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HordeHorde navy
Horde fleet 1
Main leader Horde Horde Council
  Formerly IconSmall Sylvanas Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner
IconSmall Vol'jin Warchief Vol'jin †
IconSmall Garrosh Warchief Garrosh Hellscream †
IconSmall Thrall Warchief Thrall
Secondary leaders IconSmall Forsaken Female Dread-Admiral Tattersail
Other admirals
Race(s) OrcOrc Orc
Jungle trollJungle troll Jungle troll
TaurenTauren Tauren
ForsakenForsaken Forsaken
GoblinGoblin Goblin
Blood elfBlood elf Blood elf
NightborneNightborne Nightborne
Highmountain taurenHighmountain tauren Highmountain tauren
Mag'har orcMag'har orc Mag'har orc
Zandalari trollZandalari troll Zandalari troll
Capital Orgrimmar
Other major settlements Echo Isles, Bilgewater Harbor, Port of Zandalar, Shatterspear War Camp, Shadowprey Village, Vengeance Landing, Zoram'gar Outpost
Theater of operations All major oceans of Azeroth as well as alternate Draenor, Northrend, Deepholm and the Broken Isles
Language(s) Orcish, Zandali, Gutterspeak, Taur-ahe
Sub-group(s) Golden Fleet, Hellscream warfleet, Windrunner Fleet
Affiliation Horde
Status Active

The Horde navy, formerly known as the Orcish Armada,[1] is the collective maritime military force of the various members of the Horde. As the naval wing of the Horde military, these combined navies protect the Horde's interests throughout Azeroth and beyond, and have seen particularly frequent service against the Alliance and its navy.

History[]

Creation of the fleet[]

Horde navy Warcraft II

The Old Horde's new navy approaching Lordaeron.

When the orcs arrived from Draenor, they originally had no ships and even no naval tradition, as most of the superstitious clans feared the open sea.[2]

But following his victory in the First War, Orgrim Doomhammer still wished the refugees of Stormwind pursued across the Great Sea. So following the Horde's conquest of Khaz Modan, Doomhammer planned to build a fleet of ships and launch a surprise attack in the heart of humanity's territories. Many orcs had reservations about this, for they were not a seafaring people. However, Gul'dan and his Stormreaver clan urged their allies that it was the best course of action, and in a bay tucked in the southwestern Wetlands Orgrim oversaw the construction of the fleet.[3] To build the fleet, the Horde used iron and timber pilfered from their recent conquest of Khaz Modan and its dwarven mines.[4]

While the orcs knew little of shipbuilding, some of their ogre allies had maritime knowledge and helped construct the immense juggernaughts — heavily armed and armored floating fortresses.[3][5] The forest trolls also helped with their own destroyers, while the Stormreavers also captured giant sea turtles from the South Seas, to be used as a submersible orcish craft after being pacified by potent spells of control.[6] To augment this, Doomhammer also enlisted the aid of the goblin Steamwheedle Cartel. The warchief provided the goblins with vast quantities of gold as payment for new technologies, maps, information, and ship-building services. The orcs had virtually no need for gold currency, and they were still rich in it from plundering the Kingdom of Stormwind.

Beyond conquering the remaining human kingdoms, Gul'dan and the Stormreavers were secretly assisting building the great navy in order to later find the Tomb of Sargeras.[7]

Second War[]

At the start of the Second War, Orgrim Doomhammer ordered the Blackrock clan to establish a base of operations on the island of Zul'Dare, not far from Lordaeron's shores, in order to prepare their strike towards the coastal human settlements.[8] Just before the battle of Hillsbrad Foothills, Admiral Daelin Proudmoore and the Alliance navy intercepted the Horde fleet near the island, successfully attacking the enemy ships, but the arrival of three enslaved red dragons turned the battle and Daelin and his ships were forced to retreat.[9]

With the coast cleared, the Horde built several oil platforms in the Southshore region before launching their landing on the coast of Hillsbrad.[1][10]

After the battle of Hillsbrad Foothills, most of the Horde navy was left anchored at the recently-conquered seaport of Southshore. Gul'dan then enacted his plans and came back from Quel'Thalas to take a portion of the fleet to the Broken Isles.[11] The Black Tooth Grin clan later came back to Southshore as well in order to take the remaining ships and pursue the traitors. A lot of Horde ships ended up wrecked at Stormreaver Wreckage, while some others litter the coasts of Crestfall and Tol Barad.

