Kobold Kobolds are little humanoids afraid to venture into the light for fear of their own shadows . Still , they fight ferociously to the death once backed into a corner . They live in tunnels throughout Azeroth , but primarily in the Eastern Kingdoms . Most kobolds are usually easy prey , appearing in Elwynn Forest , Westfall , Loch Modan , Stonetalon Mountains , Thousand Needles , Arathi Highlands , and Highmountain . Additionally , in Northrend , creatures known as snobold s who , while they appear similar to kobolds , wear snowballs on their heads and are generally subservient to the Magnataur . The largest kobold known was Noggrin Onetooth who resided in Durotar , near the Barrens , until he was killed by Rexxar , Champion of the Horde . Introduction . Kobolds are rat - like humanoid s that dwell in underground tunnels and spend their lives mining , primarily for gold . They are cowardly , cringing folk who live in fear of larger races and rarely venture outside their tunnels . However , while not powerful individually , they congregate in large numbers and can prove a nuisance and occasionally a danger . Kobolds live in tunnels going deep into the Alterac and Redridge Mountains . Kobolds are most at home in the dark underground , as bright light causes them discomfort . As they cannot , however , see perfectly in the dark , kobolds also have a great affinity for candles . Kobolds are cowardly and flee from most combat . Nonetheless , they are tenacious and fierce when cornered , so when their lairs ( or candles ) are threatened , they attack with abandon . Unfortunately for them , they are not particularly intelligent and their tactics leave much to be desired : though they are naturally stealthy , they use this ability for escape more than ambush , and they usually try to overwhelm opponents with large numbers rather than defeat them using strategic cunning . Further , kobolds are sometimes so cowardly that they refuse to help their friends when they fall under attack nearby – these craven creatures will simply go about their business ( sweating in fear all the while ) and hope that the troublesome adventurers will leave them alone . Kobolds trade the gold and other mineral s they unearth to goblin s and other patrons for all the goods they need to survive ; occasionally they purchase protection as well . They will take over abandoned mines and scavenge equipment whenever they can do so safely . The grimy , vermin - like kobolds dwell deep within the crags and rocky caves of the Redridge Mountains . These slovenly creatures are best known for their penchant for digging and their underground excavations . Most recently , the Kobolds have found themselves falling prey to the merciless Riverpaw Pack of Gnolls . These cunning Gnolls have proven themselves to be merciless taskmasters , forcing the Kobolds into an existence of neverending drudgery . Since their enslavement , the historically meek Kobolds have grown bitter and aggressive toward any creature that meddles with their ceaseless labor . Appearance . Kobolds stand between three and four feet in height and weighing between 70 to 100 pounds . The wiry creatures bear as much of a resemblance to a rat as it does to a humanoid and move with a rapid , hunched gait . Its nervousness is evident in its large , rodent - like eyes . This small , rat - like humanoid has a long snout . White hair pokes from beneath a ragged cap , on which perches a dribbling white candle . It hoists a leather pack over its left shoulder and a mining pick over its right . Its eyes glitter with wariness . History and culture . Society . Kobolds form loose clan lineages based on bloodline . There is nothing like marriage . Young individuals migrate between nests or between larger warrens . Kobolds of all ages prefer to sleep in large groups . While there is no overt structure of government , kobolds organize in loose groups to plan out digs and scavenging . While not particularly bright , kobolds have keen senses and a good ability to read situations . One of their significant accomplishments is their alliance with the harpies . Kobolds offer equipment they scavenge in return for information . The two races protect one another by proximity . Kobolds first try to avoid combat if at all possible . Traps are used to gather small food animals and protect their warrens . When pressed , kobolds will flood over a target , looking to bite at vulnerable points . When facing a significant threat , they will abandon their nests and young . The race ' s knack with stealth and comfort in underground environments makes it well suited to the rogue and scout classes . Many kobolds wear helmets that sport lit candles . These serve as more than just light sources , for kobolds develop an attachment to their candles and the light they shed . When a kobold wears or holds a lit candle , it gains morale . However , it doesn ’ t take much to extinguish one of these candles . Language . Kobolds speak Low Common and Common . Kobolds occasionally learn the languages of their big , scary neighbors . Relations . Kobolds prefer to remain among their own kind . Many have a fear of the world above ground and of the races that live there . They are comfortable with their existence in the mines , chipping away with their picks and admiring each other ’ s candles . Kobolds must deal with a frightening number of enemies , being generally weak , and gifted kobold fighters who are able to protect their people rise quickly to the fore . These leaders are usually rogues , warriors , or healers . Rarer are the exceptional kobolds that leave their tunnels behind , striking out on a life of adventure . Most of these have a wanderlust they cannot otherwise sate ; others feel the pull of riches more keenly than their brethren , and realize that adventure may be the best way to get what they need . Friendly kobolds are possibly raised by night elves or some other race . Though ruled by fear , heroic kobolds emerge from time to time . Magic . Kobolds employ simple earth magic , including ice shields and fire bolts , though most of their number are warriors , skilled with their mining picks . Their style of fighting involves attacking with as many allies as possible , and beating the offending person ( s ) to death with the aforementioned mining picks . Kobold geomancer s are able to enslave Trogg s , as the Troggs are creatures of the earth . In Wrath of the Lich King . In " " , players are able to see arctic kobolds known as Snobolds . These Snobolds follow herds of magnataur for safety and mutual benefit on long hunts . In Warcraft III . Kobolds are a race of sniveling , rat - like humanoids who infest the deep tunnels of the Alterac and Redridge Mountains . Cowardly and pathetic by nature , they can be riled to action when backed into a corner . Kobolds have limited intelligence and usually try to stay away from populated areas where other , larger races dwell . Speculation . One would think a race that evolved in the dark of tunnels would have developed some sort of dark vision or been completely blind , but this is not the case . Kobolds rely on the light of their candles to see . Kobolds are extremely protective of their candles and will attack anyone who comes near them , yelling something in Low Common , such as " You no take candle ! " There is evidence that the kobolds have a possible primordial connection to the beginnings of Azeroth , evidenced by their involvement in the imprisonment of the elemental princess Myzrael in the Arathi Highlands . Though kobolds usually show little intelligence , there are some cases where they exhibit greater than normal intelligence . It is unconfirmed how Kobolds came to be . Whether they were from a Wild god , or the very life energy of Azeroth like the trolls , or a offspring of sorts from Troggs , is unknown .