The Ashen Verdict is one of the shorter lived but more interesting factions in game. You’ve the Argent Dawn and Knights of the Ebon Blade teaming up to storm the gates of Icecrown Citadel.
These two organizations are depicted as diametrically opposed foes who are practically antithetical to eachother from their weaponry to their tactics to their firmest held beliefs. But they are made brothers in arms to defeat the only thing they disdain more than each other- the Lich King.
It’s actually a shame that for such a delicious set up they’re basically just different colored dudes in armor playing helpful NPC roles in the raid. In their respective storylines there’s some great butting head moments leading up to ICC at least.
It was a real cool dynamic I thought could be done so much better today with the benefit of new graphics and technology. You could see ballista rounds burning with Holy Light soaring through the air alongside EB meat wagon offal. Just really drive home how bad Arthas has screwed up to create a conglomerate force like this.
But we kinda do have an opportunity for something similar. I know basically everyone wants a piece - but I think the Forsaken and Nelves are the most victimized by the Banshee Queen. They’re the ones tempest tossed by her mess. They’re the ones who are going to be most enthusiastic when the bill comes due.
They also have the most different looking armies of the faction powers. The Battle of Darkshore was baffling from a lore and logistic perspective. But from a rule of cool angle - I got it. It was a treat to see such vastly different power sets clashing. Watching a giant tree monster fight a giant Frankenstein’s monster is just pretty interesting.
So I think from a purely visual perspective that’d be fascinating. But also from a narrative one - it’s really weird and unprecedented that the Night Elves and Forsaken are intertwined now but they are and I say- screw it let’s run with this idea.
If we are abandoning the faction war and having the Horde and Alliance work together let’s odd couple it up. I don’t know what Windy’s minions will look like but I imagine a Master Apothecary and Arch Druid throwing their stuff at them at the same time is just a damage type cocktail nothing in even the afterlife will have a resistance to.
Overall I feel like this might correct some woes BFA wrought. You know how much fun I’d have had if it was the Forsaken got to fight in Arathi? Ah man that could be great. Belmont’s Saturday morning cartoon villain routine might even make sense if he was up against Turalyon. And maybe he even couldve got to say ‘What are humans but miserable piles of secrets!’. Just to fulfill his reference name in some capacity.
And as for the Nelves - well was it as weird for me as it was for you? Tyrande throws Orc heads in the moon pool. It’s Orcish demolishers that burn down Teldrassil. The whole thing with Ashenvale was framed as an Orcish and Nelf conflict. Which was always thematically cool as if the cinematic scales are to be believed an Orc doing anything but breaking a human in half seems unlikely. They’re the race that could match the savage Horde in close combat. Maybe you’re mad at Slyvanas but she /gquit as did Nathanos. And it seems like we’ll be working with Calia to get ya’ll a nifty red eyed skin or at least some NPCs of the sort. So - where’s the beef?
I really like when WoW does it odd couple pairings. That was basically the entire concept of the Armies of Legionfall and that seemed well received by everyone. Why not do a new version of the Ashen Verdict with the Forsaken and Nelves trying to get vengance on Windrunner?