Podd: The Tauren & The Goblin – Warcraft Story & Lore

#163: Time is Money, Friend

10 juli 2024 | 77 min

Nick is back with Katie once again to talk about a bit more than just the lore of World of Warcraft. Katie starts by talking about how she’s been enjoying the recent content this year including Plunderstorm. Nick complains that he bought a shirt for what was just a six week event. They then talk about the Hearthstone Anniversary event in WoW and how they got the transmog they were looking for and managed to play together at that time.

Next, they get into what Nick calls the Open Secret of the show. They talk about how back in 2021 Katie was hired by Blizzard to work on the Unnamed Survival Game, and how that impacted the show since then. They then talk about Katie getting laid off in January and how she was sad about not being able to work, and Katie’s relationship to Blizzard left the show in limbo. Nick compares Katie to Anduin in The War Within cinematic. Katie mentions that she is optimistic despite the layoffs and gushes over her former team.

Katie then talks about how she was hired for the World of Warcraft team and she and Nick discuss what this means for the fate of the show. They talk about some of the struggles they went through to protect Katie’s job while she was previously at Blizzard.

Finally, they talk a little about the current lore of the game. They discuss Xal’atath possibly showing up in Mists of Pandaria Remix and discuss the frog farming incidents. Nick then complains about Xal’atath appearing in Season of Discoery. Katie compares it to how lore is presented outside the game in books.

They then talk about the speed of leveling in MoP Remix and compare Mists with Battle for Azeroth and Dragonflight. They wonder if the Infinite Dragonflight is breaking the Timeless Isle and are the cause of it being unstuck from time in the past. They wonder if Morchie killed Chromie. They briefly discuss the Troll and Draenai heritage armor quests.

Nick and Katie then wrap up the show and thank everyone who supported them for 163 episodes. Thank you for downloading and listening!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/3j3

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#162: Not a Normal Expansion Announcement

28 december 2023 | 127 min

KATIE IS BACK!!! Once again she is here with Nick to share her reactions to all the news from Blizzcon and the announcement of the Worldsoul Saga. But first, she talks about returning to Blizzcon, playing Rumble, and the reveal of Mauga for Overwatch.

Next, they get into the Worldsoul Saga reveal. They talk about Metzen’s return and Katie shares that she’s excited to see this trilogy play out. Nick talks about how the lore community has changed and looks at Metzen asserting himself as personally responsible for the story going forward. Nick compares this with Bungie attempting to announce three expansions after they split from Activision, and their current struggles.

Next, they discuss the details of The War Within. Katie is excited for Nerubians. Nick speculates about the Nerubians as a playable race. She then discusses shape language as it applies to Allied Races. They debate if the Earthen should be allowed in the Horde. They talk about the faction conflict and how Blizzard repeatedly struggles to understand the playerbase. They hope to see Talanji and Bwon’samdi return in the expansion.

They speculate about what could be beyond The Last Titan. This gets them into a tangent talking about the various couples in World of Warcraft.

They review The War Within cinematic and talk about grisly Anduin. They talk about how quickly Anduin agreed to help Thrall and how Azeroth should have PTSD at this point. They wonder about Azeroth’s voice and review the various children who should be involved in Azeroth’s future. They briefly discuss the Cataclysm Classic cinematic, before wondering about how Thrall got to Silithus. They talk about characters getting older as the game approaches the 20 year mark.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

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Episode URL: mtb.gg/3g4

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#161: The Worldsoul Saga, Azeroth's Butt (feat. Dracoris)

14 december 2023 | 79 min

Nick is back and this week he’s got a guest from across the pond, formerly of the LFR podcast, Dracoris! Blizzcon is still fresh on their minds so the two of them dive into the vast quantity of Warcraft announcements.

They begin by talking about their excitement for several of the features in War Within, including Warbands, and then consider how Hero specs could play out for a handful of classes. They talk about various heroes such as Anduin and Thrall who seemed to defy spec, but after losing their powers, they were reduced to basic warriors.

Next, they talk briefly about the War Within cinematic, and how Anduin reflects signs of PTSD. They talk about how Anduin was shaking when holding the sword and by approaching Anduin and leaning into the sword, Thrall was steadying him.

Next, they talk about the various zones of The War Within and how Nick is excited for Hallowfall. They talk about the giant crystal in the sky and speculate if that could be the posterior of Azeroth’s world soul sticking out.

Then, they consider the rest of the Worldsoul Saga and wonder about the Titan’s plans that will be revealed in The Last Titan. They wonder if Sargeras will be recruited as an ally against the void or if he will be the final villain of the saga. Dracoris speculates that Sargeras could be sacrificed to an Old God Void villain to make them look more menacing. Nick remarks that Sargeras has appeared to be the final villain of World of Warcraft for a long time, and it would make sense to return to that status quo now. They talk about just how villainous the Titans are, and Nick points out that the Titans have been problematic since the Algalon fight in Wrath.

Thank you to Dracoris for coming on! Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode URL: mtb.gg/3ft

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#160: On Tyr and the Forbidden Reach

7 december 2023 | 63 min

Nick is back with Katie once again with a previously recorded look at some of the Dragonflight questlines from earlier this expansion. First, Nick mentions that they’ve been raiding with friends of the show the Training Dummies. Then, he shares his theory of parenting as tanking. He then offers three questlines to discuss with Katie.

They decide to first talk about the Valdrakken 12 questline to rebuild Tyr. They talk about getting the silver scale and working with Koranos. They review the broken text that alludes to the events surrounding Ulduar and Uldaman. Nick tries to sort out why the Infinite Dragonflight may be showing up at specific times and places. They wonder if Murozond is truly insane. Katie comments on Infinite and Chromatic dragons and skins.

Next, they talk about the Titan spark and how the Silver Scale is akin to Fury’s beeper from Captain Marvel. Nick wonders about the Bronze Dragonflight and why they don’t lean into nostalgia more since they can time travel. They wonder if Nozdormu can show up twice at the same moment. They agree Murozond deserves to be a raid boss at some point. They talk about the Echo of Tyr showing up. The compare the inanimate body of Tyr to Illidan’s lifeless body during the Nighthold raid. Katie wonders about the primalist motives.

Next, they talk about the questline on the Forbidden Reach. The talk about hearing the voice of Deathwing and Dragons spending their time in visage form. They wonder if Dracthyr have wings or if its an illusion, and try to figure out how visage form works. Katie considers if it hurts to transform like Demon Hunters and Shaman do. They talk about working with Emberthal against Sarkareth, and Ebyssian trying to coach her. They compare Emberthal’s calls for justice to Uther in Shadowlands. They wonder about the nature of Justice and Vengeance.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode URL: mtb.gg/3fj

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#159: On World Trees and Weddings

30 november 2023 | 59 min

Nick is excited to welcome Katie back to the show to share her thoughts on Dragonflight and so much more, but first he talks about Chris Metzen’s promotion to the head of all Warcraft creative and talks about how people will give him credit for what happens whether he deserves it or not.

Next, Nick introduces Katie who talks about moving across the country to California. She also talks about how much she loves Dragonriding and is excited for the (then upcoming) Goblin Monks. She and Nick riff on dragonriding with a car and mention an incident where a dragon animatronic caught fire at Disneyland.

Next, they talk about the World Tree Amyrdrassill, and how Night Elf players are bothered by the placement of this tree off the coast of the Ohnarhen Plains. Nick wonders why the Night Elves can’t just stay at Hyjal. They debate how long the Night Elves were at Teldrassill and Nick comments that for a race that lives tens of thousands of years, a tree being around for fifteen years is insignificant. They talk about how portals make travel trivial and talk about the functionality of Exile’s Reach as a starting zone for everyone. This leads to a discussion about renovations for Silvermoon City, as well as another attempt to estimate how many Blood Elves there are.

Next, they talk about the marriage of Lor’themar and Thalyssra and lament that they did not get to see the Wedding. They wonder about Thalyssra’s color scheme and Lor’themar’s bachelor party and the identities of the wedding party. They also talk about the Alliance possibly reclaiming the land of Lordaeron above the Undercity. Then they wonder about the Nathrezim and which plane they would need to be associated with so they can be killed.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode URL: mtb.gg/3fe

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#158: On Negativity and 10.2 Theories

18 september 2023 | 63 min

Nick breaks his haitus to return to talk about what’s been going on in World of Warcraft. First, he apologizes for not putting an episode out over the Summer and admits he does not know how regular a schedule he can maintain. He also talks about two episodes he previously recorded with Katie that should be coming out soon.

Next, he talks about doing the Forsaken Heritage Armor quest and how it was okay. He talks about the polarizing reaction to the Sylvanas and loyalist interaction, and suggests how it can still be canon despite being intended to server a purpose that exists beyond the game’s narrative. This leads to an examination of how negativity on the internet has been affecting his enjoyment of the game, and he talks about how a post about the Saurfang story in BFA had him questioning whether he should be enjoying the game or not.

Next, Nick discusses the Night Elf Heritage armor questline and talks about how people were underwhelmed by it, and complained that Blizzard was being neglectful of Night Elves, only to have the very Night Elf-centric 10.2 be revealed a few days later. He wonders if WoW is capable of the narrative that people are looking for, and how a steady medium like comic books is going to have lulls.

Finally, he looks at the latest cinematics, including the Vyranoth cinematic where she joins Alexstraza. Nick wonders about Vyranoth’s true intentions, and then posits a theory that could explain her similarities (both vocally and physically) to the Winter Queen. He also talks about why the Incarnates were introduced better than Zovaal. Then he considers Ion’s recent comments about the possibility of a world revamp coming.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/3dz

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#157: On the Orc Heritage Armor Questline (feat. Ban'orak)

27 april 2023 | 99 min

This week Nick is joined by youtuber Ban’orak (formerly Skoll Shorties) to talk about the Orc Heritage Armor. After a brief chat about the Ahsoka trailer, and how there are characters name Skoll and Hati, they talk about how when the things that inspire WoW lore show up in other media, independent of Warcraft, it still makes them think of Warcraft.

Next, they talk the Orc Heritage armor questline. Nick laments that he doesn’t have any characters to run the questline on yet but Ban’orak points out that the exalted reputation requirement will be lifted in 10.1. They go over the beginning of the quest and talk about Drek’thar as the aging leader of the Frostwolves as well as Thrall and Aggra’s relationship leading to Aggra becoming the next Farseer of the Frostwolves.

Then, they discuss Eitrigg’s idea to resume the Ko’sharg on Azeroth. They talk about the various orcs and clans that have come to participate in the event. They talk about the Frostwolves and the Warsong, as well as some other clans like the Burning Blade and Bleeding Hollow. They also talk about the orcs that have no clan currently, like Nazgrim and Shokia. They also talk about some returning orcs like Nazgrel, last seen in Thrallmar in Outland. Ban’orak of course talks about the appearance of the Mok’nathal and the resolution of the relationship between Rexxar and Leoroxx.

Next, they discuss the part of the quest chain when the orc ancestors show up, and they talk about the return of orcs like Draka, Orgrim Doomhammer, Durotan, and Grommash Hellscream. They also talk about the plotline surrounding Thrall’s son Durak and his search for his purpose as an orc. The conclude by talking about how they enjoyed the questline overall.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/3as

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#156: Appreciating the Lore (feat. Gin & Ali)

20 april 2023 | 76 min

Nick is joined this week by Gin and Ali from Live, Laugh, Lore to discuss the difficulties of being a lore podcaster as well as look at the Trading Post.

They begin by sharing their general thoughts on Dragonflight through 10.0.5. Ali has been enjoying the dragon riding and races. Then, they talk about the Trading Post and consider it as one of the latest features added to WoW. Gin talks about making money on the auction house and they discuss various mount skins. This leads to a chat about transmog.

Next, they dive into the topic of how knowing what is going on behind the scenes can affect their ability to enjoy the game. They talk about how Steve Danuser had to pick up the story after Alex Afrasiabi’s departure. They mention how the Jailer was a poor villain. They consider how good story is appreciated while bad story leads to fans wondering about why the story was bad. They talk about content running longer than intended. They wonder about Afrasiabi’s control over the creative team, and wondered about the return of Chris Metzen. They discussed Ilgynoth’s whispers and considered the effect Covid had on Shadowlands’ development. Nick mentions the theory that Korthia was supposed to be Thros and Taz’Avesh was supposed to be Korthia. They determine that fans of the lore will appreciate Shadowlands for how much it expanded the lore. They discuss how to handle spoilers.

They then share their optimism for Dragonflght. They evaluate Khadgar’s role and consider Khadgar and Modera as a couple. Nick shares a theory that Khadgar could be Nozdormu. They joke about Nozdormu’s inability to see clearly in the future. They talk about Chromie’s determination to save Nozdormu and how that could backfire. Finally, they speculate on who the final boss of Dragonflight could be.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/3an

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#155: The Dragonflight Observer Awards (feat. Berzerker)

13 april 2023 | 106 min

This week Nick is inspired by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards to give awards for Dragonflight thus far, and joining him for the ceremonies is none other than Berzerker, the host of Unshackled Fury. They begin by explaining the Wrestling Observer Awards, and then Nick talks about how Berzerker inspired the Thunderfury April Fool’s episode. Then, they talk about the concept of taking breaks as a content creator and also the value of taking breaks as a WoW player.

Next, they get into the awards. They begin with the Best Character of Dragonflight so far, debating between Khadgar, Alexstraza, and Raszageth. Nick mentions that he thinks the proto-drake model is dumb for a villain. Then they discuss the Outstanding character. Is it Khadgar for using his power to get us out of the raid?

Then they discuss the Couple of the Year and debate between Tyrande and Malfurion or Kalecgos and the Simulacrum of Sindragosa. This leads to a discussion of the blue dragonflight and the various conspiracies of WoW fans. They also bring up the Legacies shorts.

They continue with the awards, equating Promotion of the Year with Reputation of the expansion, and review the evolution of the centaur in Dragonflight. The Best Weekly TV show award is translated to Best Weekly Quest. Match of the Year is evaluated as Best Raid Fight, with a debate between Raszageth and Sennarth. The Non-heavyweight MVP award morphs into the best non-major lore character, and could probably just be called the Best Boy award. The Women’s Wrestling award becomes the Best Woman Character, with contenders such as Alexstraza, Tyrande, and Sindragosa.

The Feud of the Year discourse leads to a discussion of how Blizzard has deprecated the faction war in Dragonflight. Most Improved is an evaluation of the younger Dragon Aspects. Best Technical Wrestler is evaluated as Best Animated Character. Best Brawler leads to a discussion about the best melee class, with Berserker suggesting fury warrior, to no one’s surprise. Best Flying Wrestling translates to Best Flying Mount. Most Underrated leads to a discussion about the Primal Incarnates. Rookie of the Year has nominees Taivan, Veritistrasz, and Stoney Tony. Best Announcer becomes Best Dialog (non-cinematic) and leads to a discussion about quest text.

Best Major Wrestling Show is equated as the Best WoW-related show, and leads to a comparison between the Race to World First and the Olympics. Worst Promotional Tactic is Mike Ybarra’s to claim. Best Booker is reviewed as Best Member of the Creative Team, and Promoter of the Year goes to a the Best Blizzard Executive. They conclude with a discussion about the best gimmick in Dragonflight.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/3ac

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#154: Best Wishes for 2023 feat. Scrubs vs. the World

5 april 2023 | 72 min

This week, we take a step back towards the beginning of the year, as Nick is joined by Cyrub and Projali from the Scrubs vs. the World podcast to participate in our annual tradition of making best wishes for various Warcraft characters in the (now not so) new year. But first they talk about how Scrubs had been ranking various aspects to the expansions earlier this year.

Then they get to discussing the best wishes. They talk about Alexstraza and how she is in a high pressure situation currently. They discuss Nozdormu and his set of issues. They also talk about how easy anyone can address nostalgia when they have access to time travel powers. Nick goes on a rant about building a mall in the Ohn’arhen Plains. They talk about Khadgar and his general aura of epicness. They discuss the Sindragosa simulacrum and what she can lead to happening. They also consider Wrathion and just how mature he really is.

They also talk about Sabellian and Ebyssian to round out the Black Dragonflight leadership. They also discuss Merithra and then Ysera as well. They talk about Watcher Koranos and his many names. They also bring up Emberthal and the Dracthyr, as well as Bestest Boy Taivan and Veritistrasz. They then consider various members of the Maruuk Centaur tribe, including Sansa Khan, Scout Tomul, and Initiate Boku. Nick also mentions Vendie and his relationship with the Dracthyr children.

Finally, they talk a little about the characters that they lost this expansion, and speculate on who might possibly die before Dragonflight is over. They also discuss

Thanks again to Cyrub and Projali from Scrubs vs the World for guest hosting on this episode. Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/3a5

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#153: The Primal Incarnates feat. Gershom

29 mars 2023 | 64 min

This week Nick is joined by Gershom from the Thrall’s Balls podcast to talk about the 10.0.7 cinematic and other things! They immediately jump right in talking about how the cinematic established the personalities of the Primal Incarnates so rapidly, making them interesting characters with minimal screen time. Nick speculates briefly about where they might have got their visages from, then praises the cinematic team for their ability to get players invested in the characters so heavily in the cinematics.

They talk about the comparison between Deathwing and Iridikron, and how Iridikron is a bit of a callback to Deathwing despite not being related to him. They then speculate on who the end boss of the expansion will be. They also talk about Neltharion’s ‘presence’ in the next raid, and the underlying theme of the Old Gods that has been hovering around this expansion. They try to calculate how long Neltharion would have been corrupted but are unable to.

Next, they talk about some of the features they have been enjoying in Dragonflight. Nick talks about how he has been underwhelmed by the renown system, while Gershom has been enjoying it. They also talk about Dragon Riding and how they are excited it will continue into the 10.1 underground zone. They wonder if Blizzard is going to carry it over to the next expansion or leave it just as a Dragonflight feature.

Finally, they talk briefly about being a parent and playing WoW. Gershom talks about how her daughters have interacted with the game, and Nick talks about his son making new characters. They also talk about their favorite hunter pets and the best models to tame this expansion.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/39j

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#152: Back After A Timeskip

22 mars 2023 | 59 min

#151: Farewell Sylvanas, Farewell Shadowlands

18 november 2022 | 128 min

With Dragonflight rapidly approaching, Nick and Katie return to talk about bidding farewall to Sylvanas and also farewell to Shadowlands.

They begin by mentioning the show is now six years old. They compare Sylvanas and Garrosh as antagonists. They talk about the prevalence of Sylvanas over the last few years. They review some scenes from the Sylvanas book, such as the scene which retells the quest where players retrieve Sylavanas’ locket. They discuss Christie Golden’s role in filling in the gaps in Sylvanas’ backstory, and how people are complaining about the lore retcons. They consider how this appears to be the end of the character for now, and talk about the role of death as it was presented in the Shadowlands.

After touching briefly upon Illidan’s redemption arc, they talk about Gul’dan in Legion and orc history. They consider that Gul’dan did not get a redemption arc. They discuss the utter destruction of Garrosh and Arthas. They talk about how the narrative team viewed Arthas as spent. They consider Arthas and Garrosh’s tragic flaws. Nick presents Thrall as imperfect middle aged character. Katie compares Thrall to Goku. Nick mentions that Thrall put the Frostwolf logo on the Doomhammer and then defends Thrall’s axe.

Regarding the Sylvanas novel, they get into some of the lore changes related to Edge of Night. They evaluate the role of the Lava Eel Vore.

They then discuss the five year time skip for Dragonflight. They talk about the eventual return of Anduin. They talk about the fallibility of the Light as it pertains to Turalyon. They discuss fallen paladins.

Nick complains about people who complain about story arcs while they are ongoing. This leads to a discussion of Korthia and what “cut content” is. They talk about the story cadence and how that affects the reception of the narrative. They speculate on how Shadowlands will be remembered.

Katie argues that the Sylvanas loyalist choices were a problem for the narrative. She then considers changes that could be made to the Horde, and they both lament the loss of the Warchief role. They wonder about what could be done with a time skip, and then talk about the Dracthyr customizations. Nick argues that all players should be free to choose their factions. They debate how the factions could be implemented. Finally, the wonder about the fate of Nathanos, and then give some final thoughts on Sylvanas.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/36x

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#150: Ragnaros' Electric Slide

8 september 2022 | 75 min

Nick and Katie are back to once again talk about Warcraft story and lore. This week they begin with Katie talking about her time in Korthia hunting for mounts. Nick talks about his love of stitchhounds, and then he laments for the old version of stampede. They talk about how hunters should get to show off more of their pets, since the number of available pet models is always increasing, and they talk about how hunters should be able to tame more pets. Katie mentions she had a bugged rare spawn in Korthia that was affecting her ability to get another mount.

Nick talks about how he feels like each zone has too much content in it, and unless you are steadfast in your attempts to complete all the content, it will take you more than a patch cycle to complete everything. Katie mentions that she wants to collect the Blood Elf paladin transmog from the Quel’thalas questline.

Nick mentions that Theotar may be shoutcasting for a Hearthstone event, and this leads to a discussion about which Shadowlands characters we can expect to see return in future expansions. They get into Dragonflight spoilers with their understanding of the return of a certain character, and they talk about how impactful that is with respect to the character’s overall arc. Then, they talk about the eventual return of Anduin, and Katie mentions she doesn’t want him to return like Turalyon. They wonder if Khadgar should have known more about Turalyon and Alleria’s disappearance from Draenor. This leads to a discussion of Khadgar’s romantic abilities. They then discuss Thrall’s fascination with his axe, and transition to talking about Ragnaros helping Thrall through a midlife crisis.

Nick talks about the charge of the covenants against the forces of the Maw in Zereth Mortis, and then they consider the finale of Shadowlands. They talk about the loss of many Shadowlands characters as we leave them behind, and they end by speculating on how Dragonflight could lead to further expansions.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/352

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#149: Calia: Menethil or Mary Sue?

14 juli 2022 | 65 min

Nick and Katie are back and this week they are talking about Calia Menethil and the Lordaeron story in Patch 9.2.5. Katie begins with a rant about how Calia is a Mary Sue and doesn’t feel like she’s earned the position of leadership replacing Sylvanas as head of the Forsaken. Nick agrees and points out that Calia is royalty by birth while Sylvanas had the natural qualities of a leader. They also talk about what Forsaken players are looking for in a leader, and how Calia being forced to take the players in a given direction may not work.

Nick runs through a quick overview of the Lordaeron questline, that involves Calia and Apothecary Faranell, among others, working to remove the blight from the city after Sylvanas exploded her bilght bombs at the beginning of Battle for Azeroth. Calia and the player find themselves heading to Maldraxxus as that is where all plague originated, and while there she asks Margrave Sindane a question about what type of necromancy created her, and she gets an answer that she is just like every other Forsaken. Calia and the player then return to Lordaeron and are able to clear the blight. Nick talks about how this seems like Blizzard trying to impart on the player that Calia can be taken seriously as a Forsaken leader.

They also talk about how Calia and Taelia both showing up at the same time felt like a tease that went nowhere. They admit that Calia needs to do more to earn the player’s respect as leader of the Forsaken. They compare her to Lillian Voss and what Voss has done to ingratiate herself to the players.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/33y

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#148: Mobile Games, Unicorn Deathwing, and Sylvanas

9 juni 2022 | 63 min

Nick and Katie are finally back to talk more about World of Warcraft. But first they wonder what kind of loot they would drop. Let us know at [email protected]!

They then talk a bit about Diablo Immortal, and get into Hearthstone’s relationship to the lore. Nick shares a joke from reddit about Tauren leadership. Next, they get into a discussion about the new Dark Ranger appearances and Transmogs. They also talk about the Of Lordaeron title that is now available. This leads to further talk about character customization.

Next, they talk about their initial impressions of Warcraft Arclight Rumble. They discuss how the miniatures depicted in game would be awesome to see outside the game. Nick compares what he’s seen of Arclight Rumble to Hearthstone mercenaries.

Next, they discuss an email from Scott Myers about whether or not the Primus can be evil based on a Necrolord title. This leads to a discussion about players playing evil characters.

Finally, they dive into the first half of the Sylvanas book, which looks at Sylvanas’ elven life from childhood up until the Scourge attack on Silvermoon. Nick talks about how he wished the whole book would have encompassed this time frame. They talk about the finality of the last family gathering, and Katie compares this part of the book to the first half of Titanic. They appreciate the mentions of Nathanos’ cousin who meets a grisly fate in the Dark Mirror short story. Nick goes into the origins of the Windrunner children’s names. Nick is pleased to dismiss his Windrunner human-poolboy theory. They discuss how Sylvanas’ inner monologue doesn’t always match her actions. They fawn over Sylvanas and Nathanos as a couple and compare them to other notable WoW couples. They talk about Sylvanas’ emotions as a Forsaken and if they were representative of the race overall. They consider the impact on Sylvanas of being a diplomat’s daughter. The look at the end of Sylavanas’ youth and try to consider what her age is.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/33x

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#147: On Rexxar (feat. Skoll Shorties)

5 maj 2022 | 89 min

Nick is back and Katie isn’t feeling well so instead he’s joined by Skoll Shorties to talk about all things Rexxar! They begin by talking about Skoll’s youtube videos and his love of Rexxar since he was a kid and how that led to him rolling a Beastmaster Hunter. Then they talk about how Beastmaster hunter has changed over the years.

Next, they get into Rexxar’s history and talk about his introduction in Warcraft III as part of the Founding of Durotar scenario. They talk about how he ingratiated himself into the Horde and then worked with Rokhan and Chen Stormstout. They mention Rexxar was instrumental in defeating the Alliance forces at Theramore by killing Daelin Proudmoore. They also talk about how he was respectful in the victory which at the time helped foster a relationship between the Horde and Jaina Proudmoore.

After wandering Desolace and Feralas, they talk about Rexxar’s next appearance in the Burning Crusade when he returned to Blade’s Edge Mountains and had to reconnect with his father and chieftan, Leoroxx.

Next, they talk about Rexxar’s re-emergence in Legion. They talk about how they were underwhelmed by the Hunter class campaign but they liked the Hunter Lodge class hall itself. They also consider the role of the Unseen Path.

Next, they talk about Rexxar’s role in Battle for Azeroth as part of the forces attacking Kul Tiras in Battle for Azeroth. They talk about him working with Zelling and Lillian Voss and Valtrois. Skoll talks about his theory that Rexxar is who informed Saurfang and Thrall about Baine’s abduction. They talk about Rexxar finally appearing in an in-game cinematic and look forward to when he might show up next.

They also talk briefly about what they hope for in the next expansion. They speculate about a world revamp and wonder what is to come.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/32e

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#146: On Dragonflight!

25 april 2022 | 69 min

Nick and Katie are back and they are excited to talk about the announcement for the Dragonflight expansion, or at least Katie is! Katie talks about how she enjoyed the cinematic and felt an emotional connection to Kharanos (Stoney Tony) while Nick talks about how he is still enjoying Zereth Mortis and didn’t feel like the announcement was for him. Katie talks about her love of all things dragon being why she liked the cinematic so much.

They talk a little about the lore behind Dragonflight, with the Dragons having received their powers from the Titans and taking center stage once again after ceding their power at the end of Cataclysm. They discuss where the location of the Dragon Isles could be. They talk about the Titan watchers and how fascinating it was to see them in fully rendered CGI glory. Nick compares the cinematic to the Mei cinematic for Overwatch. Katie talks about how excited she was to see Alexstraza show up and catch Kharanos. They also talk about potential villains in the expansion, from Murozond to Galakrond, and in particular they focus on how Galakrond got his power. They speculate about connections to the cosmic chart and the Shadowlands in particular. Nick wonders if there will be a connection between Thaldraszus and Maldraxxus.

They also talk about what they liked in the expansion announcement. Nick is excited for the UI changes. Katie is excited for the return of talent trees. They also discuss the new dragon riding mechanic and how that will play against the old style of flying. Katie is hopeful it will be extended to the rest of the world. They talk about the Dracthyr race and Evoker class and how they are intertwined.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/31v

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#145: On Yogg-Saron (for Real)

7 april 2022 | 67 min

Nick and Katie are back and feeling better and ready to talk about Yogg-Saron, for real this time! First, Nick talks about Mythic Quest on Apple Plus and says it was pretty good and worth checking out.

Then, they get into talking about Yogg-Saron. They talk about the corrupting influence of his blood and how he was responsible for much of what was going on in Northrend. They talk about how he corrupted the world tree Vordrassil and used it to get a foothold in the Emerald Dream, thus giving way to the Emerald Nightmare. Nick wonders about Fandral Staghelm planting so many world trees. They also talk about Yogg’s many mouths and try to break down the biological effect that that many mouths would have.

They talk about the nature of corruption and how the Old Gods can either browbeat their victims into submission or maybe they can be more nuanced about it. Nick wonders if Twitter and Reddit are Old God machinations. They talk about Deathwing was corrupted courtesy of Yogg’s efforts.

Nick tries to compare the efficacy of Yogg to the Jailer, with Yogg having been responsible for much of what was wrong in Northrend, and the Jailer supposedly responsible for much of what has been wrong throughout Warcraft history.

Finally, they talk about the visions hat occur during the Ulduar raid, with Yogg being responsible for Deathwing’s corruption that lead to him deceiving the other dragonflights to help him create the Dragon Soul. We also see Garona killing Llane, and the Arthas torturing Bolvar, which has implications. They also talk about the current state of Ulduar with Mimiron not answering and old god minions being found on-site during Legion.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/31d

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#144: On Yogg-Saron

1 april 2022 | 69 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk about Yogg-Saron but first Al'golath mal shal'nel Al'tha, Al'tha bormaz. Ni bormaz ta'thall? Athu'gag magg'naggwa. Qor'naus'agth lwhuk. Lilth gag'huqth'hoq. Bal'qwari Og Shadar.Bo'al lal arwi C'toth.F'lakh ghet!

F'tagh nah'hat! I'mmathan! Sha'lub nahab! Sha'lub nahab! Gillari, geth'shar. Gillari, teko'shar. H'thon marwol qualar. Immalanath, yasoth nalarub!! Log'loth og shandai

Mar'kowa tallol ye'tarin. Pwhn'guul i ghawl'fwata ryiu wgah uul'gwan h'iwn guu'lal.

Shethnoth, ol'goth, grell. Shur'nab... shur'nab... Yogg-Saron! Thoth'al amun Ree'thael vormos! Vormos! Vormos! Tulall par'okoth. Far'al, ka'kar. Uhn'agh Fash Uulwi gag erh'ongg w'ssh/w'ssh. Uulwi ifis halahs gag erh'ongg w'ssh Xal'atoh Xal'atath. Yrr n'lyeth... shuul anagg!

Y'knath k'th'rygg k'yi mrr'ungha gr'mula. Al'golath mal shal'nel Al'tha, Al'tha bormaz. Ni bormaz ta'thall? Athu'gag magg'naggwa. Qor'naus'agth lwhuk. Lilth gag'huqth'hoq. Bal'qwari Og Shadar.Bo'al lal arwi C'toth.F'lakh ghet!

F'tagh nah'hat! I'mmathan! Sha'lub nahab! Sha'lub nahab! Gillari, geth'shar. Gillari, teko'shar. H'thon marwol qualar. Immalanath, yasoth nalarub!! Log'loth og shandai

Mar'kowa tallol ye'tarin. Pwhn'guul i ghawl'fwata ryiu wgah uul'gwan h'iwn guu'lal.

Shethnoth, ol'goth, grell. Shur'nab... shur'nab... Yogg-Saron! Thoth'al amun Ree'thael vormos! Vormos! Vormos! Tulall par'okoth. Far'al, ka'kar. Uhn'agh Fash Uulwi gag erh'ongg w'ssh/w'ssh. Uulwi ifis halahs gag erh'ongg w'ssh Xal'atoh Xal'atath. Yrr n'lyeth... shuul anagg!

Al'golath mal shal'nel Al'tha, Al'tha bormaz. Ni bormaz ta'thall? Athu'gag magg'naggwa. Qor'naus'agth lwhuk. Lilth gag'huqth'hoq. Bal'qwari Og Shadar.Bo'al lal arwi C'toth.F'lakh ghet!

F'tagh nah'hat! I'mmathan! Sha'lub nahab! Sha'lub nahab! Gillari, geth'shar. Gillari, teko'shar. H'thon marwol qualar. Immalanath, yasoth nalarub!! Log'loth og shandai

Mar'kowa tallol ye'tarin. Pwhn'guul i ghawl'fwata ryiu wgah uul'gwan h'iwn guu'lal.

Shethnoth, ol'goth, grell. Shur'nab... shur'nab... Yogg-Saron! Thoth'al amun Ree'thael vormos! Vormos! Vormos! Tulall par'okoth. Far'al, ka'kar. Uhn'agh Fash Uulwi gag erh'ongg w'ssh/w'ssh. Uulwi ifis halahs gag erh'ongg w'ssh Xal'atoh Xal'atath. Yrr n'lyeth... shuul anagg! N’ZOTH!

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/314

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#143: On the Raid Cinematics

17 mars 2022 | 117 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk about the latest cinematics from the Sepulcher of the First Ones Raid. But first, they talk about Zereth Mortis and how much they are both enjoying it. Nick talks about how he loves Firim and the cyphers. He is, however, disappointed with a bird pet that won’t fly. He also talks about a questline to convince the Enlightened to start using the prefix Al’ again that felt awkward.

Next, they get into talking about the first of three raid cinematics from the Sepulcher of the First Ones raid. They talk about how their surprise at seeing Saurfang and Varian return, and how they helped Anduin. Nick points out that Anduin breaking the sword is a callback to Sylvanas breaking the Helm of Domination. They talk about the Anduin cinematic, and Katie goes off about how Anduin magically reverts back to how he was before Shadowlands without any external change to show what he’s been through. Then they talk about Sylvanas eulogizing Arthas by bringing the focus on herself. Nick talks about how they had to balance not changing Arthas’ story against the player desire for Arthas to be involved, and isn’t sure that Blizzard found the sweet spot.

Then, they discuss the introduction to the Jailer fight. Nick compares it to a hype video before a wrestling ppv main event. They appreciate how Ice Crown Citadel is directly involved in transmitting the power from Azeroth to the Jailer through Torghast.

Finally, they talk about the finale raid cinematic. They talk about just what did the Jailer mean when he mentioned what is coming. They talk about the fact that the Primus is missing from the cinematic, and what that could imply.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/30u

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#142: The Biggest Scrubs of Shadowlands (feat. Cyrub & Projali)

24 februari 2022 | 66 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk about the Warcraft story and this week they’ve got Cyrub and Projali from Scrubs vs. the World joining them! They begin with Scrubs explaining why they put their show on hiatus and what prompted them to return.

