Overview
Mounted combat in Crimson Desert is not an afterthought or a gimmick. Pearl Abyss designed every rideable creature and vehicle to function as a genuine combat platform, each with its own attack patterns, strengths, and weaknesses. Whether you are charging into a bandit camp on horseback, mauling enemies atop a bear, strafing from raptor-back, raining fire from the Blackstar Dragon, or unleashing heavy ordnance from the ATAG Mech, the game rewards players who learn when and how to fight from the saddle.
This guide breaks down every mounted combat system in detail: controls for keyboard and controller, mount-specific abilities, equipment that affects mounted damage, and practical tips for getting the most out of each mount type.
General Mounted Combat Controls
The control scheme for mounted combat changes depending on the mount type. Horses, bears, raptors, and direwolves share a common set of melee-oriented inputs, while the dragon and ATAG each have unique weapon systems.
Summoning Your Mount
Press H on keyboard or D-Pad Up on controller to call your active mount. If you have multiple mounts registered, hold H (or hold D-Pad Down) to open the mount wheel, then select the one you want with the right stick or mouse. Your mount will sprint to your location from wherever it was last left. To mount up, approach the animal and press F on keyboard or Triangle/Y on controller.
Mounting and Dismounting
Press F (keyboard) or Triangle/Y (controller) near your mount to climb on. Press the same button while mounted to dismount. Note that the mount and dismount buttons are different from the interact button, so take care not to accidentally attack your horse instead of mounting it.
Sprinting While Mounted
On keyboard, tap Shift repeatedly to maintain a gallop. On controller, hold A/X or press L3. Sprinting consumes your mount's stamina. When stamina runs out, the mount slows to a trot until it regenerates.
Horse Combat
Horses are the first and most common mount you encounter. They support full melee combat from the saddle, including weapon swings, charge attacks, and ranged weapon aiming. Horses do not attack enemies on their own; all mounted damage comes from Kliff's weapon.
Melee Attacks on Horseback
On keyboard, left-click swings your weapon to the right side and right-click swings to the left. Holding Shift + Left-Click while at full gallop triggers a charge attack that deals significantly more damage. On controller, R2 performs a charge attack that hits hardest when the horse is galloping at top speed. The direction of your swing depends on the camera angle and stick input.
Timing matters. Charge attacks at full gallop deal the highest damage multiplier, so try to build speed before committing to a swing. If you stop or slow down, your attacks lose the momentum bonus.
Ranged Attacks on Horseback
Equip a bow or firearm to shoot from horseback. On controller, L2 enters aim mode, which automatically slows your horse to a manageable speed. On keyboard, hold right-click with a ranged weapon equipped to enter aim mode, then fire with left-click. The camera shifts to an over-the-shoulder perspective while aiming.
Ranged mounted combat works best for softening enemies before a melee charge. Draw your bow, fire a volley, then switch to your melee weapon and ride through at full gallop for the finishing blow.
Horse Trust Levels and Combat Skills
Every horse has a trust level that ranges from 1 to 5. As trust increases through riding, feeding, and petting, the horse unlocks new movement and combat abilities. These skills directly affect your effectiveness in mounted combat.
Trust Level | Abilities Unlocked | Combat Relevance |
|---|---|---|
Level 1 | Basic walk and gallop | Minimal; you can still swing weapons, but maneuverability is limited |
Level 2 | Dash | Lets you close distance on enemies faster and escape danger quickly |
Level 3 | Drift, Back Kick | Drift allows racing-style sharp turns at full speed, perfect for repositioning mid-fight. Back Kick staggers enemies approaching from behind |
Level 4 | Sprint | Faster top speed means stronger charge attacks and better hit-and-run capability |
Level 5 | Double Jump, Quick Start, Jump Dash, Swimming (varies by breed) | Double Jump lets you leap over enemy lines. Quick Start means instant top speed for immediate charge attacks. Jump Dash covers huge distances |
Legendary horse breeds may have slightly different skill sets at Level 5, so check each horse's skill page after taming to see what it offers.
