Is There Anything to Ride in Valheim? A Viking’s Guide to Mounts and More

The short answer is yes! As of the Hearth and Home update, you can indeed ride creatures in Valheim: the mighty Lox. But before you envision yourself galloping across the plains, there are a few key steps you need to take. This article will cover everything you need to know about riding in Valheim, from taming a Lox to mastering your mount.

Taming Your Ride: The Lox

The Requirements for Taming a Lox

Before you can even think about a saddle, you’ll need to tame a Lox. These large, furry creatures reside primarily in the Plains biome, and they aren’t immediately friendly. Taming them involves a bit of patience and the right snacks.

• Food is Key: Lox love to munch on Cloudberries, Flax, and Barley. These can be found (or grown) within the Plains biome. Flax and Barley are most often found at the Fuling Villages in the area.

• Stealth and Patience: Approach the Lox cautiously. Crouch to minimize your visibility and slowly offer it the food. It might take several offerings over a period to gain their trust. The taming process takes roughly 30 minutes, and it needs a player within render distance.

• The Taming Process: You’ll know the Lox is being tamed when hearts appear above its head. Repeat the feeding process until the hearts become constant, indicating full taming.

Crafting the Lox Saddle

Once you have a tamed Lox, it’s time to craft the Lox Saddle. The recipe requires:

• Leather Scraps: Obtained by hunting boars.
• Black Metal: Processed from Black Metal Scrap found in Fuling villages.
• Linen Thread: Made from Flax.

The crafting station of choice is the Artisan Table, and it is very useful.

Mounting Your Lox

With the saddle crafted, the final step is to equip it to your Lox:

1. Place the Lox Saddle in one of your numbered hotkey slots.

2. Approach the tamed Lox.

3. Press the corresponding hotkey.

4. Your Viking will equip the Lox with the saddle, and you’re ready to ride!

Riding Mechanics

Riding a Lox isn’t quite like riding a horse in other games. Here’s what you need to know:

• Directional Movement: Use the standard movement keys (W, A, S, D) to control the Lox’s direction.

• Turning: Directional keys will not cause the Lox to turn while riding.

• Sprinting: The Lox can sprint, making it faster than even high-level players, especially when encumbered by heavy armor.

• Dismounting: Trying to use your weapons will instantly dismount the player from their Lox.

• Trampling Power: While you can’t directly attack while mounted, a sprinting Lox can trample enemies, dealing significant damage.

The Benefits of Riding a Lox

Riding a Lox offers several advantages:

• Speed and Mobility: As mentioned, a Lox is fast, especially when sprinting.
• Tanking Ability: Lox retain their impressive health and damage resistances while being ridden.
• Combat Potential: Trampling enemies is a viable combat strategy.
• Transportation: Lox can carry you across terrain that might be difficult or dangerous on foot.

Beyond the Lox: Other Forms of Transportation

While the Lox is the only creature you can directly ride in Valheim, the game offers various other forms of transportation:

• Rafts: Basic and inexpensive, ideal for short trips.
• Karves: Small sailing ships, offering faster and more stable travel than rafts.
• Longships: Large, durable vessels capable of long ocean voyages.
• Portals: Teleportation devices that allow you to quickly travel between bases. (Note: Lox themselves can travel through portals.)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can you fight while riding a Lox?

No, you cannot use your weapons while riding a Lox. Attempting to attack will immediately dismount you.

2. What are Lox weak against?

Lox are weak against Fire damage. They are resistant to Blunt, Slash, and Frost Damage and immune to Spirit damage.

3. How long does it take to tame a Lox?

The taming process usually takes around 30 minutes, but it only progresses if you are within render distance of the Lox.

4. How do you breed Lox?

To breed Lox, ensure they are happy and well-fed with Cloudberries, Flax, or Barley. There must be at least one other Lox within 8 meters and no more than 4 Lox within 20 meters.

5. Can you tame a Lox without a pen?

Yes, you can tame a Lox without a pen. Slowly crouch, feed it, and back away. After some time, the Lox will be tamed.

6. Can you make tamed Lox follow you?

Yes. A method to make them follow you is to harpoon some little enemies and bring it to the tamed lox. You can also harpoon the Lox itself, but it will drain stamina quickly. Remember to turn friendly fire on.

7. How do you equip the Lox Saddle?

Place the Lox Saddle on your hotbar, approach the tamed Lox, and press the corresponding hotkey. To remove the saddle, press Left-Shift + E.

8. Can Lox go through portals?

Yes, Lox can travel through portals, whether tamed or not.

9. Why won’t my tamed Lox eat?

Lox may not eat if there is a roof too close to them, as their pathfinding is based on the size of Trolls.

10. What are the best foods to tame a Lox?

The best foods to tame a Lox are Barley, Cloudberries, and Flax.

11. Is there any way to speed up the Lox taming process?

Unfortunately, there is no direct way to speed up the taming process. Maintaining a consistent supply of food and staying within render distance are the best strategies.

12. What happens if a Lox dies?

If a Lox dies, it will drop meat and hide. If it was tamed, it is a significant loss and will require you to tame another one.

13. Are there any plans to add more rideable creatures in Valheim?

While the developers have not officially announced any plans for additional rideable creatures, Valheim is constantly evolving, and new features are always a possibility.

14. Can you ride a Lox on water?

No, Lox cannot swim and will drown if they enter deep water.

15. Where can I learn more about game mechanics and educational applications of games like Valheim?

You can explore resources and research related to game-based learning at the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.

16. Are there any Gods in Valheim?

Yes, but you cannot ride them. Odin appears at random from a distance, and Thor has a 50% chance to appear in thunderstorms once Moder has been defeated.