Horde technology Early members of the Horde rarely take up the tinker ' s calling ; the core members of the faction ( orc , tauren , and troll ) largely view the use of technology with disdain , stooping only to use goblin technology when they can ' t afford to pay goblins to handle it . Members of the Horde are more likely to rely on shamanic or druidic magic . Relying on goblin innovation has served them well , and often goblins aided the orcs in times of need . Yet there are a rare few amid the orc and troll races who see the advantage of the tinker ' s craft . Most of them pursue the goblins ' path of tinkering , favoring devices and instruments that can cause devastation on one scale or another . Tauren are the least likely to use technology , seeing it as a disturbing disharmony with the natural order . Trolls tend to be fascinated by the destructive properties of technology , and often find ways to put destructive devices such as explosives and firearms to use . Orcs are more adept with technology and the most likely to seek out firearms and other devices to use in times of war , but still they prefer the rewarding feeling of axe and spear through flesh . For an orc , firearms have little tangible reward in battle other than hurting the enemy ; most find the weapons impersonal and lacking in honor . Technology is still a new science in the eyes of the Horde . Troll s and tauren used only comparatively simple tools and weapons before goblin s , dwarves and gnome s introduced technology to their people . When the orc s came to Azeroth , they brought with them certain advanced metallurgy techniques , but otherwise they knew little of the higher sciences . Only the Forsaken look upon technology as more than a curiosity , although the orcs are slowly coming around . Of course , there are some exceptions . Within the deep jungles , troll tinkers seek to combine the voodoo arts with technology . Orc engineer s , not content to simply copy stolen dwarven designs , labor to understand the secrets of science to increase their combat firepower . Tauren scientists , still new to this mysterious craft , make enormous devices solely to test the limits of technology . The Forsaken , ever seeking new ways to defeat the Scourge , build devices large and small in the hopes of eradicating the Lich King ' s forces once and for all . Some nay - sayers do not appreciate the slow spread of technology . They see this new science as inherently destructive , and believe that left unchecked , technology will eventually lay waste to Azeroth . The actions of certain groups , such as the Venture Company , are clear evidence of this . Some use magic or other means to halt the use of destructive technology , while a few techslayer s use its own power against it . Techslayers study and learn what they can about technology , then use that knowledge to keep it in check . The Horde employs far more techslayers than the Alliance , primarily because technology has achieved a lower level of acceptance within the Horde ' s ranks . The Horde isn ' t known for its technology or ranged combat , but it does have elements of both . Troll axethrower s and headhunters dart through wooded areas , sniping at stray targets or flankers , while massive catapult s rain death on closely cramped foes . Many siege engineers become reckless in battle , and friendly fire is a constant threat . The Horde lacked in technological prowess when the goblin s ended their partnership . The Horde ' s reliance on divine magic and beasts has proven a downfall due to their unpredictable and exhaustible nature . And technology still baffles many in the Horde . Enemy forces can overwhelm a Horde warband with a single siege engine ; most warbands are simply ill equipped to handle a strong technological presence . Although there are always individual exceptions , the various races of Azeroth tend to view technology in different ways . Orcs . Like Ironforge dwarves , orc s think of technology as though it were another sort of weapon . To an orc , the engineering craft has little purpose but to help create new and improved methods to destroy his enemies . However , orcs see little reason to endanger themselves in the process . After all , one cannot rise to power within the Horde if one blows himself up with his own weapons ! Therefore , orcish devices are carefully built and stable . Even those that are prone to failure include safety precautions that protect their users from harm . Orcs are not terribly innovative . Most of their scientific advancements build on the accomplishments of others . Thus , a number of their technological devices are simply improved weapons and armor originally designed by others . Orcish devices include improved armor , shields , weapons , firearms and siege engines . Darkspear trolls . The jungle troll s don ' t consider technology a science , but another form of magic . To them , crafting a technological device is another way of creating a talisman or charm , only with more steps . Harnessing steam power is an alternative means of binding air and water spirits to do one ' s bidding . Most jungle troll inventions involve the use of natural and alchemical components combined with scientific applications . Jungle trolls don ' t specialize in any particular area , as orcs do with weaponry . Instead , trolls study whatever scientific application seems the most interesting . Some trolls claim the spirits speak to them in dreams , suggesting new ways they can be called upon by technology . Troll inventions include the poison extractor , swampwalker shoes , and dart grenade . Tauren . Tauren do not have much of an inclination toward technology ; however , some of their greatest inventions includes the Great Lift in Thousand Needles and the tri - level city of Thunder Bluff . They have the potential to be great inventors , but they don ' t care for that potential . They want to keep on living the way they ' ve always lived . Science is new to the tauren , many of whom view technology with great curiosity . Once