Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne - Expansion Orc Chapter Two: Old Hatreds
By Daniel D'Agostino, 2011-03-12
Stealth Sabotage
Once you land at the new Darkspear encampment on the mainland, you are greeted by Vol'jin. He warns you that getting into Theramore Isle will not be easy, but there is someone waiting by the shipyard who can help you.
Head north out of town, and immediately east. Cross the border to reach the Coastal Base.
In this part, Blademaster Samuro (Level 10) takes over. His task is to place unstable concoctions on critical structures to distract the humans and give you a chance to reach Theramore. You also have the optional quest of killing Bloodbeak the Berserker in the northwest corner of the map. The first thing you should do is break the barrels in your immediate vicinity, to obtain gloves of haste and a ring of regeneration.
Go east and southeast. You are warned that arcane towers can detect Samuro while using stealth, but explosive barrels placed around structures are a quick way of destroying them.
Use Wind Walk to get through the human entrance to the east. Although you will be revealed in doing so, destroy the explosive barrels around the arcane tower just inside, as well as the barricade immediately south of it. Then Wind Walk again so that no one can see you.
Place your first unstable concoction at the Circle of Power by the barracks. Then head north and east past the castle for a free Khadgar's Gem of Health hidden inside a barrel. Destroy the arcane tower north of the castle before cloaking yourself again.
A little further north is the second target, so drop by and place the unstable concoction. Then destroy the watch tower to the west by striking the explosive barrels around it. Go round the corner and place your charges at the arcane sanctum.
There are claws of attack +6 behind the knight immediately northwest of the entrance. Destroy the barricade north of the entrance, the gate just past it, and the arcane tower. Place the fourth unstable concoction at the human shipyard. After backtracking a bit, destroy another arcane tower, and place the final charge at the workshop. There is a manual of health and a hood of cunning behind the workshop, but destroying the barrels will blow your cover.
Jaina's Intervention
Once all the charges have been placed, Rexxar and his companions secretly reach Theramore Isle owing to the confusion caused by the sabotage. Rexxar tells Jaina about the human raids; she is confused and comes back to the mainland with you to see what is going on. Just that once you reach the mainland, you find that the human encampment has been destroyed by the naga.
Fight your way out of the razed human encampment, and take a brief detour northwest to kill Bloodbeak the Berserker. His corpse reveals a Talisman of Evasion, and other treasures in his hideout include a Wand of Illusion, a Rune of Greater Healing, and a Rune of Greater Mana.
Go to the far southeast into naga territory, and fight your way through. There are a few tomes in this area that you shouldn't miss. Killing Lady Darkscale gives you a Vampiric Potion. Once you destroy her army (not an easy fight) you get Frostguard (+5 cold damage, +5 armour).
After the fight, you find a survivor who mentions the admiral. Jaina recommends going back to Theramore at once. Use her Mass Teleport spell to beam back to the ships.
Theramore Isle
Just as Jaina and friends are teleported to Theramore, Grand Admiral Proudmoore - Jaina's father - arrives. He doesn't give her time to explain before he orders his men to kill Rexxar. Jaina creates an escape route for Rexxar, and then teleports away.
Pick up any of Jaina's dropped items you still need, and head northeast. In the northeast corner are some caged hawks that you can use to explore the area. Take the south road, kill the crusader, and take control of a ship.
If you sail northeast, you will find a cloak of flames. Go back to the gate and step on the pressure plate nearby to open it. Now you can sail through, and the human transport serves to disguise you. You will not be attacked until you land.
Sail past the well guarded landing zone (optional) and head south once you reach the second gate. Make a landing by the resurrection stone.
East and north is a well-guarded fountain of mana. You get a Stone Token for killing Dalar Dawnweaver (Level 8 Archmage). South and east of the resurrection stone, past a couple of towers and a gate, is an area full of war golems. Southwest of the fountain of mana is the pressure plate that opens the fourth gate. The barrels in the northeast part of this area contain a Tome of Power, which gives a free experience level to one of your heroes.
Go back to the gate south of the resurrection stone. Cross the road and destroy the barricade. At the end of this road is another pressure plate opening the sea gate that's currently stopping you.
Go back to the ship and sail to the landing area in the west part of the map. You can optionally fight your way west and north through the bandits (Bandit Lord (Level 7) has Claws of Attack +15). However your main aim is to cross the bridge to the south, and head east. A pressure plate is waiting behind a well-guarded gate.