Next they talk about the upcoming release of Patch 9.2 and the new Zereth Mortis zone. They talk about what they are most excited for in the patch. Projali is excited for the new Sepulcher of the First Ones raid. They talk about how mythic raiders will have to determine how to handle the fact that the last three bosses will not be available prior to the mythic raid opening. Cyrub talks about how WoW has been missing surprise moments due to datamining and looks forward to some surprises in this new raid format. They talk about their experiences when they learned that Sargeras stabbed the planet as a point of comparison. This leads to a chat about the physics of planetary rotation with a sword sticking out. They move on to talking about the Sylvanas fight and how her health value was perceived by the community when she was first encountered. Projali shares a theory that Anduin was supposed to be the boss of the original 9.2 raid, and the Jailer was supposed to be the boss of the raid that should have been in 9.3. Nick asks about locking rid content behind story chapters. Cyrub compares the new raid to Ulduar. They talk about running bleeding edge content and discuss the new Protoform Synthesis crafting.

Next, they talk about who the biggest scrubs in Shadowlands are. Cyrub suggests Pelagos, which leads to a discussion about the Kyrian Covenant as a whole. Katie mentions Garrosh but nominates Denathrius because he gets stuck in his own sword. Nick wonders if that isn’t actually genius. Projali consides Meuh’zala, who got played by Bwonsamdi. They get sidetracked talking about everyone on Azeroth needing eyeglasses. Nick brings up Anduin but then settles on Sylvanas for getting worked over by the Jailer.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. The opinions expressed on this show are the express opinions of the hosts and are not reprentative of Blizzard Entertainment.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/30b

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#141: On (Eliminating) the Faction Divide

10 februari 2022 | 67 min

Nick and Katie are back this week to talk about the announcement of Cross-Faction raiding coming in Patch 9.2.5. Katie first references an old Illegal Danish video, and then they get into talking about the factions.

They talk about the animosity between the factions and the announcement that Cross-Faction grouping will be optional, so rest assured the factions are sticking around. Katie mentions her faction pride. They talk about their own chances of cross-faction raiding, and reminisce about when they were in the same Alliance guild as a worgen and night elf. They talk about how the factions are unable to communicate in game, which prompts Nick to come up with an April Fool’s idea. Katie responds by suggesting they should be recording in Taurahe and Goblin.

They then recall the Mists of Pandaria cinematic, and review how the human and the orc worked together to fight the Chen. They also talk about Jaina and Thrall as the original representatives for crossing the faction divide to work together. Nick theorizes that the faction leaders serve more as diplomats and therefore must be on more peaceful, personal terms with each other, whereas the general populace is free to hate the other faction. He cites Garrosh being loved by the Orc populace while regarded as an asshole by the players and most faction leaders we dealt with. Jaina and Tyrande also fill similar roles.

Next they talk about the viability of travel for the average Azeroth citizen, and mention the Blood Elf tourists in Zandalar. They talk about Baine appearing in Stormwind, and Nick wants to see a full retinue of Kodos parading into Stormwind. They talk about how the end of Battle for Azeroth is when this feature should have been introduced, but better late than never.

Finally, we respond to an email from CPTGriner. Katie gets into her characters’ backstories and Nick wants to see Draka babysit her grandkids and the Ember Ward turned into a beach.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2zr

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#140: Best Wishes for 2022 (The Winter Queen's Salon)

27 januari 2022 | 58 min

Nick and Katie are back to continue their discussion about what they want to see for all their favorite characters in 2022. They resume with a discussion of the Winter Queen, and how the Eternal Ones need hobbies. Nick suggests that the Winter Queen could use a nice set of garden shears and Katie envisions her doing bansai. Katie also wants to see her make up with the Elune as she wants to learn more about their sisterly relationship. Next, they talk about the Primus. Katie wants him to relax while Nick wants him to get some beard trimmers. They tie this back to the Winter Queen’s garden shears, and suddenly the Winter Queen is running a salon in Ardenweald. As for the Archon, Katie just wants her not to turn into another Yrel, while Nick has no idea and suggests a Starbucks gift card.

Next, they discuss Prince Renethal. Katie wants him to have many nice parties. Nick wants him to get a haircut and a nice wardrobe. They also talk about Theotar who they agree would make a nice mini-pet that you should be able to dress. Then they mention Denathrius and how he should have to participate in Children’s Week, just to be seen as an NPC in each of the battlegrounds struggling with his orphan.

They also bring up Bolvar and talk about the condition of his skin. Can he get a massage? Would he enjoy a spa day? If so, he should have one with Taelia. Nick brings up Calia Menethil and Katie expresses her disdain for the character. Katie says she wants Calia to go off to a bar and drink so she’s out of the story. They also talk about her possible interactions with Arthas, and consider Illidan and his return in Legion for how that could go. They then discuss Lillian Voss and how they want the Forsaken to return to a position of strength.

On the Alliance side, they talk about Tyrande and Malufrion. Tyrande should not die and be savage, and she should go on a couple’s vacation with her husband. Next they mention Ysera and how she can’t leave Ardenweald and Nick envisions her stuck in a dead-end job working for the Winter Queen’s Salon. They also mention Elune and how she needs to do better at staying informed.

They also talk about Kael’thas and Lady Vashj and how they’ve enjoyed interacting with former villains this expansion.

They discuss Azeroth and whether she should leave the planet to go somewhere else. They also consider Firim and how they wish he shares his knowledge.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2z1

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#139: Best Wishes for 2022 (The A-Team!)

13 januari 2022 | 64 min

Nick and Katie are back to wish everyone a Happy New Year and talk about what they want for their favorite (and not so favorite) Warcraft characters in 2022.

But first, Nick brings up some additional observations about the Sylvanas cinematic they discussed last episode. He talks about how the sequence while Sylvanas is in the coma was cribbed directly from the cinematic where Vol’jin dies.

Then they get off-topic a bit and talk about what they want for Lorthe’mar and Thalyssra. Katie suggests they should have a vacation while Nick wants to see little multi-colored elf babies.

Back to Sylvanas, Nick revisits the discussion about her eyes, and how the Sylvanas we see in the Plaguelands is not actually Sylvanas but a representation of her, and Nick speculates that she wants to have human eyes. This leads to a discussion about how she will be with her soul now united, and speculation about the Sylvanas book. Nick also says he wants Sylvanas to be given human eyeballs.

Next, they talk about Nathanos, who has not been seen since the pre-patch. Nick thinks it would be neat if he was intercepted by Bwonsamdi and the two of them had to work together for reasons. First they track and then team up with Denathrius, and also get joined by Flynn Fairwind and they become an A-Team wandering the Shadowlands righting wrongs.

Then they talk about Zovaal. They decide he should have a santa hat and a wreath on his armor. They get into a discussion comparing Zovaal to N’Zoth and how he could have made a better antagonist.

They also mention Anduin and Katie wants him to not die and be healed, while Nick thinks he should get some hair dye and maybe a tanning bed. Nick also suggests that Anduin’s soul should be split so he can be king but also have a normal life.

For Jaina, they want her to have a vacation and interact with Kael’thas and Arthas. Nick wonders if Arthas could impregnate her at this point.

They discuss Baine and how he should spend time with Mayla.

They also discuss Thrall and how he and his family should get to hang out with Aggra. Nick wants them all to go find Durotan in the Shadowlands. Sunwalker Dezco should also join them.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2yh

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#138: The Sylvanas Cinematic and Arena Headcanon

24 december 2021 | 75 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk about the Sylvanas cinematic that was officially released as part of the 9.2 PTR. They immediately get into it, with Nick sniping at reddit comments he read complaining about the underdevelopment of the Jailer and "bad writing." They talk about how this cinematic is starting to give the answers people were looking for in the cinematic at the end of the Sanctum of Domination. Katie celebrates that our speculation that Sylvanas would be split (based off the Uther Afterlives short) panned out. They look at how the cinematic addresses the concept of redemption and forgiveness from the point of view of the other characters, especially Baine.

They point out the characters are not there to forgive Sylvanas and prove that she has yet to earn any sort of redemption, including by herself. They discuss the ability for characters to pass between each other through their wounds, which leads to Nick comparing Sylvanas to a very creepy starfish. They evaluate the role of the Ranger-General part of Sylvanas in taking responsibility for her other half's actions, and her nobility in doing so. Nick considers how little free will the Ranger-General is given, and notes the irony as free will was a major motiviation for Banshee Sylvanas. Katie points out that despite being in Warcraft III, Sylvanas and Uther never met each other before. They compare the role of Arthas in Wrath of the Lich King to the Jailer in the Shadowlands. Nick wonders how swapping the Shadowlands expansion with the Jailer and making it fit as 8.2 while expanding Nyalotha and N'Zoth into a full blown expansion would have worked.

Nick comments that the PTR and betas are hurting WoW's ability to tell a narrative. Katie rebuts.

Katie answers a question about headcanon in arenas.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2xr

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#137: On the Patch 9.2 Announcement

18 november 2021 | 65 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk about the Patch 9.2 Eternity's End announcement. They begin with Nick talking about how the Halloween Hershey Kisses look like Old Gods, in particular C'Thun. Then, Nick talks about how he's been fascinated by videos of a guy trimming and fixing broken cow hooves, and how he realized it might appeal to him because its like watching a Tauren get a pedicure. Katie talks about how she decided to use all her Hallow's End alts to try for the anniversary mount, and sacrificed all their Hallows End currency, only for Blizzard to change the mount to a 100% drop rate the next day.

Then they get into talking about Patch 9.2. They talk about the concept of Zereth Mortis as a crucible for the Progenitors or First Ones, and Nick points out how that's a pattern repeated with the Titans and Un'goro Crater, and then mentions how the repetition is like a Fractal, which was one of the concepts that Al'firim was mentioning in his notes found in Tazavesh. He also talks about how Al'firim is now just Firim and that apparently he has transcended the need for a Cartel. They also talk about how the Enlightened Brokers have the ability to inhabit different armors and wonder if the same can be done with souls. Katie wonders if we're going to see Arthas, and Nick theorizes about him returning to mentor Anduin. Finally, they talk about the Sepulcher of the First Ones raid and wonder about how the expansion is going to end.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 12/1 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us then!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2x0

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#136: On Elune and the Cosmos

4 november 2021 | 72 min

#135: On Mercenaries

26 oktober 2021 | 14 min

#134: On Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond (Part II)

7 oktober 2021 | 79 min

Nick and Katie are back (well, technically more like still here) to finish talking about Grimoire of the Shadowlands! They get right into it, talking about the process of dying and how anima is related to experience. They also question if the Broker's knew that the Jailer used to be the Arbiter or if they only recently learned that.

Next, they talk about Oribos. They ask if the Arbiter was created by the First Ones and then discuss a possible reference to when Zovaal was the Arbiter.

Then they discuss Ardenweald, and get into the relationship between the Winter Queen, Elune, and Cenarius. They talk about the possible Pantheon of Life. They also talk about the relationship of the Winter Queen to the physical land of Ardenweald, and wonder what that means for Ysera.

Bastion is the next topic. They talk about the formation of the Mawsworn and try to figure out how Asprirants can falter when the Arbiter is allegedly infallible.

Next, they consider Revendreth. Nick is surprised that Sinfall was the original home of the Court of Harvesters. They talk about whether Denathrius was intended to betray the Eternal Ones by the First Ones, and discuss Free Will and the Purpose. Do NPC's on Azeroth have Free Will or is it only player characters? How did orcs and draenai, aliens to Azeroth, gain free will?

When looking at Maldraxxus, they evaluate the status of the realm, and if it is truly alive or just made of living parts. They talk about the forethought of the Primus and how he seems infallible. They also talk about Domination magic and whether it should get its own sphere on the cosmology chart.

The next topic for discussion is the Maw. They mention Sylvanas was the first Maw Walker and wonder if the First Ones knew the Maw Walkers would arrive some day. They also discuss Bwon'samdi's origin and phylacteries for Liches.

The major topic is the First Ones. They consider other locations the First Ones may have information to be found. They also talk about Al'firim's work, and the meaning of the term Zereth.

They also talk about the Prologue which features Cartel Ta deciding to breach the mortal plane.

Finally, they speculate based off what they read. The Sepulcher seems likely to be the final raid of the expansion. Al'firim could be a raid boss. The Sepulchur could be on Azeroth, if it isn't Azeroth itself.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Please check twitter to find when our next recording is!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2vx

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#133: On Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond (Part I)

23 september 2021 | 69 min

Nick and Katie are back and finally ready to talk about Grimoire of the Shadowlands. They start off by talking about how the book wasn't quite what they expected, as they were looking forward to hearing more about the First Ones and their origins, and looking for more of a Chronicle style book. Instead, they got what Nick compares to a textbook for the Shadowlands, and he points out that most of what was mentioned was information gleaned from playing the game. They get a bit sidetracked comparing the cosmology maps. They talk about Elune and her seemingly shifting role, as Nick insists that Elune used to be mentioned on the old cosmology map but in fact she is not. They mention how she seems to be moving from Light to Life. Also, they discuss the snakes on the new map,, and that leads to a discussion of Zul'drak and the trolls (and snake found there.) They also talk a bit about the borders on the original cosmology map and Katie wonders if the shell icons could have some significance.

Finally they get into Grimoire proper. Nick mentions the introduction which is a letter from Ta'lora who is the broker that Al'firim referenced as looking down upon in the Tazavesh lore. They also talk about Chapter 1, which focuses on Azeroth funeral rituals. They talk about how Trade Prince Donais is interviewed about his death, which excites Katie since he is a goblin. They also talk about Tamaala, Cairne's wife, and her revelation that Tauren are able to delay the Kyrian from coming so they can stay close to their loved ones and be available should they be summoned at Red Rocks. Finally, they talk about how even the Brokers view Odyn as scummy.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Please follow us on twitter to see when we will next go live at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2vl

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#132: Sylvanas, Vader, and Redemption

9 september 2021 | 65 min

Nick and Katie are back after their brief hiatus this week with a look at two characters and redemption arcs. But first they get into talking about some quick initial thoughts on Grimoire of the Shadowlands (spoiler: Nick didn't like it), which they'll have more to talk about next time. Nick jumps into the main topic talking about how the community is split over the possibility of Sylvanas being redeemed. They talk briefly about the Fate of Sylvanas cinematic from the end of the Sanctum of Domination raid. Nick points out that the cinematic really didn't show Sylvanas' fate, and Nick and Katie speculate about what might be in Christie Golden's Sylvanas novel coming out next year.

Nick then gets back on topic talking about how he thought of another character that committed genocide and did some bad things but was still able to be redeemed, and brings up Darth Vader. He talks about how Vader's redemption is canonical by Luke's action. They also talk about whether Leia or Tyrande was better at avenging the loss of their home and people. They discuss how Star Wars fans had little connection to Alderaan when it was destroyed, but WoW players had a strong connection to Teldrassil, making the destruction of the latter more unforgiveable. Nick then compares Sylvanas to Luke, as the characters age has set expectations that need to be met, while for characters like Vader, their story was over during the relatively short time of the original trilogy.

They also compare Anduin to Luke and evaluate Anduin's relationship to Sylvanas. They talk about how Anduin seems to be the key to Sylvanas' possible redemption. They talk about Anduin has evolved in their relationship and how the tables have turned somewhat. They also talk about how Anduin and Luke had to suffer while Sylvanas and Vader watched, hinting at their coming redemption.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 9/15 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2v7

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#131: On Folk & Fairy Tales of Azeroth (Part III)

12 augusti 2021 | 90 min

Nick and Katie are back to finally finish up their discussion of Folk & Fairy Tales of Azeroth! First they talk a little about how things have been going, and then they get into the stories.

First up is "Stones, Moss, and Tears" by Molly Knox Ostertag. This is a tale of found family among a trans Night Elf Sentinel, the scribe that records her deeds, and the alchemist that helps her court the scribe. Nick says it is his favorite story in the book.

Then they discuss "The Embrace" by Christie Golden. This is the telling of the Night Elf creation myth and discusses why the blue moon sometimes disappears. Nick talks about the power of Elune's tears. This also leads to a discussion about how myths are passed down through generations, and how that might work when the generations can last for over 10,000 years themselves.

Next they talk about "Why the Mermaids Left Boralus" by Tamsyn Muir. Katie runs through the plot of the mermaid and the tidesage that fall in love and then risk everything to protect Boralus Harbor. They also discuss where mermaids would fit into our knowledge of Azeroth, given that for 10,000 years the Naga have dominated the seas.

They also cover "The Courageous Kobold and the Wickless Candle" by Allison Irons. They both enjoy the twist that the Wickless Candle is the sun in the sky, and Nick takes advantage of the story featuring a grandmother sharing a tale with her grandkids to talk about the book overall is about sharing information that is obscured by the imperfect knowledge of an unreliable narrator.

Finally, they review "Visage Day" by Steve Danuser. Nick wonders when the Visage Day tradition started based on the Visages of the Aspects, especially given that Alexstraza is a high elf and the Black Dragonflight tend towards humans, both of which are younger races. Then they go through the story and talk about how well put together it was to cover Chromormu's transformation.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 8/18 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2ui

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#130: Episode 130

29 juli 2021 | 65 min

#129: On Broker Cosmology, Elune, and Pro-Wrestling

15 juli 2021 | 54 min

Nick is here all alone to talk about the recent lore reveals from the Tazavesh Lore Book datamined by WoWhead. Nick goes through Al'farim's saga as he starts describing fractals and geometry that he encountered in his study of the First Ones. He talks about how the First One's Sepulcher is not the same as the Sepulcher of Knowledge in Maldraxxus. He compares Al'farim to Copernicus as someone who drastically changes a society's cosomological perspective and is derided as a heretic until proven right. He speculates that this is what the Grimoire of the Shadowlands will be like. He talks about the potential for there to be other Pantheons we don't know about yet, including the possiblility that Elune is actually multiple beings. He discusses how Al'firim sees fractals and compares those fractals to the way that the lore expands as you dive into it. He talks about how Zovaal is also looking for the knowledge of the First Ones, and wonders if part of that knowledge is the use of Domination magic, which could the Al'firim's mysterious seventh force.

Next, he discusses some reveals from the Patch 9.1 cinematic of Tyrande vs Sylvanas. He talks about how Elune abandoned Tyrande just as she was about to go in for the kill, and wonders if this could relate to the Ilgynoth whisper about the Light making a deal with the enemy of all. He then speculates that the Jailer and Elune could have worked together once, and Elune got away while the Jailer was left behind to become the Banished One. He talks about how he thinks that Banshee Sylvanas is the "her" in the "the hour of her third death" whisper, and expects we'll kill her in the raid. He thinks that with the Jailer free, he could go after Elune for betraying him, or to reclaim what should have been his/theirs, and thinks it would be fascinating if this story takes us into the realm of Light.

Finally, he compares the Sylvanas-Tyrande fight to pro-wrestling, with a turn by Elune and the Jailer and Sylvanas ending with beef.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 7/14 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2to

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#128: On Folk & Fairy Tales of Azeroth (Part II)

1 juli 2021 | 91 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk more about the Folk & Fairy Tales of Azeroth book. They begin by getting into "Sister is Another Word for Always" by Catherynne M. Valente. They begin by talking about how this doesn't feel like a folk or fairy tale and is a bit out of place in this book. Then they get into the story itself, discussing how it is written such that it never names anyone except for a single character (the Kyrian Watcher) and makes sure you know where they are by description. They discuss how Vereesa would have found out about her sister's death and rebirth as a banshee and consider that this story must have happened before she would have known all the details. They review the statues of Regret and Acceptence and their relationship to Elomia, the Spirit Healer who watches over them. They try to consider where it may be in game. They talk about Vereesa going into the Shadowlands and finding herself first in Ardenweald, and then the Maw. They talk about her encountering the Jailer, and after a seemingly benign conversation, he reveals a part of Sylvanas. They debate just what part the Jailer has, as Sylvanas missing her courage does not make sense for her actions. They talk about how Vereesa is similar to Orpheus. They discuss how Vereesa fails to recover Sylvanas.

Next, they talk about "The Paladin's Beast" by Madeleine Roux. Katie runs through the story of Uther leaving Alonsus Chapel in search of deeds to perform and getting thrown from his horse. He travels through a puddle and wakes up in another land where a maiden mentions a challenge to fight a beast. They try to figure out where this story could take place and what significance the beast may have. Uther ultimately faces the beast and wins by laying down his hammer, and the Princess warns him that he will face another such beast and die. Nick points out that the story makes sense if you assume that Uther had a concussion and fever-dreamed the entire event. They talk about some of the parallels between the story and Arthas and Ali in the chat points out that the Princess' name, Miatharas, is an anagram of Arthas.

Finally, Katie recounts "For Lies and Liberty" by E.C. Myers. They both agree it is a fun story.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 7/14 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2tb

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#127: On Folk & Fairy Tales of Azeroth (Part I)

17 juni 2021 | 64 min

Nick, Rei, Eric, and Harv are back on what should be an off week to talk about the latest (or lack thereof) in WoW news! First, Eric talks about how Order of Corrupted Souls is struggling again on Sire Denathrius, as just because they beat him once doesn't mean that he is on farm yet. Rei talks about bringing some odd pugs into the group to tank dungeons who behaved weirdly. And Harv is progressing through Burning Crusade Classic, with his mage almost to 61 and his hunter almost to 62. He points out that the hunter is easier to level because he can pet tank mobs. He also talks about almost running into the Felreaver on the Path of Glory but he got away before he could be smushed in with all the other skulls.

In the news, Blizzard has announced that Battle.Net is global now, and this will allow players to befriend each other across regions. This will also allow for cross-play in certain games, such as Overwatch pc players being able to play with Console gamers. This leads to a discussion of adding people to friends lists, and how Harv can never find anyone to play classic with because anyone he does friend in classic is always on retail when he checks. He talks about a player who joined a pug with him and kept hitting his polymorphed sheep, and then the player made a video and sent it to Harv, and that culminates in a story about an old lady putting a shopping cart near Harv's car.

They also talk about the update to Shadowlands Flying where Blizzard clarified that you will not have to pay for Shadowlands flying. The original post was referring to how characters have to buy Expert Riding to be able to fly at all, but once that is done (which most characters should have done long ago), you will get Shadowlands flying once you complete the relevant covenant quests.

This week's question of the week is "What is your favorite zone to level in?" Harv says Nagrand, but then changes to Val'sharrah. Rei just likes leveling with people. Eric likes Zangarmarsh, and Nick likes Valley of the Four Winds and Krasarang Wilds.

We also look back at episode #87 when store mounts drove up the price of the WoW Token and Nick was annoyed.

Thank you for listening to WoW! Talk! Our next live show is scheduled for 6/28/21 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. For any scheduling updates, please follow us on twitter @wowtalkmtb. Send any emails about your thoughts or feedback or to answer our question of the week to [email protected].

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2t0

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#126: On the Jailer and the Cosmos

3 juni 2021 | 70 min

KATIE. IS. BACK!!!

Katie is back and Nick is here as always to talk about what's going on in the World of Warcraft. After making some jokes about game development, Katie mentions that her raid group is up to the Stone Generals in Castle Nathria. Then, she mentions that some people have been receiving their copies of the upcoming Fairytales & Folklore book early, leading to some interesting leaks. Nick complains that he wasn't going to get the book but then because of the spoilers he had to get the book.

Nick dives into the lore by talking about how "Time is not a construct of death," and what if, when we kill the Jailer (assuming that we do), we wipe him from ever having existed? He talks about how Ardenweald supplied anima to the Maw to keep the Jailer bound, and that perhaps Ardenweald would never have had to do that. He then wonders if someone would wind up taking the Jailer's place, and so they would be made the Jailer for all time, including the past.

Nick makes fun of the Jailer's neckwear (headwear?) a little, and then they talk about the possibility of the Jailer and Sargeras facing off against each other. Katie brings up the Old Gods, and Nick brings up the Cosmology chart, and then they discuss how time is related to Nature, Light, and Arcane which are the three primal forces of life, according to Tel'arn in the Nighthold. They also talk about how Elisande claims that "Time eddies about [us] in fits and starts," and Nick repeats his theory that we don't experience time in a straight line. They wonder what bringing time to a timeless realm would look like.

Finally, they discuss Ve'nari and Stygia and the nature of the Brokers and what could their relationship to everything be?

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 6/9 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2sk

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#125: Patch 9.1 Spoilers (feat. Dracoris & Sirithe from LFR)

20 maj 2021 | 84 min

***WARNING: CONTAINS PATCH 9.1 SPOILERS. DO NOT LISTEN IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED***

Nick is joined by Dracoris and Sirithe from the LFR podcast to talk about the juicy spoilers coming in Patch 9.1. First, Dracoris and Sirithe talk about why they started LFR and how they approach the lore. Nick talks about how he enjoys their character-centric approach.

Then, the trio get into the spoilers. They begin by talking about the recent sighting of a Kirin Tor crow that implies that Khadgar may be showing up soon. This transitions into a discussion of Odyn's involvement with respect to Helya, and a debate about who will be the Lord of Ravens when it comes time to turn the key.

The trio get into how Elune is revealed as the Winter Queen's sister when Tyrande's Night Warrior powers are addressed. We find out that Huln Highmountain was also a Night Warrior and Nick is excited that we see that famour Tauren again.

Next they discuss Uther and his role in uniting the Kyrian faction. They debate if Arthas will show up, which he does, but only in memories so far.

They also talk about the long awaited Thrall and Draka reunion as spurred on by the reveal that the Primus is the Runecarver.

Finally, they talk about the role that Dreadlords will play in the patch and how they are all serving at the behest of Denathrius. We find out what happened to cause the Light to invade Revendreth and the group debates whether Lothraxion is truly light-forged or a spy.

Thank you to Dracoris and Sirithe from LFR for coming on! And thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 5/26 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2s7

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#124: On Wandavision and Sylvanas

6 maj 2021 | 37 min

#123: On the Kyrian Covenant Campaign

22 april 2021 | 69 min

Nick goes it alone this week as Katie is off working on schoolwork. Nick first talks a little about the great work that Spazz Wesson and Kurabara did handling the Covenant campaigns, and how that set the bar high for him. Then he shouts out Katie for her work at completing her school work. Then he plays a clip from the Halfhill Report episode #157 talking about the Ascended and how much he enjoyed the joke. Then he talks about how he and Katie were on Scrubs vs the World recently.

Finally, Nick gets into the Kyrian campaign. He runs through the beginning where there is a ceremony to celebrate you joining the Ascended, and then you run off and do the Torghast and Maw quests that everyone does. You return to Bastion and the it is time for some aspirants to Ascend. So you do a ritual that takes you to Azeroth where you see the last moments of a farmer before he dies in a Scourge attack. Then Kleia takes him and throws him into the soul river in Oribos which sends him to the Maw, and Nick talks about how stupid the Kyrian were. We return to Bastion and Kleia ascends, but then the Forsworn show up and destroy the Crest of Ascension. We go into the Spires of Ascension dungeon and defeat Devos, and now we need to rebuild the Crest.

We get Mikanikos, the Forgelite Prime, to rebuild the crest. Then we go to Maldraxxus where we defeat the House of Constructs for their role in attacking Bastion. We claim Margrave Gharmaul's heart and use it to empower the new crest. Then we go to Revendreth where we work with the Curator and the Countess to get the Seal of Contrition. Finally, we go to Ardenweald where a Night Fae pays a heavy price for us to get a vessel for use in the crest.

We attack the Forsworn and drive them back to the Maw. We head into the Maw and free a betrayed Uther. We attack the Mawsworn only for them to turn and attack the Archon, and together we finally defeat them and save Bastion.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 4/28 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2re

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#122: On the Venthyr Campaign

8 april 2021 | 91 min

Nick is joined by Spazz Wesson once again who is filling in for Katie. They talk about Spazz playing all four covenant campaigns and how there might be plenty of time before patch 9.1. They compare the patch delay to Warlords of Draenor and lament how the pandemic is affecting Blizzard's output.

Next, they talk about some of the April Fool's Jokes that are already out, including the "leak" about Undermine being the next expansion. Nick talks about how the best April Fool's Jokes are ones where the audience is in on the joke, and everyone can laugh together, instead of the audience's credulity being the punchline. Nick talks about how Blizzard can look bad when a fan makes a poor April Fool's joke.

FInally, Spazz dives into the Venthyr campaign. He talks about gathering the Court of Harvesters for Prince Renethal, but no one trusts him yet. He talks about going to the Countess to find out who is betraying her only to find out everyone is betraying her. Next, players work with the Curator. Then, Draven and Theotar reveal a secret mirror that connects to Bastion, and go to meet with Prime Forgelite Mikanikos. They get him to craft several Harvester medallions into a crown to be used against Denathrius. At this point, players would venture into Sanguine Depths and then the Castle Nathria raid to face Denathrius.

After freeing him in the raid, Kael'thas becomes involved in the campaign. The Accusers wants to help redeem him, but she discovers his soul is burdened with sins from other souls. We are effectively quizzed on Kael'thas' history to purge the excess anima, and then we discover a plot by the Tithelord to send anima to Maldraxxus. This leads into the finale of the Necrolord campaign, as we first fight Maldraxxi in the Endmire to discover the Kel'thuzad is involved. We fight the Tithelord and Kel'thuzad gets away. Then, we join the Necrolords at the House of Rituals to defeat Kel'thuzad, who still manages to escape. In the aftermath, Renethal forms a council to rule Revendreth.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 4/14 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2qm

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#121: On the Necrolord Covenant Campaign

25 mars 2021 | 87 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk about the Necrolord Covenant Campaign. But first Katie talks about how she's been to busy to play WoW lately. Then they dive in.

Nick first talks about some quotes from Draka and Vashj that set up the Necrolords and their philosophy. Then they talk about meeting Ve'nari and rescueing Baine from Torghast.

Next, they get into the campaign proper. They talk about how you recruit a crew from the House of Eyes, and this crew will help you steal a necropolis from the House of Rituals. After you have Zerekiss (the necropolis), you go to Bastion and work with the Paragon of Courage to defeat the remaining Maldraxxi forces from the House of Constructs. After that is done, Alexandros Mograine asks the Paragon why he was sent to Maldraxxus when Bastion more closely matches what he thought the afterlife would be, and he learns that his motivation for fighting comes from his attachments. Nick tries to apply this lesson to Draka.

Next, the Paragon of Courage joins us in assaulting the House of Constructs in Maldraxxus. We learn about the plan to attach wings to the constructs, and Katie talks about how Kyrian skin is special for fleshcrafting. Draka defeats Margrave Gharmaul and we find anima that was sent from Sire Denathrius.

Draka meets with the Accuser and we get Kael'thas as a new team member. Kael'thas mentions Kel'thuzad's involvement in the desecration of Silvermoon to foreshadow his appearance, as after killing a Lich Overseer Kel'thuzad's involvement is made known.

Balmedar comes to the Seat of the Primus from the House of Rituals looking to betray Kel'thuzad. We work with Balmedar to scout the House, and do some quests for Kel'thuzad to stop a ritual. Finally, we attack the House of Rituals, and after fighting a Maw Infernus summoned from the Maw, we defeat Kel'thuzad. Before we can kill him, the Mawsworn appear and take him away. Nick and Katie talk about our history of failing to prevent problems because we argue about killing someone.

Nick theorizes about how we could be preparing for the Primus to return. He also talks about rescueing Thrall from Torghast, and speculates about what could happen if he meets Draka.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 3/31 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2q4

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#120: The Night Fae Campaign (feat. Spazz Wesson and Kurabara)

11 mars 2021 | 86 min

SPOILERS FOR THE NIGHT FAE CAMPAIGN AHEAD!

Katie couldn't be here this episode so Nick is joined by Spazz Wesson and Kurabara to talk about the Night Fae campaign. First, Spazz talks about what he's been up to in game getting through three of the four Covenants. Kurabara meanwhile has been raiding Castle Nathria.

After some comparison with the Kyrian campaign, they get into talking about the Night Fae campaign. They jump through the first two chapters as that is common for everyone, as that is when we meet Ve'nari and free Baine from Torghast. After that, the campaigns differ. In chapter three, Shandris Feathermoon helps us to search for Tyrande. We work through the Maw and eventually encounter her, but she opts to stay in Torghast fighting the Jailer's forces. We also help get some souls from Teldrassil out of the Maw.

In chapter four, we find a mask of Bwonsamdi and meet up with him, as he is concerned about loa disappearing in Ardenweald. After searching through some Spriggan dens, we discover Muehzala's forces are encroaching. He has two loa working with him, and we push them back into De Other Side. We kill one of the loa, and that leaves Muehzala and Hakkar to be bosses in the dungeon. Nick has at least managed to play De Other Side, and talks about how Muehzala drops some significant lore about what he is responsible for.

In chapter five, we meet the Night Warrior Theonax and his husband Quedarin who were Night Warriors on a different planet. They became Night Warriors to help defeat the Legion on their planet, but despite trying to share it, they were consumed by it.

In chapter six, Aralon helps us fight off some Drust. We go and visit Ulfar the Thornspeaker in Drustvar, who sends us back to Ardenweald to commune with his teacher. Aralon disappears.

In chapter seven, we work with Huln Hightmountain (to Nick's delight!) to search for other Night Warriors to help save Tyrande.

In chapter eight, we help Bwonsamdi to interroate Muehzala. Several loa have wound up in the Maw since they died in Battle for Azeroth, and we go and rescue Ashamane, Hireek, and Shadra from the Maw. We do so with the aid of Vol'jin. The chapter ends with Bwonsamdi and the Winter Queen interacting in an amusing fashion.

In the final chapter, the Drust return. We learn who dies in the campaign story and work with the Kyrian, who arrived to help with the Drust.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 3/17 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2pp

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#119: On the Kingsmourne Cinematic

25 februari 2021 | 60 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk about the big information to come out of BlizzConline! But first Katie talks about her thoughts on the convention and how she enjoyed the panels and thought it was well put together. Nick enjoyed it as well, and then they get into talking about the cinematic.

The Chains of Domination content update was revealed at BlizzConline, and it featured a cinematic. Nick and Katie run through the cinematic, first talking about how the Archon was talking about the Winter Queen. Then they talk about Anduin and his encounter with Uther that caused Uther's chest injury to ache. They compare Uther and Arthas, and then talk about Anduin attacking the Archon. They talk about Anduin taking the Archon's key, and then wonder who the other keys might be. They speculate that Draka and Renethal could be keys, as well as the Winter Queen, and of course they mention that the Arbiter is the final key. They talk about the Maldraxxus campaign and try to understand the Primus' role in what has happened thus far.

Next they talk about Anduin having been possessed by the Jailer, and talk about Sylvanas' reaction to it. Nick mentions that The Boy King was supposed to have shared three lies, and one of them was that Sylvanas Windrunner is lost, because it is clear he no longer believes that.

They go over some of the artwork for Korthia, the nexw zone that will be added to the Maw in 9.1.

