Battlefield Swarmer

Battlefield Swarmer is an epic flying mount added to World of Warcraft in patch 9.1.0 "Chains of Domination" of the Shadowlands expansion (June 29, 2021). The mount is a giant corpse fly with turquoise-green wings and a copper-red chitinous shell, its aesthetic referencing the necromantic realm of Maldraxxus. According to lore, swarmers are drawn to the scent of dead bodies, so they immediately flock to any active battlefield — the perfect companion for a Necrolord covenant warrior.

The mount is sold by Duchess Mynx at Keeper's Respite in Korthia for 1,000 Stygia. To purchase it you need Revered with the Death's Advance, the The Best Defense achievement, and Necrolord covenant membership. Once you reach Renown 80 with the Necrolords, the mount becomes available to any character on your account, regardless of your chosen covenant.

• Necrolord exclusive — the Battlefield Swarmer Harness is one of four covenant mounts sold by Duchess Mynx, and only a player who has walked the path of Maldraxxus can obtain it. Its rare status and theme make it a prized part of any collection.
• Unique corpse-fly model — the mount uses the swarmer model with detailed wing and body animation. There are four color variants of the swarmer in the game, one for each covenant, but the green-and-copper coloring of the Battlefield Swarmer Harness remains the most "battle-ready" of them all.
• Ground and flying — the mount works in both modes: +60% or +100% to ground movement speed and +150% / +280% / +310% in the air, depending on your riding skill. You can fly in every zone where flight is allowed.
• Account-wide at Renown 80 — if you reach Renown 80 with the Necrolords, the mount can be used by any of your characters, even one currently in another covenant.
• Nostalgic Shadowlands content — earning it ties into completing the Chains of Domination storyline, covenant assaults on the Maw, and farming Stygia. The perfect excuse to return to 9.1 content at max level.

The path to the mount consists of three main stages: joining the Necrolord covenant, raising reputation with Death's Advance to Exalted, and earning the "The Best Defense" meta-achievement. All requirements are completed on a single character.

1. Join the Necrolord covenant in Maldraxxus. If you are in another covenant, you will have to switch and re-earn Renown to the required level.
2. Complete the patch 9.1 "Chains of Domination" storyline up to unlocking Korthia. The quests "Scouting the Mysteries" and "An Audience with the Primus" are especially important, as they open access to Death's Advance and the daily quests in Korthia.
3. Raise your reputation with Death's Advance to Exalted. To do so, complete the daily quests, the weekly quest Shaping Fate, take part in covenant assaults in the Maw, and fight the Tormentors of Torghast.
4. Complete the The Best Defense meta-achievement — you must finish 6 of 9 side achievements during the four covenant assaults on the Maw.
5. Save up 1,000 Stygia. Stygia drops from enemies in the Maw and Korthia, as well as from completing daily quests and rare mobs.
6. Head to Duchess Mynx at Keeper's Respite (roughly coordinates 63, 24 in Korthia) and buy the Battlefield Swarmer Harness.

Covenant and Renown level

The mount is initially available only to Necrolord players. If you are in another covenant but want this mount, there are two options.

• Switch covenant. Move to the Necrolords in Maldraxxus at Baron Vyraz in the Theater of Pain. When you return to your previous covenant your Renown is preserved, but some quests will have to be repeated.
• Reach Renown 80 with the Necrolords. At this level the mount unlocks for every character on the account, regardless of current covenant. This is the recommended option for players who have long been gathering Necrolord Renown.

Reputation with Death's Advance

Death's Advance is a faction that unites all four covenants for the assault on the Maw. Reputation unlocks after the second chapter of the patch 9.1 story campaign.

• Daily quests in Korthia — 3 to 5 tasks per day, each granting 150–200 reputation.
• The weekly quest Shaping Fate — 750 reputation and 1 Renown level.
• Covenant assaults in the Maw — up to 500 reputation for a full clear.
• Tormentors of Torghast — 150 reputation per victory.
• Rare mobs in the Rift in Korthia — can drop "Stolen Korthian Supplies," handed in once a week for extra reputation.

With all activities done actively, Exalted can be reached in 3–4 weeks.

Korthia is a zone added in patch 9.1. There are several ways to get there.

1. Complete the "Chains of Domination" quest chain on any character above level 60 up to unlocking Korthia. After the first unlock the zone becomes available to all alts on the same account.
2. Use the portal in Oribos — at the obelisk on the city's upper ring. The portal teleports you directly to Keeper's Respite.
3. If you are already in the Maw, find the corresponding obelisk or use the Wayfinder's Stone to return.
4. At Keeper's Respite (coordinates 63, 24) look for Duchess Mynx next to the other covenant vendors.

The The Best Defense achievement requires you to complete 6 of 9 side objectives during covenant assaults on the Maw. Each assault lasts 3.5 days and rotates twice a week: on European servers — Wednesday at 08:00 and Saturday at 20:00 Central European Time.

Originally the achievement required all 9 sub-objectives, but a hotfix from September 24, 2021 lowered the requirement to 6 — this made obtaining the mount significantly faster. Plan your activities around the current assault — some side objectives can only be done while the matching covenant assault is active.

1,000 Stygia is a manageable sum, but it must be gathered gradually. The currency drops from almost everything you kill in the Maw and in Korthia.

Efficient sources

• Rare mobs in Korthia — every rare enemy is guaranteed to drop Stygia, often 20–40 per kill. Use a rare-mob tracker addon.
• Death's Advance daily quests — each completed daily grants 10–25 Stygia on top of the reputation.
• Tormentors of Torghast — weapon events that grant a large amount of Stygia in a short time.
• Covenant assaults — a full assault clear nets you 100–150 Stygia plus other rewards.
• Treasure chests in Korthia — hidden chests contain 30 to 80 Stygia.

Tips for saving up

• When you die in the Maw you lose half your Stygia. Return to your corpse and reclaim what was lost to minimize the loss.
• In patch 9.1 mounts are allowed in the Maw — this speeds up travel between farm spots.
• Don't spend Stygia on temporary buffs until you have saved the full amount. The mount is the priority.
• Bank reputation in parallel: most Stygia sources also grant Death's Advance points.