WoW Classic TBC: Flying Mount Acquisition Guide

If you've spent enough time adventuring through Outland in WoW Classic: The Burning Crusade, you've probably noticed there's quite a bit of ground to cover. Although traveling by foot or standard ground mount works fine at first, being able to take to the skies with a flying mount quickly becomes something every player looks forward to. Flying mounts aren't just a convenience--they open up new routes, help you bypass dangerous areas, and are even required to reach certain endgame content. Getting your hands on one involves saving up gold, understanding reputation discounts, and knowing exactly where--and when--to buy. While it can seem a little daunting initially, it's actually fairly straightforward once you've figured out the details. Let's break down everything you need to know about acquiring your flying mount in Burning Crusade Classic.

Knowing Your Mount Types and Riding Skill Levels

First off, let’s quickly clarify the basics. In Burning Crusade Classic there's a difference between your riding skill and the mount itself. You need both to actually start flying.

Here’s how riding works in Outland:

• Expert Riding (225 Skill): Lets you hop on basic flying mounts, increasing your travel speed by 60% in flight. These mounts can move at 100% speed on the ground. Expert riding will cost a substantial chunk of gold, so budgeting early is important.
• Artisan Riding (300 Skill): Unlocks epic flying mounts, speeding up your flights dramatically, with flight speed boosted by 280%. This is a big-time upgrade, but with a huge price tag--we won't cover this one just yet, as this section focuses specifically on first-time mount buyers.

Your first flying mount will be the slower one (60% flying speed), but even at that speed, moving between quest hubs and farming spots becomes a thousand times more convenient. So, let's move past riding skill basics and figure out exactly when and where to make your big purchase.

Reaching Level 70 and Budgeting Smartly

Sorry, folks, there's no way around it: your first flying mount is unavailable until you hit level 70. Even if you completed tons of quests early, you won't find flying accessible any sooner.

Once you're finally level 70, there are two general costs you should plan around:

• Expert Riding skill: 800 gold
• Basic Flying Mount: 100 gold

In other words, you'll want at least 900 gold total sitting in your pockets before you go shopping.

Budgeting smartly is key. Consider earning extra gold while questing: sell gathered herbs, ores, leathers, or rare BOE greens on the Auction House. Boost your earnings further by limiting unnecessary spending while you're leveling--every extra copper counts.

Taking Advantage of Reputation Discounts

Gold sinks sting, but luckily, reputation grinds can help reduce expenses. If you earn higher reputation standing with the main factions at your faction’s Outland hub--Honor Hold for Alliance and Thrallmar for Horde--you unlock meaningful discounts:

• Neutral reputation: No discount.
• Friendly reputation: 5% discount.
• Honored reputation: 10% discount.
• Revered reputation: 15% discount.
• Exalted reputation: 20% discount.

If you pushed heavily through Hellfire Peninsula and associated dungeons while leveling, you'll likely either be Honored or even Revered as you near level 70. At Revered, your Expert Riding skill drops to 680 gold, down from 800. Your mount price drops slightly too, from 100 down to 85 gold.

Reputation farming tips: spam run Hellfire Ramparts or Blood Furnace dungeons while leveling, turn in identity markers dropped from mobs, and complete every quest in Hellfire Peninsula. Grind a bit extra here and there now to save gold later.

Where to Buy Your Flying Mount and Skill

Both Alliance and Horde players have easy-access NPC vendors located right in Shadowmoon Valley at their faction’s outposts--conveniently close to your final zones and questing hubs. Find them here:

Alliance Players

Head to Wildhammer Stronghold located in south-eastern Shadowmoon Valley. Look for NPC Brunn Flamebeard, standing outside near the gryphon roost atop the main fortress. Brunn will offer Expert Riding and sell various mount colors.

Horde Players

Visit Shadowmoon Village, your faction settlement nestled in northwest Shadowmoon Valley. Find NPC Dama Wildmane near the wyvern flight master. She’ll happily sell you your riding skill as well as your first flying mount, giving you multiple color choices.

Don’t stress over mount color--it's entirely cosmetic, so pick whatever feels right.

