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Complete the War Campaign in Battle for Azeroth. In the Battle for Azeroth Quest Achievements category. Always up to date with the latest patch.
- Old Soldier
Comment by rileynadler Okay, in order to complete this quest...
- Ready for War
Ready for War is a part of Battle for Azeroth Pathfinder,...
- Old Soldier
- Overview
- Prelude
- Beginning of the war
- War Campaigns
- Forces
- Interviews
- In the RPG
- Notes and trivia
- Speculation
The Fourth War
Date 33 ADP - 34 ADP
Location Eastern Kingdoms, Kalimdor, Zandalar, Kul Tiras, Nazjatar, Great Sea and other islands
Begin War of the Thorns
End Battle at the Gates of Orgrimmar
Result
Legion
This section concerns content related to Legion. When the Burning Legion at last made its return, both factions initially worked together, but Varian Wrynn and Vol'jin were killed in action during the disastrous Battle for the Broken Shore. However the Horde's losses were obstructed from the Alliance's view, so to the latter it appeared as if the former were casually abandoning them. King Genn Greymane and Lady Jaina Proudmoore, blaming the Horde for Varian's death, wished to renew hostilities with the Horde. The newly appointed Warchief, Sylvanas Windrunner, became a focus of Greymane's aggression. Meanwhile, Windrunner sought to strengthen the Horde by scheming of ways to create new Forsaken Val'kyr, so she traveled to Stormheim where the Alliance and Horde forces engaged in battles. Eventually, Sylvanas managed to capture Eyir, but her plans ultimately failed when Genn Greymane tracked her, fought with the Banshee Queen and released Eyir by shattering the Soulcage. In the midst of all of this, the dreadlord Detheroc impersonated Mathias Shaw and used the SI:7 to sow increasing distrust between the two factions, with the intent of causing a conflict between them. This failed, due to the work of the Uncrowned. For the remainder of the war against the Legion, the hostilities between the Horde and Alliance ceased, and the night elves and blood elves even put their hostilities aside in order to aid the nightfallen rebellion to liberate Suramar City from Elisande and the Legion. Following the deaths of Gul'dan and Kil'jaeden, Prophet Velen called Alliance and Horde members to Azuremyst Isle in order to travel to Argus. There the Burning Legion was ultimately defeated, but as the Legion's ruler Sargeras faced imprisonment at the hands of his titan brethren, he managed to strike a final blow against Azeroth by stabbing his sword into the world. Following the Argus Campaign, both the Alliance and Horde converged on the destroyed Silithus, spying and thwarting each other's efforts, as well as engaging in skirmishes on the newly uncovered Seething Shore where they fought to control the first Azerite nodes and ore.
Before the Storm
This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories. Thanks to the efforts of King Anduin Wrynn, the Forsaken of the Desolate Council met with the chosen human relatives and friends from Stormwind in the Gathering in Arathi Highlands. The meeting wasn't about bringing peace between the two factions, but it reunited long-stranded persons and brought a cease-fire for one day. As Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner and Anduin were aware that their factions are not ready for a war, they agreed to the terms of the Gathering and promised they would not harm the other faction's members. The Gathering, however, ended in disaster. Upon seeing the Forsaken trying to defect to the Alliance and being informed of Calia Menethil's presence, Sylvanas ordered her dark rangers to kill her people but spare the humans as to not start a war. Sylvanas would personally kill Calia and threaten to kill Anduin for bringing a usurper to cause sedition, as Calia was calling out for the Forsaken to defect. Anduin, however, called Sylvanas' bluff since she was not prepared to face the unrestrained ire of the Alliance, nor did she have the full support of the Horde. Acknowledging Anduin's words Sylvanas left Arathi, and Anduin would later confide his belief of Sylvanas being lost to Genn.
New allies
As the Silithus battles raged on, the Alliance and Horde opened new embassies where the leaders of their respective factions discussed how to prepare against the opposite faction. Following the Legion wars, the Alliance and Horde ranks were depleted so they needed to gain new allies. As such, Lady Liadrin and Baine Bloodhoof recruited the nightborne elves of Suramar, who already distrusted the night elves, and the Highmountain tauren tribes of Highmountain, respectively. Thanks to the efforts of Turalyon and Alleria Windrunner, the Alliance gained new allies in the Lightforged draenei of the Grand Army of the Light and the exiled Thalassian blood elves who became void elves.
