It's time to start thinking about the 450 and 500 mounts achievements

[Coconut]

With over 500 mounts currently available in game - not counting cash shop and retired models, or even those from less reliable sources, such as MoP world bosses and Soundless - and Shadowlands set to bring a lot more in the near future, it's time for Blizzard to add some new mount collecting achievements. What we were offered at 400 was admittedly a bit of a disappointment, but Ion said that they will listen to player suggestions more this expansion, so I'll be hopeful that this applies to collectors as well and get the ball rolling early.

If we are looking at existing models, there is one obvious choice that should occupy one of these slots: the Brutosaur - both because this would be a nice consolation prize for collectors who won't be able to buy the 5,000,000 gold version, and because it is one of the fanciest models available in BFA, worthy of such an achievement. The Albino (Silver) Brutosaur would be particularly fitting, echoing the Albino Drake we got for the first ever mount collecting achievement:



Ideally, if they really want to show us some love, they will make two separate versions of the mount: one with a Zandalari/Vulpera themed saddle for the Horde and one with an Explorer's League themed saddle for the Alliance (because the Alliance should be able to ride dinosaurs without feeling like wannabe trolls!). It's been a while since the Horde and Alliance got separate mounts from the collectors' achievements and I kind of miss that.

An alternative to the Albino (although I'm partial to it because of the drake connection and the implied rarity) would be to give the Horde and the Alliance different colored Brutosaurs:

A Brown one for the Horde because these are the ones we see walking around in Zandalar the most and the coloring matches the existing Troll-themed saddle very well:



And a Dark one for the Alliance (preferably with a new or recolored saddle), because the black and purple go well with a lot of Alliance races (Night Elves, Draenei, Worgen, Void Elves, Dark Irons:



It would also be awesome if these Brutosaurs come with their own utility NPCs, specifically a vendor and a Black Market auctioneer (echoing the standard auctioneer on the gold sink version). We can already get a consumable item that grants remote access to the BMAH from a Mechagon daily, so this wouldn't be game breaking, and it would be a neat little functionality for collectors to have.

For the other slot, there are few options I can think of when looking at the remaining unimplemented models. While there are plenty of mounts there that I will like to see added to the game, most of them would fare better as rare drops or rewards for various other activities. A mount collecting reward should stand out.

There is the cool-looking chimera from the old WoD files, but since the Darkshore mount established that Azerothian chimeras look just like Rylaks, we don't know where this creature should be coming from or it even exists in the lore:



There are the Legion Rocs, which obviously could be mounts because they use the same skeleton as the dread ravens, but they were never actually implemented as such. Slapping a saddle on them would make them appealing mounts, and they even come in Horde and Alliance colors:




Also cool but requiring saddles are the Draenor Hydras (I never understood why they weren't added as mounts in that expansion), but they don't really fit the theme of either Shadowlands or BFA. Still, I do hope we'll be able to ride them some day:




Finally, it would be nice and refreshing to see a cool looking new model added in Shadowlands specifically for us. Not necessarily something flashy and bright that screams "store mount", but something that says "rare and unusual specimen" or "collector". Or a fancy multi-passenger vehicle (4 party members riding inside?), such as a Vulpera caravan wagon for Horde and an updated Gilnean stagecoach for the Alliance (it mostly needs to use the new horse models and maybe a few retouches):

[daytonbrown]

For better of for worse, The Brutosaur is a big status symbol to show off how rich you are (or were, before you bought it). If they made the model more accessible there would be a huge outcry and I can't say I would blame them.
It would be like if they sold one of those insanely expensive cars, like a Bugatti or something, at your local Carmax.

[Yorimar]

For better of for worse, The Brutosaur is a big status symbol to show off how rich you are (or were, before you bought it). If they made the model more accessible there would be a huge outcry and I can't say I would blame them.
It would be like if they sold one of those insanely expensive cars, like a Bugatti or something, at your local Carmax.

the spider mount would like a word with you. granted the spider is 2m and not 5m, but it gets a recolor.

