Project Lore

In commemoration of  the release of the final major content patch of Wrath of the Lich King, we've decided to stroll down memory lane to generate some of our own Top 10 lists. So between now and the probably still somewhat distant release of Cataclysm, we'll be taking a look back at the best (and worst) that WotLK brought to World of Warcraft. Let's start out with a fun one: The top 10 best boss battlecries (5-man dungeon edition). We have yet to see all that Icecrown Citadel has to offer in this category, so we can save the 10- and 25-man edition for another time. Let's get rolling.

10. "Soft, vulnerable shells. Brief, fragile lives. You can not escape the curse of flesh!" Oh, those cuddly vrykul have such a way with words. These ones were uttered by Sjonnir The Ironshaper in the Halls of Stone.

9. "The master surveyed his kingdom and found it... lacking. His judgment was swift and without mercy: DEATH TO ALL!" The first new dungeon makes its appearance on my list. Marwyn in the Halls of Reflection takes all of the Lich King's murderous malice and sums it up well. Out of all bosses here, he seemingly takes a LOT of pleasure out of killing, also telling players things like "Death is all that you will find here!" and "I saw the same look in his eyes when he died. Terenas could hardly believe it. Hahahaha!"

8. "I have witnessed the rise and fall of empires. The birth and extinction of entire species. Over countless millennia the foolishness of mortals has remained the only constant. Your presence here confirms this. My master has shown me the future, and you have no place in it. Azeroth will be reborn in darkness. Yogg-Saron shall be released! The Pantheon shall fall!" The somewhat long-winded Loken in the Halls of Lighting shows his eloquent side with a nice soliloquy. Perhaps he should have put that misguided passion into the heroes of Azeroth.

7. "Tiny creatures under feet, you bring Garfrost something good to eat!" If you haven't been to the Pit of Saron yet, make sure you go soon and pay Forgemaster Garfrost a visit. I like him because he seems not so much evil -- just hungry, enslaved and stupid. Upon bashing his own food sources (which would be you) with a boulder, he yells in disdain, "That one maybe not so good to eat now. Stupid Garfrost! BAD! BAD!"

6. "We fought back da Scourge. What chance joo be thinkin' JOO got?" Gundrak's Moorabi has a point. And a sexy accent. And he gives you a HELL of a time as you try for that stupid-luck achievement Less-Rabi. But he'll die in the end.

5. "You spoiled my grand entrance, rat. Did you honestly think that an agent of the Lich King would be bested on the field of your pathetic little tournament? I've come to finish my task. This farce ends -- here!" Perhaps it's not so much the Black Knight's words that put him on my list, but the mini-event in which he flies in and disrupts the Trial of the Champion. Plus, if you've done any of the Argent Tournament quests, there's some pretty intriguing lore that leads up to his death.

4. "Your heartbeat is music to my ears... I am nowhere. I am everywhere. I am the watcher, unseen." In Ahn'Kahet: The Old Kingdom, Prince Taldaram's vampiric ways and flame sphere ability are annoying. But he invokes the calm and collected exterior of a proper blood-drinker when addressing his enemies.

3. "You 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." Another vrykul appears on the list! This time it's King Ymiron in Utgarde Pinnacle, who wants to rip you apart more than any other. His violent nature continues as he screams, "Ranulf of the Screaming Abyss, snuff these maggots with darkest night!"

2. "I'LL PAINT MY FACE WITH YOUR BLOOD!!" Utguard Keep's Ingvar the Plunderer, yet another vrykul, tells us about his creative plans for our entrails. This also has become a great battlecry among guildies (as popularized by Scott Johnson of The Instance) and is just a fun thing to yell at random crowds in Dalaran. It would have been atop my list if not for the appearance of the Lich King in Halls of Reflection. (SPOILERS AHEAD!)

1. "There is no escape! Succumb to the chill of the grave! Another dead end..." How could the Lich King NOT be at the top of the list? This first time you face him in HoR, you’re mostly just running away. But his confident yet totally pissed off manner of steadily following your retreat is terrifying. No, you will not down the Lich King in a 5-man dungeon. You can only run away. A fitting lead up to the battle ahead at Icecrown Citadel, and yet another way for Blizzard to up the tension factor for the climax of WotLK. I can’t wait to hear what he has to say at the very end.