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| ā | {{Source needed}}:{{icon-exclamation}} Balance in AV is a contentious issue, though rarely is it treated seriously and in a civil manner. This article is intended as a means to compile and weigh the various arguments related to strategic issues within the valley. Before commenting please consider the arguments already put forth. It's assumed readers have a passing understanding of AV, see [[Alterac Valley]], [[Alterac Valley Mobs]] and [[Alterac Valley Buildings]] for more information. |
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| + | | image = Gelbin Wei.jpg |
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| + | | name = High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque |
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| + | | titles = King of Gnomes |
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| + | | gender = Male |
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| + | | race = Gnome |
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| + | |creature=Humanoid |
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| + | | level = ?? (Boss) |
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| + | | character = [[Tinker]] |
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| + | | affiliation = [[Gnomeregan (faction)|Gnomeregan]] |
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| + | | faction = Alliance |
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| + | | aggro={{aggro|1|-1}} |
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| + | | occupation = High Tinker of [[Gnomeregan]] |
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| + | | status = Alive |
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| + | | health = 68,713,000 |
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| + | | relatives = Unknown |
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| + | | location = [[New Tinkertown]], [[Dun Morogh]] |
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| + | }} |
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| + | '''High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque''', King of [[Gnome]]s, is the current leader of [[Gnomeregan]]. |
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| + | Gelbin has been at the helm of the gnome race during some of its most difficult and trying times. Since his title is an elected one, the fact that he has held his position throughout such hardship is a testament to the love his people have for him. |
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| ā | ==Bases== |
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| + | A brilliant inventor, Gelbin Mekkatorque rose quickly to prominence among the meritocratic gnomes with his innovative designs and creative problem-solving skills. He built the very first functioning mechanostrider, assisted in the development of the dwarven siege engine, and was instrumental in the creation of the Deeprun Tram running from Ironforge to Stormwind City. |
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| ā | ===Dun Baldar=== |
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| ā | *'''Alliance advantage:''' The bridge serves as an excellent choke-point. Flags within each bunker are covered by archers. The archers in these bunkers immediately aggro just before leaving the bridge area, and cover all the way up to the Aid Station flag. |
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| ā | *'''Horde advantage:''' Horde attackers are less visible moving around the north of the north bunker. Once Horde assaults a bunker, it serves as an excellent fire base for the Horde, a fact that is, bizarrely, not so for the alliance. Flags in bunkers can be capped without being hit by archers, albeit not easily. |
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| + | Although one wouldnāt know it from looking at him, the loss of Gnomeregan weighs heavily on the high tinker. He was unprepared for the invasion that swept through his beloved city, and he was betrayed by a trusted advisor who convinced him to react hastily, resulting in unnecessary deaths. Now Mekkatorqueās brilliant mind has taken on a surgical focus with one single outcome: the retaking of Gnomeregan.<ref>http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/race/gnome</ref> |
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| ā | ===Frostwolf keep=== |
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| ā | *'''Horde advantage:''' Gate creates very tight choke point, easy to hold back greater numbers of Alliance, towers provide good vantage points. |
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| ā | *'''Alliance advantage:''' Can bypass virtually all additional NPCs on the way to RH. The center tower provides cover from Frostwolf archers. Flags in towers are not covered by NPCs. |
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| ā | == |
+ | ==Background== |
| + | [[File:Gelbin Mekkatorque.jpg|thumb|left|Gelbin Mekkatorque]] |
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| + | The [[gnome]]s have not had a proper king or queen for over four hundred years. Instead, they prefer to elect their highest officials for set terms of service.<ref>''[[World of Warcraft]]'' manual, pg. 175</ref><ref name="APG146">''[[Alliance Player's Guide]]'', pg. 146</ref><ref name="MG168">''[[Monster Guide]]'', pg. 168</ref> The highest office in [[Gnomeregan]], [[High Tinker]], has been held by the crafty Gelbin Mekkatorque for the past seven to nine years. Gelbin is one of the most renowned inventors ever, and has been honored as a just and skillful leader. While in office, High Tinkers are allowed to hold grand titles but only hold their power for set terms of office, after which they return to the work force. Mekkatorque took on the title "King of the Gnomes".<ref name="APG146"/><ref name="APG147">''[[Alliance Player's Guide]]'', pg. 147</ref> The "king of the gnomes" is a bit less silly than the title sounds (but still pretty crazy).<ref name="APG167">''[[Alliance Player's Guide]]'', pg. 167</ref> |
