Guide: Obtaining rare mounts in World of Warcraft

Whether you are a serious collector or prioritize defeating bosses, it is likely that you have dedicated some time to searching for new mounts in World of Warcraft.

Each expansion has featured its own unique and coveted mounts, including elusive zombie horses with extremely low drop rates and fiery bumblebees that can only be obtained through extensive Renown grinding.

Discovering a rare mount can bring about an exhilarating feeling, but it can also be a lengthy and costly process that can lead to immense frustration.

This article does not cover any PvP drops, Black Market Auction House purchases, TCG mounts, or legacy items that are no longer available. All of the mounts mentioned in this article are currently obtainable at the time of writing.

Rivendare’s Deathcharger in Vanilla World of Warcraft

One of the most renowned mounts in World of Warcraft is Rivendare’s Deathcharger, a classic from the game’s Classic era. However, obtaining this iconic mount is no easy feat.

The Deathcharger of Rivendare was first introduced in the Shadow of the Necropolis patch. It is an exceedingly rare drop from Lord Aurius Rivendare in Stratholme, with a reported drop rate of just under 1%. According to Wowhead, the drop rate is estimated to be 0.9%, requiring multiple runs of the instance in order to obtain this mount.

Another option is to keep an eye on the Black Market Auction House for Rivendare’s Deathcharger, which may show up from time to time. This is especially worth considering if you have spare Gold to spend.

If you are unfamiliar with the Black Market Auction House, be aware that its location has changed over time, but the process remains relatively similar.

The items available on the Black Market Auction House are exorbitantly priced and are sold by non-player characters rather than players. Each item has a timer, and once the timer expires or the item is sold, it is unlikely to reappear on the auction house for a significant period of time.

You can find the location of the Black Market Auction House below, making it worthwhile to travel to Valdrakken and take a chance if Rivendare’s Deathcharger is not dropping for you.

The location of the cave, which can be found easily if you have a max-level character with the flight path unlocked, is underneath Little Scales Daycare in Valdrakken.

Ashes of Al’ar (Burning Crusade)

Perhaps even more renowned than Rivendare’s Deathcharger, Ashes of Al’ar remains one of the most easily identifiable mounts in the game due to its vibrant hues and dazzling flight trail.

To obtain this mount, you must defeat Kael’thas Sunstrider in The Eye of Tempest Keep. Although it is slightly easier to obtain with a drop rate of 1.7%, it is still considered a very rare mount. Be sure to bring empty bags when running Tempest Keep, as there are valuable items that can be sold here.

Just like Rivendare’s Deathcharger, the chances of finding Ashes of Al’ar on the Black Market Auction House are quite slim and unlikely.

The Horseman’s Reins (Burning Crusade)

Obtaining Seasonal Battle Pets and mounts can often be a challenging feat, with the Headless Horseman’s mount being notoriously elusive. This mount is closely tied to Hallow’s End, an event that occurs during Halloween, making it a highly sought-after item for collectors.

Obtaining The Horseman’s Reins is possible by receiving a reward from Loot-Filled Pumpkins, with a drop rate of approximately 0.3-0.4%. To increase your chances of obtaining the reins, it is recommended to gather as many of these pumpkins as possible.

Loot-Filled Pumpkins are available in different rarities. The Epic Loot-Filled Pumpkin (the purple one, not the blue Loot-Stuffed Pumpkin) is highly sought after and can only be obtained at max level during the Hallow’s End event.

Phosphorescent Stone Drake in Cataclysm

This world drop is of a rarity comparable to the legendary Time-Lost Proto Drake. Once the correct mob is located and killed, the item is guaranteed to drop 100% of the time. However, the challenge lies in finding the elusive mob in the first place.

The desired mob is Aeonaxx, with a spawn timer ranging from 2 to 8 hours, and it can be found following a circular route in Deepholm. Aeonaxx shares its spawn timer with a bat named Blood Seeker.

It has been noted by certain players that enabling War Mode and utilizing Chromie Time to hop between timelines with their characters has resulted in a higher chance of finding Aeonaxx.

Invincible (Wrath of the Lich King)

Despite having been available in the game for a considerable amount of time, the iconic winged horse, Invincible, remains a highly sought-after mount for collectors due to its low drop rate and the difficulty of obtaining it. It is a must-have for any list of the rarest mounts.

