Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne

Falino · Post by **Falino** » July 1, 2003, 7:29 pm

Picked this up today, and must say from what I've seen so far it ranks up there with Brood War for the best expansion Blizzard has put out. The neutral heroes are a nice addition, it's nice to have 9 heroes to choose from for each race instead of 3.

Haven't had a chance to play as all the new heroes yet, but from what I've seen so far, the Shadow Hunter, Warden, and Naga Sea Witch all seem really cool. And Mountain Giants are definatly the own.

The adjusted resource costs for buildings takes a little getting used to. I found myself putting a lot more wisps/peasants, etc, on lumber. Upgrading your town hall now takes a lot more gold and lumber especially, which is nice to prevent fast teching.

Fattyfat · Post by **Fattyfat** » July 2, 2003, 10:36 am

did they stay with air at tier2?

Falino · Post by **Falino** » July 2, 2003, 10:36 pm

Gryphon Riders, Gargoyles, and Wyverns are all tier 2 now, although I believe Chimeras and Frost Wyrms are both still tier 3. Also Headhunters can be upgraded to Beserkers which helps out the Orc anti air problem.

The hardest thing to get used to for me is that a bunch of stuff costs less gold but more lumber, so either you need to put a lot more workers on lumber, or you'll end up having huge gold reserves but no lumber.

murr · Post by **murr** » July 2, 2003, 11:42 pm

Someone spoil the storyline for me when you beat it. I don't have the patience to play through it and I don't want to buy it, but the story owns.

Ceffin · Post by **Ceffin** » July 3, 2003, 3:00 am

I got frozen throne yesterday..40 dollars at best buy,35 at electornics boutqiue in the mall ( odd usually..best buy is usually cheaper) and it is the pwn.

Estrosiath · Post by **Estrosiath** » July 7, 2003, 7:43 am

STORYLINE SPOILERS - you were warned!

Illidan is contacted by Kiljaeden ( Archimonde's second in command ). He wants Illidan to kill the lich king, because he has deserted the burning legion. Illidan sets to the very task. By the way, Illidan looks much more like a demon than like an elf now. Even when he isn't using his ultimate. He awakens the naga race ( night elves that were imprisoned with one of their early queens and transformed into a serpent-like race over time ) and uses them to gain the blood elves to his cause ( high elves from Quel'thalas who now suffer from magic thirst - as in they need magic to survive ) because the human lord the blood elf prince ( whose name is Kael'thas ) was serving is fucking tool.

Shando Stormrage and Tyrande whisperwing finish cleaning their forest of any demoniac influence. Illidan tries an incantation that would make the ice of Northrend melt and thus destroy the frozen throne, but the night elves ( unaware that this was his goal ) stop him. The new dark elf hero ( the warden ) is this chick totally obsessed with sealing Illidan in his underground prison again, who follows him through a portal to Draenor ( the original world of the orcs ) when Illidan flees there after rescuing Tyrande from undeads.

Illidan thought that hiding on Draenor would enable him to escape Kiljaeden, but he is wrong. However, the demon lord offers him another chance. Along with the naga queen and the blood elf prince, Illidan ousts the ancient demon that reigned on Draenor, and then returns to Northrend where he besieges the Frozen throne.

Arthas the death knight returns to the capital of Lordaeron, and ousts the dread lords ( who hadn't received orders from Archimonde, and thought he was still alive ). However, because of Illidan's efforts, his powers wane because his link with the frozen throne is weakened ( Arthas loses levels over the campaign... until he is level 2 for last mission ). As such, his grasp over the undead legion falters, and the dark ranger ( who happens to be the elf chick he turned into a banshee ) tries gets vengeance and kill him. Arthas is forced to set sail to Northrend after fleeing for his life.

The dark ranger chick helps the three demons that Arthas had ousted, but she doesn't join them. She captures one and forces him to work against his brothers, and she ends up recapturing the whole of Lordaeron for herself ( in the process making the demon she captured slay his brothers and the human lord that pissed the blood elf lord ).

