Why Mounts Matter So Much in Verra 🗺️⚡

Ashes is built around exploration, distance, risk, and player-driven systems. That makes mounts a core part of daily life.

Mounts impact:

Getting to quests, events, dungeons, and node tasks faster

Escaping bad fights (or catching people who try to run)

Carrying goods and supporting trade gameplay

Showing off identity (rare models + rare traits = instant recognition)

Bold truth: If you ignore mounts, you’ll feel “behind” even if your gear is fine.

Mount Categories Explained: Ground, Aquatic, Gliding, Flying 🐎🌊🪂🦅

Think of mounts like tools. Each type solves a different travel problem.

Ground Mounts 🐎

Your bread-and-butter. These are the reliable everyday mounts for roads, fields, hills, and general travel.

Common strengths:

Fast land travel

Stable and predictable handling

Often easier to obtain and upgrade early

Common weaknesses:

Not specialized for deep water

Not built for vertical movement

Aquatic Mounts 🌊

These are designed for water travel and are typically faster in water and slower on land compared to land mounts.

Best use cases:

Crossing rivers and coastlines quickly

Ocean trading routes and sea resource runs

Escaping by diving into water (if your mount supports it)

Quick tip: If your daily loop includes water, an aquatic mount isn’t “optional.” It’s quality-of-life.

Gliding Mounts 🪂

Gliding mounts are all about vertical travel, cliff shortcuts, and speed lines from high ground.

Best use cases:

Cutting travel time in mountain zones

Dodging ground threats by dropping off ridges

Setting up fast route “launch points” near your node

Bold line: Gliding is the travel tech that turns terrain into a highway.

Flying Mounts 🦅

Flying mounts are intended to be rare and limited, designed more like a force multiplier than a casual travel convenience.

What that usually means in practice:

Not everyone gets one

Not everyone can use one at the same time

They matter most in high-stakes situations, not casual sightseeing

Reality check: Flying isn’t “normal travel.” It’s “special power.” If you treat it like a basic mount goal, you’ll burn out.

What Animal Husbandry Really Is 🧬🏡

Animal Husbandry is part of the artisan/profession ecosystem, and it’s where mounts go from “basic ride” to “custom creature with stats and abilities.”

The big idea:

You don’t just collect mounts.

You raise them. You breed them. You shape traits over time.

Official lore and dev communication has pointed to:

Wild and domesticated animals as a meaningful resource

Breeding options that create new combinations (like hippogryph-style hybrids)

Systems where traits can be inherited and optimized

Bold truth: Animal Husbandry is basically “endgame crafting,” but for living creatures.

How You Actually Get Mounts: The Realistic Path for Most Players 🧭🐾

Let’s make this practical. In a typical player journey, mounts come from three main directions:

Buying basic mounts from stable merchants (starter convenience)

Taming/capturing sources (wild acquisition gameplay)

Animal Husbandry (breeding and raising stronger variants)

Plus: buying/trading from other players who specialize

Simple advice: Start basic, then specialize. Trying to skip straight to “legend mount breeding” is how people waste weeks.

Your First Mount: What to Do First (Without Overthinking) ✅🐎

Here’s the clean starter plan:

Get a basic ground mount as soon as you can comfortably afford it

Use it to speed up your questing, node tasks, and exploration

Start watching your gameplay loop:

Do you cross water a lot?

Do you climb and drop terrain a lot?

Do you trade and carry goods a lot?

Do you PvP and need escape tools?

Then pick your “second mount goal” based on your loop:

Aquatic if water is constant

Gliding if terrain shortcuts are constant

Beast-of-burden if you’re doing trade/carry gameplay

Breeding program if you want long-term mount power

Bold line: Your “best mount” is the one that matches what you do every day.

Mount Stats: Speed Isn’t the Only Thing That Matters 🧾⚡

Most players only think about speed. That’s a trap.

Useful mount stat/feel categories to care about:

Speed (travel time and chase potential)

Stamina/sustain (how long you can push before slowing)

Handling/turning (especially if ambushes exist)

Survivability (how easily you get dismounted or forced off)

Carry utility (storage, hauling support, beast-of-burden role)

Special movement value (water movement, gliding value, etc.)

Also, mounts can vary by breed and rarity, which can influence overall performance.

Bold truth: A slightly slower mount with better stamina/handling can beat a “fast” mount on real routes.

Utility Mount Builds: Speed, Storage, Combat Utility 🧰⚔️

Mounts aren’t one-size-fits-all. Think in “builds.”

Speed Build ⚡

Goal: get places faster, escape faster, chase better.

Works best for:

Leveling routes and event circuits

Scouting

Quick return loops to town/node

Downside:

You’re usually trading away carry capacity or tankiness.

Storage / Beast-of-Burden Build 🎒🐪

Goal: carry more, support trade, reduce trips.

Works best for:

Gatherers who don’t want to return every 5 minutes

Traders running consistent routes

Crafters moving materials between nodes/markets

Bold line: If your inventory is always full, you don’t need “more bags.” You need a carry mount plan.

Combat Utility Build 🛡️⚔️

Goal: survive contact, create openings, or provide a tactical advantage.

This can include things like:

Defensive tools (survivability, mitigation-style utility)

Mobility tools (bursts, reposition options)

Disruption utility (depending on what the system supports)

Important note:

Not every mount is meant to be a combat monster. Combat value can be tied to breeding, rarity, and mount ability design.

Mount Abilities: Where “Normal Mounts” Turn Into “Builds” 🧩🔥

This is where things get spicy.

Mount abilities have been described as something you can unlock through breeding/animal husbandry systems, and mounts may have multiple abilities (with designs pointing to up to four). Abilities can include speed boosts, defensive tools, and potentially offensive/utility options depending on mount type and rarity.

