Gelbin Mekkatorque High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque , King of Gnome s , is the current leader of the gnomish evacuees from Gnomeregan . Background . The gnome s have not had a proper king or queen for over four hundred years . Instead , they prefer to elect their highest officials for set terms of service . The highest office in Gnomeregan , High Tinker , has been held by the crafty Gelbin Mekkatorque for the past seven to nine years . Gelbin is one of the most renowned inventors ever ( his invention include the Mechanostrider mounts , the repair bot , and the ) , and has been honored as a just and skillful leader . While in office , High Tinkers are allowed to hold grand titles but only hold their power for set terms of office , after which they return to the work force . Gelbin Mekkatorque ' s beloved companion , Captain Tread Sparknozzle , has served him well for many years , working as the " High Tinker ' s Advisor " . Mekkatorque took on the title " King of the Gnomes " after the fall of Gnomeregan . . However , when the trogg s began their invasion of Gnomeregan , Gelbin was unprepared to stop them . At the behest of his top adviser , Mekgineer Sicco Thermaplugg , he ordered that the city be bathed in toxic radiation . So the radiation bomb was released . Though the radiation stopped the troggs ' advance , it ultimately killed more gnomes than troggs . Now the High Tinker carries the weight of the dead on his shoulders and seeks to avenge his people by reclaiming their lost city . Mekkatorque spends the overwhelming majority of his time working on plans to retake Gnomeregan , knowing that many of his people are still trapped inside with no means of escape . While he appreciates the hospitality of the dwarves , Ironforge is too small for both races , at least in the long term . In addition to his efforts to retake Gnomeregan , Mekkatorque works with the dwarves on a regular basis to perfect new military technology and strategies . He is partially responsible for the new models of dwarven flying machines being sent into the field , but his people are too few to make much more of a contribution to the Alliance at this time . Mekkatorque has also assigned a team to researching anti - Scourge weaponry , knowing that an undead attack is imminent . He was one of the members of two pairs of gnomes that are credited with the construction of the Deeprun Tram , a fast running form of transportation between Ironforge and Stormwind . Gnomish inventors organize into pairs , an odd crazy - guy / sane - guy relationship . One is always trying to push the limits of his devices to unknowable extremes while the other does everything he can to keep the invention from becoming disastrous . It was two pairings of just this type that created the underground railroad that connects Ironforge to Stormwind Keep . It is however unclear of which member Gelbin represented in his pair , the " crazy " one , or the " sane " one . Construction of the mechanostrider . The mechanostrider mount was Mekkatorque ' s first major invention , and has served as a vital part in the gnomish society . On one early morning , Gelbin was wandering through the wondrous peaks of Dun Morogh . He spied on a flock of tallstriders and remarked upon their grace and strength . He became fascinated with their fluidity and soon developed a mechanized version , perfect for the minuscule gnomes to use as mounts . Soon after was born the mechanostrider , which quickly became a favorite mount of all gnome - kind . Using steam compression and duro - steel plating , the finest gnomish tinkers created these ostrich - like striders to use as mounts . The mechanostrider can move at speeds up to 30 mph . In World of Warcraft . High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque is a boss and quest giver located in Tinker Town in the dwarf city of Ironforge . He starts the quest . During Brewfest , Mekkatorque will ride out of the city to the festival grounds at 6 A . M . and 6 P . M . each day for the ceremonial tapping of the keg . Players present when he does this will receive a 2 hour " Brewfest Enthusiast " buff that increases XP gained by 10 % . See List of Ironforge NPCs . The Liberation of Gnomeregan . During the event leading up to , Mekkatorque led the gnomes and their allies in an attempt to retake his beloved city from Thermaplugg and his minions . In Cataclysm . Since the release of the expansion " " , High Tinker Mekkatorque can be found under a tent in Gnomeregan . He is present at the Elemental Invasion meeting . Sometime either just before or during the Shattering , he recently fought with Thermaplugg during a visit to his old quarters in Gnomeregan . Using his adaptive nature he severed Thermaplugg ' s legs using a trap Thermaplugg had set himself . It is debated upon whether Thermaplugg is actually dead , or if he survived the encounter . In Mists of Pandaria . Gelbin led gnomish forces to The Underhold to aid the Alliance . Alliance Victory for the Alliance ! Before we clear out of here , my people will grab as much of this crazy goblin technology as we can get our hands on . Horde I have nothing to say to you , < race > . In Legion . Gelbin ordered his people to prepare for war against the Legion . Which led to finding of gnome hunter s . Gelbin was present on the Battle on the Broken Shore along with the other Alliance heroes . He appears in a cinematic in the Broken Shore , driving the Mekkatorque Suit , and blasting demons with mechanical weaponry . Strategy . One of the easier racial leaders to kill . It ' s best for the horde to buff up in the Deeprun Tram and then have a tank charge in to Gelbin . The fight is rather easy , just Tank & spank and deal with the guards . He yields no honor if killed . As he is not part of For The Horde , he is unguarded and not required to kill , however due to his location outside the tram he may aggro on groups using it to get to or from Ironforge . Killing Gelbin can also present a threat to the raid , party . Ironforge is , next to Stormwind , the most populated Alliance city , so taking the time to kill him will undoubtedly give Alliance players time to get ready , or mass and attack the raid party during the battle . Leaders of Azeroth short story series . Gelbin Mekkatorque features as the main character in the short story " Cut Short " written by Cameron Dayton as part of Blizzard ' s ' Leaders of Azeroth ' short story series . Quotes . During