Illidan Versus Sylvanas

Having the unsuccessful but impressive defeat at Silvermoon, after having defeated Arthas and laid waste to the Nathrezim plans and after having engaged Dar'Khan himself in battle during the absorption process of the Sunwell, Sylvanas has earned quite the quantity of credit.

Illidan who manipulated his way trough the WotA, fooled Sargeras and the Burning Legion to his bidding, brought the Naga and the Blood Elf under his command, outbested Arthas to the Frozen Throne, having weaved a spell which resulted in the sundering, stalemated Arthas, laying waste to Tichondrius and his forces, foiled Magtheridon and conquered Outlands has become one of the most experienced characters in current WCU Azeroth.

The two engages in an epic battle, taking place in the Black Temple of Outlands. Sylvanas and Illidan has both been informed of eachothers presence and all they have to do is find one another and take one down before the other. Who would win? No limits, no rules. One has to die. Sylvanas and Illidan are both bloodlusted.

She only beat Arthas because Illidan cracked the Frozen Throne. Illidan actually killed Tichondrius and his command staff. Not to mention he survived his duel with Arthas. And he took out Magtheridon and enslaved him.

It's pretty obvious she's not gonna win this.

How is it obvious? Illidan never cracked the Frozen Throne. It would not have mattered if the throne was cracked or not, because even if it would not have been, Sylvanas outsmarted Arthas and ambushed him. Sylvanas goes all elven style of combat. Had not Kel'Thuzad arrived to fright Sylvanas away, Arthas would have been dead.

Illidan survived both of his fights versus Arthas but never actually won (Despite the throne being cracked), while Sylvanas actually defeated Arthas. I am very much aware of everything Illidan has done, but sometimes merits will just not do it. Sylvanas combat style is based on keeping the distance and Illidan is more or less a melee combatant. No matter how many battles Illidan has won, an arrow between what once was his eyes would be the end of him.

I believe this fight is in the palm of Sylvanas hand.

Sylvanas defeated Arthas by attacking him when he was unprepared, Illidan fazed him twice the first time they stalemated, the second time Illidan lost but survived, The fact that Sylvanas choosed to surprise Arthas instead of directly engage him (as she had done prior with her being ressurrected as a banshee as the result) I believe it's very obvious that in a direct head to head battle she would lose. Illidan is only a melee based attacker in the Game itself when you enter the lore his true powers are as a spellcaster.

I see it completely the other way around Sylvanas will be squashed.

Indeed Illidan is as much a spellcaster as a melee fighter. His sight is also enhanced in a way incomprehensable to Sylvanas, but I would give this fight at least 6/10 to Lady Windrunner. While Illidan surely is more powerful, more experienced and has accomplished more impressive deeds, Sylvanas has the upper hand in this battle for numerous reasons.

1. Sylvanas has incredibly long range attacks. This was made clear when she could flawlessly could hit multiple slim, moving target while her position was from the eyes of the beholder nothing but a small dot in the distance at the same instant.

2. Her screech applied to even a natural healing factor from an easy kilometer away, but in base it is an anti-magic factor. Illidan's sight is based on magic, and even though it is a longshot, it is more likely than not that her screech would dim his vision. Not to mention that him as a spellcaster would be restricted by the very same screech. What he would have to rely on is his two blades of Azzinoth, which is not the optimal combat style against our queen in question.

3. Sylvanas Windrunners speed by far dwarfs the speed of Illidan, and the agility of the two should not vary too much. Given Illidan's superior height over Sylvanas by default makes him less agile and grants her the ability to sneak and hide at places he more likely than not would fail reaching. You are right that she defeated Arthas by ambush, but lets face it. That is how she fights. She fought like that when defending Silvermoon and she fought so while taking down Arthas. She most certainly would fight like that when she fights Illidan. It is her nature. Deal with it.

Sylvanas 6/10-9/10.

That is in far more depth than I would have said, but very good points. Is there perhaps a little DareDevil touch over Illidan, given his loss of sight perhaps granted him enhanced hearing? The screech is if I recall rumors properly rather loud. If he has enhanced hearing, it could perhaps result in more than a mere winch and disable of magical abilities?

There are no implications of enhanced hearing. The elves do have enhanced hearing by nature, but as seen on Dar'Khan among other characters, the screech is not all that agonizing. Then again, when she screeched before Dar'Khan he had already absorbed a portion of the Sunwell, making him relatively resilient to all types of effects and abilities. So my answer to the question would be no, he does not have overly enhanced hearing. His blindless is merely the necessity to a secondary type of sight, based on magic rather than eyes. He can still see, his eyes just does not percieve things like normal eyes do and he can read magic like an open book up close, with one and another extra features for extra coolness. But in the end, it would in theory be a useless vision and an actual flaw in a battle against Sylvanas.