[Hellobolis]

it's just gonna be a recolor of a 4+ year old mount. things like brutosaur are too recent to recolor and a carriage would be cash shop material.

[Coconut]

For better of for worse, The Brutosaur is a big status symbol to show off how rich you are (or were, before you bought it). If they made the model more accessible there would be a huge outcry and I can't say I would blame them.
It would be like if they sold one of those insanely expensive cars, like a Bugatti or something, at your local Carmax.

Yeah, the easy counterargument to that is that discontinuing a gold sink mount was an unprecedented decision with kind of a bullshit excuse (people had easy access to the AH before via the Remote AH functionality of the old site and it wasn't an issue), and collectors such as myself who spent a lot of gold early thinking we'll be able to buy the Brutosaur in the future already got screwed. The people who bought it weren't promised any exclusivity except maybe for the auctioneer.

[Unlimited Power]

it's just gonna be a recolor of a 4+ year old mount. things like brutosaur are too recent to recolor and a carriage would be cash shop material.

The reward for 250, 300, 350 and 400 mount achievements weren't even newly recoloured models, they'd been in the files since the first usable models got datamined. That means the reward for 250 and 400 mounts both existed in the files since the Firelands patch in Cata.

Maybe if we're "lucky" they'll give us the Stormcrow that was datamined during the ToT patch in MoP and was rumored to be a store mount at the time. It seems to be the same model they used for the Solar Spirehawk and the Violet Spellwing, which should correctly classify it as an "old recolour" at this point.

As for Brutosaur being too recent, it was a mount introduced at the beginning of BFA and if a recolour of it was to be a reward from a mount collection achievement it'd be available when 9.0 drops. That's pretty comparable to the infernal that was new to Legion (granted, a reskinned animation rig) which we got a blue recolour of for the 350 mount achievement when 8.0 dropped.

[Coconut]

Maybe if we're "lucky" they'll give us the Stormcrow that was datamined during the ToT patch in MoP and was rumored to be a store mount at the time. It seems to be the same model they used for the Solar Spirehawk and the Violet Spellwing, which should correctly classify it as an "old recolour" at this point.

I count the Stormcrow as a mount I'd probably like to see in game, but wouldn't find satisfying for a high level collection achievement. They added the same creature as a reward for collecting 600 pets back at the start of WoD...

With regards to previous rewards, the two fel birds are both showing their age, but the Hawk was still relatively appealing when it got added at the end of WoD, and it was fitting enough in between HFC and a Legion expansion. The Heavenly Azure Cloud Serpent was perhaps not very unique, but still very cool, especially at the time (it was a high end mount from the previous expansion), and it was a "unique specimen" in terms of color, and the infernal was pretty amazing, on par with what a brutosaur would be right now. The Feltalon was the real outlier.

[Unlimited Power]

I count the Stormcrow as a mount I'd probably like to see in game, but wouldn't find satisfying for a high level collection achievement. They added the same creature as a reward for collecting 600 pets back at the start of WoD...

With regards to previous rewards, the two fel birds are both showing their age, but the Hawk was still relatively appealing when it got added at the end of WoD, and it was fitting enough in between HFC and a Legion expansion. The Heavenly Azure Cloud Serpent was perhaps not very unique, but still very cool, especially at the time (it was a high end mount from the previous expansion), and it was a "unique specimen" in terms of color, and the infernal was pretty amazing, on par with what a brutosaur would be right now. The Feltalon was the real outlier.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the different mount rewards and was especially delighted at the Emerald Firehawk when I finally acquired it. That said, the Feltalon was a very old mount by the time it was rewarded for collecting 400 mounts, and with 400 mounts collected you're bound to have a much cooler mount already.

I'd certainly appreciate if they did something unique for mount collectors again like they did with the armored dragonhawks at 200 mounts.

[erifwodahs]

For better of for worse, The Brutosaur is a big status symbol to show off how rich you are (or were, before you bought it). If they made the model more accessible there would be a huge outcry and I can't say I would blame them.
It would be like if they sold one of those insanely expensive cars, like a Bugatti or something, at your local Carmax.

