After a small operational hiccup, Blizzard has finally released the X-53 Touring Rocket mount as the new reward for its Recruit-A-Friend program.

This two-seat epic flying mount–the first of its kind in Azeroth–has replaced the pinstriped Zhevra as one’s prize for hooking up a friend in the World of Warcrackaft. Those who’ve taken out this rambunctious rocket for a spin have posted some hilarious antics that can be done using the mount, including passenger murder and airborne ganking.

Syraethia (Undermine US) summed up the possibilities nicely in a Blizzard thread named “X-53 Rocket Questions Answered Here.” Here’s an excerpt:

Q: Can you pick up people in mid air?
A: Yes, if they click well
Q: Can you kick people out in mid air?
A: Yes… *snicker*
Q: When you kick someone out do they get a parachute?
A: No, let the fun begin
Q: Can you hop on one in the air while in combat?
A: Yes, let the air ganking begin.

As the X-53 rocket becomes widespread,  expect a rise in mid-air skirmishes atop the Wintergrasp vendors and blitzkrieg paratrooper drops once Cataclysm allows flight in capital cities. And of course, the endless griefing of innocent hitchers who will be ejected from their seats by their naughty drivers.

Priests and Mages will avoid the costly repair bill since they have slow fall-like spells. Engineers and paladins can also land safely via their cloak parachutes and timely bubbles, respectively. But some classes and professions have less obvious ways of reducing fall damage.

Try googling–I’m sure you’ll run across a quirky forum thread like this one that teaches hunters how to avoid a plunging death. Good luck and enjoy the rocket ride!

Pics credit: warcraftmom.wordpress.com

The zhevra mount, both adored and reviled due to its semblance to a fanciful unicorn, is galloping to retirement after Blizzard Poster Bashiok announced a new prize mount for the World of Warcraft’s recruit-a-friend program. There’s no shoot-to-kill order though so current owners can keep their zhevras as a souvenir.

Madagascar no longer exports these horned beauties

In place of the zhevra, Blizzard is giving away the more scrap metal X-53 Touring Rocket. It’s a technical upgrade since it can now seat two toons (for traveling together) and scales to the highest mount skill of the owner, which means up to 310% flying speed if you have a 310% speed mount. The scaling flight speed of X-53 can quicken your travel time across Outland and Northrend as well as in revamped Azeroth when the upcoming Cataclysm expansion allows flight in the old world.

Strap on your seat belts, this one's a wild shark

Speculative trivia: We think the X-53 Touring Rocket mount was named after a modified F/A-18 Hornet (now designated as X-53) used for flight technology research under Boeing and Air Force. Spew out this trivia gem in guild chat whenever a friend trashes your X-53, and we promise a renewed respect for your hunk-o’-metal mount.

Aside from the reward change to X-53 mounts, the recruit-a-friend program in WoW remains the same. It still gives veterans and their recruits linking privileges that help them level up and adventure together. Both veteran and recruit can summon each other to each other’s location–beat that warlocks!–and awards triple experience up to level 60. Of course the bonus xp won’t register if you’re just one-shotting gray mobs at the starting levels.

X-53 will be available anytime soon, so if you want to get your hands on it, hijack a friend to become the next WoW addict. And don’t forget to install seat belts.