Two Bosses Enter: Foe Reaper 5000 vs. Commander Springvale
by Alex Ziebart 
Jul 25th 2011 at 1:00PM
Last week was the debut of Cataclysm's second Two Bosses Enter season, featuring a showdown between High Priestess Azil and "Captain" Cookie. It was very exciting! No, really. It was. What, you don't like watching murlocs get crushed by giant boulders? Well, fine. Maybe this week's matchup between an automated can opener and a dead paladin turned death knight will be more to your liking.
| Foe Reaper 5000 | |
|---|---|
| Commander Springvale |
Follow along for the rules of the matchup, a review of what these bosses can do, and a discussion of last week's winner.
The rules of the ring
- The WoW Insider Ring is considered neutral territory, where both combatants are able to access their usual encounter mechanics and abilities. If you can't visualize it inside the squared circle, visualize it someplace else -- but you must take into consideration all of each bosses' abilities and mechanics.
- Assume that each opponent is intelligent and capable of strategic thinking.
- 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. Everything is a factor; seeking balance is your goal as a spectator and judge.
Foe Reaper 5000 online. All systems nominal.
Foe Reaper 5000 was not a Deadmines boss in classic WoW. His entry in Cataclysm puts him among the ranks of long-time iconic bosses such as Mr. Smite. Can he live up to the Deadmines legacy, or will he fade into obscurity?
The Foe Reaper's arsenal includes ... Deadly, for sure, but will it be enough?
Repel the intruders!
Commander Springvale is one of the few bosses who survived the heroic transition from vanilla WoW to Cataclysm, alongside "Captain" Cookie and Baron Silverlaine. Unfortunately, Commander Springvale became a death knight in that transition, proving beyond any shadow of doubt that Blizzard hates paladins.
That was a joke.
Commander Springvale's abilities include: Springvale is one tough cookie, but will it allow him to overcome the Foe Reaper?
"Captain" Cookie took an early, dominating lead in last week's vote, but the tide eventually turned against him. Readers speculated that Cookie's cookpot may have been sturdy enough to withstand having enormous boulders dropped on it, but that defense didn't hold out. High Priestess Azil's stomach, however, held out quite well! She may need some time to sleep off a rough meal, but she'll be ready for action before her next round.
Some readers, such as Rymer, gave Cookie the win based on Vanessa VanCleef's notorious machinations:
Some people are asking how Cookie can win this. It's simple. Cookie works for Vanessa and after all the stuff she pulled last season I am guessing she bought Cookie a shiny new Truegold Cooking pot. Here is how I see it going down.
Azil enters seeing a cooking pot shining in the sunlight. "What is this, I thought this was a fight not a cooking show." From deep in the belly of the pot comes a sound unmistakeable. "Murrrggglegle!"
Cookie pops out and starts throwing food at Azil. "You stupid fish-frog!" she yells as she starts throwing rocks at Cookie. To her shock he ducks into his pot and the rocks bounce off leaving not even a dent in his new pot. It is a long drawn out fight with minons banging on pot and gravity wells trying to suck the pot into it. After hours a chicken bone hits Azil in the head and she goes down.
In the stands Vanessa just smiles.
Unfortunately, it was not to be. High Priestess Azil crushed Cookie underfoot. Vanessa must be so disappointed.
| Cookie | |
|---|---|
| High Priestess Azil |
The battle begins!
Remember, Two Bosses Enter matchups are all about substance and style, not gameplay, mechanics, and numbers. 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 mechanics nitpicking!
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 1 of 2)
Thiron Jul 25th 2011 1:06PM
Without adds - both just lose.
The Dewd Jul 25th 2011 1:17PM
Ok, in all seriousness... I think Springvale's desecration (with the built-in slow) should give him an out for the Foe Reaper's abilities. He'll be able to move around just enough to stay one step ahead for the victory.
The Dewd Jul 25th 2011 1:11PM
Vanessa is very disappointed.... unless she's secretly High Priestess Azil!
no, no, nevermind...
GhostWhoWalks Jul 25th 2011 1:16PM
Ooo, this is a tough one to call. I was about ready to give this match to the good old Foe Reaper in a landslide victory; both combatants have adds that contribute heavily to the fight, but Foe Reaper's adds and his own attacks both specialize in area of effect damage, meaning Springvale's adds will end up getting shredded rather quickly. But then I remembered Springvale's Word of Shame. Having been on the receiving end quite a few times, I know that 5% every 3 seconds can add up rather quickly if you don't have self-heals, which the Foe Reaper is lacking.
So can Team Foe Reaper's massive AoE damage burn through Springvale before Foe Reaper expires? It's hard to say for sure, but I'm going to put my money down on Springvale; he's no stranger to AoE either, and Word of Shame could give him the advantage he needs to win the DPS race.