If someone has 500 mounts... I would not mind that at all. Shit is crazy and probably required more dedication than doing boosts/AH game. Obviously that's 500 mount achievement. It must be something either extremely rare or totally new + a title + a toy which creates a stampede of mounts running around you.

[Belloc]

For better of for worse, The Brutosaur is a big status symbol to show off how rich you are (or were, before you bought it). If they made the model more accessible there would be a huge outcry and I can't say I would blame them.
It would be like if they sold one of those insanely expensive cars, like a Bugatti or something, at your local Carmax.

I have to assume that, if you have 500 mounts, you probably already have the Brutosaur. In any case, making it a 500 mount reward isn't really making it that much more accessible, since barely anyone is going to collect 500 mounts.

[Azerate]

It would be great if they actually gave us a unique model as a reward. Not sure if we can count on that though, as the "Collect XXX mounts" rewards have always been recolors if I recall correctly. I love all your unique model ideas, but again I'll probably be cool with whatever, as long as its distinctive enough.

I wouldn't want a Brutosaur recolor. I'd prefer it to remain this one of a kind, special mount. It's also not very handy (too big) so the places to use it are kind of limited. I think if they added a recolor I'd never use it, or maybe I would just to show off that I have 500+ mounts occassionally.

Following the trend with 350 achie mount, maybe they will make it a recolor of Jaina mount (350 being a guldan recolor?).

But yeah, agreed that we should probably be getting 450/500 achievements. BfA added a lot of mounts and it's not that hard to get to 450 at least, if you're in "the mount game".

If someone has 500 mounts... I would not mind that at all. Shit is crazy and probably required more dedication than doing boosts/AH game. Obviously that's 500 mount achievement. It must be something either extremely rare or totally new + a title + a toy which creates a stampede of mounts running around you.

I have to assume that, if you have 500 mounts, you probably already have the Brutosaur. In any case, making it a 500 mount reward isn't really making it that much more accessible, since barely anyone is going to collect 500 mounts.

Not necessarily. I do a lot of mount farming and I only decidd to go for the Bruto because they decided to discontinue it. Bruto was my 510th mount or so, and I only got it very recently. I have absolutely no money usually otherwise, just grinded my ass for it this one time. Never had more than 1,3mil before otherwise. I don't do any boosting cause I'm just a casual heroic raider as far as pve goes, and I never flip stuff on AH. Just farm raw gold, some herbs, emissaries etc.

[Sevarin]

For better of for worse, The Brutosaur is a big status symbol to show off how rich you are (or were, before you bought it). If they made the model more accessible there would be a huge outcry and I can't say I would blame them.
It would be like if they sold one of those insanely expensive cars, like a Bugatti or something, at your local Carmax.

i mean... if you wanna talk about status symbol, my ivory raptor would like to have a chat with the mini tcg version, as well as the bone-white primal raptor, and the swift albino raptor.

[erifwodahs]

Not necessarily. I do a lot of mount farming and I only decidd to go for the Bruto because they decided to discontinue it. Bruto was my 510th mount or so, and I only got it very recently. I have absolutely no money usually otherwise, just grinded my ass for it.

What I meant that 500 mounts should be something exclusive and cool. I have green dragonhawk as an achievement mount for myself which is 200 or 250 I guess. 500 is something even "too many mounts" people should be able to admire as a feat of dedication.

[Coconut]

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the different mount rewards and was especially delighted at the Emerald Firehawk when I finally acquired it. That said, the Feltalon was a very old mount by the time it was rewarded for collecting 400 mounts, and with 400 mounts collected you're bound to have a much cooler mount already.

I'd certainly appreciate if they did something unique for mount collectors again like they did with the armored dragonhawks at 200 mounts.

The Feltalon was a weird choice, I can't really decide what pushed them in that direction.