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| + | However, when the [[trogg]]s began their invasion of Gnomeregan, Gelbin was unprepared to stop them. At the behest of his top adviser, Mekgineer [[Sicco Thermaplugg]], he ordered that the city be bathed in toxic radiation. So the radiation bomb was released.<ref name="APG146"/><ref name="MG168"/><ref name="APG147"/> Though the radiation stopped the troggs' advance, it ultimately killed more gnomes than troggs. Now the High Tinker carries the weight of the dead on his shoulders and seeks to avenge his people by reclaiming their lost city.<ref>''[[World of Warcraft]]'' manual, pg. 176</ref> |
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| ā | ===Aid station=== |
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| ā | *'''Alliance advantage:''' In the flag area, are 5 [[NPC]]s in addition to the Stormpike flag defenders (and bunker archers) that are easily [[aggro]]ed, making it difficult to capture the graveyard without a larger force of players. |
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| + | While he suffered flak wounds from the release of the bomb in Gnomeregan, his genius is still strong enough to keep his title. He's a good man, too.<ref name="APG147"/> |
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| ā | ===Stormpike Graveyard=== |
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| ā | * '''Horde advantage:''' Horde has a sheltered advance underneath the Bridge, from the mine entrance, and from above, via the road that runs up to the alliance starting area. The high mountains are only accessible further south down the road, thus the snipers perch just south of the flag, as well as the majority of the walls that surround the graveyard, have no direct, safe or quick route on foot to engage in melee with the Horde, giving Horde ranged units a significant advantage. |
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| ā | *'''Alliance advantage:''' The main advance is narrow, which corrals the Horde and makes them susceptible to [[AoE]] attacks. If it is taken, the next spawn point (Starting cave usually) is a very short run, aiding in recapture. |
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| ā | ===Stonehearth Graveyard=== |
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| ā | *'''Alliance advantage:''' The average Horde rush game runs straight to Balinda, and on to Dun Baldar, completely bypassing the graveyard capture point. This hides the existence of this graveyard to learning players. |
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| + | Mekkatorque spends the overwhelming majority of his time working on plans to retake Gnomeregan, knowing that many of his people are still trapped inside with no means of escape. While he appreciates the hospitality of the dwarves, Ironforge is too small for both races, at least in the long term. In addition to his efforts to retake Gnomeregan, Mekkatorque works with the dwarves on a regular basis to perfect new military technology and strategies. He is partially responsible for the new models of dwarven flying machines being sent into the field, but his people are too few to make much more of a contribution to the Alliance at this time. Mekkatorque has also assigned a team to researching anti-Scourge weaponry, knowing that an undead attack is imminent.<ref name="APG167"/> |
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| ā | ===Snowfall Graveyard=== |
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| ā | * '''No advantage:''' Both sides now start at equal distance to the graveyard as of [[Patch 2.4]]. |
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| + | He was one of the members of two pairs of gnomes that are credited with the construction of the [[Deeprun Tram]], a fast running form of transportation between Ironforge and [[Stormwind]].<ref>{{ref web|url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/publictransportation.html#deepruntram|title=WoW -> Info -> Basics -> Public Transportation|publisher=Blizzard Entertainment|accessdate=2010-02-20}}</ref> Gnomish inventors organize into pairs, an odd crazy-guy/sane-guy relationship. One is always trying to push the limits of his devices to unknowable extremes while the other does everything he can to keep the invention from becoming disastrous. It was two pairings of just this type that created the underground railroad that connects Ironforge to Stormwind Keep.<ref name="APG146"/> It is however unclear of which member Gelbin represented in his pair, the "crazy" one, or the "sane" one. |
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| ā | ===Iceblood Graveyard=== |
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| ā | * '''Horde advantage:''' Good choke point for the Horde, with nearby NPCs/tower and useful high ground to watch over the entire area. Capturing this is often discouraged as it will send all horde respawns back to Frost Wolf creating more defenders. |
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| ā | * '''Alliance advantage:''' Warriors can charge up from below, onto those who are spawning. Susceptible to capture even if it is an active graveyard, as the flag is set behind the players spawning (whom are typically advancing north, away from it), with its view obstructed by a wall. Once captured, this serves as a great choke-point for Alliance players as any north-bound Horde are funneled into two narrow passageways. One passage will aggro the flag defenders and lead to the Ally-controlled spawn point, and the other will take Horde players to the path for south-advancing Alliance players. |
