by JR Cook - 10 years ago     show comments

Sure, you can play that winning card and step away from your match the glorious victor. But where is the fun unless you can also drop some lore knowledge on your opponent and add insult to injury? In this column, we don’t worry about card values or strategy – all we care about is that sweet, sweet lore. Check back every Wednesday for a new installment of Card Smart!

In Hearthstone, Elite Tauren Chieftan is a single Tauren lead guitarist. Originally, Elite Tauren Chieftain was a five-man band made up of Blizzard employees. Their in-game stand-ins are various members of the Horde. Songs initially reflected Warcraft subject matter, but later also incorporated StarCraft and Diablo as well. Their first song, “Power of the Horde”, played over the credits of Warcraft III: TFT.

The band Elite Tauren Chieftain has undergone numerous name changes in an effort to reflect the current highest level of players in World of Warcraft. The current official band name is Level 90 Elite Tauren Chieftain, or L90ETC for short. Previous monikers for the band were The Artists Formerly Known as Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain (TAFKAL80ETC), Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain (L80ETC), Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain (L70ETC), Level 60 Elite Tauren Chieftain (L60ETC), and the original Tenth Level Tauren Chieftain (L10TC).

In-game Appearances

In World of Warcraft, Elite Tauren Chieftain performs “Power of the Horde” at World’s End Tavern in Shattrath City. The band also plays a five-minute show at the Grim Guzzler in Blackrock Depths. During the Cataclysm expansion, the band added shows at the Darkmoon Faire. Players can also find them in Silvermoon City on the Walk of Elders as part of Children’s Week.

StarCraft players may have seen a commercial on TV at Hyperion’s Cantina, announcing a galaxy-wide tour for Level 800 Elite Tauren Chieftain.

Performances at BlizzCon and other Blizzard Events

The band performed real concerts at BlizzCon: on October 29, 2005, on August 4, 2007, on August 27, 2009, and again on October 22, 2011. During their appearance in 2005, the band was the opening act for The Offspring.

On June 29, 2008, Elite Tauren Chieftain performed at the Worldwide Invitational in Paris. In addition to their Warcraft themed songs, the band has played the StarCraft inspired “Terran Up the Night” and the Diablo III inspired “Raise Some Hell”.

Band Members

Samuro (Samwise Didier) – Vocalist (2003–present) (Orc)
Sig Nicious (Chris Sigaty) – Rhythm guitarist (2003–present) (Blood Elf)
Bergrisst (Dave Berggren) – Lead guitarist (2005–present) (Undead)
Mai’Kyl (Mike Morhaime) – Bassist (2003–present) (Troll)
Chief Thunder-Skins (Alan Dabiri) – Drummer (2003–present) (Tauren)
Former member: Arthas Menethil – lead guitarist (2003) (Death Knight)