On one hand, it felt like a punishment for people who threw an unnecessarily vitriolic temper tantrum against their original choice, the Tempestous Skystallion, which admittedly was also not great, but was kind of aesthetically in tune with Antorus. On the other hand, maybe they genuinely thought ppl will like it because they had reacted so well to the Voidtalon, and, well... fel was the theme of the expansion, and the other fel bird was in the achievement chain, so there was some logic behind it I guess.

But the problem with it, and to a smaller degree with the other mounts you mentioned, aside from (but connected to) the age, was that most serious collectors would have already had the other recolors of these mounts for a while, so even if we liked the models, they weren't all that new and exciting to us.

The infernal, on the other hand, was a new model for me as a casual collector who hadn't farmed Nighthold yet. The drake also felt fresh for people collecting in TBC going into Wrath, it was the first mount of that kind one could get at the time, even if it became more common afterwards (and the color still gives that "rare specimen" vibe to this day), and so did the dragonhawk in Wrath (in spite of the model being older) and the kite in MoP (one of two fresh models you'd get around the same time), and the armored dragonhawk (to this day a unique model due to the armor and texture resolution).

I think this is what they should be aiming for. A unique coloration that marks the mount as a "rare specimen", and/or a rare and hard to get model that even collectors who usually have everything might not have already (or at least not for a long time).

If someone has 500 mounts... I would not mind that at all. Shit is crazy and probably required more dedication than doing boosts/AH game. Obviously that's 500 mount achievement. It must be something either extremely rare or totally new + a title + a toy which creates a stampede of mounts running around you.

This guy gets it!

[MrLachyG]

I don't think they will add the Brutosaur mount to anything else, it's too symbolic a mount; I'd say the same if they added another bee mount or frog mounts. that hydra mount would be fucking cool though. and I am totally down with a horse drawn carriage mount. maybe a Behemoth mount? a huge tentacle-y monster mount?

[Coconut]

I'd prefer it to remain this one of a kind, special mount.

As someone who spent ~ 1.500.000 - 2.000.000 gold on other collectibles prior to them announcing that the Brutosaur was being removed (as well as previously buying all Legion gold sinks) because nowhere in my wildest dreams would I have been able to anticipate that, didn't farm much gold early in BFA because was already burned out from farming 36 tower weapons in Legion, and won't be getting the Brutosaur because I play on a low pop RP server cluster with a crappy market (trust me, I tried several methods since the announcement) and simply don't have enough time to dedicate to raw farming, having to accept this in spite of maining troll, loving troll stuff and wanting a Brutosaur mount since the Blizzcon trailer, you will take that snowflake opinion back or we will become blood enemies.

I'm sick and tired of all this special shit. If I can get over not being able to buy this particular mount, the people who bought it can get over recolors existing in game, especially for something as challenging as collecting 450 or 500 mounts. If they see fit to complain, then I also have cause for complain (a better one at that), as well as precedence. So... sock, meet mouth!

[Queen of Hamsters]

I'm expecting the same shit as for every other: A recolor/old model being brought in.

I am open to being pleasantly surprised though.

[Azerate]

I'm sick and tired of all this special shit. If I can get over not being able to buy this particular mount, the people who bought it can get over recolors existing in game, especially for something as challenging as collecting 450 or 500 mounts. If they see fit to complain, then I also have cause for complain (a better one at that), as well as precedence. So... sock, meet mouth!

Blizz is constantly adding recolors to old prestigious mounts and I've made my peace with that, still, I'd prefer it not to happen.

I bought every single in-game gold mount from BfA too, because I never considered purchasing Brutosaur before they announced discontinuation. I had like 1mil in January and made it to 5 in just a couple months. Surely you can do it too, there's plenty of time until prepatch anyway.

[Kaibhan]

For better of for worse, The Brutosaur is a big status symbol to show off how rich you are (or were, before you bought it). If they made the model more accessible there would be a huge outcry and I can't say I would blame them.
It would be like if they sold one of those insanely expensive cars, like a Bugatti or something, at your local Carmax.

So like 10 people would care and convince a bunch of idiots that it matters.

[Nelaphim-EX]

They should put it in for 600 mounts... I am at 558 and I have zero of the PVP Title/RBG/Season mounts.