Good, now go back to the boat and sail all the way to the landing area in the southeast part of the map, and engage the humans as soon as you land. Head north past the golems and go through the Way Gate. You are beamed to a closed area to the west containing the another pressure plate. Kill the riflemen, step on it, and sail to the landing site to the north.
Before you land, you can already see what's waiting for you at the last pressure plate - Level 12 Archmage Nilas Arcanister, Level 14 Mountain King Bor Stonebreaker, and Level 12 Paladin Gavinrad the Dire, each with an extra reincarnation ability, together with a host of other normal units. You are in for a serious fight here.
I had the idea of trying to sneak to the pressure plate by using Chen's ultimate ability and casting Wind Walk from the Storm version of himself, but it doesn't work - apparently you have to defeat the army first.
All you get from the heroes is an Orb of Fire. In the storage room to the north storage room you also get healing wards and a rune of greater mana, but no serious treasure otherwise. Go back to the boat and sail out of Theramore using the east exit.
Go back to Vol'jin, who asks you to meet Cairne Bloodhoof at Mulgore in order to recruit the tauren. For completing the Theramore quest, your heroes each get a bonus hero point.
Before taking the zeppelin to Mulgore, though, let's explore the area around the new Darkspear village.
Optional Quest: Khan Gragtor
Directly north of the village is a razed Orc village, which triggers the Khan Gragtor optional quest against the centaur further north. The blockade of Storm Wyrms on the way is pretty good at tearing your party apart.
You find some caged orcs further north. The prisoners tell you to kill the centaur leader and take his key in order to free them. Killing Khan Gragtor (Level 14) gives you tomes of Strength, Agility and Intelligence +2.
If you head west and keep to the highlands, you will run into bronze drakes and some kobolds near a gold mine. There is a lot of gold to be taken here.
Outland Arena
In this place you can get additional experience by fighting the arena monsters - Destroyer Zardikar (gigantic Doom Guard), Talnivarr the Sleeper (Level 15 Dreadlord), and Sinstralis of the Pain (Level 10 Maiden of Pain) - one at a time, but with their respective minions. Step on the Circle of Power in front of one of them to challenge him.
Once you defeat each of them, the monster becomes more powerful for next round, and you get a free tome. Zardikar gives a Tome of Strength; Talnivarr gives Intelligence, and Sinstralis gives Agility.
Tomb of the Ancients
In the northern part of the map is the Toom of the Ancients. This area isn't very interesting, but there are some tomes to be taken here. The one place to visit is the main throne room in the central north area. Lord Talendar (Level 16) is probably the most powerful creature in the game. For killing him, you get the Talendar Skull Helm. The waygate he guards takes you back near the entrance.
Magistrates Temple
Just east of the portal to the Outland Arena is the Magistrates' Temple.
This place is split into three tracks (west, centre and east) that take you to the higher ground, where the revenants rule. The central track contains a lot of Burning Legion monsters, including Fel beasts, Doom Guards, and Infernals. The big chief is the Revenant of Burning Souls, who carries the Necklace of Burning Souls.
The west track consists of giant turtles, hydras, spider crabs, and siege golems. The east contains lots more spider crabs, an Ancient Hydra (Level 10), Makrura, Stormreaver necrolytes, and skeletal orcs as you approach the revenants' domain. The Makrura Tidal Lord (Level 10) has an Orb of Lightning and a Tome of Insight +6 (+6 intelligence), and there are 1000 gold coins hidden behind the waterfall.
Darkspear Encampment: Southern area
Back to the main map... to the southwest, there's a troll base you're not allowed to enter yet, a Level 15 Grand Wizard (Zerx Hydromon) who only yields a pendant of mana when you kill him, a little murloc village, and the Den of the Lost. There isn't much in the Den except for a tome of agility and a few Level 10 creeps. In the northwest corner is an Ancient Wendigo (Level 15) whose den is littered with gold. His death gives a tome of knowledge providing a +3 boost to stats.
In the southern area of the main map is a human encampment run by a certain Captain Thornby, who has a Medallion of Courage (strength and intelligence +4). A tome of intelligence +2 is also hidden in one of the tents. Further east is a centaur encampment with a Centaur Conqueror (Level 12) and nothing of use. In the southeast there are a few Orc buildings that seem to have no use other than decoration.
Mulgore
You can now travel to Mulgore with the aim of enlisting the aid of the tauren. All you have to do is cross the bridge to the east to meet with Cairne Bloodhoof.
Since Cairne is grieving over his captured son Baine, you have to rescue the him before Cairne will help you. Tigar suggests you seek out Bovan Windtotem, as he can help you. Talking to Tigar after the encounter with Cairne also gives you an optional quest against the harpies.
