Thunder Bluff Kodo

Thunder Bluff Kodo is a ground mount of the Horde faction, added to World of Warcraft in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion (patch 3.1.0). It is a massive kodo with battle armor and the heraldry of Thunder Bluff, the tauren capital. Kodos are renowned for their endurance and calm temperament, which makes them ideal mounts for the representatives of the Argent Tournament.

The mount is purchased for 100 Champion's Seals from Doru Thunderhorn — the Thunder Bluff quartermaster at the Argent Tournament Grounds in Icecrown. To buy it you must play a tauren or earn the achievement Champion of Thunder Bluff.

• Unique kodo model — unlike the ordinary racial kodos available from the vendor in Thunder Bluff, this mount features special battle armor and a color scheme characteristic of Argent Tournament rewards
• Part of a larger collection — five Horde faction mounts, five Alliance mounts, as well as shared mounts such as the Sunreaver Dragonhawk and the Argent Warhorse are sold at the Argent Tournament. While you are saving up seals, it makes sense to collect them all.
• Account-wide — once purchased, the mount appears in the collection of all your Horde characters.
• No element of chance — unlike mounts with a percentage drop chance, the Thunder Bluff Kodo is guaranteed to be bought for a fixed amount of currency. It is only a matter of time.
• Progress toward the Crusader title — buying all the Argent Tournament faction mounts is tied to rank progression. Earning the "Crusader" title unlocks additional daily quests and speeds up earning seals.

If your character is a tauren, access to the Thunder Bluff quartermaster opens automatically as soon as you reach Champion rank for at least one city. For characters of other Horde races, you will need to complete the quest chain specifically for Thunder Bluff.

The Argent Tournament is located in the northeastern part of the Icecrown zone in Northrend.

1. Open the portal room in Orgrimmar and use the "Dalaran, Crystalsong" portal — it will take you to Dalaran (Northrend)
2. From Dalaran, fly north — the Argent Tournament Grounds are in Icecrown, northeast of Sindragosa's Fall. The flight takes about a minute
3. Land at the tournament grounds — you will see the faction tents, training areas, and the Argent Coliseum

The path to the mount consists of two stages: first you complete the Argent Tournament quest chain up to Champion of Thunder Bluff rank, and then you save up 100 Champion's Seals to make the purchase.

Stage 1: Earning the Champion of Thunder Bluff Rank

Progression at the Argent Tournament goes through three ranks: Aspirant, Valiant, and Champion.

Aspirant Rank (3 days)

1. Talk to the representative of your race in the Horde tent at the tournament grounds and take the starting quest
2. Complete three training tasks: "Up to the Challenge," "The Grand Melee," and "A Blade Fit for a Champion" — they will teach you how to use the tournament lance while mounted
3. Complete the Aspirant daily quests, collecting 5 Aspirant's Seals per day. To advance to the next rank you need 15 seals — this takes 3 days

Valiant Rank (5 days)

1. Choose the city you will fight for — for this mount you need Thunder Bluff
2. Complete the Valiant daily quests, which yield 5 Valiant's Seals per day
3. To advance to Champion rank you need 25 seals — this takes 5 days
4. After collecting 25 seals, take the quest "The Valiant's Challenge" and defeat the NPC champion in the lists

Champion Rank

After your victory you earn the achievement Champion of Thunder Bluff and access to the quartermaster Doru Thunderhorn. The minimum time from start to Champion rank is 8 days.

Stage 2: Collecting 100 Champion's Seals

After earning Champion rank, daily quests that grant Champion's Seals open up to you. On average you can earn 7–10 seals per day, depending on the number of unlocked cities and quests.

Main sources of seals:

• Champion daily quests (4 quests, 1 seal each)
• The daily quest "Among the Champions" (1 seal)
• The quest to kill Chillmaw (2 seals) — at level 80 in The War Within he is killed with ease
• The heroic dungeon "Trial of the Champion" (extra seals from the chest)
• Crusader quests (available after earning the "Crusader" title — Champion of all five Horde cities)

Earning 7–10 seals per day, collecting 100 of them takes roughly 10–14 days of daily quests.

Stage 3: Buying the Mount

1. Find Doru Thunderhorn in the Thunder Bluff tent at the Argent Tournament Grounds
2. Talk to him and select the Thunder Bluff Kodo from the list of goods
3. Pay 100 Champion's Seals — the mount will appear in your inventory
4. Use the item, and the mount will be added to your collection

The path to Champion rank is divided into three stages. In each one you complete daily quests and save up special seals.

In total, from your first visit to the tournament to the mount purchase, about 18–22 days of regular daily quests will pass. If your character is not a tauren, add another 5 days to grind Valiant for Thunder Bluff after you become Champion of your home city.

Each of the five Horde cities has its own quartermaster with a unique faction mount. All mounts cost 100 Champion's Seals each, and to buy one you must be Champion of the corresponding city (or belong to that city's race).

Besides the faction mounts, the tournament sells shared mounts: the Argent Warhorse (100 seals) and the flying Sunreaver Dragonhawk (150 seals).

Become a Crusader

The "Crusader" title is awarded for earning Champion rank in all five cities of your faction and reaching exalted with all five racial factions. After that, additional daily quests open up that increase the daily seal income to 12–14 a day. Leveling all five cities takes about 25 days from the start, but it pays off in the long run if you are collecting several mounts.

The Heroic Dungeon "Trial of the Champion"

The dungeon is located right at the Argent Tournament Grounds and grants 3 Champion's Seals on the first completion per day. At level 80 in The War Within it is cleared solo in a couple of minutes.

How Long It Will Take

If you are already a Crusader and earn 12–14 seals per day, collecting 100 seals shrinks to 7–8 days.