The Horde navy ceased existing on Azeroth after these losses, but kept surviving somewhat on the orcish homeworld of Draenor, where Zeth'kur served as Ner'zhul's shipyard.[12]

Third War[]

WC3RoC-logo This section concerns content related to Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos or its expansion The Frozen Throne.

Warchief Thrall's new orcish Horde escaped the internment camps of Lordaeron in stolen ships from the Alliance of Lordaeron. In fact, throughout the entire Third War the Horde would produce little to no ships of their own, instead hiring mercenary transport boats from goblin shipyards when necessary.[13] However, after the second invasion by the Burning Legion had ended, the Horde could instead focus on expanding their presence on land as well as on sea.

Cataclysm[]

Cataclysm This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

The Cataclysm led to the war against Deathwing, in which Warchief Garrosh Hellscream ordered the Bilgewater Cartel to build an armada that he would name Hellscream warfleet, hoping to use it to persuade the Dragonmaw clan to ally the Horde.[14] However, corruption and delays in Bilgewater Harbor meant poor quality despite high costs,[15] but intimidating the Bilgewater Foreman in charge helped get the warfleet done in time for the Horde to successfully launch an incursion into the Twilight Highlands.[16] The Warchief, on board the warfleet, ordered the Horde air guard to seize the opportunity and attack the Alliance armada while it was in close formation. Though the Alliance apparently inflicted heavy casualties,[17] the fleet was left seriously damaged following this ambush. The Horde's zeppelins too would pay for the sudden attack, when they were soon afterwards wiped out by a group of twilight dragons led by Deathwing, having dispatched all their close air support to deal with the Alliance.[18]

Elsewhere, the Horde's sea fleet was also attacked by Alliance naval forces in open waters en route to the Twilight Highlands, inflicting heavy damage.[19]

Captain Skullshatter commanded the gunship Storm's Fury into Deepholm where it was shut down and crashed.

Mists of Pandaria[]

Mists of Pandaria This section concerns content related to Mists of Pandaria.

During the Attack on Theramore Isle, the Horde erected a naval blockade around Kalimdor,[20] with the Warchief's Fist engaging with the Alliance ship Elwynn.[21]

Later, the Horde navy was victorious at the coasts of Tanaris and Tol Barad. A southern fleet encountered an Alliance envoy and an uncharted landmass.[22]

Garrosh Hellscream sent Admiral Hagman to control the Horde fleet confronting Admiral Hodgson of the Alliance in a battle on the High Seas.

Legion[]

Legion This section concerns content related to Legion.
Horde navy heading to Broken Shore

Horde ships heading to the Broken Shore.

At the start of the third invasion of the Burning Legion, Horde navy assaulted the Broken Shore.[23]

Battle for Azeroth[]

Battle for Azeroth This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

After the Argus Campaign, too many of the Horde navy's ships were destroyed either by the Legion or by the Alliance. Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner had Horde dockmasters working overnight.[24]

During the Fourth War, much of the Horde's naval power was docked in the Echo Isles. Alliance champions were sent to infiltrate the troll capital, and set fire to the ships.[25]

The Horde fleet grew a great deal in size after the Zandalari trolls introduced their Golden Fleet to the Horde. However, it was almost entirely destroyed by the Alliance during the Battle of Dazar'alor as the ships had been sabotaged and later detonated.