Bold truth: Abilities are the reason people will pay stupid money for the right bloodline.

Practical examples of how players will use abilities:

A travel mount with a burst + sustain feels amazing for routes

A trade mount with survivability utility reduces “lost run” frustration

A PvP mount with the right mobility changes how you pick fights

Breeding 101: Traits, Genetics, and Why Your Mount Can Be “Unique” 🧬✨

Animal Husbandry isn’t just “combine two mounts and pray.” It’s closer to:

Pick parents with desired traits

Breed for inheritance outcomes

Raise the offspring through growth stages

Specialize toward the role you want (mount, pet, livestock, beast of burden)

Official/dev-facing communication has discussed the idea of genetics-style inheritance (often explained using Mendelian language, plus fantasy spice), where traits and performance can carry forward through breeding lines.

What that means for you:

You can build a “bloodline plan”

You can chase specific trait packages

You can produce mounts that feel genuinely personal

Bold line: Your mount isn’t just a skin. It can become your character’s signature.

Rarity and Progression: The “Mount Ladder” You Should Aim For 🪜🐎

To keep this guide evergreen and not tied to temporary metas, think of mount goals as a ladder:

Starter: reliable basic ground mount

Upgrade 1: your “daily loop mount” (aquatic/gliding/carry)

Upgrade 2: a bred mount with better stats/traits

Upgrade 3: a specialized bred mount with a purpose (speed route / trade / utility)

Long-term: rare creature lines, hybrid goals, and “beast of legend” chasing

Comfortable advice: Don’t rush the ladder. Build step by step so every upgrade actually improves your life.

Beasts of Burden and “Mount Value” Beyond Riding 🐪📦

Some creatures aren’t about looking cool. They’re about being useful.

A beast-of-burden style setup can be huge because:

It supports gathering and crafting loops

It supports trade gameplay

It reduces “time lost” between runs

It can create a stable income if you sell hauling services or run consistent routes

If you’re the type of player who loves economy gameplay:

This is your mount endgame.

Bold truth: The richest players won’t always have the flashiest mount. They’ll have the most useful one.

Ground vs Flying: What People Get Wrong About “Endgame Mounts” 🦅⚔️

A lot of players assume “flying = best.” In Ashes design language, flying is treated like a restricted advantage, not a default travel solution.

So the real endgame question is:

Do you want power that’s rare and situational?

Or do you want power that’s consistent every day?

In many cases:

A perfect ground/gliding/aquatic stable can be more impactful than chasing one mythical “top mount” forever.

Bold line: Consistency beats fantasy goals… until your fantasy goal becomes real.

Rare Mount Goals: How to Chase “Beasts of Legend” Without Losing Your Mind 🐉🏆

Let’s talk about the fun part: the legendary chase.

A “beast of legend” goal usually comes from one of these:

A rare species line that’s hard to find or tame

A breeding combination (hybrid-style outcomes)

A long-term trait project that produces a near-perfect offspring

A high-end mount with distinctive identity and utility

Based on official lore posts (like the hippogryph discussion), the fantasy is clear:

Mix-and-match creature qualities through husbandry to create unique mounts/pets.

Here’s the healthy way to chase legendary goals:

Pick ONE legendary goal at a time

Build a “resource plan” (time, gold, materials)

Build a “replacement plan” (don’t risk your only mount)

Keep a practical daily mount while you chase the dream

Bold truth: Legendary mounts are a marathon goal, not a weekend goal.

Practical Mount Planning for Different Playstyles 🎮🧠

Here are simple setups that work for most people:

If you’re a leveler / explorer 🗺️

Daily mount: fast ground mount

Goal mount: gliding mount for terrain shortcuts

Luxury goal: bred speed line

If you’re an economy player 💰

Daily mount: carry/beast-of-burden focus

Goal mount: survivable trade mount (less “lost run” pain)

Luxury goal: top-tier bloodline you can sell to others

If you’re a PvP roamer ⚔️

Daily mount: mobility + stamina focus

Goal mount: utility mount that helps you pick fights and escape

Luxury goal: rare restricted category mounts (if that becomes your long-term project)

If you’re a guild logistics player 🏰

Daily mount: carry + consistency

Goal mount: “fleet plan” (multiple mounts for different missions)

Luxury goal: guild breeding program with assigned roles

Bold line: The best guilds don’t have one perfect mount. They have a stable plan.

Common Mistakes That Waste Time (Learn From Other People’s Pain) ❌😂

Overpaying for a mount that doesn’t match your loop

Chasing rare goals before you even have a stable daily mount

Ignoring aquatic/gliding value until you’re already burned out

Building a breeding line with no plan (random pairing = random results)

Running risky routes with your only good mount (classic heartbreak)

Bold truth: Most “mount disasters” are planning mistakes, not bad luck.

How BoostRoom Fits In 🚀🐎

If mounts are a major part of your gameplay identity, the grind can be fun… but also time-consuming.

BoostRoom is helpful for players who want:

Faster progression so they can actually use mount systems sooner

Support with farming loops tied to materials and economy gameplay

Guidance/coaching to build a smart mount plan (instead of guessing)

Bold line: The goal is simple: spend more time riding the cool stuff, less time stuck in slow setup.

Conclusion 🏁✨

Mounts in Ashes of Creation are a full progression system: travel, utility, economy, identity, and long-term legendary chasing. Start with a simple mount that makes your day easier, then specialize based on what you actually do in Verra. If you love crafting/economy, Animal Husbandry can become your signature path. And if you love flex goals, “beasts of legend” are the kind of chase that makes a sandbox MMO feel alive.

Final reminder: Build your stable like a loadout. Pick the right tool for the right job. 🐎🧰