How to add armor and change the color of your Dragonriding mount

While there are only five dragon models that your character can utilize while Dragonriding in Dragonflight, there are a ton of customization options available to take advantage of that lets you create a unique appearance so you can zip around the Dragon Isles in style. The major change you can make to each Dragonriding mount is to change their color, add armor, or in a few select cases reskin the mount entirely. Patch 10.1 increased the number of options for Dragonriding fans with the addition of the Winding Slitherdrake mount and a new helm armor option — although that is currently only partially implemented live in game. As with all the options, unlocking an additional color or armor on one character unlocks it for all of your characters.

The colors of the Dragonriding mounts are based on the five different Dragonflights of the expansion: Black, Blue, Bronze, Green, and Red, with each of the five mounts having a different default color. Additional colors are locked behind Renown levels of the four major factions as well as the Wrathion and Sabellian factions. With the exception of the Black scales, each of the additional colors come with a quest that reward one of the four new unlocks when you reach the required Renown level. As a result you’ll only need to purchase three more to unlock that color for all dragon appearances — or you can have alts reach that renown level to get a choice of a different color. There is no associated quest for the Black Scales, so you’ll need to purchase all four color unlocks.

• Black scales: True Friend with either Sabellian or Wrathion; purchased from their respective quartermaster for 1 Awakened Earth and 400 Dragon Isles Supplies apiece
• Blue scales: Available at Renown 19 with the Iskaara Tuskarr and can be purchased from Murik for 1 Awakened Frost and 400 Dragon Isles Supplies apiece
• Bronze scales: Available at Renown 21 with the Valdrakken Accord and can be purchased from Unatos for 1 Awakened Order and 400 Dragon Isles Supplies apiece
• Green scales: Available at Renown 19 with the Maruuk Centaur and can be purchased from Quartermaster Huseng for 1 Awakened Air and 400 Dragon Isles Supplies apiece
• Red scales: Available at Renown 22 with the Dragonscale Expedition and can be purchased from Cataloger Jakes for 1 Awakened Fire and 400 Dragon Isles Supplies apiece

Make your Dragonriding mount ready for combat

Changing the color of your Dragonriding mount isn’t the only way to significantly change its appearance. Also available to unlock is a set of armor that replaces the default saddle with a more protective appearance; sadly it’s purely ornamental and won’t reduce any damage you take while mounted or protect you from Skyscourges. Getting access to the armor is pretty straightforward and more importantly account-wide, so you only need to do it the one time. Simply reach Renown 26 with the Valdrakken Accord and complete the quest Armored and Ready from Kaestrasz the Stable Master (located south of the Flight Master in Valdrakken). Kaestrasz will offer a Silver and Purple color option for the mount of your choice for free as a reward from the quest, and sells this color combination for the other three mounts available in patch 10.0.

The default armor color can be replaced by five other combinations which can be applied to either the default saddle or the unlocked armor. These combinations are:

• Gold and Black: purchased from Wrathion’s or Sabellian’s quartermaster once you’ve reached Friend status with either of them for 20 draconium ore, 6 primal bear spine, and 750 Dragon Isles Supplies apiece. This appearance is available by default for the Winding Slitherdrake, and is not available for the Windborne Velocidrake
• Silver and Blue: crafted by the Inscription Profession or can be obtained via a Crafting Work Order
• Gold, Bronze and/or Green: default for all but the Winding Slitherdrake; the Slitherdrake version of this is unlocked from the Suffusion Camp event in the Zaralek Cavern
• Silver and Purple: purchased from Kaestrasz the Stable Master for 20 draconium ore, 10 tallstrider sinew, and 750 Dragon Isles Supplies apiece, but note that this appearance is currently not available for the Winding Slitherdrake
• Gold and Red/Orange: rewarded from completing the “Advanced” Silver Dragonracing achievement for each zone
  • Waking Shores Advanced: Silver for Renewed Proto-Drake
  • Ohn’ahran Plains Advanced: Silver for Windborne Velocidrake
  • Azure Span Advanced: Silver for Highland Drake
  • Thaldrazsus Advanced: Silver for Cliffside Wylderdrake
  • Zaralek Cavern Advanced: Silver for Winding Slitherdrake
• Steel and Orange/Yellow: crafted by the Inscription Profession or can be obtained via a Crafting Work Order

New in patch 10.1 is separate helm armor available for purchase from the Loamm Niffen at Renown 19. However the only version currently available is for the Highland Drake — but the Rostum of Transformation only allows you to preview it for the Winding Slitherdrake. It is expected that the remaining drakes will get their own version at some point during patch 10.1, but for now it’s clearly not fully implemented.

Additional appearances available for completing end-game activities

There are three special reskins currently available to further differentiate your Dragonriding mount from others. The first of these is the Embodiment of the Storm-Eater appearance for the Renewed Proto-Drake. This is a rare drop from Raszageth in the Vault of the Incarnates raid on any difficulty — including LFR — and will reskin your Proto-Drake to have the appearance of Raszageth herself.

Aberrus the Shadowed Crucible has a reskin available with the Embodiment of the Hellforged appearance for the Highland Drake which drops from the final boss Sarkareth. This appearance is more readily available from Mythic difficulty as two drops are guaranteed, but there is also a very low chance for it to drop on LFR, Normal, and Heroic difficulties.

The final reskin comes from PVP, where completing Season Two of Dragonflight as a Gladiator will reward you with the Obsidian Gladiator appearance for your Winding Slitherdrake. As this option won’t be available until after the current Season ends it can’t be unlocked yet — but if you want it, you need to start running 3v3 rated arenas ASAP.

Originally published January 30, 2023; updated May 11, 2023