Special Cases and Alternatives

While most players buy mounts from these vendors, Druids have a unique advantage with their Flight Form, available through a special quest chain at level 68. Druids sidestep the initial mount purchase by learning a shapeshift ability instead. It's like a cheap, built-in mount--definitely a nice benefit of being part-tree.

Other classes won't be so lucky. Still, don't sweat it; by level 70, earning gold becomes faster and easier as you access more daily quests. If you find you're still short the required funds at 70, daily quest chains, battleground honor token exchanges, or quick dungeon and resource farming runs will get you there relatively quickly.

What to Do After You Get Your Flying Mount

Congratulations: You did it! You've finally purchased your ticket to Outland’s skies. So what's next?

Besides feeling incredibly cool as you zoom around your favorite zones, you'll now have full access to flying-required daily quests, unique resource nodes and farming locations in hard-to-reach areas, and challenging end-game dungeons like Tempest Keep dungeons (such as Arcatraz) that would otherwise remain locked.

Once you've saved up substantially more gold, Artisan Riding and epic flying mounts become your next major goal, but that's talking future stuff. For now, just enjoy your newfound freedom and soar above Outland's annoying mobs, cliffs, and obstacles with your brand new flying mount.

Summing Up Your Flying Mount Costs--What You Should Know

Paying for your first flying mount isn't complicated, but it can sneak up on you if you're spending freely while leveling. Here's a straightforward rundown to make sure your gold bag's ready once you ding level 70:

Quick Recap of the Numbers

• Expert Riding (225) -- This is the skill required to actually use your flying mount. Costs 800 gold at baseline price.
• Standard Flying Mount (60% flight speed) -- Your initial set of wings costs another 100 gold.

So, at face value, you’re looking at a total of 900 gold as your baseline price.

Don't Miss Out on Reputation Discounts

Those 900 gold don’t have to be the final tally, though. As we mentioned, reputation with certain factions offers discounts on mount and skill prices. If you've been running dungeons and completing quests carefully while leveling, you'll likely see your reputation status with either Honor Hold (Alliance) or Thrallmar (Horde) move beyond Neutral.

Here's how the math plays out:

| Reputation Level | Discount | Expert Riding Cost | Mount Cost | Total Cost | |------------------|----------|--------------------|------------|------------| | Neutral | 0% | 800 gold | 100 gold | 900 gold | | Friendly | 5% | 760 gold | 95 gold | 855 gold | | Honored | 10% | 720 gold | 90 gold | 810 gold | | Revered | 15% | 680 gold | 85 gold | 765 gold | | Exalted | 20% | 640 gold | 80 gold | 720 gold | Getting to Revered isn't that hard--quest progress and dungeon running in Hellfire Peninsula alone adds up quickly. Realistically, many players will unlock the Revered price (765 gold total) if they're careful about reputation during leveling.

Hidden Costs (Hint: They're Not That Bad)

There aren't too many hidden surprises when you buy your first flying mount. However, some players overlook certain quick expenses like Flight Paths or Repair costs spent while grinding reputation. Also, keep pocket money handy for Auction House listing fees if you're the type selling crafted gear and gathered resources.

These aren't huge setbacks, but if you're cutting gold close, a random repair bill or AH deposit might delay your flying mount purchase by a few hours or an evening of farming.

Side Notes and Special Situations

If you're a Druid, congrats--you've got a shortcut! Druids at level 68 unlock Flight Form via a special questline that lets you skip buying a physical mount altogether. For other Classes, no shortcuts yet; you'll just have to save gold the traditional way.

As an alternate budget strategy, consider delaying slightly if you're desperate for reputation discounts. Maybe complete some daily quests or farm valuable resources on the side after you reach 70 to take advantage of cheaper pricing. But don't delay too long--the travel flexibility flying offers rapidly pays for itself by accelerating further gold earning.

Looking Ahead--Epic Riding and Epic Costs

So after you’re airborne and enjoying the convenience of skipping dangerous treks through Blade’s Edge Mountains or flying swiftly between Terokkar dailies, your next mount milestone becomes Artisan Riding. Epic flying (280% speed) is a major upgrade but carries a steep price: 5,000 gold (before reputation discounts). The ride itself is another 200 gold, totaling 5,200.

Don’t get overwhelmed though--daily quests, resource gathering in flying-only areas, and general ease of farming gold at level 70 means you’ll make money fast now that you’re airborne. Your slower mount opens windows of opportunity that lead directly into an easier path toward your epic upgrades later on.

