Two Bosses Enter: Loken slips past Xevozz, Ymiron battles Krik'thir
by Lisa Poisso 
Jan 20th 2010 at 9:00AM
When the magical energies had died down, it was indeed Loken who remained standing in last week's Thunderdome matchup against Xevozz. The Dark Titan fought for every vote, claiming his victory with 52% spectator approval. We'll review how things went down after the break, plus you'll get a chance to vote in the last quarter-finals match of the season: Ymiron versus Krik'thir.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls ... Dyin' time's here.
It was Loken with 52% to Xevozz's 44.9% inside the Two Bosses Thunderdome last week. Although the final vote didn't go this direction, we enjoyed reswab's recounting of the battle:
Loken was the first to step outside of the shadow into the Thunderdome's ring. Against the shadow of the other wall, he saw a faint glow move sporadically until a figure emerged from the darkness.
"Greetings Loken, I am Xevozz. You are probably wondering what we are doing here. Let me explain ..."
____
Far off in the Twisting Nether, there exists a center for ethereal traders and business-makers. The center thrives due to its position in the universe. It holds all the trading records, all the business transactions, all the profit and loss of all the Ethereal. There is a group of Ethereal who work there that consensually influence events in the universe so that they can gain profit and goods.
"Commander, Xevozz has returned. He wishes to speak with you immediately."
"Very well, escort him to me," replied the Commander.
Moments later, Xevozz appeared in the room. His rags were filthy and his armor dulled. His shoulders hunched over, he behaved as if he had just left a battle.
"Xevozz. It has been a very long time since we have heard from you. From the looks of you, you seem to have fought your way out. Care to explain?"
"During my reconnaissance, Dalaran Magi trapped and imprisoned me. It wasn't until the biggest stroke of fate occurred was I able to escape. Outside my cell portals began to spawn and dragonkin poured out of them. They killed the magi, but it wasn't until a squad of adventurers showed up did it get interesting. They killed the dragon waves until ,oddly, one dragonkin blew up my cell! I knew the adventurers worked for the magi, so I attacked them."
"And?"
Xevozz straightened his back. "We negotiated. Afterwards, I teleported here. I have business information for you."
"Go on with your report, then."
"The planet is high in arcane energy and contains many valuable resources. It was crafted by the Titans and its developed sentient species are highly adaptable. These are, in fact, the same groups we encountered in Outland. But from what I've observed, the planet is undergoing Effect O."
The commander sighed. He had seen this happen to many other of the Titan's creations. Their systems become infected and hell-bent on destroying itself.
"The profit gain from trading with the inhabitants is minimal compared to harvesting the planet. I believe those resources would be a better addition to our growing empire."
"Very well, Xevozz. We have done this before. You will locate the prime designate and summon it to our Thunderdome. Have the planet decomposed, but beforehand, visit our armory and patch up yourself."
____
"... and that is why you are summoned here, Loken," finished Xevozz.
Loken stared, slack-jawed, at Xevozz. He had listened to the entire story without interrupting once. He blinked, regained composure, and said a prayer to Yogg-Saron. "You will not do as you wish! It is not part of my master's plan, and I, a creation of the Titans, am an Immortal! What hope is there for you? None!"
With a roar, Loken unleashed a Pulsing Shockwave towards Xevozz, followed by lightning arcs.
"Ignorant scrap metal!" cried Xevozz, as he was hit by the blasts. "Don't you understand what lightning is? It. IS. Energy!"
Xevozz applied Arcane Buffet, summoned his Ethereal Sphere, and began pelting Loken's metallic frame with barrages of arcane energy. He hit the most crippling parts first, denting his shoulders and kneecaps, rendering Loken immobile.
"You stare blindly into the abyss!" shouted Loken.
"Yes, and that abyss screams profit," cooed Xevozz, as he let off another volley of arcane energy.
He summoned Loken to him and knelt down by the limp, stuttering Titan. "Did you know this lousy planet has been the only planet to catch me while prospecting?" Xevozz let off a final Arcane Barrage at Loken's head. "It's personal."
- The Two Bosses Thunderdome is considered neutral territory, where both combatants are able to access their usual encounter mechanics and abilities. If you can't imagine it inside the Thunderdome, imagine it someplace else – but you must include all of each bosses' abilities and mechanics.
