Vicious War Mechanostrider

Vicious War Mechanostrider is an Alliance ground mount first added in patch 6.2.0, and it has remained in the seasonal PvP pool ever since. The model is based on the classic dwarven mechanostrider but is fitted with massive armor, exhaust pipes, and a rotating "Critter Destroyer 9000" turret that fires at the small creatures around it.

The mount is account-bound once used and is available to every Alliance character. If you mail it to a Horde character, it automatically turns into a Vicious War Kodo — a handy way to obtain both versions from a single earned Vicious Saddle if you have characters on both factions.

The first reason is collection value: unlike the purely seasonal PvP mounts (each season has its own), the "Vicious" line is sold by the same vendor permanently and fills a noticeable gap in the Alliance collection.

The second reason is the versatility of the reward: a single Vicious Saddle can be exchanged for any mount on the vendor's list, including the Vicious War Kodo for the Horde, so the mechanostrider is often the "safe" first-saddle purchase.

The third is aesthetics: the model reads as instantly recognizable, fits the technological look of Stormwind and Ironforge, and pairs well with engineering orders.

Finally, it is a steady motivation for rated PvP: even if you are not chasing the season's elite set, the process of earning the Vicious Saddle itself raises your rating and skill.

For the mount itself the formal requirements are minimal: level 10, the Apprentice riding skill, and Alliance membership (or mailing it to a Horde character if you want the kodo version). However, to earn the Vicious Saddle you need a level 90 character ready for rated activities in the current season.

You will need PvP gear with the necessary resilience level, a working specialization template, and a stable group or partner for 2v2 or 3v3. For rated 10v10 battlegrounds (RBG / Blitz), the team is assembled through the group finder. The rating that starts your progress is 1400 (Combatant), but you are allowed to accumulate points starting from Recruit rank at a rating of 1000 or higher.

The mount is purchased from Necrolord Sipe in the Old Town of Stormwind for one Vicious Saddle. The saddle is mailed to you automatically after you have earned the main seasonal mount and then filled the seasonal PvP progress to 100% one more time. An alternative method is the "Veteran of the Alliance" achievements (75, 150, and 300 wins in rated battlegrounds), each tier granting one Vicious Saddle.

1. Level an Alliance character to 90 and assemble a current PvP set.
2. Open the PvP interface (the H key) and choose an activity: 2v2, 3v3, Solo Shuffle, or rated battlegrounds (including Blitz).
3. Reach a rating of 1400 in any of the activities to obtain the Combatant rank — from this point on, wins begin to noticeably fill the seasonal progress bar.
4. Fill the bar to 100% (2400 points). The first time, this grants the seasonal mount of the current season, not the Vicious Saddle — keep this threshold in mind.
5. Keep winning in rated activities: after the bar resets, each new fill to 100% brings one Vicious Saddle by mail.
6. Open your mailbox, collect the Vicious Saddle, and fly to Stormwind, to the Old Town, to Necrolord Sipe.
7. In the vendor's window, select the Vicious War Mechanostrider and confirm the purchase for the saddle.
8. Use the mount once so that it is added to the account collection. If you also want the Vicious War Kodo, buy a second saddle and mail the mount to a Horde character.

The fastest way to fill the bar is rated battlegrounds and Blitz: forty wins close out 100% of the progress, whereas in 2v2 it takes around 240 wins. At the Combatant stage resilience is not yet critical, so use the low-rating window to quickly clear the bulk of the points.

Play a class with high value to the group (a healer, or a reliable damage dealer with crowd control) — you get into the queue faster, and wins come more consistently. If you are clearing Vicious Saddles systematically, consider running the "Veteran of the Alliance" achievements in parallel: each tier (75, 150, and 300 RBG wins) grants an extra saddle on top of the progress, so the rewards effectively stack.

Finally, do not ignore the weekly PvP quests and events — they do not speed up the bar directly, but they grant Marks of Honor and catch-up tokens that close gaps in your gear and raise your win rate.