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| + | ==In World of Warcraft== |
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| ā | ===Frostwolf Graveyard=== |
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| + | {{wow-section}} |
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| ā | It is a flat, fairly open area with no natural advantage for either force. Both sides have seen this as biased against them, but ultimately it is a level playing ground in a confrontation, barring the owner's closer spawn point. |
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| + | '''High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque''' is a [[boss]] and [[quest giver]] located in [[Tinker Town]] in the [[dwarf]] city of [[Ironforge]]. |
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| + | He starts the quest {{Questlong|Alliance|35D|The Grand Betrayal}}. |
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| ā | Notably, the open area is beneficial for ride-by NPC kiting, and its proximity to the nearby mine can give some NPC support via kiting. |
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| + | During [[Brewfest]], Mekkatorque will ride out of the city to the festival grounds at 6 A.M. and 6 P.M. each day for the ceremonial [[Brewfest#Tapping_of_the_Keg|tapping of the keg]]. Players present when he does this will receive a 2 hour ''Brewfest Enthusiast'' [[buff]] that increases [[XP]] gained by 10%. |
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| ā | ===Relief Hut=== |
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| ā | *'''Alliance advantage:''' Not covered by archer fire, safe area to the south of the keep from npcs, not near any extra npcs. |
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| + | See [[List of Ironforge NPCs]]. |
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| ā | ==NPCS== |
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| + | ===The Liberation of Gnomeregan=== |
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| ā | ===[[Vanndar Stormpike]]/Marshalls vs [[Drek'Thar]]/Warmasters=== |
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| + | {{Wotlk-section}} |
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| ā | *'''Horde advantage:''' In Dun Baldar, Vanndar and the Marshals line the back wall. In Frostwolf Keep, Drek stands in the center, his Warmasters arrayed around him. This gives the Horde an advantage in both attack and defense: When defending Drek, they have a safe area behind the aggro of theNPCs to retreat/rest, while Alliance have no such shelter. When attacking Vandar, it is easier to pull the Marshals, as they have longer to close on their assailants. |
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| + | During the [[Operation: Gnomeregan]] event leading up to [[World of Warcraft: Cataclysm|''Cataclysm'']], Mekkatorque led the gnomes and their allies in an attempt to retake his beloved city from Thermaplugg and his minions. |
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| ā | ===Captains Balinda vs Galvangar=== |
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| ā | *'''Horde advantage:''' Balinda is a fairly weak caster NPC, with unintuitive attack combos and easily countered attacks. Galvangar is a strong melee-type character, who uses a periodical intimidating shout and has a cleave attack. |
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| ā | *'''Alliance advantage:''' Galvangar can be disarmed, greatly reducing his damage. |
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| + | ===Cataclysm=== |
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| ā | ===Lieutenants and Commanders=== |
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| + | {{Cata-section}} |
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| + | '''High Tinker Mekkatorque''' can now be found under a tent at [[New Tinkertown]], the portions of Gnomeregan's surface reclaimed during the battle against Thermaplugg. He is present at the [[Elemental Unrest meetings|Elemental Unrest meeting]]. During the [[Elemental Unrest|Elemental invasion]], Mekkatorque protects the [[Military Ward]] of Ironforge from the Elements. |
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| + | <gallery> |
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| ā | ==Towers/Bunkers== |
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| + | File:Mekkatorque.jpg|High Tinker Mekkatorque in [[patch 3.3.3]]. |
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| ā | Commanders, who stand near their respective flags, can be kited. |
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| + | File:Mekkatorque old model.jpg|Mekkatorque before patch 3.3.3. |
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| + | File:Gelbin Mekkatorque-size comparison.jpg|Mekkatorque size comparison. |
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| + | File:High_Tinker_Mekkatorque.jpg|Mekkatorque as he appears in Cataclysm. |
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| + | File:King-Of-Gnomes-On-Mechanostrider.jpg|Mekkatorque riding his mechanostrider. |
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| + | File:MekkatorqueStriderTwo.JPG|The mechanostrider Mekkatorque rode during Operation: Gnomeregan. |
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| + | </gallery> |
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| + | == Trivia == |
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| ā | '''Alliance Advantage:''' Tower flags are not covered by archers. |
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| + | *In World of Warcraft, Gelbin Mekkatorque is a few inches taller than other gnomes. |