Meanwhile, Arthas arrives on Northrend, and is joined by an undead Nerubian lord ( new undead hero ). They rush through Northrend until they reach the citadel of the Frozen throne. There, Arthas gains control of four pillars necessary for opening the entrance of the throne room, while battling Illidan's blood elf and naga troops. Finally, Arthas and Illidan face off, and Arthas slays Illidan. He then shatters the frozen throne (!) and picks up the mask of the lich king... only to meld with him. His eyes flash an eery blue, and we can all conclude he now kicks major ass.

Where are the orcs? No orc part in the frozen throne campaign. Instead, we have a bonus campaign where you control three of the new heroes ( the orc one, the pandaren, and the one that summons all kind of animals ). Only first part of it is included, but the other parts will be provided free on Blizzard's site.

Cotto · Post by **Cotto** » July 7, 2003, 12:05 pm

I feel ripped by the orc campaign.

How long till the rest of it comes out?

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » July 7, 2003, 3:04 pm

Anyone have a new favorite Hero? I'm only a couple of levels into the NE missions, but I am definately enjoying the Warden so far. I look forward to seeing the others and trying out some new hero combos.

Cotto · Post by **Cotto** » July 7, 2003, 3:30 pm

Warden is fun to play, so is the beastlord tho. Never had a hero kick to much fucking ass.

I got a bonus level (or something) when playing the game, just wondering where I find it or whatever?

Falino · Post by **Falino** » July 8, 2003, 12:49 pm

The Warden is cool, but the DH is still my favorite NE hero, although Fan of Knives is nice for stopping Ghoul or Footman armies early in the game.

The Shadow Hunter is nice. His serpent wards are really helpful at level 3 or for defending a rush. Healing wave is nice too.

I'm not a huge fan of the Blood Mage, if I want a INT hero as human I think the Arch Mage is better.

The Crypt Lord is okay. Impale is nice for interrupting channeled spells, but he's not great. Death Knight is still my fav Undead hero.

As for neutrals...

The Sea Witch is my favorite. Her cold arrows basically prevent heroes from running away or inflicting serious amounts of damage, and Forked Lightning is a nice DD spell

The Dark Ranger is soso, Black arrows are okay but the skeletons are fairly weak. Silence is her best spell IMO.

As for the other 3, the Pit Lord, Pandaren, and the Beastmaster, I hardly ever get any of these, I just never see a use for them, with the exception of the Pit Lord I get him occasionally as Undead since I can Death Coil him. I was dissapointed in the Panda (I wanted him to own), and the Beastmaster seems to be about the worst hero in the game in my opinion, as all he can do is summon units.

Post by **Sylvus** » July 8, 2003, 1:12 pm

-= SECRET LEVEL SPOILER =-

Yeah, I got a secret level on the Blood Elf campaign when you go into the prison and have to rescue the BE captains or whatever they are called. At one point in the level you go into a room where there are three crazy sheep in pens with 3 floor spots you can activate. Each spot makes a sound and if you do the sounds in the correct order, it flags you for the secret level. Once I completed the main quest for that level, it opened up a minigame where you basically build a shitload of 5 different types of towers (you build them extra fast) and control two heros and try do defend against 30 waves of incoming assbeat. It's hella fun, and successfully completing it allowed me to use the panda dude in the next level, when you have to save Illidain or however from the Warden's cage.

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » July 9, 2003, 12:30 am

how long is the bonus orc campeghn? finishing up the undead one,

why didnt they just go ahead and make the nagas a official playable race? all they needed were afew more buildings and units and they could balance em out like the rest and brag that they have a new playable race available?

Estrosiath · Post by **Estrosiath** » July 9, 2003, 7:58 am

Orc campaign has a single episode so far... It's a fairly long one... But it's easy after a while ---SPOILER--- you use three heroes in it... And well, with a pandaren brewmaster, a troll shadow hunter and the beastmaster, you'd be hard pressed to suck ( especially at level 8 with the items you get into that campaign ). I personally found it very cool and fun

As for the pandaren sucking... I think you're insane

But that's just me. I mean. He gets a mixed evade/critical hit and the drunk spell that gives at its best a 70% chance of any unit around you missing you... And you think he's bad? And his ultimate kicks so much ass it's not even funny.

As for the blood mage... Bad first choice, excellent second or good third; flame strike+blizzard+brilliance aura = ownage. I just saw replays of some dude using this... Well, it's damn good.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » July 9, 2003, 9:30 am

why didnt they just go ahead and make the nagas a official playable race? all they needed were afew more buildings and units and they could balance em out like the rest and brag that they have a new playable race available?