Finally, they end on a discussion of which zone in World of Warcraft is the smelliest.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 3/3 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2p8

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#118: On Revendreth

11 februari 2021 | 91 min

Nick and Katie are back to finish up their look at the leveling experience by talking about Revendreth. But first Katie mentions that she got the Gnawed Reins of the Battle-Bound Warhound from the Theatre of Pain elites in Maldraxxus. Nick is jealous. Then Nick talks about beating Sire Denathrius on LFR and clearing LFR Castle Nathria.

They get into a discussion about Remoria and Vorpalia, the living swords of Denathrius and Renethal in Revendreth. They question their origin and want to know more about why these swords are the way they are. This leads to a discussion about the relationship between Renethal and Denathrius and the heirarchy of titles in Revendreth and what it means that Renethal is a Prince. Nick complains about Lord Chamberlain effectively having a name that is two titles.

They cover some of the story of Revendreth, starting with your appearance there and the introduction to the Sinstones. They debate throwing your Sinstone into the void of the Shadowlands, but Nick is sure that means it would wind up in the Maw. They speculate on the relationship between Denathrius and the Jailer and why Denathrius would have joined with the Jailer.

They talk about the rest of the campaign. Nick complains about the Accuser being a title but also a name as it leads to confusion.

Katie is excited by the Dredgers and talks about their creation, as well as the Bigguns. Nick likes Stonehead who is his friend. Katie talks about Theotar and his tea and parasol.

Nick speculates about the source of the Light in the Ember Ward and considers the reason why the Spire of the Unseen Guest is there. This leads to much frustration about not having all the answers for Shadowlands.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 2/22 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2ot

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#117: On Ardenweald (NICK HATES THE GORM)

28 januari 2021 | 65 min

Nick and Katie are back and this week they are up to the Ardenweald part of the leveling campaign. But first, Katie talks about her experiences taking her brother and father through Pandaria and then Zandalar, and in particular the stairs of Dazar'Alor a few times.

Nick then jumps right into the story. He picks up with our return to Oribos where Calia and Taelia are meeting with Bolvar and mentions that any theory that they are a family should now be dead. Then they transition to the introduction to Ardenweald. Nick mentions that his first thought upon seeing Lady Moonberry was that the Night Fae look a bit like Naaru, and he goes into the possible connection between Elune and the Winter Queen.

Katie then talks about the Spriggans and how murderous they are. They run through the next part of the campaign until they get to the introduction of the Drust, which Nick mentions hits differently for Alliance and Horde players. Then they follow the story to the introduction of the Gorm, and Nick goes off about how much he hates the Gorm and establishes they are why he did not choose the Night Fae covenant. Katie tries to get him to appreciate the Gorm but Nick refuses.

They then run through the story to Ysera's rebirth, and both of them gush over how well the cinematics were done. They talk about how Ardenweald getting a dragon means that they didn't feel as compelled to choose that covenant, and then mention the Winter Queen's set up for heading to Revendreth to meet with Sire Denathrius.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 2/3 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2oc

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#116: On Maldraxxus

14 januari 2021 | 82 min

Nick and Katie are back for the first time in 2021 to talk about their time in Maldraxxus, especially since they both chose to join the Necrolord covenant. But first, Katie talks about her participation in the Con Before the Storm Warcraft Lore panel, available on the Con Before the Storm podcast feed. Then, she and Nick talk about their appearance on Live, Laugh, Lore with Gin and Ali. Good times were had by all. Nick also mentions that he got the Junkyard title on Mechagon and he is finally done with that content.

They start talking about Maldraxxus, focusing first on the soulbind characters. Katie espeically likes Plague Deviser Marlieth for his humor, but also Emeni because she was a Sethrak princess now infused into an Abomination.

They jump around the story a bit but talk about the experience of getting to Maldraxxus and jumping right into the Theater of Pain. Nick tries to recap the state of Maldraxxus with the Primus missing and the Houses of Plagues and Eyes destroyed. They recap the journey to defend against the Houses of Constructs and Rituals and the betrayal of the House of the Chosen by Baron Vyraz.

Then they talk about the quest to open the Seat of the Primus after you are able to claim the Runeblade from inside the statue. They agree that the Runecarver in Torghast is likely the Primus. They talk about working to survive the House of Constructs with the Bastion refugees and also working for the House of Eyes and recruiting Baroness Vashj. Finally, Nick gets into the Primus' message and gets excited for the lore implications.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 1/20 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2nv

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#115: Best Wishes for 2021 (Part 2)

8 januari 2021 | 72 min

Nick and Katie are back to continue their wishes for what they want to see for various characters in the new year!

They begin by talking about the Dragon Aspects and in particular Ysera now that she has returned in Ardenweald. Next they talk about Azeroth and how she still has a big sword sticking in her. Katie is excited to talk about Vol'jin, and then she talks about Gazlowe for a bit, before talking about Bwon'samdi.

They discuss Uther after his turn in Afterlives: Bastion. Next they talk about Arthas and Nick considers that he would be a good replacement for the Jailer. They talk about Draka and Nick thinks she should replace the Primus.

Nick then goes off on a tangent about what Zovaal may have done to get himself imprisoned in the Maw and how he and the other Eternal Ones are all connected and related to Elune. He also speculates that destroying the Shadowlands may not truly break death, in that it may be a construct built over an existing system. He references Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

They get back to talking about Alexandros Mograine, wondering if he could travel to Azeroth. They also talk about Darion Mograine and consider who controls the Ebon Blade now. They discuss Ara'lon but have encountered him suprisingly little thus far. They talk about the Winter Queen and the Archon, as they are the only remaining Eternal Ones at the moment. Next, they talk about Garrosh and Kael'thas and try to think about how they would be if they were rehablilitated. Katie then runs through a list of characters and Nick just wants to see everyone show up like in Avengers: Endgame.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 1/20 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2nh

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#114: Best Wishes for 2021 (Part I)

31 december 2020 | 80 min

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Nick and Katie are back with the annual tradition of looking at each character and wishing what they want for each of them in the new year. First, Katie talks about joining the Necrolord covenant. Then they talk about the Deathwing that Katie is wearing on her head.

Finally, they get into the Best Wishes. They begin by talking about Sylvanas and debating what she deserves, as her motivations are now coming to light. They get into an argument about what realm she would be sent to by the Arbiter, and wonder if she can be rehabilitated. Then they talk about Nathanos and Nick wants to see Nathanos be the last surprising shred of Sylvanas' humanity. They also talk about the Jailer and what they want now that they've encountered him. Nick goes on an extended riff about turning the Maw into a giant ball pit. Next, they discuss the Arbiter, although Katie finds it hard to wish something for her since she has been pretty much unconscious since our arrival in Oribos.

They also discuss Bolvar and consider his role as compared to Khadgar and Magni the last two expansions. Next they mention Taelia and look at her relationship with her father. Then they reconsider Calia Menethil and admit that she is probably not Taelia's mother despite it seeming possible previously, with little evidence. They also talk about Lillian Voss and how she's a good leader for the Forsaken. Then they look at Tyrande and her role as the Night Warrior of late. They also bring up Malfurion but he hasn't been as present. Next, they review Anduin, Jaina, Thrall, and Baine who were all trapped in the Maw. They agree they all deserve vacations and are going to have severe trauma coming out of the Maw.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 1/6 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2n9

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#113: On Bastion and Beyond (feat. Edanar)

17 december 2020 | 79 min

Edanar from such shows as Tavern Tales, Dropping Spicy, Heroes Never Die, and Clan of Three joins Nick and Katie to talk about Bastion and the Kyrian and so much more. But before the show even gets started they get off the rails talking as Edanar and Katie immediately butt heads over his dislike of goblins. They then get into a discussion on which hunter pets they use (or lack thereof) and talk a little about the Firelands challenge tames. Then they get into a discussion of mount farming and the struggles of trying to acquire some of the rarer drops. They then talk about raiding Spine of Deathwing and then Nick finally finishes the intro to the show.

They then get into talking about leveling in Shadowlands and how everyone is enjoying the straight narrative path as compared with the choose-your-zone-order that was allowed in Legion and BfA. Nick alludes to the Castle Nathria cinematic only to say that he watched it and did not understand it. They talk about the idea of Blizzard putting out an expansion without leveling where the only requirement is to play through the campaign.

They talk a little about ideas for other podcasts and Edanar mentions that he does not listen to his own shows.

They get back to talking about Bastion and the Edanar compares the fields to Nagrand while Katie thinks the grasses look more like Minnesota. Katie and Edanar argue about being from Minnesota and Wisconsin and Nick compares the Maw to a burning couch. Edanar then brings up his surprise that there was no Overwatch Easter Egg in Bastion and he and Katie hope to see Ganymede referenced but Nick wants the entire zone to turn into a giant cannon. Nick then questions how the Bastion Afterlives ties into the zone since it seems that Devos' role is being obscured, but Edanar says to wait and some answers are revealed in other zones.

Katie brings up the concept of all souls being turned into blue humanoids, and Nick wonders about the prevalance of the human form amongst cosmic beings like the Kyrian and Titans. They talk briefly about Pelegos, then Nick brings up the region where the Void attacked Bastion and wonders where Maldraxxus was, which raises questions about the relationships between the various zones.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 12/23 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2m9

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Kurt Smith

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#112: Shadowlands Initial Reactions

3 december 2020 | 76 min

Nick and Katie are back and ready to talk about Shadowlands! First they talk a little about what they've been doing instead of playing Shadowlands, especially with Katie focusing on her bag space. At this point, Katie is well into Maldraxxus while Nick is only about half way through Bastion. Then they get into talking about first impressions of Oribos. They compare it to Dazar'Alor and how impressive that city was while Oribos feels a little underwhelming. Katie brings up that Dazar'Alor had dinosaurs, which is a point against Oribos. Nick compares the constant changing of hub cities to moving between college dorm rooms. Katie is fascinated by the vendors and Nick points out they seem similar to ethereals.

Nick brings up the cinematic that introduces the Jailer and has Anduin save us long enough for us to escape. Katie recaps some of the events of the Maw and they get into a side discussion about Helya and Sylvanas. Nick points out that the Jailer got what he needed, and asserts that it may be knowledge of us, since we seem like we might be able to break him out. Nick then talks about the event that breaks the machine of death, when a red orb impacts with the Arbiter. Katie mentions a similar red orb in Legion and Nick wonders if defeating Argus caused all this. They try to ping down the exact timing of the incident, but lack full information. Katie talks a bit about what she saw in Bastion.

Katie finishes by wondering about the shape that souls can take in the Shadowlands.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 12/9 at 10:30 pm EST at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2lm

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#111: On "Terror by Torchlight" and Nathanos' Return

19 november 2020 | 78 min

Nick and Katie are back and they are alone and they haven't planned any specific character to talk about so they can catch up on some things. Katie reveals that she still did not get the Headless Horseman's Horse during Hallow's End this year. They talk a little bit about Vol'jin. Nick mentions that he's sticking around in Mechagon and working on Balance of Power. Katie has been leveling.

Gin from Morally Grey messaged with a correction to some character ages.

Finally the duo get into one of their topics, "Terror by Torchlight." It is a new short story from Christie Golden which has Flynn Fairwind and Matthias Shaw traveling to Duskwood to fight some undead and recover a missing artifact. Katie recaps the story and then they comment on how they enjoyed the Flynn-Shaw couple. They also talk about how this ties into the Scourge invasion in Shadowlands, and leads directly into the upcoming Christie Golden book, "Exploring the Eastern Kingdoms."

Then, Katie runs through the cinematics leading into the pre-patch Scourge invasion. They talk about how several characters were abducted and they all had a witness left with them to remain behind. This leads to a discussion of how Tyrande was able to fend off the abductors and instead was present to face Nathanos. The pair considers Nathanos' motive for facing us at his home, and then talk about his possible fate. They also discuss how Sylvanas and Tyrande mirror each other from the Light and Death perspective. They talk about how hyped they are for Shadowlands to finally be launching next week.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 11/25 at 10:30 pm EST at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2l8

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#110: On Kael'thas Sunstrider

5 november 2020 | 84 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk about Kael'thas Sunstrider, former Prince of Quel'thalas, since we'll be encountering him in Shadowlands. But before they do, first they get sidetracked talking about the Steamy Romance novels and the apparent appearance of the author in Boralus. Then they talk about what they've been up to in game. Katie's been running Horrific Visions and islands to get her albatross. Nick is almost done with Mechagon and is planning to go back to the Firelands next.

Then they get into talking about Kael'thas. They talk about his history in Dalaran before the Second War and get distracted by his fascination with Jaina. Then they talk about how the Scourge destroy Silvermoon and that brings him back from his travels, and his ensuing struggles to connect with his people. He christens them Sin’dorei, or Blood Elves. Kael'thas then winds up heading out and encountering the Night Elf contingent of Tyrande, Illidan, Maiev, and Malfurion in a situation that aggravates Katie. Then he meets Garithos and after working with the Naga to stave off the Scourge, is imprisoned by his commander.

Lady Vashj frees Kael'thas and takes him to Outland. They meet back up with Illidan and they work to defeat Magtheridon and claim the Black Temple. After a poorly executed excursion to Northrend, Kael'thas eventually falls under Kil'jaeden's sway and leaves to go to Netherstorm where he takes over Tempest Keep. Players defeat him there, but he manages to barely survive. He then returns to Quel'danas to bring Kil'jaeden to Azeroth but is finally defeated in Magister's Terrace.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 10/28 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2kv

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#109: Living, Laughing, and Loring (featuring Gin & Ali)

23 oktober 2020 | 70 min

This week Gin and Ali from the Live, Laugh, Lore podcast (among many others!) join Nick and Katie to talk about Shadowlands hype. First, after Nick rants briefly about episode numbers, they talk a bit about the founding of Live, Laugh, Lore and how Gin and Ali came together from their other podcast projects to talk about Warcraft lore on a biweekly basis.

Then, Nick brings up the book "Enemy Infiltration - Preface" which is found in the Spire of the Unseen Guests, which is a clear reference to the dreadlords. The group discusses the possible interpretations of the book, including the revelation that Lothraxion could still be in league with the Nathrezim and they discuss just how much you can trust the Dreadlords, including even as far as leaving the book around.

Nick poses a theory for how the expansion could end, and that leads to a discussion of whether or not Arthas deserves redemption. Gin mentions that the Art Book that came with the Shadowlands Collectors Edition contains some significant lore nuggets. Katie checks out for a bit while Gin and Ali tell Nick about the purpose behind the Helm of Domination and its connection to the Jailer.

Katie comes back and the group goes off topic a bit talking about popcorn. When they get back on topic, they look at Sylvanas' possible role as Illidan 2.0 in the great cosmic war.

Finally, they about Steve Danuser's recent interview where he compared souls to ropes and try to make that fit with the rest of the known story.

Thanks again to Gin and Ali for coming on! Check out Live, Laugh, Lore on your favorite podcatcher of choice.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 11/11 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2k5

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#108: On Bolvar Fordragon

8 oktober 2020 | 61 min

Nick and Katie are back and after Nick gets some letters confused they talk about the history of Highlord and Lich King Bolvar Fordragon.

First, they talk about his history with his daughter Taelia and his possible romance with Calia Menethil, which is purely fan speculation at this point. Nick wonders if they rekindle their relationship if their supernatural natures could allow them to make some special child.

Bolvar appears in vanilla serving as the Regent for Stormwind in Varian's absence, while Anduin is a child king. Bolvar is involved in the Onyxia attunement quests, as rumors suggest that Lady Katrana Prestor is up to no good but Bolvar continually requires proof. Finally, she is confronted and Bolvar helps fight her out of Stormwind, and then sends the player to defeat her in Dustwallow Marsh. Bolvar also sends players to Silithus and Naxxramas when those patches were active.

In Wrath of the Lich King, Varian returns so Bolvar can lead the Alliance to Northrend. He winds up at the Wrathgate where his fate is decided. He seems to have a cordial relationship with Dranosh, until Arthas shows up and kills the orc. Putress then rains down blight and before Bolvar can die, he is burned by Alexstraza's fire which turns him into the charred husk he is today. Nick talks about Arthas being jealous of Alexstraza for burning people with no objection. Katie wonders if the Aspect of Life knew was she was doing when she saved Bolvar.

Bolvar then appears again after being tortured at the Frozen Throne. After Arthas' defeat, Bolvar stops Tirion from putting on the Helm of Domination and claims that fate for himself, becoming the new Lich King and being encased in ice.

In Legion, Bolvar reclaims the Knights of the Ebon Blade as his servants. Nick wonders if that was Bolvar's plan all along, or if he just got lucky.

Katie mentions that Bolvar shows up in BfA to talk with Vol'jin in a hostile fashion.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 10/14 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2jk

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#107: On Garrosh Hellscream

1 oktober 2020 | 58 min

Nick and Katie are back and now that we’ve looked at the Revendreth short, its time to look at the life of Garrosh Hellscream. They discuss his childhood when he was sick and abandoned by his father. Then they talk about Thrall coming and showing him that his father was a hero and recruiting him to the Horde. Next, Garrosh goes to Northrend where he leads the Horde against the Lich King and learns from Saurfang in the process. He comes back and Thrall makes him Warchief and things go downhill. He fights and murders Cairne thanks to the involvement of Magatha Grimtotem. Conversely, he looks noble in Stormtalon Peaks when he rejects Grom’kar’s hostility and throws him off a cliff. He jumps off a zeppelin in Twilight Highlands because he can be hyper aggressive.

Garrosh then bombs Theramore, and sends the Horde into a tailspin. He sends a scouting force into Pandaria to secure a beachhead, and then leads the following invansion. He finds the Divine Bell and almost kills Anduin with it though not for lack of trying. He then gets the Heart of Y'shaarj and uses its power to fight the Horde and Alliance, but is defeated. He is imprisoned and taken to Pandaria, where he compares himself to Arthas before portaling away to the an alternatime timeline Draenor 35 years in the past. He gets Grommash to not drink Mannoroth's blood, and helps build the Iron Horde to assault Azeroth. We go and find him in Nagrand, and then Thrall shows up and they finish their Mak'gora with Thrall killing Garrosh. And then he goes to Revendreth.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 9/30 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2jb

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#106: On Afterlives: Revendreth

23 september 2020 | 39 min

Nick and Katie are here to talk about the final Afterlives animated short on Revendreth. Nick compares this to the other episodes as they all focused on a character while this one centered on the zone itself, with a marginal (but important) role for Garrosh Hellscream. They discuss if there is an order to the cinematics, showing how the situation in the Shadowlands has devolved over time, since the Bastion cinematic took place while before the anima drought, and even in Ardenweald, the story started ahead of the drought and then progressed into it. Clearly in Revendreth, the drought has been going on for some time.

They talk about Garrosh being used as an anima supply, and the irony of Garrosh rejecting chains and shackles regularly throughout his life only to find himself enslaved in such a fashion. They comment on Sire Denathrius faux-benevolent tone. Katie wonders if we'll see other characters like Kael'thas or Kel'thuzad in the zone. Nick hypes the music for the zone and mentions that Danathrius has the echo affect on his voice like the other leaders of the dead. They mention that he is most likely one of the bosses, if not the boss, of the first raid, Castle Nathria. They also compare Garrosh's situation to Gul'dan at the start of Warlords of Draenor, and speculate how the player and Garrosh finally meeting could go upon their arrival.

Finally, Nick and Katie ponder which of the cinematics and zones they like best, and they debate how “sunlight” works in the Shadowlands.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 9/30 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons, but please check twitter for any scheduling changes. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2j4

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#105: On Ursoc and Afterlives: Ardenweald

14 september 2020 | 47 min

POOR URSOC!!! Nick and Katie are here to work through their grief over the bear god's fate. But first, Nick rants about how Night Elves always have the most tragic stories, in pointing out the similarities between Ardenweald and Val'sharrah (and Teldrassil, for what its worth.)

Then, the duo get into Ursoc's history. They talk about how he and his brother Ursol were empowered by Freya to become wild gods. They also talk about how Freya gave Ursoc the Claw of Ursoc and he worked to master them. Ursoc and Ursol were quick to respond to the call for help during the War of the Ancients, and they were killed when they were overrun by felhounds. Ursoc was resurrected by the Grizzlemaw furbolgs in Grizzly Hills, and then we had to kill him because he was corrupted by Yogg-Saron. He then spends his time in the Emerald Dream until he's trapped by Xavius and corrupted to become a boss in the Emerald Nightmare raid, which is where the cinematic picks up.

Nick and Katie then talk about the cinematic, and try to divine how the cycle of life and death works for wild gods. Nick compares the Emerald Dream to the Firelands for Ragnaros and the Twisting Nether for demons, and wonders if we'll see characters like Ragnaros or Kil'jaeden in the Shadowlands somewhere (probably not.) They also talk about how powerful beings in the Shadowlands (or connected to the Shadowlands) get the echo-reverb effect, like the Winter Queen, or the Archon of Bastion, or the Lich King.

They also then wonder about what it means to live in the Shadowlands like fauns like Ara'lon and discuss what that must be like.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 9/16 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. We are also doing a live recording on 9/17 at 11:30 pm E. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2iu

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#104: On Draka and Afterlives: Maldraxxus

7 september 2020 | 63 min

Nick and Katie are back with a whole new animated short to talk about! This time, we learn about Draka's experiences serving in Maldraxxus. But first Katie and Nick try to list notable orc women. Then, the duo review Draka's life. Draka was born weak and set out on a quest to get ingredients for a potion to cure her, but it turns out the quest itself did the job. Then she meets Durotan and they get married and have a kid. They are exiled to Alteract Valley and Nick shares the two versions of their meeting with Orgrim and the ensuing ambush, as detailed in Lord of the Clans and Chronicle Volume II. Draka is killed in the ambush but Nick focuses on the particularly tragic death of Durotan.

The pair then discuss the cinematic. They talk about Draka becoming a rogue in the afterlife. They consider why the other denizens of Maldraxxus are all skeletons, and wonder about the purpose of existence. They talk about the shot of the two felguards and how it was cribbed from Harbingers: Illidan, and look at what that could mean, assuming Blizzard wasn't just blindly reusing assets (although Nick points out that they reuse assets in the game all the time.) They talk about what the implications are that the Legion is in the Shadowlands, unless Draka is free to leave the Shadowlands, which also has massive implications, and wonder about the flow of power between the various realms. Finally, Nick considers if Draka's soul was split like Uther's, but because of her existence on Alternate Draenor.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 9/10 at 11:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2im

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#103: On Uther and Afterlives: Bastion

31 augusti 2020 | 69 min

Blizzard released the first of four Afterlives animated shorts on Thursday, and Katie and Nick couldn't wait to talk about it. The cinematic focuses on what happened to Uther after he died, so the duo begins by talking about Uther's life.

They talk about how Uther was an apprentice to Alonsus Faol, who then selected him to become part of the Order of the Silver Hand. Uther was given the Libram of Justice and served with Anduin Lothar and Turalyon. In the Second War, the paladins fought the orc death knights and won. Uther later discovered the betrayal of the Alliance by Alterac, and then fought in the battle of Blackrock Spire. Turalyon christened him the Lightbringer. Uther led the assault against the Burning Blade at the Dark Portal.

Uther then takes on Arthas as a student, who he sees as a son. Nick and Katie enjoy the fact that Uther gave Arthas ceremonial shoulderplates. Arthas starts to fall under the sway of the Lich King, which culminates in the Culling of Stratholme. Arthas eventually kills Uther, but his story does not end there. Uther is entombed in the Western Plaguelands, and quests in Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King had players interacting with his ghost.

Now caught up, the pair are able to talk about the cinematic. They talk about how Arthas plays such a key role in the cinematic, and speculate on what his role in Shadowlands will be. They look at Uther's invocation of the Light just before dying, and wonder if the Light isn't responsible for what's happening in Bastion. They examine how Uther's soul was split, and consider if that could be an effect of being stabbed by Frostmourne. In particular, they wonder about another famous victim of Frostmourne, Sylvanas. They talk about Devos and Uther become dark angels and wonder just who the bad guys in Bastion will be. Nick congratulates Blizzard on using Arthas to market Shadowlands.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 9/3 at 11:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2if

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#102: On C'Thun and Ahn'Qiraj (feat. CognitivePit)

27 augusti 2020 | 62 min

Ryan aka CognitivePit from Warcraft Reloaded is here with Nick and Katie to talk about C'Thun and the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj since the gates just opened on WoW Classic! Nick asks Ryan if he got his Scarab Lord title and he did not. Ryan then talks a bit about playing through the Ahn'Qiraj experience. They then get into some of the lore around C'Thun and the gates and talk about Fandral Staghelm sending his son Valstann to regrow Silithus. Valstann stumbles into Ahn'Qiraj and awakens C'Thun and the Qiraji and the War of the Shifting Sands begins. Nick wonders about how people keep wandering into sleeping Old Gods causing problems.

Nick then goes back to the origins of Ahn'Qiraj, talking about how the Zandalari awoke the C'thraxxi Kith'ix, who led an Aqir army, and started the Troll-Aqir war. The Aqir were pushed into Ahn'Qiraj where the Zandalari and Gurbashi trapped them, and then they were warped into the Qiraji by C'Thun's power. Ryan goes into the ways the Anubiseth were affected by C'Thun and talks about some of the Ahn'Qiraj bosses like the Twin Emperors and Prophet Skeram.

They then talk about Fandral going nuts when Valstann is killed and how Fandral ultimately joins Ragnaros. This leads to a discussion of how Old Gods tend to corrupt people.

They talk about Saurfang leading the united war front, and the effort required to gather so much cloth for the war effort for bandages.

Nick brings up how Cho'gall started the War by sacrificing several cultists to awaken C'Thun.

Finally, Ryan ends by talking about his show Warcraft Reloaded.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 9/2 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2ie

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#101: Warcraft 101 (feat. Bryce & James)

21 augusti 2020 | 75 min

Nick and Katie are back but Katie brought friends! Joining the pair tonight are James, Katie's brother, and Bryce, Katie's boyfriend. James plays WoW but hasn't paid much attention to the lore, and Bryce has only just started playing but has picked up some tidbits of story from Katie through osmosis. To honor episode #101, Katie decided to hold a Warcraft 101 style class so she and Nick could educate these two "students."

With introductions out of the way, Bryce starts with a lengthy narrative vividly describing his understanding of the Warcraft lore. It is definitely influenced by Katie's opinions. He starts with the orcs forming the Horde on "Durostar" and coming through the portal and leads through the events of Warcraft III and then up to Battle for Azeroth. James then has a turn, and he is able to describe the history of WoW by going through his memory of the raids. Katie and Nick try to correct some of what they can.

James asks about the history of the warchief. Bryce says that Grommash, Garrosh, and Thrall were the three warchieves and they now sit on the Horde council, along with Vol'jin's ashes. Nick then runs through a quick history of the position from Blackhand (as manipulated by Gul'dan) up through Sylvanas killing Saurfang and then fleeing and the formation of the Council.

Bryce then asks about mages and portals. Katie talks about the Kirin Tor and the group concludes that mages are terrible.

Finally, we finish with James and Bryce describing WoW characters, and Nick and Katie (with help from Gin from Morally Grey and Ali from Dungeon Fables in the chat) trying to guess who they are talking about.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 8/19 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2i8

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#100: On Shadows Rising

29 juli 2020 | 90 min

Join Nick and Katie as they celebrate 100 episodes. First, they take a moment to thank everyone for helping them get this far.

Nick and Katie both just finished the Shadowlands pre-expansion novel, Shadows Rising by Madeline Roux, and they are excited to talk about it. Nick talks about missing the various voice talents when reading the story, and Katie talks about Susan Wokoma, the voice actress for Talanji, reading the audio book.

They talk about Zekhan's role in the book and the fact that Bwonsamdi calls him Zappy Boy. Nick suggests that Bwonsamdi has a loose relationship with the fourth wall like Deadpool. Katie talks about Zekhan's large role in the book. They talk about his near death scene burning in the tar, and Nick says he wasn't worried because all deaths are cheapened at the moment since we are about to head into the Shadowlands.

The pair point out that the climax of the story happens simultaneously with Sylvanas ripping the Helm of Domination apart in Icecrown and opening the hole in the sky.

They consider troll regeneration and look at what was wrong with Apari’s leg.

Then then talk about Anduin and Roux's depiction of leadership, with many of the characters physically exhibiting signs of stress and rubbing their temples often.

They talk about the evolution of Tyrande as the Night Warrior and her brief but important role in the book.

Nick considers the Stockades where Sira is imprisoned and how they had a role at the start of the expansion and now again at the end.

They talk about the Horde and Alliance and how the Horde is at relative peace at the end, while the Alliance is still in turmoil.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 8/6 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2hh

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

Where We're Going (feat. Gin)

24 juli 2020 | 40 min

Nick's conversation with Gin continues as they get into what they are most looking forward to in the next expansion. SPOILERS FOR SHADOWS RISING AND FOR SHADOWLANDS AHEAD. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Gin says he's most looking forward to Sylvanas' journey for how she gets from poofing out of Ogrimmar to breaking the Helm of Domination. He also mentions that Warcraft's first homosexual relationship has been confirmed in that Flynn Fairwind and Matthias Shaw are a couple in Shadows Rising. Nick expresses surprise in that he missed the clues in game.

GIn talks about how the book involves everyone reaction to Sylvanas but doesn't feature her for much of it. He talks about how Nathanos and Sira Moonwarden are working together, as well as Talanji and Bwon'samdi, and of course Flynn and Shaw.

They get into a discussion of Turalyon and Alleria and Nick misunderstands what Gin is saying. They talk about how Turalyon was so fixed by his time with the Light (and Xe'ra) and now that he is out from under that, he can finally grow again. They talk about how the Warcraft lore has grown since Chronicle came out and that the Light and the Void are being disassociated from good and evil.

Nick asserts that the reception for Shadowlands will entirely hinge on how welll Blizzard can reveal Sylvanas' motives. If players are unhappy with the reveal, then their opinions of the expansion willl be harsher. If they appreciate it, Battle for Azeroth can retroactively be made better.

They discuss the need for a Chronicle Volume 4, and how much of the lore around the Argus raid is missing. They talk about using Chronicle Volume 4 to fill in the lore from the viewpoint of the other characters (the first ones?)

They speculate about how souls can be split after death and Gin talks about his expectations that the blacksmith in the Maw willbe a major character. They talk about some of the artifact weapons. They also talk about many of the characters they look forward to interacting with.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 7/22 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2hb

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#99: Where We've Been (feat. Gin)

15 juli 2020 | 71 min

Gin from Morally Grey is here to fill in for Katie and talk with Nick about playing alts and some of his recent interview with Madeline Roux, author of Shadows Rising.

They start with Nick diving into Gin's favorite part of the interview with her, talking about her writing process and her favorite characters. They discuss how some people have problems separating the actions of fictional characters from the authors or creators, with Nick talking about the recent death threats against Laura Bailey.

They then talk about podcasting while drinking, and Nick credits Gin for his sounders on Morally Grey. They talk about recording podcasts and the struggles with editing them, and then switching to streaming. They also talk about recording episodes in a cluster for release later. They also discuss Gin's plans for Morally Grey as it moves from Warcraft II into Warcraft III. Gin also talks a bit about A Thousand Years of War, regarding Turalyon and Alleria.

They get off on a tangent about screenshots, with Nick talking about how he takes too many screenshots and Gin not taking any at all.

They then talk about the Developer Livestream where it was revealed that Torghast would not be gated and they complain a bit about Horrific Visions being gated behind dailies. Nick compares that to the Paragon reputations, and then talks about how a single attunement would be preferable to daily unlocks.

Gin is appreciative that seemingly everything discussed at Blizzcon will be in Shadowlands, and was elaborated on in the livestream. Nick points out that Blizzard seems to be carefullly responding to the criticisms of the development process for Battle for Azeroth. They compare how few mythic + dungeons they've run.

Gin talks about his alts for a bit, and then talks about the headcanon of race-changing your character. Nick defers since he has never race-changed, but Gin talks about how his one character has been multiple people. Nick then complains that the collections in the game are getting too big.

Gin and Nick compare histories of playing and quitting the game throughout the early expansions. Then they talk about weapon skill points and how they levelled up their unarmed combat.

They talk about Grim Batol in Cataclysm and how there are no kid dwarven or tauren models. This leads to a facetious discussion on the origin of gnomes.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 7/22 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2h3

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#98: On Alts (with Spazz Wesson)

1 juli 2020 | 72 min

Nick and Katie are back with special guest Spazz Wesson to talk about playing alts in World of Warcraft. But first, they talk about what they've been doing in game. Spazz mentions that he's been killing the same few MoP bosses for mounts, and this leads to a discussion about 8.3 being one of the deader final patches in WoW history. The trio compares 8.3 with 6.2 and 7.3, delving into why features such as the Mage Tower made Legion such a strong expansion. They consider if the strength of the prior expansions is a detriment to the subsequent content. They conclude with Katie talking about playing with her boyfriend and boring him with lore.

Spazz asks the question, " When you watch a cinematic in game for the first time, do you react as your main, as yourself or do you react as all your characters?" Nick throws the question to Spazz first, who talks about his alts and how his main is a night elf. Katie talks about her family of alts including Klanker and his Night Elf wife. Nick mentions the Battle for Azeroth cinematic and how Sylvanas' "For the Horde!" made him feel at the time. They discuss how their various alts relate to one another, and bring up other cinematics including Elisande's pre-raid encounter. They go in depth on the burning of Teldrassil, as that affected all characters differently. Nick and Spazz agree that everyone should have a Sylvanas loyalist character. They talk further about how their characters reacted to Sylvanas trusting them early in the Horde campaign. Finally, hey talk a bit about how alts level through the world.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin
on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 7/6 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2gk

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#97: On "A Moment in Verse"

17 juni 2020 | 72 min

Nick and Katie are back with new WoW content to talk about! But first, Katie is excited because not only did she get Ahead of the Curve on Heroic N'Zoth (and thus, her mount) but she also was able to get the Mail Muncher mount as well! And she's been having fun playing with her brother. Nick, meanwhile, has been hanging out in Mechagon.

Nick brings up his theory that life the last few years and especially into 2020 feels alot like living on Azeroth where there are constant planetary threats emerging.

Finally, the duo gets into "A Moment in Verse," the new short story by Madeline Roux, who will be authoring "Shadows Rising," the Shadowlands prequel novel. They talk about Lor'themar being very serious in his role as Regent Lord, and how he and Thalyssra have connected since their meeting in the Void Elf and Nightborne intro quests. They also discuss their working together in Naz'jatar, and their increasing closeness suggested in their post-Reckoning dialog.

They discuss Lor'themar's arrival in Suramar, and how he's greeted by Thalyssra. They get into an off-topic discussion about how the TItans would have made all the races, so there would be some biological compatibility. They talk about Lor'themar's poetry, and go over some of the highlights of his poem, "The Adder." They talk about how the adder is Kael'thas, and speculate on whether Lor'themar and Kael'thas will interact with each other in Shadowlands.

