Epic flying in TBC Classic costs 5,000 gold for Artisan Riding (280% speed) plus 100 gold for the Swift Gryphon or Swift Wind Rider, 5,100 gold total at base price. Reaching Exalted with Honor Hold (Alliance) or Thrallmar (Horde) cuts that to 4,000 gold training and 80 gold mount, 4,080 gold in all. You must be level 70 to train it.
Epic flying cost breakdown
| Item | Base price | Honored (-5%) | Revered (-10%) | Exalted (-20%) |
| Artisan Riding (280%) | 5,000g | 4,750g | 4,500g | 4,000g |
| Swift Gryphon / Swift Wind Rider | 100g | 95g | 90g | 80g |
| Total | 5,100g | 4,845g | 4,590g | 4,080g |
- Level required: 70.
- Prerequisite: Expert Riding (regular 60% flying), 800 gold base, plus a 100 gold basic gryphon or wind rider. Discounts use the same reputation.
- Where to train: Ilsa Blusterbrew at Wildhammer Stronghold (Alliance) or Olrokk at Shadowmoon Village (Horde), both in Shadowmoon Valley. Regular flying is taught earlier in Hellfire Peninsula at Honor Hold and Thrallmar.
- Which rep counts: Honor Hold for Alliance, Thrallmar for Horde. Hellfire Peninsula quests and Hellfire Citadel dungeon runs raise it. Most players hit Revered naturally; Exalted usually takes Shattered Halls farming.
Do I need regular flying before epic flying?
Yes. Artisan Riding builds on Expert Riding, so the real all-in cost from zero is roughly 5,900 gold at base prices, or about 4,800 gold at Exalted. If you are close to Revered when you hit 70, it is worth finishing a few more Hellfire quests before paying, because 10% off 5,000 gold is 500 gold saved for an hour of work.
Is epic flying worth it in TBC Classic?
For anyone who plans to do daily quests, farm, or gather, yes. 280% speed versus 60% turns a 6-minute flight across Shadowmoon Valley into under 2 minutes, and the Netherwing reputation chain in Shadowmoon Valley requires 300 riding skill to even begin. Skettis, Ogri'la and Blade's Edge dailies work with regular flying but feel painfully slow. The mount also pays for itself over a couple of weeks of Ogri'la, Skyguard and Netherwing dailies.
If you only log in for raid nights and never leave Shattrath otherwise, regular flying is enough and you can put the 5,000 gold toward consumables and enchants instead.
What about druid flight form and engineering mounts?
Druid Swift Flight Form still needs the 5,000 gold Artisan Riding purchase, followed by the Anzu quest chain that ends in heroic Sethekk Halls. Engineers with 375 skill can build the Turbo-Charged Flying Machine, but it too requires Artisan Riding. There is no way around the 5,000 gold training fee; only the mount itself can be replaced.
Are there cheaper or better epic flying mounts?
Once you own Artisan Riding, several reputation mounts replace the standard 100 gold gryphon or wind rider. A Netherdrake is free at Exalted with Netherwing, a Nether Ray costs 200 gold at Exalted with the Sha'tari Skyguard, and the Cenarion War Hippogryph is sold at Exalted with Cenarion Expedition. None of them are faster than 280%; they are cosmetic, so the base mount is the sensible first buy.
Fastest ways to farm 5,000 gold at 70
- Clear your quest log: turning in every remaining Outland quest at 70 pays gold instead of experience.
- Run the Skyguard, Ogri'la and Netherwing dailies together once unlocked; the last set needs epic flying, so start with the first two.
- Gather or farm primals (Primal Air in Nagrand, Primal Fire in Shadowmoon Valley) and sell them for enchanters and crafters.
- Sell Karazhan and heroic dungeon loot you cannot use, plus any Netherweave cloth to tailors.
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