Burning of Teldrassil
“She had sent a message. This was not a war that would end in a stalemate. Not now. The Alliance and the Horde would both understand that the only choices were victory or death. Lok-tar ogar. Darnassus would not be the last city to burn. The loss of life on both sides would tower over this atrocity. And it would all rest on his shoulders. Every moment would be a nightmare.” — Varok Saurfang reflecting on the impending Fourth War at the Burning of Teldrassil Following the war with the Burning Legion, the Alliance and Horde's navies were diminished. With both factions debilitated in their ability to reinforce Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, the Horde came up with a plan to secure Kalimdor and elicit a political crisis in the Alliance that would lead to its downfall. After luring a majority of the night elven forces to Silithus through misinformation, the Horde would seek to hold Darnassus hostage and use the political crisis to sow division in the Alliance. Furthermore, Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner wanted to kill Malfurion Stormrage in order to kill the kaldorei's spirit and end them as a nation. The invasion of the night elven lands was successful, but High Overlord Saurfang had allowed Malfurion Stormrage to escape alive. News of Malfurion's survival upset Sylvanas and she felt Darnassus' conquering would not be enough of a fatal wound for the Alliance. Thus, Sylvanas had Teldrassil burned down in order to inflict a painful wound on the Alliance that could give the Horde a chance at victory.
Battle for Lordaeron
The genocide at Teldrassil had rallied the Alliance to seek retribution. The Alliance amassed their armies to take back the Ruins of Lordaeron and bring Sylvanas Windrunner to justice. The Horde had managed to evacuate their citizens but division began to erupt between High Overlord Saurfang and Sylvanas over the Banshee Queen's use of unscrupulous tactics. Despite the Horde's use of Azerite weapons, the Forsaken Blight, and necromancy; the Alliance managed to breach the city and rout the Horde army. The Alliance leadership pursued Sylvanas to the imperial chamber where they demanded her surrender. Sylvanas however, had rigged all of Lordaeron Keep to be blighted and had lured the Alliance leadership into a collapsing imperial chamber as a trap. Although both the Alliance and Horde leadership managed to escape the blast, the Ruins of Lordaeron and the Undercity became saturated with Blight.
Great Sea, Zandalar and Kul Tiras theaters
The Alliance had managed to capture high-value targets of the Zandalar Empire, Princess Talanji, heir to Zandalar and Prophet Zul of the Zanchuli Council, who were imprisoned in Stormwind's Stockades. The Horde had learned of the fact and sent a small group of operatives to rescue the prisoners in hopes of establishing diplomatic relations with the increasingly isolated troll nation, which had a powerful navy at its disposal - an invaluable asset for the Horde's dominance over the seas. In response to these developments, the Alliance focused on re-establishing friendly relations with another great naval power, the islander human kingdom of Kul Tiras, which was still resentful over Jaina Proudmoore's inaction during the Tirassian Invasion of Durotar which led to Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore's death that promptly pushed the Proudmoore Admiralty to withdraw from the bloc. In recognition of the Dark Iron dwarves' contributions to the Alliance, King Anduin Wrynn formalized the induction of the Dark Iron dwarves into the Alliance. Meanwhile, Eitrigg traveled to the alternate Draenor to recruit the Mag'har orc clans that the Horde saved from Garrosh Hellscream's meddling and the Burning Legion's corruption. After Eitrigg and the Horde Speaker helped the Mag'har escape from the Lightbound, the Mag'har decides to make Azeroth their new home. Their leader, Overlord Geya'rah, speaks with Warchief Sylvanas and pledges the Mag'har's loyalty to the Horde.
Island Expeditions
The Alliance and Horde race to secure the resources and Azerite proliferating in unmapped isles in order to fund their faction's war efforts.