Defeating the Lich King in Icecrown Citadel is the only requirement on paper for obtaining Invincible’s Reins. This has remained unchanged since The War Within and multiple expansions prior, making it a simple task to accomplish solo. It’s recommended to have empty bags before entering, as there is a chance to acquire unique transmog items and Battle Pets.

Obtaining Invincible is a challenge due to its low drop rate. According to Wowhead, it has a drop chance of less than 1%, making it a rare sight and even rarer to obtain. Repeatedly traversing Icecrown Citadel can become tiresome after multiple attempts.

X-45 Heartbreaker (Wrath of the Lich King)

If you were to ask a mount collector which drop has haunted them for years, it’s likely that they would mention the X-45 Heartbreaker. This pink rocket certainly lives up to its name, as its abysmal drop rates have broken the hearts of many collectors over the years, and it has even discouraged some from pursuing mount collecting altogether.

To obtain the X-45 Heartbreaker, one must participate in the Love is in the Air event, which occurs during Valentine’s Day. The rocket can be found in Heart-Shaped Boxes, with Wowhead stating a low drop rate of 0.07%. This makes it one of the most challenging mounts to acquire from the list.

It should be noted that in order to have a chance at obtaining this mount, you must be playing with a character that is at least level 60.

Risen Mare (Battle for Azeroth)

The Risen Mare can be obtained as a reward from Island Expeditions, specifically by looting Havenswood Salvage with a drop rate chance of approximately 12%.

The Risen Mare mount, with a 1% drop rate, is among the options available to players who obtain the Verdant Wilds Salvage item, providing them with different choices for their missions.

In order to participate in Island Expeditions, it is necessary to have made sufficient progress in the Battle for Azeroth campaign, resulting in the establishment of two footholds on the opposing faction’s continent. Following this, completing the quest, “The Azerite Advantage,”will serve as an introduction to Island Expeditions.

To successfully finish Island Expeditions, one only needs to visit their faction’s Island Expedition Table and select the desired Island. For the Risen Mare, simply choose Havenswood to begin.

Upon arriving on the Island, your goal is to swiftly accumulate 12K Azerite by defeating enemies, gathering resources, utilizing extractors, and discovering chests. The more uncommon the enemies, the greater amount of Azerite you will obtain from defeating them.

Thanks to The War Within gear, Island Expeditions will be a piece of cake and you might even discover other mounts or treasures along the way.

Silent Glider (Battle for Azeroth)

The Silent Glider is a fascinating mount that can be obtained by defeating the level 51 rare Soundless in Nazjatar. In recent years, the drop rates of this gothic stingray seem to have been increased.

Despite the drop rate being initially estimated at 1.4-1.7%, numerous players have shared that it required approximately 30 kills for them to acquire this mount. Popular farming recommendations include enabling War Mode and attempting it in Chromie Time.

Inquisition Gargon (Shadowlands)

Selecting a covenant other than Venthyr in Shadowlands may prove troublesome when attempting to obtain this mount. It is exclusively available to members of the Venthyr covenant and also requires a reputation grind.

To obtain the Inquisition Gargon, it is necessary to confirm that you are playing as a Venythr character and have gained access to The Avowed faction. This can be accomplished by earning reputation through farming.

1. Ensure that your level is at least 60.
2. Start the storyline called “The Final Atonement” , beginning with the quest “An Abuse of Power” from The Accuser in Absolution Crypt. There’s a breadcrumb quest leading to this called “The Absolution of Souls” which Venthyr can get from The Accuser in Sinfall.
3. As you progress through the questline, make sure to pay close attention for Sinstone Fragments, both inside the Halls of Atonement Dungeon and in the surrounding area. These fragments can be exchanged for items from The Avowed’s vendor, but they can also be combined to create Sinstones. These Sinstones will enable you to confront Inquisitors in and around the Halls of Atonement.
4. The best methods for farming The Avowed reputation change as you progress:
   • To get to Friendly. Burn through mobs outside the Halls of Atonement Dungeon and save up your Sinstones and Sinstone Fragments.
   • To get to Honored. Do the Dungeon as many times as possible. Kill Inquisitors (using Sinstones to access them) and track down Fugitive Souls in the overworld near the Dungeon once you’re Instance Locked.
   • To get to Revered and Exalted. Continue burning through Inquisitors and Fugitive Souls, keeping an eye out for Rares and using Reputation-boosting items where possible.