They also talk about how Shadows are used in the story. Nick compares Lor'themar to Illidan, and then Nick comments that elves need cell phones.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 6/24 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2g5

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#96: On Loremaster feat. Frazley, Loremaster of Guests

3 juni 2020 | 72 min

Frazley from Stories Around Azeroth, The Frazlcast, The Converted Podcast, The Frazley Report, Be Great Today, and more is here to talk about working on getting Loremaster! But first, he and Katie discuss their recent D&D session together. They talk about Katie playing a Dragonborn and not having darkvision and Frazley playing a gnome (of course!) and some of their shenanigans. They also talk about the joys of learning how to play D&D and the fun that can come from not knowing what you're doing. Katie goes in depth on the time she was able to tame a manticore.

Finally, Frazley talks about leveling alts. Katie mentions that her guild You Had One Job defeated N'Zoth without her. Nick talks about how he was trying to level through Warlords of Draenor in the alpha but he was doing it wrong.

The trio gets into discussing Frazley going for loremaster, and they talk about some of their favorite zones to level through. They get into a discussion of where they think the game is going. Frazley theorizes about N'Zoth's real fate, and they riff on Sylvanas being reincarnated as a gnome. They look at how Cataclysm changed the game and the questing experience. Frazley mentions his struggles leveling through Burning Crusade. Katie reminisces about enjoying Northrend. Nick considers how Blizzard’s sliding narrative has helped the game and will ensure that it will never run out of content. They consider whether the game should travel to someplace completely new or expand lore for existing content.

Thank you to Frazley for coming on the show! Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 6/3 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2fn

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#95: On N'Zoth

20 maj 2020 | 82 min

Nick and Katie are here to talk about all things N'Zoth! But first, Katie talks about playing with her brother who doesn't pay attention to quest text. Nick talks about finally getting his cloak, and then goes on a rant about being a Tauren and having helms with horns.

They start talking about N'Zoth, but Nick brings up that we first learned about N'Zoth at the Blizzcon Lore Panel in 2010. He then brings up how we first saw art for N'Zoth on a Hearthstone card, and how this is unusual that the character was so hidden for so long.

Then they talk about N'Zoth's history after the fall of the Black Empire, starting with his recruitment of Deathwing and Azshara. They discuss how N'Zoth reached out to Deathwing because he was down in the earth and easily reached. They talk about how N'Zoth controlled a fish to communicate with Azshara and how he was trapped so he accepted her counter-offer. They also talk about N'Zoth recruiting the Elemental Lords and complain about Neptulon's sudden anti-climactic reappearance in Legion, and how these four bosses together formed the basis for much of the conflict in Legion. They also praise the Vash'jir zone.

They speculate that N'Zoth plays at being the weakest Old God but that doesn't mean that he's weak at all. They also discuss the theory that N'Zoth is tracking who defeats his minions to know who he needs to corrupt and recruit. They very quickly run through the BfA story. They talk about the various ways Blizzard could bring N'Zoth back if they so choose.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 5/20 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2f8

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#94: On the Old Gods and Black Empire

6 maj 2020 | 65 min

Katie is back this week with a SHOCKING SURPRISE! Klanker has moved from Dalaran-US to Earthen Ring-US. This throws Nick off and the two talk about server transfers for a bit before resuming the show. Katie then talks about raiding and getting to 10 of 12 in Heroic Ny'alotha. Nick meanwhile has been leveling his demon hunter and working on finally getting his cloak.

Then the two talk about the Old Gods. Katie talks about how the Void Lords flung the Old Gods as masses of flesh into the universe, and how they randomly hit planets. The Titans were looking for dormant World Souls, and Sargeras found a corrupted planet that was too infested to save. He cleaved the planet in two and found the Nathrezim (Dread Lords) who told Sargeras of the threat that the Old Gods pose. Sargeras dedicated himself to fighting the Old Gods and decided to form the Burning Legion to help with that.

When talking about Sargeras cleaving the planet, Nick compares this with Sargeras stabbing Azeroth, and the duo debate just what was the purpose of Sargeras stabbing the planet, since he could easily have cleaved it earlier before he was pulled away by the Pantheon.

Back on Azeroth, the Old Gods hit the planet and find that the elemental lords are out of control. They subjugate the elements and the Black Empire is created. The Titans show up and Aman'thul rips Y'shaarj out, creating the Well of Eternity. Nick and Katie then ponder about what happens to Old Gods when they die, and even what happens to lesser Old God minions. Could we see the Mantid in Shadowlands?

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 5/13 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: tb.gg/2ew

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#93: Just the Tauren IV: Spoilers and FFVII

22 april 2020 | 47 min

Nick is here alone with some thoughts on spoilers. He talks a little about how he's been playing his Demon Hunter in WoW and enjoying the synergy of playing that alongside the new Hearthstone expansion.

Then he talks about how with the alpha out for Shadowlands, we're entering a new period for spoilers to be revealed. He mentions the Uther model that some people were disappointed with and talks about how perhaps in game, in motion, it will look better. He then talks about how datamined information lacks the context that would be part of the experience of playing the game itself, and wonders if that can ruin the experience. He also suggests that Blizzard should release a book with all the relevant information so that players can at least learn the twists and reveals through an engaging narrative. He detours briefly to consider that the Shadowlands cinematic should have been the final Battle for Azeroth cinematic, and praises Siege of Orgrimmar as the best raid.

Next, Nick talks briefly about the Final Fantasy VII Remake, with the caveat that there will be spoilers for that game. First, he mentions Karoud and Aerith in Dalaran as a homage to the characters. Then, he compares some events from the Remake to the War of the Ancients and how there are two timelines for those events. He wonders why authors choose to tell a story that doesn't need time travel elements to use time travel, and compares them to some earlier Marvel movies. He discusses how Illidan, Tyrande, and Malfurion change over the course of the novels and don't need any modern characters to justify that story.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 4/29 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2ei

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#92: On Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker (For Real This TIme!)

9 april 2020 | 68 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk about Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker, and they mean it this time! First, Katie talks about levelling some characters with the Winds of Wisdom buff. Nick also has been playing a Demon Hunter. Then they get into their topic!

First, Nick reviews Thunderfury's stats, at least as they currently are in game.

Then, they talk about how Azeroth was covered by the elements, and the Old Gods came and enslaved the elements, and the Titans built the Keepers to battle them. Al'Akir, the Windlord, faced Ra, Thorim, and Hodir. The Keepers defeated the Elementals, and Helya created the Elemenal Planes to entrap them.

Ragnaros, did not like Thunderaan, Prince of Air, and he and Garr and Baron Geddon attacked the prince. Ragnaros consumed what he could of Thunderaan's essence, and then trapped the rest in a talisman, and split the talisman in two. Garr and Geddon each still hold half the of the talisman when players come to fight them in Molten Core in vanilla. They take the bindings to Highlord Demitrian in Silithus, and he assembles them and summons Thunderaan. The players kill Thunderaan, and get Demitrian to craft Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker.

In Cataclysm, Al'Akir is defeated in Throne of the Four Winds. A goblin named Nik the Mountain appears to have Thunderfury in the Badlands.

In Legion, the shaman class hall questline is to unite the elemental lords. To do so, Thunderaan is resummoned to lead the wind elements. Rogues are able to get two bindings from Dagrul and Ash'golm, and take them to Thrymjaris. She summons Thunderaan, and he bequeaths power upon the Dreadblades in exchange. He mentions his plan to entrap the fireflord.

Finally, Thunderaan asks the shaman player to quell an uprising from the Conclave of the Wind. Shaman then get their special mounts in Legion. Katie talks about why that mount leaves her feeling uncomfortable.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 4/15 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2e7

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

On Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker

1 april 2020 | 61 min

#91: On Torghast, Dreadlords, and Shadowlands (feat. Ali)

25 mars 2020 | 83 min

Ali from Dungeon Fables and All Things Azeroth is here to chat with Nick and Katie about Torghast and more. But first Ali talks a little about her recent series on Icecrown Citadel. Then Ali talks about raiding N'Zoth with her groups, and wonders if it might be quicker for her to try to beat N'Zoth on LFR. Katie then talks about her week spent gathering mounts including Bruce from the Brawler's Guild and Rotfeaster from the 8.3 content.

A few weeks ago, Ali messaged Nick with a question about the history of Torghast. So Nick repeats the question and they talk a little about the lore. Nick points out that Icecrown Citadel was inspired aesthetically by the Lord of the Rings movies, and that Torghast is a reworking of that architecture to look like a pre-cursor to the structure around the Frozen Throne. They talk about how the Dreadlords were heavily involved in the creation of Icecrown, as well as forging Frostmourne and the Helm of Domination, and consider just how connected the Dreadlords are to the Shadowlands. They discuss the Gargoyle models that were revealed back at Blizzcon and how people are viewing them as some relative of the Dreadlords.

Everyone talks about the Old Gods and how they might fit into the Shadowlands. Nick considers Odin's eye and how that might be related to N'Zoth's "All eyes are open" comment. They also discuss the cosmology of the Shadowlands and how easy it will be for people to get back and forth, and try to compare the Shadowlands with what we know about the Emerald Dream. Ultimately, everyone is excited for Shadowlands and can't wait to see what secrets will be revealed.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 4/1 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2dr

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#90: On the Council of Tirisfal

11 mars 2020 | 75 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk about the Council of Tirisfal, and they almost start to get into it right off the bat with an argument about Med'an and if he's canon. Then they get into what they've been doing in game. Katie has been raising her Bitey McStabface mount, while Nick has barely touched the 8.3 content. They argue about how important it is to get into that, and Nick agrees the ilvl boost would help with the Mechagon mobs.

Then they get right back to business. Nick goes over the history of the Council of Tirisfal, starting with the early problems of the City of Dalaran. Their overuse of magic brought on minor demon invasions, so they had to reach out to the mages of Quel'thalas for help. The elves told the humans to cut back on their magic use, but instead the humans decided it would be easier to keep the demons a secret and assemble a Council for the express purpose of destroying these demons. Thus, the Council of Tirisfal was born.

Everything went well until a demon named Kathra'natir arrived. He found the flaw in the Council's Spearhead plan, and nearly wiped out the council but for a young mage named Alodi, which Nick struggles to say. Alodi worked with the remaining members of the council to let him become the first Guardian, and used the imbued power to defeat Kathra'natir. Alodi served as the Guardian for a century before passing his powers to the next Guardian and retiring.

Many centuries later, Magna Scavell was the Guardian, and he could not retire because there were no suitable replacements. He fought a demon in Deadwind Pass and acquired the scythe Uthalesh, which he then buried. To find a new Guardian, he assembled five apprentices and selected his successfor from amongst them. The one he chose was Aegwynn.

Aegwynn became the Guardian and grew distrustful of the Council of Tirisfal. She went to Northrend and fought demons with the dragons, but then the Avatar of Sargeras arrived. Aegwynn slew the avatar, but Sargeras' spirit slipped into her. She buried the avatar in the Tomb of Sargeras, and then spent the next few centuries refusing to yield her power back to the Council. The Council formed the Tirisgarde to hunt her down, but instead one of their members fell in love with her. They concieved a child who would recieve Aegwynn's powers on his 14th birthday. When he did, he slipped into a coma. His name was Medivh.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 3/18 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2d7

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#89: On Dead, Traumatized, Purple, Villainous Women

27 februari 2020 | 73 min

Nick and Katie were bothered by a recent article from Vice critical of Blizzard's narrative and are here to talk about it. But first, they talk briefly about how things have been going in game. Katie has had no luck getting the Love Rocket this Love is in the Air, but she has been enjoying her Horrific Visions. Nick has been steadily working his way through the Mechagon achievements. They briefly get derailed and talk about how Shadow Priests and Void Elves should have special ways of dealing with the corruption in Horrific Visions.

Finally, they get into the main event. Vice recently had an article that complained that Kerrigan from Starcraft, Sylvanas from Warcraft, and Widowmaker from Overwatch were all conceptually similar, and evaluated what that means about Blizzard's storytelling. The article complained that these characters were mistreatments of women, and therefore, that Blizzard is incapable of writing women well. It also asserted this was due to Blizzard's young male foundations back in the 90's. Nick and Katie cite several examples of women written well and women that violate the article's thesis, including characters like Garona and Azshara who are mentioned in the article, to establish that Blizzard can write women other ways and to prove that Blizzard can write women. They also talk about how the creative team has changed, so to say that the game is stuck in this narrative is just outright wrong, and look at how Sylvanas is stil evolving since her arc will continue into Shadowlands. Overall, the author felt like she had an axe to grind against Blizzard that hurt whatever thesis she was trying to make, as the column overreaches in the last few paragraphs.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 3/4 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2cx

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#88: On Ny'alotha and BfA's Finale

13 februari 2020 | 74 min

Nick and Katie are here to look at the recent cinematics to close out Battle for Azeroth, but first they talk about what they've been up to. Katie has been enjoying the 8.3 content and getting her alpaca mounts. Nick shares a bug that he encountered that had Dunegorger Kraulok on the Spires of Arak map. Nick also has been taking advantage of the new hunter tames availalbe, as he ran Skyreach to get Rukhran. Katie has also been playing Warcraft 3 and been enjoying the experience. Nick highlights some of the complaints that he has heard. Katie says that from her perspective the game is great.

They finally get to talking about the Ny'alotha cinematic. Nick points out that the cinematic should be epic, since you are firing the Forge of Origination through the player to blow up N'Zoth, but somehow it feels flat. They discuss how Battle for Azeroth had multiple plots to juggle, and how other cinematics, especially Reckoning in 8.2.5, undercut the Ny'alotha finale. They mention the awesome Wrathion cinematic that happens earlier in the raid and wonder if that would have felt better coming later, even though this cinematic did not allow for a major lore character to steal the player's kill. Katie tries to re-order the events of Battle for Azeroth so that the finale could make sense.

Nick talks about how Mechagon could have been its own expansion with a weighty premise, but Blizzard chose to make that a zone instead. They compare Mechagon and Nazjatar. They try to determine what could have made the Ny'alotha cinematic better. Nick recommends that Sylvanas should have appeared. Katie points out that the invasions are awesome.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 2/19 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2cn

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#87: On 8.3 and Old God Optometry

29 januari 2020 | 71 min

Nick and Katie are here and so is the Visions of N'Zoth Content Update and they are ready to talk about it!

First, Nick talks briefly about the questline to unlock Mechagnomes. Mekkatorque is back after hanging out in a Baby Yoda pod and he is leading all the gnomes now!

Then, Katie runs through the questline for the Vulpera. Nick and Katie agree that the best part is the winery part of the quest, which involves Nomi, and a Tauren and a Goblin! Nick then complains that the questline made Baine look a little inept.

Next, Nick quickly recaps the Worgen heritage armor questline. He talks about taking Tess Greymane into the Emerald Dream so she can pretend to be a worgen and learn what it is like.

Finally, Katie gets into the intro quests for 8.3 She talks about how long it took to get it done (about three hours). Nick and Katie talk about Anduin punching Wrathion and consider whether N'Zoth was affecting him, and if so, how much. Katie talks about traveling around the world (with portals) and working with Wrathion and Magni. There is a discussion about N'Zoth needing eye glasses.

Finally, Nick and Katie begin to consider Battle for Azeroth in its entirety and think about if the end of the expansion was satisfactory. They briefly compare N'Zoth to Arthas and look at Blizzard's narrative mechanics over the years. Katie talks about how BfA felt like several stories entwined in one, and they debate if Blizzard was able to make that work overall. Nick indicates this conversation will be continued next time.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 1/29 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2c5

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#86: Best Wishes for 2020 - Part III

16 januari 2020 | 62 min

Welcome back to the finale of our three part Best Wishes for 2020 series!

We resume with a discussion of the Night Elves focusing on Tyrande and Malfurion. We talk about whether or not they got their vengeance and just how far should they go for it. Nick brings calls back to the Vindicaar.

Next we consider Azshara and her status coming out of Battle for Azeroth. Katie wants to see her dominant, but Nick wants her to bide her time before returning all the more powerful.

We jump over to Zek'han for a moment and Katie is all excited about her Zappyboi. We wonder if he will encounter his father Hekazi in the Shadowlands.

Looking back at a villain, we examine Xal'atath. Katie wants to see more of her but Nick thinks she should be a hanging plot thread for a while.

Next we get to one of Katie's favorites, Gallywix. She is excited for him but Nick just wants to see him moved over to the head of the Venture Company.

We revisit a Battle for Azeroth fan-favorite in Flynn Fairwind. We both agree we'd like to see more of him. Nick wants him to join the League of Explorers.

We start to discuss Talanji and that leads into a look at some recent dead characters who may return. For Talanji, we agree she's a great leader and Nick argues she should be Warchief. Then, Katie excitedly gets into Vol'jin and we look forward to finding out more about him in Shadowlands, as we assume he will have a big role. Then we talk about Bwonsamdi and his role to come in Shadowlands. Finally, we invoke Rastakhan, as surely he will be involved in whatever comes to pass with Bwonsamdi.

We further consider more of the dead that we may encounter in Shadowlands as we look at some characters who we had long ago written off. First up is Saurfang, who we fully expect to see in the Maw. Then we talk about Garrosh and his potential for redemption, and whether a revived, redeemed Garrosh could possibly serve again as Warchief. FInally, we discuss Kael'thas and how his interactions with Lor'themar should go.

Katie tries to have a wish for the Jailer but Nick claims that we don't know enough about the character to have any wishes. And that wraps up our 2020 Best Wishes series.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2bv

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#85: Best Wishes for 2020 - Part II

8 januari 2020 | 69 min

Welcome back to Part II of our Best Wishes for 2020! Picking up where we left off...

We start with what we wish for Taelia Fordragon. Pretty much we're all looking forward to her meeting her father.

Next we look at Calia Menethil, who some still speculate to be Taelia's mother. We talk about her ability to lead the Forsaken, and Nick fixates back on her relationship with Derek Proudmoore.

Also central to that relationship with Calia and Derek is Lillian Voss, as the three of them seem poised to rule the Forsaken as a triumvirate. We discuss whether that's a viable option for the undead going forward.

Nick has some fun speculating about how Thrall may spend his time in Orgrimmar, and comes up with a sad story for him, and also an amazing dad joke.

Next we consider what we want for Baine and Mayla. Nick also brings in Lor'themar and Thalyssra and Katie is frustrated by how he's coupling everyone off, but Nick points out that Blizzard seems to be putting these suggestions in game, and he thinks there may be a reason for that, given how the power of love can relate to death, and maybe all these relationships will be important in Shadowlands. Katie mentions that she wants Suramar as a main capital city hub for the Horde.

Katie gets excited about what to wish for Gazlowe. Nick complains about his architectural style.

Next we get into Wrathion. Nick accurately predicted his new model in 2019. We are excited to see him return.

We look at the Dragon Aspects in aggregate. Nick says he wants them to go away although he doubts they will. Katie is excited to see more of them.

Next, we consider Azeroth's state. We are concerned that we don't know how she's going to come out of Battle for Azeroth, as her wounds seem to be an ongoing issue, and it seems wrong to head to another plane of existence while she is still suffering.

We also examine Magni and his role as speaker, and where he should go in 2020.

Finally, we look at the absent Khadgar, and wonder if he will come back in Shadowlands. We also debate whether Medivh is dead or alive and if he would be in the Shadowlands.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2bm

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#84: Best Wishes for 2020 - Part I

31 december 2019 | 66 min

Happy New Year and Happy Belated Winter Veil! Nick and Katie ring in 2020 with a marathon three-part Tauren & Goblin looking at what we wish for a ton of our favorite characters in 2020. But first, Katie talks about the fun she had experiencing the Winter Veil holiday in game and riding the sleigh around Orgrimmar. Then, Nick talks about finally getting the Stormdrake mount from the Valarjar.

This week, we begin by talking about Sylvanas and how complicated she has been over the past few years. Katie still wants to see where she can go, but Nick has soured on any hope of redeeming her. Either way, her arc is expected to get a major focus in Shadowlands.

Next, we talk about Vareesa and Alleria and how we want them to be happy. Nick wants Alleria to be the one to kill steal Sylvanas for us. We also talk about Turalyon and what we want for him.

We look at Anduin and how he has grown, and consider what we want for him in 2020. Just how active a role should he have in Shadowlands?

Genn has been a controversial figure on this show, and we talk about what would be good for him in 2020. Nick offers a plot idea that might contradict with Sylvanas' stone cold reputation but would make an interesting twist.

Velen has not been in game much recently, but we consider him in 2020. Perhaps his time with Illidan should have him playing more of an active role in events, and he should maybe lend the Vindicaar to the Night Elves.

Derek Proudmoore was resurrected in Battle for Azeroth, and now seems to be forging a future with Calia. We consider that and wonder what may come for him, as Nick pushes for him and Calia to become an established couple.

Gelbin Mekkatorque was left encased in ice after the Battle of Dazar'Alor. Katie wants him to be up and around, while Nick thinks it would be cool if they built a mech-suit around his frozen form.

Finally, we talk about Bolvar taking a role front and center in Shadowlands. We wish well for him, but Nick (perhaps a bit crudely) wishes for him to return to Stormwind and rekindle his friendship with Anduin given how much they have changed over the years.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Happy New Year!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2be

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#83: On the Clash of Story and Mechanics

18 december 2019 | 65 min

#82: On Blizzcon & Shadowlands

4 december 2019 | 71 min

KIDS HAVE BEEN BORN AND BLIZZES HAVE BEEN CONNED AND NICK AND KATIE ARE BACK!!!

Katie has returned from her trip to Blizzcon and she talks about all the awesome people she got to meet up with including several friends of the show (although everyone she met with probably counts as a friend of the show now). Then she recounts her experience getting into the main hall for the Opening Ceremony, and how she wound up sitting at a Diablo IV demo station during the Diablo IV announcement. She and Nick discuss the relative level of gore in the cinematic.

Katie then brings up the Shadowlands cinematic, and the duo go down the rabbit hole. The first talk about Sylvanas' act of tearing the Helm of Domination while most everyone expected her to put it on. Nick can't help but start speculating on who we may see in the Shadowlands. They talk about how the Shadowlands fit into the greater WoW cosmos (thank you Chronicle chart, which Nick compares to Lost’s Dharma Initiative) and look at Blizzard's three expansion long narrative arcs (excluding Warlords of Draenor). Nick keeps bringing up Terran Gregory’s comments at this years Con Before the Storm panel about making the Diablo III Demon Hunter intro cinematic, and compares that to the Shadowloands cinematic. Katie forgets that the owl people are called Stewards. She talks about her chance to play the demo and how she used far sight to see lots of broken, unimplemented content. They can't wait to see where the story goes next.

Finally, as Nick is wrapping up, they talk briefly about the Overwatch 2 cinematic. Nick enjoyed this one best.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 12/11 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2ao

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#81: Vol'jin: From Cataclysm to Legion

19 november 2019 | 66 min

Nick and Katie finally get back around to picking up our look at Vol'jin's history in preparation for our study on the Horde War Campaign in Battle for Azeroth. We left off in episode 70 with Vol'jin leading the Darkspear in reclaiming Echo Isles at the start of Cataclysm. Now we pick up with his confrontation with new Warchief Garrosh Hellscream and how Vol'jin harshly threatens him upon his assumption of the mantle. This is followed by Vol'jin turning his back on the Zandalari leading into the troll dungeons in Patch 4.1.

In Mists of Pandaria, Vol'jin begins by reluctantly serving under Garrosh in the attack on Theramore. Vol'jin then reappears once the expansion begins in patch 5.1 as he comes to Pandaria to keep an eye on Garrosh. Garrosh sends Vol'jin into a trap, which Vol'jin recognizes as such, but he is still injured in an ambush and rescued by the player and Chen Stormstout.

This leads to Shadows of the Horde, which proves to be a controversial novel. Nick and Katie air their greivances with the story. It recounts how Vol'jin struggles with his identity as he learns the way of the monk and becomes friends with Taran Zhu and the human Tyrathan Khort. Katie feels that the story was paced poorly and should have been made into a collection of short stories. Nick feels that Vol'jin's motivation for opposing Garrosh is clear enough in the game and we didn't need a side story for Vol'jin to go into it any further. They do consider Bwon'samdi's involvement in the book interesting since he's become a character in Battle for Azeroth.

Vol'jin recovers from his injuries and then leads the Horde rebellion in Patch 5.3 until Garrosh is overthrown in Patch 5.4. Vol'jin assumes the mantle of Warchief, and does little in Warlords of Draenor, until he is slain in the introductory quest for Legion. It seemed like that would be the end for Vol'jin, except that his spirit is involved in Battle for Azeroth, which will be covered as we return to the War Campaign in the future.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/2aa

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#80: August Predictions

22 oktober 2019 | 70 min

This episode was recorded on August 1, right when the Patch 8.2.5 content hit the PTR. Thus, Nick and Katie spend a bit too much time at the start gushing over the new (at the time) content that was coming. They talk about the new Wrathion model and its attractiveness. They talk about how tastes may differ amongst the races. Nick struggles to remember Kairozdormu's name, and then he brings up some of the recent leaks. They consider what they expect from the next expansion, and Nick asserts that we're approaching an upperbound limit on the number of classes. They discuss the age of the game and how that is affecting development now.

They also consider the anniversary information in the content update, and wonder when 8.3 will be announced and released. They try to predict when 8.2.5 will be available. Katie shares her disappointment with the Goblin models. She also doesn't care for Calia but she is excited for Zekhan's new armored model.

Alisaunder emailed in asking what she is missing from this expansion, as the story is not clicking for her. Katie mentions that we have parts of a narrative but as of pre-8.2.5, we were still missing some major pieces to bring it all together. Nick talks about how datamining can play a role in understanding the story. Katie invokes the Old Gods and Nick complains that we are used to fitting everything into a narrative that supports a big bad villain, but we don't have a big bad villain yet. He compares Azshara to Yogg-Saron in Wrath of the Lich King, and talks about how Blizzard is making up for the mistakes of Mists of Pandaria. Katie brings up Wrathion again. They talk about Sylvanas being the crux of the expansion thus far, and Nick incorrectly predicts she will be the final boss. They argue about who should take over the Forsaken, and the review Anduin's role in BfA. The discussion shifts to the story team and their efforts supporting BfA as compared to other expansions. They look at what N'Zoth could be up to. Katie closes it out by talking about ice cream.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Katie will be on Pod Before the Con, the World of Podcasts pre-Blizzcon livestream on October 27th at 7pm ET at twitch.tv/conbeforestorm! Come hang out with her and get hyped for Blizzcon!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/29o

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#79: What If Wrathion Was Corrupted (Part II)?

8 oktober 2019 | 60 min

Nick and Katie are back to pick up where they left off talking about Wrathion and what Azeroth would be like if he was corrupted. They start off talking about Legion and wondering if Varian and Vol'jin would still be alive. They then ponder if Sargeras would have even been present to stab Azeroth at all? Without the sword, does Battle for Azeroth even happen? Suddenly, the World of Warcraft has vastly changed.

They debate if, without Vol'jin's death at the Broken Shore, if Sylvanas still somehow ascends to Warchief. The forces that manipulated her there would not remain quiet, and what is their goal? Katie argues that the weakening of the planet is necessary for freeing N'Zoth. They start to talk about Alternate Draenor and Nick gets into the weeds on the multiverse theory. Katie acknowledges that we always make things worse by our actions. Nick was disappointed that in Legion, the Legion was not truly infinite.

The pair argue about if corrupt Wrathion would have had the vision in Mists of Pandaria of the Legion invading. Nick questions if Wrathion wanted to be the only corrupted dragon, or did he kill all his siblings simply as a show to earn our trust? Did the Old Gods need Azeroth to be stabbed? Did everything that's happened since Mists need to happen to get us here? Katie wonders if Gallywix is working with Wrathion and she discusses the retcon of Kezan's destruction.

They wonder if Allied Races would still have joined. The Dark Iron probably, but the others probably not. They go back to wondering if Varian were alive and how things would play out, and consider that Vol'jin would still have been assassinated. Is Azeroth worse off with a corrupt Wrathion? Was everything planned? Nick starts to think things might have played out just as they have, which brings its own implications for what is to come.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/29f

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

On the War Campaign Finale

26 september 2019 | 76 min

WARNING!!! SPOILERS FOR THE WAR CAMPAIGN!!!

Nick and Katie are back and Nick is breaking his podcasting hiatus because the War Campaign is over!!! They begin by talking about the magnitude of the event as it signifies an end to major hostilities between the Horde and Alliance. They wonder if there will be an 8.3. Katie wonders about Sylvanas using Xalatath, and Nick specifies that Xalatath helped Sylvanas acquire the purple magic that she used. Nick compares Sylvanas class to the dual-class Hearthstone heroes. They evaluate Sylvanas throughout the expansion and how moments in prior cinematics predicted the events of the finale cinematic. The duo look at Nathanos and Xalatath’s path through the expansion. They also consider Sylvanas’ short temper.

Nick wonders if this whole expansion has been building to the reveal of a death faction, with an unknown leader. Nick tries to compare N'Zoth and Xalatath and Sylvanas to the last season of Lost. They ponder if Blizzard will release a patch 8.3 or if this will just go into 9.0. Finally, they talk about what they think will happen to the Warchief position. They consider Gallywix and how he should be replaced with Gazlowe, and discuss Calia Menethil (who Katie hates) or Lillian Voss. Finally, they consider Baine and Lor'themar. Nick tries to evaluate the leaders based on the might of their races, as well as Talanji's existing relationship with Sylvanas, and also Bwonsamdi. Nick dismisses any idea of a council because the Horde has tried that before.

Katie will be a guest on next week's episode of Rolling Restart! Check it out!

The 10th Annual Running of the Gnomes returns to support @ThePinkFund on Oct 12th on Scarlet Crusade-US!

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/296

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#78: What If Wrathion Was Corrupted (Part 1)?

25 september 2019 | 65 min

This episode is the first of a two parter looking at everyone's favorite not-so-little anymore Black Dragon, Wrathion. Nick and Katie consider him and ponder the question, "What if Wrathion was corrupted?" At the time of his creation, Rheastrasza and the player work to use Titan technology to create and then uncorrupt his egg. This is presumed to be a success, but what if it wasn't? How would the last few years since the Cataclysm have played out with a malevolent Wrathion running around and manipulating things behind the scenes? Nick and Katie consider the possibilities.

First, they dig into Wrathion's history. They talk about how he was created from several dragon eggs from Nyxondra's clutch. Katie gushes over Rhea, the goblin form of Rheastrasza. The egg is taken to the Titan facility in the Badlands where it is "purged." Katie complains about Wrathion's supposed heritage based on his genetics. They discuss Rheastrasza's sacrifice and the trinket given to players as a result. Wrathion's egg is then passed to the Red Dragonflight, who protect it until it is stolen by rogues from Ravenholdt. Wrathion hatches and takes over Ravenholdt with Fahrad who helps him manage Ravenholdt.

If Wrathion hatches corrupt from his egg, what does he do first? Does he go to aid Deathwing? Nick and Katie discuss Deathwing's presence in Cataclysm, and Nick admits that if the whelp joins his father, then there's not much to discuss. Instead, they consider Wrathion waiting and watching how events play out. They talk about the lineage of the Prestors and if it makes sense for Wrathion to use that.

The pair examine the madness of the Black Dragons and how it corrupts them. The consider the voices that affect the dragons and compare it to Alleria's condition. They also compare the Black Dragons with the Sith.

They wonder if Wrathion still goes to Pandaria and if he takes up his father's mantle. Does N'Zoth contact Wrathion? Is Wrathion a player in N'Zoth's release?

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/294

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#77: Alisaunder's Mailbag II (feat. Alisaunder)

10 september 2019 | 81 min

Alisaunder from the Pylon Show is back to go over some of the many questions she has sent in over the last few months. We start by discussing the forgotten races of Azeroth, including the pygmies, furbolg, and centaurs. We debate a little about the Lost Ones in Swamp of Sorrows and their Warcraft III retconned origins. This leads into a discussion of how Blizzard should redo the original continents (with a suggestion from Nick that classic evolve the story, except that it show what is happening back on Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor and not involve the land masses that we travel to.) Nick and Alisaunder then talk about roleplaying in WoW and how Blizzard forces characters to perform certain actions, whether they would be something your character would do naturally or not. Nick recommends the philosophy that the game quests should rarely be considered canon.

Alisaunder then mentions her idea that Sylvanas could be a dreadlord, and Nick suggests that Blizzard should do a Secret Invasion type expansion, where half the major lore characters turn out to be dreadlords. Alisaunder posits that the Dreadlords are working for the Old Gods and they tricked Sargeras into killing the pantheon and forming the Legion. Nick makes a joke about Thrall that takes him to a dark place.

Finally, they get to Alisaunder’s second question, and they discuss the origins of the celestial beings inside Ulduar, particularly the Tauren and Night Elf statues. Nick speculates that just as the Titans made Earthen and Mogu out of earthly matter, then they would make Celestials out of stars and space matter.

Thanks again to Alisaunder for joining us this week, and thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/28m

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#76: On Classic Servers II (feat. AJ9Livess)

31 augusti 2019 | 69 min

Classic servers are upon us and to celebrate AJ9Livess has joined Nick and Katie to continue their conversation about classic started all the way back in episode #32! But first, they talk a bit about Mechagon and how no one has had time to play it. AJ talks about how he thinks the quest for flying is overrated. They then talk a bit about comparing Azshara and Sylvanas.

Finally they turn their attention to the classic servers. Nick and AJ discuss the stress tests and how the servers performed. The first thing Katie wants to do in getting into classic is to roll a troll shaman and group up to fight scorpions. They discuss how the quickest way to level up is to group up, as tagging no longer works. AJ talks about how he’s looking forward to running dungeons and the challenging content they will provide. AJ also talks about how he wants to play Horde, but his strongest connection is to the Alliance leveling zones.

Everyone then gets into a long discussion about hunter mechanics, and having to feed your pets to keep them happy. There were limited pet slots and later pet traits had to be learned from older pets. Pets needed to be played to level up, independently of your character. They talk about the charm of grinding to earn certain rewards, and how that applies to having to tame your pets.

Next they talk about how there is not a separate subscription for Classic, which was surprising based on their expectations back in episode 32. Nick admits that he was surprised that Ion is in charge of Classic WoW and current WoW, and the gang gives credit to the team for hewing as close to the vanilla experience as they can. Nick and AJ disagree slightly over the use of layering.

Also, they look at where classic can go, as everyone is excited for Burning Crusade servers. They dismiss the idea of adding new content to classic. Finally, everyone shares what item they are looking forward to having in the game again.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/28d

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

Hunters! (and Some Lore)

31 augusti 2019 | 69 min

Longtime listeners to Mash Those Buttons may remember that Nick and Katie were together on WoW! Talk! before they became the Tauren & the Goblin. When Chronicle Volume 1 was previewed back in 2016, the duo recorded an episode that would serve as a pilot for their current show. On this, our third anniversary, feel free to journey back in time and check out this unofficial first episode of T&G.

