After the Warsong Clan captured Silverwing Outpost and the Blackrock Clan seized Silverwind Refuge, the forces of the two clans merged and prepared to lay siege to Astranaar, the Night Elves' major stronghold in western Ashenvale.
Since the War of the Ancients, over ten thousand years, the Night Elves had not only failed to advance—their entire society had regressed.
Had it been the Highborne Empire, a major stronghold would certainly have been defended by heavy troops, bolstered by magical defensive barriers and anti-air zones. In that case, the Horde army would have needed to suffer ten times the casualties to take Astranaar.
Yet the Night Elves had abandoned the Highborne's exceptional magical attainments and abundant legacy.
The fall of Silverwing Outpost and Silverwind Refuge had already proven this, yet the Night Elves remained constrained by their narrow vision.
Astranaar sat in the middle of a lake, protected by the surrounding waters. It appeared easy to defend and difficult to attack, but that was not actually the case.
Mountains surrounded Astranaar. After Garrosh's offensive in Ashenvale met with setbacks, he changed his approach. He established strongholds in the mountains on both sides, bypassed Astranaar entirely, and launched attacks on western Ashenvale. At the same time, thanks to the terrain, the Horde strongholds atop the mountains could bombard Astranaar with long-range siege weapons and Wind Riders.
Rather than directly attacking Astranaar, the Blackrock Clan and Warsong Clan forces headed for the mountains on either side, clearing thorns, leveling roads, and building strongholds in the highlands.
This time, the combined Blackrock Clan and Warsong Clan forces numbered only a little over a hundred thousand, while Astranaar had gathered nearly a hundred thousand Night Elf troops alone—Sentinels and temporarily enlisted warriors. Every Night Elf civilian could potentially be a warrior living in seclusion.
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