Burning Crusade Mounts Guide (2025)
The Burning Crusade introduced some of World of Warcraft’s most iconic and sought-after mounts. From the legendary Ashes of Al’ar phoenix to the prestigious Netherwing drakes, TBC mounts represent the golden age of mount collecting. This guide covers every obtainable mount from The Burning Crusade, including dungeon drops, raid mounts, reputation grinds, engineering creations, and the removed mounts that defined an era.
Quick Reference: All TBC Mounts
| Mount | Source | Drop Rate / Grind Time | Still Obtainable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashes of Al’ar | Tempest Keep (Kael’thas) | ~2% drop | ✅ Yes |
| Raven Lord | Sethekk Halls Heroic (Anzu) | ~1% drop | ✅ Yes |
| Swift White Hawkstrider | Magister’s Terrace Heroic (Kael’thas) | ~4% drop | ✅ Yes |
| Fiery Warhorse | Karazhan (Attumen) | ~1% drop | ✅ Yes |
| Netherwing Drakes (6 colors) | Netherwing Exalted | 10-14 days dailies | ✅ Yes |
| Nether Rays (5 colors) | Sha’tari Skyguard Exalted | 6-8 hours grind | ✅ Yes |
| Talbuks (8 variants) | Kurenai/Mag’har Exalted | 6-8 hours grind | ✅ Yes |
| Flying Machine | Engineering 300 | Craftable | ✅ Yes |
| Turbo-Charged Flying Machine | Engineering 375 | Craftable | ✅ Yes |
| Amani War Bear | Zul’Aman Timed | Removed Patch 3.0 | ❌ No |
Burning Crusade Dungeon Mounts
Reins of the Raven Lord (Sethekk Halls Heroic)
The Raven Lord is one of TBC’s most distinctive mounts, and it’s surprisingly accessible in 2025.
Drop Rate: Approximately 1% from Anzu
Location: Sethekk Halls, Auchindoun (Terokkar Forest)
Difficulty: Heroic only
Lockout: Daily (you can run once per day per character)
How to Get It (2025 Strategy):
Anzu is the second boss in Sethekk Halls and spawns automatically in the center of the room on Heroic difficulty. Originally, only druids could summon him, but now he appears for all players.
- Enter Sethekk Halls on Heroic difficulty
- Clear to Anzu (second boss, very quick at max level)
- Kill Anzu and loot for Raven Lord
- Reset and repeat (10 dungeon lockouts per hour account-wide)
Solo Farming Tips:
The entire dungeon takes 3-5 minutes to clear at level 80. You can park multiple alts outside and farm daily on each character to maximize chances. The 10 dungeons per hour limit applies account-wide, so plan your reset timing.
Important Note: This is a ground mount only, despite being a bird. It cannot fly.
Swift White Hawkstrider (Magister’s Terrace Heroic)
A sleek blood elf mount available to both factions.
Drop Rate: Approximately 4% from Kael’thas Sunstrider
Location: Magister’s Terrace, Isle of Quel’Danas
Difficulty: Heroic only
Lockout: Daily
How to Get It (2025 Strategy):
- Take the portal to Isle of Quel’Danas from Shattrath
- Enter Magister’s Terrace on Heroic
- Clear to Kael’thas (final boss)
- Kill and loot
At max level, this dungeon is extremely fast to clear. Kael’thas also drops the Phoenix Hatchling pet, making this farm doubly valuable for collectors.
Burning Crusade Raid Mounts
Ashes of Al’ar (Tempest Keep)
The most famous mount from The Burning Crusade era and still one of the rarest in the game.
Drop Rate: 1.7-2% from Kael’thas Sunstrider
Location: Tempest Keep (The Eye), Netherstorm
Difficulty: Any (raid has no difficulty modes)
Lockout: Weekly
Why It’s Special:
Ashes of Al’ar is the only PvE mount in TBC that flies at 310% speed (in expansions where that mattered). It’s a brilliant phoenix with fiery wings and a distinctive sound effect, making it instantly recognizable.
