Gorehowl

Gorehowl
Last updated:	August 30, 2023
Wiki mechanics
Decrement attack, Immune
Wiki tags
Attacking-related, Durability-related, Triggered effect
Flavor
Background race:	Orc

is an uncollectible TYPEID card.

Lore

This section uses content from Wowpedia.

Gorehowl is the legendary two-handed axe of the Hellscream family of orcs. The weapon was famously wielded by Grommash Hellscream, chieftain of the Warsong clan, and was later also held by his son and heir, Garrosh, Warchief of the Horde, until he discarded it in favor of an Old God replica.

Gorehowl was forged three generations before Grommash inherited it. Grommash's great-grandfather used Gorehowl to kill six legendary gronn. Their hearts were sealed into the blade, granting it untold strength.

When Golmash Hellscream, the father of Grom, was locked in the jaws of a giant gronn, he found the strength to stab Gorehowl into the gronn's eye and kill it alongside him. When they fell, it was the gronn who died first.

Grom Hellscream had been the first to partake of the Blood of Mannoroth, eventually coming to regret it. When Thrall met him, it was clear to him that Grom had the means by which to liberate his lethargic brothers and sisters. After Hellscream again drank the Blood of Mannoroth in Kalimdor, in his hands Gorehowl was the weapon which slew the demigod Cenarius.

During the second coming of the Burning Legion, Hellscream took his axe to the pit lord Mannoroth after Thrall was beaten into unconsciousness. With a single blow, Hellscream cleaved his adversary's weapon in two and slew Mannoroth. Hellscream perished shortly afterwards, but he had managed to break the curse over his people, freeing their souls and spirits from the demonic curse forever. It seems that afterward, Gorehowl was retrieved by Thrall or the orcs of the Horde in general and kept in Orgrimmar.

Before the Shattering, Thrall himself gives Gorehowl to Garrosh, who wields it in the duel resulting in the death of Cairne Bloodhoof. Garrosh wielded the legendary weapon wherever he went.

Garrosh left Gorehowl behind in the Vault of Y'Shaarj. It was discovered by Jaina Proudmoore and Lor'themar Theron, although it's unknown what happened to it later.

The warchief replaced the original Gorehowl with an Old God replica of the weapon named Xal'atoh, Desecrated Image of Gorehowl.

In the alternate timeline, Grom used Gorehowl to kill Mannoroth after rejecting the demon's blood. Some time later, he appears to have given his Gorehowl to Garrosh; Grom was not seen wielding the axe in any of his subsequent appearances in Draenor, while Garrosh used it at Grommashar. Following Garrosh's death in his mak'gora with Thrall at the Stones of Prophecy, Gorehowl remained near his corpse where Thrall had deflected it.

Gul'dan retrieved Gorehowl and brought it to Grommash in another failed attempt to convince him to drink demon blood.

Gorehowl is a famous weapon. The sharply curved axe head, with an intricate series of grooves in it, is massive, well worn, and permanently stained with old blood. Its wickedly curved blade has two notches in it, and many small holes in the head near the handle. When swung, the notches causes the axe to "sing" its own battle cry, just as Grom once did, which gave the weapon its name. The skull on the blade is believed to be that of a slain goren. The leather wrap on the handle would have been made from clefthoof hides. When it wasn't held in Garrosh's hands, he hooked it onto a brace on his back.

Trivia

The artwork for this card comes from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game "Blood of Gladiators" series, for the card Gorehowl.

This card's flavor text references Gorehowl's appearance as an item in World of Warcraft, where it is obtainable as a drop from Prince Malchezaar, a boss in the Burning Crusade instance Karazhan. There is no known lore explanation for how Gorehowl came into his possession, although it has been theorized by some players that Malchezaar obtained it from an alternate universe, as his quotes boast that he has access to "all realities, all dimensions". Prince Malchezaar's flavor text references this: He was super excited to acquire Gorehowl at a garage sale! Then super disappointed to find out it was a foam reproduction.

Gorehowl's World of Warcraft counterpart features the flavor text "The axe of Grom Hellscream has sown terror across hundreds of battlefields."

Prior to Patch 1.0.0.4944, Gorehowl featured the triggered effect lightning bolt icon. It is not known why it was removed.

In 2015 Blizzard hired professional blacksmith Tony Swatton to forge a replica of Gorehowl.

Gallery

• 
  Gorehowl in World of Warcraft
• 
  Thrall handing Gorehowl to Garrosh, with the bones of Mannoroth in the background

External links

PlayHearthstone

HSReplay.net

Hearthpwn

OutOf.Cards