Netherwing is a staged level 70 reputation campaign in southeastern Shadowmoon Valley. It begins at Hated, moves to Neutral through a story questline, and then becomes a daily progression route on Netherwing Ledge. New quests open at every reputation rank, Netherwing Eggs provide repeatable progress, and Exalted unlocks six epic Netherwing Drake colors.
The Netherwing hub becomes available with TBC Anniversary Phase 3 on August 27, 2026. Blizzard's official Phase 3 overview confirms the daily hub, Netherwing Egg turn-ins, Artisan Riding requirement, Blood Oath of the Netherwing, and the six drakes sold by Drake Dealer Hurlunk. This guide covers the full unlock, every daily tier, intermediate rewards, and the final mount choice.
Netherwing Requirements and Starting Location
| Requirement | When it matters | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Level 70 | Before speaking to Mordenai | The Hated-to-Neutral introduction |
| Expert Riding, skill 225 | At the beginning | The introductory chain can be completed with the basic 60% flying mount |
| Artisan Riding, skill 300 | After reaching Neutral | Blood Oath of the Netherwing, Dragonmaw Base Camp progression, and the 280% flying mounts |
| Shadowmoon Valley access | Throughout the route | Netherwing Fields, Dragonmaw Fortress, Netherwing Ledge, and later daily objectives |
Find Mordenai wandering through the Netherwing Fields at approximately 60, 59 in southeastern Shadowmoon Valley. He may not stand on one fixed point, so search the western side of the fields if the quest marker is not immediately visible. Netherwing Ledge itself is the floating island east of the mainland and normally requires a flying mount to reach.
Expert Riding is enough for the introduction, but it is not enough for the reputation grind beyond Neutral. Train Artisan Riding before planning the daily route. The skill is the expensive part of the unlock; owning a different fast mount does not replace the required riding level.
Hated to Neutral Unlock Chain
The introduction tells the story of the Netherwing brood and its enslavement by the Dragonmaw. The quests before Ally of the Netherwing do not grant gradual reputation. The final turn-in awards 42,000 reputation at once, moving the character from Hated to Neutral.
| Step | Quest | Objective |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kindness | Help the Netherwing drakes in the fields by feeding them Rocknail Flayer carcasses |
| 2 | Seek Out Neltharaku | Find Neltharaku flying above the Netherwing Fields |
| 3 | Neltharaku's Tale | Listen to the history of the Netherwing and Dragonmaw occupation |
| 4 | Infiltrating Dragonmaw Fortress | Defeat Dragonmaw Orcs at the fortress on the mainland |
| 5 | To Netherwing Ledge! | Collect Nethervine Crystals on the floating island |
| 6 | The Force of Neltharaku | Use the enchanted crystal to free enslaved Netherwing drakes |
| 7 | Karynaku | Locate Karynaku at Dragonmaw Fortress |
| 8 | Zuluhed the Whacked | Defeat Zuluhed and free Karynaku with the key he drops |
| 9 | Ally of the Netherwing | Return to Mordenai and receive 42,000 reputation, reaching Neutral |
Zuluhed the Whacked is the main difficulty spike and was designed as a group encounter. Clear nearby Dragonmaw enemies before starting, interrupt or avoid his dangerous casts, and move away from the demon that appears during the fight. A level 70 character with limited gear should bring a group instead of risking a long reset after the summon begins.
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Neutral Hub Unlock and Blood Oath
After reaching Neutral and training Artisan Riding, return to Mordenai. Blood Oath of the Netherwing begins the infiltration stage. In Service of the Illidari sends the character to Overlord Mor'ghor at Dragonmaw Base Camp, where the disguise makes the camp temporarily friendly. Enter the Taskmaster introduces Taskmaster Varkule Dragonbreath, while A Job Unfinished and Your Friend on the Inside complete the first setup.
- Accept Blood Oath of the Netherwing from Mordenai.
- Complete In Service of the Illidari and report to Overlord Mor'ghor.
- Complete Enter the Taskmaster with Taskmaster Varkule Dragonbreath.
- Finish A Job Unfinished.
- Complete Your Friend on the Inside and meet Yarzill the Merc.
- Pick up the available Neutral dailies and The Great Netherwing Egg Hunt.
The Dragonmaw disguise is part of the quest area. Avoid abandoning critical setup quests without checking where the chain resumes, and do not attack camp NPCs while progressing through the infiltration story. Players who want help completing the staged route can use a Netherwing reputation boost for a selected milestone, but the unlock requirements and reputation ranks remain character-specific.
