Not content to wait for Man At Arms’ to get around to them, Blizzard taps master blacksmith Tony Swatton to recreate Gorehowl, the axe wielded by two of Warcraft’s most famous orcs.
The massive two-handed weapon originally belonged to Grom Hellscream, who used it to slay the pit lord Mannoroth, freeing his race of their demonic taint. No one wants a demonic taint.
In World of Warcraft times, former Horde warchief Thrall raided Karazhan with some friends, slaying Prince Malchezaar and rolling high on Gorehowl. He presented the weapon to Grom’s descendant Garrosh, who goes on to do nothing but good deeds with it, I promise. Gorehowl is still in Garrosh’s possession today, more or less. I suppose it all depends on your quest progress.
As usual, Swatton does a pretty amazing job bringing this ridiculous weapon to life. What would otherwise be far too heavy to heft is made more manageable by making the head of the axe hollow. It’s a smart compromise that in no way hinders the finished product’s effectiveness, as seen in the video below.