Iron Horde Incursion

Iron Horde Incursion
Location	Blasted Lands and Blackrock Spire
Result	Large sections of the Eastern Kingdoms occupied by Ironmarch forces, including Upper Blackrock Spire. War in Draenor begins. Immediate Iron Horde forces pushed back to the other side of the portal. Azerothian coalition begins their counterattack in Tanaan Jungle.
Belligerents   Alliance & Horde   Iron Horde Ironmarch Dragonmaw clan Dreadmaul tribe Black Iron
Commanders and leaders   Alliance & Horde Khadgar Maraad Commander Vines Thrall Okrilla   Iron Horde Warlord Zaela Commander Tharbek Gar'mak Bladetwist Rukah the Machinist Mokrik Blackfingers Gar Steelcrush Toothsmash the Annihilator Orebender Gor'ashan Kyrak
Casualties and losses   Alliance & Horde Heavy   Iron Horde Heavy
Previous	Alliance-Horde war
Next	Assault on the Dark Portal

The subject of this article or section is part of the Iron Horde Incursion, the Warlords of Draenor pre-launch event during patch 6.0.2.

The Iron Horde Incursion is a unique world event introduced with patch 6.0.2 and preceding the release of Warlords of Draenor. The event featured orcs coming through the Dark Portal and taking over Blackrock Mountain, as the Ironmarch and Black Iron groups.

History

The Iron Horde Incursion was the first engagement of the Alliance and Horde forces against the Iron Horde, which has invaded Azeroth through the repurposed Dark Portal. In a matter of days, the Iron Horde managed to gain complete control of the Blasted Lands: Okril'lon Hold was captured by the invading forces and served as a headquarter for the invading orcs, while Nethergarde Keep was razed and plundered, then captured by the orcs as well. Part of the invading Ironmarch forces joined Warlord Zaela of the Dragonmaw clan to put Garrosh Hellscream's plan of destroying Stormwind City via the iron star mounted within Blackrock Mountain into motion. The merged army under Zaela was named the Black Iron.

Event

Blasted Lands

The Dark Portal in the Blasted Lands has turned blood red. Hundreds of strange-looking orcs are violently pouring into Azeroth, killing everything that stands in their path. Nethergarde and Okril'lon have already fallen, and while the Horde and the Alliance moved as quickly as they could to get reinforcements to their people, they are too late. The Iron Horde invasion has begun.

In this desperate hour, King Wrynn and Warchief Vol'jin have called upon their greatest champions to join the front lines in the Blasted Lands and do whatever they can to stop the Iron Horde . . . before the rest of Azeroth falls before them.

The world event will see a number of quests in a phased level-90 only version of the Blasted Lands, with the zone transformed by the invasion of the Iron Horde. For the full quest line, see Warlords of Draenor intro experience.

Upper Blackrock Spire

An advance party of Iron Horde forces has barged right out of the Blasted Lands and pushed all the way to Blackrock Mountain, where they found refuge and supplies in Upper Blackrock Spire. There can be only one response: the Alliance and the Horde of Azeroth must face this iron incursion head on.

A level 90 'preview' of the new Upper Blackrock Spire instance was to see players facing off against bosses including Orebender Gor'ashan, Kyrak, Commander Tharbek, Ragewing the Untamed, and Warlord Zaela. The instance's loot did provide an edge over current gear, allowing players to upgrade in preparation for the coming expedition to Draenor.

Beta version

The subject of this section did not make it out of the beta stages.

Originally, the event featured much more enemies presented as rare mobs. Their diverse appearance hinted that they were followers of Garrosh from the True Horde and the Dragonmaw clan rather than coming from the alternate Draenor. Okrilla and part of her forces were also to betray the Horde for the Iron Horde.

Unused IDs and sound files hint at a role for Warlord Dar'toon and Watch Commander Relthorn Netherwane.

Karazhan was initially planned to be visited in a scenario in order to investigate its link to the Dark Portal, but the idea was scrapped before the beta.

Patch changes

• Patch 6.0.3 (2014-10-28): The Iron Horde invasion has ended.

  Accessing the event is still available but the  [The Iron Invasion] achievement is no longer available to players who missed the event.
  

• Patch 6.0.2 (2014-10-14): Added.