- All of the competitors' abilities, including crowd control and other effects to which bosses are usually immune, work on their opponents (with apologies to considerations of lore on this point).
- 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: King Ymiron of Utgarde PinnacleYou invade my home and then dare to challenge me? I will tear the hearts from your chests and offer them as gifts to the death god! Rualg nja gaborr!
King Ymiron is the slumbering king of Northrend's Vrykul, the leader of the Dragonflayer clan who lies sleeping within Gjalerbron. Fanatically adored by his people, the now undead king has proven his worth to the Lich King.
Like the kingly Vrykul he is, King Ymiron hits like Thor's hammer. Normal hits are hard, and his Dark Slash cuts down 50 percent of the target's health. The king protects himself with Bane and complicates matters with the random cast of Fetid Rot.
Periodically during battle, King Ymiron's Screams of the Dead paralyze opponents for 8 seconds. During this time, he runs to one of the four longboats in the room to channel a spell from a Vrykul ancestor there. He will use that ability until the longboat burns shortly thereafter.
Spectators may choose a different scenario for the sake of this match's neutral setting, but Ymiron will continue to have access to the usual longboat abilities. Longboat abilities include:
- Spirit Burst
- Summons an orb that causes AoE shadow damage and moves around the room.
- Spirit Strike
- Summons minions
In Corner Two: Krik'thir the Gatewatcher of Azjol-NerubKeep an eye on the tunnel. We must not let anyone through!
I hear footsteps. Be on your guard.
I sense the living. Be ready.
Krik'thir, an Undead Nerubian vizier, is the first boss of Azjol-Nerub who guards the gate that leads further into the ancient city. His commander, Anub'Arak, is a powerful servant of the Lich King.
Krik'thir is accompanied by three groups of three spiders, led by Watcher Silthik, Watcher Gashra and Watcher Narjil. Some groups contain an Anub'ar Skirmisher. Once the first group of spiders has entered battle, the others (and later Krik'thir himself) will eventually join in.
Krik'thir the Gatewatcher
Read more about Krik'thir and his minions, and check out comments from players who've fought him.
Inside the Thunderdome
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!
Before you cast your vote, join the debate in the comments. Who wins, and why? Style points go to spectators who use the comments to sway other readers to their point of view!
| King Ymiron wins (Krik'thir dies) | |
|---|---|
| Krik'thir wins (King Ymiron dies) | |
| Tie (something else happens) |
ORIGINAL WRATH FIVE-MAN SEASON: QUARTER FINALS
MATCH 1
Anub'Arak (Azjol-Nerub) -- WINNER!
vs.
King Dred (Drak'tharon Keep)
MATCH 2
Skadi the Ruthless (Utgarde Pinnacle)
vs.
Ley-Guardian Eregos (The Oculus) -- WINNER!
MATCH 3
Xevozz (Violet Hold)
vs.
Loken (Halls of Lightning) – WINNER!
MATCH 4
King Ymiron (Utgarde Pinnacle) (seeded at 60.3%)
vs.
Krik'thir the Gatewatcher (Azjol-Nerub) (seeded at 58.6%)
Who rocks Wrath's five-man world? Add your own narrative on what would happen when these mighty opponents meet up inside the Two Bosses Thunderdome. Anything's possible in the quarter-finals of Two Bosses Enter, One Boss Leaves: The Original Wrath Five-Man Season.Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Features, Lore, Bosses, Two Bosses Enter
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Dreamstorm Jan 20th 2010 9:16AM
This is one complicated fight. I'm going to wait with voting until I read what others think and why.
justin Jan 20th 2010 9:20AM
Ymiron because he will just ignore the watchers and zerg Krik'thir like everyone else.
Wyred Jan 20th 2010 9:25AM
Gotta be Krik'thir. Ymiron seemed pretty cool back when lvl'ing in Howling Fjord, but he never delivered somehow. The Nerubian undead underground army of spiders on the other hand? They deliver. Krikthir wins on cool points and swarming the hell out of some old with some boats.
niko Jan 20th 2010 9:34AM
Xevozz was ROBBED, I say!!
:(
Qot Jan 20th 2010 3:06PM
Two Bosses Enter is sort of like the NBA All-Star voting. The people decide, but they usually decide based on reputation or history rather than actual skill. Xevozz was perfectly tuned to kill Loken, but Loken's a BAMF in the lore, so he wins the match.
reswab Jan 20th 2010 4:49PM
Yeah! Robbed!
