Ace ( RPG ) As the saying goes , any tinker can pilot a vehicle , but only the truly gifted can be the vehicle . The thrill of high - flying combat sings to a particularly few foolhardy types , who forgo all worldly pursuits to become one with their vehicles , flying barons of destruction . These few brave and exemplary souls are known as aces . An ace is a master of the wheel , a vehicular expert with no equal . The thrill of the dive - bomb - the rush of wind past his goggled face , the roar of the phlogiston engines beneath him , these are the things that give life meaning to aces . While the ace is a master of any vehicle he can get his hands on , the ace is truly free only while in the air . Throughout his training , the ace gains sharp wits and quick hands , and even outside the cockpit he is always on the verge of moving . Every action is graceful , every word sharp and cocky , and his eyes forever look toward the horizon . For the flyboys of the world , every day is a new experience , and every moment on the ground is wasted when one could be soaring in the heavens . By large , aces are members of the Alliance . Gnome s and Ironforge dwarves create some of the slickest , meanest aerial machines Azeroth has ever known , and in all three wars they proved their mettle again and again . Aces proved their worth in the Third War , where they dished aerial death to enemies of Stormwind and Lordaeron from atop their steam - powered vessels ; many aces claim that , without them , the end of the war would have been quite different . In times of relative peace , the Alliance aces still fly sorties when needed , and often enlist as guards escorting cargo over aerial pathways . A large part of the aces , like the renowned Gaevel Thunderblast , are also trained in the arts of fighting on the ground , and while the sword is not a favourable weapon for the aces , most of them practice martial arts . Many goblin s also find the path of the ace irresistible , plying their madness - enhanced skills while piloting upgraded war zeppelin s and other aeronautical nightmares . At least one notable goblin ace spreads fear in the airways of Kalimdor via an intricate rocket pack strapped to his back and several mounted weapons . Most goblin aces , unfortunately , turn into deadly aerial pirate s for Ratchet . These buccaneer s of the air inspire terror over caravans , keeping guards near the east coast of Kalimdor looking to the sky . Whether mercenary or enlisted , the ace attempts to stretch and break the boundaries of his skills , seeking other aces to prove that he , alone , is the greatest pilot ever . This tendency forces many an ace to travel the world in his vehicle , stopping only in bars to brag about his exploits , or repair shops to correct the inevitable wear and tear he puts his machine through . Many aces hold personal contests or issue proclamations of talent ; and more than one city hosts fairs where aces of different generations , races and talent come together in epic contests of skill . Adventuring provides aces with " exercise , " a chance to hone their skills and possibly earn some money to upgrade their crafts . Most aces take advantage of a special technological device or a spell or magic item to bring their vehicles with them . Some even cobble together tank treads or other devices , grounding their vehicles to go underground . Understandably , aces get along best with tinkers , as they themselves must have some experience as tinkers to understand and control their vehicles . While most quickly abandon the art of tinkering for more martial pursuits , they recognize the skills of other tinkers in designing and upgrading the next greatest ship . Often an ace has a small group of followers , at least one a dedicated aeronautical engineer who forever tinkers on his idol ' s prized machine , and defends his master ' s honor whether he needs it or not . Aces also respect the prowess of warriors and barbarian s , seeing them as ground - bound cousins . Aces hold a general distrust of magic and its users , though not as great a distrust as other tinkers do . They can certainly see the usefulness of a well - placed healing aura or fireball from above , however , and many larger ships have a mage or priest , to serve as medic or artillery as needed . Aces take other classes on a case - by - case basis . While many observers on the ground think aces should get along with windwarrior s , the two masters of the air often fall into clashes over which is superior . An ace is a master at piloting any vehicle he gets his hands on . The ace learns how to fire on the move while piloting a vehicle . The ace can pull himself out of danger with ease while flying . A skilled ace has mastered the techniques of aerial defensive fighting , also known as dogfighting . This applies even if the ace is flying under his own power , such as from a fly spell or a rocket pack or the like . A skilled ace learns how to maximize the effects of vehicular combat . An ace deals an extra damage with integrated vehicle weapons and with explosives dropped , thrown or fired from vehicles . A skilled ace ’ s knowledge of vehicles allows him to exploit the weaknesses in their construction . The skilled ace increases the maneuverability of any vehicle he pilots . The highly skilled ace learns how to maximize his engine ’ s output , gaining a short burst of speed when he truly needs it but damaging his engine in the process . Afterward , his vehicle ’ s speed drops by – 20 % for 1 hour . This speed reduction cannot be repaired . Notable Aces . Lords of the Sky