Khoonda Jul 25th 2011 4:04PM
Well here's my thing about this... its Soul and supernatural, versus machine. So who would win? Why not both.
Commander Springvale materialized in a dark room with a single light in the center of what appeared to be a large arena. "Our Vigilance is eternal!" he shouts into the darkness as a second light appears with a Large Mechanical Behemoth comes into view. A single spark shoots from the Ceiling into the over sized Golem causing gears and springs to go into action as the monster twitches to life.
red lights appear in the face on the metal nightmare as a voice crackled from within "Foe Reaper 5000 on-line. All systems nominal" it stated as it lumbered forward swinging its terrifying blades in all directions.
Red lights surround the Commander as the beast bellowed again "Target acquired. Harvesting servos engaged."
"Cowards! I will not fall so easily into your trap!" The commander shouts as he charges forward with undying zeal. He Strikes with unholy power desecrating the ground and weakening the Reaper with Malefic fury.
The Foe Reaper stumbles back and begins to shoot steam from its crevices and sounds a new alarm. "Safety restrictions off-line. Catastrophic system failure imminent" It lumbered as the Commander came to a realization "System? This thing is inanimate! Without soul just as I am without form." A smirk crept upon the commander's ghostly lips "But not longer..."
The Ghostly commander Dispersed into a ghostly mist and invaded the crevices of the Mechanized creatures body as it jerked and twitched unable to process what was happening to it. It suddenly shut down all its lights and steam ceasing. moments passed before the lights reappeared with a haunting misty glow and a Voice crackled echoing in the dark arena
"Commander Reaper online... Our vigilance is eternal and all systems are nominal"
Scott Jul 25th 2011 11:17PM
Have to agree with Khoonda here and think that story wise I think a merger is the most likely outcome.
I voted for Springvale simply because if the merger did take place it would be more Springvale than Foe-Reaper in charge.
Brasson Jul 26th 2011 2:18AM
A ghost-in-the-machine fusion would be AWESOME.
Homeschool Jul 25th 2011 1:19PM
Foe Reaper feels no shame.
Homeschool Jul 25th 2011 5:39PM
Watching the comments, I want to add a bit of support to the statement.
"Don't get caught up in gameplay mechanics..." Commander Springvale, with his Word of Shame, is the type of boss which - in-game - will limit solo attempts for a very long time. When you have an attack with percentage-based output, it doesn't matter how powerful you become, it's still deadly. For anyone to ever solo this guy, they either need a way to break the Word without ending combat, or they need to output enough damage to take him down in the fixed timeline. (60 seconds for this attack.) At his heroic-level health, that would require roughly 50k DPS minimum, assuming no other attack landed. (Also assuming no self-healing on either side.)
Given the story-based nature, this attack is (would be) basically a giant IWIN button. That is, assuming that Springvale had enough Unholy Power and was smart enough to use it on this. With the rules of the contest, we have to believe he'd know that. (Call a few adds, get some Unholy Power, toss out Shame, then defend for a minute.)
Fortunately, for Springvale to have any chance at this, he needs his adds, which means Foe Reaper also gets HIS adds. The Molten Slags do ~25k DPS AoE. With a neutral arena, that means the first Slag will take down both adds in under 10 seconds. As a second, and third slag appear, the damage (Slags plus Foe Reaper) is going to ramp up to the level needed to take out Springvale, well before the 60-second mark.
So, assuming both sides start with adds (1 Slag and 2 Soldiers), Springvale could bust out his Word of Shame and be fully healed at 10 seconds in. Around that point, there should be a second slag up, and both of Springvale's adds go down. Assuming Springvale focuses his assault on Foe Reaper (the logical decision), he's going to be taking 50k DPS from the adds alone - even if one dies to AoE every 10 seconds, Foe Reaper's going to be replacing them and maintaining that AoE damage, plus his own strikes (which at 30% health, double in power.)
Logically, even with his 60-second deadline, I find it unlikely that Springvale can muster the power to take out the Reaper.
Going from a strictly story-based approach, I foresee...
Springvale stands ready, lightly holding his blade, but wire-tight - ready for an attack. Across the arena, the metallic monstrosity stands motionless, cold eyes reflecting the bubbling slag.
"Cotton-picking Goblins," Springvale acknowledges silently. "Newfangled contraptions hacking up my lawn, ruining my azaleas, stomping all over my lawn gnomes; just ain't right!"
"To the front-line!" he growls. Two men leap from the stands and begin a steady advance - not running, but treading quickly, eating up the ground. Behind them Springvale begins the gradually accelerating charge that results in so much power.
