That’s only a cinematic model. It won’t be used in-game, unless they plan to do some last minute addition, which is unlikely.
Also, the NW eyes used by the PC was changed at some point after BfA to be grey- black instead of blue-black like Tyrande’s… which is disappointing and looks … bad.
Just FYI, Alliance soldiers have referred to Tauren as “those creatures…” in canon.
If some Stormwind humans wanna attack the tauren, it’s pretty different from having the Alliance itself go to war with them.
The dude who was directly responsible for massacring a peaceful Tauren tribe in a time of peace between the factions got promoted to High Marshal of the alliance for his work firebombing tauren civillians (and sending troops to murder Goblin civillians).
I definitely don’t see how that could ever indicate that the Alliance could think of the Tauren as inferior beings with no right to life…
Are you referring to Hawthorne with this or someone else?
They are part of the Horde, an enemy faction that wronged them. I don’t see why the Alliance as a whole wouldn’t consider the Tauren the enemy worthy of attack. The geographical position of Thunderbluff is a different story, but I’m that can be worked around.
I just think it’s a bit silly to compare Draenei, a race of immortal, infinitely wise space-faring aliens who have a very close relationship with the Naaru, creatures of the Light, a very Human-centric religion to… well, cowmen. Cowmen who are friends with the enemy.
I guess I should add to that - when Astraanar was being firebombed, when civilians at Silverwing Refuge were being slaughtered, when the Horde was rampaging through Ashenvale the first and the second time, and when Teldrassil was destroyed - the Tauren were there every step of the way, showing their full support with their presence and participation. The Battle of Lordaeron even shows them spreading plague gases around.
The tauren are not peaceful or innocent.
That said, from a game balance perspective, a player satisfaction perspective, and yes, certainly from a geopolitical perspective, no we should not raze Thunder Bluff or any other capitol city as recompense for Teldrassil. But Teldrassil should mean that the Horde should not enjoy friendly relations with the Night Elves ever again - and it should mean that the Night Elves shouldn’t simply drop their grievances because the story has deigned that they and only they need to give up any claims to never allowing such a thing to happen to their people again.
Because… the tauren aren’t worthy of attack. Unless ofcourse the tauren decide to move north and attack the night elves.
Not according to the book. Baine pulled his troops to Silithus.
Which they did just about every time the Horde decided to invade Ashenvale. Baine even validates the Horde’s actions at Teldrassil by personally defending against the retaliatory attack on the Undercity.
Are you referring to Baine in this or the druids?
Or maybe defending the civilians of UC was seen as unrelated to the attack on Teldrassil. Because guess what… it was. It made no sense for Anduin to attack the UC when Kalimdor was in need of aid.
Not to mention completely unrealistic. The orcs had no home to return to. Those who weren’t imprisoned were typically raiders, conducting human sacrifice to appease their demon masters. They came to Azeroth with the intent on wiping out all of humanity. Had they won the war, the surviving humans would have suffered far worse than internment camps. The situation is far more nuanced than Horde players are willing to give credit.
That is far different than a currently active fanbase relishing in the utter destruction of the enemy at Teldrassil, but pretending they didn’t when the Kaldorei want retribution.
They definitely wouldn’t go “pwease don’t huwt our Awiance fwieds”.
Tauren are part of the Horde, they supply the Horde, they support the Horde and they have aided it in just about every conflict with the Alliance.
By hurting Tauren you will be hurting the Horde.
Twinbraid.
We don’t see Baine escorting civilians out. He’s on the front line, and his troops are spreading blight. I would pin that closer to defending his Warchief than civilians, who were evacuated mostly before the battle even begins.
But I did decide to check your source on Baine going to Silithus with a ctrl+f on A Good War. This is what it has to say, on page 28:
It was a struggle to keep his expression under control. This was the beginning of the Horde’s new era on Azeroth. With this victory, they would ensure their survival for a hundred generations, and if they couldn’t hold on to the world longer than that, well, by the spirits, there was nothing else Saurfang could do.
Most of Orgrimmar had come out to watch the army depart. Curiosity ran high; the Horde did not fully understand what was so important about Silithus. Hopefully, the Alliance felt the same confusion.
A familiar face pushed through the milling soldiers toward Saurfang. The orc smiled broadly.
“Old friend, it is good to see you,” Saurfang said.
Baine Bloodhoof, high chieftain of the tauren, clasped his arm firmly. “Off to war without me again?” he asked, mockingly grave.
“If you want to sit in the desert for a few months, you are welcome to join me,” Saurfang said lightly.
“Is that where you’re going?” Baine’s tone did not waver, but his eyes were ice.
Saurfang did not let himself show surprise. Baine knows the real plan, the orc realized. He didn’t know how, but the tone of the tauren’s voice made it clear he knew something. I need to stop underestimating him. This was Cairne’s son, after all, and no fool. “It will be over sooner than most think,” he said evenly.
“Most of the Horde doesn’t understand the goal of this mission. Or why it must be done now,” Baine said. Neither do I, he meant.
“I believe they will, very soon,” Saurfang said. “There is an opportunity now, and there is danger on the horizon. It is best to deal with it quickly.”
“And cleanly, I hope,” Baine said. “Tell me, is this your plan or the warchief’s?”
“Mine,” Saurfang said simply.
The tauren seemed relieved to hear it. “Then I wish you well. Fight with honor, friend. Lok-tar ogar.”
“Lok-tar,” Saurfang replied
Based on this passage, Baine knew that something was up, but took no action to stop it.
Hrm, well the accusation that he firebombed civilians is a new one. Are you sure you aren’t referring to a military installation? Because I’m recalling only one spot in the Barrens where bombing of any stripe even took place, and that was before a stronghold.
That isn’t as evident as you’d think it is. While in-game they are used as default units, they largely avoided both Sylvanas’ and to an extent Garrosh’s wars. Sure, they had sprinkles here and there, But the tauren are not the most militant of the Horde. Targeting them would take a conflict to a people who are the Alliance’s best hope of a force that might stand down.
When you can hit the head or the arms, you don’t go for the arms. You knock the head so that the arms are rendered moot.
The tauren arguably also have a more defensible position than Orgrimmar. Orgrimmar is a thorn in the night elves’ side. Thunder Bluff is far separated and harbors mostly peaceful civilians. Most of the tauren - and other troops- in the Horde’s standing army dwell in Orgrimmar, as per both Garrosh’s and Sylvanas’ books. When Orgrimmar is right there to intercept an attack on TB, I don’t really see the point of attacking TB.
Regarding the highlighted part:
They were there, and they demonstrate Tauren involvement and complicity.
Also “Civilians” is an interesting thing to call the people at Camp Taurajo, which was being used as a forward military base of operations. As well as an interesting thing to call the goblin miners who were gathering resources for the Horde War effort.
Ok I dont know what you are referring to here. I dont see what your race identity has to do with anything.