How to Get It (2025 Strategy):
- Fly to Tempest Keep in Netherstorm (floating structure in northeast)
- Enter the Eye raid instance
- Clear through four bosses to reach Kael’thas
- Important: Kill the phoenix boss (Al’ar) first for the encounter, but the mount drops from Kael’thas
- Loot Kael’thas
Farming Efficiency:
With one character, expect to farm for 50-100 weeks on average (1-2 years). Use multiple alts to increase your weekly chances. Demon Hunters and Druids make the fastest farmers due to mobility.
Fiery Warhorse’s Reins (Karazhan)
A flaming skeletal horse from WoW’s most beloved raid.
Drop Rate: ~1% from Attumen the Huntsman
Location: Karazhan, Deadwind Pass
Difficulty: Any (10-player raid, no difficulty modes in original)
Lockout: Weekly
How to Get It (2025 Strategy):
- Enter Karazhan (entrance in Deadwind Pass)
- Attumen is the first boss, extremely quick to reach
- Kill and loot
This is one of the fastest raid mount farms in WoW. You can run it in under 5 minutes per character per week.
Black Temple and Mount Hyjal
Neither Black Temple nor Mount Hyjal drop direct mounts from bosses. However, both raids are worth mentioning for transmog farming and the Warglaives of Azzinoth from Illidan.
Netherwing Drakes (The Ultimate TBC Grind)
Six color variants of the most prestigious reputation mounts in Burning Crusade.
The Six Netherwing Colors
- Reins of the Azure Netherwing Drake (blue)
- Reins of the Cobalt Netherwing Drake (dark blue)
- Reins of the Onyx Netherwing Drake (black)
- Reins of the Purple Netherwing Drake (purple)
- Reins of the Veridian Netherwing Drake (green)
- Reins of the Violet Netherwing Drake (light purple)
Cost: First drake free at Exalted, additional drakes 200 gold each
Vendor: Drake Dealer Hurlunk, Netherwing Ledge (Shadowmoon Valley)
Requirements Before Starting
Mandatory:
- Level 70 minimum
- Flying mount (any speed works for quest chain)
- Epic flying skill (300 riding) to progress past Neutral
Unlocking the Netherwing Faction
The faction starts at Hated. You must complete a quest chain to reach Neutral before dailies unlock.
Quest Chain (Hated to Neutral):
- Find Mordenai in southeastern Shadowmoon Valley (use
/tar Mordto target) - Accept Kindness (feed 8 Mature Netherwing Drakes)
- Seek Out Neltharaku (speak with flying drake)
- Neltharaku’s Tale (listen to his story)
- Infiltrating Dragonmaw Fortress (kill 15 Dragonmaw Orcs)
- To Netherwing Ledge! (collect 12 Nethervine Crystals)
- The Force of Neltharaku (free 5 Enslaved Netherwing Drakes)
- Karynaku (speak with chained drake atop fortress)
- Zuluhed the Whacked (kill Zuluhed, free Karynaku)
Completing this chain grants enough reputation to reach Neutral and unlocks the daily quest hub.
Netherwing Daily Quests
Once Neutral, you unlock daily quests. More dailies unlock at Friendly, Honored, and Revered.
Daily Quests Available at Each Rank:
Neutral (3-4 dailies):
- The Booterang: A Cure for the Common Worthless Peon (350 rep)
- Picking Up the Pieces (350 rep)
- Dragons are the Least of Our Problems (350 rep)
- Professional gathering quests (if you have Mining, Herbalism, or Skinning)
Friendly (6-7 dailies):
- All previous dailies continue
- Additional quests unlock (100 more rep each than Neutral versions)
Honored and Revered:
- More dailies unlock progressively
- Each tier offers higher reputation rewards
Maximum Daily Reputation: ~1,350-1,500 reputation per day from all dailies
Netherwing Eggs (Optional Turbo Grind)
The Great Netherwing Egg Hunt:
Netherwing Eggs are rare spawns throughout Netherwing Ledge. The first egg turned in grants 350 reputation (one-time quest). After that, each egg grants 250 reputation via the repeatable quest.
Where Eggs Spawn:
- Ground spawns (very rare, random locations on Netherwing Ledge)
- Inside Netherdust Bushes (herbalism nodes)
- Inside Nethercite deposits (mining nodes)
- Drops from mobs on Netherwing Ledge (~1% drop rate)
- Netherspite in Karazhan (1-3 eggs per week)
Competition Warning: Eggs are highly contested. On populated servers, expect fierce competition. Most players complete the grind via dailies rather than egg farming.
