MMO Champion was kind enough to discuss my new mount – the Obsidian Nightwing, available July 17 2012.  It will be available through the Recruit-A-Friend program, replacing the X-53 Touring Rocket.

Here’s why this is awesome:

1. Much like the Sandstone Drake, it allows you to turn into a flying mount.
2. Also like the Drake, you can carry a passenger on your back.
3. Also also like the Drake, the Obsidian Nightwing will be Account Wide (but unlike the Drake, it’s assumed this will happen in July rather than waiting for Mists of Pandaria.)

I’m sure people will bitch and moan about this mount – it looks ugly, it’s a reskinned something or other.  But I looked high and low, and could not find a single reason to give a shit what people think of it.

• It’s a perk from Recruit-A-Friend, which means leveling up toons at an accelerated pace (not to mention the other many RAF perks).
• Skin and Achievement aside, you don’t need the 30-50k gold to get the Sandstone Drake once you have this.
• It’s a two-person flying mount.  How is that NOT cool/practical/beneficial?

So yes, it would appear I will be dipping my toes back into the RAF pond once again.  And once again, I will get a handy mount.  And once again, I will abandon the account with a bunch of level twenty characters on it.