Drake of the South Wind — How to Get the Mount

Drake of the South Wind is an epic flying mount added in the Cataclysm expansion (patch 4.0.3a). It is a majestic dragon with purple scales belonging to the stone drake family of the Skywall. The mount drops from the final boss of the Throne of the Four Winds raid — the wind lord Al'Akir. The in-game description reads: "As gentle as a summer breeze, though that means little considering where it comes from."

The Drake of the South Wind shares its model with three other wind drakes (north, east, and west) but is distinguished by its characteristic purple scale color. Among collectors, the mount is valued for its rarity and striking appearance.

• Rarity — the drop chance is only about 1%, making the Drake of the South Wind one of the most prestigious Cataclysm-era mounts. Encountering another player on this mount is a rare sight
• Striking appearance — a large dragon with purple scales stands out among most flying mounts. The Skywall stone drake model is unique and recognizable
• Quick solo clear — at max level the raid takes 5–10 minutes, making weekly farming effortless
• Flying mount — flight speed depends on your riding skill and reaches 310% with the appropriate training
• Collection value — the mount counts toward mount collection achievements and is a coveted specimen for any collector

The mount drops from the Heart of Wind — a loot chest that appears after defeating Al'Akir in the Throne of the Four Winds raid. The drop chance is approximately 1%. Raid difficulty (normal or heroic) and group size (10 or 25 players) do not affect the drop rate.

1. Set your desired raid difficulty (normal or heroic — the drop chance is the same)
2. Enter the Throne of the Four Winds
3. Defeat the first mandatory encounter — the Conclave of Wind (three bosses: Anshal, Nezir, and Rohash)
4. After defeating the Conclave, use the cyclone on the platform to be carried to Al'Akir's central arena
5. Defeat Al'Akir
6. Loot the Heart of Wind and hope for luck

An alternative method is purchasing from the Black Market Auction House. The mount appears periodically in the Black Market inventory. Typical prices range from 800,000 to 2,000,000 gold depending on server population and bidder activity.

The raid is located on a floating platform in the sky south of Uldum (Kalimdor). A flying mount is required to reach the entrance.

For Horde

1. Use the Uldum portal from the Orgrimmar portal room
2. Fly southwest from the arrival point — the raid is on a floating platform above the sea off Uldum's southern coast
3. Fly up on your flying mount to the raid entrance

For Alliance

1. Use the Uldum portal from the Stormwind portal room
2. Fly southwest to the coast — the Throne of the Four Winds platform hovers in the air above the sea
3. Fly up on your flying mount to the raid entrance

Entrance Coordinates

/way Uldum 38.4 80.6 Throne of the Four Winds (entrance)

The raid entrance is on a floating platform high in the air. It is impossible to reach without a flying mount. Make sure your character has learned the flying skill.

The Throne of the Four Winds has only two encounters: the Conclave of Wind and Al'Akir. You cannot skip the Conclave — Al'Akir only becomes available after defeating it.

Conclave of Wind

The Conclave of Wind consists of three djinn, each standing on a separate platform:

• Anshal (western platform) — summons healing adds
• Nezir (northern platform) — deals frost damage
• Rohash (eastern platform) — deals nature damage

Key mechanic: all three bosses must die within 60 seconds of each other. If one dies, it begins regenerating and respawns at full health after one minute. At level 80 when soloing, simply kill one boss, jump to another platform, and quickly finish the rest — max-level damage lets you easily beat the timer.

Al'Akir

Al'Akir is the wind lord and final boss of the raid. The fight has three phases:

• Phase 1 (100%–80% health) — the boss uses Squall Line, Wind Burst, Ice Storm, and Lightning Strike
• Phase 2 (80%–25% health) — Stormlings appear and Acid Rain intensifies
• Phase 3 (below 25% health) — the platform collapses, all players gain the ability to fly

At level 80 all phases last mere seconds. The boss dies almost instantly and no mechanics pose a threat.

Solo Clear at Level 80

At max level (80 in The War Within) the raid can be soloed by any class and specialization in 5–10 minutes. Neither encounter presents any difficulty. The only nuance is the need to kill all three Conclave bosses within a minute of each other.

Multiple Characters

Since the raid resets weekly and the drop chance is only 1%, the most efficient strategy is farming on multiple characters. Each additional character gives one extra attempt per week. When farming on 10 characters, the mathematical expectation is roughly 10 weeks until you get the mount.

Attempt Statistics

With a 1% chance per attempt:

• 1 character per week — average 100 weeks (~2 years)
• 5 characters per week — average 20 weeks (~5 months)
• 10 characters per week — average 10 weeks (~2.5 months)

Remember that each attempt is independent: even after 200 failed attempts the chance on the next one remains 1%.

Farming Route

The Throne of the Four Winds pairs well with farming other Cataclysm raids in Uldum and the surrounding areas. Nearby are the Firelands (Hyjal) and Bastion of Twilight (Twilight Highlands), which also drop rare mounts.

• A flying mount is required — without one you cannot reach the raid's floating platform. Make sure you have learned the flying skill
• Difficulty does not affect the drop — you can run the raid on normal difficulty without wasting extra time on heroic. The mount drop chance is the same
• Kill the Conclave quickly — all three djinn must die within 60 seconds. At level 80 this is not an issue, but do not linger on one platform too long
• Use the cyclone after the Conclave — after defeating the Conclave of Wind, right-click one of the cyclones on the platforms to be carried to Al'Akir's central arena
• Black Market as an alternative — if you have the gold (from 800,000), watch the Black Market. The mount appears there periodically, letting you bypass luck-based farming
• Farm on multiple characters — this is the most reliable way to increase your chances. Create 5–10 level 80 characters and run the raid every week
• Combine with other raids — while you are in Uldum, visit other Cataclysm raids for mounts and transmog
• Check your loot carefully — the mount drops from the chest (Heart of Wind) that appears after Al'Akir dies. Do not leave the raid without checking your loot