The Fall of Lordaeron (WC2 Orc)

The Fall of Lordaeron is the fourteenth and final mission of the Horde campaign in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness.

Mission briefing
''The alabaster parapets of Lordaeron's capital loom before you in the distance. The proud, defiant armies of the Alliance stand resolute in their final, fleeting moments. All that remains is the shrill, clarion call to battle and the fulfillment of our destiny. The tides of darkness are now at hand!''

Objective

 * Destroy all that you behold in the name of the Horde!

Background
In preparation for the impending attack, King Terenas ordered his guards to try to get all the people and their belongings behind the city walls. Many had abandoned their homes with little but the clothes on their back and tools and other professions they had on them when they fled. They knew their homes would be destroyed, and would have to be rebuilt later. Terenas had few men to defend the city walls. The king had not expected the Horde to attack the city and most soldiers had as such previously left with Anduin Lothar.

Strategy guide account

 * Note: this account comes from the Official Strategy Guide, which features a first-person description of each mission from the game.

Utok Scratcher and his commander were among the forces sent to destroy Capital City. Utok's unit chose to again rely on dragons to sack most of the capital. The most suitable site for the roosts was on the island where their troops had already made a successful landing. Though they already had a base started, the encampment soon fell to a constant stream of raiders. So new construction began near the mine on the island. This was far enough inland that only gryphons could harass the base, and those were taken care of by numerous guard towers and forest trolls.

All the structures necessary to develop dragon roosts were built first. Four roosts were launching the terrible beasts into the air. Once they had eight of them flying, their first targets were the numerous enemy troops stationed near the center of the island. For some odd reason the Alliance forces never organized a land attack. Next came their navy, which never stood a chance as it was destroyed by so many firebreathers flying together. Though the Alliance destroyers managed to bring down a few, they were replaced quickly. The assault continued with the removal of their shipyards. A protective circle of guard towers made the attacks on the center of the capital prohibitively expensive, but little was left to hinder an amphibious landing.

While the dragons incinerated towers and cleared a wide section of the coastline for landing, the rest of the Horde forces constructed a shipyard and accompanying structures to produce two transports. These made a standard assault on the mainland with four catapults, seven ogres and a single peon to raise a barracks. The dragons then concentrated on mobile units, while the catapults methodically removed stationary targets near shore and later focused on the guard towers so the reptiles could focus on the interior. Utok was sure it would be an easy victory, and that it was the Horde's destiny to devour the world.

Horde victory (original ending)
Orcs and forest trolls entered the Capital City. They killed every human they found and proceeded to the Throne Room to assassinate King Terenas, then red dragons burned down the castle.

Victory for the Horde

 * The victory pyres burn high into the twilight skies covering the ruined capital of Lordaeron. Your success has led Orgrim Doomhammer - War Chief of the Orcish Hordes - to elevate you to the station of Warlord, thus giving you power and the command of your own clan. The Alliance has finally been crushed, with all those surviving being slain and cremated as is dictated by the rituals. At long last Azeroth and all of its lands belong to the thunderous force known to those foolish enough to stand in its way as the Horde!

Forces

 * Orcish Horde
 * Grunts
 * Axethrowers
 * Berserkers
 * Ogres
 * Ogre magi
 * Catapults
 * Death knights
 * Sappers
 * Zeppelins
 * Dragons
 * Various siege weapons, ladders, battering rams
 * Warships


 * Alliance of Lordaeron
 * Footmen
 * Archers
 * Archers
 * Rangers
 * Knights
 * Paladins
 * Ballistae
 * Mages
 * Demolition Squads
 * Flying machines
 * Gryphon riders
 * Various siege weapons, hot oil
 * Warships

Trivia

 * This mission is one of the only appearances of Kul Tiras in the Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness campaigns.