For now, though, simply set your eyes firmly on your initial purchase. Focus your budget strategy, finish pushing to that Revered reputation discount, and soon enough you’ll be enjoying effortless flights around Outland.

Epic Flying Mounts--Getting Serious About Your Flight Game

So you've gotten comfortable zooming about Outland on your standard flying mount, but you're noticing something: your friends keep zooming past you. Like, way past you. That sleek purple proto-drake whooshing over your head isn't just a status symbol--it's a practical tool that changes how you play The Burning Crusade. Time to upgrade to epic flying!

Here's everything you'll need to know about unlocking, funding, and fully utilizing epic flying mounts in World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade (TBC).

Epic Riding Skill--The Need For Speed

Your slow bird got you where you wanted to go, sure. But the epic flying version is almost five times faster in the air, clocking in at an incredible 280% airspeed boost (compared to only 60% on a basic mount). In TBC Classic, getting places quickly matters, because you'll spend much of your playtime traveling between daily quest hubs, farming areas, and dungeon entrances scattered across Outland. An epic mount drastically reduces your flight times, letting you pack more fun--or gold farming!--into your game sessions.

How Much Does Epic Flying Cost?

Let's not sugar-coat it: epic riding training is expensive. Compared to your basic flying mount costs (which topped out at just under 1,000 gold at Neutral rep), epic mounts represent a significant leap:

• Artisan Riding (Skill 00, 280% flight speed): 5,000 gold
• Epic Mount Itself: an additional 200 gold

That's a whopping 5,200 gold total--again, that's BEFORE any faction discounts kick in.

But don't let the number scare you; endgame gold-earning methods in TBC Classic mean epic mounts remain achievable for most players willing to dedicate some focused farming time or savvy Auction House trading.

Faction Discounts and Reputation--Why This Matters Even More Now

Just like our earlier flying mounts purchasing guide, your rep status matters here too. While grinding reputation to shave a few gold off your first flying purchase saved some spending gold, it becomes a much bigger deal now that the price has soared to 5,000+ gold.

Here's that important discount breakdown again:

| Reputation Level | Discount | Artisan Riding Cost | Epic Mount Cost | Total Cost | |------------------|----------|---------------------|-----------------|------------| | Neutral | 0% | 5,000 gold | 200 gold | 5,200 gold | | Friendly | 5% | 4,750 gold | 190 gold | 4,940 gold | | Honored | 10% | 4,500 gold | 180 gold | 4,680 gold | | Revered | 15% | 4,250 gold | 170 gold | 4,420 gold | | Exalted | 20% | 4,000 gold | 160 gold | 4,160 gold |

An Exalted discount saves you over 1,000 gold total, enough to buy a fancy weapon enchant or kickstart your raid consumables supply. But hitting Revered is a kinder, more achievable goal for most players--so don't neglect your quest chains and dungeon runs in Hellfire Peninsula to get at least this minimum discount.

Funding Your Epic Mount--Where to Start

5,000 gold plus mount money is intimidating but not impossible. Your mount-less life before hitting level 70 limited your gold-making options, but your basic flying mount unlocked several lucrative new paths:

Daily Quests

Daily hubs, including Netherwing and Skyguard dailies (which require flight access), pay around 10-12 gold each reward. Spending just 1-2 hours each evening checking those off yields hundreds of gold weekly. Easy gold!

Professions and Resource Farming

Professions scale extremely well once you've got access to flying-only areas. Such locations hide prized items:

• Herbalists: Flying lets you pick precious mana thistle in Blade's Edge Mountains or Netherstorm herbs freely.
• Miners: Rich adamantite and rare khorium veins show up in mountainous and floating-island zones previously off-limits.
• Skinning and farming elementals: With higher speed and accessibility, leather farming or grinding for primals becomes more efficient.

Gold earnings jump considerably with Artisan Riding unlocked.

Dungeon Runs and Summons

Flying shortcuts allow quick instance entrances--making grouping faster and letting you run heroics, gather rep faster, and collect expensive BoE (Bind-on-Equip) drops to sell on AH.

