Arthas is Stupid

Patch 3.3 will probably be around next week, so before we all march on Arthas' domain and nerd-rage over limited boss attempts, it behooves us all to look back on the lead up to ICC. In which, we learn that Arthas is stupid.

I admit, I was very excited when WotLK was announced; Deathwing and Sargaras aside, I could not imagine a more climactic or deadly final boss than the Lich King. I was further excited by announcements that Arthas won't hide behind the couch like Illidan. Well, to be fair, Illidan hid behind his massive fortress and army of demons, but whatever. So Arthas will be involved in leveling and dungeons, he'll get in my grill; OK, I can dig it.

Well, turns out, Arthas DOES hide behind his couch, aside for the occasional celebrity guest appearance, usually right before or after I faceroll some minion of his that was completely ineffectual. Oh, that works a few times; Sorrowgrave in UP was done right. I dug killing the Vry'kul much more; knowing that they were Arthas' minions was good enough to forge a connection. Tyrion punching him right in the childhood was priceless, if a little curious. Just saying, if Arthas doesn't open with that kill-everyone move in any dungeon he's in, he'll just look dumb.

The problem is not what Arthas does, but what he fails to do: succeed. Rarely is Arthas ever proactive; most of the time he's just hanging around as you unearth and systematically dismantle his allies and support network. Drakuru is a rare example of the LK actually doing something aggressive or expansionist, and it was cool until the end where he shows up to laser Failkuru and high-five you "4 teh lulz". What kind of ineffectual Saturday-morning trainwreck lets the architect of his failure in Zul'Drak live, cause it was hella funny? That's embarassing characterization, and there's no excuse.

Arthas needs to be threatening. In 3.3, they need to (but won't) have the LK gain ground in Icecrown, instead of just hiding behind his couch waiting patiently for raiders to rock his face. Perhaps he re-takes the Shadow Vault, and the Ebon Blade has to fall back. That'd shake up the status-quo (a rare, and consequently powerful move in an MMO), and make Arthas seem half-way competent. And Blizz needs to learn we don't need to see Arthas to feel his presence; he is a villain defined by his minions. Less is sometimes more, but in this case, Blizz will have to take some strong steps to re-establish Arthas as a threat now, when in the ENTIRE EXPANSION he's done nothing but fail. The first time I repelled the Lich King's machenations single-handedly, it was cool and exciting. The tenth time it was routine.

There's a disconnect here, between what Blizz tells us Arthas is, and what they show us he is. They say he's a terrifying badass with a nigh-unstoppable army. They show us an incompetent who never wins a battle and is constantly losing ground. For the climactic battle to work, we need to see the Arthas we've heard about, rather than the one we know.