They begin by talking about what they're excited for in the upcoming Legion expansion. Nick is looking forward to the return of hunter quivers. Then they discuss the hunter artifacts and appearances that they've seen so far. Then they ramble off (their first ramble?) onto a discussion of unique transmoggable weapons and off-hands. Katie is excited for the new wolf and potential moose models and speculates on new fox models. Then they discuss the new kodo models, and then drift into discussing taming dinosaurs and how they should be divided into families. Other than pterrodaxes, they struggle to think of what they can't tame. The conversation shifts and they consider if the mech-taming ability will allow them to tame Fel Reavers. Katie already starts speculating about going to the Legion homeworld, well in advance of the announcement we'd be going to Argus.

Next they look at the changes to the hunter glyphs and changes to the beastmaster spec. Nick laments the changes to Stampede. Katie is concerned that we will be stuck using Hati as our only hunter pet for the duration of the expansion. They discuss their history of hunter pets and how they plan on using them into Legion. They also consider the effects of transmogging the hunter artifacts and being restricted to certain weapon types. Katie also needs more stable slots. Nick tries to understand the artifact progression system. Katie fawns over the coming Falcosaurs.

After speculating on Wrathion getting his jaw replaced, they finally get into the Chronicle preview lore. Katie is excited by the Kalimdor origins and the troll empire. There's discussion of the Old Gods and elemental lords, and Katie appreciates the art work. Finally, they dive into the map of magic spheres that was provided. They try to break down the equivalencies based on placement on the chart. Nick considers that the forces of Undeath are on the same rank as the Titans, as are the Na'aru. They try to fit the Curse of the Flesh into the map. Katie then shares her theory that goblins and night elves are related. Nick wonders if E'lune is the final titan. They then debate if the Titan has "hatched" or not. Then they try to fit this new information into what little they know about Legion.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/28c

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#75: Favorite Quests with Special Guests

13 augusti 2019 | 63 min

Nick and Katie welcome you to a very special 75th episode! To celebrate this milestone, they've invited several friends of the show to talk about their favorite quests in game! Please enjoy!

First, Nick starts off by talking about Welcome to the Machine, a Horde Quest in Hillsbrad that starts off as a meta-joke with the player assuming the role of quest-giver. After giving out quests to three very unique personalities, including Johnny Awesome, who appears astride his beloved sparklepony, the player is tasked with following up on their assignees. After rescuing Johnny Awesome and Dumass from their assorted troubles, the players goes after the proud Orkus. In the ensuing conflict, Orkus is killed, and the quest takes a serious turn. Nick comments on the fact that the quest covers a range of emotions and makes you care for a character who just a few minutes earlier was pure comic relief.

Katie elects to talk about a moment more than a quest. In Shadowmoon Valley (Draenor version), there is a Draenai artist named Painter Mikkal. If you click on him, he will give you a small junk trinket, but if you wait a few minutes after he does so, he will talk about how the view of the valley is greater than any physical reward he could bestow, and enjoying our time in the world is our greatest gift. Katie appreciates the philosophical lesson of this encounter, and the reminder that there is more than just the obvious rewards to be obtained.

Our first guest is Medros from All Things Azeroth. He talks about the Wrathgate, and the journey there through the early Wrath of the Lich King zones. He recalls the sense of shock and awe that the community felt at the time the cinematic was released. The sense of coolness from seeing the Alliance and Horde heroes working together was so suddenly undercut by the tragedy of watching those same heroes fall to the Lich King and to the plague. Finally, the red dragons come to purge the area and leave a sense of hope.

Next up is AJ to talk about the Karazhan attunement quest. He talks about having to prepare for heroic dungeons back in vanilla and Burning Crusade times. Karazhan was so spooky back then, especially due to the lack of datamining at the time. AJ appreciated having to go through all the other dungeons and do some time traveling just to get into the place, and the journey made that time feel special. Interacting with Medivh also influenced his opinion.

Ali from Dungeon Fables and All Things Azeroth looks back fondly on the quests to open up Icecrown Citadel in Wrath of the Lich King. These quests made her feel the weight of the fight against the Lich King, and she enjoyed working with Tyrion Fordring. Manning the cannons also felt epic.

Frazley of the Frazlcast talks about Mmm Amberseeds, a Grizzly Hills poop quest. After eating some amberseeds, you need to gather them up after passing them, you put them into the same bucket you took them from, so they are there for another player to ingest. Frazley then tells a story about eating a gingerbread house as a kid.

Next is Tarley from Geeks of Azeroth, who discusses the Death Knight introduction quest.

Rho from Realm Maintainance and the Rolling Restart shares his thoughts on the Warlock Green Fire quest. He mentions that to even start the quest you needed to get lucky with a book dropping on the Isle of Thunder. You then had to chase down the Council of the Six Daggers, until finally heading into Black Temple. Facing off with the final boss at the top of the Temple was difficult, as you needed to demonstrate mastery of your class. After boss attempts, Rho looks back fondly on his accomplishment of defeating that boss.

Next, Skoll Shorties talks about his love of the legendary questline from Wrathion in Mists of Pandaria. The quest felt grounded in the current activities of the expansion, pitting you against the Mogu and Mantid early. As the game's focus turned to the faction war, the quests had you killing faction commanders. Then you uncover secrets about Lei Shen in the Thunder King raid and learn more about the Titans. Finally, you seek out the blessings of the August Celestials. Wrathion gifts you your legendary cloak to prepare you against Garrosh and his minions. After defeating Garrosh, Wrathion is disappointed in Varian's failure to dismantle the Horde. Wrathion's interactions with Anduin throughout the questline shed a unique light on the ongoing conflict. Skoll shares his appreciation for the character of Wrathion.

Alisaunder is next and talks about the starting quests for the Forsaken. She appreciates starting with the focus on trying to defeat the Lich King. From the start, the character's focus is aggression against what created them. She also enjoys the humanity that the forsaken display, as evidenced with a letter that the player finds. She compares the impact of the quests with what she felt with getting to play Death Knights later in the game.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/27z

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#74: Is BfA MoP 2.0? (feat. Toshmifune and Prof. Taliep)

30 juli 2019 | 86 min

Nick and Katie are back this week looking to tackle the question of whether or not Battle for Azeroth is Mists of Pandaria 2.0? And who better to help answer that question than two of Halfhill's finest residents, special guests Toshmifune and Professor Taliep from the Halfhill Report!

Nick fawns over the Halfhill Report for the first part of the show and asks Tosh and Taliep how they got started in WoW and how they started the Halfhill Report. He mentions knowing people like Rizhak and asks about how Velmic does his inn reviews. He also mentions their interview with Thunk Da Peon as being a great episode, and Tosh talks about the origins of that episode.

Finally, they start to get into discussing MoP and BfA. Nick brings up Tides of War and talks about Jaina and Kalec hooking up, which gets Katie ranting on the relationship. They talk about the Jade Forest and how Mists of Pandaria focused on our characters bringing war to a pristine location, while Zandalar and Kul Tiras seem more closely connected to the war already. Tosh talks about how the Horde and Alliance are occupying forces and his "Free Pandaria!" mantra is about trying to excise them from the continent. Nick tries to compare the tragedy of losing Theramore with the loss of the the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. They consider the consquences of Sylvanas' reign. They look at a comparison of Garrosh's arc and the crux of Sylvanas' character. Ultimately, they agree that while there are common themes, this is not a direct retelling of the story.

Thank you again to Tosh and Taliep for coming on the show! Check out the Halfhill Report where you get your podcasts!

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/27o

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#73: On Mechagon, Azshara, N'Zoth, and Crossroads

16 juli 2019 | 76 min

Nick and Katie are back and finally have a chance to sit down and talk about all the great comics and cinematics that Blizzard has put out as part of patch 8.2! First, they get into the Mechagon comic that features the story of Kervo, a dying gnome looking for his lost homeland and a cure. He finds it, but at great cost. Nick and Katie discuss how terrifying gnomes can be (and not just the gnome rogues!) and consider what the greater implications of King Mechagon's plans could be for the rest of Azeroth. Robot Tauren, anyone?

Then, Nick and Katie go over the intro to Azshara questline. They discuss Nathanos reasons for having Xal'atath on the ship and how he was using it. Then, they take a detour and look at the relationship between Thalyssra, Sivara (one of the Eternal Palace bosses) and Azshara, as depicted in a questline. They get back to the cinematic and laugh about Genn's face as he goes over the waterfall. They start to discuss Lor'themar's presence in Nazjatar.

Then they look at the finale cinematic from the Eternal Palace raid. Azshara is defeated but N'Zoth is released. They talk about the implications of N'Zoth's freedom and discuss some of the community disappointment with the cinematic. Nick focuses on the fact that it is still unclear how this expansion will end. They talk about Jaina and Lor'themar being together at the end and compare that with their encounter with Taran Zhu on the Isle of Thunder back in Mists of Pandaria.

FInally, they talk about the Crossroads cinematic which brings Thrall and Jaina back together as friends. Nick reads a passage from Tides of War from right before they grew apart. They talk about how Jaina had issues to resolve and Thrall had lessons to learn and now they have come out stronger for what they've gone through.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/27c

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#72: What if Gul'dan was Lich King? (Part 2)

3 juli 2019 | 57 min

Nick and Katie are back to continue their discussion of what would happen if Gul’dan was shoved into the Helm of Domination and turned into the Lich King. They already decided that he would choose Illidan as his champion and the duo would betray Archimonde by summoning him at the Well of Eternity so he could immediately get blown up by wisps. Now they look at what is going on in the Eastern Kingdoms with Arthas.

Arthas would still be viewed by Kil’jaeden as a vulnerable target and would still be chosen to be the Legion’s champion. Kil’jaeden would manipulate Arthas directly instead of Ner’zhul and that would lead Arthas to want to summon him using the power of the Sunwell. Arthas would march towards Silvermoon, amassing a Legion army instead of the undead.

Medivh would reach out to Jaina and Thrall, but instead of sending them west to Kalimdor, he would need them to help stop Arthas in the Eastern Kingdoms. Presumably, the humans and orcs would make it to Silvermoon first. Jaina would unite the humans and high elves, Thrall would be able to reach out to the Amani Trolls as an emissary. The Wildhammer dwarves in Arathi would also be easily recruited, and this establishes the united army that Arthas would face. With Sylvanas at the head, combined with Thrall at his peak and a young Jaina, they would defeat Arthas and defend Silvermoon.
At this point Thrall would take some of the Amani and head to Kalimdor. There, he would find the Night Elves entrenched in a war against the undead, as commanded by Gul’dan and Illidan. Thrall would use his ties to Jaina to have her send a contingent of mages, and together they would push Illidan back into Northrend.

The Horde would form out of the orcs, night elves, amani trolls, and whatever tauren they would find in Kalimdor, while the Alliance would be the humans of Lordaeron, the High Elves, the Wildhammer Dwarves, and the gnomes (because why not?)

The Alliance would spend vanilla firming up ties with Stormwind and Ironforge, while the Horde would be busy establishing themselves in Kalimdor. Illidan would be resting in Northrend. Everything North of Hyjal would become the new Plaguelands.

In Burning Crusade, we would go through the Dark Portal to fight Magtheridon. The Draenai would still join the Alliance, landing the Exodar in the outer regions of Lordaeron (the old Plaguelands) and the Broken would join the Horde.

In Wrath of the Lich King, Illidan would attack and attempt to kill everyone. Tyrande would play the Tyrion role in using Elune to save everyone during the final fight. Then the Cataclysm happens and upends everything anyway.

And that is our take on how things would change if Gul’dan were Lich King. Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/272

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#71: What if Gul'dan was Lich King? (Part 1)

18 juni 2019 | 47 min

Nick and Katie are back with another week of What If wondering! This week’s question comes from Alisaunder who asks, “What if the Legion had bound Gul'dan into the helmet instead of that other guy? The smart Gul'dan not the idiot whiner.” So this week, Nick and Katie look at what would have happened if the Legion had turned Gul’dan (MU) into Lich King and stuffed him into the Helm of Domination, instead of Ner’zhul.

First, because of the question’s implicit disregard for AU Gul’dan, the duo compare MU and AU Gul’dans and how they were regarded. They comment on how AU Gul’dan is perceived as more cunning. Nick talks about how the fact that the Legion had less patience with AU Gul’dan would have made him more paranoid during his time on Azeroth. They consider his early history from his Lords of War cinematic and debate if that applies to MU Gul’dan.

So first they consider when Gul’dan would be claimed by the Legion and turned into the Lich King. The best opportunity is when Gul’dan goes to the Tomb of Sargeras and dies in the original timeline. At that point, Gul’dan, rather than be torn apart by demons, is taken and stretched until he becomes the Lich King, as Ner’zhul was, and then is placed in the Helm and thrown to Azeroth. Meanwhile, Ner’zhul is simply executed by Kil’jaeden when he opens the portals on Draenor, so that their fates are essentially switched.

Nick and Katie briefly wonder if the Helm should be sent anywhere other than Icecrown, and almost consider Pandaria as an interesting landing spot! But ultimately Northrend makes the most sense.
They try to consider Gul’dan’s actions while trapped within the Helm. Gul’dan would have been hostile to the Legion after their claiming him and rejecting his power, and so he would look to another who was willing to subvert the Legion. Instead of choosing Arthas as his champion, Gul’dan would find common ground with Illidan.

The then discuss some of what it would mean for Illidan to be the next Lich King, but that leaves us wondering about Arthas’ fate, which will be discussed next time in Part 2!
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/26n

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#70: Darkspear Never Die!!!

5 juni 2019 | 71 min

Nick and Katie are here to talk about the relatively early history of the Darkspear Trolls, but first they get their first ramble in by talking about WoW Classic and Final Fantasy VII and how old games need to be treated with spoiler tags nowadays because of all the young kids playing them.

Katie talks about leveling her paladin to 120 and how she's enjoying starting out on Kul Tiras. Nick unlocked the Kul Tirans and they discuss how the Zandalari unlock quest was more relevant to the ongoing plot than the Kul Tiran quest.

Katie begins talking about the Darkspear by ranting about Vol'jin's abandoned son, Yenniku. Yenniku was left in Stranglethorn Vale before the Darkspear fled for the Darkspear Islands. Players must save him from Zan'zil, and Katie is upset that Vol'jin would allow his child to be left behind. Nick posits that the kid was born illegitimately and intentionally left behind as a way to cover up Vol'jin's sordid past.

Finally, they get into the Darkspear lore. They talk about their relocation to the Echo Isles, and Vol'jin and Zalazane's friendship. The pair go into First Home to receive their visions, and come back three months later to find out Thrall and the orcs have arrived and are under seige by murlocs and a naga sea witch. Vol'jin's father, Sen'jin, is killed, and everyone flees to Durotar. The trolls settle in the Echo Isles, but Zalazane starts brainwashing people and the remaining trolls flee to Durotar where they establish Sen'jin village. Vol'jin finally confronts Zalazane with the help of Bwon'samdi and they reclaim the Isles, until the naga sea with returns to threaten everyone.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 6/12 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. We also have a special live recording on 6/6 at 10:30 pm at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons as well. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/25v

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#69: On Safe Haven

22 maj 2019 | 91 min

We start with a quick skit/parody of Safe Haven, and then Nick and Katie can't wait so they immediately jump in to talking about the new cinematic. Nick finally reins the conversation in so Katie can talk about her experience leveling her Zandalari druid and her enjoyment of War Mode. Nick, meanwhile, unlocked the Dark Iron Dwarves and he talks a little about how their questchain sent him to the Motherlode dungeon.

Sky, who is partaking on a 2600 mile trip on the PCT, wrote in asking about what we thought might happen in patch 8.3 and beyond. Katie couldn't speculate too much because she's avoiding 8.2 spoilers, but she and Nick agreed that The Black Empire would make sense for 9.0 as the theme for the new expansion. This lead to a discussion of how Blizzard should revamp the old world zones again, and they shouldn't be afraid it would be wasted effort.

Finally, Nick and Katie dig into Safe Haven properly. Nick makes some comments about Thrall's hair. They debate whether Sylvanas really did send assassins to kill Thrall or if there's something else going on. They talk about the whereabouts of Thrall's family and why he would be so hesitant to share that information with Saurfang. Nick also looks at the story of Saurfang as its been presented across the cinematics, and starts to predict where this might be going. They also admire how Thrall is growing into looking like Durotan. And they appreciate Saurfang's ability to break a rogue out of stealth by snapping their neck. They both agree they are glad to have Thrall back in the Horde.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 5/29 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/25k

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#68: Just the Tauren III

10 maj 2019 | 49 min

#67: On the Horde War Campaign (Part II)

24 april 2019 | 63 min

Nick and Katie are back to continue their discussion of the Horde War Campaign! But first, Katie talks a little about raiding Dazar'Alor. Nick meanwhile brings up the Alliance storyline quests and talks about the amazing quests on Thresher's Wharf. This leads to a discussion of all-time great quests like The Day Deathwing Came and Welcome to the Machine. Nick laments that they weren't around to do an April Fool's episode but gives a shoutout to The Unshackled Fury podcast this year for their prank.

Finally, the duo continue with their review of the Horde War Campaign. Rexxar and Zelling lead an incursion against Northington Estate in Tiragarde Sound to steal some Azerite Weapons from the Alliance and trash the place. Lillian Voss shows her noble side when she takes care of Zelling's family.

Katie is excited about working with Gallywix again, as we fly with him and his G.M.O.D. against Mekkatorque. Mekkatorque wins the first battle, and after repairing the G.M.O.D., we blow up an alliance airship while Mekkatorque escapes. His fate in Battle for Azeroth is discussed along with questions about if the Mechagnomes in Mechagon will be able to help him. This leads to Nick talking about a reddit post comparing the story of BfA to Bioncle, and speculation about throwing Xal'atath into space. They decide there is no good place to keep the dagger.

Next, Rexxar and Arcanist Valtrois help free Lady Ashvane from Tol'Dagor. Nick gives a quick recap of Ashvane's role in the Alliance story, and then laughs with Katie about Rexxar's use of the Wookiee Prisoner trick. When Sylvanas and Ashvane abandon Rexxar, Valtois, and the player on the docks, Katie expresses her anger. Nick speculates about Ashvane's role going forward.

Finally, they reach the finale of the War Campaign in Patch 8.1. The Alliance stages an assault on Zuldazar from Nazmir, so Princess Talanji leads a force to repel it. After defeating the Alliance holed up in Hireek's lair, the Abyssal sceptre is recovered and the Alliance's treachery is revealed. Nazmir was a decoy. The Alliance blows up the Zandalar navy and attacks Dazar'Alor. Rastakhan, left defenseless with his forces in Nazmir, faces the Alliance in a losing battle.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live show is scheduled for 5/1 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/253

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#66: On the Horde War Campaign (Part I)

10 april 2019 | 66 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk all about WoW lore! But first, Nick mentions that they were on Azeroth Book Club #4 with Brittza from The Geeks of Azeroth. Katie mentions she's been playing her Zandalari and hasn't had time to check out the Before the Storm related quests in Tanaris. She also reveals she just got her Loremaster achievement so Nick taunts her.

Nick talks about the misconception that Bwonsamdi wants Sylvanas dead, and says that it sounds to him like he just wants a powerful head, which she has. He then talks about how by Talanji making herself equal to the Warchief, she may also have a powerful head, and how this could be setting up conflict to come.

Katie discusses a BlizzardWatch article that says the Alliance needs to do something bad to keep the story interesting. They both agree and Nick complains that the story is moving too slow that leads to people having time to complain about it.

Alisaunder sent an email suggesting WoW have relationships like a Bioware game. Everyone agrees this doesn't sound like something Blizzard would do, but it would be cool if they did. They talk a little about the follower mechanics from Warlords and Legion.

Finally, the get into the War Campaign. They talk about the initial quests to set up bases in Kul Tiras, and then the quests at max level to find and raise a notable Kul Tiran hero. This leads to the discovery of Derek Proudmoore, and Nick wonders if he wasn't intentionally left there for us to find by some other force. Next time, Nick and Katie will finish the Horde War Campaign in patches 8.1 and 8.1.5.

Our next live show is scheduled for April 17th at 10:30 pm E on twitch.tvmashthosebuttons. Please follow us on twitter @taurengoblin for any updates to the schedule, and please send any feedback or questions to [email protected]. Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/24r

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#65: Mailbag: Vol'jin, Baine, and Bolvar's Shampoo

26 mars 2019 | 83 min

Katie and Nick are back to answer some of your questions about what's going on in WoW! First, Katie talks about leveling her Zandalari Paladin, while Nick finally did the Jaina fight on LFR.

They talk about the recent Vol'jin quest to chat with Bwonsamdi, Bolvar, and Eyir. They try to speculate who brought Vol'jin back, and Nick throws out a theory where the Lightforged Garrosh referenced in the Mag'har scenario is behind it all.

@RyanKohler10 asks about the Horde reaction to Baine's arrest. Nick and Katie review the events leading up to that and talk about how most of the leaders were upset by what happened, with the exception of Geyarah of the Mag'har, who was too new to understand the situation. They expect that now is the time that the Horde leaders will unite to move against Sylvanas. They also debate whether Derek is or is not "the bomb," as Jaina describes it, and try to consider how the Alliance and Horde could come together against the threat that is Sylvanas. Nick points out that the members of the Uncrowned from the rogue class hall have played a huge role in this expansion and we might see them unite the factions before all is said and done. The duo then goes off on a tangent about how much they love the Jaina fight in Dazar'Alor.

Alisaunder sent in several emails that needed to be addressed. First, she talks about Alex Afrasiabi's comments about how Everquest should have ended, and consider if a WoW+ type mode would work when the game is done. Then they talk about portals and mounts. Next, Alisaunder asks about warlocks replacing portals which leads to Nick and Katie scheming for a guild to replicate an Uber-style model of fast-travel with a network of warlocks wandering Azeroth. Finally, Alisaunder asks about the player replacing the Lich King, which gets Nick and Katie's approval, and leads to a discussion of how uncomfortable the Helm of Domination must be.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! For information about our next live show, please follow us on twitter @taurengoblin. Send any emails about your thoughts on Vol'jin, Baine, or the Lich King to [email protected].

Episode URL: mtb.gg/24d

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#64: Endgame

12 mars 2019 | 64 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk about the World of Warcraft story! First, Katie is excited about the coming Zandalari Trolls and Kul Tirans! Nick is excited too, but laments that the coolest classes for both races are druids, and he doesn't care to play a druid. Katie is also excited for the Two Sides to Every Story achievement which grants the Alliance-skinned wolf and the Horde-skinned Horse mounts. Katie shares her love of bareback mounts and Nick wants his hunter pets to have barding. They debate how many horses and wolves Horde and Alliance players currently have access to.

Instead of looking at a specific part of the lore, Nick and Katie discuss the state of the game going on fifteen years old. They talk about how systems like the original world design and the leveling system were implemented with little concern to how they would scale over the years. Nick also brings up how writers need to know when they need to wrap up a story and compares the WoW story to Lost. They start to question what the endgame of WoW might look like, if it were time to wrap it up.

They talk about how Blizzard has brought all story elements to the table but leaves some characters on the shelf, at the risk of ignoring them. Katie mentions wanting to make the old world relevant again, and Nick posits they should bring back quests that take the player all around, ceding that this is similar to what they are doing with the Vol'jin questlines now. They talk about how the narrative flow from expansion to expansion has changed over the years, and Nick wonders if the next expansion won't just be BfA 2.0.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any feedback to [email protected], or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next show is scheduled for 3/20 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tvmashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/246

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#63: On Vol'dun, Home of the Goldtusk Gang!

27 februari 2019 | 75 min

Nick and Katie are back and while Nick is struggling through a raspy voice, they are here to talk about the storyline in Vol'dun! But first, check out their recent appearance on The Training Dummies, where they discuss the Horde side of the story in Battle for Azeroth.

Before getting into the story, Nick and Katie fawn over the environments and marvel at how Blizzard made Vol'dun feel like a desert with massive ruins. Nick commends the sound design, and Katie commends the music. The zone is an achievement in art.

Nick and Katie go over the main storyline in Vol'dun, as you track some exiles into the desert with suspicions about the loyalties of General Jakrazet. Players team up with the Vulpera and track Bladeguard Rakera to the Temple of Akunda, where all is not as it seems. After gaining Rakera's aid, they discuss the history of Vol'dun, and how Mythrax came to destroy it, but was defeated by the sacrifice of the snake loa, Sethraliss, and then entombed under the Temple of Atul'Aman. The sethrakk posssessed the three keystones to release Mythrax, and now Korthek, working with Jakrazet, is trying to release the monstronsity. When you go to confront Korthek and get his keystone, he reveals he already sent Jakrazet to steal the other two. You find Jakrazet under the Temple of Atul'aman with the keystones mid-ritual, and while you defeat him, he is able to unleash Mythrax, who has a role to play in the Zandalar finale before becoming the penultimate boss in the Uldir raid.

They also discuss other questhubs in the zone, including the gang wars amidst the ruins. They talk about the Zem'lan pirates and their cursed treasure. And they fawn over the Goldtusk Gang, which was a highlight of this zone.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin. Please send any feedback to [email protected] or via twitter at @taurengoblin. Our next episode recording is 3/6 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tvmashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/23u

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#62: What If the Orcs Never Came to Azeroth?

13 februari 2019 | 66 min

Nick and Katie take another hypothetical trip through Azeroth's history as Katie brings up the idea of what would Azeroth look like if the Orcs never came over from Draenor?

First they discuss how most of the human alliances were dependent on the orcs coming over in the first place, and how the humans were quite isolationist if not outright hostile before the threat of the orcs. The elves also had sparse relations with the humans.

Nick wonders whether the Legion would send something else or if there's no First War entirely. Without Llane being killed, Stormwind is protected. Deathwing lurks in Alterac. They discuss if Deathwing would lead the humans to keep warring amongst themselves.

A standing Stormwind leads to Anduin growing up with a full family. The gnomes still lose Gnomeregan as that was its own event. They consider the Dwarven lineage and how that plays out. Katie would like a good Dwarven timeline for her research.

They ponder how Onyxia might try to interfere in events. Could she supplant Tiffin and marry Varian herself? Would that make their son more Anduin or Wrathion? Would Onyxia kill Varian once she had secured her access to the throne?

Jaina would still be in the Eastern Kingdoms, not having been urged to go to Kalimdor. They wonder if Deathwing would try to claim the Elven Kingdoms, which might be difficult since elves tend to keep themselves removed from society. Lireesa would still be Ranger General in Silvermoon.

Paladins are not created, so Turalyon remains a priest. Deathwing would work with the goblins to foment war.

Without the Horde to help Vol'jin and Cairne, the Darkspear and Bloofhoof Tauren fall to the naga and centaurs. Magatha has an easier time uniting the tribes with the Grimtotem. She could take them to Silithus where she could be corrupted by C'Thun.

The Twilight Hammer is doing well in this timeline. Deathwing is running rampant but there is no Cataclysm. The Emerald Nightmare still exists.

Sargeras sends his avatar to find Aegwynn, and implants himself in Medivh. Could Khadgar stop Medivh?

Either the Old Gods run rampant or the Legion and Old Gods battle. The Titan Soul would be corrupted or lost for all time.

They talk about Night Warrior Tyrande hooking up with Illidan and the comment just how wrong the whole timeline is.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin #62. Please send any questions or comments to @taurengoblin on twitter or [email protected]. Our next live recording is scheduled for 2/20 at 10:30 pm E at https://twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/23m

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#61: THE MOTHERLODE!! (feat. Aliandras)

31 januari 2019 | 68 min

Ali from Dungeon Fables and All Things Azeroth is here to talk with Nick and Katie about THE MOTHERLODE!! But first, she talks about recently doing the Alliance War Campaign, and her opportunity to see Grong, the gorilla boss from the upcoming Battle of Dazar'Alor, ahead of the raid. Katie hasn't been playing much lately, and Nick complains about how he waited an hour and a half to run a dungeon. They also talk about how it seems everyone with an alliance character is leveling a Dark Iron Dwarf.

Nick then takes the opportunity to talk about his theory that Sylvanas killed Vol'jin. He goes over the cinematics from the Broken Shore, and admits that he remembers them differently. He points out that Vol'jin never says what name he was told by the spirits, although he is clearly addressing Sylvanas. He also notes that Sylvanas has demonstrated she understands how her actions can be interpreted in a public setting, and alleges that she knew she would be named Warchief and faked her shocked reaction. He then asserts that Blizzard is setting up the players choice with Zekhan to be framed around supporting the Warchief or Saurfang, and that once Sylvanas is revealed to be an illegitimate Warchief, players will be free to no longer support her. He compares the player to Nazgrim in Mists of Pandaria.

Finally, the trio gets into discussing THE MOTHERLODE!! They start with the end, and focus on how Mogul Razdunk is the final boss of the dungeon. He is also the head of the Venture Company, who have been pestering players since early levels in vanilla. Nick points out that he remembers killing them early on in Mulgore. Katie and Ali speculate about why Gallywix would work with Razdunk since its only to be expected that he would betray him. Then they talk about going back to Kezan, and the other bosses in the dungeon. Ali likes kicking footballs at the Coin-Operated Crowd Pummeler. Nick thinks Azerokk is reminiscent of Tectus. And Rixxa Fluxflame is not too noteworthy. Katie of course loves everything about the dungeon.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin #61. Please send any feedback to @taurengoblin on twitter or [email protected]. Our next live show is scheduled for 1/23 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/39i

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#60: A Cabin in Azshara

15 januari 2019 | 58 min

Nick and Katie are so full of wishes for 2019 that they got a whole other episode out of it! First, they start by talking about Turalyon and hoping he gets some time with Alleria. Nick suggests that Turalyon would get the Tirion role in any sort of Wrath of the Lich King sequel.

Katie wants to see Turalyon reconnect with paladins of all races.

For Azeroth, Katie wants the planet to survive, and talks about how it needs to have a larger role in Battle for Azeroth. Nick wants Azeroth to appear as a Titan, especially since its better to hear from Azeroth directly rather than having to go through Magni.

For Magni, Katie wants him to continue doing what he's doing, as he is protecting the planet. Nick wants Azeroth to give Magni a hug and reward him by letting him go to Ironforge to hang out with his grandkid.

For Tyrande, Katie talks about her recent transition to being the Night Warrior. Katie doesn't know how long the aggression will continue, but she's interested to see where the character goes. She doesn't want her to die. Nick admits that Tyrande is righteous is seeking her vengeance. Nick wonders if she will show up in Dazar'Alor. Katie is glad that the Night Elves are being more aggressive and returning to their Warcraft III roots. Nick points out that they've been critical of Genn and Jaina for their hostility, but he and Katie are welcoming the Night Elves anger.

For Malfurion, Katie is glad he's not crying for Tyrande. She's glad to see him being more aggressive as well. She does want them to return to being peaceful after getting their vengeance. Nick wants to see him rip up more people in bear form.

For Vol'jin, Katie is just excited to have him return. They talk about the possibility of Saurfang and Vol'jin merging and how awesome the hair would be. Katie wants Vol'jin to continue to be a strong part of the story and wants him to be the Royal Family's loa, or a righteous loa. Nick wants Vol'jin to be the loa of the Horde, and to serve in an advisory role to prevent further warchiefs from acting like Sylvanas or Garrosh. Nick then wonders if it is possible that Sylvanas is actually responsible for Vol'jin's death. Katie wonders if he could become the loa of Justice.

For Xal'atath, Nick wants it to find someone who can offer it riddles and be stymied as much as it stymies us. Katie suggests giving the blade to the Goldtusk Gang. They debate if the Goldtusk Gang can be corrupted.

For Azshara, they debate if she should get a rest like the other characters. Nick suggests hiding from Azshara in Hyjal or anywhere elevated, away from the water. Nick just wants to see more of her, and doesn't know what to offer her due to her power. He wonders about wishing her to have a fleet of airships to travel places above water level. He jokes about how strong players are if they struggle killing raid bosses. Katie claims that Azshara should have her own expansion. She wants to see Azshara and Sylvanas face off. Katie wonders if they would team up.

For Saurfang, they first talk about Horde players getting to choose whether to ally with him or not. Katie thinks Saurfang needs a vacation. Nick wants him to find the noble death he has been seeing. He suggest teaming up with Hemet so they can both go on a suicide mission, or maybe pitting them against one another. Katie just wants him to relax. Nick fears that Saurfang is going to believe in living only to be killed at that point. They talk about future Horde leadership and wonder if a council could form to rule.

For Zekhan, Katie does not want him to die or be corrupted. She wants to see him step up and help lead the Darkspear. Katie fears that Zekhan could die to trigger Saurfang's rage. Nick wants to see Zekhan interacting with the trolls in Zandalar.

For Rastakhan, Nick asks for the funeral pyre to burn bright. Katie wants him to take out as much of the alliance as he can when he dies.

For Talanji, Nick wants her to have the wisdom to lead effectively. Katie agrees that Talajni should step up as a leader.

For Bwon'samdi, Nick wants Vol'jin to kick his ass. Katie agrees that he deserves a punch in the face, but she's curious about how he and Vol'jin will interact. She doesn't want him to die.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Our next live show is 1/9 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Feel free to send feedback to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter. Have a great 2019!

Episode URL: mtb.gg/23e

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#59: Best Wishes for 2019 (Part 1)

2 januari 2019 | 70 min

Happy New Year! Now that 2019 is upon us, Nick and Katie continue the annual tradition of sharing their wishes for many Warcraft characters in the coming year. First, Katie talks about getting exalted with the Voldunai thanks to fan mail from Elendir! Nick mentions the emissaries he's still working on.

For Anduin, Katie mentions that Anduin has been rounded out, and wishes that he would push back against many of the people who try to strongarm him into action. Nick mentions that he's stood up to Genn at times, and wants him to stay on the path that he's on. He claims that Anduin has been doing well given his situation. They discuss the possibility of him turning into the next Arthas. They also look at the present implications of Anduin's pre-Legion comic.

For Sylvanas, they discuss the Windrunner sisters finally meeting this year. Katie complains that Vareesa poisoned Alleria against Sylvanas before the meeting. They also discuss the possibility that Sylvanas is straight-up evil. Nick mentions that they didn't understand that the Battle of Lordaeron would lead to the Horde losing Undercity this time last year. He also mentions that Katie is a better strategist than Anduin. They talk about Sylvanas being pictured with Xal'atath at Blizzcon. Katie wants her to continue to have an interestingly written character. Nick wishes for her to be made mortal again.