Eastern Kingdoms theater
After the Undercity and Lordaeron Keep were blighted by Sylvanas Windrunner, although some of its forces returned to Stormwind, the Alliance apparently managed to maintain its occupation over most of the immediate surrounding regions in Lordaeron, with most of its army stationed at Brill by Gelbin Mekkatorque at the end of the battle. Although the Ruins of Lordaeron were abandoned by both factions, and most of the Forsaken population seeming to have fled the Tirisfal Glades, re-settling in Orgrimmar or neighboring lands, conflict over the rest of Lordaeron erupted, with the Alliance waging an active military campaign against the remaining Forsaken settlements scattered throughout the region, their struggle spreading to the nearby regions Silverpine Forest, the Hillsbrad Foothills, and the Arathi Highlands, where most of the Fourth War was focused upon. Silverpine Forest, south of Tirisfal Glades, became a major battleground, with Alliance and Horde actively contesting each other's territories throughout the conflict. Deathstalker Hayward and the Forsaken managed to temporarily conquer Fenris Keep, but they were expelled by the Bloodfang Pack, who under Ivar Bloodfang apparently reclaimed Fenris Isle once again, after which Horde forces created a distraction along the Misty Shore to distract them long enough for Horde refugees to escape Tirisfal towards Forsaken-controlled lands in Silverpine across the water. The Horde sent High Executor Hadrec from the Sepulcher in an attempt to break the Alliance's occupation over Tirisfal Glades, and the Alliance retaliated, sending High Priestess MacDonnell, formerly located in their Western Plaguelands base, to lead forces against the Sepulcher in turn. Captain Tobias Zaren, assisted by the 7th Legion, surrounded Shadowfang Keep, now captured by the Forsaken, trying to assassinate Chief Plaguebringer Harris, who had developed and begun to unleash his newest bio-weapon against Zaren's forces. Although most of the Plaguelands seems to have remained out of the Fourth War, with the Argent Crusade remaining neutral, an army under Commander Ashlam Valorfist was sent from the region to attack Horde settlements in the Hillsbrad Foothills, only to be counter-attacked from the shadows by dark rangers, including Dark Ranger Clea, who waged a guerilla war from Strahnbrad against the invaders, in an attempt to slow their progress. Raleigh the Devout was able to drive away the Forsaken from his former home and re-take the Ruins of Southshore, despite the efforts of Master Apothecary Faranell to weaponize the Blight against his forces. He then led a cadre of paladins to purify the area, but the Horde provoked the blighted creatures in an attempt to hinder their efforts. Azurelode Mine, located west of Southshore and controlled by the Horde and Captain Keyton, was attacked by Stormwind's Ilsa Corbin, who sought to secure a vital source of ore. The Gilneans also contributed to the war campaign, Darius Crowley of the Gilneas Liberation Front leading an army against the nearby Sludge Fields, apparently after Warden Stillwater tried to raise countless undead to attack Gilneas's territories. Even Dalaran Crater was not exempt from conflict, with High Sorcerer Andromath and Derek the Undying facing each other and both conducting an arcane ritual there at the convergence of its potent ley-lines. The Horde maintained its control over Tarren Mill, from where they attempted to rebuild Durnholde Keep, but were opposed by Alliance forces laying explosives in the stronghold. The Horde also sent Usha Eyegouge to try to use the Ruins of Alterac to establish a new defensible base of operations, but were soon discovered and attacked by Grumbol Grimhammer of the Stormpike Guard, both commanders surviving their respective encounters to later travel to Mechagon. After the Forsaken tried to turn the dwarven ghosts of Dun Garok against their former comrades, Ironforge sent a battalion of troops led by paladin trainer Brandur Ironhammer to retake the fallen fortress, but Jezelle Pruitt attempted to drive them back through Thoradin's Wall. Gryphon Master Talonaxe and his Wildhammer Gryphon riders regularly patrolled Darrowmere River, preventing troop movements, and the dwarves sent combat engineers to establish dams along the river from the Plaguelands to Baradin Bay to further contain the Horde, but were opposed by the banshee Melisara of Tarren Mill. Finally, General Hammond Clay, the High Commander of Stormwind's Defense, marched from Stromgarde with some of his troops towards Durnholde Keep, also seeking to secure Thoradin's Wall, the ancient boundary separating Hillsbrad from the Arathi Highlands to its east.
