Gnolls would make a fair Alliance-counterpart to the Horde's Vulpera allied race

Community General Discussion
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Generally speaking, the Allied Races are loosely “equals” in terms of what they are:

Kul Tirans = Zandalari: The traditional “new races” for BFA

Void Elves = Nightborne: Races that are effectively “reversed faction” choices

Lightforged Draenei = Highmountain Tauren: Races that are culturally mostly the same, pretty limited on cosmetic options

Dark Iron Dwarves = Mag’har Orcs: Races with more dramatically different customizations than their core race counterparts

Mechagnomes =/= Vulpera: One is both effectively quite literally a brand-new race, the other are just Gnome-amputees that can’t even wear most transmog gear

I argued even before then that Gnolls would’ve made an excellent Alliance candidate, but PARTICULARLY compared to the Vulpera. And with Dragonflight giving them a compelling makeover, I think it’s time to make good on that by adding Gnolls as an Allied Race for the Alliance.

Of course, fair is fair, so something needs to be given to the Horde. But where Gnolls are really more of a direct counterpart to the Vulpera, presumably the Horde should get a similar counterpart to Mechagnomes.

One option that comes to mind might be something along the lines of “Farstriders” becoming their own allied race (maybe more rugged-looking options than traditional Blood Elves, war-paint, etc), or even simply rebranding them as “Wood Elves” with a more nature-centric sub-culture.

To be perfectly frank, though, given just HOW lazy Mechagnomes seem as a race, I’m honestly inclined to just say get rid of them, and simply replace them with Gnolls. Because any “Horde counterpart to Mechagnomes” is either going going to look lazy, or it’s going to look like Blizzard put in more effort on them once again, further instilling the appearance of favoritism.

That may sound harsh, but I’m just being honest. Mechagnomes look REALLY bad, and them being effectively unable to transmog gear just makes things even worse.

Whatever the case, though, I definitely think Gnolls are an excellent candidate for the Alliance.

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They put quite a lot of work into the Mechgnome animations.

This most aptly describes Kul’tiran.

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No. I’m not over fatties, I don’t want another ugly race. Also diaper gnomes? I want something cool.

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I want me Gnoll Rogue.

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they missed the opportunity to add easy lore for it, but i had hoped the alliance would’ve gotten sethrak in exchange for the horde getting vulpera.

Won’t go into it too much, but back when Sylvannas was warchief, there was an opportunity for her to drive the sethrak to join the alliance by offering them an ultimatum of “join us or be crushed beneath our heel” when the alliance had helped Vorrik. Too late to use that story now, though.

But it was for much the same reasons as you point out;

  • LFD / HMT: same as parent race/skeleton with minor cosmetic changes
  • VE / NB: Enemy faction’s elf skeleton with thematic and cosmetic changes
  • DID / MHO: same as parent race/skeleton with major thematic and cosmetic changes
  • KT / ZT: Same race as parent, but different skeleton (new rig on KT, NE on ZT), with primary story tie-in for each faction
  • Vulp / MG: uses small race skeleton… ?

vulpera and Sethrak could have been “new beast race built off of the parent race skeleton (sethrak were rumored to have been built off of female worgen)” but alas. Still got my fingers crossed for them, even if it’s on the horde. Maybe some day.

edit: Worgen and undead never got their allied race too, so sethrak for worgen (to pair with vulpera) and something like preserved undead a la Calia or Nathanos could have paired with the junker-gnomes to be the “same race, but different theme/cosmetics” idea.

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I’d rather something unique like Arrakoa or the actual lore counterpart in Sethrak.

Gnolls are just derpier looking worgen from an aesthetic standpoint. They’re too similar.
Considering a huge problem with our faction is “too similar” already, can we not add onto that problem but with anthros?

Sethrak just need story written for them where they refuse to work with the Horde because they had the Vulpera join them, or the Vulpera protest their inclusion, leading them to check out the Alliance. The “lack of lore” thing is very easily fixable .

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Unlikely the Alliance will get Gnolls considering the Gnolls tried to exterminate all of Stormwind and after their defeat still raid, steal and murder humans and use their skin to make tents. It’s a pretty insane thing to ally with frenzied monsters that are skinning and eating your people.

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Just give Alliance Gnolls with the first DF model face, then give Horde Gnolls with the new DF model face.

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they’re goblins, but with fur.

but also I’d consider worgen the vulpera counterpart. tall canine for the alliance, short rats for the horde.

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idk i think we would get them instead of the alliance.
yall been killin them to much. They are savages which we enjoy as the horde.
i think furbolgs would be your truest option. Furbolgs are the druidic type which has connections with the nightelves.

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I like the mechagnomes
They just need more customisation options because normal gnomes got a lot added in shadowlands to the point where mechagnomes feel really restrictive.

But i also do want Gnolls playable.
Either faction will do.

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No. Horde please. Alliance already has a viscious looking canid race. Horde needs Gnolls to try and forget vulpera ever happened. Plus it would just make more sense because from DnD to WoW gnolls are monsters that humans lump alongside other “evil monsters” like orcs and trolls and ogres. I know things are different now and both factions are friends but imo they would still make a lot more sense on horde. Plus, humans might need a little space from son of hogger after all the human children they dined on as a family. Poor citizens of Goldshire… :sob:

Oh but either way. One thing needs to happen. Hair. Vulpera being perma bald weirds me out. Even tauren and worgen have some kind of hair. They better not be lazy again with anthropomorphic animal monster races.

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Vulpera are awesome

Vulpera do not need hair.
It would ruin them.

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Gnoll body expects the Gnoll inquisition…

given how the Alliance treats Gnolls i have a suspicion they would be far more likely to Join the Horde.

But i could See the Alliance getting Tuskarr. only real issue is what would compel the Tuskarr to fight rather than fish. :thinking:

what the Alliance really needs though is… Tail cosmetic options for Worgen. Shoot. tail options for everyone. have some transmog engineering alchemist expert whip something up. there is all manner of poly effects in the game. all manner of illusionary magics. surely someone would have done it for a profit.

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It would be a bit strange for the alliance to get another beast race based off of an animal that horde races use as mounts.

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The creatures the Alliance has spent forever genociding? Those guys?

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Yes, Gnolls are cool for alliance and all…

Hear me out though…

Arrakoas. Very “Morally Gray.” Can be Paladins. Have similar aspects to what Alliance holds amongst themselves.

And based off of already awesome people.

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Honestly,

I would rather them unlock the classes for the races we have now (adding druid forms, totems and dh forms) and expanding on the customization for each race.

If not that, then I would rather them work on a armor dyeing system, housing, guild strongholds or updating vanilla/tbc mogs to todays standards.

I like the gnolls, but I’d rather update these things prior to any other race being added.

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Give us those fully roboticized mechagnomes from Northrend.

Kul Tirans are, in fact the only allied race to get a unique rig.

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They did not, how often needs this to be said.
The animations are part of the Mechagnome NPCs, so they have been already made. Even the Heritage Mount was almost released in an unfinished state if wowhead would have not reported the lack of quality control.

Let’s give the Alliance several new models while we should receive recolors to even out the unfair treatment they got. The faction-bias will never change if you just give them scraps.