When Cataclysm was announced, you have to admit that the Goblin race sounded pretty lame. This was a tiny green race that was going to be way too similar to the Alliance’s Gnomes – a group of little guys with technical skills that look silly in Tier 10 armour. Luckily, Blizzard was well aware of how their newest Horde race would look and went to great measures to ensure it would turn out looking not only cool, but playing as one of the most fun run-throughs in the game.
Starting as a Goblin
Goblins start out on their home of Kezan, actually a little before the Cataclysm. You’ll go through some very interesting quests, including driving a hot rod around the island, stealing from the Merchant Prince, and digging up ore in a goofy mine.
Once you reach Level 5 or 6, you’ll go through a cut scene that will transfer you to the Lost Isles. This is where you’ll run into the Horde and find your calling as the newest member of the assault against the Alliance.
So, What Makes a Goblin So Great?
Goblins can start the game as Mages, Priests, Rogues, Warlocks, Warriors, Shamans, and Hunters in Kezan, or as Death Knights at Level 55. That means they have a wide variety of options for how to play the game, including the lore to go with each.
However, what really makes the Goblin so popular right now (besides the wickedly hilarious quest chains up to Level 20) is their number of racial abilities. Racials have always been interesting, but never before have they been this useful in the game.
As a Goblin, you’ll have access to:
* Rocket Jump – Jump Forward ability on a 2 minute cooldown. For now, it’s just fun, but in PvP this will be a big help to avoid Line of Sight.
* Rocket Barrage – Shares the 2 minute cooldown with Rocket Jump and allows a pretty hefty last minute attack with your belt, scaled to your level.
* Time is Money – You get a 1% increase to all attack and casting speeds. This is huge for DPS in raiding.
* Best Deals Anywhere – You’ll get the best possible discount from all vendors, regardless of your faction. A very nice boost for top end items.
* Pack Hobgoblin – This is a big one. There are some pets that offer similar bonuses, but you get it at level 1. Bank access for 1 minute on a 30 second cooldown.
* Better Living Through Chemistry – 15 skill boost to Alchemy
To me, this is by far the coolest and most complete collection of racial abilities in the game, right up there with Forsaken and their underwater breathing and corpse healing.
Picking a Goblin
So, if you make the big decision and opt to go with a Goblin, now is the time to make sure you pick a class that you also enjoy and are ready for the long grind from Level 1 to 85. Of course, don’t forget that there is an entire new Azeroth out there to explore and plenty of Goblin-centered quests to partake of.
