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The latest patch 5.4 newsTwo Bosses Enter: Announcing Season 2's boss lineup
by Alex Ziebart 
Jul 11th 2011 at 9:00AM
Today we are ready to reveal our tournament bracks for Two Bosses Enter's second Cataclysm season! I've sifted through last week's reader requests and built this tournament brackets based on a few factors. Your feedback was absolutely taken into consideration, and most of this season's competitors were chosen by you. However, some competitors were picked by myself and other WoW Insider staffers.
Highly elaborate encounters like Jin'do the Godbreaker or bosses with one-shot abilities such as Bloodlord Mandokir, while popular choices, were not included in this season because their mechanics would make the tournament extremely one-sided unless I added special circumstances and stipulations from week to week. In order to include them, Two Bosses Enter would be less let the fans figure out what would happen and more what arbitrary rules does Alex want us to play by this week? If that's something people want, I can make it happen next time around, but I'm fairly sure the majority of readers would like things to stay as they've been all along.
There will be no voting this week, but I will be revealing this week's brackets and I will explain what we will be doing differently this season, along with some commentary of what did and did not work last season.
- Week 1 High Priestess Azil vs. Cookie
- Week 2 Foe Reaper 5000 vs. Commander Springvale
- Week 3 Venoxis vs. Lord Godfrey
- Week 4 Setesh vs. Halazzi
- Week 5 Hex Lord Malacrass vs. Vanessa VanCleef
- Week 6 Temple Guardian Anhuur vs. Daakara
- Week 7 Jan'alai vs. Corborus
- Week 8 Beauty vs. Zanzil
What, no fan fiction this week?
Nope! I enjoyed writing the little introductory stories the last few weeks (especially the surprise first edition of it), but doing it week-to-week is a significant time investment, far above and beyond the time this column usually takes! I won't do it every week, but I would like to continue doing it occasionally. I think it worked well as my Eric Bischoff moment (high-five, wrestling fans) and added excitement to a gimmick gone wrong, but people will tire of that if I do it every season. Quite a few people didn't react to it well the first time!
If there is a specific character in this tournament that you'd like me to try my hand at writing in the comedic absurdity that is Two Bosses Enter, request it in the comments and I'll think it over. You'll almost certainly see something out of Vanessa, at the very least. I think I inadvertently made Vanessa and Tirion the TBE mascots.
No wild cards this season, huzzah!
Don't get too excited. If Two Bosses Enter reaches a third season this expansion, wild cards will be coming back. I just wasn't interested in doing them this season because of the influx of Zul'Aman and Zul'Gurub bosses in addition to the reader requests. When I bring wild cards back, it's very possible I'll use those for my Eric Bischoffing. Or my Stephanie McMahoning, if you prefer. When they come back, they will not be comedy options, however. The Cardboard Assassin is dead.
Set aside the world order -- let the WoW Insider Ring determine who's the champion! Your votes determine the outcome in WoW Insider's series of fantasy deathmatches, Two Bosses Enter, One Boss Leaves.
Filed under: Two Bosses Enter
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
StClair Jul 11th 2011 12:12PM
I'm just waiting for the joke character that gets inserted mid-round, proceeds to stomp all opposition due to the perversity of Insider readers, and is removed at the last moment via another act of clumsy fiat to keep it from winning and making the whole affair look like (even more of) a farce.
Amaxe Jul 11th 2011 1:20PM
Hmm, perhaps Vanessa Van Cleef suddenly gets teamed up with the Cardboard Assassin, and next week Vanessa gets written out of the story against the vote of the readers?
It certainly would be poetic justice.
Al Jul 11th 2011 2:40PM
He wants to be Bischoff instead of Russo, so the comedy might be done. However, one can't be Bischoff without bringing in celebrities at random. So expect Jay Mohr to crash the proceedings.
vegetto375 Jul 11th 2011 12:31PM
Glad Jan'alai made it as it was my vote. Now as for his opponent Corborus well he just doesn't stand much of a chance cause when it comes to adds Jan'alai just has more
Quaza Jul 11th 2011 1:56PM
Mandokir da Blood Lord. I heard Decapitate is only mildly OP.
Matheus314 Jul 11th 2011 2:10PM
There could be an Opening Exibition Event, featuring Jin'do the Godbreaker against Bloodlord Mandokir.
Just for the amusement of the crowd.
Thiron Jul 11th 2011 2:40PM
Daakara...isn't it too random, which animals is he goona have? Because, Lynx rape 1v1...
