Mount Guide: All 29 Mounts, Combat Capabilities and How to Get Them

Crimson Desert features 29 confirmed mounts spanning land creatures, flying mounts, mechanical vehicles, and water transport. Mounts are not cosmetic — they are strategic assets that dramatically expand your combat capability, traversal speed, and battlefield control. The right mount for a given encounter can change a difficult fight into a manageable one. This guide covers every confirmed mount, how to acquire it, its combat abilities, and the equipment system that upgrades your mounts' performance.

How Horse Taming Works

Horses are the first mount type you encounter, introduced in the 'Tame Your First Horse' tutorial quest at Deepfog Basin in Hernand. Wild horses roam the misty lowlands — approach slowly, leap onto the horse's back, and complete the taming minigame by pressing directional inputs as prompted. Each horse has randomized stats: Speed (affects gallop pace), Stamina (determines how long the horse can sprint), and Strength (affects combat capability while mounted). Tame multiple horses and compare their stats before committing to one as your primary mount.

Horses support four equipment slots that significantly upgrade performance: the Champron protects the horse's head and face, the Barding covers the body for defense reduction, the Saddle improves handling and stamina efficiency, and the Stirrups increase rider stability and mounted attack power. All four horse equipment items are craftable or purchasable, and full equipment dramatically extends the horse's usefulness in combat-heavy mounted encounters against large groups of enemies.

Combat Mounts: Bears, Direwolves, and Raptors

Combat land mounts operate differently from horses — they have independent attack actions in addition to rider attacks. The Bear can perform claw swipes, bite attacks, and body slams without rider input, effectively doubling the offensive pressure in any mounted engagement. Direwolves are faster than bears with agile flanking maneuvers; their pack-hunting instincts translate into coordinated attacks with the rider. Raptors are the fastest land combat mount, ideal for hit-and-run tactics — Kliff attacks while the raptor dashes in and out of engagement range. All three combat mounts become substantially more powerful when the rider applies elemental infusions to weapon attacks.

Flying Mounts: Wyvern and War Mech

The Wyvern (Dragon) is the game's premier flying combat mount, acquired through a mid-to-late game main story quest. Its fire breath can devastate large groups of enemies and spreads Burn across clustered targets. Aerial combat with the Wyvern introduces new hit boxes and trajectories that ground enemies cannot effectively counter. The War Robot Mech from the Delesyia late-game content is the most powerful mount overall — missiles, conventional bullets, and melee arm attacks combine with the rider's own attacks for overwhelming force. The Mech also has crafting-based upgrade slots for improving its weapons and defenses.

Support and Utility Mounts

The Hot Air Balloon serves as a non-combat aerial reconnaissance platform — invaluable for surveying regions before entering them, spotting patrol routes, and identifying hidden Abyss Artifact locations that are only visible from the air. The Wagon is essential for specific sidequest cargo transport missions and can carry large quantities of crafting materials between the Greymane Camp and distant resource nodes. The Skiff allows water traversal across rivers and coastal waters, opening access to waterfront locations that are otherwise inaccessible. None of these three have combat applications, but each unlocks content that is unreachable without them.

Mount Acquisition Summary

• Horse — Wild taming minigame, first available at Deepfog Basin (Hernand), tutorial quest introduces the mechanic.
• Bear — Wilderness taming in forested regions; approach and begin taming minigame.
• Direwolf — Taming encounter in wilderness areas; confirmed details TBD at launch.
• Raptor — Taming encounter in open terrain areas; confirmed details TBD at launch.
• Wyvern/Dragon — Unlocked through mid-to-late game main story quest progression.
• War Robot/Mech — Late-game acquisition in Delesyia, likely tied to Marni questline.
• Hot Air Balloon — Contextual acquisition; specific location TBD at launch.
• Wagon — Contextual vehicle available during sidequest sequences.
• Skiff — Contextual water vehicle available at coastal and riverine locations.

Mount Training and Bonding

Each mount in Crimson Desert has a trust meter that affects its responsiveness and willingness to perform advanced maneuvers. A newly acquired mount with low trust may refuse to gallop through dangerous terrain or buck you off when startled by nearby combat. Spending time riding your mount in safe areas, feeding it preferred treats, and grooming it at stables gradually increases trust, unlocking the mount's full potential. At maximum trust, mounts gain a unique signature ability, such as the Warhorse's ability to trample enemies without slowing down or the Desert Runner's sand dash that provides brief invincibility frames.