Wowpedia

We have moved to Warcraft Wiki. Click here for information and the new URL.

READ MORE

Wowpedia
Register
Advertisement
This article is about the Warcraft III mission. For lore about the battle, see Battle of Mount Hyjal. For other uses, see Hyjal (disambiguation).
Twilight of the Gods
WC3-N07
Location Mount Hyjal
Result

Azerothian victory with heavy casualties

Belligerents
 

Great Alliance

 

Burning Legion

Commanders and leaders
 

Great Alliance

 

Burning Legion

Casualties and losses
 

Great Alliance

  • Massive
 

Burning Legion

  • Annihilation of almost the entire Demon and Undead forces.
Previous

The Last Guardian

A Destiny of Flame and Sorrow
Next Eternity's End
WC3RoC-logo
This article contains lore taken from Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, the manuals, and/or official bonus maps.

Twilight of the Gods is chapter 7 of Eternity's End. It was the battle in which the Horde, the Alliance, and the Sentinels joined forces to defeat the armies of the Burning Legion and the Undead Scourge. This final battle is known in lore as the Battle of Mount Hyjal.

The battle is the final mission in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. It is also featured in World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade in the Caverns of Time as the Battle for Mount Hyjal.

Loading screen[]

The next morning, near Hyjal Summit.

The night elves, orcs and humans gather to plan their defense of the mountain...

Critters[]

Twilight of the Gods Map

Prelude[]

After being guided to Kalimdor by Medivh, the Orcish Horde led by Thrall and the Alliance forces led by Jaina Proudmoore had come into conflict with each other and with the night elves of Ashenvale, led by Malfurion Stormrage and Tyrande Whisperwind. Acting as a peace broker, Medivh was able to unite the warring factions to defend the World Tree, Nordrassil, from the Burning Legion's assault.

Quests[]

Main Quests[]

Availablequest BTNArchimonde Delay Archimonde[]

  • Delay Archimonde for 45 minutes
  • Archimonde must not reach the World Tree

You must attempt to slow Archimonde's ascent to Hyjal Summit by throwing everything you can at him and his elite forces. By doing this, you will buy Furion the time he needs to implement his mysterious plan for the World Tree's defense. Though many of your brethren may fall, their sacrifice will secure the future of the world itself.

Transcript[]

Intro[]

The camera sweeps over the night elf, orc, and human bases. Jaina teleports into a meeting with Furion, Tyrande, and Thrall near the human base.
IconSmall Jaina Jaina Proudmoore: I'm sorry I'm late. It's just as we feared. Archimonde and his doom guard are making their way towards the summit! He'll be here any moment.
IconSmall Malfurion Furion Stormrage: Ten thousand years ago we night elves defeated the Burning Legion. Though the rest of the world was shattered, we were left free to live out our immortal lives in peace, bound to the World Tree.
IconSmall Malfurion Furion Stormrage: We are its protectors, and through it we were granted immortality and power over nature. Now, at last, it is time we gave that power back.
IconSmall Tyrande Tyrande Whisperwind: You realize that we will age as these mortals do. Our powers over nature will wane in time.
IconSmall Malfurion Furion Stormrage: If pride gives us pause, my love, then perhaps we have lived long enough already. I will proceed to the summit and prepare our defenses there. Whatever comes, my love, remember... our bond is eternal.
Furion runs over to a gate and begins some form of summoning spell. At the bottom of the mountain, Archimonde appears.
IconSmall Archimonde Archimonde: Hear me, night elves! The time for reckoning has come!
IconSmall Jaina Jaina Proudmoore: If you can provide our bases with support and keep us from being overwhelmed, Thrall and I will delay Archimonde's ascent!
IconSmall Tyrande Tyrande Whisperwind: Your plan is a bold one, girl. Perhaps I have misjudged you outlanders. May Elune shine upon you!

