Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne

Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
Developer(s)	Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Blizzard Entertainment
Platform(s)	Windows, Mac OS and Mac OS X
Release	July 1, 2003
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer

Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (W3:TFT) is the expansion pack to Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. It requires the ownership of Reign of Chaos to play.

General information

On May 29, 2003, Blizzard announced that the expansion set, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne had "gone gold" (release version sent to presses). It was released in stores worldwide in multiple languages beginning on July 1, 2003. It includes an additional hero for each race and three to four new units per race, four campaigns, five neutral heroes (an additional neutral hero was added April 2004 and 2 more were added in August 2004), the ability to build a shop and various other improvements such as the ability to queue upgrades. Blizzard regularly patches both the original game and the more popular expanded version to fix bugs, add new features, and balance multiplayer play. The latter is the main reason Blizzard games remain popular long after their initial release.

Storyline

Set a number of months after the events of Warcraft III, The Frozen Throne continues some of the loose ends of the original game, and also spins off some new plots of its own and paves way for the new conflict of World of Warcraft. The storyline follows a different order from the first game. First is the Sentinels (Night Elf), then Alliance (Humans), and, finally, the Scourge (Undead). The Orc campaign follows a different storyline, which ties up with the rest at the end where the three good teams fight against the undead scourge.

Sentinels campaign: "Terror of the Tides"

The Warden Maiev Shadowsong pursues the former prisoner Illidan Stormrage across Azeroth. Illidan was met by the demonlord Kil'jaeden, who orders him to destroy the Lich King. He gains the allegiance of the Naga, former Night Elves who were transmuted by Sargeras, Kil'jaeden's master; but they do not stop Maiev, who pursues Illidan from Kalimdor to the Tomb of Sargeras. There, Illidan takes the Eye of Sargeras and collapses the tomb in an attempt to kill Maiev. However, Maiev survives, and gains the assistance of Malfurion Stormrage and Tyrande Whisperwind to pursue Illidan all the way to Lordaeron. She aids Prince Kael'thas against the undead, and Tyrande is swept away by a river while defending the retreating elves. However, Maiev holds a grudge against Tyrande for in releasing Illidan in the first place, leading to her lying about Tyrande's fate to Malfurion to provoke him to move aggressively against the Naga rather than spend time searching for her. Around this point in time, Illidan attempts to use the Eye of Sargeras to melt away the polar icecaps around the Frozen Throne and hence destroy the Lich King. Furion and Maiev successfully prevent Illidan from completing the spell, but in the process, Maiev's treachery comes out, and the Stormrage brothers join forces to save their mutual beloved. Against Maiev's will, Malfurion then pardons Illidan, though he does not revoke his exile, and Illidan departs... with Maiev moments behind him.

Chapter 1: Rise of the Naga

Chapter 2: The Broken Isles

Chapter 3: Tomb of Sargeras

Chapter 4: Wrath of the Betrayer

Chapter 5: Balancing the Scales

Chapter 6: Shards of the Alliance

Chapter 7: The Ruins of Dalaran

Chapter 8: The Brothers Stormrage

Alliance campaign: "Curse of the Blood Elves"

The Alliance campaign follows the adventures of Prince Kael'thas, leader of the Blood Elves, a group of High Elves that survived the invasion of Quel'Thalas by the Scourge. Originally helping the Alliance, the Blood Elves are imprisoned by a racist human Dark Knight, Lord Garithos, for accepting aid from the Naga (after Garithos pulled all of Kael's troops to the front line) and eventually rescued by Lady Vashj and her Naga. Vashj then takes Kael'thas to the Outland, the remnants of the Orc realm Draenor, to meet (and free) their master, Illidan; who has been recaptured by Maiev. After fending off Maiev (again) and gaining the allegiance of the native Draenei, Illidan is able to conquer the Outland, where he hopes he will be safe from his failure to use the Eye of Sargeras to destroy the Frozen Throne. But his master, the Demonlord Kil'jaeden, catches them nonetheless, and the episode ends with Illidan renewing his vow to destroy the Lich King.

