Patch 5.3 interview with Ghostcrawler
Mystery of the Unborn Val'kyr
The latest patch 5.3 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsMount race restrictions lifted, Tauren rejoice
by Michael Sacco 
Dec 11th 2008 at 5:30PM
As the newest member of the WoW Insider team, I thought it'd be a good idea to introduce myself before diving right into news, news, news. We might not be total strangers, though! I was the blue poster formerly known as Belfaire (the talbuk). A good number of you may be familiar with my work already, and may have even wondered where I'd gone off to in the past two months. Now you know!
That's right--I've given up the animated avatar and moved on to greener pastures. I'm still the same incorrigible talbuk you knew, though, and my unique experiences make me a real...WoW insider.
With the obligatory terrible puns out of the way, let's talk shop, yeah?
Mounts! A subject near and dear to my heart, having been one in my past life. With today's posting of the patch notes for PTR patch 3.0.8, we've discovered that mounts are no longer restricted by race, which means that any mount available to your faction is yours to ride as you see fit. Tauren, this means you can ride that skelly horse you've been after, or even a choc--err, hawkstrider. It also means that if you're a human, night elf, or draenei, you can ratchet the ridiculousness level up to eleven and ride a mechanostrider if you so desire.
Lifting this restriction also helps a number of races with getting those mount collection achievements, including the reported new one, which tasks you with collecting a square hundred mounts. Your reward? A dragonhawk mount -- surely just the thing to break you out of those "riding a huge red dragon is so boring" blues.
I've always thought that the race restriction on mounts was kind of silly and likely a legacy thing from vanilla WoW. I'm glad that, with all of the other cosmetic and customization changes Blizzard's added for Wrath, that they rethought the restriction and put all races on equal footing (or hoofing, as the case may be).
Good news for those who want to look hilarious and comical. Great news for Azerothian animal chiropractors!
Filed under: Tauren, Patches, News items, Factions, Mounts, Wrath of the Lich King, Achievements
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 5)
Poop Dec 12th 2008 9:37AM
Why would anybody want to ride either a mechanical chicken or a stupid Blood Elf Do-Do Bird? They are by far the worst mounts in the game.
Lohrdook Dec 12th 2008 9:38AM
A Tauren riding a raptor would be like Oprah riding an Olsen twin.
As in, 'I can't wait to see it, but I think it's going to look ridiculous"
-Lohrdook
h8rain Dec 12th 2008 10:32AM
I don't really care about mounts on my druid, other than the raven one (ground only, so Flight Form can't be used in old world), which i need to start farming. Two 80 druids (one feral, one resto) could probably stealth to that room and farm it. I just hated that instance cause it is ALL trash.
My priest will like this change though.
jero Dec 12th 2008 11:41AM
actually a balance and feral can stealth in and farm on the regular. no such luck so far though :p
Saiforune Dec 12th 2008 10:46AM
As an official Troll Represenative of the WoWinsider Troll Union, I welcome you with open claws into our cave any time. The presence of the Blues is most welcome here. Seeing that you were a previous Blue with very little problems I hope I have to never go Troll form in any of your posts.
P.S.
WOO ROBO CHICKEN WILL BE MINE!!!!!
Richard Dec 12th 2008 11:12AM
I look forward to reading more of Belfaire's posts... now we might get to see what he *really* thinks about certain aspects of the game instead of having to toe the company line.
And to stay on topic: I can't wait to pick up my mechanostriders. All of them.
I'm at 61 mounts now, I really don't know how I'm going to hit 100. :/
Belfy, how about a post outlining the easiest way to the 100 mount mark?
Deadly. Off. Topic. Dec 12th 2008 11:58AM
I don’t have the rep for it, but I’d love to get a mech strider for my human pally. ^_^
Jennifer Dec 12th 2008 1:59PM
BELFAIRE!!! :D
No, seriously... :D :D :D :D :D
I was wondering where you had disappeared to! After I got back from Blizzcon (and I was hoping to have bumped into some of the CSF folks, even if I may not have realized it) I couldn't find you, or even whatever happened to you. :/
Don't be a stranger, and no more disappearing, OK?
-Jennifer (a.k.a. Velath / Vyndree, the multiboxer)
Sae Dec 12th 2008 11:56PM
I really don't understand all the 'baww it's all one shade of grey now that mount restrictions are gone!' thing.
Riiight... Horde side, this only affected ONE race. Alliance side, this only affected ONE mount type. Do you really think that allowing a tauren to ride a raptor besides the black one is going to affect your personal game play in ANY way?
Seriously. Quit whining. This is a long needed change, and one of the only reasons that I didn't already have more tauren characters.
Falcom Dec 12th 2008 3:12PM
i still want the warlock mount for other classes. I know it makes no sense and will never happen, but it just looks so awesome.
Joe Dec 12th 2008 3:45PM
Finally! Equal rights for cows! Yes we can! Yes we can! MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
Benito Dec 12th 2008 3:53PM
Oh noes, it's Belfaire.
Run away from teh talbuk!
MetalIcecrown Dec 12th 2008 4:14PM
Too bad I'm horde... I want a mecha chocobo.
Tim Sheehy Dec 12th 2008 4:37PM
I'm psyched for you, bro. Guess you can't tell me a bad influence now. :)
Tyneke Dec 14th 2008 7:24AM
Making things easier... again?
Personally, I think things are worth an effort. And I think it is nice becoming a reward for being exalted with your neighbour factions such as their mount.
.............. Dec 14th 2008 4:03PM
does this change kind of conflict with the story and basic settings?...................
benbetter Jan 17th 2009 1:13PM
uh... nOOb alert:
When's the patch out anyway? I took my Tauren to buy me a dead horse (so that I could beat it) but that beefjerky-on-legs told me they will not sell to "my kind"... ?!
--------- Whats THAT supposed to mean???
Taurens have EQUAL rights!!!!!!!!
/moo
"Dyxlesics of the world, untie!"
MsMoo Jan 20th 2009 7:29AM
OMG yes! Finely Tauren are accepted as part of the Horde and can ride all racial mounts! We have waited for so long. T_T
Vicki Jan 22nd 2009 6:28PM
Even though the racial restictions are lifted, dont you still need exaulted in the other cities to get the other mounts? I play as a blood elf, and i cant stand the chocoboes. I've had my eye on the raptors for the longest time, dont i still need to become exaulted to the darkspear trolls?