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: https://mashthosebuttons.com/?p=58540
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
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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.

Episode URL: https://mashthosebuttons.com/?p=58331
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
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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.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/3fu
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Host:
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
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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.

Episode URL: https://mashthosebuttons.com/?p=58297
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
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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.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/3fi
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

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: https://mashthosebuttons.com/?p=58185
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
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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: https://mtb.gg/3as
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Host:
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

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: https://mtb.gg/3an
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Host:
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

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 ... Visit website for full summary.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/3ac
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Host:
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
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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: https://mtb.gg/3a5
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Host:
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
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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: https://mtb.gg/39j
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Host:
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