Alliance – Horde War ( Cataclysm ) The Alliance – Horde War is an intercontinental war which serves as one of the driving forces of the plot of World of Warcraft . After years of cold war , with conflict being restrained to skirmishes in places like Alterac Valley and Warsong Gulch , King Varian Wrynn proclaimed open war against the Horde following the Battle of Angrathar the Wrathgate , a challenge in which the newly crownedWarchief Garrosh Hellscream gladly engaged in . The new war between the two superpowers raged across the Cataclysm and pandaria Campaigns . This conflict is thematically the Fourth War . Though at war , the two sides have worked together on several occasions to combat larger threats , whether directly or through intermediary organizations such as the Argent Crusade or Cenarion Circle . Following the Siege of Orgrimmar , King Varian and the newly appointed Warchief Vol ' jin have declared an end to open war , so long as both sides uphold honor . However , tensions persist and the conflict seems to once again be relegated to cold war status as the War in Draenor continues . Background . Five years after the Battle for Mount Hyjal , the fragile truce between the Horde and Alliance had all but evaporated . In the wake of the Third War and The Founding of Durotar , the Forsaken entered a partnership of convenience with the Horde while the night elves and gnomes emerged from ages of solitude to join the Alliance . For another year the armistice held , though tensions continued to mount as worldwide conflicts drew the two sides closer to all - out war and fighting erupted in strategic battlegrounds . Despite these frequent skirmishes , the Horde and Alliance often set aside their differences and joined forces to face a number of threats . In time the blood elves and draenei led them through the Dark Portal to wage the War in Outland against the Burning Legion . Following the year - long campaign in Outland , the Horde returned to Azeroth with a new ally in the Mag ' har , led by Garrosh Hellscream . Soon , the long - missing Varian Wrynn put an end to ' s schemes and returned to reclaim the throne of Stormwind . Attempts at diplomacy between Thrall and Wrynn soon fell apart as a peace conference in Theramore was ambushed by the Twilight ' s Hammer . Attention quickly turned northward , however , as the looming threat of the bore down on the mortal races of Azeroth . Garrosh Hellscream and Varian Wrynn , appointed as the supreme commanders of the Horde Expedition and Alliance Vanguard respectively , who had previously butted heads in Theramore , led their forces to Northrend where they waged war against the Scourge . Though fighting a common enemy , tensions between the Horde and Alliance grew swiftly until spilling over after the Battle of Angrathar the Wrathgate . During the resulting Battle for the Undercity , Varian Wrynn , grief - stricken over the loss of , and the state of the former Capital City of Lordaeron , lashed out at Thrall and declared war against the Horde . Hostilities continued to escalate for the remainder of the War against the Lich King , until the Lich King was finally defeated . Three years have passed since the military forces of the Horde and Alliance first set foot on the shores of Northrend , and they now wage war amidst the disasters wrought by ' s return to the world . Thrall has left the Horde to lead the Earthen Ring ' s efforts in preventing the rift beneath the Maelstrom from tearing apart the world , and has appointed Garrosh Hellscream as Warchief of the Horde in his absence . King Varian Wrynn , convinced that the Horde has remained unchecked for too long , continues to lead the Alliance . Conflicts . Eastern Kingdoms . With the weakening of the Scourge after the War against the Lich King , the Alliance forces led by have claimed the western part of Andorhal , and the Forsaken forces led by have claimed the eastern part of the city . The two factions are currently fighting each other for control of the whole city . During the Battle for Andorhal , the Forsaken , their ranks bolstered by the use of the val ' kyr to raise their slain foes , push the Alliance out of the city and claim Andorhal as their own , effectively conquering almost all of the old kingdom of Lordareon . All Alliance forces are now hard - pressed , the Forsaken being in the South and the Sin ' Dorei in the north . In Hillsbrad Foothills , The Forsaken destroy the Alliance presence entirely by destoying the damaged city of Southshore . The Forsaken blight used by the attackers devastated the land , driving the alliance back to Alterac for good . The Forsaken also conquer Arathi Highlands , destroying Stromgarde with the help of the risen prince Galen Trollbane . Hammerfall is reinforced and rebuilt as a fortress . The forsaken control now almost all of the lands from Western Plaguelands to Wetlands . By orders of the new Warchief of the Horde , Garrosh Hellscream , the Forsaken mobilise and move into Gilneas to secure a port for the Horde in southern Lordaeron . The Gilneans , now transformed into worgen , attempt to fight off the invaders as best they can . Eventually the night elves arrive in Gilneas , bringing both vital