The Human forces in this campaign are very different than the ones used in the multiplayer game. Instead of the full Alliance, only the High Elven units are available, with the addition of a few new units and a Blood Elf hero added to the expansion pack, as well as the Naga forces(and a few draenei). The single exception is the first mission of the campaign, which takes place before Garithos recalls Kael's non-elven troops such as human Knights and Footmen, and dwarven Riflemen and Mortar Teams, all of which are available during that mission.

Chapter 1: Misconceptions

Chapter 2: A Dark Covenant

Chapter 3: The Dungeons of Dalaran

Extra: The Crossing

Chapter 4: The Search for Illidan

Chapter 5: Gates of the Abyss

Chapter 6: Lord of Outland

Scourge campaign: "Legacy of the Damned"

In the blighted lands of Lordaeron, now known as the Plaguelands, a civil war is taking place within the Scourge. The Undead forces splinter into three major factions: Arthas and Kel'Thuzad, who are loyal to the Lich King; the Forsaken, led by the Banshee Queen Sylvanas Windrunner; and a third group still loyal to the Burning Legion, led by the Dreadlords (Nathrezim) who are unaware of the Legion's defeat on Mt. Hyjal. The campaign switches between Arthas' journey to Northrend to assist the Lich King, and Sylvanas' war against the Dreadlords for control of the Plaguelands. In the end, Sylvanas emerges as the nominal ruler of the Plaguelands, while Arthas travels to Northrend to defend the Lich King, meeting the subterranean Nerubian race, and eventually defeating Illidan in a one-on-one duel. He then ascends to the Frozen Throne and becomes one with the Lich King. What will become of this unholy meeting will presumably be addressed in World of Warcraft.

Chapter 1: King Arthas

Chapter 2: The Flight from Lordaeron

Chapter 3: The Dark Lady

Chapter 4: The Return to Northrend

Chapter 5: Dreadlord's Fall

Chapter 6: New Power in Lordaeron

Chapter 7.1: Into the Shadow Web Caverns

Chapter 7.2: The Forgotten Ones

Chapter 7.3: Ascent to the Upper Kingdom

Chapter 8: A Symphony of Frost and Flame

Horde mini-campaign: "The Founding of Durotar"

The Orc mini-campaign is a departure from the rest of the game. It has features more like an RPG similar to Diablo, featuring a Beastmaster named Rexxar as he helps the Orcs defend and develop their new home of Durotar from various enemies. The Orc mini-campaign was created because the game designers felt that the Orc storyline didn't fit naturally into the main plot of The Frozen Throne. The mini-campaign allowed the designers to move away from standard real-time strategy conventions and explore new level design and gameplay concepts. (This campaign was extended by two more chapters through patches of the main game [1].) It also established plot and setting details in preparation for Blizzard's MMORPG World of Warcraft. Completing the other campaigns is not a requirement to play the mini-campaign as the menu immediately allows the player to choose between the campaign missions and the mini-campaign.

The player controls a group of two to four heroes, primarily Rexxar and a Troll Shadow Hunter named Rokhan. The player can also gain permanent control of a Pandaren Brewmaster named Chen Stormstout and Tauren Chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof, and temporary control of Jaina Proudmoore, Orc Blademaster Samuro, and Cairne's son, Baine Bloodhoof. Maps are interconnected, with each one being set up as various areas of Kalimdor, such as the Orc fortress city of Orgrimmar, and a Human city on the Theramore Isles.

Act 1: To Tame a Land

Act 2: Old Hatreds

Act 3: A Blaze of Glory

New units

See also: Warcraft III units and structures

Humans

Units

• Spell Breaker – A magical unit trained to disrupt magical energies by enemy spellcasters. Is immune to magic and can take control of enemy summoned creatures.
• Dragonhawk Rider – A flying unit which can create clouds that prevent enemy towers from attacking as well as immobilize and destroy enemy aerial units.

