Get Darkwarren Hardshell mount

Darkwarren Hardshell is an epic ground mount added in patch 9.0.1 of the Shadowlands expansion. It is a gorm — a large insect-like creature from Ardenweald, whose chitinous carapace is so tough it can withstand a cannonball hit and a dragon's breath. The mount is a reward for completing the campaign mission Campaign: End the Darkwarren at the covenant adventure table.

Gorms are unique inhabitants of Ardenweald, playing a key role in the ecosystem of this zone of the Shadowlands. They devour everything devoid of anima, taking part in the natural process of decay and renewal of the forest. The Darkwarren Hardshell is one of six gorm mounts in the game and the only one obtained through the adventure table.

• Rarity — fewer than 1% of players own this mount. Many skipped the adventure table content in Shadowlands, which makes the Hardshell an especially valuable specimen for your collection
• Guaranteed acquisition — unlike mounts with a percentage drop chance, this mission is guaranteed to appear at the adventure table once you reach the required campaign level. No reliance on luck
• Unique gorm model — the dark coloration sets this gorm apart from other variants (Pale Acidmaw, Spinebreaker Smoothgorger and others). The massive creature with powerful mandibles and a sturdy carapace looks imposing
• Available to all covenants — the mission appears at the adventure table regardless of which covenant you joined: the Night Fae, the Necrolords, the Kyrian or the Venthyr
• Counts toward your collection — it counts toward the overall mount tally for the achievements of the "Mountain o' Mounts" series

To obtain the mount you need to complete the mission "Campaign: End the Darkwarren" at the covenant adventure table in Shadowlands.

1. Reach max level (70 or 80 in current expansions) and progress through the Shadowlands campaign to the point where the adventure table unlocks in your covenant
2. Level up your adventure campaign progress to level 16 and above by sequentially completing campaign missions at the table
3. Once you reach campaign level 16, the table will begin offering missions with mounts as a reward
4. Wait for the mission Campaign: End the Darkwarren to appear and successfully complete it
5. Receive the Darkwarren Hardshell and use the item to learn the mount

The adventure table (command table) in Shadowlands is a system of tactical missions in which your companion troops fight enemies on a small battlefield. Unlike the mission tables of previous expansions, it uses a turn-based combat system with unit placement.

Where the adventure table is located

The location of the table depends on the chosen covenant:

How to unlock the adventure table

1. Complete the introductory Shadowlands campaign and choose a covenant at level 60 (or unlock the Shadowlands through Chromie at a lower level)
2. Complete the starting covenant quests — the adventure table unlocks as part of the covenant quest chain
3. Acquire your first troops, which automatically become available as you progress through the story

Adventure campaign progress

For missions with mounts to appear, you need to reach adventure campaign progress level 16. Each completed campaign mission increases your progress level by one. Campaign missions differ from regular ones by a noticeable "Campaign" tag in the name.

After reaching level 16, the table will begin offering four campaign missions with mounts as a reward. These missions appear one by one, with no element of randomness — you are guaranteed to obtain all four mounts.

The "End the Darkwarren" mission is a level 60 mission with a high recommended item level (800). To complete it successfully you will need leveled troops.

General recommendations

• Level up your troops. Troops start at level 1 and gain experience for each completed mission. For level 60 missions you need troops of level 40 and above
• Level up abilities. Each troop has a unique set of abilities. Study which abilities are most effective against the specific enemies of the mission
• Use proper placement. A troop's position on the battlefield (front row or back) affects its attack targets and the damage it takes

Enemies in the mission

In the "End the Darkwarren" mission three types of enemies await you:

• Corrupted Grovekeeper (1) — the main target, located in the center
• Darkwarren Defender (2) — tank units shielding the grovekeeper
• Darkwarren Cleaver (2) — melee fighters with high damage

Strategies by covenant

Night Fae: use Cat Guardian, Te'zan, Niya, Ara'lien and Snootkracker. Place tanks (Cat Guardian) in the front row, and support and damage in the back.

Kyrian: Pelagos, Telia, Teletacas, Sika and Mikanikos. Pelagos and Telia go in the front row to absorb damage.

Venthyr: General Draven, Theotar, Nadjia and other leveled troops. Draven is an excellent tank for the front row.

Necrolords: Gormling, Mevix, Taleti, Emeni and Marileth. The Necrolords have some of the most powerful troops for high-level missions.

Daily plan

1. Check the adventure table every time you log in — campaign missions can appear at any time
2. Send troops on all available missions to level them up
3. Prioritize campaign missions — they are the ones that raise campaign progress
4. Use the Venture Plan addon to calculate the optimal placement of troops on the battlefield

How long it will take

From the moment the adventure table unlocks to the appearance of missions with mounts usually takes 3–5 weeks of active play. This time is needed for:

• Completing 16 campaign missions (they appear at a certain interval)
• Leveling troops to a level sufficient for level 60 missions
• Accumulating reservoir anima to launch missions

The Venture Plan addon

It is strongly recommended to install the Venture Plan addon. It automatically calculates the probability of victory for various troop placements and suggests the optimal option. For level 60 missions, correct placement is critically important.