Reins of the Blue Proto-Drake — How to Get the Mount

Reins of the Blue Proto-Drake — a rare flying mount added in patch 3.0.2 of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. The mount is a massive proto-drake with a deep blue coloring — one of six color variations of collectible proto-drakes. The Blue Proto-Drake stands out among its kin with its icy coloration and imposing model characteristic of the ancient dragons of Northrend.

Proto-drakes are the ancestors of modern dragons of Azeroth. They appeared long before the Titans bestowed the Aspects with their power. The Blue Proto-Drake visually resembles a wild ice predator, making it one of the most atmospheric mounts for fans of the Northrend theme.

• One of the most recognizable and sought-after mounts from the Wrath of the Lich King era — a symbol of luck and persistence
• Can fly: flight speed is 150%, 280%, or 310% depending on your riding skill
• Extremely rare drop (~1%) makes this mount a prestigious trophy for collectors
• The proto-drake model is iconic and recognizable anywhere in the game world
• Counts toward the total mount collection counter for achievements

There are three ways to get the Blue Proto-Drake:

1. Drop from Skadi the Ruthless. The primary and most common method. Reins of the Blue Proto-Drake drops from the third boss of Utgarde Pinnacle on Heroic difficulty. The drop chance is approximately 1%.

2. Black Market Auction House. The mount periodically appears in Black Market Auction House listings. The vendor is Madam Goya, with a starting bid of 20,000 gold. Final prices on popular servers can reach the gold cap.

3. Reins of the Quantum Courser. Reins of the Quantum Courser — an extremely rare item that drops from Chrono-Lord Deios in the Dawn of the Infinite dungeon on Mythic difficulty. When used, this item grants a random mount from the rare dungeon mount pool, including the Blue Proto-Drake. The chance of getting the Blue Proto-Drake specifically this way is extremely low.

Requirements for Use

• Character level: 10 and above
• Riding skill: Apprentice Riding (ground mode) or Expert Riding (flight)

Utgarde Pinnacle dungeon is located in the Howling Fjord zone in Northrend. The entrance is on the north side of Utgarde Keep at coordinates 57.2, 46.5.

Quick Route

1. Teleport to Dalaran (Northrend). Use the portal from Stormwind or Orgrimmar to Dalaran located in Northrend. Make sure you choose the Northrend Dalaran, not the Broken Isles Dalaran.
2. Fly to Howling Fjord. From Dalaran, mount your flying mount and fly southeast to Howling Fjord. The flight takes about 2–3 minutes.
3. Find the entrance. Utgarde Keep is in the central part of the zone. The entrance to Utgarde Pinnacle is on the north side of the keep, above the entrance to Utgarde Keep (which is on the south side). The Utgarde Pinnacle entrance is a portal at the upper part of the structure.

Prerequisites

• Minimum level for entering the Heroic dungeon: 30.
• Don't forget to switch difficulty to Heroic! Right-click your character portrait and select "Dungeon Difficulty: Heroic." The mount does not drop on Normal difficulty.

Daily Cooldown

Utgarde Pinnacle on Heroic mode has a daily cooldown. This means each of your characters can kill Skadi the Ruthless on Heroic mode once per day. The cooldown resets every morning at 07:00 server time (EU).

Route Inside the Dungeon

At level 80 in patch 11.1 the dungeon can be completed in mere minutes. You can skip the first two bosses (Gortok Palehoof and Svala Sorrowgrave) and most of the trash, heading straight to Skadi. However, to activate Skadi's encounter you need to pass through the gauntlet hall.

1. Enter the dungeon and go straight, skipping the first boss
2. Go up the stairs, skip Svala
3. Exit onto the long bridge — this is where Skadi's gauntlet begins
4. Kill waves of mobs, pick up harpoons and shoot them at the proto-drake Grauf that Skadi is riding
5. After three harpoon hits Skadi will fall to the bridge — finish him off
6. Check the loot

Time per run: 5–7 minutes, including the gauntlet.

Using Alts

The more characters you use, the faster you'll get the mount. Any character level 30 and above can enter the dungeon on Heroic mode.

Recommended Classes for Farming

At level 80 all mobs and bosses die instantly. The key factor is movement speed inside the dungeon and between runs: