Mounts in Legion

[Xota]

Maybe they skipped the blood elf vicious mount because of how corny the blood elf mounts are. Yes, chocobo can be fun, but as noble steeds of the Quel'dorei / Sin'dorei? It just never seemed right to me.

Elekks on the other hand, the paladin elekk and the WoD elekk are both pretty cool looking, a vicious elekk has a lot of potential.

[13thmaiden]

Update on Twitter: the Coursers are going to be obtained through the new Honor system, NOT the Gladiator one. The Infernals will be through the Gladiator / Arena system:
https://twitter.com/WarcraftDevs/status ... 8476682240

If so, why do the Coursers all have "Gladiator" in their mount names? Well, that's changing. Holinka was quick to respond
https://twitter.com/WarcraftMounts/stat ... 9742457858

*pulls out shotgun and torches* Welp, time to riot! *Cha-chink*(<--sound of pumping a shotgun)

Seriously, they need to make an armor free version like with the Talbuks or Gilneas horse (yeah I was underwhelmed with the Gilneas horses at first, mostly because they didn't make a paint one D: but still, running wild was the best mount ever. XD) for us peace loving folks who just wanna kill computer generated fodder rather than fighting some jackwad on their super gaming computer who is a gank-happy rogue bastard who should bleed from the anus!!

*coughs* sorry, I really don't like PVP XD;;

You're right about the Chocobo Xota. You just can't make it that majestic or savage looking, since it's a giant chicken....

I mean if they made it look more like a giant Terror Bird I could go for it, but it's a chicken.

This is the best I could think might be done:



((Not done by me but definitely a great find XD))

[Zulmalakhan]

actually, the "chocobo" as you call it can be very vicious and creepy and majestic at the same time, it is based on a cockatrice, it actually has that name in the database files.... if you look at it with a little bit of attention you will see:

-it has an underbelly made from large scales

-it has vibrant plumage on it head like a cockatoo, wind serpent, hakkar

- it has a long and powerfull beak

- it has a wide range of colors that can make for a number of interesting combinations

-it has strong dinosaur clawed feet

basically it is a blood elfenized terrorbird

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/pri ... 0118193554

like that with more plumage

blizzard can make it look both very majestic and vicious, maybe make it's head animation to lower it's head snap it's beak around randomly in the air sometimes, like the hydra heads randomly fight and hiss and how the old wolf /mountspecial has it growling and biting left and right

[Vephriel]

actually, the "chocobo" as you call it can be very vicious and creepy and majestic at the same time, it is based on a cockatrice, it actually has that name in the database files.... if you look at it with a little bit of attention you will see:

-it has an underbelly made from large scales

-it has vibrant plumage on it head like a cockatoo, wind serpent, hakkar

- it has a long and powerfull beak

- it has a wide range of colors that can make for a number of interesting combinations

-it has strong dinosaur clawed feet

basically it is a blood elfenized terrorbird

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/pri ... 0118193554

like that with more plumage

blizzard can make it look both very majestic and vicious, maybe make it's head animation to lower it's head snap it's beak around randomly in the air sometimes, like the hydra heads randomly fight and hiss and how the old wolf /mountspecial has it growling and biting left and right

I agree that hawkstriders are really awesome, vicious mounts. Even though this is kind of some fan headcanoning, someone wrote up a really interesting and thorough 'essay' on them that I've always enjoyed:
http://i-am-the-inksinger.tumblr.com/po ... because-im

[Nachtwulf]

I honestly wish they'd left them being cockatrices.

But some immature wankers on the forums kept carrying on about how 'lol elves ride giant cocks lol lol lol' so Bliz ditched the idea.

It still makes me sad. Forum whining is why we can't have nice things.

[13thmaiden]

They would have been awesome as cockatrices! And not the big fat chicken kind from Final fantasy whatever number I can't remember XD

I think the biggest reason is their head. Their heads really just kind of take away the whole 'terror bird' idea and feeds more to the chocobo. Maybe it's the fluffed up feathers all around their head, I dunno. They just don't scream 'terror' to me like they could.



If they had something like THIS? Heck yeah.



