Headless Horseman mount cast time clarification
by Michael Sacco 
Jun 30th 2009 at 6:00PM
I'm sure lots of you guys who trust datamining saw MMO Champion's list of changes in the latest PTR update for Patch 3.2 and raised an eyebrow at the Headless Horseman's Mount being instant cast. "And lo, thus did the Horseman's steed become the de facto PVP mount!", you exclaimed, prostrate in exultation.
Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you may have just found out what "prostrate" or "exultation" mean. The bad news is that the mount isn't instant-cast. Zarhym explains:
The Headless Horseman's Mount has a variable cast time depending upon how it is used: 1.5 seconds as a ground mount and 3.0 seconds as a flying mount. However, due to technological limitations the tooltip reads as if the spell were instant.
The question of how the cast times will function in areas where flying isn't allowed came up, and he clarified that as well:
Yes, the cast time will depend on your riding skill and the area you're in. So, if you're in Outland or Northrend (no-fly zones excluded), the mount will require a 3-second cast time. If you're in Azeroth, a no-fly zone or do not have a flying skill, your cast time will be 1.5 seconds.
Well, cool! It's not instant-cast, but it'll do. Nice to see that Blizzard is making sure your vanity mounts kept up to speed with the rest of the rapidly-evolving World of Warcraft.
Patch 3.2 will bring about a new 5, 10, and 25 man instance to WoW, and usher in a new 40-man battleground called the Isle of Conquest. WoW.com will have you covered every step of the way, from extensive PTR coverage through the official live release. Check out WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.2 for all the latest!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kadamon Jun 30th 2009 6:06PM
So...it's the only mount that requires a 3 second cast time now?
Daemonsadi Jun 30th 2009 6:16PM
given that the patch notes state "The cast time for summoning any ground mount is now 1.5 seconds, down from 3 seconds.", only specifying ground mounts, all flying mounts will still require a 3 second cast time..
Kadamon Jun 30th 2009 10:25PM
Thank you. I didn't see that in the patch notes when I was going through them earlier
Mike Jun 30th 2009 6:36PM
Yeah, I was really wondering how they were going to fix a scaling mount with the change.
I knew it wasn't going to be instant-cast.
Now if it could only scale to different locations as you change between them without having to dismount. I hate being forced to dismount around Dalaran doing cooking dailies or moving from the flight point just because I crossed the no-fly zone barrier.
But I'll still deal with minor annoyances for a flying horse.
offday Jun 30th 2009 6:38PM
Holy crap. I didn't even know it could be used as a flying mount.
Aw man. Now I want it more than ever.
tonedeff Jun 30th 2009 6:45PM
/hug blizzard for puting in such effort! Even looking after the little things!
Tamednan Jun 30th 2009 6:48PM
I was sadly disappointed last night when I noticed the tooltip on my mount and then hit the button and it required 3secs to cast. I was really hoping my Hunter had found his Swift Flight Form.
havitech Jun 30th 2009 6:59PM
Phew, I almost thought us druids were going to lose our monopoly on instant-cast flight.
Starsmore Jun 30th 2009 7:03PM
So is this currently a flying mount, or will it turn into one in 3.2? I'm confused, wowwiki says nothing about flight for this, and I can't find the source on mmo champion.
Catiya of Feathermoon Jun 30th 2009 7:06PM
Currently, if used in Outland or Northrend (no-fly zones excluded) the mount becomes a flying mount and gallops through the air.
Tom Jun 30th 2009 7:30PM
Now if they could make it not appear to fall over like a drunk when it's running on the ground, we'd be all set...
MusedMoose Jun 30th 2009 7:32PM
If this horse can be used as both ground and flying mount, does anyone know if there's any chance of other flying mounts being changed to be the same way? I'd love to cruise around the old world on a low-rider flying carpet, assuming my mage ever gets her Tailoring that high.
Anonyman Jun 30th 2009 7:37PM
I'm unsure if it has been posted before, but someone on WoWinsider really needs to put up a video of the Headless Horseman glitch.
I've found that it is the only mount (That I have) that will actually hop onto vehicles and multi-people mounts such as the Mammoth with you.
It's absolutly the funniest thing ever to be in an Occulus group and watch the other group members yell "WTF" when they see me on a headless horseman mount stacked on top of the drake.
Jack Spicer Jun 30th 2009 8:28PM
Out of curiosity, what happens when you attempt to summon this mount in Dalaran? Does it summon the ground version, or does it give you an error?
Dixonij Jun 30th 2009 8:48PM
Ground version.
The mount is actually pretty 'smart' when it comes to that. It's speed scales on what flying training you have (like if you have the non epic flying, its a slow flying mount but once you buy epic flying it upgrades its speed). Also the ground speed is variable too. Its a ground mount only in old school Azeroth but in Outland and Northrend it gains the flying component.
artifex Jun 30th 2009 10:23PM
Oh, man, as a mount lover and a lock besides (fiery hooves) I can't wait for that festival to come back. (Awesome birthday present, too)
robertklein123 Jul 1st 2009 3:35AM
0.3% drop rate for 2 weeks a year.
I won't be seen flying on anything else :-)
Clbull Jul 1st 2009 7:39AM
Does that mean that if you only have 225 riding skill and mount it in a fly-zone, it will go at a crappy 60% speed on ground (seeing as Regular Flying Mounts go at 60% speed on the ground)?