Mounts
Like every version of WoW, Mounts are the main way to increase how fast you can move through the world.
However, mounts work a bit differently on Turtle WoW than on other vanilla and old WoW servers.
Details
Turtle WoW uses the 2006/1.12.1/TBC system of "Training is expensive, mounts are cheap". This keeps the price of your first training and mounting the same expensive price known in Vanilla, however, obtaining other mounts is now vastly cheaper, and so players are better empowered to be mount collectors!
On TWoW, you can use a mount from lv 1 without any training, BUT using a mount before your lv 40 training will be incredibly slow. The speed bonus for untrained riding is calculated from half of your level, as a +%. For example:
- A lv 1 player's mount will be +0.5% movespeed.
- A lv 20 player's mount will be +10% movespeed.
- A lv 34 player's mount will be +17% movespeed.
- A lv 40 player's mount, before they purchase riding training, will be +20% movespeed.
- The moment Apprentice Riding is trained, this system is overwritten with the blizzlike +60%
- A lv 40-60 player's mount with training, will remain +60% movespeed this entire range, and will only improve to +100% when Journeyman Riding is purchased.
This means that since any mount scales with your riding, your mount choice is now purely cosmetic! *Except for the Rank 11 PVP mounts, which are +100% speed without needing Journeyman Riding. However, acquiring these mounts will not speed up the rest of your mounts.
Price Chart
| Item | Base Price | Rank 3 or Honored | Rank 3 AND Honored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lv1 Shop Mounts | Cost IRL money through Donations | ||
| Lv18 Turtle Mount | Free, but you need to do the quest | ||
| Lv40 Simple Mounts | 10g | 9g | 8g |
| Lv60 Fancy Mounts | 100g | 90g | 80g |
| Lv40 Training (160%) | 90g | 81g | 72g |
| Lv60 Training (200%) | 900g | 810g | 720g |
Most players find being Honored or above with their own race to be a given, but plenty of players do miss out on acquiring PVP Rank 3 which offers that second huge 10% discount. Consider some casual PVP to obtain Rank 3, especially for when its time to purchase your expensive lv 60 Journeyman Riding.
Do note that unlike in TBC, being Revered and Exalted provides no extra -15 to -20% discount in Vanilla and Turtle WoW.
Also, if you would like to purchase a mount of another race faction, you will need to reach Exalted with them.
Mount Swim Speed
Like in WotLK, all mounts on Turtle WoW do not dismount when you fall into water with them.
But unlike other WoW expansions, there exist odd pieces of gear that say "Equip: Increases Swimspeed by 15%". These pieces will work not only for unmounted swimming, but also for mounted swimming, AND these pieces of gear stack!
There are 5 obtainable swimspeed items, one of them requiring Bloodsail Revered. Their drop locations or quests that reward them can be found here: https://database.turtle-wow.org/?spell=8747
Additionally, the Riding Turtle mount goes +10% faster in water than any other mount.
Tutorial: Getting the Turtle Mount
You can wait until lv 40 to get your first mount, and this is a pretty solid strategy as Movespeed enchanted boots will usually be superior to mounting before lv 40 riding, as you are able to freely cast spells and grind mobs on the way to places.
However, if you do want a mount early or want to skip the 9g purchase of a mount for later, there is a quest ingame that lets you obtain one:
- Level up to lv 18.
- The Darkmoon Faire is open for visitors every day of the week except Wednesday, when they are unpacking. Head to wherever the DMF is this week, so you can pick up the quest.
- One week they will be in Goldshire (Just south of the Inn), and alternating weeks they will be in Mulgore (just southwest of Thunder Bluff).
- Are you alliance and the DMF is in the horde location, or vice versa? It's still reasonably possible to visit the opposite faction's DMF. To get to mulgore as alliance, try: Wetlands' Menethil Harbor -> Theramore -> The road through Dustwallow Marsh -> Barrens -> Mulgore. To Goldshire as Horde, try: Orgrimar's Southeast Zeppelin -> Grom'gol in Strangethorn -> Duskwood -> Raven Hill -> Elwynn Forest -> Goldshire
- Inside the Darkmoon Faire, find the gnome Silas Darkmoon, and accept the quest Torta's Egg. Read the quest, figure out where to go and complete the quest back at the DMF, and enjoy your slow and steady turtle mount!