How Long Does It Take?
Dailies Only: 10-14 days (doing all dailies each day)
Dailies + Egg Farming: As fast as 1-2 days (if you farm 168 eggs, extremely difficult)
Realistic Mixed Approach: 7-10 days
Exalted Reward Quests
When you reach Exalted:
- Bow to the Highlord (meet Illidan Stormrage)
- Lord Illidan Stormrage (fly to Shattrath, choose your free drake)
Pro Tip: Buy all other drake colors (200g each) from Drake Dealer Hurlunk BEFORE completing the final quest. Otherwise, you’ll have to fly all the way back from Shattrath.
Sha’tari Skyguard Nether Rays
Five color variants of manta ray-like flying mounts.
The Five Nether Ray Colors
- Green Riding Nether Ray
- Red Riding Nether Ray
- Silver Riding Nether Ray
- Blue Riding Nether Ray
- Purple Riding Nether Ray
Cost: 160 gold each at Exalted (20% reputation discount)
Vendor: Grella, Blackwind Landing (Terokkar Forest)
Requirements
- Flying mount to access quest areas
- Level 70 recommended
Unlocking Sha’tari Skyguard
Starting Quest:
- Accept Threat from Above from Yuula near Shattrath flight master
- Travel to Blackwind Landing in Skettis (southeastern Terokkar Forest)
- Complete quest chain to unlock dailies
Daily Quests
Available at Blackwind Landing:
- Fires Over Skettis (bomb runs, requires flying mount)
- Escape from Skettis (escort quest, 3 spawn points)
At Skyguard Outpost (Blade’s Edge Mountains):
Complete Ogri’la quest chain first to unlock this hub. Several dailies here grant both Sha’tari Skyguard AND Ogri’la reputation.
Reputation Farming (Fastest Method)
The fastest way to Exalted is mob grinding in Skettis.
Mob Grind Strategy:
- Kill all Arakkoa in Skettis (each grants 5-10 reputation)
- Collect Shadow Dust from kills
- Turn in 6 Shadow Dust to Severin for Elixir of Shadows
- Elixir reveals Time-Lost mobs (additional enemies, more reputation)
- Collect Time-Lost Scrolls from Time-Lost mobs
- Summon mini-bosses with scrolls (4 different bosses)
- Loot items from mini-bosses, trade to Hazzik for Time-Lost Offering
- Use offering to summon Terokk (main boss, 550 reputation)
Time to Exalted: 6-8 hours of continuous grinding (much faster than dailies)
Dailies Only Timeline
If you do dailies without grinding: approximately 30-37 days from Neutral to Exalted.
Kurenai / Mag’har Talbuks
Eight talbuk mount variants (four basic, four armored).
Alliance (Kurenai) vs Horde (Mag’har)
Alliance Vendor: Trader Narasu, Telaar (Nagrand)
Horde Vendor: Provisioner Nasela, Garadar (Nagrand)
Same mounts, different vendors based on faction.
The Eight Talbuk Variants
Basic Riding Talbuks (70 gold each):
- Cobalt Riding Talbuk
- Silver Riding Talbuk
- Tan Riding Talbuk
- White Riding Talbuk
War Talbuks (100 gold each):
- Cobalt War Talbuk (armored)
- Silver War Talbuk (armored)
- Tan War Talbuk (armored)
- White War Talbuk (armored)
Special Talbuks (Halaa PvP):
- Dark Riding Talbuk (70g + 15 Halaa tokens)
- Dark War Talbuk (100g + 20 Halaa tokens)
Only available when your faction controls Halaa in Nagrand.
Requirements
- Exalted with Kurenai (Alliance) or Mag’har (Horde)
- Ground mounts (100% speed)
Reputation Farming
Alliance Starting Point: Unfriendly (must do Zangarmarsh quests at Orebor Harborage to reach Neutral)
Horde Starting Point: Unfriedly (complete The Assassin quest chain in Hellfire Peninsula to reach Neutral)
Fastest Farming Method (Both Factions):
Ogre grinding in Nagrand. All ogres grant 10 reputation per kill until Exalted.
