Stonehide Elderhorn Mount Guide

The Stonehide Elderhorn is a majestic moose-like creature whose sturdy, stone-flecked hide and imposing antlers evoke the rugged island climates it calls home. The flavour text highlights its unique adaptation: “Stonehide elderhorns, one of the few types of moose to inhabit island climates, have thinner fur than most elderhorns.” This sable-coloured variant of the Highmountain Elderhorn is a rare reward from Island Expeditions. For collectors who appreciate earthy, natural mounts with a sturdy, grounded aesthetic, this elderhorn is a true prize — a loyal companion that carries the wild spirit of Azeroth’s uncharted islands.

Added in patch 8.1.0 “Tides of Vengeance”, the Stonehide Elderhorn has become a favourite among Island Expedition collectors for one simple reason: unlike most rare expedition mounts, this elderhorn does not force you to chase a specific enemy type or wait for a particular Salvage Crate rotation. Its drop conditions are far more forgiving, which has earned it a reputation as one of the more “collector‑friendly” rare rewards from the system. That said, friendly does not mean easy — you will still need patience, persistence, and a good strategy. For those who have spent weeks farming expeditions and opening crates, the moment this moose finally appears in their inventory is a genuine triumph. It is a mount that rewards dedication without the crushing RNG of some of its counterparts, making it a perfect target for collectors who want a challenging but achievable goal.

• Added in patch: 8.1.0 “Tides of Vengeance”
• Mount type: Ground
• Source: Island Expeditions (end-of-run reward or Salvage Crates)
• Requirements: Level 50, access to Island Expeditions
• Repeat attempts: Unlimited (limited only by time)

How to Get Stonehide Elderhorn

The Stonehide Elderhorn mount can be obtained in two ways through the Island Expeditions system:

• Directly from an Island Expedition: If you encounter elderhorns (moose) as enemies on the island, there is a very small chance (estimated 0.5–1% on Mythic difficulty) that the mount will be awarded from the end‑of‑expedition reward chest. The chance increases slightly with higher difficulties — Normal, Heroic, or Mythic — but even on Mythic, the drop rate remains extremely low.
• From Salvage Crates: You can spend Seafarer’s Doubloons to purchase Salvage Crates from the Island Expedition vendor. Unlike most other expedition mounts, the Stonehide Elderhorn can drop from any Epic (purple) or Rare (blue) Salvage Crate. The drop rate from crates is significantly higher than from expeditions themselves — estimated by community testing at around 15-20% or even higher. Some players have reported receiving multiple mounts in a single crate, including the Stonehide Elderhorn alongside other rare mounts.

The Island Expedition vendor is located near the Expedition Map in the Port of Zuldazar for Horde or the Port of Boralus for Alliance.

Island Expeditions – How the System Works

Island Expeditions are a Battle for Azeroth feature where teams of three players compete against either AI‑controlled enemies (PvE mode) or another team of players (PvP mode) to collect Azerite. The first team to reach the required Azerite total wins. Expeditions are available at three difficulty levels: Normal, Heroic, and Mythic. Higher difficulties offer better rewards but also present stronger enemies and more challenging mechanics.

Each expedition takes place on a randomised island — such as Crestfall, Jorundall, Rotting Mire, Havenswood, Snowblossom, Skittering Hollow, Dread Chain, or Verdant Wilds — and the enemy types vary from run to run. The elderhorns (moose) can appear as enemies on any island, but they are not guaranteed. You will know you are fighting elderhorns when you see enemies like Stonehide Elderhorn or Elderhorn Bull, which charge and stomp their targets.

To queue for an Island Expedition, speak to the Expedition Map located in your faction’s port:

• Horde: Port of Zuldazar – /way 44.6 94.2
• Alliance: Port of Boralus – /way 66.2 32.6

You can queue for Normal and Heroic difficulties with a partial group; the system will fill the remaining slots. However, Mythic and PvP difficulties require a fully premade group. For efficient farming, it is recommended to form a group of three players who can clear expeditions quickly on Heroic or Mythic difficulty.

Seafarer’s Doubloons and Salvage Crates – The Reliable Path

Seafarer’s Doubloons are a currency earned from completing Island Expeditions, regardless of whether you win or lose. The amount you earn increases with higher difficulty levels. You can also increase your Doubloon gains by advancing a perk tree located on your faction’s ship in the port.

The most reliable way to obtain the Stonehide Elderhorn is to purchase Salvage Crates from the Island Expedition vendor. Unlike other expedition mounts that are locked to specific crate types, the Stonehide Elderhorn can drop from any Epic (purple) or Rare (blue) Salvage Crate. This means you do not need to wait for a specific weekly rotation — you can buy whichever crates are available and still have a chance at the mount.