I agree. It's kind of a head scratcher. I mean, they definately have everything from peons to air, and everything else in between, including towers and other buildings. Well, the seabitch is only one hero, but 2-3 more shouldn't be too aweful hard to come up with, especially for an amphibain race.

Akaran_D · Post by **Akaran_D** » July 9, 2003, 10:36 am

Just give me about 2 royal guards for a hero train for the nagas, and I'll be pleased.

Cotto · Post by **Cotto** » July 9, 2003, 11:22 am

You can make the Naga and Neautral race on the World Editor, I know that much about them.

The major thing thats now pissing me off, is that if you play a Custom Game, with just NPC teams, none of them can use the fucking boats. I had a huge naval fleet ready to defend my island, and there they are, fucking around on the same spot, out of resources

Falino · Post by **Falino** » July 9, 2003, 12:47 pm

Yes, Drunken Brawler is nice on paper, but his attack speed is only average, so the critical strikes aren't nearly effective as they are on a Blademaster. Drunken Haze would be nice, if only it lasted a little bit longer on heroes (I'm not sure of the exact time, but it's fairly short). Breath of Fire is basically a weaker version of Shockwave or Carrion Swarm unless some of the units you hit have Haze casted on them.

I agree, his ultimate is nice, however, I find myself getting level 6 with my heroes in far fewer games than I used to, with the exception of FFAs.

Estrosiath · Post by **Estrosiath** » July 9, 2003, 3:35 pm

Just imagine the cost of a royal guard if they were a buildable unit for nagas, lol... that unit is *slightly* powerful.

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » July 9, 2003, 11:35 pm

Orc Bonus Campaign. Rexxar is teh win!

I'm gonna be playing the Beastmaster come WoW =P

Avestan · Post by **Avestan** » July 10, 2003, 12:10 am

just bought this and NWN expansion and paid $47 total including shipping. Pwn.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » July 10, 2003, 1:13 pm

I just wrapped up the NE campaign and I have to say I was impressed with the story and missions. hos forest giants are pretty awsome. I really look foward to the using the new undead hero and seeing how he fits into the overall undead strategy.

Estrosiath · Post by **Estrosiath** » July 11, 2003, 5:40 am

New undead hero is awesome. Perfect for early creeping, I have seen a lot of replays featuring the new hero as a first and the knight as a second.

Falino · Post by **Falino** » July 11, 2003, 1:03 pm

I'm not much of a Undead player, but I agree the Crypt Lord is pretty cool. Impale is really nice, especially for stopping channeled spells. I usually go Impale + Spiked Carapace, but the beetles are nice for creeping like others have said. I still usually go DK first when I play undead, with either the Crypt Lord or Pit Lord second.

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » July 12, 2003, 11:26 pm

yeah they do fuck you over on the orc campeighn, im guessing the next 2 will be RTS missions instead of the roleplaying deal though, could someome post when they find that there up?

Estrosiath · Post by **Estrosiath** » July 13, 2003, 1:56 pm

Don't expect orc campaign number 2 and 3 before a long time... I don't, because I know Blizzard. They'll be good, but the WHEN they come out sure is frightening me

As for what they're going to be... Well, I certainly am looking forward to knowing, because as of now with 3 level 8 heroes decked in the gear they have, they can probably raze the whole human base by themselves without even breaking a sweat. I wonder what challenges they will have for us.

Kwonryu DragonFist · Post by **Kwonryu DragonFist** » July 16, 2003, 12:20 pm

Pandaren BrewMaster ROCKS!

Especially his Ultimate!

Big Trouble in Little China!!

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » July 21, 2003, 5:04 am

anyone else play on b.net? we should all hook up and get into a massive ffa!

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » July 22, 2003, 11:18 pm

double post

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » July 22, 2003, 11:19 pm

I do, as Xzion-...but i still kinda suck, only started a couple weeks ago

although i won the only FFA game i ever played, due to it was a few days ago and the 4 other people got booted due to the servers were fucked up

Falino · Post by **Falino** » July 23, 2003, 12:08 am

I'm PEH-Peezdato on useast

VeeshanVault

Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne

Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne

heh