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| + | *High Tinker is an elected position, though the rulers are allowed to choose grand titles for themselves. Gelbin calls himself "King of Gnomes", which oddly seems to mirror Sicco Thermaplugg's self-styled title of "King of Gnomeregan", which was an act of egotism on his part. He does however, unlike Thermaplugg, acknowledge that he doesn't actually hold any legal authority<ref>[[Operation:_Gnomeregan#In-game_Mail]]</ref>. |
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| + | *Mekkatorque is, like most gnomes, using a mechanostrider for traveling. The strider-model he is using seems to be a [[White Mechanostrider Mod B]] that can be seen when he is venturing outside Ironforge during [[Brewfest]]. While this mount give players a 100% speed increase, the one Mekkatorque use is moving much slower and can actually be outrun by a 60% speed increase-mount. Still, it moves faster than a player is able to run and seems to, conveniently, be instant-cast. As Mekkatorque is slightly larger than other gnomes, his mechanostrider is also a little larger than the same model when used by a player. During ''Operation Gnomeregan'' he was seen riding another type of mechanostrider, a blue version of the 100%-speed one. He still chose to use his old Mod B when he attended Brewfest the same year. |
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| + | *During Operation: Gnomeregan Mekkatorque says "IT'S A TRAP! That's a fully functional irradiator!" which is a reference to Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi where Admiral Ackbar yells "It's a trap!" after discovering that the second Death Star is functional and that they've been lead into a trap. |
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| + | *Gelbin and [[Vol'jin]], the Darkspear leader, share a number of odd similarities. Both of them were betrayed by a most trusted friend (Sicco/[[Zalazane]]), both were forced out of their homes, both lead a force to retake their home land ([[Operation: Gnomeregan]]/[[Zalazane's Fall]]), during [[Brewfest]] both of them road out of their respective cities to the festival grounds at 6 A.M. and 6 P.M. each day for the ceremonial tapping of the keg, and prior to the Cataclysm they both were in another race's "capital" ([[Ironforge]]/[[Orgrimmar]]). |
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| + | **Furthermore, both Vol'jin and Gelbin are unattackable by members of the opposite faction, and are not part of the [[For the Horde!]] or [[For the Alliance!]] achievements respectively. |
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| + | *Strangely, Gelbin was [[friendly]] to Horde players until [[Patch 4.1]]. |
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| + | == Quotes == |
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| ā | '''Horde Advantage:''' Towers are slightly harder to climb. |
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| + | *''"I trusted Thermaplugg. Never did I expect that he would betray us."''<ref name="TCGTDP 130">''[[TCGTDP]]'', pg. 130</ref> |
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| + | *Mekkatorque's voice was changed in patch 3.3.3, as were his lines of dialogue. |
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| + | **'''Aggro''' ''I won't stand for that!'' |
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| + | **'''Greeting''' ''Hello there! Welcome to Tinkertown.'' ā <small>(Removed in 3.3.3)</small> |
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| + | **'''Greeting''' ''Any news from Gnomeregan?'' ā <small>(Removed in 3.3.3)</small> |
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| + | **'''Greeting''' ''I just love to tinker!'' |
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| + | **'''Greeting''' ''Necessity is the first ''cousin'' of invention.'' |
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| + | **'''Greeting''' ''Welcome, friend!'' ā <small>(Added in 3.3.3)</small> |
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| + | **'''Greeting''' ''Why hello there! How can I help?'' ā <small>(Added in 3.3.3)</small> |
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| + | **'''Killing A Player''' ''Pick on someone your own size!'' |
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| + | During [[Operation: Gnomeregan]] |
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| ā | ===Icewing bunker=== |
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| + | :At last it is time for the exiled gnomes to return. |
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| + | :Once again Gnomeregan will be our home! |
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| + | {{gossip|''What is going on here?''}} |
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| + | :The dwarves have kept us safe in their home for some time now, and for that we thank them. However, the traitorous Thermaplugg's occupation of our home must at last come to an end. |
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| + | :Gnomeregan has festered beneath the atomic weight of our ill-conceived plan for too long. The detonation of the radiation bombs drove us from our city, but now we possess the technology to take it back! |
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| + | :We will regain what is ours... and bring Thermaplugg to justice! |
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| + | {{gossip|''What is your plan?''}} |
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| + | :Operation: Gnomeregan is divided into a number of phases: |
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| + | :First, we must retake the air tower. This will allow our planes to give us air support as we move towards Gnomeregan's main entrance. |