•Alliance
•Alliance forces
•Some Horde forces (late war)
•Horde (early war) and Banshee loyalists (late war)
•Horde forces (early war)
•Banshee loyalists (late war)
In a January 2019 interview around the time of the Battle for Darkshore, Danuser noted that he and the other writers wanted to tell a very strong Alliance and Horde story, with the Horde stopping world-ending threats such as G'huun in Uldir, but becoming increasingly divided internally, while the Alliance weren't really at each other's throats the same way: "The Alliance is like a family. Brothers and sisters can disagree, and things can get heated, but there’s still a deep and abiding love and trust there."
According to a November 2021 interview with Steve Danuser on the lasting effects of the Fourth War, and the largely unresolved issues from its conflict, especially in regards to the night elves: "I would say those two figures [Sylvanas and Tyrande] have a lot to – I don’t know if ‘resolve’ is the right word, because can you ever resolve something that happens on the scale of an entire civilization nearly being wiped out? There is going to be some very heavy interaction between those characters, and that is pivotal to the final conclusion of how ‘Eternity’s End’ and the Shadowlands saga wraps up."
This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.
Brann Bronzebeard concluded that with the events of the invasion of Durotar, Sylvanas Windrunner and her Forsaken allying with the Horde, the Horde's alliance with the Revantusk tribe in the Hinterlands, and with the recent turmoils between the Alliance and Horde, it seemed that the Fourth War may have been on the horizon. This makes the first mention of the term Fourth War, albeit now non-canon, in the Warcraft universe. Years later, the first canon mention of the (hypothetical) Fourth War was with [Scouting Map: The Eastern Kingdoms Campaign] in Legion.
•New recruits of the Alliance commonly issued Tidesages' Warscrolls, Dwarven War Horns, Banded Gilnean Cloaks, and Hymnals of the 7th Legion, while new recruits of the Horde were commonly issued Loa-Touched Warscrolls, Orcish War Horns, Stone Guard's Bladed Cloaks, and Tomes of Thalassian Hymns.
•The forces of Azeroth started preparing for a hypothetical Fourth War even before the Argus Campaign started.
•The name "Blood War" is likely in reference to the conflict's focus on Azerite, the blood of Azeroth herself.
•This name for the conflict was originally only used in an exhibition at the Blizzard Museum in Blizzard's headquarters, photos of which were shared online in late 2018. The term "Fourth War" was established with the release of patch 8.2.5 and the finale of the War Campaign in September 2019, and is the only name for the conflict that's used in-game. "Blood War" appears again in Shadows Rising, which was largely written before the release of 8.2.5.
•During the Battle for Azeroth beta, [110] Long Away said that Stonetalon was a battlefield between the Horde and the Alliance, as was a Silvermoon warfront, something not seen in the game.
•Fans have been calling segments of the Alliance-Horde war the "Fourth War" for years, with sources varying on whether or not each segment was the start of a full war. Usually, each escalation retconned the previous segment as still part of a tenuous peace.
When the armistice was signed, the Alliance ceded control of their holds on Zandalar.[111] Based on this, it is possible that the Horde did the same thing on Kul Tiras. However, the current status of other lands such as Ashenvale and Lordaeron, contested between the two factions during the conflict, remains unclear.
Oct 2, 2019 · This guide covers some quick information before you do the War Campaign, rewards, and a walkthrough of both the Horde and Alliance War Campaign, and epilogue. The walkthrough includes cinematics, transcripts, summaries, and how to complete each stage of the War Campaign.
The Fourth War is a quest achievement that is earned by completing the entire faction War Campaign story for the expansion. Obtaining the achievement rewards the player with the title, "Veteran of the Fourth War".
The Fourth War is a quest achievement that is earned by completing the entire faction War Campaign story for the expansion. Obtaining the achievement rewards the player with the title, "Veteran of the Fourth War".
Nov 27, 2019 · Today we're talking about the most recent major landmark in Warcraft lore, the Fourth War. In part one, the War of the Thorns, Sylvanas is up to no good, Anduin tries his hardest, and...
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- WTBGold
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Are you stuck on the achievement The Fourth War in World of Warcraft? Join the discussion on the official forum and find out how to complete the questline that leads to the epic cinematic Old Soldier. Learn from other players' tips and tricks and share your own experience.