Horse Equipment for Combat
Horses support four equipment slots that directly affect your mounted combat performance:
Slot | Effect | Where to Obtain |
|---|---|---|
Champron | Protects the horse's head and face, reducing incoming damage | Saddleries, contribution shops |
Barding | Covers the horse's body, providing the largest defense reduction | Saddleries, contribution shops, crafting |
Saddle | Improves handling and stamina efficiency, letting you fight longer | Saddleries, contribution shops |
Stirrups | Increases rider stability and mounted attack power | Saddleries, contribution shops, crafting |
Stirrups are the most important slot for offensive mounted combat because they directly boost the damage of every swing you make from horseback. Prioritize upgrading stirrups if your goal is to fight from the saddle rather than simply travel.
Healing Your Horse in Combat
If your horse takes heavy damage and can no longer gallop, you have several options. The fastest method in combat is to charge your Force Palm ability, then press the Healing prompt to strike the horse's torso. This restores the horse to full condition immediately. You can also use Horse Tonic (extreme health boost, lets the horse endure deadly blows), Horse Stimulant (stamina amplification), or have the horse retrieved at a stable for Copper or Silver Coins.
Bear, Raptor, and Direwolf Combat
Unlike horses, combat land mounts like bears, raptors, and direwolves have independent attack actions. They fight alongside you automatically, effectively doubling your offensive output. All three combat mount types become substantially more powerful when you apply elemental infusions to your weapon attacks.
Bear Mounts
Bears are the heaviest-hitting ground combat mount. While mounted, the bear performs claw swipes, bite attacks, and body slams without any rider input, dealing constant area-of-effect damage to enemies in front of and around you. This frees Kliff to focus on high-priority targets while the bear handles crowd control.
Mounted bear combat also grants extra move sets: long slashes, rising bites, and heavy forward charges that stagger groups of enemies. The tradeoff is speed. Bears are slower and less agile than horses, making them better suited for direct engagements and defensive fights rather than hit-and-run tactics. If you are fighting a large group in a confined area, a bear mount is often the strongest choice.
Raptor Mounts
Raptors are the fastest land combat mount and the best option for hit-and-run tactics. While mounted, the raptor dashes in and out of engagement range while Kliff attacks. The raptor's speed makes it extremely difficult for enemies to pin you down, and you can quickly disengage to heal or reposition before diving back in.
Raptors excel in open terrain where their speed advantage is most pronounced. In tight spaces, their lower health pool compared to bears makes them more vulnerable. Use raptors when you want to control the pace of a fight and pick off enemies one at a time.
Direwolf Mounts
Direwolves sit between bears and raptors in terms of combat style. They are faster than bears and feature agile flanking maneuvers with coordinated attacks alongside the rider. Their pack-hunting instincts translate into a predatory combat feel where the direwolf circles and harasses enemies while you strike from above.
Direwolves are best for medium-length engagements where you need both mobility and sustained damage. They are not as tanky as bears and not as fast as raptors, but they offer a balanced middle ground.
Dragon Aerial Combat
The Blackstar Dragon is the most powerful combat mount in the game. Once unlocked in Chapter 11 (see the How to Unlock the Dragon guide for details), the Blackstar grants full aerial combat capability with devastating fire attacks.
Dragon Combat Controls
Action | Controller | Keyboard |
|---|---|---|
Fireball (single shot) | R1 | Left-Click |
Fire Breath (sustained) | R2 | Right-Click |
Barrel Roll / Dodge | Dodge input (double-tap) | Dodge key (double-tap) |
Climb altitude | Left Stick + look up | W + look up |
Dive | Left Stick + look down | W + look down |
Summon Dragon | Hold D-Pad Down, select with Right Stick | Hold H, select Dragon |
Both Fireball and Fire Breath consume stamina, but stamina regenerates even while airborne. The Fireball is a quick projectile attack best for single targets, while Fire Breath is a sustained stream of fire that devastates groups of enemies and spreads the Burn status effect across clustered targets.
The barrel roll is your primary defensive option. Press the dodge input to roll mid-air, which makes the dragon invulnerable during the animation and repositions you away from incoming projectiles. Use it liberally when enemy archers or mages target you from the ground.
Dragon Combat Strategies
Strafe runs: Fly over enemy camps at medium altitude, unleash Fire Breath in a sweeping pass, then climb to safety. Circle back and repeat. This is the safest way to clear large groups.
Dive bombing: Dive sharply toward a high-value target, fire a concentrated Fireball volley, then pull up before hitting the ground. High risk, high reward.
