Swift Yellow Mechanostrider

Swift Yellow Mechanostrider is an epic ground mount of the gnome race, added to World of Warcraft all the way back in the original Classic version (patch 1.4.0). It is an upgraded model of the classic mechanostrider: a metallic walker in a bright yellow coloring.

The mount is purchased from the vendor Milli Featherwhistle in Ironforge — more precisely, in Steelgrill's Depot in Dun Morogh. The cost is 10 gold (or less if you have reputation discounts with Gnomeregan). By default, only gnomes can buy the mount freely. Characters of the other Alliance races need to earn Revered reputation with the Gnomeregan faction in advance.

This is one of three epic mechanostriders: alongside it, the shop also sells the Swift White Mechanostrider and the Swift Green Mechanostrider. All three are the same model with different colorings, so collectors usually buy them all at once.

• Maximum ground speed — the mount grants +100% movement speed, meaning it travels at the maximum speed of any ground transport in the game
• Classic gnome collection — one of the seven mechanostriders you can collect from Milli Featherwhistle. Completing the collection is a pleasant goal for fans of vanilla mounts and racial flavor
• Contribution to collector achievements — every mount added to the collection counts toward the meta-achievements for 250, 300, and 400 mounts, which in turn unlock access to other rewards
• The cheapest epic mount in the game — 10 gold versus the standard 80–90 gold for an epic mount from regular vendors. After applying the Revered discount, the price drops even lower
• Account-wide — like all mounts in modern WoW, after the first purchase it becomes available to all your Alliance characters, regardless of race and class
• A simple one-evening task — if you play a gnome, the mount can be bought instantly. For other races, it is a good excuse to run classic dungeons with a tabard and close out a couple more reputations along the way

Milli Featherwhistle stands out in the open in the small settlement of Steelgrill's Depot, north of the village of Kharanos in Dun Morogh. This is the starting zone of gnomes and dwarves, so you can reach it in several ways.

How to get there

1. Open the adventurer's table in any capital and take the portal to Ironforge. If there is no portal, use a hearthstone set to Ironforge or fly there on a flying mount from Dalaran, Stormwind, or the Stormwind Harbor
2. In Ironforge, find the exit to the Gates of Ironforge — the main western passage out of the city. On the map, the zone of Dun Morogh is labeled above them
3. Leave the city and turn southwest along the road. The road runs past the village of Kharanos — go straight through it and keep moving west
4. After a short while, a fenced lot with mechanostriders and buildings will appear on the left side of the road. This is Steelgrill's Depot
5. Milli Featherwhistle stands next to a cluster of mechanostriders near the repair hangar. On the map, her icon appears right after you click the vendor icon

Gnome characters start in exactly this area and reach the vendor within a couple of minutes during the introductory tutorial itself. If you play a gnome, the easiest way is to buy the yellow mechanostrider at a low level — it will give you the needed speed even before heading out into the wider world.

Milli Featherwhistle has two rules under which she agrees to sell the epic mechanostriders.

Gnomes just need to run up to the vendor and pay 10 gold. Dwarves, humans, night elves, draenei, worgen, and the other Alliance races must first earn Revered with the gnomes. The mount is unavailable to the Horde under any conditions — it is an Alliance racial mount.

After obtaining it, the Swift Yellow Mechanostrider is unlocked across the entire account collection, and any of your Alliance characters can summon it, even if they did not personally grind the reputation.

If you play a non-gnome, prepare for the reputation grind in advance. In the modern version of WoW, this is faster and easier than in the original Classic.

Path 1: Tabard and old dungeons

The fastest method for max-level characters.

1. Fly to Ironforge and enter The Great Forge — the central techno-hall of the city
2. Find the NPC Senior Technician Trini. She sells the Gnomeregan Tabard for 8 silver
3. Put on the tabard
4. Head into any Burning Crusade or Wrath of the Lich King dungeon on heroic mode via the dungeon finder. For example, Botanica or The Mechanar will do
5. By killing mobs in the instance while wearing the tabard, you gain Gnomeregan reputation for each enemy. One or two dungeon runs per hour is usually enough to close out a large stretch of reputation

Path 2: Quests in Dun Morogh

If you don't feel like running dungeons, part of the reputation can be earned through direct quests:

• Dun Morogh and Ironforge quests — simple tasks for low-level characters, each giving 75–250 reputation with Gnomeregan
• The Operation: Gnomeregan chain — a large story line about the gnomes returning to their home city, gives a noticeable boost to reputation
• Daily and seasonal Alliance tasks that sometimes refresh in story locations — always check the "Reputation" tab in the interface

1. Make sure you have Revered with Gnomeregan if your character is not a gnome. You can check in the reputation interface (the R key by default)
2. Save up 10 gold. At max level this is trivial, but at low levels you can sell a couple of unneeded items on the auction house
3. Open up any available riding skill — the most basic Apprentice Riding will do, learned from any instructor for a couple of silver as early as level 10
4. Teleport or fly to Dun Morogh and head to Steelgrill's Depot at the coordinates /way #27 56.2 46.2
5. Find Milli Featherwhistle next to the mechanostriders
6. Right-click her — the vendor window will open
7. In the goods list, find the Swift Yellow Mechanostrider and click "Buy"
8. The mount will be automatically added to your collection and become available on all Alliance characters