WARNING: This guide contains plot spoilers for the scenario!
What is the Battle for Lordaeron?
The Battle for Lordaeron is a pre-expansion scenario that acts as the introduction to Battle for Azeroth. This scenario and its related quests are required to access the content of Battle for Azeroth, similar to the Broken Shore scenario at the beginning of Legion, and has both a Horde and Alliance versions that set up the story for moving into Battle for Azeroth. The scenario only needs to be completed on one character per account. Other characters can pick an option to skip the scenario.
The Battle for Lordaeron takes place after the Horde attack on Teldrassil in the War of Thorns pre-patch event. The Alliance responds by launching an attack on Lordaeron to take control of the city. For info on the War of Thorns and the events leading up to the Battle for Lordaeron, check out this guide about the pre-patch events.
Horde Scenario
You should automatically get the first quest, Hour of Reckoning, which requires you to speak with High Overlord Saurfang in Orgrimmar. Completing the quest rewards an item level 180 weapon. After talking with him you can get the next quest, The Battle for Lordaeron, which has you speak with the mage Isabella to his left to queue for the scenario. You will be matched with several other players to complete the scenario together. Many of the key cut scenes are still replaced with placeholders on beta and won't be seen until the scenario launches on live servers. Here is a step by step walkthrough of the scenario:
The scenario begins in the Mage District of Undercity. Speak with Saurfang to advance. After speaking with Saurfang, help with securing the Mage District by defeating SI:7 agents stealthily moving around the area. Once you have defeated enough of them, follow Saurfang on the way to the Heart of the City. You will be interrupted by an ambush from Druids of the Claw which you will have to fight to proceed.
Once in the center of the city, you need to help with the evacuation through defeating more Druids of the Claw or interacting with NPCs to help them escape. After enough helping, a portal will appear towards the center of the room that will take you to the front lines of the battle. Here Sylvanas orders your group to push back the Alliance forces.
Once on the front lines, join the fight and force the Alliance troops back!
A Horde War Machine empowered with Azerite will appear and help push the Alliance forces back even further. In this stage, you must defeat three waves of Alliance forces to defend the Azerite War Machine. Eventually a cut scene will play where Anduin is able to destroy the War Machine. Worried that the Alliance would be able to push back, Sylvanas orders her troops to use the blight. Sylvanas then raises dead troops from both the Horde and Alliance to help with the fight. In this stage you have the choice to pickup up a blight canister and gas mask to use on the Alliance, or just a gas mask. Saurfang urges troops to help the wounded while Sylvanas calls for them to continue attacking. Killing Alliance or interacting with wounded NPCs will cause this stage to progress.
Saurfang: "Soldiers of the Horde! Your brothers and sisters lie wounded on the battlefield! There is no honor in this victory if we abandon our own!"
Sylvanas: "Slay them all, champions! Mark my words, King Anduin and his army did not come here for their amusement. They mean to destroy us! Show them no mercy, for they would show you none in return!"
After a currently unknown cut scene plays where the Horde are pushed back and the Alliance are able to breach the walls of the city, we learn that Saurfang has disappeared and Sylvanas orders Nathanos Blightcaller to lead the troops to intercept the Alliance inside of the city walls. Simply follow him to the next area. The Alliance arrive and consider retreat due to being outnumbered, but the Void Elves join the fight to even the odds. They then charge, and you must fight back against them and the Alliance leaders. The Alliance leaders are very powerful, so be careful when engaging them.
Unable to overcome the Alliance forces, Sylvanas will call for the Horde to retreat. Here you must run from their forces to fall back to the center of the city. Saurfang is there waiting, upset with Sylvanas' use of blight and turning fallen troops undead. After speaking with him, Sylvanas calls for you to follow her into the keep and another still unknown cut scene plays where she escapes the Alliance. Saurfang stays behind to fight the approaching Alliance by himself and is captured.
Saurfang: "I had to see it for myself. Was this your plan all along? Is this how you meant to achieve victory? This... honorless travesty?"
Sylvanas: "Honor means nothing to a corpse, Saurfang. You have the luxury of underestimating death, but it is something with which I am intimately familiar. Maybe you don't care if your people die so long as it is honorable. But to me, this Horde is worth saving. Anyone who disagrees does not deserve to stand among us. So die your warrior's death, High Overlord Saurfang. It means little to me. Perhaps I will raise your broken body to serve me once more. Or perhaps you will have a chance to say hello to your son."
After the scenario is complete, you are teleported back to Orgrimmar where you can talk to Nathanos Blightcaller to trigger the next quest, A Dying World, which is the beginning of acquiring the Heart of Azeroth. However, the Heart of Azeroth is not actually obtainable until the launch of Battle for Azeroth on August 14th. These quests and completing the Battle for Lordaeron scenario leads into the quest line that starts Battle for Azeroth content and sending you to Zandalar.
Alliance Scenario
The first quest leading up to the scenario, Hour of Reckoning, should appear for you automatically. Go to Stormwind Harbor and speak with Master Mathias Shaw. Completing the quest rewards an item level 180 weapon. He will also give you the next quest, The Battle for Lordaeron. Talk with Captain Angelica directly to the left to travel to Lordaeron and begin the scenario. You will be matched with several other players to complete the scenario together. Many of the key cut scenes are still replaced with placeholders on beta and won't be seen until the scenario launches on live servers, but we can assume what takes place from datamined information.
