Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsPatch 3.3: Icecrown raid preview
by Adam Holisky 
Oct 6th 2009 at 3:00PM
Some of the key pieces of information from the preview:
- "Join the legendary heroes Highlord Tirion Fordring, High Overlord Saurfang, Muradin Bronzebeard, Highlord Darion Mograine, and King Varian Wrynn in an epic battle against the Scourge and their master."
- "Icecrown Citadel features 10- and 25-player versions of the raid dungeon, and each version has 12 encounters. Each encounter can be fought in either normal or Heroic mode, and players can use a new user interface feature to toggle easily between difficulties."
- "The rewards in the raid dungeon start at item level 251 in the normal mode with 10-player encounters, increase to item level 264 in the Heroic mode mode with 10 players and the normal mode with 25-player encounters, and then finally reach item level 277 in the Heroic mode with 25 players."
- "...two new forms of abomination in Festergut and Rotface, who currently protect their devious creator, Professor Putricide."
The entire text of the preview after the break.
From Blizzard's Preview:
All across the lands of Northrend, many battles have been fought against the vile Scourge. Countless lives have been lost since the Alliance and Horde first reached the frozen wastes, but the champions of Azeroth continue to march forward. Now Icecrown Citadel, the cornerstone of the Scourge's power and the home base of the Lich King, is their final target. Tirion Fordring and the Argent Crusade have forged an alliance with Darion Mograine and the Knights of the Ebon Blade to form the Ashen Verdict. The strongest combatants of this coalition, along with the champions of the Alliance and Horde, will lead the charge against the citadel.
This dungeon reveals the culminating story events and battles of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion pack. Join the legendary heroes Highlord Tirion Fordring, High Overlord Saurfang, Muradin Bronzebeard, Highlord Darion Mograine, and King Varian Wrynn in an epic battle against the Scourge and their master. Icecrown Citadel features 10- and 25-player versions of the raid dungeon, and each version has 12 encounters. Each encounter can be fought in either normal or Heroic mode, and players can use a new user interface feature to toggle easily between difficulties. The rewards in the raid dungeon start at item level 251 in the normal mode with 10-player encounters, increase to item level 264 in the Heroic mode mode with 10 players and the normal mode with 25-player encounters, and then finally reach item level 277 in the Heroic mode with 25 players.
Grand Entrance of the Citadel
After breaching the fortress, players will face a legion of undead guards directed to repel any invaders. Commanding the defenders is Lord Marrowgar, a monstrosity fused together from the bones of the undead. Supreme Overseer of the Cult of the Damned, Lady Deathwhisper is the next opponent. She bolsters the faith of her followers by promising them the opportunity to give eternal service in undeath.
As they continue their ascent, the Alliance and Horde heroes ultimately end up outside of the citadel where their hatred for one another erupts into a battle for dominance over the Rampart of Skulls. Players will join in battle alongside High Overlord Saurfang on the Orgrim's Hammer gunship or Muradin Bronzebeard on The Skybreaker in a unique encounter. Each faction will protect its gunship and try to destroy the other one in a back-and-forth battle to see who is truly worthy of facing the Lich King.
The Lich King's most powerful death knight then stands as the final obstacle for the heroes to enter the upper reaches of the citadel.
The Wings of Icecrown Citadel
After the heroes of the Alliance or Horde defeat the other faction on the gunships and wipe out the creatures near the entrance, players will venture into an area with three separate wings. Here they will face a multitude of terrors that must be vanquished in order to confront the Lich King.
In the Frostwing Halls players will battle alongside the Ashen Verdict and push into the lair of the deadly frost wyrm Sindragosa, who continues to strengthen her brood with the help of Ymirheim's vrykul. Along the way, the heroes will stumble upon Valithria Dreamwalker, a captured green dragon whom the Scourge is using as a test subject for their own ends....
The Plagueworks contains the most twisted experiments ever produced by the Scourge. In this wing players will face two new forms of abomination in Festergut and Rotface, who currently protect their devious creator, Professor Putricide.
The Crimson Hall contains the leaders of the San'layn, undead blood elves who oversee the Scourge's operations throughout Azeroth. The blood-princes Valanar, Keleseth, and Taldaram were raised into undeath by the Lich King to avenge themselves while protecting their blood-queen, Lana'thel.
The Frozen Throne
After clearing all three wings, players will ascend to the Frozen Throne, where the Lich King and his runeblade, Frostmourne, await to deliver them to their deaths....
Patch 3.3 is the last major patch of Wrath of the Lich King. With the new Icecrown Citadel 5-man dungeons and 10/25-man raid arriving soon, patch 3.3 will deal the final blow to the Arthas. WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.3 will keep you updated with all the latest patch news.Filed under: Patches, News items
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 8)
Vandersveldt Oct 6th 2009 4:06PM
Welll... damn. I was really hoping it was the black knight. Again.
gboyd Oct 6th 2009 4:13PM
That is rather interesting... I didn't know all that. Still, I think there may be more to it. The cut scene clearly showed Arthas take Saurfang's soul, but they were attacked before he could get Bolvar's. Also, Arthas has already left the scene before Bolvar actually dies. To me this suggests that whatever happened, what Alexstraza is trying to protect us from discovering, has to do with Bolvar's contamination from the Plague.
The Yogg Saron event does seem complicate that theory. Unless what we see with Yogg is something else entirely. If you've read Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, there are recurring scenes with Arthas next to an Orc and a Human boy that whom is sick. I suppose it would be a bit of a stretch to say that this is what we see with the Yogg Saron encounter.
Dewey Oct 6th 2009 4:24PM
The Warcraft 2 death knights (like Teron Gorefiend) were orc souls in dead human bodies. The Lich King has Saurfang's spirit, Bolvar's corpse, and Ner'zhul's memories. And there you have it.
