This week, Two Bosses Enter starts its second round of boss deathmatches. We started this game back in June with 32 bosses to chose from and now we're down to a scant 16. Some of our results have already surprised me -- and I have no doubts that more surprises are in store as our next round of battle begins. Our matchups for this round are as follows:

• Sapphiron vs. Mandokir
  
• Moam vs. the Twin Emperors
• Ragnaros vs. Ossirian
• Kel'Thuzad vs. Archimonde
• Vaelastrasz vs. Hakkar
• Illidan vs. Chromaggus
• Vashj vs. Huhurahn
• Gruul vs. C'Thun

Today we'll consider the first fight of the next eight: Sapphiron against the Bloodlord Mandokir. Who wins and who loses? Read on and decide for yourself!

Sapphiron was once a living member of the Blue Dragonflight -- though those times are long past. In a fight with Arthas, Sapphiron was transformed into a frost wyrm who thenceforth served the Scourge. In the game, he may be found in Naxxramas guarding Kel'Thuzad's inner sanctum. Sapphiron has a variety of hard-hitting frost spells and can also drain life from his targets. Further, he can take to the air during a fight to attack his targets from a safe distance.

In a combat, Sapphiron will use the following abilities:

• Cleave: A standard frontal cleave.
• Icebolt: A ranged frost attack that Sapphiron only uses from the air. It does frost damage to its primary target and stuns them for several seconds as well as splash damage to targets in the vicinity.
• Frost Breath: A very high damage frost AoE that Sapphiron casts from the air before landing.
• Frost Aura: An aura that does frost damage over time to anyone within range.
• Life Drain: A DoT that (surprise!) drains life from the target and heals Sapphiron. (And be warned -- it heals him for more than it hurts you.)
• Blizzard: A frost AoE that slows movement speed if you're caught in it.
  

And if the fight lasts longer than 15 minutes? Sapphiron will enrage, causing his Frost Aura to do 600% normal damage. Ouch.

If you venture inside Zul'Gurub to fight Bloodlord Mandokir, you not only fight Mandokir, you also fight his raptor, Oghan. If you kill Oghan, Mandokir will enrage for a period of time -- and the additional damage done while enraged is often quite sufficient to end any raid's attempt to kill him. (Though some raid groups chose to get Oghan out of the way instead and focus on keeping one tank alive rather than two.)

In a fight, Mandokir relies on powerful melee abilities to defeat his opponents. He hits hard, has a dangerous AoE whirlwind attack, and will occasionally charge at the target farthest away from him. Occasionally, he'll whisper to one of his targets, "Don't make me angry! You won't like me when I'm angry!" He'll "watch" this target for some time and if they make any threatening moves... he's right, you won't like him at all when he's angry.

Mandokir uses the following abilities:

• Charge: He'll charge at targets to strike them.
• Cleave: A standard frontal cleave.
• Whirlwind: A high-damage AoE attack for players in melee range.
• Watch: Mandokir is always watching somebody -- and if they do anything, he'll Charge them and hit hard. (Often hard enough to kill a player.)
  

And if you die? Mandokir gains a level. (And just like players do, he'll yell "Ding!")

So who wins and who loses? Though Mandokir's abilities are most powerful on groups of players (which give him leveling fodder), his melee skills are nothing to laugh about. However, Mandokir's abilities won't be of much use while Sapphiron is in flight and sniping at him from above. But who would come out a winner in a fight to the death between these two? Why don't you tell us.

But before you vote, remember -- we're considering these two bosses to have similar health and power. This isn't an exercise from math class and we aren't counting hitpoints. Consider the bosses' fighting abilities when you vote, not their exact levels or health.

Tags: bloodlord, bloodlord-mandokir, mandokir, sapphiron, world-of-warcraft, wow

Filed under: Two Bosses Enter, Bosses