World of Warcraft Beginner Race Guide – Gnomes

The Gnomes are one of five playable races. Allied with the Alliance formed by Humans, Gnomes once ruled the city of Gnomeregan. Recently, a race called Trogg’s assaulted and drove the Gnomes to the near city of Ironforge, where they now reside with the Dwarves.

Sample contents.Gnomes are short, dextrous and intelligent. Distant cousins of the Dwarves, Gnomes are cute, friendly and often eccentric. They have engineered a mechanical mount for riding called Mechanostriders. Gnomes start alongside Dwarves in Dun Morogh.

Gnomes have only four racial abilities. The first and most effective of these is Escape Artist. An instant ability with a short cooldown, Escape Artist removes any movement impairing effects from the gnome. Expansive mind increases the Intelligence of the gnome by 5%. Engineering Specialization increases the Gnomes Engineering skill by 15 points. Arcane Resistance reduces the chance Gnomes will be hit by Arcane spells by 2%.

MAGE – Mages take advantage of Gnome racial abilities. Expansive Mind increases mana and intelligence gained by equipment. Engineering is a useful skill for Mages and the specialization makes it easier to increase. Goblin Jumper Cables give Mages the ability to resurrect other players, and can only be used by Engineers. Arcane Resistance reduces the chance to be silenced and is an important passive.

ROGUE – Engineering is effective for Rogues and increases their versatility dramatically, especially in player versus player. Expansive Mind has no practical effects on Rogues. Arcane Resistance decreases the chance to be Polymorphed, making it a powerful racial for Rogues. Escape Artist is the most useful racial ability for Rogues. Movement impairing effects are the bane of Rogues and the ability to instantly remove them make Gnome Rogues formidable.

WARLOCK – Expansive Mind is doubly potent for Warlocks. Intelligence increases the mana of both the Warlock and their summoned demon. Arcane Resistance is potent for hindering both Silence and Polymorph effects. Engineering isn’t useful for Warlocks beyond the universal benefits. Escape Artist is very situational, used primarily when fleeing.

WARRIOR – Escape Artist allows Warriors to keep proximity with targets. This is a necessity for Warriors and should be used often. Arcane Resistance fortifies Warriors against Polymorph, a Warriors bane. Expansive Mind helps with leveling tradeskills only. Engineering is a powerful skill for Warriors, increasing their effectiveness in all situations.

Upon reaching level 10, make the long trip to Bloodmyst Isle. Quest rewards are more lucrative here and provide better experience. Engineering is a useful tradeskill and can increase the versatility of any class. The specialization should not be wasted. Escape Artist has a short cooldown. Use it every chance you get.