military aid and the truth behind the worgen curse . Likewise , Orcs reinforce the Forsaken forces , causing an escalation into an all - out battle between the Alliance and the Horde in the region . The Forsaken , against the orders of the Warchief to cease production , unleash their devastating Forsaken Blight against Gilneas . Many of the survivors flee across the sea to Teldrassil , where the night elves grant them sanctuary . Even with Gilneas falling into the hands of the Forsaken , the fighting between the Gilnean worgens and the Forsaken continues . Bloodfang worgen who had recently allied themselves with the Gilneas Liberation Front , with the help of 7th Legion reinforcements from Stormwind , destroyed three Orc gunships that had arrived . . After that the 7th Ligion and the Bloodfang worgens invaded the city of Gilneas took back the city ' s districts and drove most of the Forsaken back to Silverpine . Despite this the Forsaken still held the northern parts of the land , and would continue to pose a serious threat to the Worgens . Later , the Forsaken killed many of the Hillsbrad refugees on Fenris Isle and resurrected them , bolstering Forsaken forces and making up for the loss of the three orc gunships . Druid s in the Gilneas Liberation Front used their bear form in guerilla warfare against Horde forces at the Forsaken Front , which resulted in the loss of a few Horde squads . Eventually the Horde forces learn of this tactic , and it becomes ineffective after counter - measures are implemented . In the Twin Peaks near Grim Batol in the Twilight Highlands , the dwarven Wildhammer clan fight against the orcish Dragonmaw clan , having recently rejoined the Horde , battle for control of this strategic mountainous region . The Twin Peaks are crucial for staging effective offensives against the black dragonflight and the Twilight ' s Hammer , who currently control the Twilight Highlands . To the south , the humans of Marshtide Watch battle the Stonard orcs in the Swamp of Sorrows . In the end Stonard had fallen in to the hands of the Alliance killing all the armed orcs and letting the citizens flee to the Blasted lands . Kalimdor . All - out battles have erupted in the Barrens , Ashenvale , and the Stonetalon Mountains . Due to the Cataclysm the Barrens have been split into the Northern Barrens and the Southern Barrens . In the Southern Barrens Alliance forces have claimed the eastern lands while the Horde have taken the west . The Alliance has constructed new military outpost to solidify their control of their new territory while the Horde has done the same to prevent further Alliance expansion . The central region between the two camps will become a war zone as the factions fight for control . . Bael Modan is destroyed by the advancing Horde army . Eventually , because of one of the Alliance commander ' s tactical incompetence , the Horde retakes the Barrens , driving the defeated Alliance off for good , devastating anything left standing , and anyone caught in their way . In the Northern Barrens , the Horde defensive post Mor ' shan Rampart is under attack by the Alliance . In turn Northwatch Hold is now under attack by Horde forces . After a crucial battle , the Northwatch Hold and the Alliance fleet defending it are devastated by Horde warships . The survivors retreat back to Stormwind . In Ashenvale , the Horde has been recently able to conquer more of the ancient forest and have cut down even more trees . This allowed the Horde to wrest control of Silverwind Refuge . Meanwhile Zoram ' gar Outpost has its defenses improved and air assaults from the outpost commence on the Night Elf . The village of Astranaar , Maestra ' s Post , Raynewood Retreat , and surrounding towers have also been destroyed and taken by the Horde . Despite Silverwind Refuge and other Alliance outposts being conquered by the Horde , Alliance forces led by the Night Elves have taken back certain parts of Ashenvale . Splintertree Post comes under ground assault by the Alliance , all Horde forces at the nearby road have been killed . This victory was short lived , however , as the Horde utterly destroys all the attackers and continues to drive the Night Elves back from the region . Off the coast of Kalimdor , on the Lost Isles , and the island off Azshara , the Bilgewater Cartel goblins with aid from stranded Orcs fight against Alliance forces and attempt to establish a new city to replace the loss of Kezan . In Azshara Alliance forces are attacking Valormok , a largely undefended but unimportant Horde outpost in Azshara . In Darkshore , the Horde allied themselves with the Shatterspear tribe trolls seeking to conquer it for the Horde . Realizing the Horde ' s plans , the night elves launched an assault on Shatterspear Vale . After a short fight , the night elves have finally taken the village and burned it down , killing every single troll in the village . In Azshara The Night Elf saboteurs assaulting Orgrimmar rear gate have been destroyed , thanks to the Goblins building up the area . All Night Elves are also killed on the road to Ashenvale . Great Sea . The war even extends to the Great Sea where naval battles are fought for control of key trade routes .