I’ll begin mine is Darion Mograine’s Speech at the Battle of Light’s Hope
“The Sky weeps at the glorious devastation of these lands. Soon Azeroth’s futile tears will rain down upon us. Soldiers of the Scourge, Death Knights of Acherus, Minions of the Darkness, Rise! The sky turns red with the blood of the fallen. The Lich King watches over us minions. Leave nothing but ashes and misery in your destructive wake!”
Lich King’s defeat and death.
“Father!..is it over?”
The Demon Hunter starting questline.
“Take them to the vault!”
The DH starter zone is definently a top 5 pick for me…I’ve played through it…6 times?
“Lord Illidan knows the way.”
Also Maiev is a goddess.
It used to be the original Battle for the Undercity back in Wrath…
That being said, I really enjoyed the moment in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms after SoO. Seeing that zone get decimated was a real gut punch, and seeing it start to heal after all the Garrosh business was a nice, uplifting sort of story beat. It helps that the music in that scene was just spot on.
Sylvanas’ rallying cry in the BFA cinematic. The relief that she was actually going to be a good Warchief and find a piece of her empathy! …oh well.
Arthas putting on the Helm of Domination and sitting on the Frozen Throne.
Archimonde blown up by wisps.
The entire Wrathgate questline. The idea of a phased capital city under attack was such a novel idea at the time.
Thrall getting the news that the Mag’har exist.
Prepare yourselves the bells have tolled! Shelter your weak, your young and your old! Each of you shall pay the final sum. Cry for mercy, the reckoning has come!
UH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAA
I didn’t think of counting WC3. Probably this even though it’s the beginning of the end of Night Elves.
Angrathar/wrathgate
"Rise up, sons of the Horde! Blood and glory await us! Lok-tar ogar! ”
“Did you think we had forgotten? Did you think we had forgiven? Behold, now, the terrible vengeance of the Forsaken! Death to the Scourge! And death to the living!
Now, all can see this is the hour of the Forsaken.”
I was Horde up until WoD the Wrath Battle for Undercity was one of the best quests ever in the game!
The ending of the Battle for Undercity and the Purge of Dalaran are probably the only two times as a Horde player that I felt terrified of/threatened by the Alliance
Varian was totally ready to just end the entire Horde right there until Jaina jumped in
Hard to say. I guess the favourite from a perspective of the overall presentation is the Aszhara short. Well put together, tells an interesting story, looks good, with good voice acting.
And has some food for thought about the future stories.
From the book Tome of Blighted Implements [The Scepter of Sargeras, Part Four]:
Soon after the War of the Ancients, Sargeras had a vision [
]: the Well of Eternity imploded once again, but this time, it dragged him down [2:59] to the very core of Azeroth. He was there for only an instant, but in that moment, he saw Azeroth’s slumbering world-soul–and in that moment, the world-soul opened one eye and gazed at the Dark Titan. He was enraptured [3:57].
So, not only it recaps the pivotal moment in the story of Azshara, but maybe hints that there is more to learn about the real reason of the fall of Kaldorei Emprire (will we get another time travel, I wonder).
gl hf
It’s such a shame Nzoth wasn’t more like the short in game. The way he completely played Azshara was brilliant.
Arthas returning to Lordaeron after claiming Frostmourne and proceeding to use it to kill his father. That cinematic still gives me chills.
Kingslayer Orcus becoming a Hero Of The Horde was a cute little moment.
Actually, I think my favorite little bit of writing from Blizzard is the opening of WoD, with all the totally-are-players NPCs who fight to hold back the Iron Horde and then die. Like Orcus, they’re a nice little nod to the players and their guilds as real entities within the game world, and it built a sense of connection for the player that otherwise is sorely absent.
There’s always the question of ‘isn’t it weird that there’s these immortal demigods’? But moment like the above indicate that ‘players’ are not immortal, we are just the ones who always seem to survive.
Other moments in the lore are more emotionally affecting or satisfying, but charging into battle alongside an ‘npc’ Tauren wearing a terrible 'mog and with a pun for a name and then seeing them fall was just a good moment of writing. It was a rare time when I feel like Blizzard embraced the potential of the medium instead of trying to write a comic book.
Earth wind and fire, hear my call…
The whole Nighthold encounter with Elisande is one of my favorites. It reveals more about her and paints her not as evil as we had thought she would be.