Enigma Jul 11th 2011 2:40PM
Who will Win predictions:
Week 1:
High Priestess Azil flings giant boulders which can insta-kill just by touch, can use the force, and summons gravity vortexes. Cookie spends most of his time in a cauldron flinging food that is really only dangerous if you don't remove the bad ones quickly...that and he doesn't even MOVE, so aforementioned boulders and vortexes will destroy him easily (unless he somehow decides to start running around). Even then, the adds from Azil will pop in to help beat him up.
Winner: Azil.
Week 2:
Both bosses have adds, but one is a machine with elemental adds, and one is an undead commander with ghosts. The fire elementals (if they are allowed) will likely tear through Springvales adds easily due to their AOE, but there maybe a small off chance that Springvale will command them to use the prototype (if it exists). Foe Reaper's AOE attacks can be used on the move, while Springvales seem most effective against immobile/less mobile targets.
Winner: Foe Reaper.
Week 3:
An undead noble with ghouls and a Snake worshipping troll with a poison maze. While I have no doubt that Godfrey can easily navigate the maze and he could probably have his ghouls do the same, I don't think he will make the cut. For one thing, Venoxis' channeled ability "Whisper of Hethiss" needs interrupting to prevent significant damage from being dealt: Godfrey has no interrupts and I don't think Venoxis is stupid enough to attack a ghoul with the ability. Secondly, Venoxis is pretty deadly in close range with his Cone AOE attack, and I don't think punching him will do much in the long run.
Winner: Venoxis.
Week 4:
Yeah... a stone construct that can summon legions of shadowy robots/void creatures and is unaggroable, vs a troll in a cat suit with healing totems, fire totems, and the ability to make a cat companion that can pounce on things at random. While in theory Halazzi could probably survive for a while with his water totems, the AOe that Setesh lauches around and the adds makes this unlikely.
Winner: Setesh.
Week 5:
Let see. Vanessa has her poison induced gauntlet, The ability to blow shit up with explosives, and alot of bodyguards. Meanwhile, Malacrass has only 2 adds, a weak AOE attack, and the ability to steal an opponents abilty with Soul Link. If Malacrass has the insight to steal her poison gauntlet, then he could possibly turn the tables on her, but I'm not seeing that happening.
Winner: Vanessa VanCleef.
Week 6: Hmm.. Anhuur has the ability to shield himself with a barrier that can only be removed via lever, a laser beam that comes out of nowhere...and thats it. Daakara can shapeshift into the Bear/Eagle combo or Lynx/Dragonhawk combo, one form with a repeated Sunder Armor ability, one with tornados, one with kitty adds and a deadly punce and one with a line of flames...yeah Anhuur's likely dead, unless Daakara doesn't notice the levers for some reason.
Winner: Daakara, if he notices the levers.
Week 7:
Corborus has his Crystal Barrage, which not only AOEs, but also summons adds, his spider adds, and the abilty to OHKO with his tunneling attack. Jan'alai has a Literal line Flamethrower, Fire Bombs, and if they are allowed, Hatchers that can summon Dragonhawk hatchlings. The hatchers might be able to make it if Jan'alai keeps the crystal shards and spider adds away from them with his flamethrower ability and Fire Bombs. What could potentially kill him though is Corborus' tunneling attack, which would not only destroy the adds,but could be fatal to Jan'alai, presuming he doesn't move fast enough.
Winner: Too close to call: Corborus if the OHKO tunneling ability hits enough times, Jan'alai if he gets rid of the extra stuff irst.
Week 8:
Zanzil has a line of fire attack, troll berserkers, troll undead adds, and poison. Beauty has her puppies, fear, a lava pools...yeah, I don't think Beauty's gonna win unless she pulls a Mama Bear when her puppies get killed.
Winner: Zanzil.
Namus Jul 11th 2011 3:17PM
Oh god, that VanCleef girl again? I've never understood why people like that character so much.
Fletcher Jul 11th 2011 5:16PM
The same reason people like Whitemane or Sylvanas; she forgot to wear pants.
Hinalover Jul 11th 2011 3:58PM
Man Venessa just does not want to die!
Amaxe Jul 11th 2011 5:03PM
"Man Venessa just does not want to die!"
Man, Ziebart just does not want Vanessa to die
Fixed it for you.
Alex Ziebart Jul 11th 2011 5:14PM
Vanessa had the most reader requests out of any other Cataclysm boss last week. So whether I like her or not, she earned that spot moreso than anybody else included this season.
Deathknighty Jul 11th 2011 10:31PM
But Highlord Fordring specifically denied her access!
Psyael Jul 11th 2011 5:23PM
Boring choices.
Anraphet would be a much more interesting challenge for Daakara than Anhuur, and the Foe Reaper is just another adds boss while Deadmines has the more amusing Helix Gearbreaker and his hobgoblin heavy.