Ulduar proto-drakes gone in patch 3.2
by Eliah Hecht 
May 29th 2009 at 5:00PM
It looks like the Rusted and Ironbound Proto-Drakes are going to receive the same treatment in patch 3.2: they will no longer be attainable. These are the drakes that are rewarded for the Ulduar raid meta-achievements, on normal and heroic. This is interesting because it implies that we'll get a new tier of gear in patch 3.2. Information about what the expansion of the Argent Tourney is going to bring PvE-wise is still pretty scarce; we know there will be some 5-, 10-, and 25-man content, but we're not really sure what it'll be like yet. All we've heard so far is "Think Ring of Blood or Amphitheater of Anguish, but more epic." Here's hoping for PvE arenas.
Edit: To clarify, players who have the mounts already will of course keep them. You just won't be able to get them after 3.2 if you don't have them already.
Filed under: Patches, Raiding, Mounts, Achievements
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
OneSound May 29th 2009 5:02PM
nooooooooo...the coolest mounts in the game are gone
Dave May 29th 2009 5:59PM
I'd like to think that the Icecrown frostwrym mounts will be better than stupid proto-drakes.
Verit May 29th 2009 6:58PM
@Dave except those are going bye bye in patch 3.3.
Airheadz May 30th 2009 8:18AM
I do sympathize with the "non hardcore" players about not being able to get these mounts, but have any of you thought about WHY they remove them? They're 310% speed, same as the Arena mounts. The way I see it, if everyone were to be able to get 310 mounts, why have 280 mounts at all anymore? 310 mounts are supposed to be of legendary rarity (in status only) like the Vanilla legendaries, and Val'anyr. Just like if everyone could have a way to make 80 billion dollars like Bill Gates, does billy still retain his status as one of the richest men alive? No.
Also, to the hardcore players QQing that there isn't enough time to get the ulduar drakes, remember this: You had NO idea that the naxx drakes were going to be removed until a little bit before 3.1. Now? You most certainly had an idea that Ulduar drakes were going to get removed next patch, and if you didn't, shame on you.
Airheadz May 30th 2009 8:21AM
Oh and, after reading several comments, if you guys truly wish to obtain these mounts, even something similar to them, without having to deal with a time limit: then tell blizzard. Ask them to do what they're doing, remove the mounts, but then add new ones in, same skins and whatnot, just slower. This idea I do like, and would definitly be in naxx 25 getting my last few achieves for the drake now. But until then, we're just going to have to deal with it.
Kikr May 29th 2009 5:05PM
Depending on how soon 3.2 is coming out, that wasn't too much time to get either of those, was it?
Task May 29th 2009 5:16PM
Technically, yes and no. As soon as 3.1 came out, everybody who was Naxx geared jumped on board the Ulduar bandwagon and started for them. It has been a few months already and there's probably 60-70% of the people who haven't done Ulduar yet. (That percentage is just a random number so don't quote me on that)
Since this is the same treatment last time, I think it is hard to say if its fair or unfair, but I agree with OneSound, some of the coolest mounts we've seen thus far are gone.
I guess I'll get around to Ulduar sometime... :(
mortiseraphim May 29th 2009 5:12PM
And yet even more e-peen flaunting will ensue... /lesigh
Task May 29th 2009 5:18PM
Not so much flaunting, I see as it as more frustration from the population as a whole that won't even be given a chance at it. And that is including the window of time there is between now and 3.2
Mortiseraphim May 29th 2009 5:28PM
If anything at least make a recolor of the same mount so you can get it SOMEHOW. kinda like how you can still get the red protodrake. yea, sure. it's not as uber in the way the black and plagued ones are in terms of effort and progression but its at least some testiment to the work to get there regardless of how 'easy' it may have been with ulduar gear.
The downside to removing the mount reward is there really isnt any incentive to go after those achievements anymore now there is no real reward (other than yet another title to swap around). Now you cant get the black and plagued drake, how many people are really going after the glory of the raider stuff still?
Veknir May 30th 2009 4:43AM
Those (meta)achievements don't reward any titles at all. Some of the prerequisites do though (Immortal/Undying, Twilight Vanquisher/of the Twilight for T7 content). There really is no reason to bother with them anymore at all and tbh I rather had they added a title and removed access to that than remove the mounts, but of course, that just my personal opinion but it's arguably a lot easier to do Sarth3D now than before so why devaluate the titles of the people that did it when it was hard? It's the same as the dragons really.
I still have my Hand of A'dal and of the dozen titles I have now (anyone else think Blizzard is really overdoing it with titles?) it's at least one that actually means something.
Tarinae Jul 21st 2009 1:24PM
Yes, I think so too...
The top raiding guilds on my server never fail to show off their rusted, plague, black proto drakes...or even remind you that 1 of them is one of the only 2 to have the phoenix mount on the server...
Tridus May 29th 2009 5:22PM
How many guilds in the world actually have these right now? It seems awfully premature to remove them.
I kind of wonder why they bother creating these cool mounts that they intend for almost nobody to get.
Jose Ravelo May 29th 2009 5:36PM
Riiight, cause 3.2 is coming next week. LOL
Sean May 29th 2009 5:39PM
The same reason they created Sunwell knowing that only 1% of the gamer population would see it (at level 70 anyway). They have to put some kind of a reward/challenge in there for the super-hardcore. Now that raids themselves are more accessible (which I applaud) they want to put something in there to keep the top end guilds playing.
Bob Dewane May 29th 2009 5:39PM
They bother because it keeps the harcore raiding crowd happy. All the raiders bitched that the ease of content let scrubs get gear just as good as theirs. Now they get the chance to get some real kick-ass mounts if they put in the grind before everyone else comes along and does the same stuff in better gear, thus making it easier. As far as I'm concerned, the guilds that can pull this off in this short of time DESERVE those mounts that I would give my left arm for! You deserve SOMETHING for being able to do something few others can.
P.S. Does any guild other than Ensidia have these yet?
Karama May 29th 2009 5:58PM
Premonition on Sen'jin does. The 25 man version at least.
Holyholly May 29th 2009 5:59PM
So you are saying that everyone who plays WOW professionally and gets a salary from a Saudi Prince DESERVES to have this mount. OK fair enough.
Sphen May 29th 2009 10:07PM
@HolyHolly
I'm sick and tired of people complaining about Ensidia.
They're paid because they're better at the game than you. Get over it.
If they are good enough to get paid (and it's not a salary, mind you), then yes, they deserve something for their efforts.
Less QQ more PewPew.
Kryxx May 30th 2009 12:13AM
@Sphen
Once you reach a certain point of skill (which most competent gamers can reach), it's more about time than skill. Many people could do what "professional" raiders do... if they didn't have other commitments, like jobs.