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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsTwo Bosses Enter: Anub'Arak vs. Tribunal of Ages
by Lisa Poisso 
Dec 17th 2009 at 4:00PM
I'm hiding my eyes behind my hands for this one: Anub'Arak (Azjol-Nerub) versus Tribunal of Ages (Halls of Stone). Storyweavers, get ready to spin your webs ... This is the type of match where a good blow-by-blow account in the comments can go a long way toward swaying the vote.
But first, the
- This match takes place inside the Tribunal of Ages in the Halls of Stone ... or perhaps the Tribunal has been transplanted to the Two Bosses Thunderdome ... or perhaps they're someplace else ... Any way you slice it, the Tribunal's basic encounter mechanic functions as usual. Work with it, people! It's a fantasy tournie.
- No matter where you choose to set the match and who you may choose to stand in for Brann Bronzebeard, his survival ultimately determines the success or failure of the mission. Anub'Arak is therefore challenged with holding the Tribunal at bay long enough for Bronzebeard to complete his task. Technically, a "win" for Anub'Arak means that neither opponent dies.
- All of the competitors' abilities, including crowd control and other effects to which bosses are usually immune, work on their opponents.
- Assume that the opponents share similar levels, health pools and comparative overall damage output.
- Don't get caught up in gameplay mechanics and what actual players might do in each encounter.
- Don't neglect style, story and scale.
In Corner One: Anub'Arak (Azjol-Nerub)
I was king of this empire once, long ago. In life I stood as champion. In death I returned as conqueror. Now I protect the kingdom once more. Ironic, yes?
Anub'Arak, the former king of Azjol-Nerub, was among the Nerubians slaughtered in the War of the Spider and later raised as Undead by Ner'zhul the Lich King to do his bidding. Read the extensive lore page on Anub'Arak to learn more about his background.
Anub'Arak's battle strategy includes truly relentless tactics. Besides wreaking havoc with vicious attacks and environmental damage, he swarms opponents with protective Locusts and nettling Carrion Beetles. He periodically burrows underground, besieging opponents with packs of summoned minions.
Carrion Beetles- Locust Swarm
- Impale
- Pound
- Anub'ar Assassin
- Anub'ar Darter
- Anub'ar Guardian
- Anub'ar Venomancers
In Corner Two: The Tribunal of Ages, Halls of Stone
Abedneum: Warning! Life form pattern not recognized. Archival processing terminated. Continued interference will result in targeted response.
Kaddrak: Security breach in progress. Analysis of historical archives transferred to lower priority queue. Countermeasures engaged.
Marnak: Threat index threshold exceeded. Celestial archive aborted. Security level heightened.
Abedneum: Critical threat index. Void analysis diverted. Initiating sanitization protocol.
During the Tribunal of Ages encounter, adventurers must protect Dwarven explorer Brann Bronzebeard long enough that he can access a database to retrieve information required to complete the Halls of Stone quest. Hindering Brann and his helpers are the three stone faces of the Tribunal, Kaddrak, Abedneum and Marnak, plus wave after wave of foes including Dark Rune Protectors, Dark Rune Stormcallers and an Iron Golem Custodian.
Kaddrak Marnak
Abedneum
Dark Rune Protector
Dark Rune Stormcaller
Iron Golem Custodian
Read a description of the Tribunal of Ages event and review comments from players who've completed the related achievement. Review the Tribunal's first-bracket shut-out of Anomalus.
The smackdown
Two Boss matchups are about substance and style, not game play and mechanics. Don't base your strategies on player tactics, which opponent has been easiest or most difficult for you personally, or the difficulty of each opponent relative to instance progression. Vote for the spirit of the battle as set forth above. Set aside differences in opponents' health pools, game level and actual damage output. Absolutely no game-mechanic nitpicking!
