Second War #9: The taking of Ironforge

July 30, 2026•Lore•Brendo Arruda

"Second War" series — Second War #9. The story of Warcraft II, from the exodus of Stormwind to the destruction of the Dark Portal. The episodes are listed in order at the end of the post.

With Khaz Modan occupied, the Horde tried to take the region's two great cities: Ironforge, the city of the dwarves, and Gnomeregan, the city of the gnomes. Both held out. The sieges were long, costly and were eventually called off. Orgrim left the Bleeding Hollow clan besieging the cities and moved on north with the rest of the Horde, using the region's resources.

Ironforge, the city inside the mountain

Ironforge sits inside a mountain in Dun Morogh. The dwarves spent centuries carving it out and turned it into a fortress with huge gates and deep tunnels. For an outside army, it was almost impossible to take.

The dwarven king, Magni Bronzebeard, led the defense. The dwarves had gunpowder weapons, cannons and the advantage of knowing every stone of the city.

Gnomeregan

Gnomeregan, the gnome city, lay near Ironforge and was full of machines and inventions. The gnomes used everything they had to resist, and the city's iron gate withstood weeks of bombardment.

Why the Horde stopped

The sieges did not work. Both cities held out, and every week standing still cost time the Horde did not have. Orgrim made a practical decision: he called off the sieges, left the Bleeding Hollow clan, under Kilrogg Deadeye, watching the cities and used the rest of Khaz Modan as a source of resources.

The Horde had what it wanted from the region, even without conquering the cities.

The dwarves and the Alliance

The resistance of Ironforge and Gnomeregan mattered to the Alliance. The two cities kept part of the Horde away from Lordaeron, and, when the war turned, they were liberated.

What this changes in the story

The resistance of Ironforge and Gnomeregan had a large strategic effect. While the Bleeding Hollow clan was stuck besieging the cities, the Horde had fewer warriors for the main attack. Every orc stuck in Khaz Modan was one orc fewer at the gates of Lordaeron.

The episode also shows a difference between the dwarves and the elves. The dwarves did not join because of an old debt: they swore loyalty to the Alliance after it liberated Khaz Modan, and they fought to the end. That dwarven pride shows up throughout the story, from Magni to Moira and the dwarves of Khaz Algar in The War Within.

After the war, Gnomeregan falls, this time to the troggs and radiation, and the gnomes move to Ironforge. In WoW Classic, the gnome city is a dungeon.

Episode timeline

The Horde besieges Ironforge and Gnomeregan.
Magni Bronzebeard leads the dwarven defense.
The gnomes resist with machines and inventions.
The sieges fail and are called off.
The Bleeding Hollow clan stays on guard, and the Horde moves north.

Who's who in this episode

| Name | Who they are | |------|--------| | Magni Bronzebeard | The king of the Ironforge dwarves. | | Ironforge | The dwarven city, carved inside the mountain in Dun Morogh. | | Gnomeregan | The gnome city, full of machines. | | Kilrogg Deadeye | The chieftain of the Bleeding Hollow clan, which stayed to besiege the cities. | | Orgrim Doomhammer | The Warchief who called off the sieges. |

Where to see it in WotLK

Ironforge: the dwarven capital, with Magni on the throne in WotLK.
Gnomeregan: the dungeon of the gnome city, lost to the troggs and radiation.
Dun Morogh and Loch Modan: the lands of Khaz Modan.