You start the scenario by landing on the coast near Lordaeron. Follow General Hammon Clay to meet up with Genn Graymane where he gives a speech before beginning the battle. Genn then leads the charge forward and you must defeat Horde forces to defend the siege towers.
Genn Graymane: "Brothers and sisters of the Alliance, hear me! The Horde's cowardly attack on Teldrassil brought war upon us... and made clear what is truly at stake. Their warchief's goal was not to capture a single city, but to destroy our way of life... and snuff out hope for generations to come. To secure our future, the Banshee Queen must answer for her crimes. Her dark reign ends today! Together we will drive her evil from this land... and raise our banners above Lordaeron once more!"
After defeating enough Horde troops, the Horde's Azerite War Machine enters and you must destroy it. After, a cut scene will play where Anduin is able to deliver the final blow, destroying the War Machine. Sylvanas then orders her troops to begin using the blight and raises dead Horde and Alliance to fight as undead. The Alliance are forced to retreat and you must help defend Anduin from waves of Horde as they deploy the blight as well as help heal Alliance troops along the way. Just before the Alliance are forced to retreat fully, Jaina shows up in a flying ship, her father's ship from Warbringers. She casts frost spells to halt the blight, and then summons arcane cannons to break down the walls of the city.
Once inside the walls, locate Jaina and assist her before moving forward to assault the city where you must fight against a force of Darkspear Trolls and Durja. Durja uses tornadoes and gusts of wind to attack while flying around and must be defeated before you can progress. Defeating enough troops will make him vulnerable to damage.
Follow Anduin into the next clearing to find that the Horde now has the Alliance forces outnumbered. Alleria Windrunner then joins the fight with her army of Void Elves as well as High Tinker Mekkatorque to even the battle. Defeating enough of the Horde forces will cause Sylvanas to call for retreat and detonate blight bombs to prevent you from following.
A group of Gnomish Flying Machines appear to fly you over the blight so you can continue to pursue Sylvanas. Upon reaching the center of the city, you will find Saurfang waiting. Defeating him will trigger a cut scene where, despite wanting to die in battle, Anduin has Saurfang taken to the stockades in Stormwind City. Continue forward with Anduin and the other leaders of the Alliance to chase Sylvanas.
Anduin Wrynn: "Alliance... hold!"
Saurfang: "No! I demand an honorable death!"
Anduin Wrynn: "My father once said that Varok Saurfang embodied the honor of the horde... He admired you for that, and so do I. Listen to me. There is no honor in this."
Saurfang: "That is not for an Alliance king to decide!"
Anduin Wrynn: "At this moment, it is. Take him to the Stockades. When I return, we will speak of honor... and how it may yet be reclaimed."
Saurfang: "If... you return."
After the scenario you will return to the Stormwind docks. Speaking with Halford Wyrmbane nearby will complete the quest and begin A Dying World, which is the beginning of acquiring the Heart of Azeroth. However, the Heart of Azeroth is not actually obtainable until the launch of Battle for Azeroth on August 14th. These quests and completing the Battle for Lordaeron scenario leads into the quest line that starts Battle for Azeroth content and sending you to Kul Tiras.
Ending Cinematic
Click here for our analysis of the Lordaeron cinematics and speculation on where Sylvanas' story could go next.
Here is a transcription of the Horde cinematic:
Baine: You abandoned Saurfang to die out there.
Sylvanas: It is the death he wanted. If that troubles you, you're free to join him. Or you can tend to the living. The choice is yours.
Baine: For the Horde.
Sylvanas (to Nathanos): You know what must be done. Go, my champion.
He says nothing, but seems hesitant, moving slowly out of the throne room.
Sylvanas then moves to lounge in the throne room chair as the Alliance enters.
Sylvanas: Look at you! The boy is playing soldier.
Genn: Our king just routed your army!
Sylvanas: Muzzle your dog, Your Majesty.
Anduin: Sylvanas Windrunner, you have led the Horde to a place without honor. Lordaeron is ours. It's over.
Sylvanas: Your father would be so proud. Is that his? You've gotten it all bloddy.
Anduin: Only one of us wanted this war.
Sylvanas: You call for peace when it suits you, little lion, but you're quick enough to kill.
Alleria: I should have killed you when last we met.
Sylvanas: How rude, sister! You're a guest in my home!
Genn: Your home? You descrate that throne with your filth!
Anduin: Enough! You put the torch to Teldrassil, but I failed those who burned. I will not make that mistake again. Surrender, or die.
Sylvanas: You've won...nothing.
She then goes into banshee form, exploding blight canisters everywhere and destroying Undercity.
Jaina then creates a protective arcane bubble, and everyone escapes on the ghost ship.
The cinematic ends with the Horde on the gunship and the Alliance on the Kul Tiras ship, looking down on the destruction below.
Aftermath
The battle ends up leaving Lordaeron and Undercity completely uninhabitable due to large amounts of blight completely covering the area. The zones will no longer be accessable after completing the scenario and the NPCs from the area will move to Orgrimmar. The area around Lordaeron changes too, becoming war-torn to reflect the massive battle that took place there. You can still revisit the zone by speaking with Zidormi to go back in time to before the Battle for Lordaeron events. This is done similarly to previous zones such as Theramore or Silithus.