Does this mean Xevozz can be an undead now? Let the Businessman of death rise!
Jabadabadana Jan 20th 2010 6:29PM
with a briefcase full of guts...
Saf Jan 20th 2010 9:56AM
While Ymiron does have Dark Slash, he only has 2 AOE damage abilities, Bane and the Orbs.
So, assuming he does the battle as it's supposed to be done (one Watcher at a time), he'll be worn down quite a bit before he even gets to attack Krik'thir.
If he chooses to zerg Krik'thir, then he might have a chance, but it all depends on whether he uses the boat abilities in the right order. That being said, all 3 Watchers have Infected Bite, which increases all Physical damage Ymiron takes by 30%.
Weighing the possibilities, I'd say Ymiron would only win if he executed a perfect strategy, but in any other circumstance, the King will fall...
Win goes to the Spiders, sorry King lovers...
Bob Jan 20th 2010 10:09AM
this is absolutely my least favorite thing to read on here, honestly does anyone give a freaking flying flip?
mccummhail Jan 20th 2010 10:24AM
I love flying flips but I don't know about freaking ones, they are pretty out there.
This article is interesting for the interesting scenarios it conjures up.
It is chance to use our imagination and indulge in something not so serious.
I will not cry if you skip this article and cease to read or comment on it.
N-train Jan 20th 2010 10:32AM
I'm not sure why everyone is so set on hardcore QQing about the articles they don't personally like. You always seem to find that one person who thinks the whole website should be based on their wants and preferences.
Seriously, if you don't like the article, SKIP IT. No one is forcing you to read ANYTHING.
I don't play a hunter, so I skip over the hunter articles, is it really that hard of a concept?
RogueJedi86 Jan 20th 2010 10:52AM
If Loken won, why did you put a long story on Xevozz winning in the article? That could mislead people as to who actually won. "They said Loken won, but then they put in a long story where Xevozz won, so who actually won?"
Beruza Jan 20th 2010 11:07AM
She put it in there because it is a very interesting and creative story from a reader. Nobody should be mislead because the title of the article says what happened.
Beruza Jan 20th 2010 11:08AM
And the very first paragraph explains that
Salomas Jan 20th 2010 11:01AM
The rowdy Thunderdome crowd is roiling with anticipation. Krik'thir is the heavy favourite and many are eager to cash in on a sure thing, clutching Goblin betting slips in their sweaty mitts. The King, however, is unphased and as the bell rings he hesitates for only a moment to consider his kill order before he gets to work.
He wades into the first clot of giant spiders and start hewing limbs. At eight legs a pop he doesn't waste time aiming for the vulnerable joints and puts all his strength into cracking the ancient carapaces. With that deadly blade trailing death like a comet, the spiders can't get close enough to use their venomous bite. With his minions shedding legs at an alarming rate Watcher Silthik attempts to trap the giant in webbing, but the King is twice the size of the usual prey. The sticky strands cling to his limbs but do nothing to stop the fatal blow that pierces the spider's brain.
The other two watchers do not wait for Ymiron to come to them, and attack in unison. They hope to pin him down under a press of clattering monsters, but instead fall into one of the King's deadliest traps. Each blow from the spiders sends a torrent of dark bane through their midst, and with so many attacking at once their onslaught is startlingly brief. The screaming crowd is shocked into silence.
Alone with The King, Krik'thir's odds no longer look so good. Many had counted on Ymiron to be suffering the effects of many deadly bites before facing Krik'thir himself, and seeing him nearly unscathed strikes dread into their hearts. The King allows himself a moment of quiet satisfaction, and readies himself for the desperate frenzy that Krik'thir is known for. Sidestepping the initial frantic lunge, Ymiron carries the momentum into a tree felling strike of textbook form. With a master's natural ease he channels the power from his stance, through his core and shoulders, down his arms and into the grim blade in his hands. Moving with unstoppable force, the blow cleaves Krik'thir in two, his top half toppling to the ground while his lower parts carry on under their own momentum and topple in a heap in the dust.
Dreamstorm Jan 20th 2010 11:03AM
If the King wins we'll have ourselves a Nerubian, a Vyrkul, a Blue Dragon and a Creation of the Titans...
