Vicious War Raptor

Vicious War Raptor is an epic ground mount from the Horde "vicious" PvP reward set. The model is styled after troll war regalia: a dark-green reptile hide, spiked steel plates on the tail and back, a massive armored helm on the head and a sharp spear at the tip of the tail. Curved khopesh blades are mounted on the saddle, emphasizing the raptor's warlike look. The mount's speed depends on the character's riding skill, so the owner should unlock at least Expert Riding in advance to travel comfortably. In the mount collection it sits among the "vicious" PvP mounts and perfectly complements any Horde character who plays battlegrounds or arenas.

First, the Vicious War Raptor is a badge of honor for a Horde PvP player: only those who have spent enough time in rated matches and earned at least one Vicious Saddle get to display it. Second, the mount looks aggressive and atmospheric, fitting the image of Horde warriors perfectly and suiting melee classes: Warriors, Rogues, Demon Hunters and Enhancement Shamans. Third, once obtained the raptor is added to your overall collection and becomes another step toward the 250, 300 and 400 mount achievements, while also unlocking access to the long-haul collector rewards and other cosmetic prizes. Finally, it makes sense for collectors to gather all the "vicious" mounts season by season, since their models and color variants differ, and the raptor is one of the most colorful models in the set.

To obtain the Vicious War Raptor you must meet a few conditions. The character must be a member of the Horde — the mount is not sold to the Alliance. The minimum purchase level is 35, matching the requirement of the Vicious Saddle item itself. You need at least the first rank of riding skill, otherwise you will not be able to mount up. The main condition is that a Vicious Saddle must be in your bags; it is awarded only for wins in rated PvP during the current season. To earn the saddle you need access to rated 2v2 and 3v3 arenas, rated battlegrounds, or Solo Shuffle and Battleground Blitz, as well as a rating of 1000 or higher in one of these formats, since that is the threshold at which the weekly progress bar starts filling.

Step 1. Create or take a level 90 Horde character leveled up to the current Midnight seasonal content, and make sure they have at least the basic riding skill unlocked.

Step 2. Fly to Orgrimmar, to the Valley of Strength, and locate Deathguard Netharian in advance — he stands next to the other Horde PvP quartermasters at roughly coordinates 42.0 72.4. Remember the spot so you can return as soon as you get a Vicious Saddle.

Step 3. Open the rated PvP interface (default key H, the Battlegrounds and Arenas tabs) and pick the format that suits you: 2v2, 3v3, rated battlegrounds, Solo Shuffle or Battleground Blitz.

Step 4. Start playing matches and reach a rating of 1000 or higher. That is the threshold from which wins begin to award points toward the seasonal progress bar of the "vicious" rewards. Below 1000 rating wins still count, but progress is not credited.

Step 5. Accumulate the required number of wins. As a guideline for the Midnight season: roughly 40 wins in 10v10 Battleground Blitz or rated battlegrounds, 80 wins in 3v3, or 240 wins in 2v2 to fully fill the bar and earn the seasonal reward. After you receive the seasonal mount, each further full bar grants one Vicious Saddle.

Step 6. As soon as a Vicious Saddle is in your bags, return to Orgrimmar to Deathguard Netharian, open his vendor window and buy the Vicious War Raptor for 1 saddle. The mount is automatically added to your collection.

Step 7. Open the collection window (Shift+P) and confirm the raptor has appeared in the ground mounts section. You can now summon it on any Horde character on your account, since all "vicious" mounts are shared account-wide within their faction.

If your only goal is the Vicious War Raptor, choose the format with the fewest wins required per bar. The bar fills fastest in Battleground Blitz and regular rated battlegrounds — about 40 wins is enough there. Progress is good in Solo Shuffle too, as long as you confidently hold a rating above 1000. Play in a pre-made group for 3v3 and RBG — this lowers your loss rate and saves time, especially during peak hours. Keep an eye on the season timer: Vicious Saddles accumulate within the season, but the saddles themselves do not expire and stay in your bags until you spend them. If you already have last year's saddles, feel free to spend them on the raptor right now without waiting for the season to end.

Do not confuse the Vicious War Raptor (Horde) with the equivalent Alliance mount — for the Alliance it is sold by Necrolord Sipe in Old Town in Stormwind City, but the model there is different; for the Horde buy the raptor only from Deathguard Netharian. Remember that progress on the bar is credited only after reaching a rating of 1000: if you play a hundred matches at a lower rating, you will not get the saddle. The first filled bar of the season grants the seasonal "vicious" mount, and only from the second bar do the Vicious Saddles themselves start dropping — plan several runs if you want multiple older mounts at once. Do not accidentally spend a saddle on another mount in the list: click carefully on the raptor in the vendor window. Finally, if you have unspent progress points left after the season ends, they are lost — so either finish the bar before the season ends, or postpone PvP to the next season when the counter resets.