Special Epic Mounts--Stylish Rides

Once you're ready to spend the 200 gold to buy your actual flying platform, multiple eye-catching options appear. While standard gryphons and wyverns sell in Shadowmoon Valley at Wildhammer Stronghold (Alliance) or Shadowmoon Village (Horde), special mounts are available, too:

• Nether Drakes (Netherwing Faction Reward): Completing the lengthy Netherwing questline rewards sleek dragon mounts. Incredibly cool-looking but represent multiple weeks of daily quests.
• Sha'tari Skyguard Rays: Completing Skyguard dailies grants reputation access to flying ray mounts purchasable in Terokkar Forest.
• Engineering and Rare Mounts: Crafted mounts like the turbo-powered flying machines (Engineering only) or the coveted Ashes of Al'ar (Tempest Keep raid drop) exist as prestigious trophies.

Is It Worth It Right Away?

Epic flying isn't just vanity--it revolutionizes your daily sessions in WoW Classic TBC. You'll farm quicker, quest smoother, and have far more fun without slowly crawling over Outland. But that price might cause sticker shock.

Personally, we recommend prioritizing epic flying once you're comfortable earning daily gold. It makes every other activity easier, speeds your reputation grinds, and accelerates your overall progression in Outland. Epic flying literally pays for itself if you regularly complete your gold-making dailies and take advantage of less-crowded resource farms.

Wrapping It All Up

Don't let the daunting costs scare you from your faster set of wings. Daily quests, profitable farming opportunities, and key faction reputations minimize how tough the initial fee actually feels. Set some gold aside daily, and before long, you'll have saved enough to make this upgrade comfortably. Trust us, once you've flown epic, you'll wonder how you ever tolerated doing things slowly.

Now, set those sights firmly on the skies--you’ve got this!

Quest-Based Flying Mounts: Unique Rewards Worth Working For

Maybe the vanilla gryphon doesn't excite you. Or perhaps that standard wyvern isn't stylish enough for your Outland adventures. WoW Classic TBC offers players epic flying mounts through engaging quest chains and daily grinds that feel way more rewarding than simply slapping down gold at a vendor.

Here's every notable quest-based flying mount, how to get it, and what it takes to make one your own.

Netherwing Drakes: Legendary Looks, Epic Grind

If flying through Shadowmoon Valley on a radiant dragon sounds appealing, the Netherwing Drake mount should be your primary focus. They're iconic, gorgeous, and tough to earn--making these drakes highly coveted trophies of achievement.

Getting Started: Earning Your Netherwing Reputation

First things first, you've gotta hit level 70 and purchase Artisan Riding (the fast flying skill). Then talk to an NPC named Mordenai in Shadowmoon Valley, near the Netherwing Fields. He'll offer a quick questline called "Kindness" to kick things off. Once that's complete, you gain neutral rep and start your daily quest grind on Netherwing Ledge.

Rep Grinding for Your Drake

You'll have to earn reputation through daily and repeatable quests around Netherwing Ledge, a zone accessible only with flying mounts. Early quests include feeding nether rays, hunting mobs, gathering herbs, or mining ores. While early on the grind feels slow, stick with it--higher reputation levels open even better-paying and faster-to-finish quests.

At Friendly, Honored, Revered, and Exalted, new quests become available. By Revered, you'll unlock time-saving activities like flying races, egg hunts, and cargo deliveries--quests that boost your rep gains significantly. Look carefully for Netherwing eggs hidden around--these rare eggs grant bonus reputation, speeding your grind immensely!

The Reward--Picking Your Drake

Once you've reached Exalted, a dramatic final quest series awaits. (No spoilers!) Completing these last short quests will finally award your Netherwing mount. You can choose freely from multiple vibrant colors including Azure, Onyx, Purple, Cobalt, Veridian, and Violet.

Pro tip: Choose carefully! While you CAN buy additional color variations later, the extra drakes cost 200 gold each. Many decide their first selection carefully to minimize this extra expense.

Sha'tari Skyguard Rays: Sleek and Stylish

Flying rays look radically different from dragons or gryphons. Unlocking these gentle and graceful gliders requires rep grinding in Terokkar Forest and Blade's Edge Mountains through daily Skyguard quests. Compared to the Netherwing grind, it's a bit quicker but still demands dedicated playtime.