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| + | :In addition, a cache of mechanized Battle Suits was discovered in one of the nearby buildings. Once we have those suits, our assault on the entrance should be unstoppable. |
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| + | :Then, we go straight for Thermaplugg in the heart of Gnomeregan! |
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| ā | == |
+ | ==Patch changes== |
| + | *{{Patch 4.0.3a|note= |
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| + | **Moved to Gnomeregan. |
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| + | **Updated for level 85.}} |
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| + | *{{Patch 3.3.3|note=Updated with a new model and voice clips.}} |
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| + | *{{Patch 3.0.2|note=Updated for level 80.}} |
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| + | *{{Patch 2.0.1|note=Updated for level 70.}} |
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| + | *{{Patch 1.7.0|note=Racial "Leaders" have been strengthened, and are now worth slightly less honor.}} |
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| + | == References == |
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| ā | ===Iceblood Tower=== |
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| + | {{reflist}} |
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| ā | A group of ranged characters encamped on the tower can effectively control the roads leading to Iceblood Garrison and Iceblood Graveyard. |
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| ā | == |
+ | ==External links== |
| + | <!-- Read http://www.wowpedia.org/Wowpedia:External_links before posting your links here. |
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| + | Links that do not conform to the rules will be DELETED. |
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| + | Repeat violations may result in a BAN. |
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| + | Have a nice day. :) --> |
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| + | {{elinks-NPC|7937}} |
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| + | {{Succession|Unknown|'''[[Gnomes|High Tinker of the Gnomes]]'''|Incumbent}} |
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| ā | ==Misc. terrain== |
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| + | {{Succession|Unknown|'''[[Gnomeregan|Ruler of Gnomeregan]]'''|[[Sicco Thermaplugg]]}} |
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| ā | *High road: Road running south from the Alliance entrance cave to where it branches to join with the lower road, and where it continues into the Alliance lumber mill. Horde can use this to attack SP from above, and Alliance can bypass Horde forces as they travel south. |
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| + | {{Grand Alliance}} |
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| ā | == Theories on real/perceived imbalance == |
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| + | [[es:Gelbin Mekkatorque]] |
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| ā | === Race Games === |
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| + | [[nl:Gelbin Mekkatorque]] |
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| ā | Quite simply, Alterac Valley was not designed as a PvE battle to be decided in under 20 minutes, and the removal of superfluous NPCs ([[patch 1.11]]) does not address the placement of the remaining NPCs, the terrain, or how good the opposing defenses are with a skeleton defenseāor quite often, no player defenders at all. These were designed to compliment the other NPCs, and a lively PvP battle. |
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| + | {{DEFAULTSORT:Mekkatorque, Gelbin}} |
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| ā | Another factor to consider is the level of thought put into by players who don't want to be in the battleground for over half an hour, and the level of organization in an average [PuG]. Presumably, AV being a PvP arena after all, there is a counter available to either side for whatever is put in their way. Change however comes slowly in a disorganized mob, so better tactics are slow to filter through. For instance, from this author's view (Alliance), I can see no real reason why Horde players would not attack SP from above and behind, pretty much exclusively, from what is referred to as the high road. It's not intuitive however, but then it may change in time. |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ā | |||
| + | [[Category:Major characters]] |
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| ā | At this time, Alliance does have a significant advantage; issues such as the placement of NPCs in the two bases, which used to be balanced by other issues in a fuller game, and the terrain itself when used in race games, cater to the lowest common denominator of the two forces. |
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| + | [[Category:Dun Morogh NPCs]] |
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| ā | |||
| + | [[Category:Unique voices]] |
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| ā | This is simply a reflection on the playerbase, and how they have chosen to play, rather than issues of balance inherent in the map, which is after all, objectively, being abused to gain as much honor as possible. |
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| + | [[Category:World of Warcraft: Beyond the Dark Portal characters]] |
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| ā | |||
| + | [[Category:Alliance Player's Guide]] |
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| ā | === Culture === |
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| + | [[Category:Monster Guide]] |