For Alleria, Katie starts off by mentioned that she's not a fan of the Void Elves. Katie wants the void to prove to the a danger to her. Nick asks for her to get some rest. He also wishes that she and Turalyon could physically interact, and references "Pushing Daisies."

For Varessa, Katie wants her not to die. Nick wishes for her to find a nice male elf to date since none of the Windrunners seem to be into elf men. Katie suggests a goblin.

For Genn, they talk about their ongoing hatred for Genn and how they've softened on him lately. Katie wants to see where is character is going. Nick wishes for him to retire with Mia. He also asks for Genn to teach his Worgen to grow a tail.

For Jaina, they start by talking about her return at the Battle of Lordaeron. Nick talks about some of the plot threads that have changed since Mists of Pandaria. They talk about her rebuilding her relationship with her mother and the fact that she's going to be a raid boss in 2019. Katie talks about not being happy with Jaina and wishing for her to go back the way she was. Nick wishes she would hang out in Kul Tiras as that seems to be good for her.

For Flynn Fairwind and Taelia Fordragon, Nick asks for Flynn to go to Stormwind and properly join the Alliance. They want Taelia to meet her father in Icecrown. Katie brings up the theories about who Taelia's mother is.

For Caelia, Katie mentions that she doesn't like her and doesn't know what's going to happen with her. Nick mentions that we now have several characters competing to be the next Lich King and wonders who will claim that role, or if its possible that this is all a big plan to resurrect Arthas. Nick asks for Caelia to show up.

For Gallywix, Katie is excited that he has had story! Katie has been happy with his growth this year, and hopes to see more of him. Nick mentions that he's softened on him but wants him to step down as the Goblin leader of the Horde.

For Khadgar, they talk about his exit from the story. Nick mentions that if he comes back its going to be a concern. Nick wishes everyone would hang out at a cabin in Azshara.

For Wrathion, Nick wants him to show up and be relevant. Katie talks about an Island Expedition quest that pertains to him. Nick ponders that he's going to have a new model since he will have aged since we last saw him. They agree they just want him to show back up.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin. Look out for part two of this episode in the coming days! Please send comments or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin on twitter! Please join us for our next live show on 1/9 at 10:30 pm E at https://twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/233

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#58: On Nazmir

19 december 2018 | 82 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk about their journeys through Nazmir! But first Patch 8.1 is live so they talk a bit about what they've been doing in game. Katie started the Darkshore questline, while Nick continued the War Campaign. Nick has news for Katie in that Gallywix is starting to grow on him a little. But only a little.

They then get into talking about Nazmir. Princess Talanji leads an expedition into the zone to combat the Blood Trolls. After an encounter with the Blood Trolls near Uldir, the group flees as Bloodmatriarch Ateena reveals herserlf as the main villain of the zone, with Taloc from the Uldir raid looming as a threat atop the structure. Talanji, Rokhan, the player, and others gather and decide to recruit help within the zone from the four loa that live there.

First, players seek out Hireek the bat. They find that the Blood Trolls have already corrupted him. The player fights the Blood Trolls until finally given the chance to kill Hireek in battle.

Second, players are sent to Bwon'samdi, but Nick and Katie discuss him later.

Third, players follow the migrating Tortollans to Torga, the sea turtle. They find a massive, partially consumed corpse, and Katie laments that the map spoils the surprise. Players have to remove the corruption and purify Torga so that they can enact a resurrection spell. Torga is reborn as a baby sea turtle.

Fourth, players assist Krag'wa the frog in saving his children as well as his followers. Krag'wa has a quest where players can ride him while he jumps around attacking people.

At this point, Katie brings up Bwon'samdi, and several of his followers that you meet along the way. Nick and Katie argue about the nature of the deal you make with Bwon'samdi. Through this deal, you gain his aid for the rest of the zone.

After gaining Krag'wa's help, the GOB Squad crash into the zone. The player must help them get the AMOD mech working. The mech is brought down the river on a raft and then everyone else from the zone helps to get the mech within firing distance of Taloc. The player attacks and defeats Ateena to remove the shields protecting Taloc, and then the GOB Squad fires on the construct. The roof of the Uldir complex collapses, and players are tasked with going into the Underrot.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin. Our next episode is scheduled for 12/19 at 10:30 pm E. Please follow us on twitter at @taurengoblin for further scheduling updates! We also appreciate feedback at [email protected].

Episode URL: mtb.gg/22x

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#57: Lost Honor, Terror of Darkshore, and the Wrathgate Wrevisted

4 december 2018 | 76 min

Katie is back from Blizzcon and ready to talk to Nick about everything that went down. She talks a little about her time at Con Before the Storm and also wandering the convention, and then they get into some of the reveals about upcoming content. In particular, Sylvanas being shown holding Xal'atath is concerning as the thought of the The Dark Lady teaming up with an Old God is imposing. Finally, they get into the cinematics from the show.

First, they look at Lost Honor featuring Saurfang and Anduin. They talk about the opening at Stormwind Harbor and Anduin's maturation over the last two expansions. They also talk about Genn as a role model and aren't completely harsh on him as they have been in the past. They consider Saurfang's struggle and the way in which Anduin stands up to him in the cell. They also look at Anduin's history of confronting orcs by himself.

Next, they review the Terror of Darkshore cinematic. Both Nick and Katie are glad to see the Night Elves back to being their fierce, savage selves, and in particular, welcome this new, badass Malfurion. Nick is still terrified for the orc that gets sucked into the ground. Patch 8.1 is shaping up to be exciting!

Nick poaches an email from YepX meant for WoW! Talk! and uses that to set up a discussion about Alex Afrasiabi's recent revelations that Sylvanas was behind the Wrathgate. They look at the logistics and try to consider how things would play out if Sylvanas had known about the coup. They agree that Sylvanas probably did order the use of the blight but did not intend for Putress and Varimathras to revolt.

Finally, Nick shares his theory about Anduin becoming the new Arthas. He looks at the Legion comic "Son of the Wolf" which has the ending set in the future of old man Anduin leading a last battle. He points out there is no enemy specified, and wonders what if Anduin and Velen have been corrupted by the fanatical light from AU Draenor? This leads to a discussion about the possible connection of the Mag'har storyline and the needs for one single timeline, as Nozdormu was charged with protecting.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin #57! Our next live episode recording is scheduled for 12/12 at 10:30 pm at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Come join us if you can! For schedule updates, follow us on twitter @taurengoblin. Or send us feedback there or by email to [email protected].

Episode URL: mtb.gg/22q

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#56: On Zuldazar

20 november 2018 | 69 min

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for the Zuldazar zone.

Katie and Nick are back and now that Katie has dinged 120 on Klanker, they can finally talk more about the Horde story. This week, they talk about the story of Zuldazar, picking up where the Horde intro quests left off But first they get into a tangent about the Loa and Nazmir and the fate of Torga.

Zuldazar is the tale of the Zanchuli council and their coup against Rastakhan to take over the Zandalari trolls. You start out amicable with the Council, going so far as to do some of their work for them, but soon enough things turn dour, and it culminates with Yazma consuming Shadra's essence (similar to how the Drakkari trolls consumed their Loa in Zul'Drak.) This leads to an effort to stop the Council, but Zul backstabs Rastakhan and almost succeeds in his coup. Nick compares the attack on Rastakhan to Vol'jin's attempted assassination in Mists of Pandaria. We seek out Rezan and Bwon'samdi to resurrect Rastakhan, and in doing so, we see that Rezan's fate is foreshadowed. Yazma leads the council in an assault on Atal'Dazar, and Rezan goes to stop them, but winds up walking into a trap and is killed. He is ressurected as one of the bosses in the Atal'Dazar dungeon, which culminates in us finally killing Yazma, although Zul and the Zanchuli council remain a threat at large.

Katie also mentions her adoration for Loti and Raal, a married couple who are also priests for two different Loa in Zuldazar. Nick and Katie look at Loti and Raal's marriage. They also talk about Gonk and Pa'ku as loa. They talk briefly about some of the dinosaur breeding quests in the area, including the one's which involve Goblin technology. They also talk a little about Hemet Nesingwary's appearance in the zone and whether he is a good character or not.

Thank you for listening to this week's Tauren & Goblin! Our next episode is 10/24 at 10:30 pm E on twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons with specail guest The Worgen's Howl. Please email us any feedback at [email protected] or via tweet at @taurengoblin.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/22l

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#55: Talking Worgen (Feat. Worgen's Howl)

31 oktober 2018 | 75 min

This week Nick and Katie welcome Kaz and Frostee from The Worgen's Howl in advance of Blizzcon. For now, Katie is working on the Headless Horseman mount (again). They talk some about the Headless Horseman merchandise that's been released this year, and then discuss the recent Genn statue that was announced. This leads to a discussion of whether Genn might be set to die soon. Sylvanas' fate is also considered. Then the look at Genn's increased role in the game lately and debate his relationship with Anduin.

Kaz and Frostee talk about Genn's appearance in the Battle for Azeroth cinematic and compare it to his in-game cinematic models. They also discuss these various appearances with respect to copslay for Genn. Kaz discusses how the Blizzard artists were instructed to make Greymane more white over the years. They also talk about the recent controversy about Worgen's having tails.

Kaz and Frostee then talk about their cosplay that they've been working on. They did Genn Greymane two years ago, Hogger, which won Blizzcon last year, and this year Khazra, a goat from Diablo III. Kaz also talks about the Goron model from three years ago and what has become of the costume and how it shaped her philosophy for crafting costumes going forward. Kaz and Frostee talk about getting through security with your costumes. They also talk about learning to use the costume properly, from where to look to maintain sightlines and how to navigate furniture. Nick asks about how they feel comparing their full body suit cosplay with costumes that other cosplayers may wear.

Finally, they talk about Blizzcon and everyone's involvement in Con Before the Storm. Katie and Frostee are both on the WoW panel.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin. Please send feedback to @taurengoblin on twitter or [email protected].

Episode URL: mtb.gg/225

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#54: Farewell Morhaime, Hello Brewfest (feat. The Training Dummies)

9 oktober 2018 | 86 min

Rob and Darryl from the Training Dummies are here to join Nick, Katie, and Katie's goggles to talk about Brewfest and have a few beverages in the process.
First, Rob and Nick talk about the state of Hearthstone and how there is a malaise affecting the game. Then, Nick credits Isilme from twitter for a correction about which city Azshara was in during her Warbringers cinematic.

Next, the group talks about the news that Mike Morhaime is stepping down as President of Blizzard. They wonder if he will still show up at Blizzcon to formally pass the torch to J. Allen Brack, and celebrate the positive influence he was for the Blizzard community. They also talk about Brack's credentials for succeeding Morhaime as president, and ponder the future of WoW. They also make some Blizzcon predictions, including whether or not Diablo 4 will be announced at the convention. Then, there is a brief conversation about the state of Battle for Azeroth, and Nick admits that he's fine working for Nathanos and Sylvanas because he's lost his morals.

Then, Katie runs through a history of Brewfest, including the story of how Chen Stormstout and Grimbooze Thunderbrew started the holiday. Coren Direbrew proved to be a spoiler, and continues to attempt to ruin the holiday every year despite the Dark Iron Dwarves now being affiliated with the Alliance. Rob complains about having to ride rams. Nick mentions the Wolpertingers, and everyone fawns over the beer goggles that make everyone seem attractive.

Also, on October 13th, the Running of the Gnomes will be on the Feathermoon server. For more info please go to http://runningofthegnomes.tumblr.com/

Thanks again to Rob and Darryl from the Training Dummies for coming out. Please check out www.thetrainingdummies.com.

Thank you for listening. Please send any feedback to @taurengoblin on twitter or by email at [email protected].

Episode URL: mtb.gg/21r

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#53: On Rastakhan and Katie's Trip

26 september 2018 | 71 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk about Battle for Azeroth this week! They lament not having played as much as they'd like, and then start to delve into what's going on with Rastakhan given the revelation he will be an Alliance boss in Patch 8.1. Nick suggests that Bwonsamdi will be involved in the fight in some capacity, and then gives his crazy theory about the true nature of Bwonsamdi. This leads to a discussion of the loa and their relationship to the world, and how Bwonsamdi is different from all the other loa. Vol'jin's claim that the loa told him to appoint Sylvanas as Warchief is examined. Nick wonders if the forces of Death are trying to claim the Horde for themselves. Katie shares her theories for Vol'jin and Bwonsamdi.

Also, Katie took a trip to Blizzard this past week. She talks about checking out the library which is like nerd heaven. She recounts getting to see the famous orc statue. She does not have any secrets about the future of WoW she can share.
Colin emailed in asking about where to start with the lore. Katie responds with her recommendations for the books to go with. He also asks about us covering Alliance lore, which will eventually be covered. Both Katie and Nick have interest in getting through Kul Tiras to talk about that side of things.

Also, Katie will be on the Warcraft Panel at Con Before the Storm this year, and Nick will be on the Pod Before the Con Warcraft show a few days earlier.

Our next show is scheduled for October 3, at 10:30 pm E, with special guests The Training Dummies, here to talk about Brewfest!

Thank you for listening to this week's The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any feedback to @taurengoblin on twitter or [email protected] by email.

Episode URL: mtb.gg/21k

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#52: Azshara and the Faction Redraft

12 september 2018 | 81 min

In a shocking turn, Nick and Katie do not talk about Zuldazar this week. They talk briefly about Voldun since Katie has been playing there, but Nick wants to avoid spoilers. Then Nick brings up Aszhara Warbringers, and they talk about the music and best parts of the cinematic. They appreciate N'Zoth as a fish and try to discern what the nature of Azshara's relationship with the Old God is. They then look at Azshara's motives of late and try to determine if she is still working with N'Zoth or if there could have been a falling out. They end the discussion by debating which of the Warbringer shorts was the best.

Next, Nick and Katie try something new. Nick flips and coin and he represents Sylvanas, while Katie then has to represent Anduin, and the two of them redraft the Horde and Alliance from the full list of available player races, including the six available allied races and the two upcoming races announced. Katie cleverly chooses to go second, and due to the snake nature of the draft, effectively has control, dictating many of Nick's choices as far as how he constitutes what should be the Horde. Katie pushes a run on both naval strength and engineering with her actions, and Nick tries to establish control over the Eastern Kingdoms as best he can. One race that has struggled recently falls down the board, and probably goes lower than they should. Katie finishes off the draft with a surprise non-playable race as her final choice to give both factions 11 draft slots. Overall, this was surprisingly fun and went way differently than anticipated.

Thank you for listening to the Tauren & the Goblin! Please let us know if you liked the draft idea or your thoughts on Azshara by emailing us at [email protected] or on twitter at @taurengoblin. Our next live recording is scheduled for 9/19 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons.

Episode URL: ash4.me/219

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#51: On the Horde Intro to Zandalar

29 augusti 2018 | 74 min

Nick and Katie are back but life is busy and they've both only had time to really play through one zone in the new expansion. After giving their initial impressions and talking about Blizzard's development history of making awesome leveling zones (they disagree about whether the last bad zone was in MoP or Cataclysm), they start with the quest to get the Heart of Azeroth from Magni. Of note, they point out the pun about the room being a Heart Chamber, and they talk about the Titan Keeper that references all the Titan facilities that start with Uld, including some we don't know about.

The duo then starts to talk about sneaking into Stormwind and encountering Saurfang, and try to discern his purposes. Nick asks if he is going to be the next warchief, and Katie laments that the warchief title has moved around too much lately. They then talk about the various warchiefs and how their role was dictated by the expansion they served during, and Katie is sad when talking about Vol'jin's all too short reign.

They get back to the task at hand and focus on the next characters encountered: Talanji and Zul. They consider Zul's historical significance to the game, as a figure behind the resurrection of the Thunder King in Pandaria, with references to him and Rastakhan on Thunder Isle, but yet has never actually encountered us before. They talk about fleeing the Stockades and evading Jaina in a manner similar to the Halls of Reflection with Arthas, and evaluate the flammability of Stormwind.

Then the pair discuss the intro cinematic for Zandalar, featuring Rezan's introduction as the Loa of Kings and Queens. They focus on Talanji's importance to the Zandalari, and look at other female leaders within the Horde. They compare the basic structure of Zandalar with the Highmountain zone.

Finally, they discuss Dazar'Alor, the Zandalari capital. They talk about how massive it is and the different tiers and the assortment of characters that can be found there, and compare it to the Shrines in Mists of Pandaria and other capital cities.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin. Please feel free to send feedback to @taurengoblin on twitter, or [email protected].

Episode URL: ash4.me/211

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

All the Lore (feat. Kavo, AJ, & Gooch)

15 augusti 2018 | 94 min

So we're pretty much done with pre-BfA lore now that Battle of Lordaeron has been released (with the exception of Azshara Warbringers which may well have dropped before this goes up), and Nick and Katie reconvene with Kavo, AJ, and Gooch to discuss all the lore leading into the new expansion. Nick sums up the new content and then they begin diving in.

Old Soldier was the Saurfang cinematic that featured him and Zekhan (ZAPPYBOI!) discussing honor and the Horde. They admired Blizzard's panache in releasing this unannounced two days after the Sylvanas Warbringers left Horde players twisting in the wind and several people claiming bad writing. They talk about the cinematics team improving quality and how they are able to use whatever visual tricks they need to pull off a cinematic, and they talk about where they hope Zekhan's arc goes as well as question what will ultimately happen with Saurfang.

They also discuss A Good War and Elegy, the Horde and Alliance novellas that explain the War of the Thorns from each side. Nick appreciates that several battles are recounted in both stories, but from each respective faction's perspective, so that named characters in one book appear unnamed in the other book, and together make a complete accounting of events. They talk about the terror at the end of Elegy in describing the burning of Teldrassil, and they get into a super nerdy debate about numbers regarding the Night Elf population.

They also look at the Battle for Lordaeron and the related Horde and Alliance cinematics. Katie and Gooch were unimpressed by Jaina's surprise entrance, and they discuss Sylvanas' sassy lines and her confrontation with Horde leadership in the throne room.

Thank you for listening to this week's episode! Please send us your thoughts on the story going into BfA at [email protected] or at @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: ash4.me/20r

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#50: Sylvanas Surprise! (feat. Kavo, AJ, and Gooch)

8 augusti 2018 | 96 min

So this is a surprise episode but we needed to celebrate episode #50 and what better way to do that than with Kavo and AJ from Patch Day and Gooch from Three Goblins in a Trenchcoat! They join Nick and Katie to talk about the fallout from Sylvanas burning Teldrassil.

The gang looks at their immediate reactions to the burning, as well as take a quick consideration of the quests themselves. They debate whether Sylvanas planned the whole thing or not based on her decision to bring along catapaults capable of hitting across the sea. They also consider that Sylvanas did not use blight, which she easily could have. They discuss whether characters should be able to switch factions and how uncomfortable everyone (except for Gooch!) felt right after watching the cinematic.

They take a look at Saurfang's motivations and whether or not his decision to strike Malfurion to protect Sylvanas was smart or not. They also talk about Jaina's status of late and consider her and Genn as aggressors.

They talk about Tyrande and Malfurion and their disappointing role in all of this. They also criticize the attacks on Christie Golden, and point out that she's not solely responsible for the story that we are getting. They remind everyone that harassing her is wrong and it needs to stop. They also praise the cinematics and storytelling team as Nick points out (with an analogy to The Last Jedi) that people's emotions are clouded by the story content and they aren't considering the quality of the story they are getting, though they admit that Blizzard needs to continue to tell the story properly. They end with a quick debate about who should be the next Warchief.

Thank you again to Kavo, AJ, and Gooch for joining us. Thank you for listening! Please send any feedback to @taurengoblin on twitter or [email protected]!

Episode URL: ash4.me/20m

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#49: On Jaina, Legion, and War of the Thorns.

31 juli 2018 | 85 min

This one is all over the place. Jason (Emery) joins us ostensibly to look back at Legion lore, and instead we react to what's been going on with Jaina and the controversy over the Horde's actions in Ashenvale and Darkshore. We start with Jason talking a little about his problems playing his monk and how mythic raiding is a struggle in the new patch. We discuss how Hati was just gone for Beast Master Hunters, although he will allegedly return at some point, and this leads to a discussion of the attitude of various sentient weapons and mounts. We then talk about the underwhelming monk class hall, and go into talking about the awesome Death Knight class hall, which leads to a discussion of Bolvar's possible role in the future. This leads back to a discussion of the Old Gods and what could be coming in Battle for Azeroth, and that leads back to a discussion of what the Horde is doing in the War of the Thorns.

Eventually we discuss the recent animated short Warbringers: Jaina. We talk about how it fits into the ongoing story of Jaina that started in the Battle for Azeroth announcement, continued in Before the Storm and the Reunion comic, and how this picks up right where the comic leaves off. We consider Jaina as hated by Kul Tirans who lack the context that had Jaina a fan favorite prior to Mists of Pandaria, and we compare her to Sylvanas who is hated by many players who also lack context. Finally, Nick looks at the final words of the song and extrapolates that it could be a hint that the Old Gods are involved.

As we wrap up, we consider Azshara's possible involvement in what is to come, and discuss whether the Alliance and the Horde will always put aside their conflict in the face of a bigger threat. We look forward to the next cinematic and animated short to reveal what exactly happens at the burning of Teldrassil, and consider some ways the expansion could go.

Thank you for listening! Please feel free to give us feedback or questions on twitter at @taurengoblin or by email at [email protected].

Episode URL: ash4.me/20j

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#48: A Major Episode on Mages

17 juli 2018 | 74 min

This week we share the second part of Nick and Katie's long conversation, this being the part that focuses on Dalaran and the Kirin Tor, when they aren't drifting off topic.

We recently received an email from Tis who asked about the Council of Six. So Nick and Katie respond by starting with the origins of human magic, focusing on when the magic-using Night Elves were banished across the sea to the Eastern Kingdoms. They settled in Quel'thalas and founded the Sunwell. Eventually, they worked with the humans to fight the trolls and made a deal where they would train 100 human mages. This leads to a discussion about human magic proficiency, and the intelligence of the vrykul. They then talk about the formation of Dalaran as a training hub just outside the Alterac Mountains. Demons begin appearing so the Council of Tirisfal is formed, and Nick compares them to early season Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

They jump ahead to the Second War when Teron Gorefiend steals the Eye of Dalaran, and then the Third War when Archimonde destroys the city. This results is a look at how many times we've beaten Archimonde and how our power levels have grown since we are staring down Titans. They then mention the Kirin Tor working with Grand Marshall Garithos and their role in imprisoning the High Elves.

Looking at vanilla WoW, Nick and Katie talk about Dalaran being inaccessible under a bubble while it was rebuilt, and their experiences questing around it. They discuss the city taking flight in Wrath of the Lich King, and wonder if there is still a Dalaran Crater in the Warcraft movie, due to the city's altered origins. Katie shares her geology nerd street cred and questions Dalaran's support structure, as the foundation and dirt should have fallen apart by now. They talk about Jaina kicking out the Blood Elves in Mists of Pandaria, and wonder if Dalaran should have accompanied us to Alternate Draenor. Then they look at Dalaran's role in Legion.

Finally, they discuss the membership of the Council of Six, the leaders of Dalaran. They talk about Archmage Vargoth and his apprentice quests in Azshara. They also look at Jaina (and Vol'jin) and how their destinies seem to have altered in the last few years. Nick rants about the Alliance wanting to be harsher and yet not accepting it when they are.

Thank you for listening to the Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any feedback to @taurengoblin or [email protected].

Episode URL: ash4.me/20f

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#47: Heroes of and Before the Storm

3 juli 2018 | 45 min

Recently, Nick and Katie recorded what was supposed to be episode 47, except the episode ran very, very long. So, the decision was made to split the episode into two parts. This is the first part, where they discuss recent goings on around Blizzard. The next part will focus entirely on mages: Dalaran and the Kirin Tor. Look for that in two weeks!

Nick and Katie begin by talking about the mage tower appearances. Katie has also been working on getting her moose mount from Emerald Nightmare. This leads to a discussion of raid mounts. The pair then briefly discuss the beta and admit they haven't been playing as much as they should. Talk then turns to Heroes of the Storm, and the recent Warcraft additions to the game. Katie fawns over the Junkrat goblin skin, and wants there to be an interaction between him and Gazlowe. Nick points out that there was no interaction between Corrupter Malfurion and normal Illidan. They then talk about Yrel being added to HotS, and if she is the same character pulled from time that we saw in Warlords of Draenor.

They also consider if Maraad should be added to the game. Nick complains that Draenai are not thematically appropriate for Alterac Valley. He also mentions that he loved Nexomania. Then, they talk about the recent Dev Q&A and Katie says that shamans feel okay on the beta. Katie brings up that she has been trying to get the Chosen title, and they compare that with the First Aid achievements she had been working on. They talk about the old Illidari tabards you could get in Burning Crusade, and complain about the tabard transmog rules. Nick talks about the mage class hall mount quest, and his struggles with the final challenge. Finally, they compare War Crimes and Before the Storm, with Nick preferring War Crimes but Katie choosing Before the Storm.

Then, we hear a snippet of conversation from the pre-show chat. Katie talks about raiding during the podcast, and the pair discuss common activities podcasters do while recording their shows. Nick talks about his struggles playing Heroes of the Storm. Then, they turn to the controversy over the narrative surrounding the burning of Teldrassil. Katie wants to know why Sylvanas attacks Teldrassil, and Nick assures her we will get an answer. Nick looks to the forthcoming novellas to resolve what currently appear to be inconsistencies in the story.

Finally, Nick wraps the show up by talking about how he is excited that the lore is closing in as we approach the launch of Legion.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any feedback or thoughts to @taurengoblin or [email protected].

Episode URL: ash4.me/203

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

SE: Azeroth Book Club Episode #1: Dawn of the Aspects

26 juni 2018 | 89 min

#46: Before the Storm and the Storytelling Panel

19 juni 2018 | 69 min

Katie and Nick got their copies of Before the Storm and while Katie is about 2/3rds of the way through, Nick is only on Chapter 7 so they aren't quite ready to talk about the book just yet. That said, they REALLY want to! Warning: Mild spoilers follow. Nick gloats that he accurately called the Patch 7.3 cinematics featuring in the book. Katie mentions that she thinks its Christie Golden's best Warcraft book. She also talks about how she's been alternating between the audio book and the written book. They will both talk more about it on an upcoming episode of Azeroth Book Club with Brittza from Geeks of Azeroth.

In game, Katie has been struggling with the field medic achievement since first aid is being removed in Battle for Azeroth. Nick, meanwhile, has finished his mage order hall campaign and talks about how he had to save Archmage Vargoth from the dreadlord Kathra'natir, and he has concerns that other dreadlords may be working to free Kathra'natir from his new prison. They talk about how omnipresent dreadlords were in Legion and how paranoid it can make a player.

As part of E3, Christie Golden, Terran Gregory, and Steve Danueser participated in a panel about storytelling for WoW. Nick and Katie discuss some of the highlights from the panel, including Terran mentioning that some heroes don't get epic deaths, which made Nick think of Vol'jin. They talk about Blizzard's plan to tell story across multiple media, and how that is reflected with the scenes in Before the Storm that were also cinematics. There is a slight detour into the nature of Azerite and what that can do to a person, given that we are going to be handling Azerite for the entirety of the next expansion, and Nick theorizes about the death of our characters.

Finally, Nick shares his theory on the Windrunner father, who has been absent from Warcraft lore. What could his history have been that would cause all three of his daughters to fall for human males?

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin. Please send any feedback or thoughts to [email protected].

Episode URL: ash4.me/1zt

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#45: Reunion & The Speaker

6 juni 2018 | 61 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk about Warcraft lore, with two new pre-Battle for Azeroth comics ot dive into! But first Katie talks about how her quest to get mounts has been going. She also discusses the new mount coming in BfA for getting 100 exalted reputations and her disappointment with it. Nick, meanwhile, has been playing through the mage class hall and talks about getting the frost weapon by ambushing a demon and the fire weapon by assaulting Ice Crown Citadel.

Next, the pair discuss the Jaina Proudmoore-focused comic, Reunion. They talk about how it shows Jaina killing demons during Legion and how there could have been more story there to cover what was going on back on the rest of the planet. They discuss how the two representations of Rexxar killing Daelin Proudmoore tell more about the narrator of the event than they do about what actually happened, and Nick is concerned that Rexxar will have a role to play in BfA. They also go on to talk about the end(?) of Jaina's relationship with Kalecgos, and how they want to see more dragons and would like for the dragons to regain the ability to reproduce. They also look into the conflict that Jaina is going to have with the citizens of Kul Tiras who are calling for her death. They wonder why Jaina hasn't returned (even secretly) to Kul Tiras previously.

In The Speaker, the tale of Magni raising his daughter Moira is contrasted with Magni's new duty as the speaker for Azeroth. Katie is concerned that we see Azeroth shatter if Magni fails. Nick, however, reacts to the fatherly scenes of Magni with young Moira. They look forward to seeing Magni apply his experiences as a struggling father to his relationship with Azeroth. Finally, the Running of the Trolls is June 9th. Please participate and donate as the money benefits the Trevor Project, which supports LGBTQ youth.

Thank you for listening to this week's The Tauren & the Goblin. We can be reached with any feedback at [email protected], or @taurengoblin.

Episode URL: ash4.me/1zm

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#44: The Battle for Lordaeron (BFA Spoilers!)

22 maj 2018 | 82 min

Nick and Katie are here to talk about the Battle for Lordaeron scenario in the Battle for Azeroth Beta! (So WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD FOR BfA!) But first, Katie talks a little about raiding and her attempts on the mage tower. Nick talks about boosting a nightborne mage recently. They discuss going into the Nexus to get Aluneth, the arcane artifact, and Katie mentions how sassy the staff is. This leads into a discussion about alts in Legion and how they were necessary to see the story for each class, while BfA appears to have two completely separate stories for Alliance and Horde instead. Nick wonders if there could ever be a raid where each faction has different reasons for going in, and the bosses, while mechanically the same, are skinned differently.

Daryl from the Training Dummies tweeted a reply to last episode's discussion that Thunder Bluff would smell like manure. This leads to a discussion of waste management in Thunder Bluff. He also pointed out that the Stormwind sewers run into the rivers in the city, which draws a comparison to Undercity. Eventually, they get offtopic and discuss various allied races in Battle for Azeroth.

Finally, Nick and Katie discuss the beta. The talk about the appearance of Tirisfal Glades, and how it is unrecognizable leading up to Lordaeron. The go through the stages of the scenario, and talk about how the Alliance might try to reclaim the city. They consider Saurfang's motivations and where his character could be headed. Nick praises Sylvanas' behaviour in the attack, and compares her desperation to Jaina after the bombing of Theramore. Katie shares her theory for how the battle ends, and Nick compares datamining to studying Marvel movie trailers for clues about the coming movies.

Thanks again for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin. Please leave any feedback at @taurengoblin on twitter or by email at [email protected].

Episode URL: ash4.me/1zc

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#43: What if Metzen was in Warcraft III?

9 maj 2018 | 68 min

Nick and Katie are here with a bit of a unique episode this time. But first, Nick talks about his time unlocking the Allied Races and how he's rolled a Lightforged Draenai of all characters. Katie meanwhile has been playing through the beta and also has started raiding again.

Katie's talk about the beta leads to a discussion about concerns that the Horde is acting uncharacteristically evil in the beta, and that Sylvanas is turning into Garrosh 2.0. Katie cites Ion's defense from the last dev Q&A that that is not the case. Nick makes a drawn out comparison to Lost to argue that people shouldn't judge a story on its middle, except that for episodic content like WoW, that is exactly what people do and he is worried that people won't stick around for the end of BfA when the story will resolve itself. They also briefly talk about high elves possibly being an allied race, and Nick claims that Ion's argument that there aren't many of them is flawed.

For the topic tonight, Nick references a recent Fantastic Four cover that has Mr. Fantastic looking like Chris Metzen, and with the Thing looking like Thrall (if you squint real hard) and the Invisible Woman looking like Jaina, he asks what would have happened if Chris Metzen somehow found himself on Azeroth in the middle of Warcraft III, as a test of their knowledge from Chronicle. They talk about him meeting Arthas and Jaina on their way to Stratholme, and whether or not Metzen would warn Arthas of his fate. They debate whether it is worth opening a portal to get home, given that it would link Azeroth to Earth, and therefore the orcs and the Legion would all now have access to our planet. They discuss wanting to meet Thrall and the orcs, and what might happen. Also, they consider if Metzen would get any powers due to his knowledge of the universe, as perhaps the Light might look to him as a champion.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & Goblin! Please let us know if you liked this episode and would like to hear more like it, by email at [email protected], or @taurengoblin on twitter. Our next live episode will be 5/16 at 10:30 pm E at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons.

Episode URL: ash4.me/1z3

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#42: Chronicle Vol 3, Hearthstone, and Malfurion vs Saurfang

26 april 2018 | 85 min

Nick and Katie are back and they are further into Chronicle Volume 3! But first, they talk a little about the Physical Collector's Edition and Nick celebrates that he can pre-order the digital verson and he will be reimbursed in battle.net balance when he gets his collector's edition, so he can play his allied races early. Katie, while also excited about that, is disappointed that the art book and the mouse pad and the physical media are going away. Then, they talk about Con Before the Storm coming on November 1 and Blizzcon coming on November 2 and 3. Please be sure to contribute to the Con Before the Storm kickstarter as it is an awesome fan-run event!

Joshua emails in to talk about Hearthstone and how it is not indicative of the lore, but Nick disagrees. Whispers of the Old Gods and Knights of the Frozen Throne definitely were, but Mean Streets of Gadgetzan was presented as showing the changes to an actual Gadgetzan. This leads into a discussion about wanting to see the world change, and then Nick and Katie go off on a rant about the lore in Battle for Azeroth.

This segues into Katie talking about Jaina's relationship to Kul Tiras from Chronicle Volume III. Nick points out that Blizzard is good about using the Chronicle books to set up the coming expansion, although they are not complete tomes, since content like Uldir in Zandalar was not mentioned in the first book. They talk about Rexxar and his possible role in Battle for Azeroth, based on what is mentioned in Chronicle, and Nick complains that certain stories felt lighter on details while other stories got more attention than needed. They also talk about some parallels Nick noticed in Warcraft III, and Katie shares a passage that sums up Warcraft and Battle for Azeroth.

They end with a debate over Malfurion vs. Saurfang.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any feedback or questions to [email protected] or @taurengoblin.

Episode URL: ash4.me/1yw

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#41: Chronicle Early Impressions

10 april 2018 | 62 min

Real life can be a bummer sometimes as Nick and Katie have to record this episode right after they both received their copies of Chronicle Volume III, so they haven't yet had time to read them. But they at least started! First, however, Katie mentions that she's been leveling her Nightborne. Katie talks about Outland questing and how it gets boring in Zangarmarsh, and Nick agrees. Mentioning Outland leads to mentioning Draenor which leads into a long diatribe on Warlords of Draenor. Despite not wanting to get into it, Nick mentions how the expansion lost him when it misused Azuka by making her the final boss of the questing experience and not a raid boss. Nick and Katie also talk about how the Warlords themselves should have been saved for later in the expansion, and this leads to Nick wondering what a raid fight would look like with two bosses also trying to fight each other at the same time. Finally getting back to the topic at hand, Nick mentions he's been doing world quests.

