With World of Warcraft: Classic launching, players are considering all of their options for races now in the game, and Gnomes can be a great choice for certain classes, and a fun choice for others. As with each race, there is a rich lore that one may enjoy having as part of their character’s backstory, while others may enjoy having access to a specific type of racial mount, abilities, and of course, access to certain classes.
Lore
Gnomes are known for their brilliance and their eccentricity. No matter where we see them, their obsession is towards new technology and engineering. As players may recall, the Gnomes once lived in Gnomeregan in Dun Morogh near their Dwarven kin. Unfortunately, the capital city to the Gnomes race was overrun by a trogg invasion. In the days to come, the actions of High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque resulted in the death of about 80% of the Gnome population, with others becoming the crazed leper gnomes we see in game.
Since then, the Gnomes have taken refuge in Iron Forge, where their technological influence is still readily observable. Their technology is observable in the wars against the Horde, providing steam-powered vehicle and flying machines.
Racials
Although each class has perks when it comes to passive and active abilities, Gnomes excel in Spellcasting and Engineering.
- Arcane Resistance: Arcane Resistance increased.
- Expansive Mind: Intelligence increased by 5%.
- Engineering Specialization: Engineering skill increased by 15.
- Escape Artist: Escape the effects of any immobilization or movement speed reduction effect.
Expansive Mind is what puts Gnomes over the top in terms of Mage and Warlock class selection. That 5% to Intelligence is massive in the endgame, but only for those attempting to min/max their players. If one does not enjoy the look and feel of Gnomes, any race will be perfectly fine for those classes for the majority of players.
Escape Artist is a handy tool for PvP, since remaining mobile is one of the most important things to do on the battlefield. As a Spellcaster especially, one needs to remain unrestrained and able to get away from melee classes, and this ability is always welcome as a lifesaver.
Available Classes
Gnomes seem to have fewer class selections than most, coming in at a total of four options in World of Warcraft: Classic:
Mage — As stated earlier, Gnomes are the best choice among all for Alliance Mages, in both PvP and PvE. There is also a satisfying feeling of launching a Pyroblast from the tiny frame of a Gnome.
Rogue — Gnomes can be a great choice for Alliance Rogues in PvP thanks to Escape Artist. In addition, their small size can make it easier to get the drop on opponents, unlike Taurens for example, who can be seen lumbering in the distance.
Warlock — For the same reasons as the Mage class, Gnomes are the best race for Alliance Warlocks for both PvP and PvE, and again look ridiculous but wonderful in commanding large demons.
Warrior — Gnome Warriors are effective in in PvP mainly due to Escape Artist, but lack the weapon specialization of Humans and Dwarves. However, seeing a Gnome Warrior tank a raid boss has always been wonderful. These tiny Warriors taking the brunt of the damage for their guild looks ridiculous, and fantastic all at once. If one is not looking to min/max a character, this is a perfectly viable option.
Racial Mount
Gnomes are peculiar with regards to their mounts, choosing to build their own rather than mess about with a living creature. The result are the Mechanostriders, which are again locked only to Alliance races, meaning that we will not be seeing any Taurens riding them for quite some time.
- Blue Mechanostrider — 80 gold, 72 with reputation discount
- Green Mechanostrider — 80 gold, 72 with reputation discount
- Red Mechanostrider — 80 gold, 72 with reputation discount
- Unpainted Mechanostrider — 80 gold, 72 with reputation discount
- Swift Green Mechanostrider — 1000 gold, 900 with reputation discount
- Swift White Mechanostrider — 1000 gold, 900 with reputation discount
- Swift Yellow Mechanostrider — 1000 gold, 900 with reputation discount
Thanks to their racial abilities, Gnomes are the best option for both the Mage and Warlock classes. Combined with their natural inclination towards curiosity, they can be a wonderful class to role play as well.