Overview
The Luna Deer is a rare mount native to the Moonlit Forest. It is widely considered the ultimate rideable reward in Starsand Island, earned by completing the entire Explorer profession questline and defeating the final boss of the Moonlit Forest. The deer is a single-rider mount that becomes permanently available once claimed.
Obtaining the Luna Deer also unlocks the Legendary Friend achievement, described as: "Hi, everyone. This is my rideable friend..." The Luna Deer signals to other players that its owner has mastered the Explorer profession and conquered every boss in the Moonlit Forest.
Explorer Profession Questline
The Luna Deer is only available after completing all four tiers of the Explorer profession under Zephyria, who runs the Explorer Club on the west side of the island. You cannot skip any tier or obtain the deer early. The full progression is:
Apprentice Explorer
Speak to Zephyria at the Explorer Club to receive a Slingshot blueprint.
Enter the Moonlit Forest through the entrance behind your first home (blocked by a broken stone door with weak spots you can destroy).
Defeat a Runebird enemy near the Evernight Forest area using the Slingshot.
Collect Runebird Fragments and return to Zephyria.
Intermediate Explorer
Zephyria sends you to speak with Bruce, a small child in a yellow tracksuit.
Prepare materials for the Sharpshooter Stall: 3 Alloy and 3 Starflare Core.
Alloy is smelted at Furnace II from Gold, Iron, Copper, and Coal. Starflare Core is made from Primorite and Coal at Furnace II.
Complete a shooting challenge by hitting 35 balloons before time runs out.
Senior Explorer
Visit Youfang at the temple near Cloudrest Lake.
Collect two plants for a healing formula: Eldergrain (tall wheat-like plants near the Waterwheel in Harvest Yard) and Echobean (bright-colored bean plants in the Homeward Trial area).
Complete additional tasks as assigned by Youfang and Zephyria.
Expert Explorer
This is the final tier and the one that leads directly to the Luna Deer. Zephyria sends you to the deepest point of the Moonlit Forest: Moonlit Meadow. You must defeat the Ruin Guard, the final boss of the dungeon. After the Ruin Guard falls, an altar appears that you must activate to claim the deer.
Moonlit Forest Progression
The Moonlit Forest is a multi-zone dungeon with a chain of campsite checkpoints, 3 major boss encounters, rare ore deposits, unique plants, and hidden treasure chests. You will pass through the following zones on your way to the Luna Deer:
Zone | Key Features |
|---|---|
Starting area with glowing mushrooms; Runebird encounter | |
Requires 15 Stone and 3 Gravestars (from smashing glowing orange rocks) | |
Luminpath | Catch 5 Luminwing Butterflies with a bug net; Luminfrog boss |
Crystalith boss arena | |
Requires Right Key (from Zephyria) and Left Key (from locked chest behind waterfall); path splits into two branches | |
Upper path from Azure Bay | |
Lower path; requires fire and water arrows to progress; Eldergrain grows here | |
Transition zone with rare plants | |
Packed with Eldergrain and rare fish | |
Glintortle Area | Glintortle boss arena |
Waterwheel Area | Needs 5 Primorite, 5 Magnetite, 5 Gold, and a Waterwheel Bearing |
Moonlit Meadow | Final area; Ruin Guard boss and Luna Deer altar |
Boss Fights
You will face three major bosses on the path to the Luna Deer. Each requires different strategies and gear.
Crystalith
A giant stone golem that throws boulders and creates shockwave ripple attacks. Its weak point is the glowing abdomen. When the central crystal glows during the power-draining phase, you deal double damage. Bring approximately 50 to 60 Slingshot pellets.
Glintortle
A giant turtle that fires water beams and sends out waves you need to jump over. Its weak point is the crystal on top of its shell, which is only visible when the turtle becomes dizzy or retreats after a spinning attack. A Bow with Bomb Arrows is far more effective than the Slingshot for this fight. Hit the glowing blue shell during attacks for maximum damage.
Ruin Guard (Final Boss)
The Ruin Guard is the last obstacle before the Luna Deer. It has four primary attack patterns:
Attack | Description | Weak Spot Exposed? |
|---|---|---|
Green Charge Slice | Pulls green energy into its hand and fires a slicing projectile | No |
Spin and Lunge | Spins its body and lunges toward you; run as far away as possible | No |
Fire Beam | Fires a sustained beam of fire across the arena | Yes (top of head) |
Green Charge Vines / Flying Ore | Launches ranged vine or ore projectiles | Yes (top of head) |
The Ruin Guard's only weak point is the top of its head, and it is only exposed during certain attacks (Fire Beam, Flying Ore, Green Charge Vines). Do not waste ammo shooting the body. When you deal enough damage, the Ruin Guard immobilizes itself and its head drops to the center of the arena. This is the critical damage window: unload your strongest charged Bomb Arrows into its skull.