Cross the bridge to the northwest to enter harpy territory. Kill all the harpies, and finally the harpy queen. When you return to Tagar, you get an amulet of spell shield.
Cross the northeast bridge, and fight your way north through the razormane until you meet Bovan Windtotem. He and his Spirit Walkers have the ability to raise fallen Tauren, and introduce the Spirit Link ability, which distributes damage among the party.
Follow the path, raising any fallen tauren and killing handfuls of centaur along the way. At the end of the road, kill the War Khan (Level 15) and his men (centaurs actually) to free Level 2 Baine Bloodhoof. There is a Ring of Protection +4 among the barrels here, and a Rune of Greater Healing in one of the tents.
Now, the hard part is fighting your way back to the Tauren village, as hordes of centaur have taken to the road to block your way. They also keep coming out of the caves.
The Stonemaul Clan
Great, so Cairne and Baine are reunited, and Cairne is joining you for the time being. Go back to Vol'jin. A wounded ogre is seeking help, claiming that a new warlord has taken over his clan and is leading it to ruin. You can now go to the southwest corner of the map and take the zeppelin to Dustwallow.
As always, fight through the lesser creeps to get to your target. You have to kill the Stonemaul ogre guards before you can talk to their chieftain, Kor'gall (Level 11).
To allow Rexxar to join the Stonemaul clan, Kor'gall wants him to get through the Gauntlet, which is a winding road full of stuff to kill. Go and do it; the Champion Wildkin (Level 15) has a manual of health (hit points +50). The prize for completion of the Gauntlet is a Ring of the Archmagi.
Having passed the Trial of Strength, Rexxar is now a member of the Stonemaul Clan. Kor'gall refuses to help the Horde, so Rexxar (being a member of the clan now) challenges Kor'gall for leadership. Thus follows the Trial of Blood, a one-on-one challenge allowing spells but not magic items. Kor'gall is particularly hard to kill because he keeps healing himself. You can get help by setting the arena beasts (four Storm Wyrms in the corners) upon him. After you kill him, you become the ruler of the Stonemaul Clan, and you get the Serathil.
The Standard of Durotar
Go back to Vol'jin. He tells you that the assault against Admiral Proudmoore is immiment, and that you should meet Thrall at the Orc base to the south (the one which appeared useless earlier).
Thrall wants to create the Standard of Durotar, and he needs you to get him a Wildkin Claw, a Storm Lord Eye, and a Bronze Dragon Scale. This quest is listed under the Optional Quests, but you have to complete it in order to finish your main one.
Just northeast of Thrall you will find the Storm Lord, ruler of the sea giant area. In the high ground north of where Captain Thornby was, you will find the wildkin. Finally, travel to the northwest corner of the map to get your bronze dragon scale. The Blizzard guys who created these items sure didn't waste time in length descriptions.
To meet Thrall, you now have to leave the map from the southeast corner, and reach Tidefury Cove. Funnily enough, on the way, I noticed that the centaur are actually labelled as tauren, whereas the two races obviously can't stand each other.
The Battle at Tidefury Cove
Meet Thrall at the large Orc base. Thrall names you Champion of the Horde and asks you to carry the standard. Also, he will take care of defending the base, while it is your task to lead the assault on Proudmoore's stronghold. Your objective is to destroy his castle. You may train units from any of the Horde races (i.e. orcs, trolls, ogres and tauren) to assist you in the battle.
You can start by razing the human outpost in the west part of the map. Cairne's Shockwave and Chen's Breath of Fire abilities, not to mention the Demolisher variant of catapults, are very effective against towers.
If you press on to the north from here, you'll reach Proudmoore's base from a side entrance that is not as heavily defended as the main one.
At the centre of the map is another human outpost you might want to tear apart while you gather your forces to strike Proudmoore's castle.
Even the side entrance is not easy to get into. The gryphons in particular are very effective at turning you back. A team of berserkers is effective against them. Destroy the buildings in the northwest corner, to weaken their defences and limit their production, before heading east towards the castle.
With fresh troops, clear the production area north of the main entrance, and then optionally proceed to clear all the towers at the main entrance. This will give you easy access to the castle. As you approach, Admiral Proudmoore himself will come to fight you. He is a damn good killer. His castle also has the ability to defend itself.
Go back to Thrall for your much-deserved pat on the back. After your victory, the humans flee from the mainland. Thrall decides to press the attack on to Theramore Isle itself in order to stop Admiral Proudmoore once and for all. The assault is continued in Act 3.