The Salvage Crates known to contain the Stonehide Elderhorn include:

• Jorundall Salvage
• Crestfall Salvage
• Rotting Mire Salvage
• Havenswood Salvage
• Snowblossom Salvage
• Dread Chain Salvage
• Skittering Hollow Salvage
• Verdant Wilds Salvage
• Un'gol Ruins Salvage

According to community testing, the drop rate from Salvage Crates is significantly higher than from expeditions themselves — estimated by players at around 15-20%. Some players have reported receiving multiple mounts from a single crate, with one player opening 10 Epic Snowblossom boxes and receiving 2 mounts in one of them. Others have reported receiving 3 mounts from just 6 boxes.

Important: The vendor’s inventory changes weekly. Each week, different Salvage Crates become available for purchase. However, since the Stonehide Elderhorn can drop from any Epic or Rare crate, you can focus on buying the cheaper blue (Rare) quality crates that cost fewer Doubloons to maximise your number of attempts. The vendor typically offers 3 random crate types per week.

Players have consistently reported high drop rates from Salvage Crates. Comments on Wowhead include “the drop rates for the mounts from the salvage crates looks pretty high” and “the drop rates for mounts has been very generous for me. Way less punishing than paragon box rewards”.

Extra Tips & Common Mistakes

• Target any Salvage Crate – not just specific ones: Unlike other expedition mounts that require specific crate types, the Stonehide Elderhorn can drop from any Epic or Rare Salvage Crate. This means you can buy whatever crates are available each week.
• Consider buying cheaper blue crates: The blue (Rare) quality Salvage Crates cost fewer Doubloons and still have a chance to drop the Stonehide Elderhorn. This allows you to open more crates with the same amount of Doubloons.
• Track the weekly rotation: Bookmark the Wowhead “Today in WoW” page or use an addon like SavedInstances to see which Salvage Crates are available each week. Even though any crate works, some weeks may offer more crate types than others.
• Don’t solo on low difficulty: Normal expeditions award far fewer Doubloons and have a lower drop rate. Always run Heroic or Mythic with a full group.
• Complete bonus objectives: Each island has hidden treasures, rare mobs, and events. Completing them increases your Doubloon reward at the end.
• Don’t give up after a few runs: The direct drop rate is sub‑1% — expect to run dozens or even hundreds of expeditions. The Salvage Crate method is much more reliable, with estimated drop rates of 15-20%.
• Use the perk tree immediately: The first few perks are cheap and significantly increase your Doubloon income. Unlock them before focusing on crates.
• Check your Warband bank: If you have multiple characters, check whether Doubloons are Warband‑transferable. This can allow you to pool resources and buy more crates on a single character.

Useful Addons for Farming Island Expeditions

Farming Island Expedition mounts efficiently requires knowing which enemies spawn, what they can drop, and tracking your progress across multiple characters. The right addons can save you hundreds of hours by helping you identify valuable expeditions quickly.

• Ahoy! Island Expedition Helper: The single most valuable addon for any Island Expedition farmer. Created by SongZee with over 121,000 downloads, this tool tracks which enemies you have killed in real time and displays the possible rewards (mounts, pets, toys, transmog) that can drop from them. When you target a mob, it immediately tells you if that creature can drop anything rare. It also adds pirate skull icons to your map showing where rare mobs spawn and cave icons for potential ultra-rare locations. Most importantly, it shows your end-of-expedition rewards instantly without waiting for the default UI animation.
  Why it matters: After patch 8.1, the island rewards you based on which enemy types appeared, not which ones you killed. Ahoy! lets you see at a glance whether Elderhorns (for Stonehide Elderhorn) or other valuable enemy types have spawned, so you can decide whether to complete the expedition or reset for a better chance.
• SavedInstances: Tracks which Salvage crates you have purchased each week and which characters have completed their expeditions. The vendor’s inventory changes weekly — SavedInstances helps you manage this across your entire account.
  Why it matters: When new crates become available, you need to know which characters still have Doubloons to spend.
• Rarity: Counts your expedition completions and Salvage crate openings across all characters. Provides an estimated statistical chance of having seen the mount based on your attempts.
  Why it matters: Helps you track how many attempts you have made and gives a sense of progress when the mount feels elusive.
• World Quest Tracker: Displays active Island Expedition bonuses and can help you see which islands are currently available without opening the full map.
  Why it matters: Quickly check whether the daily bonus is active for expeditions, which increases your Doubloon earnings.
• TomTom / Paste: Set waypoints to the Expedition Map and Salvage vendor locations in your faction’s port.
  Why it matters: Never waste time searching for the queue NPC or vendor on alts.
• Leatrix Plus: Provides quality‑of‑life improvements like auto‑sell junk, auto‑repair, faster loot, and reduced screen clutter.
  Why it matters: Over hundreds of runs, small time savings add up significantly. Auto‑selling grey items and skipping confirmation dialogs keeps you moving.

Pro tip: Combine Ahoy! Island Expedition Helper with SavedInstances for maximum efficiency. Ahoy! tells you whether the current island has the right enemy types for the mount you are chasing. SavedInstances tells you which of your alts still have resources available. Together, they turn a blind grind into a targeted farming strategy.