Black War Mammoth

The Black War Mammoth is an epic Horde ground mount added in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion alongside the opening of the Lake Wintergrasp PvP zone. It is a massive black mammoth clad in battle armor, and it became one of the first rewards for taking part in the legendary battle for the fortress at the heart of Northrend.

The mount is sold by the Horde quartermaster Stone Guard Mukar, who appears in Wintergrasp Fortress only while the Horde holds control of the zone. The Alliance gets the equivalent model from Knight Dameron, while the Horde item is the Reins of the Black War Mammoth.

The Black War Mammoth has an imposing silhouette: huge tusks capped with metal tips, a spiked saddle, and war barding give the beast a fearsome look. Despite its bulk, the mount uses the standard mammoth animations and shares the same hitbox model as the ordinary mammoths of the Borean Tundra.

• Accessible PvP reward — unlike elite PvP mounts, the purchase does not require a high arena rating or battleground wins. Simply taking part in the Battle for Wintergrasp is enough.
• Guaranteed acquisition — the mount is bought with a currency rather than dropping on a chance. As soon as the Horde takes the fortress and you save up the required number of marks of honor, the item is yours.
• A unique model for the Horde — the black armored mammoth color scheme is available nowhere else outside the Wintergrasp line of PvP mammoths.
• Available to almost any character — the character level and riding skill requirements are minimal, so the mount suits even relatively young Horde champions.
• Account-wide — once learned, the mount becomes available to every Horde character on your account.
• Collection value — together with the Alliance counterparts and the Reins of the Grand Black War Mammoth variant from the Vault of Archavon, this mount is part of the classic Wrath of the Lich King-era PvP collection.

To buy the mount you must meet three conditions: the Horde must control Wintergrasp, you must have 15 Wintergrasp Marks of Honor, and you must have basic riding skill.

1. Travel to Northrend and find the entrance to the Wintergrasp zone (details below in the "How to Reach Wintergrasp" section).
2. Wait for the Battle for Wintergrasp to begin — it takes place every 2 hours and 30 minutes.
3. Take part in the battle on the Horde side. Attack fortifications, defend siege engines, kill enemies, and complete objectives depending on whether the Horde is attacking or defending.
4. If the Horde wins, you receive a Wintergrasp Mark of Honor as a reward for participating. Each victorious battle grants 1–3 marks depending on your personal contribution.
5. Save up 15 Marks of Honor (this will take several wins).
6. Head to Wintergrasp Fortress and find Stone Guard Mukar in the inner courtyard.
7. Buy the Reins of the Black War Mammoth and use the item to learn the mount.

Lake Wintergrasp is a huge PvP zone in the central-western part of Northrend. There are several ways to get there.

Through the Battleground Queue

The most universal method, independent of who currently controls the zone.

1. Open the group finder window and select the battlegrounds tab
2. Queue up for the Battle for Wintergrasp
3. When your queue pops (usually just before the next battle starts), you will get an invitation to teleport into the zone

Through the Portal in Dalaran

If the Horde controls Wintergrasp, a portal for fast travel appears in Dalaran.

1. Travel to Dalaran (Northrend)
2. Find the Sunreaver's Sanctuary — the Horde quarter
3. Next to Magister Surdiel (the Horde battleground master) a portal to Wintergrasp appears
4. Enter the portal — it takes you straight into the zone

By Flying

If your character has the flying skill in Northrend, it is only a few minutes' flight from Dalaran to Wintergrasp. However, you can only enter the zone by air while the Horde controls the fortress — otherwise you are dropped at the border.

Fortress Coordinates

The Battle for Wintergrasp is a unique large-scale clash between the Horde and the Alliance for control of the fortress at the center of the zone.

Schedule

The battle begins every 2 hours and 30 minutes. The clash lasts up to 30 minutes, after which the winning faction holds the fortress for the next 2 hours and 30 minutes. Fifteen minutes before the battle starts, players in the zone and in Dalaran receive a warning.

Faction Roles

• Attacking faction — builds siege engines at the workshops outside the fortress, advances toward the walls, destroys the gates, and tries to capture the throne room
• Defending faction — defends the gates with cannons on the walls, destroys siege engines, and keeps the enemy from breaking inside

If the Horde is currently defending the fortress, that means it already controls the zone and the quartermaster Stone Guard Mukar is available.

How to Earn Marks of Honor

Wintergrasp Marks of Honor are awarded only to the winning faction:

• Winning the battle — 1 mark guaranteed to every participant
• Active participation — extra marks for destroying siege engines, breaking gates, and killing enemies
• Quest rewards — the zone has repeatable quests to kill a set number of enemies or destroy siege engines, which also grant marks of honor.

You can usually earn 1–3 marks of honor per winning battle, which means 15 marks will take 5–15 victorious clashes.

Watch the Schedule

The main challenge in getting the mount is the need to be online at the right time. Use the in-game timer and notifications so you do not miss the start of the battle. In Dalaran and in the zone itself, the timer is shown automatically at the top of the screen.

Play Actively

Simply being present in the battle gives only 1 mark of honor. To earn more, participate actively:

• Get into a siege engine during the attack and destroy the gates
• Kill enemy siege engines while defending — this gives more contribution points
• Pick up and turn in repeatable quests right before the battle starts
• Help your allies take down enemy players — kills bring honor and contribution points

Collect the Side Rewards

Besides marks of honor, taking part in the battle brings:

• Honor points — for other PvP rewards
• Achievements — many of which unlock additional collectible items
• Rare gear pieces from the Vault of Archavon, which becomes available to the winning faction

How Long It Takes

With active participation in every battle, it is realistic to gather 15 marks in 2–3 days — 2–3 battles a day, each granting 2–3 marks with active play. If you participate passively or only join at the end of a clash, the timeframe stretches out.