Rookwood Oct 6th 2009 5:59PM
The plague used to kill Bolvar wasnt an undead plague. It was the plague designed by Putress to kill Undead and the Living alike. It has no further side effects other than killing. You don't rise afterward.
atree496 Oct 6th 2009 7:33PM
Wrath Gate was just a set back...
loreaddict Oct 6th 2009 9:20PM
Sounds to me that "Deathbringer Saurfang" will be an old-school Death Knight, as in an orc's soul inside a human's body, combining themselves in one entity, like the ones that were created in the second war.
Seeing that Arthas absorbed Saurfang's soul into Frostmourne, and Bolvar's body was never found, It's a good bet that this is what happened.
Ps: What is it with Blizzard with all the [Noun]-bringers? Lightbringer, Ashbringer, Plaguebringer...
Nawaf Oct 7th 2009 4:53AM
We'll definitely see Bolvar in 3.3. just look at the conversation between Alexstraza and Korialstraz.
To Gboyd: In "Arthas: rise of the lich king" that orc is probably Ner'zhul and the sick boy is Arthas himself.
As for everyone that says Arthas will make an old school DK, the point of the old school DKs were to combine the necromantic knowledge of the orc warlocks with the strength of the human warriors, Bolvar definitely has more knowledge than Saurfang Jr. so I can't see the point of putting Saurfang's soul in Bolvar's body.
Meethan Oct 6th 2009 3:07PM
Ashen Verdict is a badass name.
JoeShmoe64 Oct 6th 2009 3:33PM
Indeed it is. Sounds like we might be getting an old school dungeon running rep. I don't miss them, but I do miss the tons of profession recipes they offered.
Chupathingy Oct 6th 2009 11:42PM
I wanna see their tabard >.>
(i bet its AWE-SOME)
Nawaf Oct 12th 2009 12:22PM
The story of the knights of the silver hand never ends:
Warcraft III: knights of the silver hand.
Afterwards: the silver hand ended, from it's remains came two factions: first the scarlet crusade, then the argent dawn.
In WoW: Argent dawn becomes the most important level 60 faction.
Wrath: Tirion Fording reistablishes the silver hand, then unite with the argent dawn to create the argent crusade. The scarlet crusade becomes the scarlet onslought.
End of wrath: the argent crusade unites with the knights of the ebon blade to create the Ashen Verdict.
Cataclysm: The Ashen Verdict becomes a leading neutural faction.
I can't get enough of these Paladins. Neither can I get enough of the rebel DKs (espacialy when my main is one). I just hope we see the Druids getting more lore too, they missed a lot in wrath. Wrath had lore for paladins, DKs, mages, and warlocks.
rhorle Oct 6th 2009 3:08PM
Hot damn! I can't wait and that airship battle sounds really fun. Something I've been wanting since I first set foot on the skybreaker and witnessed the mini-battle they have with the horde gunship when they fly near each other.
To bad it will only be 12 10-man and 12 25-man encounters instead of the 24 for each. As the new way to toggle heroic mode doesn't seem like its a seperate thing but something you pick based on that fight. So its one lockout for normal and heroic, where you just pick which heroic fight you want when you get to the boss.
A shame cause 24 encoutners would definitly keep almost everyone busy for the week.
Bob Dewane Oct 6th 2009 3:47PM
When it says that the airship battle is to determine who is truly worthy to face the Lick King, does that mean that the last part of ICC will be handled VOA style, where its controlled by Alliance or Horde for a period of time and while controlled it can be accessed? Or is it just that you board your faction's gunship and, in a pre-determined fahsion, shoot down the other faction's gunship? The airship battle really lets one's imagination run wild!
wallert Oct 6th 2009 3:55PM
As an Alliance I can't help but feel I'll never see Arthas.
In my corner a ginger dwarf.
In theirs...Saurfang.
Crud.
Hendrata Oct 6th 2009 4:02PM
Wait,
I thought the point of the Tournament is to prevent people from dying needlessly and being raised as zombies. And then now Alliance and Horde are fighting each other over who gets to kill Arthas? Didn't it occur to them that whoever lost that airship battle will die right there at the Rampart of Skulls, and will only strengthen his army once more?
MazokuRanma Oct 6th 2009 6:30PM
You're right that this is a terrible place to be fighting, but the point is that both sides are letting their emotions overtake their good sense.
The part that's disappointing to me is that it's Muradin and Saurfang... I expect this kind of idiocy from Wrynn and Garrosh at this point, but I always felt those two had more level heads on their shoulders.
Killchrono Oct 6th 2009 11:55PM
@MazokuRanma
From what I gather, Saurfang wouldn't be one to start the fight personally, but if he was provoked he'd more than finish it. Here's how I can see it happening:
Saurfang: Don't fire at the Alliance ship! Conserve your ammunition for the Scourge!
Random Grunt: SCREW THIS, I WANNA KILL SOME HUMMIES! FOR GARROSH!
*Random Grunt fires a turret blast at the Skybreaker*
Saurfang: /facepalm You idiot. *Cleaves Grunt* Well, guess we're gonna have to fight the Alliance now. Get to it, boys!
kabutits Oct 6th 2009 3:08PM
Professor Putricide is the best name ever. I'm going to name my kid that, I swear.
Attila Oct 6th 2009 6:25PM
He'll have to get his doctorate first.
themightysven Oct 6th 2009 7:38PM
not if the kids first name is Professor. Then if they do get a Doctorate, then they can be Dr. Professor Putricide.
eh. better than naming your kid President Of America or Major Major Major.
still, if it's a girl, she might resent telling people her middle name is Putricide...