Katie is excited about Chronicle because it starts by talking about what happened to Turalyon and Alleria when the portals started ripping Draenor apart. It also briefly describes how Khadgar and the rest of the Alliance Expedition survived by ducking into a rift, which Nick notes was lucky for them. They wonder if Khadgar's seemingly renewed vigor will be addressed in Chronicle.

They also talk about Ner'zhul becoming the Lich King, and how for as much as Arthas and Ner'zhul (and now Bolvar) are mixed together in a single being, that they still seem to leave remnants of their soul in plenty of places.

They talk about how all the dungeons are assigned to either the Alliance or Horde for victory, and talk a little bit how that's disappointing for the player who may be from the other faction and remembers killing all the bosses.

They wonder if Chronicle is going to have the detail expected to talk about vanillla questing. Katie describes what she wants to read which sounds more like a travelogue. Nick just wants extremely detailed reports of who every NPC is. They ponder if Chronicle Volume IV will be needed, but decide that its probably not going to be for quite some time.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please reach out to us @taurengoblin or [email protected]. Our next show is scheduled to record live on 4/18 at 10:30 pm EST at twitch.tvmashthosebuttons.

Episode URL: ash4.me/1yn

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#40: The Worgen & the Dwarf

27 mars 2018 | 70 min

With April Fool's Day around the corner, Nick and Katie try to change things up by looking at the world from an Alliance perspective instead of as the Horde. Are they able to do so? Let's find out!

They get into an argument about the difference between crocolisks and basilisks after Katie earned her Brawler's Guild mount. Katie also mentions she's leveling a void elf. Nick, meanwhile, has been leveling his worgen, and then they get into a discussion about the elemental lords based off the brief story related to the rogue hidden artifact appearance, Thunderfury. This leads to a discussion about the geology (and physiology?) of Azeroth, and they question whether there is another continent on the other side of the planet. They talk about how players just discovered Highmountain Tauren, yet they seem to have been established within the world of the characters for some time.

Katie mentions that she's excited to go to Kul Tiras, and this leads to a discussion of Kul Tiras druid forms compared with the recent Zandalari druid reveals. Nick goes on a rant about the new Hearthstone expansion, The Witchwood, and complains that Hearthstone is expanding WoW lore too quickly for the game to keep up. They lament that the new Gadgetzan is still not in game. They also talk about how events of the books aren't depicted in game quickly enough (if at all) either.

They review Forsaken and Blood Elf relations as it pertains to the fall of the Undercity, and gloss over the Blood Elf population question. They wonder if Lordaeron could be rebuilt on a scale like Suramar, and then dive into questions of scale and how sizes seems to change under certain situations.

Alisaunder emailed in with feedback on the Kobold episode. This leads to a look at Garrosh's plans in Warlords. Katie misses the Dragonflights.

They pair discuss Anduin's relationship with Genn, and ponder whether peace is possible on Azeroth. They talk about the factions moving further apart and if that will help minimize conflict.

The vulpera are mentioned and Katie reveals her dislike for them. They talk about how the game has been jumping through hoops whenever introducing a new race, like the Pandaren, and claim that Allied Races make it easier for Blizzard to introduce new races without having to shoehorn in a low-level story. They talk about Legion's content drought and wonder how close Before the Storm will be to launch. Finally, they debate whether the Alliance-bias experiment was a success.

Thank you for listening to the Tauren & the Goblin! You can find us on twitter @taurengoblin or via email [email protected]. Let us know how you think our Alliance experiment went!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1yd

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#39: The Tauren & Three Goblins

13 mars 2018 | 60 min

This week Katie is joined by her compatriots from the 3 Goblins in a Trenchcoat podcast, Kavo, and Gooch. 3 Goblins is a general Blizzard gaming podcast. Nick starts off the interview by bringing up Kavo's recent reaction to the deleted scene of Garona and Lothar kissing from the Warcraft movie. This leads to a discussion of Thrall and Jaina's relationship, the status of Thrall's children, and some musings on Thrall's eventual death. This segues into a discussion of the fate of Vol'jin's ashes as well.

Kavo is in the Battle for Azeroth alpha, and he shares some information from his experiences. He observes that one faction has a more lighthearted tone than the other. He also mentions the Troll Druid models that were recently datamined. The group discuss the parsing of the term "bear" as it applies to guardian druids. The Zandalari Moonkin form has Nick and Katie pondering playable arrakoa. There is a comparison of Vulpera versus Goblins that leads to Nick being very dismissive of Gnomes. As this discussion was recorded before the reveal of the feral Zandalari druid form, the foursome speculates on what that druid model could be. They talk about the dinosaur models currently in the game. Kavo also shares his experience with the city of Zuldazar. They look at Azerite and how it compares to Artifact Power. They talk about the follower system which is returning in BfA.

Kavo mentions that Bwon'samdi is present in the Horde questing experience, and this leads to a discussion about the relationship between Sylvanas and the Loa of Death. What role does Vol'jin have in uniting these two, or will they even cross paths? They also talk about the Kul Tirans. The group looks at some of the overpromising done at the start of Legion, but they tend to agree that they liked the class halls. They compare the novels to how Warcraft IV could build on the lore between expansions. To Nick's joy, Kavo laments Cairne's death. Everyone talks about how the cinematics moves the narrative forward.

Thank you for listening to this week's The Tauren & the Goblin! You can reach us at @taurengoblin and [email protected].

Episode URL: ash4.me/1y4

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#38: You No Take Candle!

27 februari 2018 | 64 min

Nick and Katie are here to take the candle and talk about all things Kobold! But first, in a twist, Katie has been playing Highmountain Tauren. Nick mentions that he is holding out for the physical collector's edition of Battle for Azeroth, and will continue to mention this until Blizzard makes pre-orders available in a way that gives him access to the allied races. Katie then spoils their quest to unlock them. Baine hosts a feast in Thunder Bluff, and Mayla and Spiritwalker Ebonhorn are in attendance. Void creatures attack and Ebonhorn needs to rush back to Highmountain. There, some wards locking in a void threat are under attack, and the end result is a showdown with an Old God minion. Afterwards, the Highmountain Tauren pledge themselves to the Horde.

Previously, listener Joshua asked to hear the lore behind kobolds, so Nick and Katie indulge. Kobolds were originally Germanic spirits, and evolved into small lizard-like creatures in Dungeons & Dragons. They first appeared in Warcraft III as the rat-like race we now know. Gazlowe had to clear them out from some tunnels so he could begin construction on Orgrimmar. Kobolds are famous for the candle on their head that is made out of earwax. They have several tribes, most notably Snobolds in Northrend, and the Bluewax tribe in Hightmountain. The Bluewax tribe is featured in a quest chain that Nick and Katie highly recommend. The Bluewax hierarchy is based on which kobold has the biggest skull, so players acquire bigger and bigger skulls until they are the leader of the Bluewax kobolds. This ends with the player facing off against the Darkness, a void wraith that stalks the cave, and is only kept at bay by candlelight. In the process, the player becomes a quest giver, assigning quests to the kobolds in the cavern.

This leads to a discussion about whether Kobolds would be a viable Allied Race. Nick and Katie agree that there are many other races they would like to see first (arrakoa!).

Our next live stream will be on 3/2 at 11:00 pm CST at twitch.tv/mashthosebuttons. Please follow @taurengoblin for any updates to the schedule. Please send any feedback or topic requests to [email protected].

Thank you for listening!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1xu

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#37: Catching Up

13 februari 2018 | 81 min

Its just Nick and Katie this week with nothing too pressing to talk about. The Battle for Azeroth alpha is live but neither is in. There has been some datamining but they aren't ready to talk about spoilers. With the alpha live, Nick talks a bit about the timing for Battle for Azeroth, and how it is on pace to be the shortest expansion since Wrath of the Lich King. Then, he and Katie talk about what they've been up to. Katie's been running up against the wall that is Love is in the Air trying to get her Love Rocket.

Nick meanwhile has finished up Suramar and talks about his appreciatoin for the Valtrois and Stellagosa interactions, as well as the Oculeth and Khadgar dialogue. He also finished the rogue questline, and this leads to a discussion about how the hunter questline was so disappointing for Nick because he had high expectations. He compares it to the monk story, which was probably a similar experience, but because he was not as invested in his monk, he did not have such high hopes for it. They talk about how Legion was so front-loaded with content and now is the time for everyone to get caught up. Katie complains that she has too many artifacts to still work on.

Alisaunder emailed in to talk about Vol'jin choosing Sylvanas and the orcs and forsaken relationship. Katie says that she thinks Vol'jin was manipulated by the Old Gods.

Finally, they discuss the allied races that are possibly coming. Talk focuses on the Vulpira who were datamined as a playable race (although Blizzard says that isn't the case.) They wonder if Kul Tirans are coming. Mag'har (brown) orcs have been confirmed by Blizzard. Nick talks about how void elves should be such a small minority of elves yet there are so many of them in the game. He admits that Blizzard can do whatever they want to justify sending any race to any faction. Katie asks "How many 'dorei does it take to screw in a lightbulb?" to which there is no answer.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin #37. Email us any feedback at [email protected] or tweet us at @taurengoblin.

Episode URL: ash4.me/1xl

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#36: The Patch 7.3.5 Cinematics (feat. Geeks of Azeroth)

30 januari 2018 | 76 min

Joining Nick and Katie this week are Britzza and Sleepy Gary from the Geeks of Azeroth podcast and they're here to talk about the Patch 7.3.5 cinematics.

First, they discuss the Alliance cinematic. Katie is upset about the anti-goblin bias, but Nick says that Anduin actually stands up for the goblins. Katie talks about how Goblins are competitive amongst themselves. Nick mentions that the scene felt reminiscent of the end of the Warcraft movie. They then look at who the SI:7 Agent at the end of the cinematic could have been, assuming they can agree on its gender. Sleepy Gary thinks it could be Tess Greymane, while Nick wants her to be Amber Kearnen. The topic briefly shifts to dreadlords and how the Legion should have backup dreadlords when they assume someone's identity. They then question if the Dreadlords were ever really loyal to the Legion.

Next, the Horde cinematic is up for discussion. Nick of course praises Baine's speech. Katie again complains of anti-goblin bias and expresses displeasure with Saurfang's "rats" comment. Britzza talks about how the Alliance appears unifiied at this time and the Horde is on the verge of fracturing again. Nick says that all we need is a good Sylvanas, "FOR THE HORDE," and we'll all be fine. Katie compares the eras of the Horde and brings up Vol'jins "The Horde is Family," philosophy, which leads to a comparison of the celebratory feast to a family eating Thanksgiving dinner. Nick praises the cinematics team for their facial expressions and how they lead to memes. Britzza compares Sylvanas and Anduin and how they seem to be going in different directions. He points out that we have a ways to go from Sylvanas silently sitting at the dinner table to her screaming in the Battle for Azeroth cinematic. Nick thinks that these cinematics may be part of "Before the Storm." We're going to watch Sylvanas work through an identity crisis.

Gallywix's role in the cinematic leads to a discussion of what is Azerite? What are we putting into the Heart of Azeroth? Could Gallywix be the King of Diamonds? Britzza compares Azerite to Bitcoin. Everyone agrees it should not be eaten.

Next, the group talks about Ogmot's journal and their expectations for the first content patch in Battle for Azeroth. Nick thinks that N'Zoth will rise up between Zandalar and Kul'Tiras where the navies face each other. Sleepy Gary wants to see Ny'alotha. Britzza wants to see Ozumat return. Nick notes that Blizzard is going to mess with us because of the ambiguity in Il'gynoth's quotes.

Finally, Nick ends the show by playing a game of 20 questions with everyone. Thank you for listening! You can find Geeks of Azeroth at http://geeksofazeroth.buzzsprout.com. You can reach us with any questions or comments at @taurengoblin or [email protected].

Episode URL: ash4.me/1xc

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#35: Staying Classy with the Training Dummies

16 januari 2018 | 86 min

This week Nick and Katie welcome Rob and Darryl from The Training Dummies to talk about their recent Stay Classy series where they discussed all twelve class hall stories. They begin by talking about the artifact knowledge books and how Blizzard had to write new background lore for several artifact weapons that didn't exist or were poorly fleshed out prior to Legion. Darryl admits he doesn't always pay attention to the quest dialog when playing the game, and he was glad the lore episodes could inform him of the story he missed the first time. Rob, who has played through every class, talked about how some of the episodes made him want to go back and replay the story again. He was surprised by how much crossover there was between classes, and the talk moves to the overlapping artifact quests. Nick wants to see more fallout from the Paladin-Death Knight conflict in Battle for Azeroth. Also, he praises the Stay A While and Listen narratives introduced in 7.3.

Rob discusses how they started the series, and Darryl talks about the difficulties encountered in booking guests. Katie observes that the series is a great archive for players to refer back to in the future. Nick asks Rob about how many characters he has and what problems he encounters by having so many. Nick then discusses playing his Death Knight and how he prepared for the Death Knight episode. Katie shares her experience running four druids through the order hall. The discussion moves to how engrossing some of the campaigns were, and Nick compares the Death Knight and Hunter storylines. Katie, Darryl, and Nick compare the physical class hall structures. Rob educates Nick on using the grappling hook as a rogue.

Rob shares his appreciation for how NPC's react to the weapons. A discussion about completing the storylines during the coming drought leads to a discussion of Siege of Orgrimmar, and comparisons are made between Seige, Hellfire Citadel, and Antorus. Katie complains that goblins can't be monks. Discussion moves to the class followers. Rob and Katie discuss Zandalari druids, and then the final question is if Illidan played enough of a role in the class halls. To sum up the experience, Rob encourages players to take their time through the story, and Darryl admits the series was a lot of work. He laments that Paladins don't get to play their side of the Death Knight invasion.

Thanks again to Rob and Darryl for coming on the show. Be sure to check out The Training Dummies on your favorite podcasting platform. And thank you for listening. We can be reached by email at [email protected].

Episode URL: ash4.me/1x4

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#34: Best Wishes for 2018

2 januari 2018 | 71 min

Happy 2018! Nick and Katie are back to talk about their wishes for the Warcraft universe in the new year. But first, Katie has some exciting news as she sent in a patch for Blizzard's quilt and sweater for the orc statue, and her patch is on the wolf part of the statue in Irvine! Congratulations, Katie! She also found a collector's edition of Wrath of the Lich King which she is excited to open as well.

In other news, Nick was recently on The Training Dummies to talk about Death Knights. Check it out!

Finally, Nick and Katie go over what they want to see for several of the main Warcraft characters this year. First though, Nick establishes a rule that they can't talk about Sylvanas for more than two minutes, because otherwise the show winds up becoming all about her. First, they talk about Anduin and look at his growth over the last year and how he went from accepting his role as King to leading the Alliance against the Undercity in Battle for Azeroth. Then, they talk about Sylvanas, and how she struggles with her dampened emotions as well as having to balance ruling directly over Orgrimmar and Undercity.

Katie still doesn't like Genn, but Nick hopes that he can reach a place of reason. Nick points out that we haven't seen Jaina, and therefore, we don't know what state she will return in, but it can't be good for her to be put in a position where she is going to be interacting with the Horde after her expansion long self-imposed exile. Katie still wants to see more Gallywix. Khadgar needs to just go and stay out of Battle for Azeroth, as he's become too close to members of both factions and should remain neutral. Wrathion needs to explain why he didn't appear during Legion despite him warning us about the impending invasion back during Mists of Pandaria.

Alleria and Turalyon deserve the time to not worry about conflict and instead explore the world they left so long ago. Illidan needs to work out his demons (literally) by fighting Sargeras unendingly. Sargeras needs to learn that he can work with the Titans to stop the Void Lords. Azeroth can hopefully recover from her wounds and communciate with us a level of understanding. Tyrande and Malfurion need to find somewhere nice for the Night Elves to settle in Kalimdor. Finally, Vol'jin should haunt Jaina as her Horde-friendly conscience to make things right.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin #34. Reach out to us with any questions at taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons. Happy New Year!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1wu

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#33: On the Antorus Cinematic (feat. Emery)

19 december 2017 | 87 min

Emery (Jason) is here to chat with us about the insane Antorus cinematic that was recently released. But first, after a friendly chat about the weather, Katie talks about her efforts to get the Darkmoon Faire Zepellin mount. Then Jason talks about raiding as a windwalker monk and switching to Mistweaving. Somehow, this leads to a discussion about Overwatch where Katie is a Junkrat main. Nick, meanwhile, completed the monk class mount quest and he and Jason discuss that and start to wonder if purchasing mounts through a mount vendor constitutes some form of trafficking.

Alisaunder emailed in to comment on the Rogue Class Hall discussion from last episode and let us know exactly what was going on in Duskwood. This leads to a discussion about Blizzard updating zones and what we might expect in 7.3.5. The topic shifts to PVP in Battle for Azeroth as the separate server types will be removed and everyone can freely toggle back and forth. Jason has been stuck on a PVP server and Nick thinks this will make PVP World Quests may more interesting.

The main topic is the events of the Argus raid. Everyone chats about the effects of the sword being stabbed into Azeroth and there is debate about whether Sargeras meant to hit Southern Kalimdor. They talk about the ramifications of hitting an Old God, and debate the geology/physioslogy of the living planet. They also talk about how it felt to see the Titans for the first time in game. Nick comments about how Blizzard put themselves in the awkward position of having to present the Titans without overshadowing the players. Everyone agrees that the cinematic has flaws, but it seems to leave a positive indicating where the game is going forward.

Thank you again for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin #33. Plase send any questions to [email protected]. Thank you!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1wn

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#32: On Classic Servers (feat AJ9Livess)

5 december 2017 | 80 min

AJ9Livess from Patch Day is here to talk with us about Classic Servers. He’s been playing through Antorus on normal difficulty but hasn’t beaten it yet. Meanwhile, Katie talks a bit about all the stuff that she's been up to. She got her feral druid mage tower appearance and discusses how difficult that was. She also got the rogue class mount, which leads into a discussion about the rogue Class Hall questline, which contains massive spoilers for the ending for Nick (and anyone else) who is still working through it. Then we talk about the quest for the Rogue Class mount proper. This leads to Nick talking about how Blizzard is going to bother updating all the zones after many of the changes to the old world in Legion. Nick then tries to speculate where Sargeras put his hand down on the planet, and which continent he hit.

After that, everyone talks about what they are looking forward to with respect to Classic Servers. They talk about how viable they are and what they think the audience will be. They talk about what people are asking for on the servers as well as what should and should not be part of classic. They also reminisce about their experiences playing the game years ago and what that was like. They compare what people can expect on classic servers to what some people have experienced playing private servers. They discuss how classic servers aren't for everyone, and how it might be different trying to fit the old server structure into the modern architecture. They also talk about whether graphics updates should be brought over to the old servers.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin. Please send us any questions or feedback at @taurengoblin on twitter or by email to [email protected].
AJ9Livess can be found on the Patch Day podcast.

Episode URL: ash4.me/1we

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#31: The Goblins Take Blizzcon!

21 november 2017 | 81 min

Katie is back from Blizzcon and she brought Kavo from Patch Day with her to talk all about it! Nick kicks the show off before disappearing for fatherly duties so Katie and Kavo are left to discuss all the fun they had!

Kavo starts off talking about meeting youtubers and streamers at Con Before the Storm, where he was part of the Meet & Greet. He also got to sign a boob! Katie went to the WoWHead party to get the WoWHead pin. She also managed to meet Terran Gregory who signed her jacket! She also won some goblin art at Con Before the Storm.

At Blizzcon, the crowd was so tight Kavo and his friends clipped themselves to each other to stay together. They were surprised at the increased security this year, with a sniper on the roof and bomb-sniffing dogs out in force. Their favorite announcement from the show floor was that Kezan will be a dungeon in the upcoming expansion! Katie also managed to meet Ion Hazzikostas and asked him about Undermine, which he said would probably appear in a South Seas expansion. This lead to a discussion between Katie and Kavo about how many survivors of the Cataclysm on Kezan would be left, after the events of the Goblin starting zone experience.

Kavo says that Battle for Azeroth's focus on the faction wars will be good for PVP fans. They also discuss the massive diorama that was on the show floor. Kavo laments that his goblin character was too small to see without the use of a camera. He did find himself fighting on the front lines.

They both liked the Battle for Azeroth cinematic but lamented that there were no Goblins in it. Kavo did not recognize Saurfang at first. Katie wondered where the other faction leaders are during this fight. She is also upset with the burning of Teldrassil, as that is where she started the game. Katie suspects that Battle for Azeroth will culminate with Old God influence. Kavo mentions that he likes to think that the Tauren in the cinematic is Baine, who will be getting a new model in BfA. They talk about Baine's possible role in recruiting the Highmountain Tauren. Katie wants to see more Gallywix, and they both wonder who's leading the trolls.

Kavo mentions that the blood trolls on Zandalar are frightening to a goblin. He is hoping to stream the beta but is concerned about Blizzard placing NDA's upon the beta. They discuss the Highmountain Tauren again, and then share surprise at the Nightborne joining the Horde. Katie thinks the new snake race in the troll area is awesome, and she is disappointed that it is evil. #katiegotsalty Meanwhile, Kavo loves the new Jaina model. They discuss hunched horde races, and don't mind that there's no Goblin model update coming but agree that Worgen needs a new model. Sylvanas is still a bad ass faction leader, and Vol'jin will turn up (in an urn!) and hopefully bring closure to his storyline. Could Vol'jin turn into a loa? Katie is disappointed that the faction war continues.

The discussion turns back to the cinematic again, and how effective Sylvanas and Anduin are at rallying their people. Thrall is returning, and this leads to a discussion of Chris Metzen's lowkey Blizzcon presence this year. Kavo wants Ben Brode to have a bigger role in Blizzard presentations.

Kavo was excited to go to Blizzcon for a Warcraft announcement. Katie says that everyone needs to go at least once. They agree it was too short and want a third day.

Also, BlizzardWorld should be built for real!

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin. Please email questions to [email protected], or find us on twitter at @taurengoblin.

Episode URL: ash4.me/1w7

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#30: Battle for Azeroth (feat. Alisaunder)

7 november 2017 | 68 min

Katie is still on her way back from an amazing Blizzcon so Alisaunder is filling in this week to talk about all the major lore bombs dropped at Blizzcon. Battle for Azeroth is the next WoW expansion and the faction war is about to explode! She and Nick talk about the prologue of "Before the Storm" which was released and sets up the story with Sylvanas struggling to maintain control over Undercity and Ogrimmar, as her duties as Warchief are coming into conflict with her role as the Banshee Queen. The Desolate Council has begun to claim power in Undercity, but before Sylvanas can respond to that, she needs to lead Ogrimmar in a Victory parade celebrating the defeat of the Legion.

Also, at Blizzcon, the intro cinematic for Battle for Azeroth was released, amazingly before we have even seen the finale cinematic to the Antorus raid in Legion. Undercity is under seige by the Alliance, and Sylvanas must rally the Horde to defend it, while Anduin heals the Alliance to press the attack. The pair gush over this cinematic for how it features characters doing crazy, heroic stunts like Anduin mass-rezzing in combat and Sylvanas going full out Banshee. It also highlights one of the features of Battle for Azeroth, the Allied races, by showing a Lightforged Draenai and a Zandalar troll. And Nick is excited because there's a Tauren bull-rush. They agree this was one of the best cinematics ever released.

They also discuss the zones we will be visiting, as the Alliance will be going to Kul Tiras and the Horde will be leveling on Zandalar. This gives both Jaina and Vol'jin a chance to have their stories return to the forefront for their respective factions.

Alisaunder also runs through her impressions of the features in Battle for Azeroth including Warfronts, Island Expeditions, and various new dungeons and raids! Alisaunder also shares her concerns about the new level scaling to be applied in the next expansion as that will affect the leveling experience.

Katie will be back next episode to talk all about her exciting experiences at Blizzcon!

Thank you for listening to the Tauren & the Goblin!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1vz

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#29: Alisaunder's Mailbag (feat. Alisaunder)

24 oktober 2017 | 80 min

Alisaunder from the Hunting Party Podcast is back to go over several of the emails she has sent in over the last few weeks that Nick and Katie never quite got around to answering. First, Alisaunder talks about helping her friends level up and the benefits to world quests. The topic inevitably turns to mounts. and items that should be converted to mounts. Katie meanwhile has been busy running her 23 characters through the Headless Horseman daily in her quest for the mount and also get the full horse costume that was added this year. Speaking of Hallow's End, Nick mentions that Episode 4 from last year was the episode where we talked about the Headless Horseman.

The first email is not from Alisaunder. Its from Scott and he brings up the topic of how we control sentient mounts. Katie talks about how Goblin's are cool with controlling other minions, and this leads into a discussion about how players could work with creatures and minions instead of just dominating them. This leads into a discussion of how we are terrible to our class mounts, and hunters, warriors, and death knights are all abusive to them. The trio then discuss how Azeroth's heroes are not always heroic, including Alliance Paladins.

Alisaunder's first email begins by questioning Illidan's motives and his future after Legion. Illidan seems determined to dominate Sargeras, and Alisaunder questions whether or not he can or whether or not he should. Nick compares illidan's obsession with Sargeras to Maiev's obsession with Illidan and wonders if he's capable of learning from other's mistakes.

The next email from Alisaunder is about women in Warcraft. They discuss the development of Thalyssra throuhout Suramar. They also talk about Jaina possibly being a focus of the next expansion, and Nick argues that the lack of development for characters like Jaina and Sylvanas is more impactful because they are currently missing. Katie wonders if the members of the panel will hint at which characters will be in the upcoming expansion. What happened to Jaina after the start of Legion will be very important going forward. They they speculate whether Christie Golden's new position at Blizzard will lead to a change in the portrayal of women.

Alisaunder's next question is about the Old Gods, and whether or not Magni is listening to Azeroth or not. But first, they talk about cosplaying as a validated Doomsayer. Alisaunder gives her predictions for Blizzcon predictions. She also wonders who the Dark Lady is that the Forsaken are always talking about. Its assumed to be Sylvanas but what if its not? This leads to a discussion of how the void can be a plot point that ties several unresolved issues out of Legion to fit together narratively. They also discuss Warcraft's primary narrative arc going forward since the Burning Legion will not be such a significant threat after Legion. They also talk about the fate of the Order Halls, and Alisaunder brings up her WoW 2.0 theory.

Also, Nick will be hosting Pod Before the Con, part of Con Before the Storm and World of Podcasts, on 10/30 at 9:00 pm E on twitch.tvconbeforestorm and on Alpha Geek Radio. Check it out!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1vq

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#28: On The Running of the Gnomes

10 oktober 2017 | 59 min

Old Gods, Thousand Years of War, and 7.3.2 Spoilers

3 oktober 2017 | 80 min

As Blizzard decided to go and release and audio drama about Turalyon and Alleria the day after Nick and Katie just got together to talk about Turalyon and Alleria, the only logical thing to do was the continue the discussion. First, Katie reminds everyone it's Happy Brewfest, and then Nick and Katie go over some feedback from Alisaunder, discussing the Old Gods and Magni. The Old Gods most likely aren't working together, and if Magni is compromised, its difficult to know at what level the Old Gods are manipulating him. They start talking about the Old Gods remaking the world, and this leads to a discussion of relative time as relayed through the Audio Drama. Could the fact that we're on Argus for a month translate to a vast amount of time passing on Azeroth? Is this how we get Old Man Anduin leading the Army of the Light?

Finally, it is time to discuss the audio drama. It picks up where Warcraft II left off, and shows Turalyon and Alleria being welcomed into the Army of the Light by Lothraxion, the (light-corrupted?) dreadlord from the paladin class hall. This leads to a discussion about how Turalyon has become one with the Light, and how that has blinded him to aspects of the Void that he cannot see. The Light is presented as somewhat myopic and fallable, and this leads to a discussion of how this knowledge could impact relgion back on Azeroth, as the foundation of the dominant religions is proven somewhat lacking. This also leads to speculation about Illidan's destiny, as he was able to destory Xe'ra, because the Light was unable to see that part of his destiny. Instead, he will wind up a Champion of the Light someday, but his path will not be the one Xe'ra expected. There is also comparisons made between Alleria with her Void connection and Sylvanas. Alleria and Sylvanas have both touched the Void, but Alleria went willingly. Will she be able to help her sister come to terms with the end of existence?

Finally, the duo delves into spoilers from patch 7.3.2. In particular, a map that reveals a major spoiler. Nick and Katie are excited ot see just how that is caused, and Nick says he hopes that the end cinematic for Legion leads into the opening cinematic for 8.0, and that it is shown as Blizzcon. This leads to Nick discussing his latest theory for Jaina and Kul'Tiras in the next expansion.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! We will return next week with our regularly scheduled episode.

Episode URL: ash4.me/1ve

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#27: On Magni, Talleria, and Arralyon

26 september 2017 | 68 min

Katie is back to talk WoW lore with Nick! First, she mentions her friend affected by Hurricane Irma, and Nick reminds everyone about Shadow, this year's charity pet. Then Katie talks about the Paladin Class Hall quest, and talks about which class halls she likes. She has not done the Lucid Nightmare quest yet, which leads to a brief discussion about the quest for it. Katie also earned her 350th mount, and this leads into a discussion about all the restrictions on mount usage from back in vanilla that have been removed and improved over the years, including mounts taking up bag space, tighter racial and size restrictions on mounts, and even mounts not being account-wide.

Finally, the duo talks about the recent quest that sent Magni into Sholazar Basin to commune with Azeroth. There are hints of demons and old gods abound, and Katie and Nick start speculating about what that could mean. This leads to a discussion of Xal'atath (the Shadow Priest Dagger) and its comment around Il'gynoth that, "the King of Diamonds is a pawn." Nick argues that Xal'atath should be believed if only because it would be lame for Blizzard to simply claim that the dagger was lying all along.

Katie then talks about her experiences with Turalyon and Alleria (or Talleria and Arralyon, if you're Nick) in 7.3. She's excited to see them back but wants so much more out of their interactions. This leads to a discussion about how Blizzard needs to increase the story and lore content of the game, and how it can be difficult for them to shelf a character for an expansion when that means that a character disappears for two years. The solution is more short stories and novels.

Thanks for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin #27!

Kavo - Sargeras Went Down to Argus

Episode URL: ash4.me/1v8

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#26: Just the Tauren II

19 september 2017 | 53 min

Apologies for the late episode! Hurricane Irma has Katie helping a friend and left Nick without power briefly, but now that its back, he was able to record an episode by himself. Blizzard has released a charity pet to help victims of the recent hurricanes, Shadow a light/void fox, and Nick talks about how the pet is a sign of things to come. It was supposed to be announced at Blizzcon, when we should be getting a new expansion announcement, and this is our first look at new content from that expansion.

The light/void theme will continue beyond Argus, and it has a collar that looks similar to Jaina's jewelry, possibly suggesting Kul'Tirais. Nick then talks about his theory that Argus was supposed to be the next expansion, but after Blizzard started development on it, they changed tack and made it a patch that was loaded with tons of content. It will be interesting to see where we go next. Nick then discusses Alleria and her connection to the void, and speculates on how that could influence her relationship with Sylvanas, which is one of the most important character interactions we have yet to see.

Finally, Nick talks about how he's been playing Destiny 2, and how that got him thinking about whether or not WoW is fun. He discusses his thoughts on how the gameplay is not as fun as punching someone in the face in Destiny, but then talks about the Lucid Nightmare and the secret discord as a counter argument. He compares bowling to raiding and comes to the conclusion that it is WoW's social aspect that makes the game fun. Thank you for listening to this solo episode of The Tauren & the Goblin. Katie will be back next time to talk more about her experience getting the Lucid Nightmare.

Episode URL: ash4.me/1v2

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#25: On Blizzard Cinematics and Who is Kel'Thuzad

29 augusti 2017 | 69 min

This week we take a bit of a detour from World of Warcraft as we react to the cinematics Blizzard shared at Gamescom. First, Katie talks about farming for transmog and running the Trial of Style, which she and Nick enjoyed. Nick mentions his progress getting his artifact weapons, and they discuss how aspects of the artifacts such as the warlock skull or druid appearances will carry on if the weapons will only be used for transmog after Legion.

Then, the duo discuss the Blizzard cinematics. The Overwatch Mei cinematic "Rise and Shine" brought a heavy dose of the feels. Katie gushes over the Hearthstone cinematic "Home" that managed to feature three singing goblins. She also enjoyed the Junkrat cinematic, since he is like a human goblin. Nick comments that Blizzard's heavy focus on cinematics at Gamescom felt a bit off, but its hard to complain because they were all so good. Nick wonders if Blizzard could be preparing to launch their own streaming animation service. Finally, they start discussing the Kel'thuzad cartoon from Monday's preview. They mention that Dreadlord Jaina is a skin for Heroes of the Storm, and Nick talks about how Lich Queen Jaina from Hearthstone and Dreadlord Jaina make it less likely that Jaina is evil in WoW.

Going off the cinematic, they start reviewing Kel'thuzad's past. He was a member of the Kirin Tor with an interest in necromancy and other forbidden magics. He heard the Call of the Lich King and went to Northrend, and when he returned he did so as Ner'zhul's agent and was responsible for setting up the Plague Cauldrons. He founded the Cult of the Damned, and first encountered Arthas and Jaina in Brill. Arthas chased him through the Plaguelands and killed him, only to resurrect him as a Lich using the Sunwell. Kel'thuzad summoned Archimonde, and then battled Sylvanas before disappearing. He re-emerged as the final boss in Naxxramas, but survived when his phylactery was given to one of his minions. This allowed Kel'thuzad to be resurrected for Naxxramas in Wrath of the Lich King, which was the last we've seen of him.

Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please email us at [email protected] with any feedback or topic requests.

Episode URL: ash4.me/1uo

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#24: The Trial of Genn Greymane

15 augusti 2017 | 82 min

Finally, the trial of Genn Greymane is here! Except its not really a trial its just a discussion. But first, Katie talks about her working with her alts and hitting a point where she feels like she's done most of what she's needed to. Nick is working on his artifact appearances for his warlock and death knight. Katie thinks they should run some battlegrounds.

Alisaunder emailed in about Wrathion and his relationship to the Old Gods. Nick says that we have to take him at his word, but we really have nothing to base that on, and his visions for the Legion invasion seem to have come out of nowhere. Scott emailed in to say that we think too hard about some topics, like applying the science of tides to Azeroth and Argus, but Nick and Katie argue that overthinking is fun and kinda what they do.

