So the invasions have started and the Broken Shore scenario has now been live for over a week. I first did it with one of my Horde characters, then I subsequently did it again this time with an Alliance character. I really love how everything was setup, I love the collaboration of the Horde and Alliance (I mean finally!), but…
For those that haven’t played it, beware of SPOILERS! You have been warned!
I’ll admit I wasn’t entirely expecting everything that happened. I knew there were big changes coming, but I never really did expect for the leaders of both factions to die. Now although I primarily play a Horde character these days, I have to admit to my heart being with the Alliance always. Watching Varian Wrynn get killed by Gul’dan kind of sucked. I kept hoping that he would somehow be saved, but I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.
But watching it from the Alliance side was even worse. I spent the whole time (both times) really enjoying the dynamic between Varian and Sylvanas. It finally seemed like things really were the way the should be when something is threatening Azeroth as a whole. The relationship between the two was beyond civil, it was downright amicable, and I loved it! However, when you play from the Alliance side you suddenly feel completely betrayed. It is only then that you realize that the Alliance had no vantage point from which they could see what was happening to the Horde, they couldn’t see that Vol’jin had been mortally wounded, or that Thrall was also losing. They couldn’t hear Vol’jin ask Sylvanas to not let the Horde be lost that day. Instead, all the Alliance sees is that suddenly Sylvanas calls a retreat, with no explanation. From their point of view, the Horde just abandoned the Alliance to their fate. Betrayed them. It wasn’t clear from Varian’s expression whether or not he realized that the Horde had lost and was being overrun, or if he even truly believed that Sylvanas had betrayed him just moments after they had wished each other luck and offered each other help.
Safe to say the whole scenario, particularly from the Alliance POV, actually left me feeling heartbroken. Mainly Wrynn’s death. While I thought it also sucked that Vol’jin died, I personally felt no real connection to him. On the Horde side I only play blood elves, and although on the Alliance I am primarily night elves, Wrynn has been at the forefront of the story for far longer. I think it ultimately was a much bigger loss for the Alliance. It probably would have been more of an equivalent loss if Thrall had died, though that would bring another whole host of issues.
So anyway… What I’ve been trying to say with all of this is that if you have any intention of playing Legion, you definitely should not miss the Broken Shore Scenario. Not that I really know if you can. I’m not sure if it’s something that will be going away with the expansion.
As for the invasions, I’m really enjoying them, and particularly that they are now getting worse. When it started there were only ever two up at any given time. Starting this week, all six invasions are up at the same time. Yet another instance where I really enjoy the collaboration between the Horde and Alliance. During an invasion, NPCs that would otherwise be hostile become friendly. You can be a Horde player defending Dun Morogh, or an Alliance player defending Tarren Mill (now there’s something I never thought I’d see…). Sure it eventually gets a bit repetitive once you’ve done all the invasions and pretty much seen all the demon lords, but nevertheless getting the gear is nice. It allows my undergeared characters to skip Tanaan Jungle, which I was quite frankly pretty tired of.
Now you’re probably thinking: “But Nooblet, you haven’t mentioned anything about the Demon Hunters?”. And you would be correct, I will not be covering my in depth opinion of Demon Hunters in this post. I actually did a video series last week for the Demon Hunter starting area in which you can find all my opinions, likes, and dislikes (there wasn’t very many of these) for them. Check it out:
So, if you’re playing Legion, or are thinking about it, let me know what your thoughts are on the upcoming expansion so far!