Operation : Gnomeregan Operation : Gnomeregan is the name of Gelbin Mekkatorque ' s plan for the retaking of the surface of Gnomeregan , starting on September 7 , 2010 on US servers and September 8 , 2010 on EU servers . Only players between level 75 and 80 were be able to serve during the operation , but lower level players could help by motivating other gnomes or by turning in items . The quests leading up to the assault are described in the . First announcement . " Gelbin Mekkatorque is known as much for his technical brilliance as he is for his just leadership of the gnomes . In addition to being elected high tinker , the most prominent rank in gnomish society , Gelbin proved himself to be an inventor without equal by leading the construction of the Deeprun Tram , which links Stormwind and Ironforge . Yet all of the high tinker ' s achievements have been overshadowed by one catastrophic event that occurred under his rule : the fall of Gnomeregan . " " Around the time of the Third War , an ancient menace known as the trogg s surfaced in Gnomeregan from the depths of Azeroth . This barbaric race , thought to have been unintentionally released during the Uldaman excavation , crushed the gnomes ' defenses and became entrenched in the lower sections of the city . Gelbin , for all his genius , was at a loss for a way to eradicate the savage invaders until his chief advisor , Mekgineer Sicco Thermaplugg , proposed that they inundate Gnomeregan with toxic radiation . " " Confident in Thermaplugg ' s radical plan , Mekkatorque gave the order to irradiate the city . This bold move worked at first : toxic radiation spread throughout Gnomeregan and momentarily stopped the troggs ' incursion . Soon , however , it was evident that the radiation was killing gnomes as well as troggs . In the end , nearly 80 percent of the gnomish race died , and many of those who survived were mutated into deranged leper gnomes . To add to the tragedy , the troggs then resumed their assault on the city . " " Mekkatorque and the healthy survivors evacuated Gnomeregan and were taken in by the dwarves of neighboring Ironforge , but Thermaplugg disappeared . The high tinker later learned troubling news that his former advisor had seized control of the toxic gnomish city and instated himself as its twisted overlord . Much to Mekkatorque ' s shock , he also discovered that Thermaplugg had secretly desired the office of high tinker and might have been previously aware of or even complicit in the trogg invasion . " " The immense loss of life at Gnomeregan weighed heavy on Mekkatorque ' s shoulders , and in his fury he ordered the death of Thermaplugg . A band of heroes took up the mission and returned with a tale of victory , but after analyzing the claim , Mekkatorque realized that the mechanized overlord defeated in the depths of the city was likely nothing more than a cleverly engineered facsimile of Thermaplugg . " " Aware that defeating his nemesis would require a more robust approach , Mekkatorque labored over strategies to retake his city . His tireless brainstorming recently paid off with the formulation of Operation : Gnomeregan , a brilliant multi - phased assault plan devised to liberate the gnomish capital and bring the real Thermaplugg to justice . With the operation set to begin , resourceful gnomes such as " Doc " Cogspin , Captain Tread Sparknozzle , and Drill Sergeant Steamcrank have been overseeing preparations and fine - tuning new technology that will be vital to the offensive . " " Meanwhile , Mekkatorque has begun rounding up all able - bodied gnomes to join in the attack , and his call to arms has also been heard by other members of the Alliance . The gnomes ' techno - savvy has been vital in past conflicts , and many Alliance heroes are likely to join the offensive to recapture the extraordinary inventions within the fallen city . For Mekkatorque , however , his plan goes beyond just reacquiring lost technology . The retaking of Gnomeregan will determine his legacy in history , either as the high tinker who lost the gnomes ' beloved capital , or the one who reestablished it as the center of innovation on Azeroth . " " Operation : Gnomeregan is about to get underway . " Second announcement . On April 8th , 2010 , Blizzard released a " press release " from High Tinker Mekkatorque that reads much like a recruiting poster complete with a download - able poster even ending with the following quote at the bottom " Operation : Gnomeregan is coming , and the Gnomeregan Exiles want YOU ! " " " Operation : Gnomeregan Imminent , " Says High Tinker Mekkatorque " " After rumors spread throughout Kharanos and Ironforge about Mekgineer Thermaplugg preparing his irradiated soldiers to meet the growing gnomish clamoring for the reclamation of their once - great city , High Tinker Mekkatorque today exclaimed Operation : Gnomeregan to be imminent , describing his former ally Thermaplugg ' s irradiation of the beloved city as " a date which will live in a proportionate rate of increase in impropriety ! " Speaking to a small conglomerate of various Alliance representatives , Mekkatorque pointed out that the time to strike is now . After all , Thermaplugg has eluded death for years to keep his reign over Gnomeregan ; and with the fall of the Lich King , the last great threat to the citizens of Azeroth , the chance of any is " less than 12 . 7 % , " Mekkatorque ' s leading combat medical advisor Doc Cogspin purported . " " With confirmation of the impending attack upon Gnomeregan comes your chance to get involved . Victory begins in Tinker Town ! As great citizens of Azeroth and proud members of the Alliance , High Tinker Mekkatorque shall call upon you to serve his gnomes in exile . After all , the best offense is a good . . . offense ! Whether you ' re a hero of your people and slayer of the most dreadful Burning Legion and Scourge creatures , or an up - and - coming adventurer , you can start by motivating your gnome brethren to unite behind the Gnomeregan banner . All it takes is a bit of finesse with the Motivate - a - Tron to call gnomes to action . The device works flawlessly ! After all , what good would it be if such a powerful invention ended up turning Tinker Town citizens into little critters ? Almost no good ! " " With fresh new recruits at your side , Mekkatorque will send you to Steelgrill ' s Depot , the staging grounds for the Gnomeregan offensive , where you ' ll meet Captain Sparknozzle . Do as he commands by completing Drill Sergeant Steamcrank ' s training and testing the operative capabilities of the brand new Mechano - Tanks before they ' re shipped to the front lines . Seizing Gnomeregan is more important than your fear of heights , which will be put to the test as you ' re summoned by Pilot Muzzlesprock to neutralize the irradiation vents bruising the Gnomeregan horizon in a critical Radiageigatron bombing run . " " Every man , woman , and child is called to serve ! Even if you ' re just barely getting your bearings on the art of combat in places like Kharanos or Elwynn Forest , you can do your part by helping fuel the war effort . A few dead boars leads to a few more comfortable siege pilot seats , and surely you can handle such a crucial step in the preparation for facing Thermaplugg ' s poisoned followers . You can even help master wordsmith Toby Zeigear in writing High Tinker Mekkatorque ' s battle cry . The road to success will be paved by you , and you ' ll be rewarded as such with a commendation of Gnomeregan Pride , allowing you to temporarily don the uniform of the elite Gnomeregan Infantry . " " Thermaplugg is no trifling gnome , though his arrogance will be his undoing ! Even still , he is undoubtedly preparing never - before - seen forces to meet this assault . Only the most battle - hardened heroes of the Alliance ( levels 75 - 80 ) will be called to serve during Operation : Gnomeregan . When Mekkatorque determines the operation is ready to get underway , you must speak with him on the front lines before following him on a full assault of the enemy air field , surface command post , and into the tunnels of lower Gnomeregan . It is said that Thermaplugg has employed the use of so - called " Brag " - bots to spread his propaganda and hubris . Be not afraid of his words , fellow members of the Alliance . Stick with Mekkatorque and Doc Cogspin to ensure your safety . After all , you wouldn ' t want to lose the grace of Cogspin ' s Surgeon General ' s Warding . Gnomeregan must be cleansed of irradiation and the troggs it was intended to repel . It is time to reclaim this modern marvel and earn your very own Gnomeregan Overcloak , a testament to your historic bravery in the face of madness ! " " Operation : Gnomeregan is coming , and the Gnomeregan Exiles want YOU ! " Further forum announcements . In April 2010 , it was clarified that only the " surface of Gnomeregan " would be recaptured and that the actual instanced dungeon would remain in the game . Furthermore , the newly freed region would serve as the new starting point for any Gnome characters created afterwards . In - game mail . As the event begins , all Alliance characters are sent a letter by the High Tinker himself :