Sable Ruinstrider

Reins of the Sable Ruinstrider is a ground talbuk mount with coal-black fur and large dark horns covered in chitinous armor. It was added to World of Warcraft with patch 7.3 "Shadows of Argus" of the Legion expansion. The talbuks of Argus grew horn plates and a dense carapace over long years of endless war on their home planet, which is why they look far more menacing than their kin from Nagrand.

The mount is purchased from the quartermaster Toraan the Revered for 10,000 gold after reaching Exalted reputation with the Argussian Reach faction. It is one of six ruinstriders identical in model but different in color, all available from the same vendor.

• Unique dark color scheme — out of the six Argus ruinstriders, the sable variant looks the most sinister: black fur, near-black horns, dark armor. It pairs perfectly with the "evil" transmogs of demonic and dark classes
• Accessible reputation farm — all Argussian Reach reputation is earned in a single zone without complex mechanics. With regular world quest runs, Exalted is reached in 3–5 weeks
• Part of a six-ruinstrider collection — besides the sable one, Toraan the Revered also sells five more talbuk variants: chestnut, amethyst, beryl, umber and azure. All six unlock at the same time
• Closing in on collector milestones — buying all six talbuks at once adds six ground mounts to your total counter and brings you closer to the 400+ and 500+ mount milestones
• Side rewards — on the way to Exalted you complete the requirements to unlock the Void Elves as an allied race, earn the Defender of the Argussian Reach achievement and gather Argus lore quests

Argus is a hidden zone unlocked through a chain of Legion quests. On a fresh 2026 character, you only need to complete the entire chain once per account, after which a fast track opens up for alts.

Unlocking Argus (for a new character)

1. Complete the Broken Isles intro campaign: the starting quest Keeper of the Broken Isles and obtain the Dalaran Hearthstone
2. Reach Friendly with five Broken Isles factions: The Valarjar, The Dreamweavers, Court of Farondis, Highmountain Tribe and The Nightfallen
3. Take the quest Uniting the Isles from Khadgar and complete it
4. Complete the Armies of Legionfall chain and Assault on Broken Shore
5. Get the quest Hand of Fate from Khadgar — it will take you to the Vindicaar and start the Argus storyline

At max level 80 in The War Within, the entire chain scales and can be cleared in 1.5–2 hours on a single character.

Unlocking World Quests on Argus

World quests are the main reputation source. They open up by zone after the corresponding story stages:

• Krokuun — after Child of Light and Shadow
• Mac'Aree — after Seat of the Triumvirate
• Antoran Wastes — after The Burning Heart

It is best to complete all three story lines in a single day — this immediately opens the full pool of world quests and emissaries.

1. Open the map and select the Argus location. If Argus is not unlocked yet — return to the "Unlocking Argus" section above
2. You will be automatically teleported to the ship Vindicaar, in orbit around Argus
3. Go up to the upper deck of the ship. Walk toward the bow past the war council table
4. Toraan the Revered stands at the very edge of the deck. Coordinates inside the Vindicaar: roughly 68, 56

If the Vindicaar is not yet shown in your flight point list, you first need to finish the intro quest Seek the Saviors of Azeroth — it unlocks the ship and grants your first Argussian Reach reputation.

1. Gather 10,000 gold (60,000 gold if you plan to buy all six ruinstriders)
2. Complete all three story lines on Argus to unlock world quests
3. Each week complete the quest Fuel of a Doomed World — it grants 250 reputation
4. Check the Argussian Reach emissary tasks daily — turning in four world quests grants 1,500 reputation
5. Close out all active faction world quests — 75 reputation each
6. Take bonus quests at the invasion points in Argus zones — each run grants reputation and bits of Argunite
7. After reaching Exalted, return to Toraan the Revered and buy the Reins of the Sable Ruinstrider

How Long Exalted Takes

From Neutral to Exalted you need to earn 42,000 reputation. Realistic timeframes:

Reputation Boosters

• Darkmoon Faire — once every two weeks, pick up the WHEE! buff at the Darkmoon Faire, granting +10% reputation gained for an hour
• Guild experience bonus — some guilds can activate temporary reputation boosts; ask your guild leader
• Fast quest clearing — at level 80 Argus world quests are completed in seconds, so simply clear as many available tasks per session as you can
• Group invasion-point farming — invasion points on Argus are cleared faster in a group of three to five and grant the same reward to everyone

Alts and Account-Wide Acceleration

Argussian Reach reputation is not shared between characters, but it builds faster on alts: the intro storyline is credited automatically if you have already completed it on your main. On an alt you only need to get up to the Vindicaar and start closing world quests.

• Buy all six talbuks at once — the price is the same, and you won't have to return to Toraan again. If you can only afford one, take the one you need most urgently; the rest can be bought later
• Check the weekly emissary rotation type — the Argussian Reach and the Army of the Light alternate. Don't miss your day so you don't lose out on 1,500 reputation
• Don't forget the raid quest — after clearing the Antorus, the Burning Throne raid, the quest Shroud of the Triumvirate opens up with a reward of 250 reputation
• The mount is account-bound — once you buy the Reins of the Sable Ruinstrider, you get it on all characters regardless of faction
• The ruinstrider is a ground mount — in no-fly zones it loses no speed, but on mounts with flight you'll be faster. Keep it as a collection or stylish option rather than your main everyday mount
• If you run out of Argus story — reputation still builds. After all the quests, world tasks keep appearing, and 10–15 completed in an evening give about 1,000 reputation