Why I think San'layn or Dark Ranger Customisations Don't Work for Blood Elves

Community General Discussion
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I thought to create this thread based on my own opinion, with some lore, to why I think San’layn or Dark Rangers wouldn’t work as customisations options to Blood Elves. But please do take note, just because I created this thread, does not mean I am against Blood Elves recieving anything.

Who are the San’layn?


The San’layn (sometimes spelled in lowercase, also known as the Darkfallen) are vampyr blood elves in service to the Scourge. They used to be among Kael’thas Sunstrider’s greatest followers, until they were raised into undeath by Arthas following Illidan Stormrage’s failed assault on the Frozen Throne. During Battle for Azeroth, a number of San’layn led by Blood Prince Dreven were given a chance to join the Horde by Warchief Sylvanas if they could work with them, but Dreven was killed during his mission.

source: https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/San%27layn

Who are the Dark Rangers?


Dark rangers are undead archers in service of the Forsaken or Sylvanas Windrunner. These cunning individuals, adept at manipulating opponents, are mainly composed of forcibly raised Farstrider rangers of Quel’Thalas. They now enjoy nothing more than sowing dissension and hatred within the enemy ranks. The Forsaken use dark rangers as elite agents or as the personal guards of Sylvanas. They had a great presence in Silverpine Forest and Hillsbrad Foothills. Some of the dark rangers joined Sylvanas after she abandoned the Horde at the Fourth War’s end, but most seem to have remained with the Horde.

source: https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Dark_ranger

Why do I think that San’layn wouldn’t work as Customisations for Blood Elves?


As everyone knows, the San’layn were killed off in the Battle for Azeroth campaign by the Alliance. And considering they were given a chance to join the Horde ranks by Sylvanas Windrunner when she was the Warchief, they were there on behalf of Sylvanas, not the Horde. But now, Sylvanas Windrunner is not the Warchief of the Horde, and since the Horde is now more of a council between each racial leader, it is highly unlikely that the San’layn will be given a chance to join the Horde. Plus, since the Blood Prince Dreven was killed also in the Battle for Azeroth Campaign, there is no clue to how many San’layn remain and who, if any, is their new leader.

Why do I think that Dark Rangers wouldn’t work as Customisations for Blood Elves?


Dark Rangers are just basically undead, and as well all know, Undead is a condition, something which won’t really work good for Blood Elves, as Blood Elves doesn’t suffer from this condition. I think Dark Rangers would work better as Undead Customisations assuming that another model will be added to Undead for Dark Ranger customisations to work. And considering also during the Battle for Azeorth campaign, there is also Kael’dorei Dark Rangers, which were raised after the Horde killed many of the Kael’dorei and destroyed there home, this isn’t something which will not work at all for the Blood Elves.

CLOSING STATEMENT:


Basically, I’m just stating my own opinion on why I think San’layn and Dark Rangers customisations wouldn’t work for the Blood Elves. I do want to see more customisations for the Blood Elves, but I do not think San’layn or Dark Rangers are the way to go. Plus, with Dark Rangers and San’layn only having certain classes within there ranks, it wouldn’t make sense for other classes to be with them in terms of customisations, such as Paladins for a prime example.

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What a well formatted, reasonable, informed and all around pretty sound post.

The forums are not the place for such things! Begone! Come back only when you have more salt and insane requests that completely disregard the lore. :wink:

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I see your points and disagree. Because I don’t think they’ll give more elven allied races, because it’d be easier than making our model available to the Forsaken (I think we have now the most shared model. It really is becoming watered down), and because it gives Belves something different.

Plus I want my red eyes. I’ll murder hobo all of Azeroth to have them.

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Additionally they will probably not work for gnomes. Just wanted to add this since I know the question on everybody’s mind is “but what about if we put them on GNOMES?” And I understand that adorable question but I just think it wouldn’t make sense

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Pretty much agree.

I think people can ask for whatever they want. But as the current story stands it really doesn’t work, nor is it an equivalent to High elves being on the Alliance.

Blizzard can do whatever as the writers sure, but y’know sometimes expecting verisimilitude is good.

I want Worgen Demon Hunters.

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They need to make all Elven races playable then make us all into a third faction.

Sure would freshen up the faction aspect.

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I for one want san’layn customization for blood elves, because that essentially unlocks undead paladins, which means the flood gates are open, and we can potentially get stuff like void elf nightmare druids!

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Void Elves already look more like San’layn than Blood Elves do as an aside.
Look at their hair styles on PTR without the tentacles, or even just the natural hair colours; the vast majority of them are actually stuff you’d see on classic vampires. It’s to the point it kind of feels like they were originally going to be them, but got retooled into something more unique.

Imgur

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Give them the ear shape (not even needed) and a more grey skin tone , and it’s pretty much done. DKs pretty much look the part 100%.

Dar’khan being a part of their story despite having absolutely no connection to the void, but a heavy connection to the scourge prior, also makes the whole thing sus.

But yeah, San’layn don’t really make sense on the Horde at all anymore.
Dreven betrayed them and showed absolutely no remorse about feeding off Forsaken at the last second. Talanji didn’t trust them out the gate, was right about it, and any remaning clutches would likely be considered untrusted entirely by the Forsaken and Zandalari leadership - which extends to the Blood Elven one.

If they’re gonna be playable, the easiest route is to just slap red eyes on Void Elves (…and san’layn also don’t always have red eyes, or vampires in general, so… bonus.) and then move onto giving them actual void customization and leaving it as subrace. They’re pretty much already playable on Alliance now on PTR, and people just didn’t notice because of the High Elf hype. :man_shrugging:

Dark Rangers for Horde even if it breaks aesthetics.
San’layn are pretty much on Alliance already in every single breath but a story beat.

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My stance on these topics is that more choice is better no choice.

Blizz should just expand the Forsaken and give players access to the dead elf and human models.

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She is important.

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Do people want San’layn as a customisation? I think everyone who wants them wants them as their own allied race.

And Dark Rangers should be a class or spec.

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I’m basically neutral on everything at this point, even if I agree or disagree. Heck, let undead people just use whatever skeleton and be undead everything. Hopefully we’ll have them playable across whatever unshackled faction nonsense happens in the future either way.

but seriously
GNOMEFERATU???
I love her

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dark rangers are a forsaken thing. should be playable through them, not blood elves

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I’m happy being Horde personally.

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San’layn make less sense on the faction that murdered them. Making them extinct for the time being. After they joined the Horde in BFA.

And every time Velves ask for something that should go to Belves, Pandas should get the new customizations instead.

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San’layn wouldn’t make any sense in general on either faction either way. Got to remember, they were in BfA to prove themselves to Sylvanas in order to join the Horde. They weren’t there on behalf of the Horde.

And we all know what Sylvanas did.

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If they joined it’d probably be if Kael’thas lead them or something.

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Agreed I think dark ranger and san’layn should either be used for other races or just be their own races entirely.

personally I would love blood elves to get Arcane infused, fel infused and sunwell infused options for customization which I think would be really cool. I’m sure there are many options that could be used for blood elves that don’t dip into dark ranger or san’layn.

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Yeah, but I am uncertain whether that will happen. Who knows, can’t predict what the future holds.

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Ideally they should be their own AR

:tired_face:

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