Reins of the Grove Warden — How to Get the Mount

Reins of the Grove Warden is a rare flying mount in the form of a majestic moose, added in patch 6.2.3 of the Warlords of Draenor expansion. The mount was a reward for completing a short quest chain that started with defeating Archimonde in Hellfire Citadel on Heroic or Mythic difficulty.

According to the mount journal description: "These magical creatures are guardians of the peaceful, primeval groves of the Emerald Dream." The Grove Warden's hooves are shrouded in blue-green pollen from the Emerald Dream, giving it a unique appearance.

Important: This mount is no longer obtainable as of patch 7.0.3 (July 19, 2016). It was a limited-time reward tied to the then-current Warlords of Draenor expansion. Below you will find complete information for collectors and those interested in the history of this mount.

• One of the most recognizable mounts from the Warlords of Draenor era — the iconic "moose" that became a symbol of an entire community
• Unique forest spirit moose model with a glowing effect on its hooves
• Became the centerpiece of the famous Friendship Moose initiative — the largest charity event in WoW history, where experienced raiders helped thousands of players obtain the mount for free before its removal
• Extremely prestigious and rare since it was permanently removed from the game — mount owners instantly stand out among other players
• Counts toward the overall mount collection counter for achievements

Current Status: Unavailable

As of the Legion pre-patch (patch 7.0.3, July 19, 2016), the mount cannot be obtained by any means. The item Remnant of Chaos, which started the quest chain, no longer drops from Archimonde. The mount also does not appear on the Black Market Auction House.

If you did not obtain this mount before Legion launched — unfortunately, there is currently no way to acquire it.

Historical Reference: How It Worked

When the mount was available (patch 6.2.3, November 2015 — July 2016), the acquisition process involved the following steps:

1. Defeat Archimonde in the Hellfire Citadel raid on Heroic or Mythic difficulty
2. Loot the quest item Remnant of Chaos — it dropped for every raid member, regardless of whether they had received it before
3. Accept the quest "Shadow of the Defiler" (ID 40904), which directed you to Malfurion Stormrage at the Moonglade
4. Complete the quest "Dark Waters" (ID 40962) — escort Malfurion to the shores of Lake Elune'ara to cleanse the Remnant of Chaos
5. Turn in the quest to Keeper Remulos and receive Reins of the Grove Warden as a reward

The entire quest chain took no more than 10 minutes after killing the boss.

Although the mount is no longer obtainable, Hellfire Citadel can still be visited for transmog, achievements, and another mount — Ironhoof Destroyer (drops from Archimonde on Mythic difficulty with a ~1% chance).

Hellfire Citadel is located in the center of Tanaan Jungle on Draenor.

/way Tanaan Jungle 45.6 53.5 Hellfire Citadel — entrance

How to Get There

1. Via your garrison: if you have a Draenor garrison, use your garrison hearthstone, then fly to Tanaan Jungle (to your faction's base — Lion's Watch for Alliance or Vol'mar for Horde)
2. Via Ashran: teleport to Stormshield (Alliance) or Warspear (Horde) through capital city portals, then fly south to Tanaan Jungle
3. Alternative route: if Tanaan Jungle is not unlocked, you can enter the zone through a passage in northern Talador (coordinates 74.5, 8)

Requirements: No prerequisite quests or keys are required to enter the raid.

Since the Grove Warden mount is no longer obtainable, this section covers efficient farming of another mount from the same raid — Ironhoof Destroyer, which drops from Archimonde on Mythic difficulty.

Using Alts

The raid lockout is weekly. The more characters you use, the higher your chances.

Recommended Classes

At level 80, all Hellfire Citadel bosses die in seconds. The main criterion is travel speed through the raid and getting there:

Solo Raid Walkthrough

Hellfire Citadel has 13 bosses. To reach Archimonde, you need to kill most of them. Optimal route:

1. Enter the raid and kill the first three lower-floor bosses (Hellfire Assault, Iron Reaver, Kormrok)
2. Go upstairs and kill the middle-wing bosses (Hellfire High Council, Kilrogg Deadeye, Shadow-Lord Iskar, Socrethar the Eternal, Tyrant Velhari)
3. Proceed to the upper floor (Fel Lord Zakuun, Xhul'horac)
4. Complete the raid (Mannoroth, Archimonde)

Time per run: 15–25 minutes depending on class and familiarity with boss locations.

Important Mechanic Note

On Mythic difficulty, Archimonde has an ability that knocks players off the platform. Classes with recovery options (Demon Hunter — Metamorphosis/Fel Rush, Mage — Blink, Death Knight — Death Gate) handle this more easily.

• The mount is unavailable — don't waste your time. If you came to this guide looking for a way to get the Grove Warden — unfortunately, it has been impossible since 2016. The mount was a limited reward tied to the then-current Warlords of Draenor content.
• Alternative mount from the same raid. If you're interested in Hellfire Citadel, farm Ironhoof Destroyer from Archimonde on Mythic difficulty — this mount is still available.
• Keep an eye on the news. WoW has had cases where removed mounts returned in a modified form (e.g., through the Darkmoon Faire or the shop). However, there have been no official announcements about the Grove Warden's return.
• Use the SavedInstances addon. It shows which characters have already cleared the raid this week, helping you keep track when farming on alts.
• Use the Rarity addon. It tracks the number of attempts and statistical probability of obtaining the Ironhoof Destroyer mount.
• Set Mythic difficulty before entering. Right-click your character portrait and select "Mythic" under "Raid Difficulty" to have a chance at the mount drop.
• The Friendship Moose initiative. The Grove Warden went down in WoW history thanks to the massive Friendship Moose movement, where experienced players helped more than 5,000 players kill Archimonde on Heroic difficulty and obtain the mount for free before its removal. This became one of the most notable examples of community cooperation in the game.