Neutral Daily Quests
The first repeatable set provides up to 1,000 reputation per day with an eligible gathering profession, or 750 without one. Mining, Herbalism, and Skinning each have a matching daily, but a character can complete only one of the three gathering quests per day even if it knows multiple gathering professions.
| Daily quest | Reputation | Practical focus |
|---|---|---|
| Netherwing Crystals | 250 | Loot crystals while killing enemies across Netherwing Ledge |
| A Slow Death | 250 | Use poisoned mutton to weaken Dragonmaw peon camps |
| The Not-So-Friendly Skies | 250 | Defeat Dragonmaw Transporters and collect Netherwing Relics |
| Nethercite Ore | 250 | Mining-only option using Nethercite deposits |
| Netherdust Pollen | 250 | Herbalism-only option using Netherdust bushes |
| Nethermine Flayer Hide | 250 | Skinning-only option from Nethermine Flayers |
Netherwing Crystals, one universal outdoor daily, the transporter daily, and one eligible gathering quest make up the four-completion maximum at Neutral. If the character has no qualifying gathering profession, do the three universal dailies and use eggs to supplement the missing 250 reputation.
Netherwing Eggs and Repeatable Reputation
The first egg is turned in through The Great Netherwing Egg Hunt for 350 reputation. Every later egg can be submitted through Accepting All Eggs for 250 reputation. The repeatable turn-in is not limited to once per day, making eggs the only way to push meaningfully beyond the fixed daily total.
- Look for standalone egg objects on Netherwing Ledge, inside the Netherwing Mines, and around Dragonmaw Fortress.
- Kill eligible enemies on the ledge and in the mines because eggs can appear as rare loot.
- Miners can find eggs while gathering Nethercite deposits.
- Herbalists can find eggs while collecting Netherdust bushes.
- Combine egg searches with daily objectives instead of circling the island with an empty quest log.
Egg spawns are shared and heavily contested at the beginning of a phase. A fixed coordinate route cannot guarantee an egg because another player may collect it moments earlier. Search cave corners, crystal formations, mine carts, ledges, camps, and gathering nodes while moving through the normal daily circuit. Treat every egg as a 250-reputation bonus rather than required daily income.
Friendly Quests and Dailies
Friendly opens the Overseer stage. Taskmaster Varkule Dragonbreath starts Rise, Overseer, which awards Overseer's Badge and introduces the next quest layer. Complete The Netherwing Mines, Crazed and Confused, and Overseeing and You: Making the Right Choices to unlock all three Friendly dailies.
| Friendly daily | Reputation | Efficient approach |
|---|---|---|
| Picking Up the Pieces | 350 | Collect cargo inside the mines while completing other underground objectives |
| Dragons are the Least of Our Problems | 350 | Kill Nethermine Flayers and Ravagers during the same mine circuit |
| The Booterang: A Cure for the Common Worthless Peon | 350 | Discipline sleeping or idle Dragonmaw peons around the work camps |
With all previous dailies, Friendly supports seven daily completions worth 2,050 reputation with a gathering profession or 1,800 without one. The Great Murkblood Revolt and Seeker of Truth are additional one-time quests started through the mine storyline and are not included in that daily total.
Honored Quests Dragonmaw Races and Daily
At Honored, Stand Tall, Captain awards Captain's Badge. The Soul Cannon of Reth'hedron and Subdue the Subduer form a one-time combat chain, while Earning Your Wings opens six Dragonmaw races. The races are sequential challenges rather than daily quests: stay close enough to each rider, avoid projectiles, and finish without being dismounted.
| Race | Reputation | Progression note |
|---|---|---|
| The Ballad of Oldie McOld | 350 | Introductory race with simple projectile timing |
| Trope the Filth-Belcher | 350 | Follow behind and move laterally when attacks begin |
| Corlok the Vet | 500 | Expect faster movement and denser hazards |
| Wing Commander Ichman | 500 | Use a wider line without falling outside the follow range |
| Wing Commander Mulverick | 500 | Prioritize survival over trying to fly directly beside the rider |
| Captain Skyshatter | 1,000 | Final race that also awards the Skybreaker Whip |
Disrupting the Twilight Portal is the new Honored daily and grants 500 reputation. Completing it alongside the earlier quests raises the fixed daily total to 2,550 with a gathering profession or 2,300 without one. The race reputation is a one-time acceleration and should not be included in forecasts for later days.
The Skybreaker Whip increases mounted movement speed by 10 percent and does not stack with similar mount-speed effects. It is useful outside the Netherwing grind, but it occupies a trinket slot and does not change the base riding skill required for a Netherwing Drake.
Revered Quests and Aldor or Scryer Daily
Revered begins with Hail, Commander and awards Commander's Badge. Kill Them All then sends the character to the representative connected to the chosen Shattrath faction. Aldor-aligned characters work with Commander Arcus near the Altar of Sha'tar, while Scryer-aligned characters report to Commander Hobb near the Sanctum of the Stars.
Completing that short branch unlocks The Deadliest Trap Ever Laid, a group daily worth 500 reputation. The objective differs in location according to Aldor or Scryer alignment, but both versions serve the same Netherwing progression role. With this ninth daily, the maximum fixed total becomes 3,050 reputation with an eligible gathering quest or 2,800 without one.
The group daily can be inefficient when attempted alone on a lightly geared character. Build a small party before traveling to the objective and share completion with players on the same faction version. If a player cannot maintain all daily hubs personally, the available TBC daily quest service includes a Netherwing-focused route, but eggs and competition still make exact completion time variable.