Recommended gear: Crossbow or Bow, large stockpile of Bomb Arrows, healing items, and Sentry Bots for passive chip damage.
Claiming the Luna Deer
After the Ruin Guard is defeated, a broken altar appears in the center of the room. Repairing it requires three items:
Item | Quantity | Where to Find |
|---|---|---|
3 | Lower levels of the Moonlit Forest, mined alongside Aurorite and Flamecore | |
Spirit Berries | 3 | Later sections of the Moonlit Forest (Darkwater Shore, Grain Haven area) |
Prayer | 1 | Given by Zephyria after you report the Ruin Guard's defeat |
Defeat the Ruin Guard in Moonlit Meadow.
Return to Zephyria at the Explorer Club. She gives you the Prayer item and your Expert Explorer rewards.
Gather 3 Moonstone and 3 Spirit Berries from the Moonlit Forest (collect these during your exploration if possible).
Return to the broken altar in Moonlit Meadow and place all three items.
Watch the cutscene. The Luna Deer is now yours permanently.
Mount Comparison
Starsand Island has a wide variety of rideable animals and vehicles. The table below compares the Luna Deer with other popular mounts.
Deer Variants
Variant | Rarity | How to Obtain | Riders |
|---|---|---|---|
Common | Ranch breeding (Large variety, fully grown) | 1 | |
Rare | Ranch breeding | 1 | |
Lucky Deer | Rare | Ranch breeding | 1 |
Luna Deer | Unique | Explorer questline + Moonlit Forest altar | 1 |
Super Rare | Ranch breeding (genetics system) | 1 |
The Moonlight Deer is a separate super-rare variant obtained through the ranching breeding system. It is not the same as the Luna Deer.
Horses
Variant | Rarity | How to Obtain | Riders |
|---|---|---|---|
Horse | Common | Ranch purchase or breeding | 2 |
Rare | Breeding (required for Expert Rancher quest) | 2 | |
Rare | Ranch breeding | 2 | |
Super Rare | Ranch breeding | 2 |
Horses are the only mounts that carry two riders, making them ideal for co-op exploration. The White Horse is the ranching equivalent of the Luna Deer in terms of prestige.
Other Rideable Animals
Animal | Rarity Range | Riders | Special |
|---|---|---|---|
Alpaca (4 variants) | Common to Super Rare | 1 | Cotton Candy Alpaca is the super-rare variant |
Ostrich (4 variants) | Common to Super Rare | 1 | Phoenix Ostrich is the super-rare variant |
Sheep (various) | Various | 1 | All variants rideable |
Rare | 1 | Pig subspecies | |
Super Rare | 1 | Cattle variant; can walk on water |
Vehicles
Vehicles are generally faster than animal mounts but require crafting materials or coins. The key vehicles for comparison:
Vehicle | Type | Cost or Materials |
|---|---|---|
Apprentice Skateboard | Land | 3 Softwood Plank + 3 Copper Ingot |
Land | ||
Freewind Jet (Scooter) | Land | 10 Iron Sheet + 5 Spring + 2 Rubber + 5 Gear |
Water | 400 Coins + 10 Bamboo Strips | |
Water | 45,000 Coins + Mini Reactors, Rubber, Starflare Crystals | |
Water | 175,000 Coins + Meteor Plank, Perpetual Reactor, Rubber, Eternal Alloy |
Tips for Obtaining the Luna Deer
Stock up heavily on Bomb Arrows before entering the Moonlit Forest. You will burn through them across the Glintortle and Ruin Guard fights.
Upgrade from the Slingshot to a Crossbow or Bow before the later bosses. The Slingshot is only adequate for early enemies and the Crystalith.
Deploy Sentry Bots during the Ruin Guard fight. They deal passive chip damage while you focus on dodging.
Only attack the Ruin Guard's head when the weak spot is exposed. Shooting the body wastes ammo for zero damage.
Collect Moonstone and Spirit Berries during your Moonlit Forest exploration so you have them ready when the altar appears.
Remember to return to Zephyria after defeating the Ruin Guard. She gives you the Prayer item needed for the altar.
Complete each Explorer tier in order. The Luna Deer only becomes accessible during the Expert Explorer trial.
Use the 12 campsites as portal checkpoints. If you die, you respawn at the last campsite you activated rather than the dungeon entrance.
Bring plenty of healing items. The Moonlit Forest is a long dungeon and you cannot easily resupply mid-run.
Trivia
The Luna Deer's Chinese name is "月下鹿" (literally "Under-the-Moon Deer" or "Moonlit Deer").
A patch in version 0.2.0780 fixed a bug that caused players to lose the Luna Deer mount, confirming it is intended to be a permanent addition to your inventory.
The Legendary Friend achievement is worth 25 Gamerscore on Xbox.