Maybe just upsizing the bill would put more of a 'terror bird' thought to it rather than the chicken thought. A snapping motion to the bill would help too.

There is just so much that could be done to the Hawkstrider to make it seem more than a 'chocobo' chicken.

[Pepsi Jedi]

actually, the "chocobo" as you call it can be very vicious and creepy and majestic at the same time, it is based on a cockatrice, it actually has that name in the database files.... if you look at it with a little bit of attention you will see:

-it has an underbelly made from large scales

-it has vibrant plumage on it head like a cockatoo, wind serpent, hakkar

- it has a long and powerfull beak

- it has a wide range of colors that can make for a number of interesting combinations

-it has strong dinosaur clawed feet

basically it is a blood elfenized terrorbird

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/pri ... 0118193554

like that with more plumage

blizzard can make it look both very majestic and vicious, maybe make it's head animation to lower it's head snap it's beak around randomly in the air sometimes, like the hydra heads randomly fight and hiss and how the old wolf /mountspecial has it growling and biting left and right

I agree that hawkstriders are really awesome, vicious mounts. Even though this is kind of some fan headcanoning, someone wrote up a really interesting and thorough 'essay' on them that I've always enjoyed:
http://i-am-the-inksinger.tumblr.com/po ... because-im

Some very interesting conclusions and ideas here. I might disagree on a few minor points but very nice head canon here. Very nice.

I too rather like the Hawkstriders and for a long long long time, my male orc rode a green one into battle. Now he's riding a Majestic Moose or Mana saber but yeah. the ol Green hawkstrider is in my top 5 mounts.

I too think they are -highly predatory- birds of large size and mass. I see them more as "Feathered velocoraptors with beaks' vs "big chickens" (Hey we HAVE a chicken mount. El pullo grande)

I also see them as pack (Flock?) hunters. A pack of them running across grass lands, calling out their squawks to coordinate and charging down and leaping on larger prey animals is something I could totally see. Using their back claws to open up bellys and damage them.

Watch Jurassic World. It shows the Raptors attacking much larger prey (The Indom) And how they'd go about it. I could see Hawkstriders being much the same "In the wild". Highly intelligent pack hunters that weren't afraid of anything. Their thick plumage WOULD work sort of like scale mail armor.

As for their usage as mounts, yes they're pretty but I think that's secondary. I think the BElves use them as war mounts because they will flat out frak you up. An Ostrich can kill a lion with a kick to the head. These striders are bigger and stronger than ostriches. As someone previously said they're like bigger versions of those death bird things (I forget the names. ugly in the face Cossararies? Something like that).

I see them as intelligent and cunning when tamed. Not sentient IQ but every bit as clever as smart animals. Crows are some of the most 'intelligent' animals and Striders could be up there with them and other corvids.

[Nachtwulf]

Well, we already have the 'terror bird'...

this thing.

Compare to a reconstruction of fossil 'terror birds' ...(Paraphysornis)


It already basically looks like the 'real' terror bird but people say it's stupid looking (well... it kinda is...)
Hawkstriders (as they are now) always struck me as domesticated, primped up tallstriders, like the b'elfs got ahold of them and then messed with them like the pigeon-fanciers have done IRL.

This is the 'real cockatrice' art that Bliz put in their artbook... before changing their mind. Note that the caption (FROM THE CANON ARTBOOK) says specifically that it's the intended b'elf mount.

[Vephriel]

I do miss the dragon-like scaled tails and original ferocity from the concept art (they're still called cockatrice in the WMV files I believe), but overall I don't hate them in game.

[13thmaiden]

Omg, I love those tails!! They should have totally kept them ;_; stupid immature weiners ruining an awesome thing.

I still think something should be done with the beak, I dunno why, they just always threw me off. But that's my personal aesthetic talking. You do have a point though Natch, the tallstriders are somewhere between an ostrich and a terror bird.

And I ride a freakin pink naked one into battle without giving a care. Fear my giant naked ostrich of doom!!!

Ah well, they won't change them back after this amount of time, sad really, that tail really made me think more cockatrice than colorful chocobo chicken. If they had gone with dragon wings instead of feathered too like you see alot of cockatrice pictures, that would have been pretty awesome too. Or a serrated bill.