Netherwing Rewards by Reputation Rank
| Rank | Main unlock | Notable reward |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Dragonmaw Base Camp and first daily set | Egg turn-ins and access to staged progression |
| Friendly | Mine quests and three additional dailies | Overseer's Badge, which summons a Netherwing Ally in Shadowmoon Valley |
| Honored | Dragonmaw races and Disrupting the Twilight Portal | Captain's Badge and Skybreaker Whip |
| Revered | Aldor or Scryer group daily | Commander's Badge with 45 Stamina and a Netherwing Ally summon |
| Exalted | Final Illidan event and drake vendor | One free Netherwing Drake and access to the other five colors |
Netherwing does not use a conventional quartermaster reward ladder. The rank-up badges replace one another as the summon effect becomes less restricted, with Commander's Badge adding 45 Stamina. The mounts remain the main long-term reward, but the badges and Skybreaker Whip make the intermediate ranks more than empty checkpoints.
How to Reach Exalted Efficiently
A character beginning at Neutral needs 42,000 reputation to reach Exalted. With every unlocked daily, all one-time rank quests, and no sustained egg farming, the current Anniversary route takes roughly 17 daily resets for a character without additional reputation bonuses. Missing a gathering daily can extend the schedule, while eggs, the Dragonmaw races, and reputation bonuses can shorten it.
- Complete the full unlock and train Artisan Riding before the first planned daily reset.
- At each new rank, stop and complete every one-time quest that opens the next dailies.
- Take every quest before entering the Netherwing Mines so kills, cargo, crystals, gathering, and eggs overlap.
- Complete the camp and transporter objectives while moving between the mine and mainland.
- Finish the Twilight Portal and faction group daily only after they become available.
- Turn in eggs after the route rather than abandoning a nearly completed daily to chase one spawn.
- Track actual reputation at the end of each day instead of estimating from the reputation bar.
The fastest practical route minimizes repeated travel and mine re-entry. It does not require camping one egg spawn for hours. Egg farming becomes valuable when the standard dailies are finished, the server is quiet, or the player can combine Mining or Herbalism nodes with the search.
Exalted Questline and Netherwing Drakes
At Exalted, Taskmaster Varkule Dragonbreath offers Bow to the Highlord. This leads to Lord Illidan Stormrage and the conclusion of the Dragonmaw infiltration. After the disguise is exposed, Yarzill reveals his true form and carries the character to Shattrath City, where one of six Netherwing Drakes can be selected as the free quest reward.
| Drake color | Quest drake | Mount item |
|---|---|---|
| Azure | Suraku | Reins of the Azure Netherwing Drake |
| Cobalt | Jorus | Reins of the Cobalt Netherwing Drake |
| Onyx | Onyxien | Reins of the Onyx Netherwing Drake |
| Purple | Malfas | Reins of the Purple Netherwing Drake |
| Veridian | Zoya | Reins of the Veridian Netherwing Drake |
| Violet | Voranaku | Reins of the Violet Netherwing Drake |
The first selected color is free. Drake Dealer Hurlunk at approximately 65.6, 86.0 in Dragonmaw Base Camp sells the remaining colors for 200 gold each after Exalted. Every drake requires level 70 and Riding skill 300 and can be summoned in Outland, where flying is available in TBC. Choose the free color by appearance rather than rarity because the six versions have the same riding requirement and performance.
Common Netherwing Progression Mistakes
- Assuming Artisan Riding is required before Kindness instead of after the Neutral unlock.
- Reaching Neutral without reserving enough gold to train Riding skill 300.
- Skipping Blood Oath of the Netherwing and wondering why the camp dailies are unavailable.
- Taking more than one gathering objective and expecting all of them to count on the same day.
- Ignoring one-time rank quests that unlock the next daily set.
- Treating Dragonmaw races as renewable daily reputation.
- Camping eggs before completing guaranteed daily reputation.
- Attempting Zuluhed or The Deadliest Trap Ever Laid without a suitable group.
- Forgetting that Aldor and Scryer characters receive different versions of the Revered group quest.
- Buying an additional drake before completing the final Exalted event and claiming the free color.
Final Netherwing Checklist
- Reach level 70 and train at least Expert Riding.
- Find Mordenai near 60, 59 in the Netherwing Fields.
- Complete Kindness through Ally of the Netherwing to reach Neutral.
- Train Artisan Riding at skill 300.
- Complete Blood Oath of the Netherwing and the Dragonmaw Base Camp introduction.
- Finish every available daily and one eligible gathering quest.
- Turn in Netherwing Eggs whenever they are found.
- Complete the Friendly mine chain, Honored races, and Revered faction branch.
- Reach Exalted and finish Bow to the Highlord and Lord Illidan Stormrage.
- Select one free drake, then buy any additional colors from Drake Dealer Hurlunk.
Netherwing progression rewards consistency more than a single long farming session. Complete the guaranteed reputation first, add eggs when the route naturally exposes them, and unlock every rank quest as soon as it appears. With the riding requirements handled in advance, the path from Mordenai to the first Netherwing Drake becomes a predictable sequence rather than a collection of disconnected daily quests.
