Operation : Gnomeregan quest chain The chain of quests around the event . Any alliance character can complete all the quests except for the last two . You must be level 75 or higher to be able to complete the last two . While these quests have prerequisites , it is less a narrative than a series of nearly independent tasks . Operation : Gnomeregan . On September 7 , 2010 ( September 8 for EU servers ) , alliance characters logging in received a message from Gelbin Mekkatorque : The new recruits . When you visit High Tinker Mekkatorque in the Tinker Town part of Ironforge , he asks you to help with the recruiting of gnomes to bolster the forces preparing to assault Gnomeregan . He provides you with a , which will give the gnomes the courage to enlist . Seems awfully close to mind control to you , but you do motivate a fair number of citizens to help the war effort . You - and they - mount up and head out of Ironforge into Dun Morogh to Steelgrill ' s Depot , to enlist with Captain Tread Sparknozzle . The captain is not terribly impressed with the recruits , but he has confidence in his ( and his drill sergeant ' s ) ability to turn even the most unpromising of recruits into seasoned pilots , engineers , and infantry . The captain sees that you are still interested in giving a hand , and directs you to Drill Sergeant Steamcrank for basic training . You wander over , and after a few minutes you realize that " learning how to follow orders " is the lesson of the day . Probably a good lesson , given that he ' s working with the rawest of recruits , but with a lot fewer fangs and swords involved than those lessons you learned in Northrend . You realize that , for you , the challenge here is not in following the Drill Sergeant ' s orders , but rather not sniggering while you do so . And that , too , is a valuable lesson . You show the captain that you ' ve passed the Drill Sergeant ' s requirements . Preparing for the assault . Testing the Mechs . The captain is in charge of a unit of Gnomish Mechano - tank s that have yet to see full scale war . The mechanics have been tinkering with them , adding useful new features , and they all need to be tested . First off is the ejection seat . Too many gnomes have lost their lives trying to get out at the very last minute . This should help . You go over to the mechano - tank in question and seat yourself . Knowing gnomish engineering , you realize that if something does go wrong , it is much less likely to simply explode , like goblin engineering efforts have . No , it might well be much , much . So with some trepidation , you push the eject button . Waahoo - hooey ! Much to your surprise , the ejection seat actually works ! You are thrown some good distance in the air , and land a good bit behind the tank . You make a note that the ejection seat should perhaps not be used during retreats . . . The captain is pleased with the ejection seat performance , and has yet another round of testing for you to do . This time , it ' s checking the leg servo functions . You work the right fore - leg several times . No problems . You work the left fore - leg . . . and the right fore - leg moves instead . You repeat this several times . You walk the tank around a little , and the left legs seem to be working correctly . You even test the auto - evasion maneuvering system , which jumps the tank backwards a surprising distance for something that large . You report back to the Captain about the results , and he makes a note of the left leg servo ' s behavior for later . There ' s one more tank subsystem the Captain would like you to test out : the weapons system . For the test , the tank has been loaded with harmless pellets . It wouldn ' t do , after all , for the gun to blow up and scatter live rounds everywhere . Your task is to simply maneuver the tank to aim the gun at a target set up for the purpose , and fire several rounds . You discover that the gun is fixed in position , and you have to turn the whole tank in order to aim the gun . As well , while you hit the target , pellets spray pretty much everywhere around the target as well . Not so good for concentrating fire , that . The Captain is pleased , though . The spread pattern will make it easier to aim , and perhaps even catch more than single targets in burst . Checking the radiation levels . Pilot Muzzlesprock has something entirely different for you to do . The forces have been waiting for radiation levels to go down around Gnomeregan , but that doesn ' t seem to be happening . Still , before the army can really commit to entering Gnomeregan , they need to know if they ' ll be able to live through the radiation down there . Your task , is to take ' Thunderflash ' , Muzzlesprock ' s flying machine , and toss a set of into the ventilation shafts outside of Gnomeregan . These devices combine a radiation detector , with a transmitter , in an easy - to - throw hover - case . The hover - case deploys helicopter blades to increase the glide time of the radiageigatron , so you can throw it from a safe distance , without risking the flying machine ' s own support propellers . The vents you are to throw the devices in are readily apparent . . . by the plume of radioactive steam pouring from them . Easy targets . One , two , three , you ' re done and heading back to the barn . Muzzlesprock has been monitoring the output from the radiageigatrons while you were still on your way back , and it ' s good news ! The radiation levels are within the safety range of the infantry suits . The war can go on ! Motivation for the men . While Pilot Muzzlesprock and Captain Sparknozzle are busy putting the final touches to the assault forces , Toby Zeigear has been working on a speech for Mekkatorque . He ' s got several drafts , but he needs an audience to tell him which ones work , and which ones are full of fail . You ' re not doing anything at the moment , so you volunteer to take his around and conduct a focus group . You interview a few of the local Gnomish residents , and get various results . One script seemed entirely too weak , while a second was plain confusing . A third was . . . tolerable , but could still use some last minute polishing . With those reactions , Toby does pretty much what you expected he would do . . . pulls out yet a fourth speech . Maybe it has everything good from the others . Well , you hope it does . Toby asks you to deliver it to Captain Sparknozzle for him . Under 75 : Welcome to the Reserves ! Captain Sparknozzle thanks you for delivering this fantastic speech to him , and tells you about the strike team that he ' s got headed for Gnomeregan . You , though . . . you ' ve done all he could possibly ask of you . He asks you to join the Gnomeregan Reserves . It doesn ' t pay well , but you get a snazzy helmet . Hang onto it , you might need it some day ! 75 and over : Time to get to the battle ! The captain looks over the speech and is amazed . Time , he says , to get YOU out to the battle . ( You still get the snazzy helmet , but in this case , you will get a chance to use it in combat ! ) Cleaning up the town . Captain Sparknozzle directs you to take the speech to High Tinker Mekkatorque by the fastest means possible - it ' s the only thing he ' s waiting on before starting . In this case the fastest means is ' Thunderflash ' , Pilot Muzzlesprock ' s air machine . You hop aboard , and are whisked off to the southern end of the Gnomeregan surface area . There , you find High Tinker Mekkatorque waiting with the entire gnomish army .