Get an epic mount already!
by Mike Schramm 
Jul 10th 2007 at 3:35PM
Malleus from Wildhammer says he's found WoW's Bigfoot. He saw a level 70 on a non-epic mount, and for some reason, thought it was so rare that he just had to have a picture of it.Frankly, a level 70 on a non-epic mount isn't all that rare. My level 66 rogue is still riding around on a slowpoke Undead pony (just because he's an alt I was never willing to spend that much money on), and lots of Paladins and Warlocks just never got the chance or resources to get their epic mount quests done. For a main, it might be a priority to get a fast mount, but for alts, most people are usually pretty apathetic about it.
Not that there are any excuses any more. With money flowing the way it is in Outland, 900g is no more than a few days' work. And while a flying epic mount is really the best for gathering professions (nothing more fun than dropping in, grabbing a mine node, and jumping back into the air), an epic ground mount really helps with both grinding and questing-- the faster you get somewhere, the sooner you can start earning XP. Not to mention that for the BGs, it's practically a must. Not having an epic mount after 60 doesn't make you a total freak (Malleus didn't really need to take a picture), but there isn't any really any excuse not to get one either.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, The Burning Crusade, Making money, Mounts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Adys Jul 10th 2007 3:43PM
Its 600g since 2.0.1, not even 900g
Matthew Rossi Jul 10th 2007 3:45PM
My level 69 shammy doesn't have an epic and he won't until after he dings 70, because I just don't care that much. Once I hit 70 and the quests all just pay gold I'll save up for the epic, then work on the flying.
Holyness Jul 10th 2007 3:48PM
So, Maybe the person hasn't had the time to get it?
Perhaps its Someone who just leveled from 0 recently to 70, and haven't gone out of their way to get their Mount, which is a quest and not as simple as "LOL 600g"
Plus he was willing to help, the the person taking the screenshot was a ass about it being rude to that person's face.
Or maybe he just enjoys/detached to that mount, it's his playing of WoW, He should play it how he wants to ( since its not hurting anyone)
Joshua Ochs Jul 10th 2007 5:14PM
As others pointed out, getting the mount as a Warlock or Paladin is decidedly non-trivial, involving a long quest chain through multiple Azeroth instances. Quite frankly, unless your guild is really nice (mine was), it's going to be very difficult to get a group together to get your quest line done.
And as for "a few days work" to get 900G, try being en enchanter. We sit there having to disenchant all of those free-flowing greens for materials. Even with lv70 quests giving 12G apiece at the level cap, that's still 80 quests! Far from a trivial time commitment to make the money.
Because after all, if you don't play 12 hours a day and run dozens of addons (which you spend a few hours every patch updating), you clearly aren't playing correctly...
michael.singletary Jul 10th 2007 8:20PM
"He saw a level 70 on an epic mount, and for some reason, thought it was so rare..."
What could be so rare about a level 70 on an epic mount?
Proofreading FTW!
Mordiceius Jul 10th 2007 4:06PM
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Wildhammer&n=Thayla
I went to see how geared they were and some things struck me as odd on this player: a wand with +healing? A green +stam cloth hood while having soulcloth gloves and frozen shadoweave shoulders?
None the less, there is no excuse for not having that money by 70. I walked my alt hunter into Outland with 0 gold (I stripped it all to my main) and I was able to afford his mount by level 65 just off quest reward gold and selling trash I picked up. I'm 67 on that hunter now and back up to about 400g.
Delilah Jul 10th 2007 4:07PM
The best is Eyonix's response a few posts down.
"You aren't a very nice Draenei." QFT
Angelworks Jul 10th 2007 4:08PM
Its amazing how much time your alt can save with an epic mount - those zones are pretty big. I figure - faster traveling = faster leveling.
Viet Jul 10th 2007 4:08PM
I saw a 66 shammy running in ghostwolf form in outlands.
tynk Jul 10th 2007 10:51PM
it is rare for a level 70 to not have an epic land mount, simply because the skill is the expensive part, you need the epic land skill to get the normal flying skill, and you need a flying mount to get to many important level 70 areas. (Tempest Keep, Ogrila and Skettis for the daily quests)
Kyane Jul 10th 2007 4:24PM
Malleus from Wildhammer = asshat
Chris C. Jul 10th 2007 4:29PM
I still keep my original mount in a bag with me at all times, I guess that I am just attached to it. When I am back Azeroth helping guildies and other friends level and quest, I mount up on my orignal mount so I can travel at the same speed they do when mounted.
