swift-zhevra
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Obsidian Nightwing now available as Recruit-A-Friend mount
A few days ago, we heard the announcement that we'd be getting a new Recruit-A-Friend mount, the Obsidian Nightwing, which gives you the ability to turn into a winged panther and carry a friend on your back. The new mount is now available and can be redeemed and used in game. Note that this means the X-53 Touring Rocket is now retired and unavailable, like the Zhevra before it. To get the ability to turn into a flying cat, you'll need to refer a friend to WoW via the Recruit-A-Friend program, and that friend must pay for two months of game time. And yes, you can simply create your own second account and buy two months of game time to get the mount if you're impatient or all your friends already play WoW. [Thanks for the tip, Chell!]
Refer-A-Friend rocket available starting tomorrow, Tuesday April 27
Zarhym has just posted to let us all know that the previously announced X-53 Touring Rocket, the only 2-seated flying mount currently available in game, will be claimable by qualifying Refer-A-Friend accounts starting tomorrow, Tuesday April 27. With this, the Zhevra mount will be retired, so if you want it, be sure to grab it tonight. The full announcement text is behind the cut.
New Recruit-A-Friend mount coming soon
Continuing the very unusual middle of the night announcements from Blizzard, Bashiok has just posted that the Recruit-A-Friend program is getting a brand new mount soon to replace the Zhevra. Presumably this is to give players with the zhevra some reason to bother with the program going forward. Beginning in just a few days, players who participate in the Recruit-A-Friend program will receive a whole new reward for showing a friend the ropes in Azeroth: the X-53 Touring Rocket, a two-seater flying mount that automatically increases its speed as your mount skill improves (up to 310% speed if you already have a 310% mount). The X-53 will be replacing the current Zhevra mount reward, which is retiring from the Recruit-A-Friend business after a good run. If you've already claimed a Zhevra (or claim one prior to the change), you'll be able to hang on to it, of course. We'll have more details on the new Recruit-A-Friend mount once it becomes available. Current Recruit-A-Friend FAQ - http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&articleId=20588 source I won't lie, I'll be getting my hands on this mount sooner or later. A two-seater flying mount that will scale up with my 310% mount? That's hard to resist. Well played, Blizzard. I wonder if my imaginary friends want to check out WoW...
The Queue: Cosmetics
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.Nearly 9,000 people voted that anchovies were gross in the last edition of The Queue. I wholeheartedly disagree! However, I know when I'm beat, so consider today's picture an apology. If you think this picture is gross and don't have some sort of allergy that has caused you to form that opinion, well... I can't help you anymore. You are broken. May whatever deity (or non-deity) you believe in have mercy on your soul (or whatever your belief system keeps inside of your squishy bits).Zayd asked..."How long before Blizz let you change your characters race? If we can soon change faction then this seems the next logical step, it's just a cosmetic change when you get down to it..."
WoW Rookie: Saddle up your mount at level 30
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the resources they need to get acclimated. Send us a note to suggest a WoW Rookie topic.UPDATE: Progress gallops forward and mount requirements have changed ... Visit our updated WoW Rookie mounts post for the latest mount information.Hitting level 30 is a major milestone in today's World of Warcraft: the level at which you get your mount. Up to this point, you've spent plenty of time hoofing it, getting to know the lay of the land. On the back of your trusty steed, you'll be able to zip across increasingly larger zones and quest areas in style. You'll start off on a standard ground mount, such as a Horse, Wolf or Kodo. Later, you can upgrade to faster versions of those creatures and eventually to mounts that can fly (in Burning Crusade and Wrath content).Mounts used to become available at level 40. Now that the game extends to level 80 and early character progression has been sped up, you get to speed up at an earlier level, too.
Breakfast Topic: Will you Recruit-a-Friend?
Ever since Blizzard introduced the new perks to the Recruit-a-Friend system, I've had it in mind that I might want that Zhevra mount for my collection. Now that Blizzard has unveiled their Swift Zhevra screenshot gallery, it's coming back into mind. Unfortunately, I've actually "recruited" four people since I began playing, all of whom I conveniently forgot to send the proper link to, so I have never received any benefits at all. It also means that I have no one left to sweet talk into helping me get a Zhevra. Are you planning to convince a friend to join the ranks of either the Horde or the Alliance, to the tune of some free playtime, a Zhevra mount, the ability to summon their character to you, and pick up triple experience for both monsters and quests, up to level 60? In addition, what do you think of the Zhevra mount? Do you adore it, or do you think it is silly, or out of place, lorewise? If you do recruit someone, will it have anything to do with the mount?%Gallery-18308%
1-60 in 20 minutes
When I first read about Blizzard's new Recruit-a-Friend program, I thought it was a great way to get friends to catch up quickly. The zhevra mount was just a silly little bonus. The feature that lets players grant a level to a lower-level friend with every two levels had so much potential that it had some players crying out in the forums. Well, WoW Insider reader Brian has actually gone out and done what those players had feared -- he leveled a character from 1-60 in less than 20 minutes using the level granting feature.Certainly, it can be done much quicker, as Brian didn't have to run into Stormwind's trade district or stop to show the talent points panel for the video. At this point, speed leveling records from 1-60 don't mean anything anymore, anyway. Of course, Brian had to level two characters to 60 on his recruited account to get a total of sixty level grants. With Level 80 fast approaching, I think it's really cool that new players or characters will have a way to rush towards the endgame. After all, there's still Levels 61 to 70 -- and later 71 to 80 -- to slog through. Let me see how many friends I can wrangle up now...