Who wins, and why? We'll see you down below in the comments. Can you come up with a convincing scenario that will sway other readers to your point of view?
| Anub'Arak wins (Brann Bronzebeard or his stand-in completes his task) | |
|---|---|
| Tribunal of Ages wins (Anub'Arak or Brann/stand-in dies) | |
| Tie (something else happens) |
Who rocks Wrath's five-man world? Vote now and cheer on your favorite for this round in Two Bosses Enter, One Boss Leaves: The Original Wrath Five-Man Season. Review the current fighting bracket and consider who you think will come out on top.Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Features, Lore, Bosses, Two Bosses Enter
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
Crash Dec 17th 2009 4:26PM
OMNOMNOMNOM
Skeinchug Dec 17th 2009 4:31PM
It's a stream of mobs vs a boss who can summon mobs. The king has the upper hand with that nasty pound and impale. Those venomancers are made of pure evil. I can't remember how many times I died on that fight. ^^;'';^^ Spiders pride!
Clydtsdk-Rivendare Dec 17th 2009 4:29PM
If Anub burrows, the delay of a few seconds between dropping aggro and summoning adds might be enough to instagib Brann. But if that is not taken into account Anub wins easily.
This could go either way.
damagex26 Dec 18th 2009 12:44PM
Right, as uber as Anub is, he can't heal Brann. If his adds keep the tribunals add busy at the spawn points away from console, then Anub's hiding isn't going to save Brann from getting eye lazered. Everytime he burrows Brann could be the next closet target. The more Anub burrows the more Brann gets zapped.
SpaceGoatPriest Dec 17th 2009 4:35PM
Anub wins hands down. While his adds distract the Tribunal's stream of adds, he burrows a tunnel to mainframe and kills the computer from inside it.
Redielin Dec 17th 2009 4:41PM
Anub wins. His adds beat the tribunal's adds, and he burrows away from the light beams, and pound is just...painful. Heck, he even has aoe bugs to aggro all the mobs to him!
Cor Dec 18th 2009 10:28AM
If Anub borrows the lasers cook his adds. The Tribunal adds wack the stand in. Tribunal wins.
If he doesn't borrow the lasers cook him then his adds. The Tribunal adds wack the stand in. Tribunal wins.
The piece we have the keep in mind is that the laser is a constant stream of unstoppable damage. It will wipe out any adds and anytime Anub shows his face he get cooked until dead.
You can't distroy the lasers which are the Tribunals greatest weapon, but you can kill Anub.
Jake Dec 17th 2009 6:04PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUPYLyBe_bo
Procrastinator Dec 17th 2009 4:55PM
....?
Siaperas Dec 17th 2009 4:59PM
Anub is too smart and too powerful for the Tribunal system. He would obliterate the stream of adds with his pound, borrowing, and his own adds. He's smart enough to not stand in the light beams, and viscious enough that the dark irons would cause little threat. This may be the first time that Brann survives this nightmare during the tournament.
Rexton Dec 17th 2009 5:00PM
Hail to the King, baby.
Rexton Dec 17th 2009 5:02PM
Anyway, I like to think Anub would destroy the three "heads" at the beginning, once he realizes there's a constant ticking damage and where it's coming from. Then Brann would yell at him. Then Brann would be eaten.
...Actually, I'd like to change my vote.
Maymer Dec 17th 2009 5:05PM
Cold wind rushes through the hallways of The Halls of Stone. A scent of death permiates the air, followed by the shadow of a colossus monstrosity
Anub'arak
Anub'arak was sent on a mission by his dark master. Armed with only his own gatewatcher, Krik'thir, to assist in his mission, Anub'arak must gain information on the Titan's for his master to exploit against Yogg-Saron. Though he knew Krik'thir was too weak to even fight anymore, he still could access the information before his use wore out.
After arriving at the Halls, Anub'arak made quick work of heading to the Tribunal. His claws made heavy metallic noises as they pierced through the metal. Finally, his dark eyes gazed upon a small enclave, only decorated by three metallic faces and the Terminal.
"Krik'thir, you're death depends on this job. Access the information fully for your lord, and I will free you of these...these bonds of servitude myself. However, fail, and I will personally keep you alive, only to be forever severed and tortured by Kel'Thuzad himself".
Krik'thir huddled over to the console, gasping as every step was to him a thousand years of torment. His withered claws began the work of accessing the information. However, he did not realize that the Titans did not mean for ANYONE to truly gain the information, and that the heads upon the walls weren't merely decorations.
