Horde navy
 Horde navy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Main leader |
 Horde Council |
| Formerly |
Horde Warchief |
| Secondary leaders |
 Fleet Admiral Zar'gov Admiral Hatchet Dread-Admiral Tattersail Captain Rez'okun Various admirals |
| Race(s) |
  Orc  Jungle troll  Tauren  Forsaken  Goblin  Blood elf  Nightborne  Highmountain tauren  Mag'har orc  Zandalari troll |
| Capital | Orgrimmar |
| Other major settlements | Bladefist Bay, Echo Isles, Bilgewater Harbor, Port of Zandalar, Warport Rastari, Shadowprey Village, Vengeance Landing, Zoram'gar Outpost, Domination Point |
| Formerly | Garrosh's Landing, Frostwall Shipyard, Garrosh'ar Point |
| Theater of operations | All major oceans of Azeroth as well as alternate Draenor, Northrend, Deepholm and the Broken Isles |
| Language(s) | Orcish, Various languages |
| Sub-group(s) | Various fleets |
| Affiliation | New Horde |
| Formerly | Old Horde |
| Status | Active |
The Horde navy,[1] formerly known as the Orcish Armada,[2] 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, which also fields a formidable naval presence, and the pirate crews plaguing the seas.
Most of the Horde's material naval power is provided by the orcish nation of Durotar, supplemented by the engineering innovations of the goblins, and fitted with crews from all Horde members. Boasting a collection of varied vessels, including battleships, destroyers, carriers, submarines, and gunships, the navy is capable of meeting many different threats and has been utilized in some of the Horde's most important operations.
History
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This section is a lore stub. |
Creation of the fleet
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.[3]
Following his victory in the First War, Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer wished to pursue the refugees of Stormwind across the Great Sea, planning to build a fleet of ships and launch a surprise attack in the heart of humanity's territories. While many orcs had reservations about this, for they were not a seafaring people, Gul'dan and his Stormreaver clan, however, urged their allies that it was the best course of action. After the Orcish Horde's conquest of Khaz Modan, Orgrim oversaw the construction of the fleet in a bay tucked in the southwestern Wetlands.[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 eventually helped with their own destroyers, while the Stormreavers also captured giant sea turtles from the South Seas, using them as a submersible orcish craft after being pacified by potent spells of control.[6] The warchief later enlisted the aid of the Steamwheedle Cartel, providing 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 Seven Kingdoms, Gul'dan and the Stormreavers were secretly assisting in building the great navy in order to later find the Tomb of Sargeras.[7]
Second War
At the start of the Second War in 5 ADP, Warchief 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, Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore and the Lordaeron fleet intercepted the Orcish Armada near the island, successfully attacking the enemy ships. However, the arrival of three enslaved red dragons turned the tide of the battle, forcing Daelin and his ships 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.[2][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
At the beginning of the Third War in 20 ADP, Warchief Thrall's New Horde escaped the internment camps in stolen ships from the Alliance of Lordaeron. In fact, throughout the entire conflict, the Horde produced little to no ships of their own, instead hiring mercenary transport boats from goblin shipyards when necessary.[13] In the years following the Battle of Mount Hyjal, the nation of Durotar was finally able to slowly produce its own ships, using several of their harbors to dock them.
Cataclysm
Following the Cataclysm in 28 ADP, Warchief Garrosh Hellscream ordered the Bilgewater Cartel to build the Hellscream warfleet, which he would use to persuade the Dragonmaw clan to ally with the Horde.[14] However, while corruption and delays in Bilgewater Harbor meant poor quality despite high costs,[15] 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] On board, Garrosh ordered the Horde air guard to seize the opportunity and attack the Alliance armada below 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 afterward 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
During the Attack on Theramore Isle in 30 ADP, the Horde erected a naval blockade around Kalimdor,[20] with the Warchief's Fist engaging the Elwynn Alliance ship.[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]
Warchief Hellscream later sent Admiral Hagman to lead the Horde fleet confronting Admiral Hodgson of the Alliance in a battle on the High Seas.
Warlords of Draenor
When the Iron Horde led a major incursion into the Blasted Lands, the Horde sent a fleet in order to halt the orcs' advance from the Dark Portal. Led by Thrall, these marines and sailors quickly began to push the invaders inland, as well as establishing a command post and artillery positions.[23]
Legion
At the start of the third invasion of the Burning Legion in 32 ADP, Horde navy assaulted the Broken Shore.[24]
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.[25]
During the Fourth War in 33 ADP, 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.[26]
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.
Khaz Algar
After the destruction of Dalaran in 42 ADP, Thrall led an Horde fleet to aid the survivors of the crash and stop Xal'atath in Khaz Algar.[27]
Fleets and forces
- Dredge Fleet
- Forsaken Fleet
- Golden Fleet
- Gorok's Sea Dogs
- Greenbelly's Raiders
- Hellscream warfleet
- Thalassian navy
- Warchief's fleet
- Windrunner Fleet
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",[28] though that name normally refers to the flying crafts. | Draka's Fury Galerek's Remorse The Iron Reaper Stygian Bounty The Sea Wolf Warchief's Fist Bladefist Reaper Stygian Scar |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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.[29] 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.[30] | The Windrunner The Queen's Reprisal The Banshee's Wail The Blightcaller The Eternity The Black Arrow The Black Rose |
|
| 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 |
|
| Goblin ships | Goblin yachts are light, fast sailing ships capable of carrying out many different types of operations. | Kezan Runner | 
|
| 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 |
|
| River boat | Are a type of goblin sailboats used for small distances like rivers. | 
| |
| 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 are dedicated as mobile bases for gyrocopters and bombers. Heavily armored and generally effective against battleships, but vulnerable to submarines. | 
| |
| Iron boat | Are a small seagoing watercraft, used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. | 
| |
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
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
- ^ Blockade: Zangar Sea
- ^ a b Southshore (WC2 Orc)
- ^ a b c World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2, pg. 151
- ^ Tides of Darkness, chapter 7
- ^ Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, Naval Units of the Horde, Ogre Juggernaught
- ^ Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, Naval Units of the Horde, Giant Turtle
- ^ Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, A Brief History of the Fall of Azeroth
- ^ Zul'dare (WC2 Orc)
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2, pg. 157
- ^ Assault on Hillsbrad (WC2 Orc)
- ^ Tides of Darkness, chapter 15
- ^ Upon the Shadowed Seas (WC2 Human)
- ^ A Blaze of Glory (WC3 Orc)
- ^ [30-35] Where Is My Warfleet?
- ^ [30-35] Ready the Navy
- ^ [30-35] Beating the Market
- ^
[30-35] Kurdran's Waitin'
- ^ Twilight Skies (2)#Transcript
- ^ Twilight Skies (2)#Completion
- ^ Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War
- ^ Quest for Pandaria
- ^ [10-35] The Art of War
- ^ [90] Iron Horde Invasion!
- ^ [10-45] The Battle for Broken Shore
- ^ Sylvanas Windrunner#Gossip
- ^
Echo Isle Navy
- ^
[80] The Fleet Arrives
- ^ [5-30] The Warchief's Fleet
- ^ Ask CDev
- ^ [10-45] Making the Rounds