Heroes

• Blood Mage – A powerful spellcaster hero who makes use of fire spells. He can consume his enemies in a forest of fire, banish them to an ethereal plane, or siphon away their mana for his own use. He can summon a potentially everlasting Phoenix as an ultimate spell.

Buildings

• Arcane Tower – An upgrade of the Scout Tower which shoots energy and can see invisible units, as well as destroying summoned creatures and sapping away the enemy's mana.
• Arcane Vault – A shop which can be built by the player.

Night Elf

Units

• Mountain Giants – A slow, lumbering stone creature. While lacking speed, they make up for it in brute strength and armor and can force enemies to attack them. Can pick up trees as club weapons to demolish buildings.
• Faerie Dragon – A flying unit which can attack both ground and air units and is immune to magic, as well as having an ability which damages all units which cast a spell.

Heroes

• Warden – A stealthy hero unit. Although not as physically powerful as other Night Elf heroes, she has a number of useful spells that make her difficult to kill. She can assassinate enemy heroes with a poisoned knife, teleport away from danger, or whittle a crowd of enemies with a fan of thrown knives. She can summon a powerful Avatar from dead warriors as an ultimate spell.

Buildings

• Ancient of Wonders – A shop which can be built by the player.

Orcs

Units

• Troll Berserker – An upgrade from Troll Headhunters, giving more hit points and a special ability. They are ranged units who use spears.
• Troll Batrider – An aerial unit used for bombing buildings. It also contains the ability to blow themselves up onto enemy air units, dealing a significant amount of damage,
• Spirit Walker – A powerful spellcaster unit who can resurrect dead Tauren warriors.

Heroes

• Shadow Hunter – A spellcaster hero, master of voodoo magic and healing power. He can cast Healing Wave, which allows him to heal friendly units, Hex, a spell that can turn an enemy unit or hero into a random critter, Serpent Ward, a ward that can attack enemy units, and Big Bad Voodoo, an Area Of Effect spell that renders nearby allied units invulnerable.

Buildings

• Voodoo Lounge – A shop which can be built by the player.

Undead

Units

• Obsidian Statue – A slow support unit that regenerates the health and mana of nearby friendly forces.
• Destroyer – A flying unit capable of countering enemy spellcasters. Can be morphed from the Obsidian Statue

Heroes

• Crypt Lord – A powerful Nerubian hero whose spells can target several enemy units. The Crypt Lord can send out spikes to damage and stun enemy units, summon small beetles to attack, create a spiked armory for protection, and send out swarms of stinging bugs to damage enemy units and replenish the Crypt Lord's health.

Buildings

• Nerubian Tower – An upgrade of the Ziggurat that can slow enemy attack while damaging them.
• Tomb of Relics – A shop which can be built by the player.

Neutral

Heroes

• Naga Sea Witch – Powerful ranged hero capable of slowing down powerful enemies with frost arrows and destroying buildings with her tornado ultimate spell.
• Dark Ranger – Fallen elven ranger of Quel'Thalas return as members of the Undead. The Dark Ranger's spells, which include mind control, makes her formidable.
• Pandaren Brewmaster – The Pandaren become playable but only as a neutral hero unit. His fighting style is based on causing confusion among enemy units and damaging them with combinations of spells. His ultimate spell allows him to split into three powerful pandaren warriors.
• Beastmaster – Half Orc, half ogre outcast who lives among nature. Capable of summoning various beasts to aid him. His ultimate spell can summon exploding lizards to stampede among the enemies.
• Pit Lord – Powerful demon general. Despite being a melee type hero, is capable of damaging multiple targets and can summon a demon.
• Goblin Tinker – Uses a mechanical suit of armor for battle. Can summon little mechanical goblins to fight for him or morph into a more powerful fighter.
• Firelord – Elemental who managed to break free of wizard control. His spells center around volcanic themes.
• Goblin Alchemist – A goblin and ogre team that uses chemical-based spells. Most likely inspired by Masterblaster from Mad Max 3.

External links

• The official Frozen Throne website
• Warcraft3TFT & DotA Romanian portal
• Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne at MobyGames