Overview
Dragon riding is one of the most spectacular mechanics in Crimson Desert. Players can mount and fly dragons across the continent of Pywel, engaging in devastating aerial combat with fire breath attacks and dive-bombing runs. The primary dragon mount is the Blackstar, a legendary creature that becomes available in the late game. Several other wyvern and drake variants also exist throughout the world, each with distinct abilities.
Dragon riding fundamentally changes how players interact with the open world. Once airborne, you can cross vast distances in seconds, bypass terrain obstacles entirely, and rain destruction on enemy encampments from above. The system introduces a unique risk-reward dynamic through stamina management and summon cooldowns that prevent the dragon from being an unlimited resource.
How to Unlock the Blackstar
The Blackstar dragon is unlocked through the main story and cannot be missed. Players first encounter the Blackstar during Chapter 9: The Sage of the Desert, roughly 50 hours into the campaign. However, the dragon is not rideable at this point. You must progress further until Chapter 11: Truth and Reality, specifically the quest Foreboding Shadow: Whispers in the Wind, where you permanently acquire the Blackstar as a summonable mount.
During the acquisition sequence, you need to latch onto the Blackstar while it flies overhead. The process works as follows:
Wait for the Blackstar to swoop close to your position
Jump and begin gliding toward the dragon
Activate your Axiom Force (grapple) to target the dragon's back
Immediately press the jump button to perform an Aerial Maneuver and mount the dragon
Once mounted, press and hold the "Resist" prompt to tighten your grip whenever the dragon dives or rolls
Important: You need your Stamina attribute at level 5 or higher before attempting this sequence. The Aerial Maneuver costs 200 Stamina points, and failing the mount due to insufficient stamina will force you to retry the encounter. Invest in Stamina upgrades early if you anticipate reaching this chapter.
Summoning the Dragon
After unlocking the Blackstar, you can summon it by holding Down on the D-Pad to open the mount wheel, then selecting the dragon with the Right Stick. The Blackstar has strict availability windows:
Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
Active Duration | Approximately 15 minutes per summon |
Cooldown | 50 minutes (real-time) after dismissal |
Cooldown Reduction | None available; the cooldown is fixed |
Summon Location | Any outdoor area with enough open sky |
The long cooldown makes the Blackstar a strategic resource rather than a permanent travel option. Plan your dragon summons around major objectives such as fortress assaults, world boss encounters, or long-distance travel across regions.
Aerial Combat Controls
While riding the Blackstar, you have access to a unique set of aerial combat abilities. The dragon's attacks consume stamina, but stamina regenerates passively even while airborne.
Action | Input | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Fireball | R1 / RB | Launches a targeted fireball at ground enemies; moderate stamina cost |
Fire Breath | R2 / RT (hold) | Sustained stream of fire that scorches a wide area below; high stamina drain |
Dive Bomb | L2 + R2 / LT + RT | Rapid descent attack dealing massive area damage on impact |
Barrel Roll | L1 + direction / LB + direction | Evasive maneuver to dodge incoming projectiles or attacks |
Ascend | L2 / LT | Gain altitude; useful for repositioning before attack runs |
Sprint | L3 / Left Stick press | Burst of speed for rapid traversal; drains stamina |
The fire breath attack is particularly devastating against clustered enemy groups and can spread the Burn status effect across targets. Fireballs are better for precision strikes against individual enemies or world bosses. Dive-bombing is the highest-damage option but requires careful positioning to avoid crashing into terrain.
Dragon Mount Variants
Beyond the Blackstar, several other flying mounts exist in Crimson Desert. Each variant has different stats and abilities:
Mount | Speed | Combat | Stamina | Ability | How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blackstar (Abyssal Dragon) | 90 | 95 | 60 | Void breath that bypasses all resistances; full aerial combat | Chapter 11 main story reward |
Highland Wyvern | 80 | 60 | 50 | Full flight control with dive-bomb ground attacks | Dragon Ridge Wyvern Egg quest reward in Pailune |
Ember Wyvern | 75 | 75 | 40 | Fire breathing from sky; scorches terrain creating hazard zones | Rare spawn in Crimson Desert Volcanic Rifts |
Storm Drake | 85 | 70 | 45 | Lightning breath that chain-damages enemy groups | Tame atop Tesla Ruins during storm events |
The Blackstar is the most powerful flying mount overall, but its long cooldown means keeping a secondary wyvern variant available can be strategically beneficial. The Highland Wyvern in particular is accessible earlier in the game through the Dragon Ridge quest in Pailune, making it a solid option while waiting for the Blackstar cooldown.
Tips and Strategies
Always invest in Stamina upgrades before Chapter 9. Stamina level 5 is the minimum, but higher levels give you more fire breath attacks per flight session.
Use the dragon primarily for large-scale encounters like sieges and world boss fights where the area damage pays off the most.
Fire Breath is most efficient against tightly packed enemy groups, while Fireballs are better against scattered or solo targets.
Track the real-time cooldown mentally. If a major story battle is approaching, avoid summoning the dragon for casual exploration beforehand.
Stamina regeneration continues during flight, so pace your attacks rather than dumping all your stamina at once. Short bursts of fire breath followed by gliding recovery maintain sustained damage output.
The Blackstar makes clearing exploration challenges trivial, since you can fly directly to hard-to-reach areas that would otherwise require climbing or puzzle-solving.
Pair the dragon with elemental infusions on your weapons for maximum mounted combat effectiveness.