World of Warcraft (WoW 6.0.1): Warlords of Draenor

World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor is the fifth expansion set to the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft, following Mists of Pandaria. It was announced on November 8, 2013 at BlizzCon 2013. The expansion was released on November 13, 2014.

The expansion raised the existing level cap from 90 to 100 and introduced player-built, upgradeable garrisons. Most of the player models were updated to have more detailed textures, animations and facial expressions, thus increasing the system requirements of the game.

Plot

The expansion is set after the events of Mists of Pandaria and takes place in an alternate universe on the world of Draenor, the original homeworld of the orcs as it appeared in Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal, prior to its destruction in the ending of that game and the creation of Outland as featured in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. Legendary characters of Warcraft's past, such as Grommash Hellscream, Ner'zhul, Gul'dan, and Blackhand appear.

At the end of Mists of Pandaria, Garrosh Hellscream is overthrown as Warchief of the Horde by a combined Alliance–Horde force and taken into custody by the Pandaren so that he can stand trial for the atrocities he committed in Pandaria. However, before he can be judged, Garrosh escapes captivity with the aid of Kairozdormu (a renegade bronze dragon) and travels to the orcish homeworld of Draenor 35 years in the past, prior to the rise of the Horde. As soon as they arrive Garrosh kills Kairoz then proceeds to change history by preventing his father Grommash from drinking the blood of the demon lord Mannoroth, which led to the orc's corruption by the Burning Legion and played a major role in the events of the first three Warcraft games. This interferes with history, creating an alternate timeline where the orcish clans unite into an "Iron Horde" by using technology Garrosh brought from his time. The Iron Horde begin a war of conquest on Draenor by killing Mannoroth and building a Dark Portal that allows them to travel through time and lay siege to the Azeroth of the present era. The adventurers storm the Dark Portal and with the help of Khadgar fight back the Iron Horde Vanguard back into the alternate Draenor. The adventurers use the Iron Horde's own weaponry to destroy the Draenor side of the Dark Portal but are subsequently forced to flee in order to evade the full might of the Iron Horde. The Azeroth Vanguard flee to the docks and split into two ships; with the Alliance following the Draenei and the Horde joining the Frostwolf Clan. Afterwards, the Alliance and Horde establish bases with portals to Azeroth to bring in supplies and soldiers.

The Alliance and Horde and their Draenor allies fight back the Iron Horde and ultimately confront the escaped war criminal Garrosh Hellscream in Nagrand. Garrosh lashes back and the forces are saved by the intervention of Thrall who challenged Garrosh to mak'gora - a duel of honor that can lead to death. In the battle that follows, Garrosh initially has the upper hand and blames Thrall for his failures since Thrall picked him as Warchief, but Thrall countered that it was caused by his own choices. Thrall then kills Garrosh by using his elemental powers.

With the creator of the Iron Horde dead, the Alliance and Horde adventurers and their Draenor allies set to dismantle the Iron Horde. The adventurers storm into the Gorian Empire's capital of Highmaul to defeat the Iron Horde's allies. In the raid, the adventurers kill the Warlord of the Shattered Hand Clan, Kargath Bladefist. They proceed to slay the creations of the Gorian Empire, including the spellbreakers and the Sorcerer King Imperator Mar'Gok.

Later the Blackrock Clan, led by Warlord Blackhand, challenge the Horde and Alliance to assault their domain; the Blackrock Foundry. The adventurers take up the challenge by storming through the forge, destroying important Iron Horde machinery, and blocking further growth of the Iron Horde's weaponry. Finally, the adventurers arrive at Blackhand's crucible and slay him.

Next, Gul'dan confronts Grommash and the remnants of the Iron Horde. He again offers Grommash the blood of Mannoroth; Grommash not only refuses but also attacks Gul'dan but he is subdued by him. With Gul'dan's offer of ultimate power, Kilrogg Deadeye, the Warlord of the Bleeding Hollow Clan, ignores Grommash's warnings and drinks the demon blood. The fel blood corrupts Kilrogg, turning him into a monstrous fel orc. Gul'dan assumes control of the Iron Horde and Grommash is imprisoned. It is at this time that the adventurers, with the help of Khadgar, construct a naval fleet to invade Tanaan Jungle and take the fight to Hellfire Citadel to stop Gul'dan and his Iron Horde.

Throughout all this, Khadgar works alongside his bodyguard, the Night Elven Warden Cordana Felsong, to grant the Commander a powerful boon by helping them create a magical ring that will give them the edge they need to face Gul'Dan. Catching wind of their plan, Gul'Dan reveals that he has brainwashed the alternate version of Garona Halforcen and sends her to assassinate Khadgar and the Commander, but Garona is defeated and the spell over her is broken, allowing Khadgar and the Commander to not only gain her as a valuable ally, but also allow them to finish the ring. However, when the ring is finally completed, it is revealed that Cordana's doubts and frustrations with Khadgar's leadership, as well as corruption from a Shadow Orb she had recovered earlier, has allowed Gul'Dan to corrupt and brainwash her just as he did Garona, and the fallen Warden attempts to steal the ring on Gul'Dan's orders. The Commander defeats Cordana, but she escapes.

In the Hellfire Citadel raid, the adventurers slay Kilrogg and remnants of the Iron Horde. When confronted, Gul'dan resurrects Mannoroth only for the adventurers to kill him and free Grommash, who actually joins them. Gul'dan then summons Archimonde to invade Draneor and, with Yrel and Grommash's help, the adventurers kill him too. At the end of the battle, Archimonde in his final moment flings Gul'dan through a portal to Azeroth of the main timeline in order to fulfill his pact with the Legion, setting the stage for the next expansion.