Aerial Unit R-21/X

The Aerial Unit R-21/X is a mechanical-themed flying mount added in the Battle for Azeroth expansion (patch 8.2). The mount is the personal aircraft of King Mechagon, equipped with a deployable cannon and heated foot rests. It can only be obtained by completing the Operation: Mechagon dungeon on hard mode. It is one of the most stylish mechanical mounts in the game and is highly prized by collectors.

The Aerial Unit R-21/X is a full-fledged flying mount that supports every riding skill level. The mount stands out with a unique mechanical model in the style of gnomish and Mechagon technology. It is account-bound, so it becomes available to all of your characters. Earning the mount is also tied to the achievement Keep DPS-ing and Nobody Explodes, which is an extra incentive for collectors.

• Character level: 10 and above (since patch 9.0.1).
• Dungeon difficulty: Mythic. Operation: Mechagon is only available on this difficulty.
• Group: 2 to 5 players is strongly recommended. The hard mode mechanic on the final boss requires several players to solve the panel puzzle. Soloing hard mode is practically impossible.
• Quests: the preliminary Mechagon quests are not required to enter the dungeon.

Operation: Mechagon is located on Mechagon, off the coast of Stormsong Valley (Kul Tiras). The dungeon entrance is in Rustbolt.

How to reach it:

1. Portal (fastest): use the portal (coordinates 53.7, 38.7) that teleports you straight to Mechagon.
2. Flying: fly there on your mount from Drustvar or Stormsong Valley if you have flying unlocked in Kul Tiras.
3. Flight path: travel via the flight point from other Kul Tiras zones.

Dungeon entrance coordinates: 73.6, 36.0 on Mechagon.

The Aerial Unit R-21/X drops from King Mechagon — the final boss of the Operation: Mechagon dungeon when hard mode is active.

Drop chance: 20% for each group member who has not yet looted the boss during the current week. In a full group of 5 players, none of whom have looted this week, the combined chance is 100%. When running with two players, the chance is around 40%.

The mount can be traded to other group members after it is looted.

Step 1: The First Three Bosses — Lure the HK-8 Aerial Oppression Unit

To activate hard mode you must defeat the dungeon's first three bosses while the HK-8 Aerial Oppression Unit hovers above them. This drone moves between the boss areas along a set route.

Important: you do not have to kill regular enemies while the drone is above the area — you can clear them out before the drone arrives. However, the bosses themselves must be defeated exactly while the drone hovers over them.

During the fight with each of the first three bosses, the drone periodically drops three Walkie Shockie X1 robots. These robots are immune to damage but vulnerable to control — use crowd-control abilities to neutralize them.

Step 2: The HK-8 Aerial Oppression Unit Fight

After defeating the three bosses in hard mode, the fight against the HK-8 Aerial Oppression Unit itself also takes place in a harder variant:

• Instead of the Tank Buster MK1, the Tank Buster MK2 appears.
• The Walkie Shockie X1 are replaced by X2, which are connected to each other by a high-damage beam.
• The drone uses the ability Explosive Burst — the damage is split between players standing together.
• You have 55 seconds to hack the overload station before the Annihilation Beam is cast.

Tip for small groups: when the Annihilation Beam triggers, run far down the corridor toward Rustbolt. After the volley, return and calmly hack the terminal — the boss will not reset.

Step 3: K.U.-J.0.

Before the fight begins, click the pile of robo-scrap near the entrance to the boss area. This activates hard mode for this fight. During the battle, players are afflicted with Noxious Stench — a stacking debuff that slows movement speed by 5% per stack (maximum 16 stacks = 80% slow). With a high gear level the boss dies quickly and the debuff does not have time to stack up.

Step 4: King Mechagon — the Final Hard Mode Fight

Before the fight begins, press the red button on the pedestal in the boss room. This activates hard mode and summons the Annihilo-tron 5000 — an invulnerable robot with an energy bar.

Annihilo-tron 5000 mechanics:

1. The robot's energy gradually drains (about 20 points every 9 seconds). If the energy reaches zero, the entire group dies instantly.
2. When the energy hits 35 points, the Termination Sequence begins: four Input Panels around the room start flashing in a specific order.
3. Memorize the order in which the panels flash (the color and picture do not matter — only the sequence does).
4. After a red skull appears, the panels become active and you have 5 seconds to enter the correct sequence.
5. The sequence repeats every 45 seconds throughout the entire fight.

Group organization: assign one player to each of the four panels. Each one memorizes their number in the sequence and presses their panel at the right moment. The fifth player focuses on damaging the boss.

Step 5: Claim the Mount

After defeating King Mechagon in hard mode, one group member receives the Aerial Unit R-21/X. All participants also earn the achievement Keep DPS-ing and Nobody Explodes.

• Weekly reset: loot from King Mechagon resets every week. Farm the dungeon each reset for the best chances.
• Multiple characters: run it on several alts to increase your total number of attempts per week.
• Group size: in a full group of 5 players, none of whom have looted this week, the chance to get the mount is 100%. Look for a group through the group finder or in communities.
• Clear time: with a high gear level the dungeon can be cleared in 15–20 minutes.
• Minimum composition: with enough gear you can clear hard mode with a group of 2–3 players. One player can quickly move between panels, but this requires excellent coordination and speed.

• Crowd control: bring a Druid or another class with good control to neutralize the Walkie Shockie robots on the first three bosses.
• Panel coordination: agree in advance on a callout system. Each player stationed at their panel calls out their number in the sequence (for example, "first", "third"). Use voice chat for instant coordination.
• Alternative approach to the HK-8 drone: you can clear all regular enemies before the drone arrives, then simply wait for it to appear before starting the boss fight.
• The mount can be traded: if the mount drops for a player who already has it, it can be passed to another group member.
• Outdated content: the dungeon belongs to the Battle for Azeroth expansion. With current gear levels the bosses die very fast, so the only real challenge lies in the puzzle mechanic on the final boss.
• Backup plan: if the panel puzzle gives you trouble, focus all damage on the boss and try to kill it before the first Termination Sequence triggers (before the Annihilo-tron's energy drops to 35).