Vessels[]

Name Description Examples Image
Orc destroyers Standard ship used by the Horde navy, forming the bulk of many Horde fleets, these ships are small spiked craft and have also been called "gunships",[26] though that name normally refers to the flying crafts. Draka's Fury
Gorrok's Lament
Galerek's Remorse
The Iron Reaper
Stygian Bounty
The Sea Wolf
Warchief's Fist
Bladefist Reaper
Stygian Scar
DestroyerH
Zeppelins Are flying contraptions created by the goblins, using a lighter-than-air design, with their machines employing bags filled with gas to make them buoyant in the air, compared to heavier-than-air designs, which employ wing surfaces and movement to produce lift, either using a fixed wing, or a spinning rotor. Spear of Durotar
Garrosh's Airship
Heart of Orgrimmar
The Indomitable
The Impervious
The Skyshredder
The Iron Eagle
Gunship Highly versatile and complex airships that can act as mobile command centers during battle. First used during the war against the Lich King, eventually becoming common in all major Horde campaigns. Kept aloft and powered by two zeppelin-inspired hot air balloons. The design heavily incorporates goblin engineering. Heavily armored and possessing extremely heavy firepower. Hellscream's Fist
Storm's Fury
Hellscream's Fist
Forsaken flagship Largest ships in the Forsaken navy. The Forsaken flagship has been equipped with the New Plague and Dread Ballistas. More decks and levels also make these vessels one of the largest battleships in the Horde navy. Death's Advance
The Swift Vengeance
SwiftVengeance
Forsaken battleship The Forsaken navy is composed of ships dredged up from the bottom of the ocean. Most of them were once among Lordaeron's fleets.[27] Despite this, Forsaken battleships can be built at the Frostwall Shipyard. The Forsaken battleships have been equipped with Forsaken catapults, providing their ships with projectile weapons and blight anti-air. According to Sylvanas Windrunner, the Bilgewater Cartel have modified the catapults to be faster and more powerful.[28] The Windrunner
The Oblivion
The Dark Defiance
The Queen's Reprisal
The Blightbringer
The Casket Carrier
The Banshee's Wail
The Blightcaller
The Eternity
The Black Arrow
The Black Rose
The Immortal Coil
Crimson Squall at shipwreck
Blood elven destroyers Elven destroyers of the trireme hull type employ "junk sails" in a "schooner rig". This sail configuration is characterized by good windward handling and generally good speed across all sailing points (but less from running with the wind). This is consistent with the idea that the elven destroyer is a fast, highly maneuverable warship. The Crimson Dawn
The Firehawk
Crimson Treader
Starchaser
Salabria
Crimson Treader
Goblin ships Goblin yachts are light, fast sailing ships capable of carrying out many different types of operations. Kezan Runner Kezan Runner Kezan
Goblin submarine Submersible craft of goblin design, capable of carrying out many different types of operations, these vessels are capable of striking both surface and underwater targets, and can even take to the land and function as a ground assault craft. Greasy Eel
The Verne
Goblin Submarine
River boat Are a type of goblin sailboats used for small distances like rivers. Riverboat
Carrier Large warships of the Iron Horde, and later, of the Mag'har Clans, very similar in appearance to dreadnaughts. Used during the war in Draenor by the Horde navy, and later reintroduced after the Mag'har exodus to Azeroth. These ships dedicated as mobile bases for gyrocopters and bombers. Heavily armored and generally effective against battleships, but vulnerable to submarines. Dreadnaught Nazmir
Iron boat Are a small seagoing watercraft, used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Iron Boat
Zandalari flagship Largest ships in the Golden Fleet, and sometimes accompanied by a smaller battleship. They are equipped with two rows of ballistae on each side, as well as being more heavily armored in the front than other vessels. More decks and levels also make these vessels one of the largest battleships in the Horde navy. Gral's Call
Rastakhan's Might
Breath of Pa'ku
Rezan's Claw
Rastakhan's Might
Zandalari battleship Medium-sized warships, possess a single row of ballistae and one main mast. Though capable of battle, they are also frequently used as transport, cargo, and trade vessels in around Zandalar and beyond. The Golden Skipper
Rezan's Wake
Gral's Bounty
The Golden Skipper

Ranks[]

The Horde navy features ranks similar to those of their Alliance counterpart.

The Forsaken do have an amount of Dread-Admirals and Dread-Captains such as Tattersail, Coldfathom, Graham, Nadeux and Winge. Some of them also share the same naval uniform, such as Tattersail, Captain Lightpast and Captain Dreadwake.

See also[]

References[]

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