"Warning! Life form pattern not recognized. Archival processing terminated. Continued interference will result in targeted response"
"NO! Master, please forgive me, but something is wrong!" Krik'thir screamed
"Security breach in progress. Analysis of historical archives transferred to lower priority queue. Countermeasures engaged", screeched the Tribunal.
Anub'arak looked upon the hallway they had just exited. The sound of iron and rune grinding against the floor meant trouble. He smiled. 'This should prove interesting' Anub'arak thought
Iron dwarves bursted through the hallway, only seeing Krik'thir at the terminal. What they however failed to realize was the dark shadow hovering above them. Anub'arak crashed through their feeble bodies, his claws shattering and ripping through them as if they were merely air.
However, the Tribunal was prepared for its foes. Anub'arak turned in time from the coming onslaught of enemies to see the eyes glow upon the Tribunal's faces. Pure energy pulsated from their eyes, striking at the back of the Betrayer.
"AUUUUUGGGGHHHH!!! KIRK'THIR, I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD IF YOU DO NOT HURRY!" screamed Anub'arak.
"Please master, hold them off for just abit more! I almost have it".
Anub'arak's bulky body was much to large to dodge much more of the lasors. As more and more iron dwarves huddled through the doors to meet their slaughter, the Tribunals shot another time at Anub'arak.
His shell singed, Anub'arak let out a blood curdling scream. But this was not one of pain. This was one of horror and strenght. Lunging for the female face, Anub'arak used almost all of his strength to rip apart and shred it from the walls.
"Cri...zhdg...tal...the...grzzhh...." was all it was able to say before becoming obsolete. Anub'arak panted as more enemies burst through the hall. His strength was failing him quickly, but he had to continue to protect Krik'thir. More and more iron flew from his claws. In his anger, Anub'arak slammed the ground, puncturing the seemingly indestructible flooring. His heart racing, Anub'arak could feel the Tribunal focusing its energy upon him. In a last ditch effort, Anub'arak fell through the floor, covering his exit as he went.
"My lord...MY LORD!!! HELP! THEY COME FOR ME!!" screamed Kirk'thir. The dwarves ran at full speed for the intruder before he could finish his work. What they failed to realize was that small spikes still slightly protruded from the ground. With a final yell, Anub'arak burst from the ground, flinging his enemies and impaling all as he emerged.
"Session Terminated"
Anub'arak glared through the haze of his emergence. As he surveyed the wreckage, he saw Krik'thir held under by the weight of one of the Tribunal's heads. "My lord...gasp..here...this orb contains all the information needed" he panted. "Now please, free me from this ungodly weight".
Anub'arak snatched the orb from Krik'thir. He walked toward him with menace in his eyes. "You fool, my skin burns and aches from what I did to protect you".
"Yes my lord, I am grateful, now please, please help me!" Krik'thir began to uneasily say.
Anub'arak ripped open the floor. But before he entered, he walked to Krik'thir.
"Oh thank you my lord, my king, thank you!"
Anub'arak glared at him. "What makes you think I am freeing you?" he said. Anub'arak then smashed the terminal. A metallic voice rose in the air "Warning! Life form pattern not recognized. Archival processing terminated. Continued interference will result in targeted response" yelled the Tribunal.
"Wha-, NO!! MY KING! DON'T LEAVE ME!" screamed Krik'thir, trying to unpin himself from the head, but to no avail. Anub'arak lifted himself into the hole, clutching the orb that contained the information his own king wanted. "I am not leaving you alone...I'm merely providing you company..."
Anub'arak covered his entrance, leaving Krik'thir alone as the dwarves rushed in. The Tribunal's eyes glowed a deathly red. Krik'thir tried to scream, but to no avail.
There was no scream. There was no time. The dark Titan construct had spoken. There was only fire, and then...NOTHING...
