Boulder Hauler Reins

Boulder Hauler Reins is a versatile slate-winged mount from the Dragonflight expansion (patch 10.1.0). It is a winged creature of the native rock of Zaralek Cavern, sporting slate armor and a distinctive gray-stone coloring that sets it clearly apart from the dragons of the Dragon Isles. According to its Mount Journal entry, the Niffen trained these slate-wings to haul large batches of goods for their trading operations.

The mount is sold by Ponzo, the head trader of the settlement of Loamm in Zaralek Cavern. To gain access to his stall, you need to raise your renown with the Loamm Niffen to level 3 and complete the introductory bartering quest. After that, everything comes down to stockpiling the barter currency.

• A unique slate-wing model. This stony winged creature of Zaralek Cavern looks nothing like the dragons and stands out in any collection.
• An all-purpose mount. It works both on the ground and in the air, and its speed scales with your riding skill.
• An affordable price. Unlike many reputation rewards, it requires no rare ingredients — only active farming of the Loamm Niffen and their barter currency.
• Not tied to a season. The faction and the trader stay available in any current expansion, so the mount can comfortably be picked up after the fact.
• Account-wide unlock. Once purchased, the slate-wing appears on all of your characters regardless of faction and class.

The main path is to raise your renown with the Loamm Niffen to level 3, unlock trading with Ponzo, and stockpile the required amount of currency.

1. Complete the introductory Zaralek Cavern quest chain and reach the settlement of Loamm via the quest Getting to Know: The Loamm Niffen.
2. Raise your renown with the Loamm Niffen to level 3 — this unlocks access to the stall.
3. Complete the quest How to Make a Buck for Ponzo, after which his stock becomes available.
4. Stockpile currency: 170 Barter Bricks, or, after renown level 12, 85 Barter Boulders.
5. Head to Ponzo and buy the Boulder Hauler Reins.

The key nuance is the timing of the purchase. Before renown level 12 the mount costs 170 Barter Bricks. At rank 12, Ponzo's currency shifts over: sources start handing out Barter Boulders instead of Bricks, and the mount's price becomes 85 Boulders. Since one Boulder equals three Bricks, a late purchase ends up roughly one and a half times more expensive.

Loamm Niffen renown and both barter currencies are earned in the same Zaralek Cavern activities, so the farm progresses in parallel.

• Every day, clear all the local Zaralek Cavern quests and public events — this is the main stream of both reputation and Bricks.
• Take the weekly quest The Loamm Niffen: it grants a large chunk of renown for a short time investment.
• Sniffenseeking digs are the densest source of currency per unit of time, and collection items occasionally drop there as well.
• Do not spend currency on cosmetics and hats until the mount is bought: the price rises along with your renown, and any surplus Bricks will later convert into Boulders at a 3:1 rate on their own.
• Starting at renown level 20, you can buy Barter Boulders from the faction quartermaster for Dragon Isles Supplies — a handy way to top off the missing amount.