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| ā | |||
| ā | Groups of players who believe they can win, will usually win; players who believe they will probably lose anyway, will not try as hard, and thus generally lose. If your opponent has a force of 40 who have some level of trust and organization, and you a force of 30 with 10 AFKers, bots, stealthers, fishermen and grinders, you are already at a disadvantage. |
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| ā | |||
| ā | What begins as a being decided by a combination of skill, gear and organization, becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, as a loss will often result in another loss, a win in a win, as a pool of players become entrenched as either winners or losers in each battlegroup. Thus a supposed bias will emerge, while a neighboring battlegroup can have an alternate view on bias. |
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| ā | |||
| ā | It should be noted in support of this, that the current prevailing attitude of [[patch 1.11]] onwards is similar to a pre-[[patch 1.10]] (for some servers at any rate) situation that saw one side not caring whether they won or lost. It would seem that Blizzard's actions can have a resounding impact on player contribution within this battleground. |
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| ā | |||
| ā | === Limited experience === |
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| ā | |||
| ā | As AV has moved from its traditional long encounters to a cynical exercise in milking the system, players are not exactly endeared to the map (not that the previous versions were universally popular, or free of players focused exclusively on the rewards), a common sentiment being to get out of there as soon as rep/marks/honor permits. Short games where essentially the same strategy is played out ad nauseum, also leads to a narrow range of experience. How much can a player know of the tactics an enemy uses on attack, if they themselves never defend? How quickly can counters be discovered when players are encouraged not to search them out? |
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| ā | |||
| ā | This leads to a playerbase that is largely inward-looking and ignorant when determining what their opponent facesādelivering an entrenched and narrow-minded view of AV. |
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| ā | |||
| ā | == Overall Problems Post 2.0 == |
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| ā | |||
| ā | Essentially, Alterac Valley has become just another PvE raid instance where a PuG can walk in and easily win. Side quests and other things that potentially make the fight more interesting are overlooked because they are simply unnecessary. A group can leave 15 people on defense, send 25 in on offense and easily win the match. There is no need to upgrade the armor of the NPC units, send cavalry attacks, or summon the raid boss. Battles have gone from the former multi-hour strategy matches, to footraces to the opposing base. It's simply a matter of which group of 40 people can reach the opposing base first and kill the leader, which, in itself, is painfully easy. As of patch 2.4, when Season 4 was released and Season 2 became available as Honor gear, every single Alterac Valley seems to be a massive zerg without any thought put in to the offense except "CAP THEIR BASE NOW!!!". Honestly, if I am playing Alterac Valley, I get about 5 of my friends to go back capture the towers. Bunkers/towers are rarely ever defended after the capture timer has started. The game requires many changes if it is to return to its former glory. |
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| ā | |||
| ā | (From Horde perspective) |
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| ā | As a Horde Paladin player, Alterac Valley frustrates me very much post 2.4. In Patch 2.4, the Horde's starting cave was moved back about another 30 seconds of running. This gives the Alliance a much closer starting point to the Horde's base, and the Horde ends up reaching Dun Baldar much later than the Alliance reaches Frostwolf Village. If you pay attention in Alterac Valley, you should notice that the Alliance will always start on the Relief Hut flag before Horde even reaches the Dun Baldar bunkers. This is due to the fact that Horde: A) has no defense whatsoever and B) The Alliance starts much closer and you can't get interrupted while capturing the flag at the Relief Hut. |
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| ā | |||
| ā | [[Battleground:Alterac Valley]] |
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| ⚫ | |||
Revision as of 17:14, 28 May 2011
 High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Title | King of Gnomes |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Gnome (Humanoid) |
| Level | ?? (Boss) |
| Class | Tinker |
| Reaction | Alliance Horde |
| Affiliation(s) | Gnomeregan |
| Occupation | High Tinker of Gnomeregan |
| Location | New Tinkertown, Dun Morogh |
| Status | Alive |
| Relative(s) | Unknown |
High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque, King of Gnomes, is the current leader of Gnomeregan.
Gelbin has been at the helm of the gnome race during some of its most difficult and trying times. Since his title is an elected one, the fact that he has held his position throughout such hardship is a testament to the love his people have for him.
A brilliant inventor, Gelbin Mekkatorque rose quickly to prominence among the meritocratic gnomes with his innovative designs and creative problem-solving skills. He built the very first functioning mechanostrider, assisted in the development of the dwarven siege engine, and was instrumental in the creation of the Deeprun Tram running from Ironforge to Stormwind City.