During the Mission[]

IconSmall Malfurion Furion Stormrage: To arms, my brethren! To arms, brave orcs and humans! Twilight falls -- and the enemy awaits!
IconSmall Shandris Shandris Feathermoon: Priestess Tyrande, the undead have begun to construct a new settlement! It won't be long before they start attacking our allies!
  • IconSmall Jaina Jaina Proudmoore: The undead have breached our defenses! We need help immediately!
  • IconSmall Jaina Jaina Proudmoore: The undead are attacking! Send help!
  • IconSmall Jaina Jaina Proudmoore: We're getting swamped here! We could use some backup!
IconSmall Archimonde Archimonde: You are very brave to stand against me, little human. If only your countrymen had been as bold, I would have had more fun scouring your wretched nations from the world!
IconSmall Jaina Jaina Proudmoore: Is talking all you demons do?
Jaina teleports out of her base.
IconSmall Archimonde Archimonde: Stormrage! Show yourself! Or do you intend to have mortal girls do all your fighting for you?
IconSmall NightElf Female Huntress: Priestess, the undead have constructed a new settlement. They are mustering new forces to send at us!
  • IconSmall Thrall Thrall: We're under attack! Send reinforcements quickly!
  • IconSmall Thrall Thrall: We need help immediately!
  • IconSmall Thrall Thrall: Fight on, my warriors! They cannot stop the Horde!
IconSmall Archimonde Archimonde: You orcs are weak and hardly worth the effort! I wonder why Mannoroth even bothered with you!
IconSmall Thrall Thrall: Our spirit is stronger than you know, demon! If we are to fall, then so be it! At least now... we are free!
Thrall casts a lightning bolt at Archimonde before teleporting out as well.
IconSmall Archimonde Archimonde: The wretched little whelp actually hurt me... Are there none left to stand against the Legion?
IconSmall Archimonde Archimonde: This is almost too easy! If I'd known that this mortal resistance would be so weak, I would have launched this invasion centuries ago!
IconSmall NightElf Female Huntress: Priestess, the undead have constructed a final settlement! They are mustering new forces with every passing moment!
IconSmall Archimonde Archimonde: Come, you night elves! Where is the fire and the passion with which you fought so long ago?

Outro[]

Archimonde destroys the night elf base and breaks down the gate.
IconSmall Malfurion Furion Stormrage: Archimonde's victory here has made him overconfident. He will not see the trap that I laid for him until it is too late.
IconSmall Archimonde Archimonde: At last! The way to the World Tree is clear! Witness the end, you mortals! The final hour has come!
Tyrande runs up to Furion's watching point just as Archimonde arrives at the base of the World Tree.
IconSmall Tyrande Tyrande Whisperwind: The outlanders held him back as long as they could. Were you successful in planning the summit's defense?
IconSmall Malfurion Furion Stormrage: Yes. Now our victory is assured.

Battle progression[]

  • Phase I: Archimonde establishes a Scourge base halfway up the mountain, consisting of reinforced buildings that are capable of training demons as well as Undead. The new base quickly begins razing the forests and draining the gold mines there. Unknown to Archimonde, Furion Stormrage has set a trap at the gates of the summit.
  • Phase IIa: Archimonde's forces attack Jaina's base, which blocks the only pass farther up the mountain. Jaina and her soldiers defend for some time. Archimonde eventually overruns her base, and the survivors teleport to safety. Thrall fortifies the Horde base with Goblin Land Mines.
  • Phase IIb: Acolytes unsummon Archimonde's base where the resources are drained from the land and summon a new base on the site of the human settlement. This provides them with a fresh supply of resources and closer proximity to Thrall's base.
  • Phase IIIa: Archimonde's army splits and attacks Thrall's base from different directions, as there are two entrances to the base. Between the defenders and the mines, Archimonde is further delayed, but Thrall's position is eventually compromised, and Jaina uses what magic she has left to teleport the orcish survivors to safety.
  • Phase IIb: Acolytes unsummon Archimonde's second base where the resources are drained from the land and summon a new base on the site of the orcish settlement. This provides them with a fresh supply of resources and closer proximity to Furion and Tyrande's base.
  • Phase IVa: Archimonde's initial force attempt to enter the Night Elf base from the north, but are intercepted by a large pack of Furbolgs, rallied to the fight by the Night Elves.
  • Phase IVb: The army sent along the south path is ambushed by Dark Trolls, convinced to battle by the Night Elves.
  • Phase V: After significant delays, Archimonde's army finally enters the Night Elf base. This final battle is fierce, as the forests and even the Night Elf buildings uproot themselves to attack.
  • Phase VI: Archimonde slays the last troops personally, and smashes the gate to the summit... moments after Furion's trap is finally ready.
  • Phase VII: As Archimonde prepares to absorb Nordrassil's powers, Furion sounds the Horn of Cenarius, awakening the Ancestral Spirits, an army of Wisp-like beings. Thousands of them detonate on impact with the Defiler, incinerating him, along with the World Tree and the surrounding forests. Medivh laid to rest any fears, confirming that, while "the roots will heal, in time, as will the entire world," Archimonde was gone forever.

