Gul'dan did not want to waste time on Rowan. He believed that although Rowan commanded the troops and resources of an Alliance kingdom, a single nation's strength was ultimately limited in the face of the Burning Legion's full-scale invasion.
Yet since the full-scale war began, Gul'dan had suffered two crushing setbacks at Rowan's hands. He was gradually beginning to understand why Kil'jaeden placed such importance on him.
Granted, Gul'dan did not want to mobilize the Burning Legion's main forces to confront Rowan's troops head-on.
His strategy remained unchanged. Rowan was ultimately just a troublesome minor player. The Burning Legion's future enemies were still the Shadowlands forces. Advancing steadily and occupying territory therefore remained its primary method of attack.
Indeed, Gul'dan was already studying his opponents in the Shadowlands.
But Rowan clearly had not discerned Gul'dan's intentions. This insignificant mortal human leader still had not figured out where he stood.
Rowan repeatedly danced along Gul'dan's bottom line, testing it back and forth. Gul'dan could tolerate it no longer. He realized he had to take measures to make Rowan understand that provoking the Burning Legion came at a bloody price.
The Burning Legion could destroy the capital where the Night Elves had lived for nearly ten thousand years. It could likewise destroy any major human city, so long as it chose to act.
After The Nighthold reached Winterspring, Gul'dan ordered the Burning Legion's main forces to change course and set their sights on the Eastern Kingdoms.
Surrounded by sea, Kul Tiras was easy to defend and difficult to attack. With the Scourge War as a warning, Gul'dan naturally would not invite that trouble.
Besides, Gul'dan had no intention of launching an attack on Kul Tiras before the Shadowlands forces entered Azeroth.
With no immediate plans to attack Kul Tiras, Gul'dan turned his