Breakfast Topic: Epic mounts
by Eliah Hecht 
Apr 5th 2007 at 8:00AM
I finally got my epic flying mount for my main the other day, and boy is that thing fast! 5200 gold well spent, if you ask me (5000 for the training, 200 for the mount itself). There aren't too many flying mounts available in game. Alliance get the choice between four different colors of gryphon: blue, red, purple, and green (I went with blue). The Horde counterpart is windriders, which come in yellow, red, purple, and green. Additionally, both factions in theory have access to the Nether Drake. Members of the top Arena team on each realm at the end of each season will get an armored Swift Nether Drake, which gives a 310% speed increase (other epic flying mounts are a 280% increase). For those of us who aren't going to be making it to the top of the Arena ladder anytime soon, Blizzard have said that there will be a way to get a 280% (non-armored) Nether Drake via questing, which will be "difficult" but not require a raid. Drysc also said there will be a 310% speed boost counterpart to the Arena reward, though he was unable to give details on how it might be attained. I'm guessing massive gold sinks.
Have you got your epic mount yet? What color did you go for? And do you think it was worth the gold?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Features, Mounts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
deathlock Apr 11th 2008 5:16AM
well did any one mention that if u have epic flying u can swoop down to get that nodes/herbs u have to say good bye to on flight paths while travelling???,
Garab Apr 5th 2007 8:13AM
Puple Windrider here.
I really want an 310% speeder, so maybe I'll start pvping again, havent done it at all since TBC was released.
Meg Apr 5th 2007 8:20AM
I got my epic purple windrider about 3 days ago. I love the thing! I actually haven't used a flight path since I got it, so I see it as an investment for the long run. Definatly worth the 5200g! Now to get my riding crop....
Tigraine Apr 5th 2007 9:34AM
I got my Purple Gryphon a Month ago or so.. and man I am so frustrated right now.
Since I switched my Main from my Rogue to my Warrior It seems just 5000g spent for nothing since I rarely play my rogue any more :(
Now it's again farming farming and farming again for my second Epic Gryphon :(
stapleboy Apr 5th 2007 8:40AM
I hadn't heard about the quest-attainable nether drake, that is excellent! I hope they don't make it insanely hard to get. I'm looking forward to having 5,000 gold for the epic training, but not to spending 200 for an armored lion-bat, haha.
BaboonNL Apr 5th 2007 8:43AM
I'm hoping the Netherdrakes were be nearly impossible to get without spending tons of time and money on it.
What's the point of a special mount, when everyone has it?
shuya May 21st 2007 1:08PM
Getting my red windrider was one the most exciting moments in my WoW history. Hope this isn't off topic but here would be my top 5...
1. Hitting 60
2. Getting my epic Flying mount
3. Downing Nef for the 1st Time
4. Getting regular flying mount
5. Beating the last demon for my epic bow
Kirby1612 Apr 5th 2007 8:58AM
It's definetly gold well spent. I guess I got lucky since two epic patterns dropped for me while I was questing 60-70 (Vengeance Wrap and Cobraskin Hood, something like that).
Either way, I have skinning and mining. And although skinning maybe easy to farm, mining nodes take time to find. So being able to strip a zone of all its nodes in 30 minutes or less easily gives me 100g, maybe 200-300 If I get some blue uncut gems from them.
When I bought my epic flyer, I had a lowly 33g left and it was about 9 a.m. SoI immediately went farming. Flying around Shadowmoon Valley, taking every node my tracker would pick up on. By the end of the day I was back at 2000g for 12 hours of farming (with a couple of greens/blues to sell too)
My opinion? If you are a miner/herbalist, this is more than just a luxury item. It maximizes your production while farming for herbs/ore and will pay itself off in no time.
synack Apr 5th 2007 8:55AM
I went for the green flapcat. She's my baby!
Keep in mind if you use your Riding Crop with your epic flapcat your mount speed will be up to 308%.
Zooming around five times faster than the normal flyer at near flightpath speeds makes it totally worth the investment.
atr Apr 5th 2007 8:59AM
synack: I hate to start another math thread but I think your five times faster is a bit out. Normal flying mount = 160% (100% + 60% bonus), epic with crop = 408%, and the ratio is 2.55, not 5.
