WoW 8.1: Horde War Campaign, Part 1: Norwington Offensive
by Magistrate - 6 years ago show comments
The Horde and Alliance War Campaigns begin anew with patch 8.1. In this post, we begin our look at the Horde side of the growing conflict. The story has us return to Rexxar and newly Forsaken, Thomas Zelling. Players must strike at Alliance Azerite supplies and weaponry in the Norwington Estate, Tiragarde Sound.
Initial Assault
Cleaning Out the Estate and Machines of War and Azerite task players with cleaning out the initial troops, and recovering some Azerite bombs and weapons. Cleaning out the Estate is a progress meter quest–mob kills don’t generate a huge amount of progress, but there are a lot of them, and even the elite Lightforged Warframes are an easy target with Rexxar, Zelling, and Misha at your side. The bomb clusters and weapon caches are few in number, but the quest doesn’t require many.
Taking Down Lieutenant Cole
Lieutenant Cole oversees operations on base, and players must take him out to neutralize a major threat to escaping with the Azerite. After a short cutscene, Cole is found in a ring of conquering Horde grunts, cheering on the heroes as they take on Cole’s Azerite tank.
The tank stage is a pretty easy elite, where for the most part the tank will focus on Misha. It uses a sort of frontal shockwave attack, a conal fire AoE, and that’s pretty much it. After defeating the tank, Cole will hop out, a weak 120 mob. Devoid of his Azerite armaments, he goes down in moments.
Securing the Azerite
Finally, players must secure the vast Azerite stores of the Norwington Estate. after heading to the manor, a huge influx of Alliance soldiers storm the Estate from the north. While Rexxar and Misha distract the ground forces, the player hops in an Azerite-powered gyrocopter to assault the Alliance from the air. After filling a quick progress meter, the Horde escapes with the Azerite plunder.
Thomas Zelling Development
With Blizzard burning through Horde leaders at a break-neck pace, it’s interesting to watch them focus on developing new, iconic characters. Thomas Zelling, many will remember from the 8.0 War Campaign, chose Forsaken resurrection to avoid dying from his ailing body and reunite with his family.
Things did not quite go how Zelling imagined, however, and after a grand display of his void magic in aid of the Horde, players returned to watch the drama of his Forsaken revelation play out with his family in To Be Forsaken.
His wife, recognizing him as only a monster, forbids him from approaching, and Zelling, in his anger, accidentally unleashes a volley of void magic at his family. Shocking his family and himself, he realizes Lillian Voss’s proclamation that those raised Forsaken cannot return to their old lives. For his work for the Horde, Zelling strikes a bargain with Voss to ensure his family is well cared for and protected for the rest of their days.
Fast forward, Zelling recognizes the Norwington Estate as a place from his former life, noting that the area was once a “place of peace,” but now “the Alliance [chose] to muse the estate as a testing ground” for Azerite weapons.
After escaping the Estate with Azerite and weapon caches en tow, and after dealing a heavy blow to Kul Tiran and Alliance forces, Rexxar and Zelling have an exchange:
Rexxar: You did well, Zelling. Until we meet again.
Thomas Zelling: Rexxar, wait. Is there… any news from my family? How are they doing?
Rexxar: Is it wise to dwell on your former life? Are you sure you want to know?
Thomas Zelling: I do. More than anything.
Rexxar: Your family is well. Your wife purchased a small home within Arom’s Stand in Drustvar, and your children are well fed.
Thomas Zelling: That’s… good. But how? We spent everything we had before my death–I mean, my transformation.
Rexxar: You asked Lilian Voss that they be taken care of. She made sure they were.
Thomas Zelling: Miss Voss… I will have to tank her. And you as well, Rexxar, for indulging me. it sets my mind at ease knowing they live well.
Rexxar: It is nothing. Stay safe, Zelling. And remember… this is now enemy territory for you.
Don’t miss the rest of our patch 8.1: Tides of Vengeance coverage! Questions, comments, or corrections? Feel free to drop them below or @BlizzPro!