After achieving Exalted reputation with The Avowed, gather 2000 Sinstone Fragments and visit Archivist Janeera in the Halls of Atonement. There, you can purchase the Inquisition Gargon.

Pond Nettle (Legion)

This mount, featured on the list, is the only one related to a profession in Legion. In order to obtain it, players must have a Strong Fishing Pole and have reached the maximum level in Legion Fishing.

To increase your chances of obtaining this mount, try fishing in the Antoran Wastes, Krokuun, and Eredath. Although rare, players have reported finding the mount after anywhere from 100 to 10,000 casts. Some players have even reported an increase in sightings since the Dragonflight update, so it may be worth dedicating some time to searching for it in The War Within.

Valiance (Dragonflight)

Despite being introduced with Dragonflight and dropping from Instructor Razuvious in Naxxramas, Valiance has a surprisingly old-school feel to it. In order to obtain it, there are a number of steps that must be followed.

1. Unlock the secret entrance to Naxxramas via Old Scholomance.
2. Unlock the vendor Zackett Skullsmash and buy Rotten Delicious from him in return for 30 Death’s Bargaining Chips.
3. In order to complete the task, you must enter Instructor Razuvious’s room in 10-man Naxxramas and locate Valiance. Be sure that Instructor Razuvious is still alive before giving Rotten Delicious to Valiance.
4. Find a Death Knight Understudy, mind control them, and bring them to Valiance. This should lead the NPC to mount Valiance.
5. Walk over to Razuvious and end the Mind Control. This will make the Death Knight Understudy attack you.
6. Defeat both the Understudy and Rasuvious.

Once here, you should have no trouble obtaining the Reins of Valiance from Instructor Razuvious, just as you would any other item.

Cobalt Shalewing Dragonflight

This mount is a rare drop from the Elite Rare Karokta, located in Zaralek Cavern. There are no specific requirements or objectives to fulfill in order to obtain it, as it can only be obtained by defeating the mob.

The main challenge lies in obtaining the item’s drop. While the commonly accepted drop rate is 0.7%, there are players who claim it may be closer to 1-3%. This mount is extremely elusive and difficult to obtain, making it necessary to be prepared for a long wait in order to acquire it.

Liberated Slyvern (Dragonflight)

Defeat Breezebiter, a rare spawn that appears to the Northwest of Azure Archives in The Azure Span, to acquire the Reins of the Liberated Slyvern.

The likelihood of obtaining this mount is approximately 2%, requiring multiple attempts of killing the creature before having a high chance of obtaining it. Fortunately, the waiting time for the creature to respawn is short, with Breezebiter reappearing within 2 hours. As a result, it is considered one of the more readily available rare mounts on this list.

Renown Mounts (The War Within)

At the moment of writing, the availability of rare mounts from The War Within is uncertain. This is because certain players have only recently gained access to PvE content, such as Raids, and some mounts, such as those belonging to the Earthen Allied Race, cannot be unlocked yet.

Currently, the top-tier Renown mount is a highly elusive type of mount, only obtainable for select factions in the game. These factions include:

• The Cyan Glowmite is available for purchase from Waxmonger Squick in The Ringing Deeps. To obtain this mount, players must have a Renown level of 23 with The Assembly of the Deeps and pay 11,375 Resonance Crystals.
• “The Shackled Shadow mount can be acquired at Renown 23 in Hallowfall Arathi. It is available for purchase from Auralia Steelstrike, located in Hallowfall, for 11,375 Resonance Crystals.”
• Smoldering Cinderbee. Requiring Renown 23 with Council of Dornogal, this lava bee can be bought for 11,375 Resonance Crystals from Auditor Balwurz who is in Dornogal.
• To acquire the Aquamarine Swarmite mount, players must have a Renown level of 23 with The Severed Threads and be able to purchase it for 3940 Kej from Lady Vinazian. The whereabouts of this NPC are currently unknown, but we will provide updates as soon as possible. Please check back for more information.

The mounts from The War Within may not remain the rarest treasures for much longer, but given the length of time the expansion has been available and the effort required to obtain them through grinding Renown, they are currently considered unique and infrequently encountered within the game.

There are alternative methods to obtain rare mounts in The War Within that are less time-consuming and expensive. Certain mounts can be acquired by completing Delve achievements.

If you’re aiming to quickly complete old Dungeons and Raids in order to acquire additional mounts in The War Within, be sure to consult our DPS and Tank tier lists to determine which classes currently have the highest damage output.