Finally, its time to talk about Genn Greymane. Katie starts with a bit of history about Gilneas, and they look at how it reluctantly participated in the second war. After the war, Genn decided to withdraw from the Alliance after being upset about having to fund the internment camps and Nethergarde Keep. Genn seems to trust Lord Godrey, Baron Ashbury, and Lord Walden, three Gilnean nobles who go on to become the bosses in Shadowfang Keep. He sacrifices his friendship with Lord Darius Crowley when he builds a wall, cutting off part of Crowley's lands outside Gilneas. Crowley leads an insurrection which gets him locked up, but the wall proves useful when the Scourge come.

Looking for a way to survive the invasion, Genn tasks Archmage Arugal with summoning the worgen. This balks the undead, but now the feral worgen must be dealt with. One of them infect Genn, who hypocritically hides his wound. The Worgen claim Gilneas City as Genn and the surviving citizens flee to the coast. They are there when the Cataclysm splits open the wall just as the Forsaken attack from the sea. Genn is driven to Darnassus, where he attempts to finally join the Alliance to Varian's frustration. A softer Genn serves as Varian's advisor and a mentor for Anduin.

Genn's character arc is intended to show a stubborn man softening as he is defeated. Do you think that absolves Genn for his selfish actions earlier? Let us know at [email protected]!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1uf

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#23: On Living Planets and Frozen Thrones

1 augusti 2017 | 69 min

For the first time in a while its just Nick and Katie to talk about Warcraft lore. Katie hasn't been playing much lately, so Nick talks about his time with his warlock working on the Broken Shore quests and also trying to get the hidden artifact appearances. He also started leveling his rogue through Legion, and this leads to a discussion about Outlaw rogue and the pirate-based class fantasy.

In the news, Russell Brower was let go from Blizzard, and Nick and Katie talk about his impact on the music of the game and how they hope he will be involved going forward. Alisaunder emailed in to ask about applying the Curse of Flesh to a planet, which Katie thinks might produce the Old God corrupted planet (with a giant tentacle sticking out) as seen in Nighthold. This leads to a discussion of the Mogu as a race who could wield the Curse of Flesh in either direction, and Nick laments that we didn't get to see the giant Mogu statues from the Vale of Eternal Blossoms come to life.

Alisaunder also asks about how to kill a Titan, and this leads to speculation about how Titans turn from planets (world souls) into actual beings. Nick suggests that maybe TItans don't change - that they remain inside the planet as a consciousness, and they simply create and control avatars of various sizes for different purposes. Next, Katie talks about what it is like for children living on Azeroth, who are growing up in a world with such mixed races and elements, while their parents were alive during the first and second wars and must have a very different outlook on the world.

With Hearthstone's Knights of the Frozen Throne coming out, Nick and Katie focus on Death Knights. Katie picked up a copy of the Death Knight manga, which tells the story of Thassarian, one of the first Death Knights you meet when playing through the new character intro. The comic shows how he became a Death Knight and explains his bromance with Koltira Deathweaver. This leads to a discussion about how Death Knights are (or are not) accepted in greater society, and how even if Death Knights aren't respected, our characters must be because of all we've done for the world. Assuming of course that the world knows what we've been doing.

Finally, Nick brings up the Hearthstone comics promoting Knights of the Frozen Throne. While the stories are fun and do a good job of introducing the Death Knight versions of the Hearthstone heroes, Nick appreciates how this shows that Hearthstone lore consists of stories told within the Warcraft universe, as these stories are the product of the Pompous Thespian from One Night In Karazhan. This establishes that Hearthstone has an unreliable narrator, and allows the lore to wind whichever way it wants without setting any Warcraft facts in stone.

Episode URL: ash4.me/1u6

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#22: Patch 7.3 Spoilers

19 juli 2017 | 66 min

SPOILERS FOR PATCH 7.3! DO NOT LISTEN/READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED!!!

Nick and Katie are finally reunited and Emery joins them to talk about all the spoilers in Patch 7.3. First, Katie mentions that she completed her feral druid artifact challenge, and then she mentions she got the Wild Dreamrunner from a Dreamweaver Cache. Emery, meanwhile, has completed the quest to get the monk class mount, Ban Lu. Apparently, Ban Lu is an old man who thinks that monks are too fat and complains to them while ferrying them around on his back. Nick mentions that its going to be sad when the expansion ends and all the talking weapons disappear (like Thal'kiel or Xal'atath) and that leads into a discussion about what the end of the expansion will bring.

Nick is excited that we are facing Titans. Aggramar is a raid boss, apparently reconstructed by Sargeras. Given that Aggramar and Eonar are seemingly alive, Nick questions who is the narrator for Chronicle, as Chronicle explicitly stated the Titans were dead. The group wonders about how the Titans could have survived, including the fact that their essences traveled to the Keepers, and maybe by collecting enough of their essence the Titans can be revived.

The discussion shifts to characters we will see, including Yrelka, who appears to be some variation of the Yrel we knew on Draenor. Is she our universe's Yrel, who stayed on Argus many years ago, or could she even possibly be the same Yrel we knew but aged and shifted through time? Alleria will finally be in game. It doesn't appear that she will meet Sylvanas, but she does encounter Vareesa as well as her son Arator. Alleria also has words with hunters who have collected Thas'dorah, her family bow. Turalyon is also there, and his model (and his sword) are impressive.

Hints at the next expansion are also in the patch, as quest armor suggesting Kul'Tiras was found. It also has an Old God theme which gets Emery excited. He talks about how N'Zoth may have been found in the Maelstrom, thanks to one of Il'gynoth's clues. If Kul'Tiras is featured, then Jaina should be brought back into the lore. Nick wants to see a book detailing what Jaina's been up to during Legion, and also a book going over events in Orgrimmar and Stormwind as well. Overall, Patch 7.3 has everyone super excited!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1tx

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Jason Bond

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#21: On Warcraft Music (feat. Kavo)

4 juli 2017 | 73 min

Nick's back, but Katie's gone this time! Don't worry, Kavo from Patch Day is here to fill in as our eponymous Goblin! Kavo's been running the Deaths of Chromie scenario, which gets Nick to speculating about who is behind Chromie's deaths? Could it be Cho'gall (despite being dead many times over)? At the very least, Nick thinks its someone under the influence of the Old Gods.

Nick asks Kavo if he's watched the Tomb of Sargeras cinematic, but Kavo has not, because he is waiting to legitimately beat the raid. Nick praises his dedication, and this leads to a discussion of Terran Gregory's cinematics, going back to the Wrathgate. They then talk about the Saurfang encounter in Icecrown Citadel, which prompts Nick to mention that he needs to go in and kill Professor Putricide to get his Unholy Death Knight hidden artifact appearance. Good news, everyone! He should be able to solo it!

After a brief interlude about bell choirs and Andy Kaufman, the discussion turns to the music of World of Warcraft. Nick recounts when he first discovered the music during an epic check writing session, and he talks about how the main themes of each expansion do a great job of establishing the places and threats we'll be facing. They then talk about the Goblin and Tauren theme music. Surprisingly, Nick is more excited by the Goblin music, as the percussion invokes images of Goblin engineers.

Kavo likes the Native American drumbeats of the Tauren, and uses his musical experience to analyze the Goblin sounds. Kavo talks about enjoying the Storm Peaks music in Wrath of the Lich King. Nick talks about Canticle of Sacrifice in Legion. Nick likes what sounds like horses galloping and monks practicing in Way of the Monk from Mists of Pandaria. Kavo praises the Obsidian Sanctum music. Kavo also brings up Lament of the Highborne, and Nick praises how Blizzard is able to evoke such emotion with people effectively chanting gibberish. And of course Nick mentions the Grizzly Hills music.

Then, they talk about Kavo's musical parody work. He talks about how he got started by hearing a Lady Gaga song and replacing one of the words with Jaina, and then how that lead to him recording. Nick complains that he doesn't know new songs, like the Chainsmokers "Closer". Kavo mentions getting recognized for some his larger songs, like Phantom of the BG, by the likes of Anne Stickney at Blizzcon. Finally, he talks about writing some of his best lyrics. Thanks again to Kavo for being on the show! And thank you for listening! Next time, Nick and Katie should be back together for a reunited The Tauren & the Goblin!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1to

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#20: The Tauren takes a..."Holiday"

20 juni 2017 | 64 min

#19: On the Running of the Trolls

6 juni 2017 | 71 min

Dravvie joins Nick and Katie this week to talk about the Running of the Trolls event taking place on June 10th at 9 pm E/6 pm P. Make a troll character on Feathermoon-US or Scarlet Crusade-US and join in the fun journeying from Sen'jin Village to Silvermoon all in support of the Trevor Project! Dravvie is also behind the Running of the Gnomes event, which Blizzard is making a micro-holiday this year! Dravvie compares running the two events, as well as shares some of the details involved in running such big charity events for the last few years.

Nick asks Dravvie a little bit about trolls, asking her about how she felt about Vol'jin's ascendence as Warchief only for it to be cut so short. He also asks about how she felt watching Vol'jin challenge Garrosh during the Horde Civil War in Mists of Pandaria.

The discussion then pivots to warlocks, as Dravvie shares how she's felt about many of the recent class changes, and how warlock popularity has gone up and down over the years. She talks about Thalkiel's Skull, the demonology artifact, and how it will talk to the demons that you have out. Nick and Katie try to compare Demonology Warlocks and Beast Mastery Hunters, and Dravvie reminisces about the time that Warlock demons had their names changed. They discuss certain quests that Blizzard has removed from the game, like summoning warlock demons or druids earning their various forms. They also talk about Kanrethad joining the Warlock class campaign, and discuss how warlocks seem to be able to resurrect people rather easily. They also look at how warlocks fit into Azerothan society and how that has changed over time.

Thanks for listening, and please check out the Running of the Trolls on June 10th, and please be sure to donate!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1t5

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#18: On Mothers

23 maj 2017 | 75 min

Nick and Katie are back with an episode focused on the Mothers in the World of Warcraft! First, Nick and Katie talk about what they've been up to in the game lately (not much), and then they get into a discussion about playing demonology warlocks and how it feels to keep summoning all those demons. Nick complains that he misses the old drain-tank warlock build from vanilla.

Warcraft can seem like a game that focuses on father-son relationships, but this week, its all about mothers. They start by talking about one of the newer mother's recently introduced to the lore, Taria Wrynn, and also her daughter-in-law Tiffin Wrynn. In Tiffin's case, they discuss the odd fact that she had a relationship while she was set up for an arranged marriage, and also discuss how she was there primarily to fuel Varian's plot. Then they talk about Wrathion's two mothers, Nyxondra and Rheastraza. Rhea is the dragon (in goblin form!) who sacrifices herself to Deathwing in one of the more tragic moments from Cataclysm.

They also talk about Alexstraza as mother of all dragons, and life to some degree, and who Katie feels displays a strong maternal instinct. This leads to a discuss of Mylune, who, while not a mother herself serves as an adoptive caretaker for all the critters. They also talk about Therazane and Theradras, the Earth elementals who birthed the centaurs. Nick compares Therazane to the Venus of Willendorf, in her fertile motherliness. E'lune is another mother to all figure, who created the Naa'ru and allegedly parented Cenarius with Malorne.

They also discuss Moria Thaurissan and show their weak knowledge of the Blackrock Depths. Leza was Sunwalker Dezco's wife who birthed two children and then died, drawing comparisons to Tiffin for her portrayal. The Windrunner ladies get attention, as Liressa is the mother to Alleria and Vareesa, each with their own children (of speculative gender, apparently), and also Sylvanas, who serves as the mother of the Forsaken. They also discuss Greatmother Geyah, who is Thrall's grandmother, as well as Thrall's mother Draka (mostly AU Draka), and then Aggra, and review Thrall and Aggra's decision to go to Draenor in Warlords.

Finally, they talk about Magatha Grimtotem, who apparently is a mother (she has a granddaughter) though she has no named offspring in game. Thank you for listening to our Mother focused episode of The Tauren & the Goblin!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1sv

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#17: On the Horde-Forsaken Relationship and the Riddler's Mind-Worm

9 maj 2017 | 76 min

Nick and Katie are here to revisit several of their topics from last episode that drew heat! But first, Katie mentions that she finally got the Ji-kun mount to drop in Throne of Thunder, and that she also got the Wonderous Wisdomball pet from her Kirin Tor emissary chest. Nick is jealous, but all he's been doing is working on his final falcosaur even though he has flying unlocked.

Jackal wrote in to let everyone know that he was disappointed with how Sylvanas was well-regarded despite being a War Criminal, while Genn was abused last episode. This leads to a discussion of how the Horde hasn't properly had time to react to Sylvanas as Warchief, because of the Legion invasion being all encompassing. Nick and Katie discuss how the Forsaken dominance in the Horde would leave their characters uncomfortable, and recommend that Sylvanas cease using her Blight as it makes everyone look bad. Sylvanas is extensively compared to Garrosh as far as possibly creating a situation where Horde leadership is heading in a direction the rest of the Horde disagrees with. Hopefully, the post-Legion novel will address Horde politics in detail to resolve all this.

YepX wrote in to point out that mechanics trump lore, and that the game is how it is because of mechanics. In particular, he suggested that the Bronze Dragonflight keeps sending us to certain times to help out, which is why our characters always see the world as being immediately post-Cataclysm. Nick and Katie appreciate the theory, and discuss some other mechanics that affect the game. This leads to a discussion of what our characters know vs. what the average Azerothan knows. Nick comments that the fact that Draenai can have memories going back 25,000 years or longer is mind-blowing. Thanks to Jackal and YepX for the feedback!

Finally, Katie shares her experience hunting the Ridder's Mind-Worm, as Blizzard released a post explaining their riddles. She talks about working in a community of over 10,000 people to solve the puzzle, and even how people from around the globe were able to participate. Overall, Blizzard did a great job implementing this challenge for the players! All this and more is on this week's The Tauren & the Goblin!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1sn

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#16: Dark Mirror, Cinematics, Dadghar, and Genn's Doghouse.

25 april 2017 | 79 min

Jason (aka Emery) is back and he's here to talk about the recent story and cinematic developments in game. First, he talks a little about his monk which he changed to a male Pandaren. Katie shares her experiences getting the Riddler's Mind Worm mount, and Nick comments that he waited for everyone to figure it out so he could just read the instructions and claim it. Katie then shares her theory that the worm is an attempt by the Old Gods to control the smartest minds on Azeroth, and it leads to a discussion that adds this as further evidence the next expansion will focus on N'Zoth.

They discuss the recent Dark Mirror short story about Nathanos Blightcaller, as it answers the questions of why he looks so different now -- a topic we have been wondering about since our earliest episodes. Jason and Katie talk about Sylvanas being evil, but Nick theorizes that this is how Sylvanas shows love, especially after her rejection by her sister in War Crimes. For the first of many times, Katie mentions that she dislikes Genn Greymane. Katie doesn't think enough Alliance leaders have died, and Nick calls her out on that.

The discussion turns to Khadgar, and how he can be annoying but still enjoyable, and his role as the pun-making Dadghar. Alisaunder emails in with comments on the TCG and Threshadons. Everyone discusses the 7.2 cinematic, and Kil'jaeden's updated appearance. Praise is heaped upon the cinematics team, for their brilliant use of callbacks, such as Kil'jaeden looming over the holographic Dalaran mirroring Archimonde towering over the sand-representation of Dalaran in Warcraft III.

The Anduin cinematic was also released as the culmination of the quest chain to return Varian's compass to the new king. The movie is compared to the Seige of Orgrimmar finale to show how far the cinematics team has come in such a short time. Anduin has grown up, and now we know why Warriors were not offered Varian's sword as a potential artifact: because Anduin was going to empower it with the light for himself. Jason ends by comparing Sylvanas and Greymane, and everyone agrees he needs to go the doghouse. All this and more on this week's The Tauren & the Goblin!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1sf

Hosts:

Jason Bond

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#15: On Un'Goro Crater

11 april 2017 | 81 min

Journey to Un'Goro is live in Hearthstone, and Nick & Katie want to celebrate by talking about Un'Goro Crater! But first, Katie has been working on solving the puzzle of the Riddler's Worm, and that leads to a discussion about community riddles and how they are investigated. Nick laments that the Gara mystery was solved during Warlords beta, and is glad current puzzles are making it unsolved to the live game. Meanwhile, he finally earned his Falcosaur mount and has started to upgrade his artifacts in patch 7.2. Katie then reminds everyone that you can buy Order Resources with your Bloods of Sargeras.

Alisaunder writes in to share her thoughts on the recent artifact appearance debate, and rightly advocates for more barbershop options. That leads to a discussion of how players can show their accomplishments without Blizzard excessively restricting appearances. YepX also emails to talk about TCG mounts, and Katie shares her affinity for mount collecting and reviews her collection of TCG mounts. As for Un'Goro crater, Katie dislikes the initial quests upon entering the zone, but Nick defends them. They discuss the lack of Un'Goro information in Chronicle Vol. I. Nick struggles to say the name Ngorongoro, the real location that Un'Goro is based on.

Katie reviews the Titan influence in Un'Goro, as demonstrated by the Pylons in each quadrant, but also by the presence of the Nablya, the Watcher placed there by the Titans. Nick mentions how this connects the zone to Sholazar Basin. They also discuss the devilsaurs and how intimidating they are to low level characters. Katie shares the tale of Maximillian of Northshire, and how he is based off the literary character Don Quixote. Finally, Katie swoons over the goblin quest givers in the zone. The episode may run a little bit long, but we hope you enjoy this lore-packed episode of The Tauren & the Goblin!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1s4

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

Chronicle II... Two.

4 april 2017 | 82 min

Nick and Katie are back and dive right into the awesomeness that is Chronicle II. The talk about Draenor, the orc clans, their relationships, and how many of them that aren't featured in WoW are call backs to the earlier games. They talk about the convenience of Aggramar showing up just long enough to set Draenor on its path through history, and then getting summoned off to die. Nick also shares the story of why the Dragonmaw are called the Dragonmaw despite there not being Dragons on Draenor. They try to ponder some of the changes with Alternate Draenor, such as Ga'nar dying eleven years before the Dark Portal instead of at the time of the portal itself (he should have been dead on AU Draenor, but he wasn't).

They talk about Medivh, and Nick theorizes that the way Medivh reacted to the impending Legion invasion while having Sargeras possessing him is similar to how Wrathion has been preparing for this Legion invasion. They also talk about how the history of Karazhan explains much of the initial Karazhan raid, especially with Aegwynn bringing a blue dragon there. They also talk about Orgrim being a bad ass, and how Blizzard was able to sort-of fit both endings to Warcraft I into the story by having the orcs attack Stormwind twice. Katie then fawns over Deathwing's manipulations in the first war and his role in the second. Nick appreciates how parts of the second war were just backstory for the various units used in the game.

They share their disappointment that the book ended just as Draenor is shattered, and everyone is looking forward to Chronicle III next year. Have you bought your copy yet? If not, GO GET IT NOW!!! All this and more on a special episode of The Tauren and the Goblin!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1rz

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#14: The Arrakoa & the Arrakoa (Chronicle II)

28 mars 2017 | 70 min

#13: On Azsuna

14 mars 2017 | 78 min

The long wait is over... Nick and Katie are here to FINALLY talk about Aszuna. But first, the duo discusses the quest to get the Falcosaur mounts. Nick isn't getting the quest to trigger when he summons his pet, so he wonders if he needs to have some pet battling experience. This prompts a discussion of pet battling, which Nick has not done since Mists of Pandaria beta. Katie also shares that she's been running Throne of Thunder lately. Finally, Aszuna.

Nick talks about how the zone was originally intended to be the starting zone for Legion (before level-scaling was developed) and the zone feels like the most randomly-assembled of all the Legion zones. The shipwreck cove, the Azurewing Repose, the Court of Farondis, the Vault of the Wardens, and the Legion invasion all seem to be rather different, as opposed to the other zones which feel more unified. The wardens being in Aszuna feels especially incongruous, since they are so close to the isolated Nightborne in Suramar. Outside of Cordana's small role in the zone, the Wardens are rather inconsequential for the area.

The zone begins with Khadgar sending you in to fight the Legion. After claiming some demon souls for interrogation, the player learns that the Legion is kidnapping and trying to turn Illidari. The player frees the Illidari but finds one single Demon Hunter that was turned by Cordana Felsong (Nick and Katie discuss her name as it relates to her fate.). After killing the Demon Hunter, players free a blue dragon and visit the Azurewing Repose, where they fight the withered and some Nightborne channeling ley energy that the Blue Dragonflight need. This is where Runas is introduced, and Katie laments him appropriately.

After helping the Blue Dragons, we are then introduced to the Court of Farondis. Prince Farondis stood up to Queen Azshara 10000 years ago during the first war, and her response was to break the Tidestone of Golganneth and use its energy to trap Farondis and his subjects as ghosts for eternity. As such, Farondis' people do not like him, so the player must help battle the Naga so the Prince can earn the respect of his people. Having done that, the player is allowed entry into the Hogwarts-esque Narthalas Academy, but before the Tidestone can be obtained, Azshara's minions arrive to kidnap the player. Farondis comes to the rescue by inverting the quest dynamics, and ultimately, the player must head into the Eye of Azshara to claim the Pillar of Creation and complete the zone.

Episode URL: ash4.me/1rk

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#12: On Free Will with Alisaunder

28 februari 2017 | 98 min

Sometimes a guest comes on and the chemistry just clicks and the show goes for an extra half hour or more, and that's exactly what happens this week as Alisaunder of the Hunting Party Podcast joins Nick and Katie to talk about all sorts of things. First, Katie's been working on her druid off-spec, getting a legendary to drop. She also did the archaeology quest to get the Spirit of Eche'ro mount. Alisaunder has the best mount though, as she got her Big Pink Love Rocket during Love is in the Air, and that leads to a discussion of RNG for such presitgious items. Katie admits that she's still farming Houlon. Then, Alisaunder reveals to Katie that she plays a gnome, and two get along much better than Nick would have expected!

Katie talks briefly about getting her direbeak mount. Alisaunder talks about getting her Holy Priest artifact, Light's Wrath. She also has Pathfinder Part 1 completed. Then she discusses running Naxxramas at level as part of an experience-locked group, and raises the issue that it is more fun since Legion is all a bunch of grinding which gets old and everyone's not as young as they used to be. She then talks about the Rogue assassination questline which she has been loving! Be careful as the discussion does contain spoilers!!! Although, she is worried about how she may have to kill characters she has strong relationships with in her head canon.

Nick points out that the head canon conflict makes her experience similar to that of Garona during the first war. This leads into a discussion of how role playing can come into conflict with what our characters would be willing to do as opposed to what the game forces them to do. Katie hates killing Goblins. The Forsaken's brand of morality makes them especially difficult to work with at times (think of the Wrathgate!). The Demon Hunter questline has some interesting choices early on. Katie talks about the conflict of a Goblin Shaman, while Nick mentions the difficulty he had leading up to the Seige of Orgrimmar when he wanted to resist Garrosh more. Of course, this also leads to Nick lamenting that he had to kill Nazgrim, and his love for his return as a super-badass Death Knight!

Alisaunder poses the question of whether or not we would follow Sargeras if he was a quest giver? Nick responds with the consideration we could already be influenced by the Old Gods and not know it. The group discusses Saurfang's plight, and Katie brings up Dave Kosak's titan-imbued theory from Reddit. Nick talks about Arthas telling Death Knights that Bolvar is their master and they are compelled to serve him. Nick also points out that we never get credit for the major lore-related kills. Alisaunder asks for more options when completing quests. She also wants to see what happens with Velen's wife when we return to Argus.

Katie laments the way Ashenvale goes in a COMPLETE REPUDIATION OF EVERYTHING SHE IS SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE AS A GOBLIN, DESPITE WHAT SHE MIGHT OTHERWISE SAY. Alisaunder questions the Horde need for so much wood, but Nick points out they do build lots of scaffolds. Alisaunder returns to the topic of Kalcgos and Malygos building a weapon aimed at the Twisting Nether in the Nexus, and this leads to a discussion of Kalec's type, and whether or not he would try to hook up with Azeroth. The group complains about the lack of books lately, and Katie complains about the lack of Gallywix.

Alisaunder points out that they are killing NPC's faster than they are introducing new ones. Anduin needs an heir and to increase his role on the front lines in Legion. Baine has some new Highmountain dialogue left over from the beta. There's no troll in line to replace Vol'jin. Katie misses Yrel. The gang starts discussing the new Heroes of the Storm cross-promotion mount, the primal flamesaber, and then end the show because they have so much to do in game. Thanks for listening to a super long The Tauren and the Goblin!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1rb

Hosts:

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#11: ...and the Pandaren

14 februari 2017 | 59 min

Jason (Emery) from Watchpoint Radio joins us this week to talk about all things Monk and Pandaren! Katie's been running the Crown Chemical Co. over and over in order to get her mount. Jason talks about playing his druid, but doesn't like that Pandaren can't be druids. Everyone argues that Pandaren should be able to be druids, and hope that the next time class/race combinations are expanded pandaren druids will be included. Jason also talks about his love of monks pre-dating World of Warcraft, and the monk artifact weapons. The Monkey King gives you Fu Zan, the brewmaster artifact weapon, but not after a standard World of Warcraft poop-collecting quest!

There is more discussion about the Celestials and how they relate to the Wild Gods (and why Monks should be druids). Jason then talks about the Monk order quest, and how the Peak of Serentiy (the old Monk class area) is attacked by the Legion, and how the progress of the order quest involves relocating and rebuilding the Order Hall on the Wandering Isle. A discussion about Taran Zhu ensues, as he is a monk class follower, and how Jason didn't like him but Nick appreciated his grumpiness. Jason also talks about the Shado-Pan and their importance to Pandaren culture.

Finally, we wrap up with Katie discussing the Love is in the Air questline, and how it is all due to goblins (in this case, the Steamwheedle Cartel) noticing that their profits were affected by the Crown Chemical Company. The Cartel investigation leads to our daily attacks on the Apothecaries in Shadowfang Keep, and a plot is uncovered that seems to have ties to the Wrathgate. With the Apothecaries defeated, the world is saved all because of Goblin greed! Hooray!!!

Episode URL: ash4.me/1r3

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Jason Bond

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

7.2 PTR Champions

2 februari 2017 | 56 min

Nick and Katie are back to talk more about the revelations of the Patch 7.2 PTR. Class Halls will be getting new champions! Death Knights get Minerva Ravensorrow, who Nick doesn't even remember from his time as a Death Knight. Demon Hunters get Lady S'theno, who is interesting because she is a Naga. Druids get Thisalee Crow, and Nick is excited because he liked her from his time spent in Firelands at Aviana's Shrine. She also was the Alliance Druid Follower earned from completing the Garrison Quests in Warlords of Draenor.

Hunters get Nighthuntress Syrenne who is apparently a Nightborne. Monks get Almai. Paladins get Nerus Moonfang who is a Night Elf Paladin, which is interesting since that is not a common paladin race-class combination. Could Night Elf Paladins be coming in the next expansion? Who expected we'd get Dreadlord Paladins in Legion? And what we now know about E'lune and the Light might make Elven Paladins logical in the Warcraft lore. Priests get Aelthalyste which Katie can't pronounce. Rogues get Tess Greymane and Lillian Voss. Its not known whether this means that followers will be assigned by faction, or if players will get a choice, or if Rogues will simply get two followers while most other classes get one.

Mages get Aethas Sunreaver, and Katie and Nick agree he's a bit of a heel, and its probably good that neither play a mage. After arguing about Aethas' value, they discuss the fact that Shamans get Magatha Grimtotem. Nick is a bit disappointed because her unresolved story left open after Thousand Needles was one of Blizzard's more intriguing plot hooks, and he hopes that they can make her partnership with the Shaman a compelling reward, more so than how the story of "What will Sylvanas do with Koltira after Anderhol?" was handled in the Death Knight campaign. Magatha would be a top level villain, and it is surprising to find her in the list. Also surprising was that Warlocks get Kanrethad Ebonlocke, back from his banishment at the end of the Green Fire quest.

At least he makes a bit more sense, because this is the equivalent of Warlocks breaking the banishment-glass in case of a Legion-emergency. Warrios get Darius Crowley and Eitrigg, who are both well respected choices. Paladins get Maximillian of Northshire and Katie is excited, encouraging everyone to do his quests in Un'goro Crater.

Episode URL: ash4.me/1qu

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#10: Patch 7.2 Models (GALLYWIX!!!)

31 januari 2017 | 61 min

#9: Just the Tauren

17 januari 2017 | 39 min

#8: Best Wishes for 2017

4 januari 2017 | 68 min

#7: On Winter's Veil

20 december 2016 | 67 min

#6: Blizzcon Reactions - Mounts, Patches, and Gadgetzan

22 november 2016 | 72 min

Nick and Katie sit down for the first time since Blizzcon to talk about how the announcements will affect the story of Warcraft to come. First, they discuss the class mounts, in particular their love for the priest mount. Katie also loves the rogue mount, and they talk about the druid mount as well. They also argue that druids should be able to transmog their feral appearance, and discuss how the art team isn't big enough to support creating all these different appearances while maintaining racial identity within them too. Then they move into talking about patch 7.2, the Tomb of Sargeras. We'll finally be going down into the Tomb (except when we go up into the Temple to do the dungeon instead), and we'll be facing the Corrupted Avatar of Sargeras as well as Kil'jaeden. After claiming victory at the Tomb, the next step will apparently be to go through the portal to Argus. What will we find there?

Nick then tries to predict what the next expansion will involve when we return from Argus. (Hint: It involves the Old Gods!) Before leaving Argus though, it would seem that we should meet up with Turalyon and Alleria. Nick also discusses the quest to get Alleria's bow and how he feels odd carrying around a Windrunner family heirloom in his bag for no great reason. With Alleria returning, the direction of the plot for Sylvanas and Greymane seems like it may come to the forefront again. They speculate on how long Sylvanas will remain as Warchief and why she is better for the game in that role than Vol'jin or Baine. Finally, they talk about the updates to Gadgetzan introduced in Hearthstone expansion, Mean Streets of Gadgetzan. Katie loves the Grimy Goons and both she and Nick would love to see an updated Gadgetzan in Tanaris, even if it means an updated Tanaris. They talk about all the great things about how Gadgetzan is presented in Hearthstone and how it would (or would not) fit in to the current World of Warcraft.

Episode URL: ash4.me/1pd

Hosts:

Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com Discord: mash.gg/discord

#5: Celebrating Highmountain

8 november 2016 | 70 min

Blizzcon 2016 and the Leaked Nighthold Cinematic

4 november 2016 | 29 min

#4: The Headless Horseman

25 oktober 2016 | 60 min

#3: The Tragedy of Val'sharrah

11 oktober 2016 | 78 min

#2: On Stormheim

13 september 2016 | 73 min

More Pre-Legion Lore

29 augusti 2016 | 76 min

#1: Pre-Legion Lore

28 augusti 2016 | 65 min

The Tauren & The Goblin – Warcraft Story & Lore

The Tauren & the Goblin is Mash Those Button's podcast that focuses on the story and lore of the World of Warcraft.

Om podden

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#163: Time is Money, Friend

#162: Not a Normal Expansion Announcement

#161: The Worldsoul Saga, Azeroth's Butt (feat. Dracoris)

#160: On Tyr and the Forbidden Reach

#159: On World Trees and Weddings

#158: On Negativity and 10.2 Theories

#157: On the Orc Heritage Armor Questline (feat. Ban'orak)

#156: Appreciating the Lore (feat. Gin & Ali)

#155: The Dragonflight Observer Awards (feat. Berzerker)

#154: Best Wishes for 2023 feat. Scrubs vs. the World

#153: The Primal Incarnates feat. Gershom

#152: Back After A Timeskip

#151: Farewell Sylvanas, Farewell Shadowlands

#150: Ragnaros' Electric Slide

#149: Calia: Menethil or Mary Sue?

#148: Mobile Games, Unicorn Deathwing, and Sylvanas

#147: On Rexxar (feat. Skoll Shorties)

#146: On Dragonflight!

#145: On Yogg-Saron (for Real)

#144: On Yogg-Saron

#143: On the Raid Cinematics

#142: The Biggest Scrubs of Shadowlands (feat. Cyrub & Projali)

#141: On (Eliminating) the Faction Divide

#140: Best Wishes for 2022 (The Winter Queen's Salon)

#139: Best Wishes for 2022 (The A-Team!)

#138: The Sylvanas Cinematic and Arena Headcanon

#137: On the Patch 9.2 Announcement

#136: On Elune and the Cosmos

#135: On Mercenaries

#134: On Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond (Part II)

#133: On Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond (Part I)

#132: Sylvanas, Vader, and Redemption

#131: On Folk & Fairy Tales of Azeroth (Part III)

#130: Episode 130

#129: On Broker Cosmology, Elune, and Pro-Wrestling

#128: On Folk & Fairy Tales of Azeroth (Part II)

#127: On Folk & Fairy Tales of Azeroth (Part I)

#126: On the Jailer and the Cosmos

#125: Patch 9.1 Spoilers (feat. Dracoris & Sirithe from LFR)

#124: On Wandavision and Sylvanas

#123: On the Kyrian Covenant Campaign

#122: On the Venthyr Campaign

#121: On the Necrolord Covenant Campaign

#120: The Night Fae Campaign (feat. Spazz Wesson and Kurabara)

#119: On the Kingsmourne Cinematic

#118: On Revendreth

#117: On Ardenweald (NICK HATES THE GORM)

#116: On Maldraxxus

#115: Best Wishes for 2021 (Part 2)

#114: Best Wishes for 2021 (Part I)

#113: On Bastion and Beyond (feat. Edanar)

#112: Shadowlands Initial Reactions

#111: On "Terror by Torchlight" and Nathanos' Return

#110: On Kael'thas Sunstrider

#109: Living, Laughing, and Loring (featuring Gin & Ali)

#108: On Bolvar Fordragon

#107: On Garrosh Hellscream

#106: On Afterlives: Revendreth

#105: On Ursoc and Afterlives: Ardenweald

#104: On Draka and Afterlives: Maldraxxus

#103: On Uther and Afterlives: Bastion

#102: On C'Thun and Ahn'Qiraj (feat. CognitivePit)

#101: Warcraft 101 (feat. Bryce & James)

#100: On Shadows Rising

Where We're Going (feat. Gin)

#99: Where We've Been (feat. Gin)

#98: On Alts (with Spazz Wesson)

#97: On "A Moment in Verse"

#96: On Loremaster feat. Frazley, Loremaster of Guests

#95: On N'Zoth

#94: On the Old Gods and Black Empire

#93: Just the Tauren IV: Spoilers and FFVII

#92: On Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker (For Real This TIme!)

On Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker

#91: On Torghast, Dreadlords, and Shadowlands (feat. Ali)

#90: On the Council of Tirisfal