The New Goblin Race in World of Warcraft
When Cataclysm launches in 2010, the Horde will be gaining their very own shorter than average class of crafty, intelligent creatures in the form of the Goblins. The shift from a largely neutral race that has been in the game from day one as a group of traveling merchants to a more active, combat oriented race has many players eager to learn about the lore behind the Goblins joining the Horde.
What ultimately pushes the Goblins into the arms of the Horde is the upheaval of their island homes by the return of Deathwing and the Cataclysmic events that force them to the Lost Isles. While the playable Goblins will only represent one faction of the race (other Goblins will remain in cities like Gadgetzan), they will not be the same, little green guys everyone knows and loves.
The Classes
The Goblin race will start the game with access to eight classes, including all but the Druid and the Paladin. The complete list of available classes includes:
- Death Knight
- Hunter
- Mage
- Priest
- Rogue
- Shaman
- Warlock
- Warrior
Additionally, Blizzard has confirmed that they are going to be going out of their way to revamp and beef up character models for Goblins so they look a bit more personalized and menacing in combat than current models do.
Racial Abilities
Much like the Worgens, Goblins are going to benefit from the new philosophy that racial abilities and traits should be a bit more fun. The crux of Goblin abilities come through their use of the Rocket Belt which will allow them to perform a number of different moves. Here is a breakdown of each trait and ability:
- Better Living Through Chemistry – This passive ability will boost the innate talent of a Goblin in Alchemy by 15.
- Pack Hobgoblin – This instant ability will allow a Goblin to call their own personal servant who will provide bank and auction house access for 1 minute in the field.
- Rocket Barrage – This instant ability uses the Rocket Belt to fire Rockets at enemies that cause 30 fire damage each.
- Rocket Jump – This instant ability will allow the Goblin to jump forward with their Rocket Belt, moving in large chunks across the screen. This will prove highly useful in PvP roles, especially for tanks.
- Time is Money – His final, passive trait will add a 1% increase to casting speed and attack speed.
The Goblins, while not getting the same attention and demand as the new Worgen race are going to prove to be equally as interesting to watch as they develop leading up to the launch of Cataclysm. When the expansion goes live, the starting area will incorporate the same phasing instance style of leveling that made the Death Knight starting area in Wrath of the Lich King so popular.
With tons of new abilities, a vibrant starting area to explore, and tons of lore to uncover about a previously neutral race, there will be high demand to jump in and explore the Goblins and their band of suddenly very active combat troops.