Brim Apr 5th 2007 8:59AM
Tbh, if you think about it, Epic flying mounts are just a gold sink. Flightpaths are faster and the small amount of traveling you do to get to the final destination from the flightpath's end saves you about an average of 10 seconds tops. Way to spend 5200g....
Even then, Outland is rather small, longest flightpath is from that small place near Tempest Keep to the Wildhammer keep in Shadowmoon and it takes what? 8 minutes?
But i guess it has a large E-peen value. Grats on that
Dibbes Apr 5th 2007 12:52PM
I'm still riding my very slow 60% Goat. I'm soloing alot, so I'll first go for the normal flying mount (I don't have to keep up with anyone).
After that maybe I'll start raiding some more to get the cashflow going.
The blue or red gryphon is what I'll pick when i get enough gold.
Therizo Apr 5th 2007 9:14AM
Flightpaths AREN'T faster. I've raced folks on flightpaths with my epic, and either win or get there simultaneously, and thats on a single point to point. If you're going from netherstorm to shadowmoon valley, I can get there in 2 minutes where it takes you nearly 15. And as has been mentioned before, with a little practice, an epic flyer makes farming herbs or ore INSANELY efficient, as well searching for fishing nodes (my own personal poison). It has DRAMATICALLY improved my gameplay and fun since I got this thing. Well worth the cash.
MadCow Apr 5th 2007 9:16AM
druid flight form at 68 +5200g in my pocket = happy cow.
Sure I'm slow ... but my "mount" costs me 10g. Cost/Benefit ratio definitely within my limits on that one.
kirby1612 Apr 5th 2007 9:17AM
Looks like #9 got it before I could post
@8 A few mods out there show that the flights you pay for do go a bit faster, but they slow down and speed up as they take all those stupid turns. In other words, race me from Shattrath to Netherstorm, and I'll will. The fastest path is a straight line, which is what im able to do with an epic flyer. I can fly from Shadowmoon Valley across the Twisting Nether to Netherstorm in about 3 minutes. I can even fly up, hit auto run, go afk, and make a sandwich or something.
Now even though a difference of 5 minutes saved isn't much, it's 5 minutes more I can spend playing other than waiting around to land at my destination. It also makes certain areas easily accessible like flying to Halaa or capturing towers at all the world PvP things.
Like I said before, it's an asset to me to help my farming, other than that, it's a luxury item. Normal flying mounts (or Flight Form for me) are meant to be effective (fly over it, not go around it). Besides, if your not making a decent amount of gold at 70, your probably doing something wrong. It looks to me you've never been on an epic flyer so you really can't know how much of a time/money saver it becomes.
Besides, if I have 5200g sitting around, why keep it? Money is worthless if you're never going to spend it. I could brag about how rich I am, or buy something I find useful. The best gear always comes from instances, so it's not like I'm gonna spend my gold on AH gear.
Therizo Apr 5th 2007 9:17AM
Oops, forgot to mention, the epic 310% PvE mount that was mentioned by blue was said to be available but not discovered yet. My guess is it's a phoenix mount that drops off of Kael, but thats just conjecture.
Cort Apr 5th 2007 9:23AM
I haven't gotten mine yet. I've been focused on other things, but recently started earning the gold to make it happen. Questing like mad has yielded excellent gold returns, actually. 11g per quest (and they're fairly easy) in the Netherstorm, plus the Signets and greens that drop have me about halfway to my goal in under a couple of weeks.
I have yet to decide on a color, though. Since Blizzard seems to favor the color purple for mages, I think I'll be staying away from the purple one. (I am so sick of purple gear)
KissTheRing Apr 5th 2007 9:28AM
I just hit 70 and got my basic flying mount last night and I was a little disappointed that it wasn't faster even with the riding crop I've been carrying around just waiting for my flying mount. So I'll be getting my epic flier ASAP.
Sylythn Apr 5th 2007 9:38AM
According to blizzard the flight path "speeds" are faster - as their flyers go at 500%. The reason races are able to beat them, is no flight path I know of takes a straight bee-line between point A and B, like you can do with the non-flight-path flyers.
Personally, I'll get my regular flying mount and then work on that nether drake - I don't care how long it takes...I'd rather use the 5.2k gold to supply myself and my alt with crafting funds.
nubular Apr 5th 2007 10:13AM
So you farm and farm up to 5200g to buy a fast mount only so you can farm some more? I don't get it.