(Note: Yes, I know I used the last line the last time Tribunal was up...I can't help it, I think it fits the Tribunal to a tea.)
mtwcmarsh Dec 17th 2009 5:11PM
Anub'Arak's minions alone might be sufficient to hold back the Tribunal guardians while Brann finishes his work. Perhaps. They are outnumbered and the beetles and darters constantly being burned away. But both parties are fierce. The ensuing combat would be chaotic and intense. It is possible that Anub'Arak's minions could hold their own against the waves of guardians . . . or it is possible that a unit could slip past and assault Brann.
However.
Anub'Arak is there.
His waves of locust add to the fights confusion. Or at least to the Guardians' confusion, giving his own minions an advantage. Anub'Arak alone could take down any single unit of Guardians, but having his minions present in frenetic melee makes it even easier to single out small groups that slip into the Tribunal of Ages and pound them to pasty splotches on the Chamber floor.
Maybe, just maybe, if Anub'Arak were to actually burrow out it would give the guardians the opening they need to fight their way past his minions. However, he is not some mindless beetle. He is the King of Azjol'Nerub, one of the Lich King's Crypt Lords, present when Arthas ascended the Frozen Throne. There will be no need for him to damage the Titans' architecture, burrowing through it and shooting blades through its floor. He could do so, and it is debatable whether his disappearance would give the Guardians an opening to assault Brann or would the fight be even easier for Anub'Arak if he could stalk the Guardians unseen, impaling them from beneath.
But in the end, there will be no need to so damage the Chamber itself. The presence of the High Lord of the Spider Kingdom is sufficient to hold the Guardians' assault at bay.
isqueak Dec 17th 2009 5:27PM
I think the Tribunal wins. Keep in mind, folks, this is Anub'arak from Aznol-Nerub and not the irritating final boss of Trial of the Crusader.
When Anub'arak is submerged: The pittance of non-elite Nerubian mobs won't stand a chance against the Dark Rune invaders charging in 3 at a time. Anub'arak's elite assassins are more powerful but only 1 or 2 at a time, and each would have to pull, tank, and DPS down a party of 3. Doesn't seem likely. Many groups I run HoS with are competent enough but still a mob will break through to the inside, requiring a healer or squishy DPS to pick up and kite the mob back to the tank. If Anub's down underground, that ain't gonna happen.
When Anub'arak is up: The laser will target him, requiring him to move, which would break his [presumably-channeled] locust AoE attack. He hits hard, but can he out DPS the waves of incoming mobs? I say no.
serrif Dec 17th 2009 5:48PM
Bugs plague the computers powering the Tribunal, and it turns on its stream of defenders instead of Anub. Anub wins.
Silversol Dec 17th 2009 5:51PM
http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=59866
Searing gaze with description
PocketFox Dec 17th 2009 5:53PM
After some thought, I do have to give the vote to Anub'arak, but I think a lot of people misunderstand something:
Most of the votes for Anub'arak seem to be based partly on the fact that he can burrow underground to avoid the various Tribunal attacks. Well, I have to side with the commenter that pointed out that this is not Azjol'Nerub. This is not dirt or even rock. This is the (probably) TITANIUM floor of an ancient Titan fortress. Anub would need a backhoe and some good ol' goblin explosives to get through there.
So. No burrowing for Anub. But still he's smart and crafty, plus with plenty of little helpers to distract the Iron Dwarves and keep them busy, as well as to soak various lasers and such. I think he'd be able to outlast and out-maneuver the Tribunal in the end.
Stone_Rhino Dec 17th 2009 6:27PM
..or perhaps the Tribunal has been transplanted to the Two Bosses Thunderdome...
You failed to even read the article before posting. It is assumed that the fight takes place in neutral territory, as with all TBE fights, where he would be able to burrow.
>8< Spider Pride
PocketFox Dec 17th 2009 6:55PM
And I would argue that it isn't just the three faces that were transplanted. The entire room is the "Tribunal of Ages", that is, the massive computer that holds the information Brann was after. The faces are simply the defense mechanism for the computer. For there to be an event for the defense mechanism to activate (ie, someone hacking the computer) the entire room would have to be present. The computer's "monitor" is the very floor of the room.
Of course, if the floor is glass, then it'd be child's play for Anub'arak to shatter it and use his burrow.