In many MMO and RPG games, mounts are considered a necessary utility. In a world as big as Azeroth in World of Warcraft, they are a critical part of navigating the planet, but some stand out above their immediate peers.
Whether it be their impressive design, a unique feature or an impossibly low chance to collect, quite a few mounts in the game could be considered iconic. With the release of later expansions, the number of mounts available has risen to around a thousand and mount collecting is now a huge part of the game.
Dragonflight also introduced the customizable Dragonriding mounts, further refreshing a flying system and adding some much-needed pace and mechanical interaction to proceedings.
Without further ado, here are Dexerto’s picks for the most iconic mounts in the history of World of Warcraft.
The ten most iconic mounts in World of Warcraft
10. Mimiron’s Head
Available as a drop from Yogg-Saron in Wrath of the Lich King’s Ulduar raid, Mimiron’s Head is one of the all-time most memorable mount designs that Blizzard has ever put out. With a drop chance of less than one percent and farming opportunities limited by the raid lockout, only 14% of profiles have attained the mount to this day.
There was genuinely nothing in the game like it, up until Blizzard returned to similar designs after the addition of Mechagon to Battle for Azeroth. Though G.M.O.D and its ilk are very memorable in their own right, none are as iconic as the original.
9. Mighty Caravan Brutosaur
The Mighty Caravan Brutosaur managed to secure its position as the most iconic pure dinosaur mount in the game, thanks almost entirely to its insane price tag. It was available from one of two faction-specific vendors for the scarcely believable price of 5 million gold.
As a result, it instantly became the ultimate item for those who wanted to flaunt their in-game wealth. Beyond that, it eventually became a race against time for determined mount collectors to buy, after it was announced that the Brutosaur was to be removed from the game. Only around 4% of profiles have the mount, and that number can only go down from here.
8. Darkmoon Dirigible
The Darkmoon Dirigible has a lot going for it. Firstly, it’s a prestige item that is immensely time-consuming to collect, costing 1000 Darkmoon Prize Tickets from the associated vendor at the Faire. Even if players diligently complete a lengthy list of associated tasks, it is currently impossible to earn much more than 275 tickets per month, meaning it will take nearly four months in total to earn the mount.
Beyond that, it has a unique and highly stylized airship design that isn’t really replicated anywhere else in the game. Around 14% of players have been through the mill and earned the mount, and it’s a fairly safe bet that many of them will consider it time well spent.
7. Son of Galleon
If a player isn’t interested in attaining Son of Galleon by paying gold cap for it on the Black Market Auction House, then it may be some time before it’s a part of their collection. The mount was added during Mists of Pandaria, and it has a drop rate somewhere south of 1%.
Even all these years later, only 1% of profiles have managed to attain it, and that rarity has allowed it to become a real mark of quality for any mount hoarder. The forums are littered with stories of players waiting literal years to get it before it finally dropped, usually as a bonus roll.
6. Invincible
Inarguably the most desirable mount during the most remarkable expansion in World of Warcraft history, Invincible is steeped in the greater lore of the game. Available as a drop from the Lich King himself at the end of the Icecrown Citadel raid, around 19% of profiles now have the mount in their collections.
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The horse itself was the lame childhood companion of Arthas Menethil, who would later become the Lich King. He killed the horse to end its suffering before bringing it back to serve as his steed when he developed the ability to do so as the master of death. Its design is also incredible and immediately recognizable to anyone who knows of its existence.
5. Rivendare’s Deathcharger
The skeletal warhorse of Baron Rivendare himself, Rivendare’s Deathcharger, is the mount on this list that feels like an (un)living, breathing part of early Azeroth. Available as a drop from the end boss of Stratholme, Aurelius Rivendare, it drops at around a rate of 1%.
It has currently been attained by around 20% of profiles thanks, in large part, to it being a dungeon drop that can be farmed far more regularly than a raid. The model is now a little low-res for some people’s liking, but the detail and overall design still set it apart, some 17 years since its initial release.
4. Time-Lost Proto Drake
Some of the game’s most iconic mount farming stories relate to the Time-Lost Proto Drake. Added to the game during the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, the drake shares a respawn timer with another winged beast called Vyragosa. That timer is anything from 2-8 hours, and the Time-Lost Proto Drake only has a 10% chance of spawning each time.
There is a well-worn joke within the community that the name refers to the amount of time wasted waiting for the mount, and it is still a must-have for any serious mount collector. There are far more difficult mounts to attain, but few are as monotonous, or iconic as the Time-Lost Proto Drake.
3. Swift Spectral Tiger
The Swift Spectral Tiger was only available to players who redeemed it after collecting the card of the same name in the ultimately doomed World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. Thanks to that game’s poor sales, and the card’s rarity in the Fires of Outland expansion set, the mount is very unusual to see out in the wild.
Wowhead estimates that 3% of profiles have the mount, though this is undoubtedly far lower on active accounts specifically. The card itself now costs around $5000 to buy, largely thanks to the mount it awards in-game, and if that doesn’t make for an iconic ride, then it’s difficult to see what does.
2. Ashes of Al’ar
First added to the game as a drop from Kael’Thas Sunstrider in Tempest Keep’s 25-man raid, The Eye, Ashes of Al’ar remains a massive draw for mount collectors. Put simply, players had not seen anything quite like it before and its unique coloration is still one of the most striking in the game.
The ethereal nature of the design has prevented the mount from being too affected by the low-res textures that often haunt its immediate peers. Thanks to the amount of time it’s been in the game, quite a few people now have the mount. That said, with around a 1% drop rate, some unfortunate collectors have been farming for years without success.
1. Black Qiraji Battle Tank
One of the most extraordinary timed events and questlines in World of Warcraft history also ended up rewarding what has become one of its rarest mounts. Anybody who has played Temple of Ahn’Qiraj will recognize the model, but the black coloring of this Qiraji Battle tank is what sets it apart.
The mount was awarded to the first person on each server to bang the gong that opens the gates of the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj. Additionally, anyone who also hit the gong within ten hours of the first person was awarded the Battle Tank and the Scarab Lord title. The main issue was the incredibly complex and long quest that players needed to complete beforehand. To this day, the most iconic mount in WoW thanks to its rarity and perfect method of acquisition within the game’s lore.
And that’s the list! Though not all of the mounts listed are currently available in-game, there should still be plenty to go out there and hunt to fill in the holes in that collection.