Getting Started: Terokkar Forest and Blade's Edge Dailies

You begin Skyguard questing from the small Skyguard camp northeast of Shattrath City in Terokkar Forest. Starting as Neutral with Skyguard, daily quests include killing local threats, bombing runs against ogres, and gathering items for quest NPCs. Additional daily quests in Ogri'la (Blade's Edge Mountains) unlock after completing group quests there. Do them whenever you can for bonus reputation points.

Speeding Things Up: Time Efficiency Matters

You'll earn rep quickly if you're consistent--fast runs each day maxing out easy quests boost your rep noticeably. Don't forget, killing elite mobs at Skettis (in Terokkar) drops extra rep items, helping shorten your grind!

The Reward--Choosing a Flying Ray

At Exalted, visit the quartermaster in Terokkar to purchase your flying ray for just 200 gold. Multiple color choices include Blue, Green, Purple, Red, and Silver variations. Quick heads-up: these mounts handle beautifully in flight and stand out visually. They're unique enough to break viewer boredom from common gryphons, but easier to earn than Netherwings if you're short on playtime.

Engineering Mounts: Fast, Flashy, and Crafted

Engineering stereotype holds true--engineers get awesome mounts. At level 70 with Artisan Riding and maxed Engineering skill (375), engineers craft turbo-charged helicopters. This isn't a long rep grind; it's expensive mats instead.

Crafting Your Flying Machine

You'll craft your flying mount personally. The basic Flying Machine is a fun, homemade-looking aerial vehicle that's decently affordable. But Engineering's epic flying variant--the sleek Turbo-Charged Flying Machine--requires pricy materials such as Hula Girl Dolls, Khorium Power Cores, Felsteel Bars, and Elemental Seaforium Charges. It's not cheap, but totally doable if you've stockpiled mats, farmed resources smartly, or regularly monitor Auction House prices.

It's a craftable mount between pure gold-purchased mounts and lengthy reputation-based choices--perfect for WoW heads who prefer creating their own epic gadgets.

Rare Drop Mounts: Luck of the Draw

While not technically quest-based, certain famous mounts also require defeating challenging endgame content--effectively quest-like efforts requiring coordinated raid groups.

• Ashes of Al'ar: Iconic phoenix initially drops from Kael'thas Sunstrider in Tempest Keep's The Eye raid. It's extremely rare but highly unique. A guild runs these raids regularly and hopes it drops eventually.
• Raven Lord Mount: This one doesn't fly--but it's gorgeous and special enough to mention. Dropping rarely from Anzu in heroic Sethekk Halls (dungeon in Terokkar Forest), this mount sees daily farming attempts once heroic instances unlock.

These mounts require persistence and dedication. Luck definitely plays a part, but steady attempts can eventually net you bragging rights on an ultra-rare mount for WoW fame.

Wrapping Up Quest-Based Flying Mounts

Quest-grinded flying mounts ultimately reward patience and determined effort. Netherwing drakes, Skyguard rays, and crafted engineering vehicles give satisfying alternatives to traditional vendor mounts. Be ready to invest weeks of dailies for some options, but remember that earning a mount through tough daily play grants lasting satisfaction.

Choose your quest-based flying mount wisely--and good luck out there! When Burning Crusade came out, flying mounts transformed travel in WoW. But flying isn't always as simple as hopping onto your shiny drake and soaring off into sunset skies--there are rules! Flying availability and limitations can vary significantly depending on where you go, your riding skills, and expansions You're currently playing. Here's everything you should know about flying restrictions.

No-Fly Zones: Staying Grounded in Azeroth and Certain Areas

Flying feels amazing, but unfortunately, not all of Azeroth is open skies. Classic zones--the two main continents, Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor--don't support flight at all. Blizzard originally designed these areas for exploration on foot (or ground mounts). While expansions introduced flying, the original lands stayed strictly earthbound.

Moreover, some Burning Crusade regions also keep you grounded. Silvermoon City and Exodar, the expansion's two racial capitals, and their surrounding zones, Ghostlands, Eversong Woods, Azuremyst Isle, and Bloodmyst Isle remain no-fly zones even today. While beautiful, these areas are built for ground adventures, so you'll still be hoofing it, even at level 70 with maxed Artisan Riding.

