Posted by Amatera on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 - 11 Comments
Tags: 3.3, arthas, icc, icecrown citadel, lich king, ptr, structure, visuals
Especially after Trial of the Crusader, we can make all the jokes we want about Icecrown Citadel being “bigger, harder, and longer” than previous dungeons all we want. But apparently the Lich King’s phallic monument to all things dark and deadly just wasn’t large enough. Then again, someone who has so much trouble with the ladies might need that little extra boost. It’s cold up there in Northrend after all, and, well, there’s the shrinkage to worry about.
Whether or not we think he’s compensating, though, I think there’s one thing that we can all agree on: the old palace was looking a wee bit on the sissy side. It seems like all those Smilin’ Bob commercials on late-night television finally got to Arthas, because that is no longer the case. This is the Icecrown Citadel you can look forward to now (make sure to click on the images for a better view):
Look at that extra girth!
And, for comparison, the version currently on live servers:
A whole new section has been added to the middle of the structure and the spires up top have been greatly lengthened. In fact, it’s so much larger that I honestly had a tough time getting the whole thing in the picture without it fading too much into the background. Even then, parts of it extend past the frame (especially if you include the flight of stairs that lead up to the front gate). It’s like the Lich King saw all the little “heroes” and “crusaders” lining up on his doorstep and decided to give them the middle finger!
At the very top, between the protrusions, a new platform his been installed that will no doubt figure prominently in the dungeon itself:
Hmmm... what could this be?
Spoilers are floating around the internet about it, but I’ll leave you readers to figure/seek out what it is on your own if you so choose.
In all seriousness, this is a welcome visual change to Icecrown Citadel. Everything we’ve seen of the inside so far suggests it is much taller than the version on servers now. Though there are many outdoor areas that fail to match the size and scope of their instanced counterparts (Drak’Tharon Keep anybody?), it’s nice to see Blizzard giving the final raid of Wrath the imposing look that it deserves.
Related Posts: Icecrown Citadel Testing To Start 10/15, BlizzCon 2009: Icecrown Citadel, 3.3: Icecrown Citadel Boss List, (Some) Achievements Revealed, Patch 3.3 Could Be Coming Soon To PTR, Patch 3.3: Final Tier 10 Preview, Shaman,
By Mike on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 4:31 am
Firstblock haha
By Terra on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 5:18 am
I seem to remember thatt the top of the Frozen Throne was, according to the lore, actually underground.
…eh, I’ll get over it. Looks badass.
By ummm on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 8:19 am
@ Terra
im pretty sure that the frozen throne isnt the same as Icecrown Citadel so thats prob why
By denalo on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 9:01 am
-Grabs linkens sword of mastery out of bank and thurst it into the ground- suddenly the earth trembles and……….hey it’s a swine! run! it’s got the flu
seemed funny to me neways yea i thought the same thing top of the frozen throne. not shure what it*could* be used for. arthas’s tea pary? after all he is a bit of a wus* thassarion..you’ve come to rejoin the scourge i take it? * because i miss you guys QQ)
By littleraven on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 9:56 am
@ummm
icecrown citadel was built over the frozen throne…
and @terra
the frozen throne isnt underground, the spire its on starts in the bottom of that ridge that makes up the majority of icecrown (where all the scourge are throughout the zone). it shoots up probably past that and probably ends up being just taller than all the cliffs.
By cocopuff on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 11:35 am
i am sorry it still looks weak
By joebobfred on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 11:51 am
i like the new argent crusade banners on the right side of the citadel (well, right side of the picture anyways…)
By Octaviax on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 11:58 am
What! Argent Crusade Banners? ON ICECROWN CITADEL!!!
BLASPHEMY!
In all seriousness - it would seem I have found my new logout point post 3.3
By HerofTime on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
That last pic is so definitely the Frozen Throne. I’m so psyched for this it’s not even funny!!
By Amatera on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
@joebobfred
Those banners are likely there to mark the entrance to the new 5-man dungeons (since they’re only on the right side of the Citadel).
It doesn’t show up in the picture, but there are also battering rams and other junk outside the raid entrance, and a small war camp when you zone in.
The Ashen Verdict is literally on the Lich King’s doorstep in 3.3!
By Azurienatei on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
My my! I for one do think he’s compensating (after all, look at Frostmourne!). He’s likely jealous of Thrall XP
Seriously though, the remodeling doesn’t surprise me, especially when there’s supposed to be a lot of things going on inside of the citadel. Plus, now it looks even MORE like the Tower of Orthank and Sauron’s Tower.