"ASSESSING THREAT." The metallic grating echoed around the space, and for a moment, his allies faltered. Springvale himself felt a cold chill in his spine, "It just ain't natural. Tarnation and hellfire, not like the good ol' days." He began to roar back, a deep-throated battle shout against his opponent. As the two met in an explosion of sparks and a shriek of scraping metal, the slag pits began to bubble and roil.
From out of the glow, elementals of flame crawled, like primordial beasts emerging from the seas. One was already drifting toward them, and the emanating heat was immense. Sweat began to pour in earnest, and from the corners of his eyes, he saw his allies falter and fall to the whirling blades. With their last gasping breaths, they released Unholy Power to their Commander, restoring his strength.
"Have you no shame, you lily-livered lawnmower?" The words carried with them a ripple of power, resonating on the armored exterior. As Springvale backed away, shield at the ready, the machine twitched and hissed, seeming almost to be fighting something within. A hiss of steam slipped between the gaps in its shell, and it slumped. "No replacement for good old-fashioned steel and muscle," Springvale thought, even as the light in the things eyes came back on.
"ASSESSMENT COMPLETE. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS OFFLINE. COMMENCING HARVEST."
Springvale was unprepared for the assault, so aggressive and single-minded. He shouted for reinforcements, but so many elementals were creeping across the floor that none could approach. His skin was growing sore from the heat, and the sweat dripping in his eyes made his vision bleary.
It was a moment that military officers knew well - when the threat had exceeded your capacity to withstand, and only retreat held any promise. His anger and fear, he fed into the dark words he spoke, summoning the corpses of the damned to his bidding. Across the arena, grasping hands reached out to bind, but the fires burnt them to ash, to be dashed away by the wind of the blades. Still the elementals came, and in their midst, the heartless harbinger of destruction. A destruction of his men, of himself, of his very way of life.
"The world is... changing," he thought, as the blades struck down.
Nina Katarina Jul 25th 2011 1:19PM
I suspect that the Foe Reaver will do like everyone else these days, and just skip Springvale.
Metalupis Jul 25th 2011 1:27PM
Springvale shows up to the fight, no one is around, the stands are empty, the waits for a while, eventually heads to the tournament office to see what happend, they tell him that the Foe Reaper decided to just skip him and moved on to the next round.
Amanda A. Jul 25th 2011 1:21PM
My death knight demands to know how Springvale can still use a shield when he can't. He was a prot warrior. He misses his shield. ;_;
I think Springvale would win so long he has the common sense to move out of whirlwinds and glowing targeting circles on the ground. Humans are rather better at tactics than insane machines.
mtnh84 Jul 25th 2011 2:19PM
AGREED! My DK cant use a shield either, so that must mean that the good Comander is some sort of half Pally half DK... Hmmm HEY BLIZZ I GOT AN IDEA!
Sumadin Jul 25th 2011 2:30PM
That is because he is still a paladin (Albeit a Undead one)
His skills is dark versions of paladin spells.
Unholy power = Dark holy power.
Desecration= Dark concecration(So is the DK one)
Word of shame = Dark word of glory
Shield of the Perfidious = Dark Shield of the Righteous
Malefic strike = Dak crusader strike
Skarn Jul 25th 2011 4:06PM
Yeah, he's not a Death Knight. More of an Unholy paladin. He doesn't use runes or runic power. There's no hint of frost or diseases. He doesn't use ghouls, but he does have ghost followers. The only thing that's DK-like is Desecration. All his other abilities are definitely "unholy" paladin.
alzeer Jul 25th 2011 4:10PM
he is more like shadow priest version of paladin
epiclulz Jul 25th 2011 1:40PM
Lets look at it this way.
Desecration
This gives the commander the edge and a chance to avoid the reapers rush move.
Word of shame Obviously 5% over time would win this but lets not get bogged down there.
The foe reapers ablities are mainly AOE which would SHRED the commanders adds. The commander has no major aoe so those adds will probably stay up for most of the fight.
What this comes down to is a dps race between Word of shame and the foe reaper + adds.
Im giving this one to coomander springvale because Word of shame wil destroy foe reaper before its (mostly dodgeable) attacks can kill him.
Shmaddy Jul 25th 2011 2:08PM
Remember, Two Bosses Enter matchups are all about substance and style, not gameplay, mechanics, and numbers. 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 mechanics nitpicking!
Quote from the article
I think everyone needs to be reminded again. (and again and again and again)
Puidwen Jul 25th 2011 2:26PM
springvale. Just because the foe reaper is the easiest boss i've ever come across.
Kristenbell Jul 25th 2011 3:39PM
Well as a DK, Springvale should rely quite a bit on disease damage, and since Foe Reaper is a machine, that kind of gets rid of a good portion of Springvale's damage