Grand Gryphon

Grand Gryphon is an epic flying mount added in patch 5.1 of the Mists of Pandaria expansion. The mount is available only to Alliance characters and is a reward for completing the faction's story campaign Operation: Shieldwall. The gryphon is granted for completing the final quest in the chain — Silence, which also counts toward the achievement Operation: Shieldwall Campaign.

The mount's description reads: "The keen eyesight of gryphons allows them to see over vast distances and warn their riders of dangers that lie ahead." The gryphon's model differs from standard Alliance flying mounts with a more massive build and detailed feather texture.

• Guaranteed acquisition — the mount is a quest reward, not a random drop. Just complete the quest chain to the end and the gryphon will be yours
• Two mounts in one — when you learn the Grand Gryphon on an Alliance character, your Horde characters automatically receive the Grand Wyvern. You won't have to complete the equivalent Dominance Offensive chain
• An engaging story — the Operation: Shieldwall quest chain contains one of Pandaria's most dramatic stories, tied to the conflict between the Alliance and the Horde over the Divine Bell
• Ground and flying — the mount works both on the ground and in the air, adapting its speed to your riding skill
• Available to all characters — once learned, the mount appears in the mount journal for all characters on the account

The Grand Gryphon is granted for completing the quest Silence — the final, 43rd quest in the Operation: Shieldwall campaign chain. To access this quest, you must reach Exalted reputation with the faction and complete the entire story chain.

Step-by-step plan

1. Make your way to the Shrine of Seven Stars in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms in Pandaria. The quest Meet the Scout will appear automatically
2. Complete the introductory quests, including the "A Little Patience" scenario, to unlock the Operation: Shieldwall daily quests
3. Complete daily quests every day to grind reputation. The quests are available at Lion's Landing in the Krasarang Wilds
4. As your reputation grows, new story quests open at the Friendly, Honored, Revered, and Exalted thresholds
5. After reaching Exalted, the final part of the chain becomes available: The Bell Tolls, then Breath of Darkest Shadow, and finally Silence
6. In the "Silence" quest, you use an Alliance signal flare to call for help after Prince Anduin Wrynn is gravely wounded by Garrosh. The quest begins at Anduin in Kun-Lai and ends at Admiral Taylor
7. For completing it you receive the Grand Gryphon and a Cache of Boundless Treasures

To access the final quest in the chain, you must reach Exalted with the faction Operation: Shieldwall. In total you'll need to earn 42,000 reputation points from Neutral to Exalted.

Daily quests (the main source)

Daily quests appear at Lion's Landing and at several points in the Krasarang Wilds. Each quest grants reputation, and per day you can earn around 1,100–1,500 points depending on the set of available quests.

Story quests

As your reputation grows, a new chapter of the story opens at each threshold. These quests grant additional reputation and advance the main story:

• Friendly (1,000): quests introducing you to the Brawler's Guild
• Honored (6,500): the investigation in Mogujia
• Revered (2,700): the expedition to Kun-Lai
• Revered (6,900): the ruins of Korune
• Revered (8,700): the events in Dalaran
• Exalted: the final chapter with the Divine Bell

Reputation boosters

• Grand Commendation of Operation: Shieldwall — purchased at Honored, it doubles reputation gained for all characters on the account
• Darkmoon Faire — the "WHEE!" buff from the carousel grants +10% reputation for 60 minutes
• World Quest Bonus Event — +50% reputation from world quests during the event week

How long it will take

With daily completion of all available quests, grinding from Neutral to Exalted takes roughly 3–4 weeks. With the Grand Commendation the time is cut about in half, but the commendation can only be bought at Revered, so the first half of the journey will go more slowly.

• Faction: Alliance. Horde characters cannot obtain this mount directly; however, when you learn the gryphon on an Alliance character, Horde characters will receive the Grand Wyvern
• Level: quests scale, the minimum level to begin the chain is 10 (with the Chromie system). At max level all quests are completed with ease
• Riding skill: at least Apprentice Riding for ground travel; Master Riding for flight
• Reputation: Exalted with Operation: Shieldwall
• Cost: free (a quest reward, not a purchase)