Of all the macro questions I get asked, how to randomly choose a mount ranks near the top. Many of you new to macros have probably asked this one, wondering how to randomly cast a spell or use an item. Today's Macro Anatomy will address this random request.

So let us imagine that you've got a collection of mounts that you have the hardest trouble choosing from. Members of your party silently suffer while you pick through your list of options. The World of Warcraft client has a built-in function known as /castrandom that can turn your mounting troubles into one-button joy.

Pretend you're an awesome Draenei Shaman and have these mounts: Amani War Bear, Black Ram, Cobalt War Talbuk and the Great Blue Elekk. Now, you want one button which will randomly choose one of your great means of conveyance, here it is:

/castrandom Amani War Bear, Black Ram, Reins of the Cobalt War Talbuk, Great Blue Elekk

Place this on your action bar and there you have it. Wait, you are wondering about a flying mount? Well, keep reading to find out how you can put both riding and flying mounts in the same random mount-selecting macro!So you've decided you want one button to rule them all, your mounts that is. Well, I gave you the ground mount version, you can change the names of the mounts for flying versions, but you're a greedy little shammy and want it all. Here you are:

/castrandom [outdoors,nomounted,flyable] Cenarion War Hippogryph, Silver Riding Nether Ray, Swift Blue Gryphon; [outdoors,nomounted] Amani War Bear, Black Ram, Reins of the Cobalt War Talbuk, Great Blue Elekk

So, aside from the functionality of the first macro, this one allows for random selection of the Cenarion War Hippogryph, Silver Riding Nether Ray and the Swift Blue Gryphon. This macro will make sure you are outdoors and not mounted, and then will determine if you are able to fly. So, it would choose a flying mount in Outland, but you would get a riding mount on Azeroth. Congratulations, you've got your one-button mount macro.

Oh no, I've made the Mages upset because I didn't mention their coolness. (Get it, frost mages?) Well, how about a macro that lets you cast a random polymorph spell, since you've worked so hard to get them all. Try something along these lines:

/castrandom Polymorph, Polymorph(Rank 1: Pig), Polymorph(Rank 1:Turtle)

This will randomly polymorph your foes into either a sheep, pig or turtle, how fun! Finally, I thought I would throw in a macro for you costume junkies who love to run around the Battlegrounds looking like a skeleton, pirate, ninja or what have you.

/castrandom Savory Deviate Delight, Noggenfogger Elixir, Murloc Costume

So this will let you randomly use your Savory Deviate Delight, Noggenfogger Elixir or Murloc Costume. On a personal note, if you happen to have all those mounts, all those spells or all those costumes, I tip my hat to you, fair player. Honestly though, give me your mounts.

Tune in next week when we'll go back to talking about something less random.

Tags: /castrandom, cast-random, cast-random-spell, mount-macro, mounting-macro, random-costume, random-macro, random-mount, random-spell

Filed under: Mage, Tips, Tricks, How-tos, Odds and ends, Features, Mounts, Macro Anatomy