Forces[]

Great Alliance
Burning Legion

Notes and trivia[]

  • Note that the World Editor uses the term "Great Alliance" as team name for the combined Sentinels, Horde, and Alliance Expedition. The term hasn't appeared in the game and its canonicity is in dispute.
  • Jaina and Thrall have their inventory slots filled with Phat Lewt so they cannot be given items.
  • Up until fairly late into the game's development, this mission was called Archimonde's Ascent, and there was going to be another mission set after this one called "Twilight of the Gods" in which a giant Archimonde would slowly walk toward Nordrassil and players would have to build defenses to slow him down. However, it ended up being almost two hours long, and during testing the developers realized that the mission felt unfun and anti-climactic and that players didn't want to go into a "big slugfest of a mission" right after the 45-minute fight for survival. Therefore, the final mission was cut and Archimonde's Ascent—renamed to "Twilight of the Gods"—took its place as the final mission.[5][6][7]
    • The World Tree being on an island on the map but being assaulted by land may be a leftover from this. The Well of Eternity is not seen in this mission.
  • Shandris is playable with a unique ranger model, and she can die in battle as a normal unit, being not a hero. She can also be kept safe and stay alive for all the quest.
  • Archimonde is literally unbeatable, having gargantuan stats with also chaos ranged damage and divine armor, overpowered abilities, and also an ankh of reincarnation. This is because he and his bases are not meant to be beaten in a legit way, as the player should defend the base from his massive forces.
    • Despite this, there are some legit and cheat-free ways to defeat Undead's base and even Archimonde, even if they are really difficult and for sure not intentionally made by developers.
  • Undead forces have a Pit Lord called Azgalor in their trained heroes sent to battle, which is not an undead hero in melees.
    • This pit lord is really more powerful than his melee version, and has his own voice pack.
  • "Twilight of the gods" is the English translation of Ragnarøkkr, more commonly spelled as Ragnarök, the end of the world in Norse mythology.
  • This is the last Reign of Chaos campaign. The story continues in The Frozen Throne, Terror of the Tides campaign.
WC3Reforged-icon This section concerns content related to Warcraft III: Reforged.
  • It is possible to build Chimaera Roost and train Chimaeras.
  • As of patch 1.33, Halford Wyrmbane is present using the Captain model in the human base. At the orc base, Nazgrel and Gar'thok are present.
  • Doomlord

References[]

 
  1. ^ World of Warcraft: The Comic: Balancing the Scales; Lorewise only.
  2. ^ The Well of Eternity; Lorewise only.
  3. ^ 7th Legion; Lorewise only.
  4. ^ Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War; Lorewise only.
  5. ^ BlizzCast Episode 12 - Warcraft Anniversary Special (2009-12-08). Archived from the original on 2020-05-07.
  6. ^ Game Informer #308: Reforging Real-time Strategy
  7. ^ Abelhawk 2021-11-05. Former Blizzard Level Designer Answers Your Warcraft 3 Questions | Ask Dave Anything | PART 1 (10:20 - 11:08). YouTube. Retrieved on 2021-12-27.
Advertisement