imbued with a basic understanding of scientific principles , tauren engineers understand that the potential applications of technology are limitless . The Great Lift leading to Thunder Bluff is a good example of tauren engineering progress . Tauren tinkers spend a great deal of time building , experimenting and designing , without worrying about failure . Their size and strength allows them to survive catastrophic disasters that would instantly kill a goblin designer . Tauren engineers are unconcerned with the size of their creations . A javelin - throwing contraption might be 10 feet across and weigh 1 , 000 pounds — all the designer would care about is that he successfully created a working javelin thrower . Few , if any , functional tauren inventions are small and portable . Among the better known tauren devices are the enemy detector , thunderstomper , and various tech - mods designed to improve tauren totems . Forsaken . Among the Horde , Forsaken have perhaps the deepest understanding of the workings of science . However , they reject technology as anything more than a curiosity or a simple tool . Creatures of the dark arts , they are more interested in studying and controlling those arts than they are in learning about something that to them remains alien . Still , a few undead delve into the new sciences , employing technology where it serves their own ends . These dabblers create items that employ necromantic power in ways that arcane or divine magic cannot . A perfect example of this is the necromantic amplifier . Like many other Forsaken technologies , it combines science and dark magic into a single package . For this reason , some Forsaken technological items have crafting requirements other than scientific ones . Forsaken inventions include the aura concealment suit , energy polarizer , and the aforementioned necromantic amplifier . Blood elves . Blood elves create arcane golems held together through magic more than machinery . It may not actually be technology but a completely magical construct . As high elves , they were known to disdain technology , primarily because they considered it an inherently destructive art . It ' s unclear how much of skill may predate blood elves , but judging from Karazhan it may have existed for a long time prior to the blood elves , and may represent former high elf magic . As high elves the few that dabbled in the art , generally focused on problem - solving devices instead of weaponry . Few elves employed firearms over good , strong bows . Elven inventions included the self - heating cooking pot , softlight hanging lamp and aquadynamic fish attractor . When Arthas invaded the high elven lands on order from the Lich King during the Third War he also encountered several waygate s . As the architecture of the waygates matched other high elven buildings , such as the high elven barracks , it is possible that high elves possessed the technology to create them . The orbs of translocation used by blood elves may be a new version of this technology , or simply the WoW - version of an elven waygate . As with the arcane golems , this kind of teleportation seems to rely as much on magic as on engineering . Other examples of blood elf devices either powered by magic or created to control it are mana bomb s and manaforge s . Interestingly , especially in the latter case , blood elf technology can be heavily inspired and based off naaru - technology . This makes a large amount of blood elf - technology similar to draenei - technology , which is also based on that of the naaru . Goblins . Goblins , have always been the most crucial part of the hordes technology . Ever since the second war , orcs would always be at work securing vast amounts of goblins tech . This sat well with the goblins considering the Horde could pay well for it . They quickly became the main supplier of Guns , and Automobile s , pretty much anything that required more than a forge and a hammer . Goblin Cartels such as the Steamwheedle Cartel , and Venture Co often sell various pieces of advanced equipment . Among these , the Zeppelins , are among the most used and advanced invention the goblins have contributed to the horde . Remember though , the Goblins have always stayed neutral benefiting from both sides , at least more recently however , horde leaders under Thrall , have ensured better relations with the goblins , specifically the Bilgewater Cartel . Thrall while not the current Warchief by the time of the eruption , still was the most influential member in the horde . He assured that Gallywix ( the leader of the Bilge water Cartel ) would have his own piece of land where he could continue his trade empire on the backs of his Goblin slaves . However , while he did end up pushing the deal through and becoming the new ruler of Azashara and stayed the trade prince , his dreams of total power over the goblins was halted by Thrall and his allies . Due to this newly reforged alliance with the Horde in " " , the goblins of the Bilgewater cartel are eager to share their technology with their allies . It is surprising how swiftly the Horde welcomed and integrated many technologies of the goblins , especially on the battlefield . However , in capital cities you will see little penetration of goblin technology beyond the occasional motorized trike or eye - blink of rocket mount streak past . Still , goblin expertise in explosives and rockets is unrivaled , so be wary of pyrotechnic mayhem if you hear a goblin cackle anywhere nearby . Goblins have begun to establish vending enclaves in cities and their storefronts as well as the spread of their technology are growing . Since goblins are still equal opportunity salespeople , all adventurers will run across their technology at various outposts around Azeroth . The captured market of the Horde will remain their focus and core income source for a long time as the coalition lasts , but goblins appear to have used that as a springboard to establish footholds in many zones where they were previously unseen or has little presence .