Get Reins of the Azure Water Strider mount

Reins of the Azure Water Strider is an epic ground mount added in patch 5.0.4 of the Mists of Pandaria expansion. It is a graceful azure-colored water-strider insect that can run across the surface of water. The mount is purchased from Nat Pagle at the Anglers' Wharf in the Krasarang Wilds once you reach Exalted reputation with The Anglers.

The Azure Water Strider is one of the most recognizable mounts in World of Warcraft. For several expansions it remained the only available mount with an innate water-walking ability, which made it practically mandatory for any serious player. In patch 8.2 water walking was moved into the mount equipment system, but the water strider still remains an iconic means of transport.

• Iconic status — the Azure Water Strider became a symbol of an entire WoW era. For years it was the only mount that let you move freely across water while mounted, and every game veteran recognizes it
• Guaranteed acquisition — unlike percentage-chance drops, the mount is bought from a vendor. Once you reach the required reputation and save up the gold, you are guaranteed to get it
• Unique model — the water strider has an unusual animation: it runs on long, thin legs, "gliding" across the surface of land and water. Visually it differs drastically from most mounts in the game
• Available to all characters — once purchased, the mount becomes available on every character on your account
• A nice collection bonus — if you hunt mounts for achievements, the Azure Water Strider adds a unique model to your collection

To purchase the mount you need to reach Exalted reputation with The Anglers and have the required amount of gold.

1. Travel to the Anglers' Wharf in the south-eastern part of the Krasarang Wilds. It is a coastal fishing village on the shore
2. Start completing the daily quests from the NPCs at the Anglers' Wharf — three random quests from a pool of fourteen are available each day
3. In parallel, fish for rare fish in the waters of Pandaria and turn them in to Nat Pagle for additional reputation
4. Upon reaching Revered, purchase the Grand Commendation of the Anglers to double the reputation you earn
5. Grind reputation up to Exalted (42,000 points in total)
6. Buy the Reins of the Azure Water Strider from Nat Pagle and use the item to learn the mount

The Anglers' Wharf is a small coastal village on the south-eastern shore of the Krasarang Wilds. This is the home base of The Anglers, and their quartermaster, Nat Pagle, is found here.

Quick Access

1. Use the portal to Pandaria from your faction's capital (Orgrimmar or Stormwind)
2. Fly to the Krasarang Wilds — the flight point is "Thunder Cleft" (Horde) or "Lion's Landing" (Alliance)
3. Head to the south-eastern coast of the zone
4. The Anglers' Wharf sits on the shore, and Nat Pagle stands right on the wharf

Coordinates

To reach Exalted you need to gather 42,000 reputation points. The main sources are listed below.

Daily Quests (Main Source)

Three random daily quests, chosen from a pool of fourteen, are available each day at the Anglers' Wharf. The quests are spread across seven NPCs and together grant around 1,500 reputation points per day. The tasks are varied: from catching fish and collecting items to fighting mobs along the coast.

Rare Fish for Nat Pagle

Three kinds of rare fish can be caught in the waters of Pandaria and turned in to Nat Pagle. Each kind can be turned in once per day:

• Flying Tiger Gourami — caught in the freshwater pools of Pandaria
• Mimic Octopus — caught in the saltwater of Pandaria
• Spinefish Alpha — caught in the inland sha-touched waters of Pandaria

Each fish grants 350 reputation with The Anglers and 500 friendship points with Nat Pagle. Together the three fish give 1,050 reputation points per day.

Grand Commendation of the Anglers

Upon reaching Revered, purchase the Grand Commendation of the Anglers for 50 gold. This is a Bind on Account item that doubles all reputation you earn with The Anglers on all of your characters. Buying the commendation significantly speeds up the remaining path to Exalted.

Additional Sources

• Krasarang Wilds story quests — a one-time reputation bonus for completing the quest chains in the zone
• Darkmoon Faire fishing — once a month at the Darkmoon Faire you can catch and turn in a special fish
• Cookie's pet — a companion pet that, when used, can help you with fishing

Daily Plan

At max level (80 in The War Within), all of Pandaria's content is cleared in mere minutes. The optimal daily order of actions:

1. Fly to the Anglers' Wharf in the Krasarang Wilds
2. Pick up and complete all three daily quests — at level 80 they take 5–10 minutes
3. Head to the nearest body of water and fish until you catch all three kinds of rare fish (Flying Tiger Gourami, Mimic Octopus, Spinefish Alpha)
4. Turn in the rare fish to Nat Pagle at the wharf
5. If the Darkmoon Faire is active, visit it before doing the quests for the WHEE! buff (+10% reputation)

How Much Time It Will Take

By completing all quests and turning in the rare fish every day, you earn roughly 2,550 reputation points per day (1,500 from quests + 1,050 from fish). Before buying the commendation (from Neutral to Revered — 24,000 points) it takes about 10 days. After buying the commendation (doubled reputation) the remaining 18,000 points can be gathered in 4–5 days. In total, the whole path takes about two weeks of active play.

Tips for Catching Rare Fish

• Rare fish are caught in specific types of water: freshwater, saltwater, and inland sha-touched pools. Memorize the spots convenient for you
• Your fishing skill affects the catch chance. The higher the skill, the faster you catch the fish you need
• Use bait and fishing poles that increase your fishing skill to speed up the process
• All three fish can be caught in a single run if you move between water bodies of different types

Originally the Azure Water Strider had a unique innate ability — water walking. This made it one of the most useful mounts in the game for several expansions. However, in patch 8.2 (Rise of Azshara) Blizzard introduced significant changes.

What Changed in Patch 8.2

• Water walking was removed as the mount's built-in ability
• The mount equipment system was introduced, letting any mount gain one passive ability
• Every player who owned the water strider automatically received the Anglers' Water Striders by mail — mount equipment that grants water walking
• The mount's cost was lowered from 5,000 to 1,000 gold

Mount Equipment

Mount equipment works at the character level. You can place one item in the equipment slot, and its effect applies to all of your mounts. The available options are:

• Anglers' Water Striders — water walking (any damage cancels the effect)
• Inflatable Mount Shoes — water walking (any damage cancels the effect)
• Comfortable Rider's Barding — protects against being stunned, slowed, or dazed while riding

If you want to keep the water-walking functionality, place the Anglers' Water Striders in the mount equipment slot.