The Royal Snapdragon is a majestic, predatory creature whose sleek, aquatic form and regal bearing embody the untamed beauty of Nazjatar's depths. Its shimmering scales, powerful fins, and fierce, intelligent gaze make it a favourite among collectors who appreciate mounts with a noble, oceanic aesthetic. The flavour text speaks to its loyal nature: "Captured at a young age and raised to serve naga hunters, snapdragons are loyal and fierce companions." For collectors who value prestige and a connection to the ancient naga empire, this mount is a true trophy — a creature of the deep that carries the legacy of Azshara's domain.
Introduced in patch 8.2.0 "Rise of Azshara", the Royal Snapdragon is one of the most sought-after rewards from the Nazjatar endgame. Unlike the typical RNG-heavy mount farms, this creature is obtained through a guaranteed system — the paragon caches that reward dedicated players who continue their service to the Unshackled or Ankoan factions long after reaching Exalted. It's a mount that doesn't just fall into your lap; it requires a sustained commitment to daily questing, world quests, and zone activities. For collectors who enjoy long-term goals and steady progress, the Royal Snapdragon represents a rewarding marathon rather than a sprint.
The Royal Snapdragon is obtained from Unshackled Supplies (Horde) or Ankoan Supplies (Alliance) — the paragon caches awarded every 10,000 reputation after reaching Exalted with The Unshackled or Waveblade Ankoan. This is a guaranteed acquisition in the sense that it will drop eventually from these caches, but it is not guaranteed on the first cache — it may take several paragon caches for the mount to appear. The mount is Bind-on-Pickup, so it must be looted and learned on the character that obtains it.
The Royal Snapdragon is an account-wide mount, but the reputation required to obtain it is character-specific. This means you must reach Exalted and farm paragon caches on a single character. However, progress toward reputation can be shared across your account through various activities.
Before you can begin earning reputation with The Unshackled or Waveblade Ankoan, you must first unlock the Nazjatar zone. This requires progressing through the Battle for Azeroth endgame campaign.
Step 1 – Unlock World Quests
You will need to reach level 50 and become Friendly with the three main zone factions of your faction:
Once you have World Quests unlocked, head to your faction's ship in the Port of Dazar'alor (Horde) or Boralus (Alliance). Look for the quest to start the Nazjatar campaign. The starting NPCs are:
Follow the questline, and you will quickly arrive in Nazjatar. Complete approximately 9 quests to finish the introduction. Once Magni Bronzebeard arrives, it is time to start his quest chain, beginning with Essential Empowerment. You will head to the Chamber of Heart in Silithus, then to Neltharion's Lair in Highmountain. Complete the scenario, return to the Chamber, and you will unlock essences for your Heart of Azeroth.
After completing this, you will be sent back to Nazjatar. Follow the available quests until you unlock world quests in Nazjatar. At this point, you will have most features of the zone unlocked.
Reaching Exalted with The Unshackled or Waveblade Ankoan is the first major milestone. Once you reach Exalted, every additional 10,000 reputation will reward a paragon cache with a chance to contain the Royal Snapdragon. Below are the most reliable sources of reputation.
The emissary system selects one faction each day that you can earn bonus reputation from. Each emissary lasts for three days. You can check which reputations have emissaries by opening your map in Kul Tiras or Zandalar and looking at the bottom left corner.
When the emissary for The Unshackled or Waveblade Ankoan appears, it rewards 1,500 reputation for completing just 4 world quests in Nazjatar. This is the single largest source of reputation for this faction and should be prioritised whenever available.
Mardivas' Laboratory is a weekly quest that rewards reputation with The Unshackled or Waveblade Ankoan. To unlock it, you must first loot a Lesser Benthic Arcanocrystal from mobs or treasures in Nazjatar. After completing the short questline, a weekly quest becomes available at the Laboratory.
/way 60.71 32.41 – Mardivas' Laboratory
Complete daily quests in your faction hub (Newhome for Horde, Mezzamere for Alliance) and follower quests. These are reliable sources of reputation that reset daily. Using a Contract: Unshackled or Contract: Ankoan while completing world quests will provide additional reputation. Contracts can usually be found on the Auction House.
Participate in bonus events such as Summons from the Depths, where an elite being is summoned by the naga after a chat notification, and Battle for Nazjatar, a zone-wide PvP event. Both award reputation upon completion.
Killing rares in Nazjatar awards a small amount of reputation. Additionally, completing the elite pet battles that are part of Nautical Nuisances of Nazjatar rewards an item that turns in for 250 reputation the first time you defeat each enemy. Pet battles can be easily won with full level 1 teams as BFA pet battles scale.
Check the murloc trader Mrrl in Nazjatar. Sometimes he sells a Shadow-Cloaked Shell that grants reputation. You need to equip an Azsh'ari Stormsurger Cape to see this item in his inventory.
As there are limited ways to earn reputation each day, it is essential to take advantage of reputation buffs whenever possible. Below are the most effective bonuses:
Pro tip: Stack multiple buffs when possible. For example, a Human character during BFA Timewalking with the Darkmoon Faire buff active will earn reputation at an accelerated rate, saving you days of grinding. Save your Emissary turn-ins and bulk world quest completions for these windows.
Farming reputation to Exalted and beyond requires consistent effort across multiple weeks. The right addons can help you track your progress, optimise your daily routine, and ensure you never miss an opportunity.
Pro tip: Use World Quest Tracker to filter only Nazjatar world quests. This saves time and ensures you never miss a daily reputation opportunity.
