Mountain Horse

Mountain Horse is the worgen racial ground mount, added to World of Warcraft in patch 4.3 of the Cataclysm expansion. It is a massive dark-bay steed with a thick mane, designed specifically to suit the worgen look: a beastly rider doesn't look grotesque on it, unlike the standard Stormwind horses.

The mount is sold for a symbolic price of 1 gold by the NPC Astrid Langstrump. Worgen can buy it as soon as they reach level ten. Players of other Alliance races can get the mount too, but for that they need to earn Exalted reputation with the Gilneas faction.

This mount has a faster version — the Swift Mountain Horse — sold by the same vendor. The purchase conditions are identical: be a worgen or be Exalted with Gilneas; the only difference is the riding skill required.

• A unique model built for worgen — ordinary Stormwind horses don't animate well for a massive worgen rider. The Mountain Horse is larger and more powerful, designed with the race's proportions in mind, and it looks natural on both a human and a worgen in combat form.
• A symbolic price — just 1 gold for the mount itself. The main cost is not money but the time spent farming reputation if you aren't playing a worgen.
• Progress toward an achievement — every unique mount in your collection brings you closer to the rewards for 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400 and 500 mounts, including separate exclusive reward mounts.
• Access to the Gilneas faction — grinding reputation unlocks not only this horse but also the Swift Mountain Horse, as well as a tabard and other faction rewards.
• Available account-wide — once purchased, the mount is unlocked for all Alliance and Horde characters on your account.

Worgen are the race of Gilneas, so they need no reputation. They can buy the mount right after learning the basic riding skill.

The vendor is Astrid Langstrump, the only NPC from whom you can purchase the Mountain Horse in the game. After the burning of Teldrassil in Battle for Azeroth, Astrid moved from Darnassus to the outskirts of Stormwind.

Stormwind — The Embassy

The main purchase point in modern expansions. Astrid stands by the fence of the Stormwind Embassy, next to the horse paddock.

The easiest way to get there is through a portal to Stormwind from the cluster of portals in any capital, or from the main entrance of Stormwind to the southeast, past the Old Town toward the Embassy.

Darnassus

Historically Astrid was located in Darnassus between the Cenarion Enclave and the Howling Oak at coordinates (48, 22). After the events of BfA the city is inaccessible to most players, but on a number of realms and in Chromie Time you can still meet her there. To obtain the mount the Stormwind option is enough — there is no need to search for her in Darnassus.

If you aren't playing a worgen, before buying the mount you need to earn Exalted reputation with Gilneas. The quest chain in the worgen starting zone doesn't give much reputation, so the main method is the tabard and dungeons.

Get the Gilneas Tabard

The Gilneas Tabard is sold by Lord Candren in the Dwarven District — a part of Stormwind given over to refugees from Gilneas. The Gilneas Tabard costs about 1 gold and has no reputation requirements.

If you have a worgen:

1. Reach level 10 on a worgen character.
2. Learn Apprentice Riding from any riding trainer in a capital.
3. Fly to Stormwind and head to the Embassy.
4. Buy the Mountain Horse from Astrid Langstrump for 1 gold.

If you have another Alliance race:

1. Make sure your character is at least level 10 with the riding skill learned.
2. Buy the Gilneas Tabard from Lord Candren in the Dwarven District of Stormwind.
3. Put on the Gilneas tabard and head into any old-content dungeon (except Classic and Cataclysm).
4. Farm the dungeons until you reach Exalted with Gilneas. On average this takes 20–40 runs depending on the dungeon.
5. Return to Stormwind and buy the mount from Astrid.

Best Class

For speedrunning old dungeons with a tabard, any class with high AoE damage and mobility will do:

• Demon Hunter — leaps, fast movement, high AoE
• Paladin — survivability, passive speed auras
• Druid — Cheetah form gives maximum movement speed
• Mage — teleports to capitals, fire whirlwinds, fast pack pulling

Optimal Route

• Magisters' Terrace — one of the fastest dungeons, 4 bosses, densely placed mob packs
• The Botanica — lots of trash mobs between bosses, which yields a lot of reputation per run
• In a single dungeon you can kill absolutely every enemy — a run takes 4–7 minutes