Races: Overview of Play Style

Every race in WoW involves more than a change of "skin" or look. The character traits of each race are so different that it changes the flavor of the game.  Here are my thoughts on the various races and things to consider in playing them.

The Human start zone is often confusing with
many blue name plates marking other players.

HUMAN  Most popular by far.  So the starting zone is often crowded, especially on weekends.  It will be harder to find "mobs" to kill, you will get bombarded with guild invites (info on how to turn that off here), and you might get confused about who is who if you don't know the way the game assigns colors to names.  All that aside, humans remain the top race for many reasons in this avatar world.  Humans also get a big perk in reputation.  Reputation gives you access to in-game faction benefits such as exclusive items.

Blood Elf culture is all about decadence.

BLOOD ELF  Most popular Horde race and second overall.  Very, very pretty, though the animations are a bit too cutesy for some.  And the storyline of decadence is ho-hum imo (in my opinion). The starter quests are very spread out so there's more running back and forth than in other areas.  Plus the home city, Silvermoon City, is hands down the worst place to get around.  I like the bright colors but cannot put up with the downside myself. Still, if you want to run around behind a sexy, feminine redhead, male or female, this is one to try.

Night Elves start zone is very purple.

NIGHT ELF At number 3, night elves (nelfs as opposed to belfs) are very popular.  They have an ability called Shadowmeld, which means if you are getting mobbed and about to die, you can hit this button and disappear from combat.  The mobs will wander off and you can try again after your health comes back up.  The ears on both elf races took me some getting used to.  The color palette of their home zone and city is all purples and lavenders, which I find depressing.  Still I like playing nelfs a lot, and mining in the first major questing area is fantastic.

Draenei fems account for the race's popularity.

DRAENEI  You almost never see Draenei male players.  The females account for pretty much the whole census, I suspect.  As one male friend tells me, they are the best backside animation to look at as you follow your toon around hour after hour.  Plus, they are only one of two Alliance races that can make shamans. (The other race, the Dwarves, is one of the least popular to play - see below) Downside is that their start area is also spread out...lotsa running here and there.  I'm not crazy about their home city either.  I find it ugly.  The zone is pretty much dead.  Folks I know start Draenei toons and then move them quickly to another zone to quest and level. 

Worgen can shapeshift into human
form, though this is the default

WORGEN  These wolfmen are qual to Draenei in number even though you must have the Cataclysm expansion to play this race.  Worgen cannot travel until their starting chain of quests finishes around level 15, which means you are locked into the same quests and must watch the same cinematics every time you play one.  The Cockney speech was fun for a while, but the snuffle sound the Worgens make in animal form drives some people crazy. Not a toon for a beginner but you should try one some time to see how you like it.  When the worgen finally move to the jointly playable zones, their home city is Darnassus. 

Tauren make even Orcs look small.

TAUREN  Tauren are BIG.  To keep their run speed equal they seem to be moving incredibly slowly, but in fact, they cover the same ground at the same speed as all others. Tauren also get a stomp that will daze players nearby, giving you a chance to run away if you get mobbed.  (Running away is a very successful way to survive at low levels. )  Tauren are visually impressive, especially when all geared at high levels,  and their start zone is beautiful. 

The Undead are a little like characters
in Nightmare Before Christmas.

UNDEAD In a three-way tie with Orcs and Trolls, the Undead are nevertheless my personal favorite Horde toons to play.  The race is very Nightmare Before Christmas in its ghoulishness. The start zone is one of the fastest to play through, with very little running around.  The Undead almost never have to come up for air while swimming. Their city is complex like all the cities, but there is a logic to the layout that makes it easier to learn than any other Horde capital. 

Troll hunters get double bonuses:
for bows and for killing beasts

TROLLS Trolls talk with a Jamaican accent and have an island culture that qualifies as one of the humorous races.   While lots of things are funny once, it should be noted that all the "humorous" races are at the bottom of the playing list.  They make a nice break from the game, but are not as enjoyable for multiple replays.   Unless you like playing a Druid class.  Trolls and Tauren are the only two Horde races that can make Druids, and Druids account for most of the Troll toons. Trolls have tusks, as do Orcs, and it makes them look brainless, which may also account for their low play numbers.  The people who want to play a toon that looks like it is stupid are a special minority.

Warrior is the most popular Orc class.

ORCS  The leaders of the Horde, you'd think they'd be the leading Horde race, but they are not so popular.  I groan if I have to go to their home city, Ogrimmar.  I cannot figure it out and can't stand that you must find an elevator to get to the flight master and zeppelins for travel.  At the upper levels, the city is probably not so bad.  But you can't fly until 60, and 60 takes a long time on your first toons. Once you have heirlooms, it gets easier.

Dwarf hunters get a gun bonus,
making them the strongest Alliance hunter
...if you can stand the gun sound effect.

DWARVES The Dwarves speak with a thick brogue and run around cheerfully obsessing about drinking.  It is funny for a while, but grows old.  Dwarves get a gun bonus that provides a hunter bonus, but I have not been able to stick with both the brogue and the noise of the guns.  Bows have a such a satisfying sound, that I prefer them, nullifying the Dwarf bonus.  If Blizzard ever gives the profession of engineering the plans for making a silencer, I'd be all over it.  But for now, I find I get tired of my Dwarf toons and let them sit for months before leveling them a bit more.

Even at level 85, Gnomes are just not
that intimidating.

GNOMES  The little people are last: Gnomes and Goblins.  Gnomes are uber-cute yet have absolutely no conscience, which makes for a nice ironic combination.  The are also small, which makes it hard to see sometimes when you are fighting, say, a couple of ogres.  Everyone towers above you.  Folks who like Gnomes, though, tend to play them exclusively, and a tiny rogue can be hard to see even when not stealthed.

Goblin shamans use mechanical totems.

GOBLINS The Goblins, like the Worgen, start in a separate zone and cannot access the rest of the zones or move about freely for a while. Nor can they be played unless you have the full Cataclysm upgrade.  Their culture is a combination of Steam Punk and Jersey Mob, which can be fun as a change.  If you like pretty, however, this race is not for you.