Elden Ring introduces a feature never seen in a FromSoftware game before - a mount. The ability to ride a horse was included in Elden Ring to make traversal of the massive overworld less of a chore, and riding opens up a number of ways to explore the environment.
The mount, named Torrent, is given to players after a very short time in-game. Get to your third Lost Grace and Melina will introduce herself and bequeath the Spectral Steed Whistle. With riding, of course, comes mounted combat, and Elden Ring has a different take on this feature than other games with similar mechanics.
Left Attacks Left, Right Attacks Right
Even if you have something equipped in your left hand, when mounting up your character will defer to their right-hand weapon. If you would prefer to go left-handed, you can press Y (or Triangle) and the left shoulder button (or L1) at the same time to swap. This works for both melee and spellcasting attacks, though spellcasting is more restricted on horseback.
There are two types of attacks that can be performed on either side, being Light and Heavy attacks. The left shoulder and trigger (or L1 and L2) perform Light and Heavy attacks on the left side, respectively. The right shoulder and trigger (or R1 and R2) do the same on the right side. You can charge up Heavy attacks while riding, which opens up some options.
Some Weapons Have Special Mounted Maneuvers
Not all weapons, but many, have a special Heavy attack while mounted. A character wielding a Lance, for example, will get into Jousting position and deal constant damage to enemies hit with the tip of their weapon. A character using a Greatsword can charge a Heavy attack by holding down the button, which drags the weapon along the ground, deals constant damage to foes hit, and culminates with an upward strike.
Not every weapon has a move like this, one that can be charged up for a special mounted effect, so be sure to test out your gear before committing if you plan to do a lot of horse combat. Typically, longer-range weapons are better than shorter-range ones, as a long reach makes it even easier to dash in, poke for a bit of damage, then dash out before an enemy can retaliate.
Being Knocked Off Torrent Is Not A Good Idea
In Elden Ring every character has a hidden Super Armor bar, also called Posture. When this bar is broken for a character they sink to the ground and give their enemy a wide-open window for massive damage. This can happen to the player incredibly quickly while mounted, resulting in one of the most punishing animations in the game.
If the player is hit hard enough, or enough times in succession to break their meter, Torrent will automatically despawn and your character will be sent hurtling to the ground. It takes about five seconds to get up after being knocked off of Torrent, an agonizing amount of time if you're surrounded or up against a difficult foe.
Jumping Attacks Can Be Performed While Mounted
One of Elden Ring's new combat mechanics is the Jumping Attack. Jumping Attacks have been in almost every FromSoftware game since Demon's Souls, but because there is an assigned Jump button in Elden Ring, they are much easier to reliably pull off. Plus, they deal massive Posture damage, often instantly giving you a free Critical Hit on a target.
While it's perfectly fine to engage ground enemies while on Torrent, if you must dismount, do so with a Jumping Attack. Instead of using the Spectral Steed Whistle to desummon Torrent slowly, just press L3 (click in the left joystick) while moving. This launches your character off Torrent's back towards your target, covering a huge distance and providing a perfect opener for combat.
Summoning Torrent Is Quick, Great For Evading Bosses
Dismissing Torrent takes a few seconds, so it's generally best to just quickly dismount by jumping off. On the other hand, summoning Torrent with the Spectral Steed Whistle is near-instantaneous. This can be used to the player's advantage in several ways. For one, this is an extremely effective way to quickly evade overworld bosses.
If Agheel the Dragon is coming after you, and you're on foot, mounting Torrent is the only way to get out of the way of certain attacks. He can't be summoned in interior areas or dungeons, so this is limited to overworld bosses and enemies only. Second, dismissing then re-summoning Torrent is a quick way to get some of your mounted Super Armor back. If you think you're close to being broken, quickly jump off Torrent then call him back. It won't recover all of your Posture, but it's better than being knocked off for five seconds.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.