In the nostalgic realms of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (WLK), the community finds itself face to face with challenging bosses that test the limits of even the most seasoned players.  One such formidable adversary, recognized by many as the pinnacle of difficulty, is the Heroic (H) Lich King in Phase 4.  Yet, there exists another boss that has arguably set an even higher standard of complexity and challenge - Ragnaros, also known to players as "Big Screw".

At first glance, the statistics on Warcraft Logs (WCL) may suggest that there are hardly any guilds that have successfully defeated the H Lich King, given the absence of clear records.  While it is possible that top-tier guilds are intentionally concealing their strategies, it certainly speaks volumes about the level of difficulty presented by the H Lich King.  With 25-player raids struggling to secure victories, the H Lich King stands as an unyielding challenge since the opening of the nostalgic realms.  However, when compared to Ragnaros, the H Lich King's challenge might not seem as daunting.

Ragnaros comes in two iterations: the Level 60 version, colloquially known as the "Weak Chicken Big Screw", and the Level 85 version, the "Flame Lord Big Screw".  While the former was quickly conquered by the first batch of players reaching max level in the nostalgic realms, the latter version is considered the true ceiling of difficulty in the early versions of World of Warcraft.

The difficulty of the H Lich King is primarily reflected in the numerical values, whereas Ragnaros presents a challenge not only in numbers but also in intricate mechanics.  The Level 85 Ragnaros fight consists of four phases, each introducing new abilities and mechanics.  Due to its overwhelming difficulty, even Blizzard's designers intervened to reduce the boss's health by 15% shortly after its introduction.  Such a significant numerical adjustment, although common in later versions, was quite rare in the early stages, highlighting the sheer challenge posed by Ragnaros.

The world's first Level 85 Ragnaros kill was achieved by the then-dominant guild "Paragon", after over 500 attempts.  Upon achieving this world-first kill, members of "Paragon" unanimously agreed that the Level 85 Ragnaros was significantly more challenging than the H Lich King and was, at that time, the hardest boss encounter in the game.

It wasn't until subsequent releases, with the introduction of Mythic (M) raids and bosses like M Blackhand, M Archimonde, and M Kil'jaeden, that Ragnaros transitioned from being the most difficult boss to one of the most difficult.  Typically, a boss's second kill follows quickly after the world-first.  However, in the case of Ragnaros, there was a week's gap between "Paragon's" world-first kill on July 19, 2011, and "Method's" world-second kill on July 26, 2011. Considering that "Method" was a third-generation dominant force in the world-first race, the week-long delay further attests to the boss's difficulty.

Top-tier guilds globally found themselves strained against Ragnaros, let alone more casual guilds. Many players attributed the disbanding of 25-player raid groups to the introduction of the 10-player mode, but in reality, Ragnaros was the true catalyst. Guilds that managed to defeat H Ragnaros averaged over 500 attempts, a commitment of time and patience beyond the reach of the average player.

Additionally, by the time the Level 85 version was introduced, addons, hardware, and internet connectivity were quite mature, yet the progression remained excruciatingly challenging, signifying a level of difficulty unparalleled by previous versions.

Blizzard has conducted numerous player surveys, indicating that after the conclusion of the WLK nostalgic realms, there is a high likelihood of the Cataclysm (CTM) version being introduced.  If so, players may soon find themselves face to face with this ceiling-level boss once again.

In conclusion, while the H Lich King stands as a testament to the formidable challenges presented in the nostalgic realms of WLK, it is Ragnaros, with its intricately woven mechanics and relentless difficulty, that has set a benchmark for players across the world.  As the community anticipates the possibility of confronting this monumental challenge once again, memories of strategies, countless wipes, and eventual triumphant cheers echo in the hearts of players.  The difficulty of these bosses, encapsulated in the memories of the community, represents the pinnacle of cooperative gaming, pushing players to their limits and fostering a spirit of unity and perseverance.