Overview of Mounts in Shadowlands
The Shadowlands introduced dozens of new mounts, ranging from swift ground steeds to epic and legendary flying companions. This Shadowlands mount guide covers acquisition methods, reputations, achievements, and key locations so you can plan your collection efficiently. Whether you are chasing a signature class mount, a seasonal cosmetic reward, or a universal speed boost, understanding where and how to obtain each mount saves time and resources.
How Mounts Work in Shadowlands
Mounts in Shadowlands follow the familiar progression model from previous expansions, with new models, animations, and abilities tied to your covenant and specializations. Most are learned from trainers, reputation vendors, or achievement rewards. Rares and world bosses may drop unique variations, while covenant-specific campaigns and seasonal events offer exclusive options. Flying remains tied to your covenant's advancement, and certain mounts require you to unlock allied races or complete class campaigns before they become available.
Summit of the Chosen Starter Mount
Upon reaching level 50 and completing the covenant tutorial on the Summit of the Chosen, you receive your initial covenant mount. Each covenant offers a unique species tailored to your class fantasy, and these serve as your primary fast travel companions until you unlock additional options. This early access emphasizes narrative integration, tying mount progression directly to your covenant story and covenant questline completion.
Reputation-Based Mounts
Reputational grinds remain a core pillar of the Shadowlands expansion, offering iconic creatures such as the foxes of Revendreth and the equine companions of Maldraxxus. By increasing your standing with allied factions, you unlock progressively faster and more distinctive mounts. Key reputational rewards often require reaching Revered or Exalted and may necessitate completing world quests, dailies, or covenant-specific tasks to access the final mount tiers.
Major Reputation Mounts
- Revendreth: Foxes and raptors tied to the Kyrian aesthetic, available through covenant and allied faction interactions.
- Maldraxxus: Equine and raptor variants reflecting the undead martial traditions, unlocked via the modest reputation grind with local houses.
- Ardenweald: Grizzly and antlered companions representing nature’s persistence, earned through fey-themed campaigns and world quests.
- Bastion: Legendary steeds reminiscent of Uther’s charger, attainable through challenging endgame reputational paths.
Commendations and Conquest Currency
Renown Heart of Azeroth campaigns and covenant commendation caches provide consistent opportunities to acquire dyed variants and minor accessories for your mounts. Seasonal caches and covenant conquest vendors may offer special bridles, caparisons, and other cosmetic upgrades. Prioritize commendation dailies and weekly quests to steadily build your collection without relying on random drops.
Class and Covenant Locked Mounts
Certain mounts are restricted by class or covenant, reinforcing each specialization’s fantasy. These rewards are typically obtained through covenants’ unique campaign missions, artifact weapon appearances, or achievement lines tied to covenant storylines. While not required for endgame progression, they provide valuable animation sets, flying improvements, and a sense of exclusivity within your chosen path.
Class-Specific Mount Examples
| Mount | Class / Covenant | Acquisition Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Night Fae Steed | Demon Hunter (Necrolord) | Covenant Campaign Reward | Obtained during the allied race introduction and main covenant story. |
| Swiftwing Raptor | Evoker (Winterborne) | Covenant Campaign + Achievement | Requires completing the dragonkin storyline and a small achievement checklist. |
| Incandescent Charger | Paladin (Vindicator) | Covenant Reputation Exalted | Reflects the order’s martial traditions with a radiant visual effect. |
| Feral Spirit Panther | Druid (Tree of Life) | Covenant Reputation Revered | Focuses on natural resilience and shapeshifting aesthetics. |
| Ebon Gryphon | Death Knight (Frost) | Seasonal Event or Dungeon Set Reward | Availability may rotate based on event schedules and patch content. |
Achievement and Seasonal Mounts
Achievement mounts offer long-term goals that persist across expansions, granting prestige and often unique animations. Seasonal and event mounts may be time-limited but sometimes return with modifications in future patches. Understanding which rewards are permanent helps prioritize your in-game activities. Track weekly quests, vaulted caches, and covenant artifact appearances to steadily approach these high-value objectives.
Notable Achievement Mounts
- The Reins of the Time-Lost Proto-Drake: A rare drop tied to world exploration and difficult combat encounters.
- Swift Ashes: Achievement-based skeletal horse obtainable through world quests and rare spawns.
- Covenant Signature Mounts: Each covenant features at least one prestige mount tied to campaign milestones.
- Faction Grand Commendation Rewards: Exalted-tier rewards include glider and mount tokens with distinctive animations.
Where and How to Acquire Mounts Efficiently
Efficiency starts with a clear plan: identify which mounts are class-restricted, which reputations you can grind quickly, and which achievements align with your current progression. Maintain a checklist of desired rewards, track vendor rotations, and schedule weekly covenant commendation dailies. Use heirlooms and speed-boost consumables to reduce travel time on foot grind, and coordinate with guildmates for rep grinds that scale poorly in solo play.
Acquisition Checklist Template
| Mount Category | Example | Source | Estimated Time Investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Covenant Campaign | Night Fae Steed | Story Mission | 6–10 hours |
| Reputation | Revenant Fox | Maldraxxus Exalted | 3–6 hours |
| Achievement | Time-Lost Proto-Drake | World Drop | 10–30 hours |
| Seasonal | Spring Hatchling | Seasonal Vendor | Event Duration |
Mount Utility and Practical Considerations
Beyond aesthetics, mounts improve travel times across the four main zones and between major hubs, which compounds over long routes. Consider your preferred playstyle: spammable flight keys may be more valuable to a completionist, while cosmetic uniqueness may matter more to a collector. Account-bound rewards and heirloom-scaled progress ensure that time invested in early expansions continues to pay off, and many reputational mounts remain relevant through subsequent patches due to their speed and visual appeal.
Final Tips for Completing Your Collection
- Prioritize covenant campaign mounts early, as they often unlock at level 50 with minimal additional effort.
- Rotate through reputations weekly to maintain steady gains toward Exalted-tier rewards.
- Track achievement criteria using in-game logs and external databases to avoid redundant runs.
- Leverage seasonal events for time-limited cosmetics that may return in future years with new animations.
- Coordinate with your group or guild for grinds that benefit from shared rep gains or loot drops.