When FromSoftware first announced Elden Ring, the open-world nature of the game drew comparisons to Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The Land Betweens is a massive place, and just like Link in Breath of the Wild, your Tarnished character can ride a horse to make traveling much easier.
The horse is a spectral steed named Torrent, and you will be introduced to him early in the game. We recommend making it a point to get your mount before you do anything else. Torrent can help you get out of trouble quickly, and that is very important if you intend to go to more complex areas for power leveling or find secret weapons and armor.
Mounted combat is also a big part of Elden Ring, and some fights are designed to be fought entirely on horseback. Here is how to get Torrent and some tips for using your mount in Elden Ring.
How to Find Melina and Get Your Mount
When you first set foot into the Lands Between, you can go anywhere you want, but paying attention to the map will show you that the game is trying to tell you something. There might be a yellow-ish arrow pointing you towards the next Site of Grace or another location. Check the map each time you find a new checkpoint or camp called a Site of Grace.
You haven’t found Melina yet if you wonder why you do not have your mount yet and can not even level up. Melina (and Torrent) can be heard and partially seen in a cutscene at the start of the game, but to meet Melina in the flesh and get your Spectral Steed, you will have to find and rest at three different Sites of Grace.
If you follow the path the game suggests on the map, you will go from the Stranded Graveyard in the tutorial area to a Site of Grace called the First Step. The second Site of Grace you will find in the open world will be at the Church of Elleh, and the third will be a Site near the Gatefront Ruins.
Choose to rest near the Gatefront Ruins, and if it is your third new Site of Grace, a cutscene will play with Melina showing up for a chat. She will offer to be your “Maiden” for the game’s duration and be responsible for your Tarnished slowly leveling up over time by handing in Runes.
Before Mellna departs, she will hand you the Spectral Steed whistle, which you can use to summon Torrent anytime you like.
Get to Know Your New Mount
If you are like most players, you will immediately summon Torrent and then go for a joyride across the Limgrave zone. If you run near an enemy, you can push your attack button to smack them and then circle back to attack again. Be careful, though. If an enemy hits you while you are on horseback, there is a chance you will be dismounted and become suddenly vulnerable. The game has a hidden “Posture” meter that depletes every time you are hit, and if you get knocked to the ground, you will be unable to re-summon Torrent or defend yourself for up to 5 seconds.
In other words, do not go galloping into a huge group of enemies, thinking they can not hurt you. If you get knocked off Torrent in the middle of a pack of bad guys, it will be over for you very quickly. But if you can find a stray mob off to the side and want to harass them a bit by circling and poking them with your weapon, go ahead and have some fun.
If you took a couple of hits but you are still on horseback, you can reset your Posture by quickly dismissing Torrent and then summoning him again. This should reduce the number of times you get knocked off.
One of your mount’s best features is the ability to do a double jump. Push your jump button and then push it again to go higher when you are in the air. You can use this move to get to areas that would otherwise be unreachable, so if you ever see a treasure chest that looks just out of reach, try jumping to it with Torrent and collect your prize.
Remember that you will still take falling damage while on Torrent, so do not go too crazy jumping off any high ledges or cliffs.
How to Attack on Horseback
By default, your Tarnished will attack with the weapon in their right hand while riding Torrent. You can push your Swap Weapon keybind (Y + L1 on a controller) to make your Tarnished use a left-handed weapon instead.
If you encounter an enemy riding a mount, they may try to outflank you or suddenly attack from a different side during the battle. Swapping to use your weapon in your other hand can help you react quickly to incoming threats.
You can do light or heavy attacks on horseback just like you can on foot. It may be best to start with light attacks because it will be harder to time a heavy attack right when traveling at speed.
Once you get the hang of it, you will notice that some weapons deal additional damage or have a special Heavy attack on horseback. Your Tarnished will drag a Greatsword along the ground when you start making a Heavy attack and then swing it upward at the enemy.
Equipping a Lance will turn your Tarnished into a Jouster, ramming the enemy with the weapon’s tip.
If you want to dismount and begin fighting an enemy on the ground, one cool trick is to dismount from Torrent while running at full speed. Push L3 on the controller instead of using the whistle, and your Tarnished will leap off Torrent’s back and fly towards the enemy, doing a massive amount of damage if you land a direct hit. It is a great way to begin every fight in the open world.
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