Second War #3: The war draws near

July 25, 2026•Lore•Brendo Arruda

"Second War" series — Second War #3. The story of Warcraft II, from the exodus of Stormwind to the destruction of the Dark Portal. The episodes are listed in order at the end of the post.

While the humans argued in Lordaeron, the Horde was reorganizing. Orgrim Doomhammer wanted to turn Blackhand's chaotic army into a disciplined war machine. And when Gul'dan woke from his coma, Orgrim had to decide what to do with the warlock who had manipulated the Horde for so long. His decision will cost him dearly.

Orgrim's Horde

Orgrim was different from Blackhand. He was Durotan's friend, he knew the Shadow Council existed and he wanted a Horde that fought for itself, not for the warlocks. After taking command, he hunted down the members of the Council and reorganized the clans.

He also thought like a strategist. The victory in the south had been bloody and slow, and Orgrim wanted to avoid the same mistake in the north. The Horde needed supplies, ships and allies.

Gul'dan wakes up

Gul'dan woke from the coma he had fallen into when Medivh died. Orgrim had every reason to kill him. But Gul'dan offered something the Horde did not have: new warriors, created with magic that only he commanded.

Orgrim accepted the deal, and Gul'dan survived. The warlock formed a new group of followers, the Stormreaver, and once again had a place in the Horde. What he created to keep his promise is the subject of episode 5.

The road north

To reach Lordaeron, the Horde had two paths: by sea, or by land, crossing the mountains of Khaz Modan, the land of the dwarves and gnomes. Orgrim decided to use both. The advance through Khaz Modan and the building of a fleet are the next steps of the war.

What this changes in the story

Orgrim's decision to spare Gul'dan is one of the biggest mistakes of the Second War. The death knights were a powerful weapon, but Gul'dan was never loyal to the Horde. His betrayal, later on, costs Orgrim the siege of Lordaeron and, in the end, the war.

At the same time, Orgrim shows why he was the greatest Warchief of the old Horde. He thought about logistics, alliances and routes, not just battles. The strategy of attacking by land and by sea at the same time almost beat the Alliance.

Orgrim's hammer, the Doomhammer, passes years later to Thrall, along with the black armor. It is the same weapon the player sees with the Warchief in Orgrimmar in WoW.

Episode timeline

Orgrim takes over the Horde and hunts down the Shadow Council.
Gul'dan wakes from his coma.
Orgrim spares Gul'dan in exchange for new warriors.
Gul'dan forms the Stormreaver.
The Horde plans to advance north by land and by sea.

Who's who in this episode

| Name | Who they are | |------|--------| | Orgrim Doomhammer | The Warchief who reorganized the Horde. | | Gul'dan | The warlock who woke from his coma and made a deal with Orgrim. | | Stormreaver | Gul'dan's new clan of followers. | | Khaz Modan | The land of the dwarves and gnomes, on the way north. |

Where to see it in WotLK

Blackrock Mountain: the place that becomes the Horde's base in the Second War.
Burning Steppes: the lands around the mountain, still occupied by orcs in Classic.
Dun Morogh: the gateway to Khaz Modan and Ironforge.