PIT FIGHT!! :D
Eddy Jan 20th 2010 11:54AM
I was kind of thinking that. I feel like I'm biased towards King because then the fights would just seem so balanced- the end bosses from a number of lore-intensive instances. I feel like the lore supports the King's victory.
clundgren Jan 20th 2010 12:14PM
Those are my feelings as well.
Plus, Ymiron is the proud king of a mighty and savage people. Krik'thir is a doorman.
jcryan Jan 20th 2010 12:12PM
Salomas, I loved your depiction of the fight, but let's even the odds for the poor Nerubians!
In the midst of the flying banners and flags of the Thunderdome the only color that Ymiron could see was red. His massive and muscular form creaked in his heavy armor, so at odds with the apparently fragile forms of the Nerubians across the way. He snorted under his breath; these creatures were used in his folks' bed-time stories…stories meant to frighten children, but certainly not grown men and especially not the King of the Vrykul!
Before Ymiron had a chance to really ponder his current situation, Krik'thir, the ugly head Nerubian it seemed, started chattering at him.
"Oh grreat King Ymirron, surrely you rrecognize the folly of yourr actions herre today? We Nerrubians had built ourr kingdom beneath the grround long beforre you Vrrykul everr landed on these shorres. Ourr dwellings extend thrrough all of Norrthrrend and we haunt yourr peoples' verry drreams. How can you think to win against us?" the arrogant Nerubian chittered.
"It was your folly, bug, that you ever decided to come out of your dreams and into the daylight." Ymiron drew his massive sword in one hand and pointed at the shifting arachnids. "Feel the might of the Vrykul and our god of death!"
Chattering in a language he couldn't understand was a chorus of clicking mandibles. Almost a hundred legs started moving towards him, but the one opponent he couldn't reach even with his long and mighty sword was the one that Ymiron was most desperate to kill. Krik'thir stood at the back like a general, commanding his minions towards weak or opportunistic areas for attack. One at a time the Nerubians would have proved no match and quailed before the might of the mighty King, but they worked as a unit under the command of the Watchers and Krik'thir alike, taking advantage of whatever holes they could find in his defenses.
Not that this overly troubled the King too much, as he activated the Bane of his dark god and called on the screams of his ancestors past to chill even the blood of the swarming Nerubians. The smallest of them couldn't withstand the combined onslaught and were shredded by the shadow damage even as they desperately tried to bite deeper through Ymiron's tough armor. Laughing deep in his chest Ymiron summoned his own minions to him, and set them upon the Nerubians. It became clear, however, why Krik'thir had so far remained separate from the fight. A cunning Curse of Fatigue all but rendered the King's own minions useless, and he ran towards them to free them from the Watcher's clutches, but found himself slowed and weakened by a Mind Flay from Krik'thir. Ymiron watched on as the Watchers rent his own minions apart.
"You foul demon, face me alone without the help of your brood!" Ymiron screamed towards his opponent.
"You must underrstand, oh grreat king, that powerr does not stem frrom one's own body alone. My ability to rrule is surrpassing even yourr onslaught!"
Howling in rage Ymiron stunned the Nerubians once again, and summoned more of his ancestors power. The Watchers had been tough, but taking constant damage from Bane and combined with more shadow damage from his summoned orbs and Spirit Burst was too much for them, and they crumpled into useless piles of chitin.
"Now, Gatekeeper, you and I will finish this alone." Ymiron panted, and charged headlong at Krik'thir to cleave him in twain.
Krik'thir, had other plans however, and hit Ymiron again with Mind Flay, stopping the King's headlong charge while continuing to wear down his defenses. Putting down his aching head and bullrushing towards his opponent, Ymiron was too intent to notice the startling change that had overcome the Nerubian general.
The Nerubian was now much larger than he had first been, almost twice his original size and towering over the king. Krik'thir's legs struck out powerfully and wickedly fast as he continued to use dark energies to rend the King's mind asunder. Ymiron was not without a last gambit, channeling the powers of the god of death into his blade and tearing great holes in the Nerubians carapace, but it was too little, too late. The King was bleeding from dozens of small wounds, some of them infected or laced with poison, and all of it was too much as he collapsed under the Nerubian's frenzied attack.
As the King lay bleeding out on the floor of the Thunderdome, the Nerubian bent down and clicked out his final goodbye.
"Therre is a rreason we inhabited yourr drreams…forr we arre the verry essence of nightmarres."
Tyr Jan 20th 2010 12:28PM
>8< Spider pride