Alabaster Thunderwing

Alabaster Thunderwing is a Horde flying wind rider mount, originally released for the 15th anniversary of World of Warcraft. According to its lore description, it is a stone statue carved by the stonemasons of Orgrimmar, symbolizing the unbreakable strength of the Horde. Its alabaster appearance sets the mount apart from classic wind riders: the white marble with veining makes it one of the most recognizable festive Horde mounts.

The mount was part of the World of Warcraft: 15th Anniversary Collector's Edition (May 2019), and was later sold as a separate bundle together with the Alliance counterpart Alabaster Stormtalon in the Battle.net Shop and in-game shop from August 6, 2019 to April 17, 2023. After being removed from the shop, the mount appeared in the Trading Post in August 2023 and now rotates there for 650 Trader's Tender.

• Rare alabaster model — a white stone wind rider with a unique flight animation and a recognizable silhouette that stands out among standard orcish wind riders
• Flying and ground at once — the mount automatically adapts to your riding skill: on the ground if you have no flying license, and in the air once you have earned one
• No expansion limitation — not tied to the dragonriding system; available as a normal flying mount in any zone where flight is allowed
• Account-wide unlock — after purchase the mount becomes available to all Horde characters on your account
• Part of the anniversary collection — collectors will enjoy having the full set of 15th anniversary mounts together with the Alliance Alabaster Stormtalon, even if on different factions

At the moment, the only available method is buying it at the Trading Post in Orgrimmar or Stormwind during the month when the mount enters rotation.

1. Create or use a Horde faction character (the model is sold by Zen'shiri at the Orgrimmar Trading Post). The mount is faction-limited; you cannot buy it on the Alliance
2. Wait for a month in which Alabaster Thunderwing is included in the Trading Post rotation. The rotation refreshes on the 1st of each month
3. Visit the Trading Post and collect the monthly bonus of 500 Trader's Tender from the chest next to the vendor
4. Complete tasks from the Traveler's Log to accumulate additional Trader's Tender. For every 200 points earned, you receive 100 Trader's Tender on top of the monthly bonus
5. Save up at least 650 Trader's Tender and buy the mount from the vendor at the Trading Post
6. If the mount is not in the current rotation, lock it with the "Item Hold" feature (reserve one item until next month) or wait for it to return to rotation

The mount went through three distribution stages. Understanding this chain helps you not miss rare windows if Blizzard changes the acquisition method again.

Note: buying the Alliance Alabaster Stormtalon at the Trading Post does not grant the Horde counterpart, and vice versa. Unlike the old shop bundle, now each side buys its own mount separately.

The monthly Trader's Tender cap is 1000, so a single month of active play is enough to afford the mount with some to spare.

1. Go to the Trading Post in Orgrimmar (Zen'shiri) or Stormwind (Tawney and Wilder) and grab the chest with 500 Trader's Tender — this is the automatic part of the monthly grant
2. Open the Traveler's Log (icon next to the minimap) and look at the list of tasks for the current month
3. Complete tasks that grant traveler's points: dungeons, raids, PvP, professions, cosmetic emotes, holiday events. The goal is to gather 200 traveler's points, which adds +100 Trader's Tender
4. Repeat the cycle: every 200 points = +100 Trader's Tender, up to 5 such bonuses per month
5. You cannot get more than 1000 Trader's Tender per month, but unspent tender does not expire — it accumulates on your account

Recommended Task Types

• Killing world bosses — grants many points at once
• Completing The War Within daily and weekly quests — a simple, steady source of points
• Clearing a dungeon on Mythic+ — one run closes several monthly tasks at once
• Celebrating in-game holidays — an extremely rewarding source of points in a month if the holiday coincides with the rotation
• Using emotes, fishing, gathering herbs — quick everyday tasks to top up

Alabaster Thunderwing does not appear in the Trading Post every month. Between rotations there can be breaks of half a year or more: after its debut in August 2023, the mount returned in March 2024 and then went on pause. If it is not available this month, do the following:

1. Check the current rotation in the Trading Post window
2. If the mount was available last month and you did not manage to buy it, use the "Item Hold" feature. You can reserve one item and buy it later once you have saved up Trader's Tender
3. Stockpile Trader's Tender in advance: it does not expire. By the time the mount appears you will already have the required amount
4. Follow the news — the rotation is announced at the end of each month
5. Alternative scenario: look on the auction house for an old 15th Anniversary Collector's Edition collector's key. It is a rarity and usually more expensive than waiting for the Trading Post

Faction Lock

The mount is available only to Horde characters. If you play Alliance, the only option is to create a Horde character (on any race), level it to 10, and buy the mount on it. The collection is account-wide, but only Horde characters will be able to use the Thunderwing. The Alliance has its own counterpart — Alabaster Stormtalon.

Flying and Ground

The mount scales to your riding skill:

• Without flying skill — works as a ground mount
• With regular flying skill — flies like a standard wind rider
• In zones where flight is forbidden (for example, early The War Within zones before unlocking the achievement), it dismounts and is used as a ground mount

Note: this is a regular flying mount; it does not support the dynamic flight system by default. In current expansions Blizzard enabled a switching mode for many old mounts, but the flight of the Alabaster Thunderwing still feels simpler and slower than that of special Dragonflight mounts.

Account-Wide Unlock

After purchase the mount is added to the collection of your entire account. All Horde characters (existing and future) will be able to summon it immediately, but Alliance ones will not.