Best Grinding Locations:
- Burning Blade Ruins
- Northwind Cleft
- Southwind Cleft
- Warmaul Hill
- Laughing Skull Ruins
Warbeads Turn-In:
Ogres drop Obsidian Warbeads. Turn in 10 warbeads for 500 reputation (repeatable until Exalted).
Time to Exalted: 6-8 hours of continuous grinding
Engineering Mounts
Two craftable flying machines exclusive to engineers.
Flying Machine
Requirements:
- Engineering 300
- Outland Engineering (learned from trainer)
Materials:
- 8x Handful of Fel Iron Bolts
- 8x Adamantite Frame
- 1x Khorium Power Core
- 1x Elemental Seaforium Charge
Speed: 150% (normal flying speed)
Turbo-Charged Flying Machine
Requirements:
- Engineering 375 (max TBC engineering)
- Outland Engineering 75
Materials:
- 4x Adamantite Frame
- 8x Khorium Power Core
- 8x Felsteel Stabilizer
- 1x Hula Girl Doll
Speed: 280% (epic flying speed)
Where to Learn:
- Alliance: Niobe Whizzlespark, Wildhammer Stronghold (Shadowmoon Valley)
- Horde: Jonathan Garrett, Shadowmoon Village (Shadowmoon Valley)
Important Notes
- These mounts require Engineering to USE, not just craft
- They are Bind on Use, so engineers can sell them to other engineers on the Auction House
- If you drop Engineering, you cannot use these mounts
- Only usable in Outland and Northrend (original restriction, now account-wide)
Cenarion War Hippogryph
A reputation mount from Cenarion Expedition.
Requirement: Exalted with Cenarion Expedition
Cost: Varies by reputation discount
Location: Cenarion Expedition Quartermaster, Zangarmarsh
How to Get Exalted:
- Complete all Zangarmarsh quests
- Farm Coilfang Reservoir dungeons (Slave Pens, Underbog, Steamvault)
- Turn in Unidentified Plant Parts (herbalism gathering quest)
Vendor Mounts (Gold Purchases)
Standard Outland Faction Mounts
All Outland factions sell basic flying mounts at various reputation levels.
Common Pattern:
- Neutral: Access to vendors
- Honored: 10% discount
- Revered: 15% discount
- Exalted: 20% discount
PvP Mounts (Honor/Rating)
TBC introduced faction-specific PvP mounts purchasable with honor or arena ratings.
Frostwolf Howler (Horde):
- Purchased from Frostwolf vendor in Alterac Valley
- Requires Exalted Frostwolf Clan
Stormpike Battle Charger (Alliance):
- Purchased from Stormpike vendor in Alterac Valley
- Requires Exalted Stormpike Guard
Removed / Unobtainable Burning Crusade Mounts
Several TBC mounts were removed from the game and can no longer be obtained.
Amani War Bear (REMOVED)
The most prestigious mount of the TBC era.
Original Source: Zul’Aman timed run (save all 4 prisoners)
Removed: Patch 3.0.2 (October 2008, pre-Wrath of the Lich King)
Why Removed: Blizzard wanted to preserve the accomplishment at the intended difficulty level
The Timed Event:
Groups had to clear four bosses in Zul’Aman and rescue prisoners within strict time limits. Completing the event awarded one Amani War Bear to a lucky roll winner.
Modern Replacement:
The Amani Battle Bear was added in Patch 4.1.0 when Zul’Aman was revamped as a 5-player dungeon. It looks similar but has different coloring.
If You See Someone With It:
This mount is now a Feat of Strength achievement and represents players who earned it during TBC or early Wrath. Extremely rare.
Arena Mounts (TBC Gladiator Seasons)
Original TBC gladiator mounts from Seasons 1-4 are no longer obtainable.
Removed TBC Gladiator Mounts:
- Merciless Nether Drake (Season 1)
- Vengeful Nether Drake (Season 2)
- Brutal Nether Drake (Season 3)
- Deadly Nether Drake (Season 4)
These were awarded to players who achieved Gladiator rating during specific arena seasons. They appear similar to Netherwing drakes but with different armor and coloring.
