At first, Goblin Engineering seemed like the right choice. The explosions felt powerful, and the gadgets were fun.
Over time, the appeal of Gnomish toys grew; they looked strange, useful, and often better for certain playstyles. That’s when I learned you can respec from Goblin to Gnomish. It wasn’t as simple as flipping a switch.
I had to unlearn skills, re-level, and follow a process that wasn’t always clear.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the key differences, the exact steps to respec, common problems people encounter, and tips I wish I had known earlier.
If you’re searching for a clear respec guide, you’ll find it here.
Key Differences: Gnomish vs Goblin Engineering
Before you make the switch, it’s worth knowing what each path really offers. Both specializations give different tools and playstyles.
1. Gnomish Engineering
This specification relies on quirky yet handy gadgets.
The Ultrasafe Transporter: Gadgetzan makes travel easier, while the Gnomish Battle Chicken can surprise you in combat.
The Gnomish Death Ray is a powerful but risky weapon.
Smaller toys, such as the World Enlarger, demonstrate the creative possibilities of this path, offering a mix of fun and useful tools.
2. Goblin Engineering
This spec is designed for power and explosive capabilities. The Dimensional Ripper: Everlook operates like the gnomish transporter, but with its own unique hazards.
The Goblin Bomb Dispenser and Goblin Dragon Gun add serious destructive force.
If you enjoy chaos and heavy firepower, this path shines by providing you with explosive gadgets that are flashy, dangerous, and exciting to use.
How to Switch from Goblin to Gnomish Engineering?
Switching from Goblin to Gnomish isn’t instant. The process depends on whether you’re playing Classic, an older expansion, or Retail, and each has its own path to follow.
Step 1: Drop Engineering
The hardest part is that first, you must unlearn Engineering completely. This wipes out every Goblin recipe, gadget, and special item you’ve built up.
It feels like throwing away hours of progress, but there’s no shortcut.
Dropping the profession is the only way forward. Once you let go, you clear the path to rebuild from the ground up and eventually step into the Gnomish side of engineering.
Step 2: Re-Level to 200
After dropping Engineering, you’ll start fresh from zero. The goal is to reach 200 skill points again, and that takes time, gold, and patience.
Craft as many useful recipes as you can, and sell extras on the Auction House to recover some cost.
The grind can feel long, but it’s the price you pay to unlock new schematics and make the switch to Gnomish worthwhile.
Step 3: Pick up Gnomish
Once you’ve reached 200 skill, you’re finally ready to learn Gnomish. Alliance players need to visit Springspindle Fizzlegear in Ironforge, while Horde players should go to Tinkmaster Overspark in Booty Bay.
Training with them unlocks Gnomish Engineering, giving you access to quirky gadgets like shrink rays, control tools, and fun devices.
This step feels rewarding because you finally see progress and start experimenting with new toys.
Step 4: Accept the Trade-Off
Switching means giving up Goblin forever. All the explosives and damage-heavy recipes disappear once you commit to Gnomish.
In return, you gain access to a set of tools focused on creativity, control, and unusual utility.
It’s not about raw destruction anymore, it’s about clever tricks and fun gadgets. The trade-off is real, but it opens a different style of Engineering that can be just as valuable.
Common Issues and Troubleshooting
Switching specs doesn’t always go smoothly. When I went through the process, I noticed the quest didn’t show up right away, and I wasn’t the only one.
Other players have run into similar issues, but there are a few simple fixes that usually work.
Players report a few common problems:
- The book in Tanaris doesn’t always trigger on some servers.
- Sometimes the quest doesn’t appear even after re-leveling.
What worked for some:
- Clearing Engineering fully from both the Skills tab and the Spellbook.
- Deleting the WDB folder (this resets cached data).
- Then re-leveling before checking the trainer again.
Pro Tips and Best Practices
I learned a few tricks along the way that made the respec process smoother. These can save you both time and frustration.
- Craft before dropping: Make or gather all the BoE and BoP items you want first. Once you unlearn Engineering, you lose access to those recipes.
- Try a rotation: Some players go Gnomish first for the toys, then switch to Goblin for the explosives. It’s more work, but you get access to both sets of items.
- Clear cache if buggy: Back up or delete your cache folders if the respec path doesn’t seem to trigger correctly.
- Use trainers in Retail: Switching specs is faster here. Just talk to the right NPC and save yourself from re-leveling.
- Follow the steps in Classic: Don’t skip. The respec only works if you unlearn, re-level, and use the book in the right order.
Conclusion
Switching from Goblin to Gnomish Engineering takes more than a quick decision. In Classic, you must drop Engineering, lose progress, and grind back to 225 before restarting.
It’s a heavy cost in both time and materials, but it’s the only way to respec.
In Retail, things are more forgiving. You can swap Goblin for Gnomish at the trainer without losing your whole profession.
It still requires focus, but it’s far less punishing than the older versions. Respeccing is about more than mechanics.
It’s about choosing how you want to play. If you’re still unsure which path truly fits your style, you might want to read my guide on Goblin vs Gnomish Engineering: Choose the Right Path.
Now you can decide if stepping away from Goblin and moving into Gnomish is worth it.
