Overview
Bear mounts are one of the combat mount types available in Crimson Desert. Unlike horses, which prioritize speed and mobility, bears are built for raw offensive power and survivability. When riding a bear, the mount itself actively participates in combat with claw swipes, bite attacks, and body slams, effectively doubling your damage output during mounted combat encounters.
Bears trade speed for combat dominance. They are the slowest of the three combat mount types (bears, raptors, and direwolves), but they compensate with the highest combat and stamina ratings. A bear mount transforms Kliff into a heavy assault platform that can absorb significant punishment while dealing devastating close-range damage.
How to Tame a Bear
Bears can be obtained through two methods:
Wilderness Taming
Wild bears can be tamed through encounters in forested and mountainous regions. The taming process works similarly to horse taming:
Locate a wild bear in the overworld. They spawn in forested areas, caves, and mountain regions depending on the variant.
Approach the bear and initiate the taming minigame by pressing the interact button.
During the minigame, move your left stick (controller) or press the direction keys (keyboard) in the opposite direction the bear is facing.
Continue until the taming bar fills completely. If you fail, the bear will attack you.
Beat into Submission
An alternative method involves attacking a wild bear until it stops moving. Once subdued, a prompt to ride the bear appears. This method provides a temporary mount rather than a permanent tame. Bears obtained this way will eventually buck you off after a period of time.
Bear Mount Variants
Four bear variants exist across the regions of Pywel:
Mount | Speed | Combat | Stamina | Ability | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black Bear War Mount | 50 | 80 | 75 | Intimidation roar that terrifies nearby enemies for 3 seconds | Capture from Black Bear faction stronghold |
Crimson Grizzly | 45 | 75 | 65 | Ground slam attack that staggers enemies in a frontal cone | Wild taming in Crimson Desert Oasis |
Ironhide Cave Bear | 40 | 90 | 85 | Massive HP pool; absorbs damage to shield the rider | Defeat and tame in Ironhide Den, Hernand |
Pailune Snow Bear | 45 | 85 | 80 | Claw slashes and bite attacks while mounted; provides frost resistance aura | Wild taming in Pailune mountain caves |
The Ironhide Cave Bear has the highest combat rating (90) among all bear variants, making it the top choice for players who want maximum damage. The Pailune Snow Bear is notable for its frost resistance aura, which is extremely useful when exploring the cold Pailune region.
Combat Abilities
Bears function as independent combat partners that attack alongside their rider. The bear's attacks activate automatically during combat, though riders can also trigger specific abilities:
Attack | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
Claw Swipe | Melee | Wide horizontal attack that hits multiple enemies in front of the bear |
Bite Attack | Melee | Single-target high-damage attack that can stagger opponents |
Body Slam | AoE | Rearing up and slamming down, dealing area damage and knocking back nearby enemies |
Rising Bite | Melee | Upward lunging bite that launches smaller enemies into the air |
Heavy Forward Charge | Charge | Powerful forward rush that tramples enemies in the bear's path |
Intimidation Roar | Debuff | Black Bear War Mount exclusive; terrifies enemies for 3 seconds (crowd control) |
Bear attacks deal additional damage when the rider applies elemental infusions to their weapon. All three combat mount types (bears, raptors, and direwolves) become substantially more powerful when combined with elemental effects.
Bear vs. Other Combat Mounts
Attribute | Bear | Raptor | Direwolf |
|---|---|---|---|
Speed | Low (40-50) | High (75-90) | Medium (60-70) |
Combat | Very High (75-90) | Low-Medium (35-45) | Medium-High (55-65) |
Stamina | High (65-85) | Medium (55-70) | Medium (60-75) |
Role | Heavy assault; tank | Hit-and-run; scout | Balanced fighter |
Best For | Sustained melee brawls | Desert traversal and skirmishing | General combat |
Tips
Bears are best suited for head-on engagements against groups of enemies. Their area attacks make them excellent at clearing bandit camps and enemy patrols.
The Ironhide Cave Bear's damage absorption ability makes it the ideal mount for boss fights where you expect to take heavy hits.
Bears are too slow for chasing down fleeing enemies or escaping large groups. Keep a horse in reserve for situations where speed is essential.
When exploring Pailune, the Snow Bear's frost resistance aura can offset cold weather penalties, making it the preferred mount for that region.
Apply elemental infusions to your weapon before engaging in mounted combat. The elemental bonus applies to both your attacks and the bear's attacks, significantly increasing total damage output.