To get mounts fast in Valheim, you need to head straight to the Plains biome to tame the heavy Lox using Cloudberries or venture into the Ashlands biome to secure the swift Asksvin using Muckroot and Vineberries, skipping tedious early-game grinds by immediately building enclosed stone pens and crafting specialized saddles at your Workbench. Valheim's survival mechanics demand efficient transport solutions, especially when hauling massive loads of ore or navigating hazardous terrain filled with Fuling patrols or Charred skeletons. If you want to optimize your progression, you should check out guides like this Monster Hunter Wilds leveling guide for general resource-grinding tactics, or explore Bannerlord armor locations to understand how heavy defensive gear pairs with mounted combat.
Unlocking and Taming the Lox in the Plains
The Lox is your first true rideable mount option, serving as an absolute tank capable of crushing enemies underfoot and carrying heavy inventories. To tame a Lox fast, you must sail or run into the Plains biome and locate them roaming in herds near stonehenge ruins or Fuling camps. Do not attack them directly; instead, sneak near them and drop stacks of Cloudberries or Barley onto the ground. Lox consume these food items over several in-game days while remaining in your vicinity. To accelerate this process, build a deep ditch or a stone fence around a group of Lox to prevent them from wandering off or getting aggroed by Deathsquos. Once the yellow hearts appear above their heads consistently, their taming meter will fill up completely. Check out the official Valheim Fandom Wiki for exact spawn distribution maps and drop rates to optimize your hunting routes.
Crafting the Lox Saddle
Taming a Lox is only half the battle; you cannot ride it without proper equipment. To craft a Lox Saddle, you need access to an upgraded Workbench along with specific materials harvested from the Plains and Mountain biomes. The exact recipe requires 10 Leather Scraps, 20 Linen Thread (produced by spinning Flax in a Spinning Wheel), and 15 Silver. Once crafted, place it into your hotbar, approach your tamed Lox, and interact with it to attach the saddle. You can now steer the beast using standard movement keys, though its momentum-based turning requires practice. For players managing heavy equipment loads and stamina meters, reviewing optimization techniques similar to those in Infinite Wealth settings guides can help you maintain smooth frame rates during large-scale base raids or mounted charges.
Securing the Asksvin in the Ashlands Biome
If you have progressed into the endgame Ashlands, the reptilian Asksvin replaces the Lox as the premier fast mount due to its incredible acceleration, lava-crossing capabilities, and lethal bite attack. To get an Asksvin fast, you must raid boiling Asksvin skeletal structures or locate wild packs wandering near glowing basalt pillars. Unlike the Lox, Asksvins are carnivorous and voracious eaters. You can speed up their taming process by dropping Muckroot, Vineberries, or chunks of raw Volture meat inside a secured basalt-walled enclosure. Keep your distance or stay elevated on a raised earth wall, as wild Asksvins deal massive piercing damage that can easily shred Padded or Flametal armor sets.
Breeding and Farming Asksvins Quickly
To establish a self-sustaining mount farm in the Ashlands, you need to tame at least two Asksvins and place them together in a confined stone breeding pen. Drop large quantities of Vineberries and Muckroot directly on the floor between them. When well-fed, they will enter a mating state accompanied by heart particles, eventually laying an Asksvin Egg. Because Ashlands temperatures and environmental hazards can destroy unincubated eggs, you must keep the egg in a protected indoor structure or a sheltered incubation chamber until it hatches. Raising baby Asksvins requires constant feeding, but once matured, they become fully loyal mounts ready for rapid traversal across boiling rivers and ash-choked valleys. For advanced base management strategies that keep your breeding pens safe from raids, consult the expert tips in the Manor Lords beginner guide.
Equipping the Asksvin Saddle and Combat Mechanics
Riding an Asksvin requires the specialized Asksvin Saddle, which unlocks at the Black Forge once you have gathered sufficient Refined Eitr, Black Metal, and Askvin skeletal fragments. Open the Valheim Steam Store Page to check recent update logs regarding balance tweaks to mounted stamina consumption and handling mechanics. When mounted on an Asksvin, your character's weapon range and attack animations shift slightly, allowing you to strike Charred warriors and Morgen beasts from a safe elevation. Use the mount's sprint function sparingly during long expeditions across the Ashlands, as running depletes the creature's stamina pool and leaves you vulnerable if ambushed by incoming Fuling or Fallen Valkyrie spawns.
Optimizing Base Infrastructure for Mount Logistics
Managing mounts efficiently across multiple biomes requires a well-connected portal network and strategically placed outposts. Because Lox and Asksvins cannot pass through standard portal gates, you must build secure coastal stables and breeding yards near your main portal hubs. Construct high stone walls using a stonecutter to protect your valuable livestock from local raids by Drakes, Bats, or Seekers. Additionally, ensure your stables feature elevated walkways so you can easily drop food items into the pens without risking accidental melee hits. For players fine-tuning their overall gaming setup to handle Valheim's complex physics engine and procedural world generation smoothly, looking over recommendations in the Monster Hunter Wilds PC settings guide can offer great insight into hardware performance tuning.
Advanced Strategies for Fast Resource Transport
Using mounts effectively is the ultimate way to bypass Valheim's restrictive teleportation rules regarding metal ores. Instead of walking heavy loads of Black Metal or Flametal across dangerous continents on foot, load up your inventory while riding a Lox or Asksvin, allowing you to sprint past hordes of enemies without losing your stamina bar to encumbrance penalties. Combine your mounted travels with a fleet of longships stationed at nearby coastal docks to create a seamless supply chain from resource-rich biomes straight to your main crafting base. By mastering these taming loops, saddle recipes, and breeding setups, you will cut down your travel times drastically and conquer Valheim's brutal wilderness with maximum efficiency.