Although one wouldnāt know it from looking at him, the loss of Gnomeregan weighs heavily on the high tinker. He was unprepared for the invasion that swept through his beloved city, and he was betrayed by a trusted advisor who convinced him to react hastily, resulting in unnecessary deaths. Now Mekkatorqueās brilliant mind has taken on a surgical focus with one single outcome: the retaking of Gnomeregan.[1]
Background
Gelbin Mekkatorque
The gnomes have not had a proper king or queen for over four hundred years. Instead, they prefer to elect their highest officials for set terms of service.[2][3][4] The highest office in Gnomeregan, High Tinker, has been held by the crafty Gelbin Mekkatorque for the past seven to nine years. Gelbin is one of the most renowned inventors ever, and has been honored as a just and skillful leader. While in office, High Tinkers are allowed to hold grand titles but only hold their power for set terms of office, after which they return to the work force. Mekkatorque took on the title "King of the Gnomes".[3][5] The "king of the gnomes" is a bit less silly than the title sounds (but still pretty crazy).[6]
However, when the troggs began their invasion of Gnomeregan, Gelbin was unprepared to stop them. At the behest of his top adviser, Mekgineer Sicco Thermaplugg, he ordered that the city be bathed in toxic radiation. So the radiation bomb was released.[3][4][5] Though the radiation stopped the troggs' advance, it ultimately killed more gnomes than troggs. Now the High Tinker carries the weight of the dead on his shoulders and seeks to avenge his people by reclaiming their lost city.[7]
While he suffered flak wounds from the release of the bomb in Gnomeregan, his genius is still strong enough to keep his title. He's a good man, too.[5]
Mekkatorque spends the overwhelming majority of his time working on plans to retake Gnomeregan, knowing that many of his people are still trapped inside with no means of escape. While he appreciates the hospitality of the dwarves, Ironforge is too small for both races, at least in the long term. In addition to his efforts to retake Gnomeregan, Mekkatorque works with the dwarves on a regular basis to perfect new military technology and strategies. He is partially responsible for the new models of dwarven flying machines being sent into the field, but his people are too few to make much more of a contribution to the Alliance at this time. Mekkatorque has also assigned a team to researching anti-Scourge weaponry, knowing that an undead attack is imminent.[6]
He was one of the members of two pairs of gnomes that are credited with the construction of the Deeprun Tram, a fast running form of transportation between Ironforge and Stormwind.[8] Gnomish inventors organize into pairs, an odd crazy-guy/sane-guy relationship. One is always trying to push the limits of his devices to unknowable extremes while the other does everything he can to keep the invention from becoming disastrous. It was two pairings of just this type that created the underground railroad that connects Ironforge to Stormwind Keep.[3] It is however unclear of which member Gelbin represented in his pair, the "crazy" one, or the "sane" one.
In World of Warcraft
High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque is a boss and quest giver located in Tinker Town in the dwarf city of Ironforge.
He starts the quest 
[35D] The Grand Betrayal.
During Brewfest, Mekkatorque will ride out of the city to the festival grounds at 6 A.M. and 6 P.M. each day for the ceremonial tapping of the keg. Players present when he does this will receive a 2 hour Brewfest Enthusiast buff that increases XP gained by 10%.
The Liberation of Gnomeregan
During the Operation: Gnomeregan event leading up to Cataclysm, Mekkatorque led the gnomes and their allies in an attempt to retake his beloved city from Thermaplugg and his minions.
Cataclysm
High Tinker Mekkatorque can now be found under a tent at New Tinkertown, the portions of Gnomeregan's surface reclaimed during the battle against Thermaplugg. He is present at the Elemental Unrest meeting. During the Elemental invasion, Mekkatorque protects the Military Ward of Ironforge from the Elements.
High Tinker Mekkatorque in patch 3.3.3.
Mekkatorque before patch 3.3.3.
Mekkatorque size comparison.
Mekkatorque as he appears in Cataclysm.
Mekkatorque riding his mechanostrider.
- MekkatorqueStriderTwo.JPG
The mechanostrider Mekkatorque rode during Operation: Gnomeregan.
Trivia
- In World of Warcraft, Gelbin Mekkatorque is a few inches taller than other gnomes.
- High Tinker is an elected position, though the rulers are allowed to choose grand titles for themselves. Gelbin calls himself "King of Gnomes", which oddly seems to mirror Sicco Thermaplugg's self-styled title of "King of Gnomeregan", which was an act of egotism on his part. He does however, unlike Thermaplugg, acknowledge that he doesn't actually hold any legal authority[9].
