely clear, but he does show up again in a later Horde scenario, where he’s being held prisoner by the Alliance.

It is clear that the Alliance ultimately wins the day in part thanks to the Void Elves, which should help explain why the Alliance is willing to trust them.

Kobolds and Catacombs in WoW?

Look, I’ll be up front, I have no idea why it’s there but I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that there’s datamined lines from the Kobolds and Catacombs theme song and I so hope there’s some kind of scenario or dungeon or something where we go in and experience a Ben Brode dungeon crawl. That would be so, so awesome.