But as is, they just look like really fancy colored chocobo chickens to me. Others will find them awesome sure, because it's just my opinion, and maybe Blizz can jazz them up with some serious armor and skulls to make them look savage. Or give them a serrated bill.



Bow to the giant serrated bill >D

[Pepsi Jedi]

Well, we already have the 'terror bird'...

this thing.

Compare to a reconstruction of fossil 'terror birds' ...(Paraphysornis)


It already basically looks like the 'real' terror bird but people say it's stupid looking (well... it kinda is...)
Hawkstriders (as they are now) always struck me as domesticated, primped up tallstriders, like the b'elfs got ahold of them and then messed with them like the pigeon-fanciers have done IRL.

This is the 'real cockatrice' art that Bliz put in their artbook... before changing their mind. Note that the caption (FROM THE CANON ARTBOOK) says specifically that it's the intended b'elf mount.

Which book is that from? I rather like um too.

[Rawr]

Its from "The Art of Burning Crusade" the book that comes with the BC collectors edition WoW.

[zedxrgal]

I have that book. Never opened it though. May I should if art like that is in there.

[13thmaiden]

My attempt at a vicious hawkstrider.

Story for it:

"After the Scourge wiped through the blood elf lands, most of the wild hawkstrider population was destroyed. The domestic hawkstrider has been mostly bred for colors and large feathers along the wings as well as docility, as well as the common practice of snipping tails off as chicks. Since the wild population's disappearance, a few breeders have been trying to recreate the wilder, more vicious looking hawkstrider look. And sometimes they give one of their successful birds as a mount to a champion who can handle this wily bird.'


I didn't want to bog it down with too much, so whenever I was in doubt, I followed the Horde motto: "When in doubt, put a spike on it."

Additions: Longer tail (since it wasn't snipped ), serrated beak, heavily singular pointed eye crests, spines along the back, and thumb-claw on wing. And lots of skulls and spikes.

I also used the BC drawing up there for reference. XD I liked it's legs more than the scrawny looking ones on the actual mounts.

[Vephriel]

Some neat changes coming to flying mount animations in Legion. It seems they're tweaking some of the anchor points to make movement more fluid in the air. Subtle, but I like the outcome. Definitely a little improvement.

Video from MMO Champion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcJKjB0VZo0

[SpiritBinder]

The other 3 Viscous Mounts have now been found.

[pawprintedheart]

Well, that answers that...though I really wonder why PvP is getting soooooo many of the mounts (all the best ones imo). The unicorns (which totally devastates me), the infernals, and now the vicious ones too (though these ones I totally understand).

Though I'm also highly curious about the worgen horse one...looks like such a cool creature buried under all that armor. I'd love to see it out of the armor and in more places than just that one PvP mount.

[WerebearGuy]

Is there an easy way to get a saddle? Because I want that horse. IT HAS A SKULL IN A CAGE.

EDIT: More importantly, there's an achievement that was datamined, and it rewards Ratstallion. A permanent rat mount? Can it be true? Should I can put away my pitchfork and torch now?

[Castile]

I love that worgen horse...the skull in the little cage is the best!

[SpiritBinder]

EDIT: More importantly, there's an achievement that was datamined, and it rewards Ratstallion. A permanent rat mount? Can it be true? Should I can put away my pitchfork and torch now?

It does seem to read like that, will just have to wait and see, but yes, fingers crossed for sure!

There is also a new mount reward for collecting toys...

• NEW Mechanized Lumber Extractor Mount a Mechanized Lumber Extractor, allowing you to fly very fast. The claws are surprisingly delicate and herbalists can use them to pick herbs! This is a flying mount.

It sounds much like the sky golem and shares the same icon atm.

Personally I gave up on collecting much but mounts when they decided to change companion pets into battle pets.
They added so many of them and so many that looked the same, and then wanted you to level them all, and that there are different breeds/etc/etc. They went too far for me on that and I was done. I was even less inspired to run around and collect toys simply because of the mini pets. To add a mount as a high number of toys collected makes me