Alliance technology Technologically speaking , the Alliance is strong , with gnomish and dwarven inventions . Heavily armored vehicles with massive guns often help take well - defended structures , or even serve to simply destroy an enemy ’ s morale . The appearance of three or four armored vehicles can often break an enemy ’ s morale without ever firing a shot . However , they are well armed in case they do need to fire . The Alliance views technology as an extension of a new way of thinking . Humans view technology as a powerful tool , yet not as mature or respectable as the power of magic . To them , the craft is best left to the gnomes and dwarves who invent new weapons , devices and vehicles of war that the humans can benefit from while relying on the old ways of their own culture . Dwarves and gnomes are the true masters of steam and brass ; for them , forge and artifice has always been a way of life , and technology presents new challenges that magic never has . The ability to craft magnificent weapons of destruction appeals to the dwarven sense of war , and firearms have become a respected aspect of their culture . Dwarven riflemen are feared , and their steam tank crews are also given tremendous respect for their skill in guiding their magnificent weapons of war . Gnomes on the other hand are more concerned with the practical applications of technology , using it to craft all manner of sights , scopes , helmets , constructs , and a variety of devices with odd uses , from targeting dummies to clockwork chickens . For a gnome , no idea is too silly or insane to explore through the craft of technology . The night elves view almost all technology with disdain , seeing it as another creation of artifice , another affront to the nature of the world , a violation that will one day lead to the same ruin that the high elves once spread with their love of the arcane . Yet it is clear to all of the Alliance races that the battlefields are changing thanks to technology . Firearms are a tremendous equalizer , and a trained sniper can be as deadly to a knight as a dragon ’ s breath . The machines of war provide protection and weapons that level the field even against the mightiest of monsters . That the Alliance is aware of this bodes well for their future . In simplest terms , it is science applied to practical use . Thus , by this definition , a simple can opener is a technological device . A more accurate description is that technology is the system by which an entire society provides for the wants and needs of its population . However , with the Gnome race , they are even more technologically advanced than the Dwarves themselves , and is even their primary way of survival . Technology tends to improve as the demand for it increases . A society might go decades or even centuries without a major advancement before some bright inventor comes up with something that alters the fundamental way things are done . For example , wagon wheels help move heavy loads from place to place , while wheels of stone grind meal into flour . Put notches in a wheel , connect them together , and you have gears that can drive even more complicated devices . All too frequently , war is the primary driver of technological advancements . The Ironforge dwarves spearheaded this trend , developing gunpowder and firearms as a way to achieve an edge against their foes in combat . Flying machine s , originally just curiosities or at best scouting tools , are now being outfitted with flak cannons and bombs . Who knows where these advancements will lead ? Although there are always individual exceptions , the various races of Azeroth tend to view technology in different ways . Ironforge dwarves . Ironforge dwarves are perfectly comfortable with technology , rapidly accepting and absorbing new inventions into their society . As dwellers in a tight - knit , underground city complex , they exchange new ideas easily and freely . They prefer to use technology to improve their lives , as well as the lives of their fellow citizens . Nowhere is this better seen in the creation of new devices to defend their population from threats , both internal and external . The dwarves don ’ t intend to have what happened in Gnomeregan happen to them . Ironforge dwarves are a practical people , and they look at technology as a way to improve the world around them . Nowhere is this better seen than the way they use technology to advance their fighting prowess . From steam armor to long - range rifles , dwarves employ science for the art of war . Thus , most of their inventions are armor , weapons or war machines . Dwarven inventions include gunpowder , firearms , siege works , war golems and other weapons of war . High and night elves . Both high elves and night elves disdain technology , primarily because they consider it an inherently destructive art . The Venture Company ’ s near - complete annihilation of sections of the Stonetalon Mountains ( the Charred Vale in particular ) with lumber - cutting machines stands as mute testimony to this belief . Still , a few elves dabble in the art , generally focusing on problem - solving devices instead of weaponry . Night elves deal little with technology , though the occasional gunman may be found among night elf ranks . Few elves employ firearms over good , strong bows . Technology is nearly alien to the night elves , as they do not trust it , even when used by allies . Elven inventions include the self - heating cooking pot , softlight hanging lamp and aquadynamic fish attractor . Gnomes . Gnomes are innovative tinker s and are responsible for a vast variety of inventions , including more than a few that are commonly attributed to dwarves . Although a diminutive people , gnomes think big , often producing designs far too complex to ever be realized . To gnomes , technology is a way of life . Even gnomes who take on other trades often tinker in their spare time . Because of their innate curiosity , they produce a wide variety of devices that are interesting or amusing but otherwise useless or impractical . While others might shake their heads at such folly , the gnomes value all invention , no matter how unimportant it might seem . Unlike the dwarves , gnomes think of technological items individually instead of socially . Where a dwarf might envision a force field generator as a way to protect his people from invasion , a gnome would look at the device as a way to keep him dry in bad weather . However , since their evacuation from Gnomeregan , many gnomes focus their efforts on producing devices that will help them recover their homeland . Gnomes are in many ways commensurate organizers : gnomes can spend as much time ( or more ) organizing and planning a project as they do actually working on it . If the design fails , they try to learn why , and fix it if they can . If they are met with success , they as often as not continue to tinker with and improve the design , often for years afterward . Thus , many gnomish designs feature a high degree of complexity and a low chance of failure , the exceptions being those that dabble with chaos energy — but even then , they take steps to ensure the worst that could happen is a brief , non - fatal failure . Among the well - known gnomish devices are the world enlarger , net - o - matic projector and harm prevention belt . Humans . While many human s have become adept at working with new technologies , the vast majority of humankind views engineering as little more than a curiosity . Most continue to believe that polished steel armor and a strong , well - crafted sword are better than any complicated technological device could ever be . Furthermore , magic is so ingrained in the human psyche that the thought of science ever surpassing the mystic arts is laughable . Still , this attitude is slowly changing , for rifle troops and grenadiers appear in human military forces , albeit as irregulars . Also , a few arcanists apply technology to their own experiments , producing simple combinations of magical and technological power . Where this trend may lead is yet unknown . Those inventions the humans have produced tend to be simple and straightforward , without the complexity of a gnomish device or the dangerous instability of a goblin creation . Some examples are spellpower goggles , the voice amplification modulator and the parachute cloak . While not as sophisticated as , say , a goblin airship , humans employ sailing ships at least as advanced as those of any other race . Draenei . The majority of draenei technology is based on naaru technology . This technology may be based on magic and / or the Holy Light or shamanism , although it may also be just an advanced form of technology based around mechanical forms of energy , or chaos energy . Some notable Draenei / Naaru technology includes holographic displays and long distance communication devices . The Exodar may also be considered a part of draenei technology , but as the Exodar was once a part of Tempest Keep it means that the draenei may have altered it and learned to control it ( to some degree ) , and not actually created it themselves . Still , most draenei - created devices are likely to be based off the naaru technology present in the Exodar . Worgen . Little is known about Gilnean technology . However , they have been shown to be quite capable of building powerful cannons and rifles . They have used explosives to fight the Forsaken in Silverpine Forest .