Avenge the Ironhands Gnomes

Key takeaways

Keep the quest’s political and practical goals separate: destroying the foundry advances the attack on Gortash, while the treatment of the Gondians determines the resolution between the two groups.

• Find the Ironhands The quest can be triggered from the Ironhand Gnomes’ hideout in Rivington or by observing their attack on a Steel Watcher.
• Expect a faction decision Wulbren Bongle demands that the Gondians be eliminated, while Barcus Wroot can offer a more peaceful direction.
• Treat the quest as missable Losing important characters or advancing the story too quickly can prevent the quest from remaining available.
• Plan around the foundry The Steel Watch Foundry is the quest’s central objective, and the Ironhand Gnomes may give you a Runepowder bomb for the sabotage.
• Protect possible allies The eventual outcome can determine whether the Ironhand Gnomes and Gondians can contribute allies during the final stages of the game.

Avenge the Ironhands Gnomes overview

Avenge the Ironhands Gnomes is an Act 3 side quest that places the Ironhand Gnomes and the Gondians at the centre of a conflict involving the Steel Watch Foundry.

The quest can begin when you find the Ironhand Gnomes in their hideout in Rivington, or when you witness them attacking a Steel Watcher. This introduction establishes the Ironhands’ determination to strike at the machinery supporting Gortash and frames the quest as both a political confrontation and a personal grievance.

Wulbren Bongle, the bitter leader of the Ironhand Gnomes, argues that the Gondians must be eliminated. Barcus Wroot can present a less violent alternative, turning the quest into a choice between supporting Wulbren’s demand, protecting the Gondians, or attempting to reconcile the two groups rather than treating the conflict as a simple combat objective.

The central practical goal is to destroy the Steel Watch Foundry. The Ironhand Gnomes may provide a powerful Runepowder bomb to help with the sabotage, while the outcome of the wider dispute depends on which characters survive and whom the player supports. Completing the quest can also affect whether these factions are available as allies during the final stages of the game.

Where this sits

Requirements

Reach Act 3 and make contact with the Ironhand Gnomes or witness the event that introduces their conflict.

• RequiredAct 3 accessThe quest is an Act 3 side quest and is not available before reaching that part of the game.
• RequiredContact with the Ironhand GnomesLocate the Ironhand Gnomes in their Rivington hideout, or observe them attacking a Steel Watcher to trigger the quest.
• RecommendedProtect important charactersKeep essential characters alive if you want the quest and its possible faction outcomes to remain available.
• OptionalPreserve an earlier relationship with Barcus WrootIf Barcus Wroot survives the first two acts, he can potentially take leadership and help resolve the dispute between the groups.

Objectives

1. Locate the Ironhand Gnomes in Rivington or witness their attack on a Steel Watcher.Either event can serve as the quest’s starting point.
2. Determine how to respond to the conflict between the Ironhand Gnomes and the Gondians.The quest supports siding with the Ironhands, siding with the Gondians, or attempting to broker peace.
3. Destroy the Steel Watch Foundry.The foundry is the principal sabotage target and the means of striking at Gortash.
4. Resolve the leadership and faction dispute.The survival of key characters, including Barcus Wroot, can influence the final direction.
5. Preserve or recruit potential allies for the final stages of the game.The completed objectives can make the Ironhand Gnomes and Gondians available as allies.

WalkthroughSpoilers

1. 01

   Reach the area where the Ironhand Gnomes are hiding.

   Reach Rivington in Act 3

   Enter Act 3 and continue through Rivington, where the Ironhand Gnomes can be found in a hideout. Do not assume the quest will remain available indefinitely, because rapid story progress or the loss of essential characters can lock it.

   Location: Rivington

   TipKeep important characters alive before moving on to other major Act 3 objectives.

   Watch outThe quest can become unavailable if the story is advanced too quickly.

2. 02

   Make contact with the Ironhand Gnomes or witness their attack.

   Trigger the Ironhand conflict

   Locate the Ironhand Gnomes in their Rivington hideout, or observe them attacking a Steel Watcher. Either route establishes the quest and reveals that the Ironhands are preparing to act against the Steel Watch infrastructure.

   Location: Rivington

   Checkpoint
3. 03

   Learn the Ironhand leadership’s proposed response.

   Speak with Wulbren Bongle

   Hear Wulbren Bongle’s position before committing to a resolution. He is the bitter Ironhand leader and demands that the Gondians be eliminated, so accepting his plan places the quest on its most hostile path.

   Location: Ironhand Gnomes’ hideout

   Watch outAgreeing with Wulbren’s demand can put the Gondians at risk and close off a peaceful outcome.

4. 04

   Determine whether Barcus Wroot can influence the faction dispute.

   Consider Barcus Wroot’s alternative

   If Barcus Wroot has survived the first two acts, his presence can provide a different answer to the dispute. Speak with him before finalising the faction outcome, because he can potentially take over leadership and reduce the tension between the Ironhand Gnomes and the Gondians.

   Location: Rivington

   TipA living Barcus Wroot is important if you want the possibility of a negotiated resolution.

5. 05

   Choose how the conflict between the Ironhand Gnomes and the Gondians will be handled.

   Choose a faction direction

   Decide whether to support the Ironhand Gnomes, protect the Gondians, or attempt to broker peace. This is the quest’s defining choice, and it affects both the immediate fate of the two groups and the allies that may be available later.

   Watch outThe faction decision can determine whether one group is destroyed or whether the dispute reaches a less violent resolution.

6. 06

   Secure the available sabotage aid if it fits your chosen plan.

   Accept or reject the Runepowder bomb

   The Ironhand Gnomes may offer a powerful Runepowder bomb for use in sabotaging the Steel Watch Foundry. Treat it as a quest resource rather than an automatic requirement, since the important objective is the destruction of the foundry and the source material does not establish every possible method.

