Broom vs. Hippogriff: Which Mount Reigns Supreme in Hogwarts Legacy?
Fast answer first. Then use the tabs or video for more detail.
- Watch the video explanation below for a faster overview.
- Game mechanics may change with updates or patches.
- Use this block to get the short answer without scrolling the whole page.
- Read the FAQ section if the article has one.
- Use the table of contents to jump straight to the detailed section you need.
- Watch the video first, then skim the article for specifics.
The question of whether a broom or a Hippogriff is the superior mount in Hogwarts Legacy is a hot topic among players. While both offer unique ways to explore the vast magical world, one clearly outshines the other in terms of practicality and efficiency. The short answer is: brooms are significantly better than Hippogriffs for the vast majority of gameplay. While the majestic Hippogriff holds visual appeal and provides a sense of magical grandeur, the broom consistently offers superior maneuverability, speed, and overall ease of use. This article will delve into the specifics of why brooms are the preferred mode of transportation and answer common questions surrounding mount mechanics in Hogwarts Legacy.
The Superiority of the Broom
Performance and Handling
The broom’s dominance stems from several key factors. Firstly, brooms boast far superior handling. They allow for instant mounting and dismounting, providing a seamless transition between ground exploration and aerial traversal. Additionally, brooms offer immediate acceleration and incredibly tight cornering, making them perfect for navigating narrow passages, quickly changing direction, and generally moving around the game world at pace. A key advantage of the broom is the “auto-fly” mode, which allows players to cruise across the map without constantly holding forward, enhancing comfort and ease of play. The broom also has a built-in boost, enabling rapid bursts of speed when needed.
In contrast, the Hippogriff is clunky and cumbersome to use. Mounting and dismounting are slower processes, requiring more player input and interrupting the flow of exploration. Players must also continuously hold the forward direction during flight, which can become tiresome over long journeys. Furthermore, the Hippogriff lacks a significant boost, which means it moves slower than the broom in almost every scenario. Though Hippogriffs can run on the ground, their ground speed is notably slower compared to other ground mounts, like the Graphorn.
Speed and Versatility
While the Hippogriff’s speed might be slightly superior at max altitude in the open sky, which we’ll explore shortly, the broom offers superior speed in most common travel scenarios, where terrain and obstacles are encountered. The broom has a hover mode that allows for rapid vertical ascent and descent and can go faster and faster near the ground. The broom also benefits from a dedicated questline that enhances its performance throughout the game, increasing its acceleration and top speed as the player progresses. This continuous improvement ensures that the broom remains a valuable mode of transport, while the Hippogriff remains static.
The broom’s versatility in urban and enclosed environments is unmatched. The Hippogriff is cumbersome in tighter areas, making it difficult to maneuver around buildings and other obstacles.
The Questline Advantage
The most significant advantage for the broom is the broom upgrade questline. This series of challenges improves the base speed and maneuverability of your broom, making it consistently faster and more responsive throughout the entire game. There is no similar questline dedicated to improving Hippogriff stats, so its performance remains the same throughout the game.
Long-Distance Travel
There is one caveat to the broom’s superiority. While the broom excels in general travel, the Hippogriff might be slightly faster when flying at max altitude in straight lines across very long distances. The game mechanics suggest that the Hippogriff might reach a slightly higher maximum speed over long distances, perhaps only by a few seconds per 100 meters. The advantage in this very specific circumstance is unlikely to outweigh the overall benefits of the broom. However, players may find long open flights to be slightly faster on a Hippogriff, though it still requires constant forward button hold.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Are Different Brooms Faster?
No, all brooms have the same base speed, and none are inherently faster than the others. The differences between brooms are purely cosmetic, meaning you should choose a broom based on aesthetics, not performance. The broom upgrade questline, however, does impact the speed and maneuverability. These upgrades are not tied to a particular broom; they apply to whichever broom you’re riding.
2. How Many Broom Upgrades Are There?
There are three broom upgrades available in Hogwarts Legacy. Each upgrade incrementally increases the broom’s speed and acceleration by roughly 3.5% per upgrade. This results in a significant speed increase compared to the base broom.
3. Is It Worth Buying Multiple Brooms?
No, there’s no real benefit to purchasing multiple brooms, since they are purely cosmetic. Your upgrades are applied to all brooms, so buying different brooms only changes the way your mount looks, not how it performs.
4. How Many Brooms Can You Collect?
Players can unlock a total of 13 different brooms in Hogwarts Legacy. Most can be purchased from vendors, while others are unlocked through challenges.
5. How Do I Get A Broom?
You must progress through the main story until you complete the quest Jackdaw’s Rest. After that, you will be prompted to attend your first Flying Class. Afterwards, you will be able to purchase brooms.
6. How Do I Unlock Flying Mounts?
You need to complete the main story quest The High Keep to unlock flying mounts, including the Hippogriff and Thestral.
7. When Should I Get a Broom?
You should buy a broom as soon as you can after completing Jackdaw’s Rest and attending your first Flying Class. The broom is almost essential for quickly traveling across the open world map.
8. What About the Thestral?
The Thestral is another flying mount option available to players. Similar to the Hippogriff, the Thestral is slower and less maneuverable than the broom. It is primarily chosen for its aesthetics rather than practical functionality.
9. Is There A Faster Ground Mount?
Yes, the Graphorn is a faster ground mount compared to the Hippogriff and Thestral. Graphorns are primarily designed for ground traversal.
10. Are Brooms Faster Than Ground Mounts?
Brooms are faster than most ground mounts, and can also climb to any height. They generally are more efficient for travel around the map.
11. Is the Graphorn Faster Than Hippogriff?
Yes, the Graphorn is much faster on the ground than the Hippogriff, but both ground mounts are slower than the broom overall.
12. Does Your Wand Choice Affect Gameplay?
No, your wand selection, including the core material (Dragon Heartstring, Unicorn Hair, Phoenix Feather), does not impact your character’s abilities. Wand choice is purely cosmetic, just like brooms.
13. Is One Hogwarts House Better Than Another?
In terms of core gameplay, all Hogwarts Houses are similar. Each House offers a unique common room and a specific questline. However, many players consider Hufflepuff to be the “best” House due to the exclusive access to Azkaban via their side quest.
14. Can You Catch Wild Hippogriffs and Ride Them?
You cannot catch wild Hippogriffs in the game. You unlock specific mounts through the story, not from encounters with the world.
15. Are there other mounts besides the ones mentioned?
There are five overall mounts in the game: The broom, Hippogriff, Thestral, Onyx Hippogriff and Graphorn.
Conclusion
While the Hippogriff might capture the imagination with its regal presence, the broom is the clear winner in terms of practical transportation in Hogwarts Legacy. Its superior maneuverability, instant mounting/dismounting, speed boost, auto-fly mode, and the upgrade questline make it a far more efficient and enjoyable mode of transport. Therefore, while you may enjoy briefly riding a Hippogriff, the broom will be your primary workhorse for navigating the magical world. With these key points in mind, players can make informed choices on how to travel the vast landscapes of the game, saving time, and experiencing the world from the best possible vantage point.