Two Bosses Enter ... but only One Boss Leaves, in WoW.com's series of fantasy death matches. Your votes, along with the decisions of our distinguished judges (representing WoW.com staff and readers), determine who makes it out alive.

This week's news from the cage is no news at all: Argent Confessor Paletress flattened The Black Knight by unanimous judges' decision, with resounding approval from the stands. We'll have the decisions after the break -- plus your chance to bring back your favorite defeated champion from earlier in the season. Who would you like to see back on the roster? Eadric the Pure? The Lich King himself (albeit his paltry Halls of Reflection version)? Join us after the break to bring your favorite ICC-5/Trial of the Champion boss back into the Two Bosses Thunderdome.

In the stands
Victory: Argent Confessor Paletress

• Argent Confessor Paletress wins 67.0%
• The Black Knight wins 30.3%
• Tie 2.7%

Judge Michael Gray
Victory: Argent Confessor Paletress

Paletress versus the Black Knight is like the battle of clever in-jokes. Which metagame reference do you prefer? A call-back to Ms. Whitemane in the days of the Scarlet Crusade, or a shout-out to Monty Python? I don't know -- maybe it's the roleplayer left in me, but I have to give a nod to WoW's in-game lore. While it's never been succinctly answered whether there's a relationship between Whitemane and Paletress, the reference is still impossible to miss.

More importantly, though, the Black Knight is a swarm fight, and his dozens of adds have never been all that coordinated. I suspect he'll summon his legions, and his only-a-flesh-wound, and immediately find Paletress invulnerable, while her shadowy memories pound his undead minions. I guess that's kind of the way of things ... But I mostly admit that I prefer the in-game reference.

Reader-Judge John "Zapperz" Zakour
Victory: Argent Confessor Paletress

This is without a doubt the hardest match of the tournament for me. This fight pits two things I hold near and dear to my heart: a character that is a veiled reference (but a reference, nonetheless) to my favorite Monty Python movie and another character who is a cool warrior/priest lady. Anybody who reads my novels or my comic knows I have a weakness for strong, powerful women. Yet even though the Black Knight here doesn't say, "It's only a flesh wound ..." he still brings up fond memories of what may be one of my top five movies of all time.

My initial instinct is that when in doubt, go with the lady brave enough to wear that outfit in public. Plus I have to admit, Paletress has probably cost me more in repair bills than any other 5-man boss. Still, let's play this out. First off, the adds cancel each other out, killing each other. I am judging this simply as a battle of bosses, a battle of the sexes of sorts. The semi-interesting thing about this battle is that it's the man who gets more and more revealing as the battle rages on. Paletress will use Summon Memory (I'm guessing it's a giant vorpal bunny) and that Memory deals major damage to BK's first two forms. All the while, Paletress is bubbled, so she is taking no damage. Paletress and her Memory won't have any problem killing these first two forms.

Giving The Black Knight some credit, his third form uses Marked for Death on the memory and then Death's Bite to finally beat down the memory. But alas, it's too little, too late. Paletress is at full health -- and even if she isn't, she can heal herself with Renew. She just uses Holy Smite and maybe tosses in a Holy Nova to finish off the poor Black Knight. By the time Paletress is done with BK, he looks worse than when Arthur cut off his arms and legs.

Judge Matthew Rossi
Victory: Argent Confessor Paletress

I'd basically give this one to Paletress. The Black Knight's an annoying fight, to be sure. But I think Paletress has the tools to deal with his add waves and his mark.

Reader-Judge Sky Paladin
Victory: Argent Confessor Paletress

I have to give this one to Confessor for the same reason that she smashed Falric into very small pieces -- she has all the right tools for the job, and somewhat unfairly, she can also heal herself. With her small army of assistants, able to Smite, stun and heal away, as well as some AoE damage and damage reflection to add to the mix, it's not even close.

Read Judge Sky Paladin's rendition of the actual battle.

Vote your favorite back into the Thunderdome

We're bringing back one previously defeated gladiator to duke it out in the semi-finals with Scourgelord Tyrannus, the ToC PvP Champions and Argent Confessor Paletress. Who will it be?



The Five-Man Bosses of Icecrown Citadel and Trial of the Champion

Round One
Match 1: Bronjahm vs. The Black Knight
Match 2: Devourer of Souls vs. Forgemaster Garfrost
Match 3: Krick and Ick vs. Scourgelord Tyrannus
Match 4: Falric vs. Argent Confessor Paletress
Match 5: Marwyn vs. ToC PvP champions
Match 6: Eadric the Pure vs. The Lich King

Quarterfinals
Match 1: Scourgelord Tyrannus vs. Lich King (5-man, HoR version)
Match 2: ToC PvP champions vs. Devourer of Souls
Match 3: The Black Knight vs. Argent Confessor Paletress
Match 4: Vote back your favorite defeated gladiator

Join us next week for the Thunderdome semi-finals!

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Set aside the world order -- let the Thunderdome determine who's the champion of Icecrown! Come back next week to find out who'll be returning for the semi-finals of the Icecrown/Trial of the Champions season of Two Bosses Enter, One Boss Leaves.

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Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Two Bosses Enter