WarCraft III: The Frozen Throne picks up months after the Burning Legion's defeat at Mount Hyjal, and the peace it bought on Azeroth does not last. Blizzard Entertainment's expansion adds a new hero for every race, a wave of new units, recruitable neutral heroes and 26 new single-player missions. It is an expansion, so it installs on top of WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos, which is required to play.
The Road to Icecrown
The night elves have withdrawn into Ashenvale, Thrall's Horde is building a new home in Durotar, Jaina Proudmoore's survivors hold Theramore, and Arthas rules the ruins of Lordaeron as king of the Scourge. Three campaigns follow the fallout as every faction is pulled toward the Frozen Throne:
- Terror of the Tides
- Warden Maiev Shadowsong pursues the freed Illidan Stormrage across the sea, and Tyrande Whisperwind and Malfurion Stormrage are drawn into a hunt that exposes just how far Illidan will go for power.
- Curse of the Blood Elves
- Prince Kael'thas and the last of the blood elves, scorned by their Alliance commanders, accept help from Lady Vashj and her naga, a choice that leads them down a very different path toward Illidan.
- Legacy of the Damned
- Sylvanas Windrunner breaks free of the Lich King's grip and turns on Arthas, while the death knight and Anub'arak march into the frozen north of Northrend to answer the call of the Frozen Throne itself.
A separate Orc bonus campaign, The Founding of Durotar, follows the beastmaster Rexxar as he helps Thrall's Horde settle its new homeland. Later patches expanded it to three full acts.
A New Hero for Every Race
Each race gains a fourth hero, and each one changes how that army plays:
- Blood Mage (Human): a fire caster who drops Flame Strike on clustered troops, uses Banish and Siphon Mana to control and drain spellcasters, and calls a Phoenix that is reborn from its own ashes.
- Shadow Hunter (Orc): the Horde's support specialist, keeping armies alive with Healing Wave, turning threats harmless with Hex, and shielding an entire army from damage with Big Bad Voodoo.
- Crypt Lord (Undead): a hulking nerubian who spears whole ranks with Impale, punishes attackers with Spiked Carapace, breeds Carrion Beetles and unleashes a devastating Locust Swarm.
- Warden (Night Elf): Maiev's own class, a fast assassin who Blinks behind enemy lines, shreds groups with Fan of Knives, poisons with Shadow Strike and raises an avatar with Vengeance.
New units fill out every roster: Spell Breakers and Dragonhawk Riders for the Humans, Troll Batriders and Spirit Walkers for the Orcs, Obsidian Statues that ascend into Destroyers for the Undead, and Mountain Giants and Faerie Dragons for the Night Elves.
Mercenaries, Shops and New Battlegrounds
Neutral Heroes can be hired from Taverns by any player, and they bring tools no race has on its own. The Dark Ranger can Charm an enemy unit to your side, the Naga Sea Witch summons a Tornado, the Beastmaster calls a bear, boar and hawk into battle, and the Pandaren Brewmaster and Pit Lord add their own heavy hitters. Each race can also build its own shop (the Arcane Vault, Voodoo Lounge, Tomb of Relics and Ancient of Wonders) to keep heroes stocked with items away from the neutral merchants. Neutral buildings offer new upgrades, items and abilities, and three new tilesets carry the fighting into fresh environments.
Skirmish, LAN Play and the World Editor
Many new multiplayer maps ship with the expansion, ready for skirmish against the computer or LAN matches with friends, both head-to-head and cooperative. Blizzard has shut down the classic Battle.net servers, so the online ladder, clans and automated tournaments are no longer available. The advanced World Editor lets you build custom maps and full campaigns with cut-scenes and voiceovers. It is the same toolset that gave rise to Defense of the Ancients and countless tower defense maps, and it remains one of the most influential creation tools a strategy game has ever shipped with.
Claim the Frozen Throne
If you finished Reign of Chaos wondering what became of Arthas and Illidan, the answer is waiting at the top of Icecrown. Rally your heroes, choose your side in each campaign and see one of Warcraft's defining stories through to the moment a prince takes the Frozen Throne.