Pre-engagement softening: Before dismounting to fight a boss or world event on foot, use the dragon to thin out surrounding enemies and apply Burn to the main target. Then land, dismiss the dragon, and fight on the ground.
Aerial positioning: Enemies on the ground cannot effectively counter aerial attacks. Use altitude to stay out of melee range and pick off ranged attackers first.
Dragon Limitations
The Blackstar operates on a strict timer. Each summon lasts approximately 15 minutes of real time, followed by a 50-minute real-time cooldown. There is currently no in-game method to reduce this cooldown or extend the active duration. This means you should treat each dragon summon as a strategic resource. Do not waste summon time on trivial encounters that you could handle on foot or horseback.
The Blackstar can be summoned anywhere in Pywel but cannot be used in the Abyss realm.
ATAG Mech Combat
The ATAG (All-Terrain Armored Gear) is a walking tank that turns Kliff into a one-man army. First introduced during Chapter 10's defense of Gorthak, the ATAG offers the heaviest firepower of any mount in the game.
ATAG Weapon Systems
Weapon | Description | Best Used For |
|---|---|---|
Rapid-Fire Machine Gun | Sustained automatic fire with moderate damage per hit | Crowd control, suppressing groups of weaker enemies |
Blast Cannon | Wide-area explosive shot with high damage and knockback | Grouped enemies, large targets, breaking formations |
EMP Discharge | Short-range electromagnetic pulse that disables mechanical enemies | Mechanical enemies, other ATAGs, automaton-type foes |
Ram | Shoulder charge that flattens anything in your path | Closing distance, breaking through enemy lines |
Additional weapons become available through the Machine Parts Research system. Research unlocks dispatch missions to craft the ATAG Cannon, ATAG Laser, and ATAG Pincers. You can also upgrade defensive plating to Mk II and Mk III through research.
Getting Your Own ATAG
After helping the Ironflame Orcs in Chapter 10, you can speak with Marek at the Zargan Tankworks and complete a quest chain to build your own ATAG for free-roam use. You need the required parts and fuel to craft one. You can also find pre-built ATAGs at certain locations: areas like Regent's Rise have ATAG factories where pulling a lever reveals a fresh mech ready for use.
Mount Combat Comparison
Choosing the right mount for each combat situation is one of the keys to success in Crimson Desert. Here is a quick comparison of how each mount type performs in combat:
Mount Type | Combat Style | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
Rider melee/ranged attacks only | Versatile, available early, supports all weapon types | Horse does not deal damage on its own | |
Mount auto-attacks + rider attacks | High damage, area control, staggers groups | Slow movement, poor at chasing | |
Hit-and-run with mount dashes | Fastest land combat mount, excellent repositioning | Low health pool, vulnerable in tight spaces | |
Direwolves | Flanking with coordinated attacks | Balanced speed and damage | Not the best at any single thing |
Aerial fire attacks | Devastates groups, untouchable from the ground | 15-min duration, 50-min cooldown | |
Heavy ranged weapons + ram | Highest raw firepower, extreme durability | Slow, requires fuel and parts |
Tips and Best Practices
Match the mount to the fight. Use horses for general exploration and flexible combat. Switch to a bear when you are outnumbered in close quarters. Bring a raptor for open-field skirmishes where you need to control distance. Save dragon and ATAG summons for major battles and world bosses.
Always keep horse food on hand. Carrying Horse Tonic and Horse Stimulant lets you sustain mounted combat for extended periods without needing to visit a stable.
Upgrade stirrups first. For pure mounted combat damage on horseback, stirrups provide the biggest boost. Invest in the best stirrups you can afford before upgrading other horse equipment slots.
Build trust before relying on a horse in battle. A trust Level 1 horse can barely turn. A Level 3+ horse can drift and kick, making it vastly more effective in combat. Spend time building trust before taking a new horse into dangerous areas.
Use charge attacks at full gallop. The damage multiplier for a charge attack at maximum speed is significantly higher than a stationary swing. Build speed before committing to a charge.
Do not waste dragon time on trash mobs. With a 50-minute cooldown after each 15-minute window, every second of Blackstar flight matters. Use it for major encounters, tough bosses, or clearing large enemy camps.
Elemental infusions stack with mount attacks. When riding bears, raptors, or direwolves, applying elemental infusions to your weapon makes the mount's own attacks stronger too. Always infuse before engaging.