Skies of Outland: Unlocking Flight in the Expansion Zones

Thankfully, TBC zones-- Outland itself--welcome flying warmly. Once you hit level 70, grab Artisan Riding, and buy your first basic flying mount, you can fly freely around most Outland regions immediately. Zones like Netherstorm, Shadowmoon Valley, Terokkar Forest, Blade's Edge Mountains, Zangarmarsh, Hellfire Peninsula, and Nagrand are fully explorable by air once prerequisites are met. Keep in mind that altitude ceilings and invisible zone borders still exist--you can't infinitely soar upward or endlessly outward, but standard flying works smoothly and comfortably once unlocked.

There's one minor-tricky caveat: While you can learn basic riding skill at level 60, purchasing and unlocking Artisan (epic) flying skill to move quicker through the skies becomes available only at level 70. This faster skill costs significant gold (around 5,000 gold without reputation discounts). Choosing your epic flyer can come down to finances--many players grind daily quests specifically to fund this costly skill upgrade.

PvP Areas and Special Flying Restrictions

PvP battlegrounds and specific boss encounters usually prevent flight. Blizzard designed most PvP zones--such as Eye of the Storm, Alterac Valley, Warsong Gulch, and Arathi Basin--to force ground-level combat. Flying mounts can't be summoned when inside these instance-types, so plan accordingly.

Additionally, certain World PvP areas, like the outdoor PvP objectives in Hellfire Peninsula (Stadium), Nagrand (Halaa), and Terokkar Forest towers, limit flight when active PvP combat begins. You might briefly get grounded when PvP heats up or forced off mounts entirely during combat scenarios, so stay alert in PvP engagement areas.

Indoor Spaces and Dungeon Flying Rules

It's common sense, but worth stating clearly--dungeon interiors and raids don't let you zip around on flying mounts. Most instances entirely restrict mounts, flight or otherwise. While certain outdoor entrances or pre-entry areas let you briefly summon mounts, you'll generally find yourself confined indoors and back to good old-fashioned running once you zone inside.

However, outdoor raid boss areas in open zones (like Doom Lord Kazzak or Doomwalker world bosses) distinctly DO let you fly. Blizzard knows that reaching these outdoor threats quickly matters for open-world competition, so flight here remains permitted.

Dismounting & Fall Damage--A Word of Caution

A friendly but serious heads-up: Flying mounts aren't invincible safeguards against fatal falls. Being attacked mid-flight (by ranged enemies, spells, or PvP opponents particularly) runs the risk of getting forcibly dismounted, which can result in deadly falls. Without quick reflexes or backups like Slow Fall potions, spells, or Engineering gadgets like parachutes, high-altitude dismounts frequently end with costly repair bills and embarrassment.

This simple but effective limitation encourages careful flight pacing. Don't AFK mid-air--and keep eyes peeled for trouble whenever you're high up.

Expansion-Specific Flying Restrictions Beyond TBC

While current Classic TBC zones have straightforward rules (generally unrestricted once unlocked), future expansions introduce other complex conditions. Wrath of the Lich King famously implements Cold Weather Flying skills needed to tackle Northrend's freezing skies. Subsequent expansions use similar unlock rules, tying flight access to completing lengthy quest achievements or meeting reputation thresholds.

While we won't detail Wrath rules in-depth here (that's another article!), the basics involve completing level requirements, spending additional gold, and investing significant questing time before full flight capabilities unlock. Each future expansion introduces different conditions, so be ready to adapt as expansions roll out.

Riding the Winds--Final Thoughts on Flying Limitations

Flying mounts unquestionably add depth and joy to WoW. Reaching the skies makes exploration quicker, more rewarding, and undeniably fun. Still, fully enjoying this ability means understanding where exactly you can (and can't!) spread your wings.

Navigating no-fly zones, careful attention in PvP areas, mindfulness about forced dismounting dangers and clear rules for indoor dungeons equips you to use flying mounts without frustration. Grasping flight restrictions upfront saves time and helps you plan smoother adventures. After grinding, questing, and crafting to finally acquire your shiny new flyer, there's nothing more annoying than discovering unexpected flight rules the hard way.

Know your limits. Fly smartly. Save your gold and your sanity by being an informed bird.