   Location: Ironhand Gnomes’ hideout

   TipKeep track of who entrusted the bomb to you before entering the foundry operation.

7. 07

   Begin the operation against the foundry.

   Enter the Steel Watch Foundry operation

   Proceed to the Steel Watch Foundry once your faction decision and sabotage plan are set. The foundry is the practical centre of the quest, and its destruction is the action that strikes at Gortash’s Steel Watch project.

   Location: Steel Watch Foundry

   Checkpoint
8. 08

   Destroy the Steel Watch Foundry.

   Destroy the Steel Watch Foundry

   Sabotage and destroy the Steel Watch Foundry, using the Runepowder bomb if you obtained it and choose to rely on it. Keep the wider faction decision in mind while carrying out the objective, because destroying the facility does not by itself resolve the Ironhand and Gondian dispute.

   Location: Steel Watch Foundry

   Watch outThe operation can affect the survival of characters and the later availability of faction allies.

9. 09

   Complete the political resolution after the foundry operation.

   Return to the faction dispute

   After the foundry objective, follow through on the consequences of your chosen alliance. Wulbren’s demand, the Gondians’ survival, and Barcus Wroot’s possible leadership all shape whether the quest ends in revenge, protection, or reconciliation.

   Checkpoint
10. 10

    Secure the allies made available by the quest’s outcome.

    Confirm the final-stage alliance outcome

    Check which faction, if any, remains available to support the final stages of the game. A successful resolution can potentially recruit the Ironhand Gnomes and Gondians as allies, but that result depends on earlier choices and character survival.

    Watch outA faction may be unavailable if its essential characters were lost or if the conflict was resolved against it.

Mission mechanics

This quest combines an objective-based sabotage mission with a faction-resolution system. Destroying the Steel Watch Foundry addresses the external threat and strikes at Gortash, but the quest is not reduced to that single action: the player must also decide how the Ironhand Gnomes and Gondians should emerge from their conflict.

The most important variable is character survival. Wulbren Bongle represents the uncompromising Ironhand position, while Barcus Wroot can offer a more peaceful route if he has survived the first two acts. The game therefore connects an earlier character outcome with the possible leadership and resolution of this Act 3 dispute.

The Runepowder bomb is a major piece of quest support that the Ironhand Gnomes may provide. Its presence gives the player a direct sabotage aid, while the larger strategic question remains whether the player is using the operation to empower the Ironhands, protect the Gondians, or create conditions for a negotiated settlement.

Quest availability is itself part of the challenge. Failing to save essential characters or progressing the broader story too quickly can lock the quest, so players who want the full range of faction outcomes should investigate the Ironhands and address the foundry before treating the rest of Act 3 as a race to its conclusion.

What works and what does not

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

• Support Wulbren Bongle and the Ironhand Gnomes’ demand.

  You accept the position that the Gondians should be eliminated, placing the two groups on a direct and violent course.

  Spoiler
• Side with the Gondians.

  You reject Wulbren’s demand and prioritise the survival of the Gondians over the Ironhand leader’s proposed revenge.

  Spoiler
• Attempt to broker peace between the groups.

  If Barcus Wroot survived the first two acts, he can potentially take over leadership and help resolve the tension between the Ironhand Gnomes and the Gondians.

  Spoiler
• Destroy the Steel Watch Foundry while pursuing a chosen faction outcome.

  The foundry is destroyed as a strike against Gortash, but the faction resolution still determines which groups and characters remain available afterward.

  Spoiler

Checklist

• Reach Act 3 and investigate Rivington.The quest is introduced in Act 3.
• Find the Ironhand Gnomes in their hideout or witness their attack on a Steel Watcher.Either event can trigger the quest.
• Speak with Wulbren Bongle before committing to a faction outcome.His plan calls for the Gondians to be eliminated.
• Check whether Barcus Wroot survived the first two acts.His survival can enable a potential peaceful leadership outcome.Optional
• Decide whether to support the Ironhand Gnomes, the Gondians, or a peace attempt.This is the central choice of the quest.
• Obtain the Runepowder bomb if the Ironhand Gnomes offer it.It may assist with the foundry sabotage.Optional
• Destroy the Steel Watch Foundry.This is the quest’s main practical objective.
• Confirm which faction allies remain available for the final stages of the game.The result depends on choices and character survival.

Failure conditionsSpoilers

• An essential character is not saved.The quest’s availability and possible resolutions depend on key characters surviving.
• The broader story is advanced too quickly.Rapid progression can lock Avenge the Ironhands Gnomes and prevent the player from completing it.
• The Gondians are eliminated.Following Wulbren Bongle’s demand removes the possibility of protecting the Gondians and changes the faction outcome.
• A potential faction ally is lost during the conflict.The final stages of the game may no longer offer that group as an ally.

RewardsSpoilers

• Runepowder bomb
  The Ironhand Gnomes may provide this powerful bomb to assist with sabotaging the Steel Watch Foundry.
• Potential Ironhand Gnomes allies
  Completing the quest can potentially make the Ironhand Gnomes available as allies during the final stages of the game.
• Potential Gondians allies
  The quest’s outcome can potentially preserve the Gondians as allies for the final stages of the game.

AftermathSpoilers

Trivia

• The quest can be discovered either through the Ironhand Gnomes’ hideout in Rivington or by observing their attack on a Steel Watcher.
• Barcus Wroot’s survival through the first two acts can influence the leadership question in Act 3.
• The quest’s historical grievance is expressed through a present-day decision over the fate of the Gondians.
• The Runepowder bomb is associated with the Ironhand Gnomes’ plan to sabotage the Steel Watch Foundry.

Sources

• Avenge the Ironhands Gnomes — bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki

Relationships