- Mekkatorque is, like most gnomes, using a mechanostrider for traveling. The strider-model he is using seems to be a [White Mechanostrider Mod B] that can be seen when he is venturing outside Ironforge during Brewfest. While this mount give players a 100% speed increase, the one Mekkatorque use is moving much slower and can actually be outrun by a 60% speed increase-mount. Still, it moves faster than a player is able to run and seems to, conveniently, be instant-cast. As Mekkatorque is slightly larger than other gnomes, his mechanostrider is also a little larger than the same model when used by a player. During Operation Gnomeregan he was seen riding another type of mechanostrider, a blue version of the 100%-speed one. He still chose to use his old Mod B when he attended Brewfest the same year.
- During Operation: Gnomeregan Mekkatorque says "IT'S A TRAP! That's a fully functional irradiator!" which is a reference to Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi where Admiral Ackbar yells "It's a trap!" after discovering that the second Death Star is functional and that they've been lead into a trap.
- Gelbin and Vol'jin, the Darkspear leader, share a number of odd similarities. Both of them were betrayed by a most trusted friend (Sicco/Zalazane), both were forced out of their homes, both lead a force to retake their home land (Operation: Gnomeregan/Zalazane's Fall), during Brewfest both of them road out of their respective cities to the festival grounds at 6 A.M. and 6 P.M. each day for the ceremonial tapping of the keg, and prior to the Cataclysm they both were in another race's "capital" (Ironforge/Orgrimmar).
- Furthermore, both Vol'jin and Gelbin are unattackable by members of the opposite faction, and are not part of the [For the Horde!] or [For the Alliance!] achievements respectively.
- Furthermore, both Vol'jin and Gelbin are unattackable by members of the opposite faction, and are not part of the
- Strangely, Gelbin was friendly to Horde players until Patch 4.1.
Quotes
- "I trusted Thermaplugg. Never did I expect that he would betray us."[10]
- Mekkatorque's voice was changed in patch 3.3.3, as were his lines of dialogue.
- Aggro I won't stand for that!
- Greeting Hello there! Welcome to Tinkertown. ā (Removed in 3.3.3)
- Greeting Any news from Gnomeregan? ā (Removed in 3.3.3)
- Greeting I just love to tinker!
- Greeting Necessity is the first cousin of invention.
- Greeting Welcome, friend! ā (Added in 3.3.3)
- Greeting Why hello there! How can I help? ā (Added in 3.3.3)
- Killing A Player Pick on someone your own size!
During Operation: Gnomeregan
- At last it is time for the exiled gnomes to return.
- Once again Gnomeregan will be our home!
What is going on here?
- The dwarves have kept us safe in their home for some time now, and for that we thank them. However, the traitorous Thermaplugg's occupation of our home must at last come to an end.
- Gnomeregan has festered beneath the atomic weight of our ill-conceived plan for too long. The detonation of the radiation bombs drove us from our city, but now we possess the technology to take it back!
- We will regain what is ours... and bring Thermaplugg to justice!
What is your plan?
- Operation: Gnomeregan is divided into a number of phases:
- First, we must retake the air tower. This will allow our planes to give us air support as we move towards Gnomeregan's main entrance.
- In addition, a cache of mechanized Battle Suits was discovered in one of the nearby buildings. Once we have those suits, our assault on the entrance should be unstoppable.
- Then, we go straight for Thermaplugg in the heart of Gnomeregan!
Patch changes
- Patch 4.0.3a (2010-11-23):
- Moved to Gnomeregan.
- Updated for level 85.
- Patch 3.3.3 (2010-03-23): Updated with a new model and voice clips.
- Patch 3.0.2 (2008-10-14): Updated for level 80.
- Patch 2.0.1 (2006-12-05): Updated for level 70.
- Patch 1.7.0 (2005-09-13): Racial "Leaders" have been strengthened, and are now worth slightly less honor.
References
- ^ http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/race/gnome
- ^ World of Warcraft manual, pg. 175
- ^ a b c d Alliance Player's Guide, pg. 146
- ^ a b Monster Guide, pg. 168
- ^ a b c Alliance Player's Guide, pg. 147
- ^ a b Alliance Player's Guide, pg. 167
- ^ World of Warcraft manual, pg. 176
- ^ WoW -> Info -> Basics -> Public Transportation. Blizzard Entertainment. Retrieved on 2010-02-20.
- ^ Operation:_Gnomeregan#In-game_Mail
- ^ TCGTDP, pg. 130
External links
| Preceded by: Unknown |
Position: High Tinker of the Gnomes |
Succeeded by: Incumbent |
| Preceded by: Unknown |
Position: Ruler of Gnomeregan |
Succeeded by: Sicco Thermaplugg |
nl:Gelbin Mekkatorque