2025 Farming Strategies
Weekly Lockout Route
Efficient route for farming all TBC raid mounts in one sitting:
Order of Operations:
- Karazhan (Deadwind Pass) – Attumen the Huntsman (5 minutes)
- Tempest Keep (Netherstorm) – Kael’thas Sunstrider (15-20 minutes)
- Magister’s Terrace Heroic (Isle of Quel’Danas) – Kael’thas (5 minutes)
- Sethekk Halls Heroic (Terokkar Forest) – Anzu (3 minutes)
Total Time: 30-35 minutes for all four TBC mount chances per character per week
Multi-Character Strategy
Running TBC mount farms on multiple alts dramatically increases your chances.
Recommended Number of Alts: 3-5 characters
Classes That Excel:
- Demon Hunter: Fel Rush, Glide, Double Jump (fastest)
- Druid: Travel Form, Dash, instant flying form
- Monk: Roll, Chi Torpedo
- Hunter: Disengage, Aspect of the Cheetah
10 Dungeons Per Hour Rule
You can only enter 10 dungeons per hour per account. Plan your Sethekk Halls and Magister’s Terrace farms accordingly.
Strategy:
- Run Sethekk Halls 10 times on one character
- Wait one hour from your first entry
- Resume farming (or switch to another character)
Best Class for TBC Mount Farming
#1: Demon Hunter
Superior mobility with Fel Rush, Glide, and Double Jump. Can abuse terrain in some raids.
#2: Druid
Instant mount forms, high movement speed, versatile.
#3: Monk
Excellent mobility with Roll abilities.
Reputation Grind Priorities
If you’re going after all TBC reputation mounts:
Fastest to Slowest:
- Sha’tari Skyguard (6-8 hours grinding)
- Kurenai/Mag’har (6-8 hours grinding)
- Netherwing (10-14 days dailies)
- Cenarion Expedition (varies, dungeon farming)
FAQ
What is the rarest TBC mount still obtainable?
Ashes of Al’ar from Tempest Keep with approximately 1.7-2% drop rate. It’s been farmed for nearly 20 years and remains one of the rarest mounts in WoW.
Is the Amani War Bear still obtainable?
No. The Amani War Bear was removed in Patch 3.0.2 (October 2008). Players who earned it during TBC have a Feat of Strength achievement.
Can you still get Netherwing drakes?
Yes. The Netherwing reputation grind is fully available in 2025 and takes 10-14 days through daily quests.
How long do Nether Rays take to farm?
You can reach Exalted with Sha’tari Skyguard in 6-8 hours by grinding Skettis mobs. Dailies alone take 30-37 days.
Do Engineering flying machines require Engineering to use?
Yes. You must maintain Engineering skill to ride these mounts. If you drop the profession, you lose access.
What’s the fastest TBC mount to obtain?
The Swift White Hawkstrider from Magister’s Terrace Heroic has a ~4% drop rate, making it relatively common compared to other dungeon/raid mounts.
Can you farm Raven Lord multiple times per day?
No. Sethekk Halls Heroic has a daily lockout. You can run it once per day per character.
Are Talbuks ground or flying mounts?
Ground mounts only. Talbuks provide 100% movement speed on the ground.
How many Netherwing drakes can you get?
All six color variants. The first is free when you reach Exalted. Additional colors cost 200 gold each.
What happened to TBC Gladiator mounts?
Original TBC arena season mounts (Merciless, Vengeful, Brutal, Deadly Nether Drakes) are no longer obtainable. They were exclusive to specific gladiator seasons.
Related Guides
Explore more World of Warcraft mount guides:
- Complete WoW Mounts Guide
- Rare Mounts Farming Guide
- Wrath of the Lich King Mounts Guide
- Cataclysm Mounts Guide
- Mists of Pandaria Mounts Guide
- Warlords of Draenor Mounts Guide
- Legion Mounts Guide
- Battle for Azeroth Mounts Guide
- Shadowlands Mounts Guide
- Dragonflight Mounts Guide
- War Within Mounts Guide
The Burning Crusade remains one of the most rewarding expansions for mount collectors. Whether you’re chasing the legendary Ashes of Al’ar, grinding Netherwing dailies, or farming Nether Rays in Skettis, TBC offers some of the most distinctive and prestigious mounts in World of Warcraft. Start with the quick dungeon farms, commit to reputation grinds based on your schedule, and enjoy building one of the most iconic mount collections in the game.
