The Tauren & The Goblin – Warcraft Story & Lore

Latest Episodes:

#86: Best Wishes for 2020 - Part III Jan 16, 2020

Show notes

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 taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com or @taurengob... Visit website for full summary.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/2bv
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

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
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#85: Best Wishes for 2020 - Part II Jan 08, 2020

Show notes

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 taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/2bm
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

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
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#84: Best Wishes for 2020 - Part I Dec 31, 2019

Show notes

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 taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com or @taurengoblin on twitter. Happy New Year!

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/2be
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

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
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#83: On the Clash of Story and Mechanics Dec 18, 2019

Show notes

This week brings more changes as teams finish their announcements and formats begin to finalize for 2020. We begin by discussing the recent Breakable Barriers open tournament, a new open tournament that saw streamers, Contenders Teams, and casuals compete across 2 days. We go on to discuss this week's announcements, including one player signing from the Los Angeles Gladiators and staff signings from Paris and Dallas.
Next, we discuss the recent announcement of the 2020 Contenders' format, which sees play move towards a more complicated, weekly tournament style schedule. We discuss the changes in the relationship between Open Division, Trials, and Contenders, and the importance of consistency higher stakes. We also discuss Eternal Academy's announcement of their return to Contenders EU, and talk about some teams that we would like to see return to Tier 2.
Lastly, we discuss the recent retirment of Custa, former support player for the Los Angeles Valiant. We talk about his play history, and his coming transition to the OWL Desk. We also talk about Jake's transition to full time OWL caster, and theorize some potential casting partners. We also finally share some exciting news about one of our listeners reaching out to help a rising Contenders player get the gear she needs.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/2b4
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

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
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#82: On Blizzcon & Shadowlands Dec 04, 2019

Show notes

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 taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com 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: https://mtb.gg/2ao
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

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
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#81: Vol'jin: From Cataclysm to Legion Nov 19, 2019

Show notes

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 taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/2aa
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

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
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

The Mash Those Buttons Show SE: Blizzcon 2019 Recap: Not Suitable for Younger Viewers Nov 05, 2019

Show notes

Join the WoW! Talk! gang and Jarret (formerly of Watchpoint Radio) as they gather to discuss Blizzcon 2019. They dive right into it just like Blizzard did, by talking about J. Allen Brack's apology for the recent situation regarding Blitzchung. They discuss that Brack had to address it and that he did the best he could. They also talked about the interruption during the WoW Q&A panel and said that overall, things went about as well as they could have.
Then they discussed the amazing Diablo IV cinematic. There was some debate about which of the cinematic reveals were the best, but Nick points out that cinematics are such showstoppers that any prior leaks were rendered moot. Jarret talked about the Diablo III launch being rough, but Nick points out that Diablo IV is intended to be more of a callback to Diablo II, so things should be better. Harv mentions the lack of Diablo Immortal at Blizzcon, which no one really finds surprising. The gang takes guesses on when Diablo IV will be ready, with most people expecting 2021 but Nick predicting 2023. We will have to wait and see.
Jarret then goes deep on the Overwatch 2 introduction, talking about this was the only logical way to take the game. He complains that it should not be called '2' and instead should have been an expansion, and would not be surprised if the name changes at some point in the future. He talks about the history of the recent meta and how Blizzard has needlessly attempted to control it. He also talks about the demand for PVE and lore and the audience that can bring in. Then the WoW! Talk! gang chimes in with their thoughts on the cinematic.
Nick quickly brings up Hearthstone. He mentions the new expansion but focuses on the Battlegrounds mode being added, and how this is a stealth entry into the auto-chess genre by Blizzard. He and Jarret argue over whether it should have been a separate release or not, and Nick tries to compare Battlegrounds to Heroes of the Storm.
Then, the gang gets into the WoW Shadowlands expansion. They talk about the cinematic with Sylvanas defeating Bolvar and breaking the veil. They then get into the features like covenants and the Tower of Torghast. They also review the changes to leveling which seem to be good to everyone. They talk about some loot and crafting changes, and Nick wonders what people will complain about in Shadowlands. Harv correctly points out that people are not happy with flying.
Nick also brings up some changes made to Warcraft I... Visit website for full summary.

Episode URL: https://mashthosebuttons.com/?p=52908
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Jarret Redding
twitter.com/jaastradamus
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
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#80: August Predictions Oct 22, 2019

Show notes

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 taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com 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 https://mtb.gg/29o
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

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
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#79: What If Wrathion Was Corrupted (Part II)? Oct 07, 2019

Show notes

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 taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/29f
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

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
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

SE: On the War Campaign Finale Sep 26, 2019

Show notes

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 taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/296
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

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
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Tauren & The Goblin – Warcraft Story & Lore

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected