Illidan defeats Magtheridon at the Black Citadel

Full History

Illidan came to Outland after his attempt to use the Eye of Sargeras against the Frozen Throne had been thwarted. Seeking safety from Kil'jaeden and control over a defensible power base, he moved against the pit lord Magtheridon. The demon ruled the shattered world through armed orcs, demons, and networks of portals. Before advancing on his throne, Illidan's coalition shut those gateways and reduced the enemy's ability to reinforce the battle.

Magtheridon's principal stronghold in the 2003 campaign was the Black Citadel. Its entrance was protected by heavy defenses that punished the blood elves' attempts to advance. Lady Vashj's naga navigated waterworks and the citadel's aqueducts, while Akama's draenei could pass unseen through guarded ground to disable key generators. The invaders relied on the skills of each faction rather than winning through simple numbers.

Once inside, the attackers fought the pit lord's powerful lieutenants and acquired the keys needed to enter his throne chamber. Magtheridon boasted of his strength but found himself unable to repel Illidan and his allies. His defeat transferred immediate control of the stronghold and much of Outland's armed following to Illidan, who announced a new order under his command.

This battle is the closing military act of the Blood Elf campaign's struggle for Outland, not a later raid. The original setting and name were the Black Citadel; accounts that substitute the later raid setting and geography should not override the history depicted in Warcraft III.