I just don't think that this is very odd at all.
Cheeno Jul 10th 2007 4:30PM
Or maybe the Warlock is waiting to do her/his epic mount quest?
Dracula Jones Jul 10th 2007 4:35PM
Post-TBC, it's such a pain in the ass for paladins and warlocks to get their epic mount, unless they've got a really bored guild, or they're totally beloved by all who gaze upon them.
My buddy and I play a paladin/warlock duo. I started gathering mats for my epic mount at about level 45 and I had everything by 55, and so did he. We've done all the legwork and we're both at the Dire Maul stage of our quests. I'm now level 62 and still trying to coax my guildmates out of Karazhan to run DM. Forget about pugging any of the 55+ instances in Azeroth.
The stupidest part is I could have bought the vendor epic mount and skill three times over at this point.
Perhaps they need a little retooling to account for the Burning Crusadinization of Azerothican instances. I don't like being a beggar.
zzz Jul 10th 2007 4:44PM
Comming from a pretty well-geared 70 'lock (essentally saying that I'm not a noob), I didn't get my epic mount till 70. Why? Quest is damn hard. People bitch about us and palis getting "free" 60 mounts and an "easy" quest for a 70. Bull shit.
I initally started the quests at around 65, got all of the mats...didn't turn em till they put in a new patch AND LOWERED THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF BLACKDRAGONSCALES BY 30! Sooo much money lost there, still have em (Onoric on Blackwing Lair, PST if you want em), then had to start saving up for the 150g imp, got that, took another couple weeks to get a scholo group because no one does pre-BC 60ish instances.
After that, saved up for the last part, 250g. I had so many friggin groups for that that never paned out, so I said screw it till 70.
I ended up getting a 70 mage friend of mine I know in real life to help me with it, and we completed it. His brother is a pali, and he helped him with the pali quest, and said the pali quest was a lot easier...
So, locks do get the short end of the stick. SO many times after I completed the first part whished I had simply bought a normal human mount. My suggestion to blizzard? Don't lower the number of mats needed, nah, that puts some challenge into getting 3 arcanite bars...nah, FRIGGIN UPDATE THE INSTANCES! I don't care if it'd require BC, put them in Ramparts or something, no one does DM or Scholo anymore!
/rant
zzz Jul 10th 2007 4:46PM
Oh, and to prove my well-geardness: http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Blackwing%20Lair&n=Onoric
Byouki Jul 10th 2007 4:58PM
I didn't get my epic until 70. By the time I was going strong in the outlands, taking time out to stop and do the instances would have nerfed my xp per hour and frankly, the outlands aren't that big. In fact, if the level 70 tax( needing a flying mount for some instances, that is ) weren't present, I wouldn't have an epic land or a flying mount.
Joyd Jul 10th 2007 6:08PM
Many paladins and warlocks (I'm the former) look forward for a long time to getting their summoned mounts. While it's only a moderate discount now that epic mounts are comparatively cheap, it a cool part of our classes, and many want one because it's a part of what the class is.
The problem, of course, is that nobody really wants to run Strat, Scholo, or the awful hole that is Dire Maul. The gear from those instances is without exception comical compared to anything from Hellfire, so it's a matter of bothering you guild or trying to pull together enough paladins, warlocks, and bored enchanters to make it through the instance. The longer you wait to do your quest, the more shaky your group make-up can be and the smoother the run will go.
Erica Olson Jul 10th 2007 6:09PM
"With money flowing the way it is in Outland, 900g is no more than a few days' work"
I don't think so. For most of the unwashed masses it takes a long time to get 900g, even if you are lvl 70 and have yet to do any quests in Outlands so you'll get more money.
Plus if you have to buy mats for your profession, repair your gear, pots and other consumables eat into your bottom line.
bill gates Jul 10th 2007 9:59PM
I started BC with no money and got enough gold from questing for my epic mt, flying mt and bringer of death and +40 by the time i hit 70