The Free Mounts in The Elder Scrolls Online

Exploring Tamriel’s breathtaking landscapes becomes infinitely more enjoyable when you’re mounted. From Skyrim’s snow-capped peaks to Elsweyr’s sun-scorched deserts, having a trusty steed transforms your adventuring experience from tedious travel to epic journeys.

Mounts serve dual purposes in ESO – they’re both fashion statements and functional assets. Beyond showcasing your personal style with everything from noble horses to mechanical wolves, every mount provides 60 additional inventory slots through the carrying capacity skill line. This extra storage proves invaluable for hoarding crafting materials, treasure, and loot from your expeditions.

Strategic mount usage can reduce travel time by up to 60% compared to foot travel, making them essential for efficient gameplay and exploration completion.

Sorrel Horse

Your mount journey begins automatically at character level 10, when you receive the dependable Sorrel Horse. This brown-coated equine companion provides reliable transportation across all zones, though its appearance remains modest compared to premium options.

While not the most visually striking mount available, the Sorrel Horse’s true value lies in its functionality. It enables new players to immediately access faster travel and additional storage without any financial investment.

Pro tip: Focus on completing main story quests and daily dungeon runs to reach level 10 quickly, typically achievable within 4-6 hours of focused gameplay for efficient players.

Historical note: Before Update 17, players could purchase the Sorrel Horse from Stablemasters for 10,000 gold, making the current free version a significant quality-of-life improvement for newcomers.

Midnight Steed, Brown Paint Horse, and Bay Dun Horse

Stablemasters across Tamriel offer three distinct horse breeds, each priced at 42,700 gold. This represents one of the most straightforward methods for expanding your mount collection through in-game currency rather than real money purchases.

Gold farming efficiency directly impacts how quickly you can acquire these mounts. Focus on daily crafting writs, stealing and fencing goods, and completing public dungeon achievements for consistent gold income streams.

Midnight Steed: This majestic black-coated horse features star-like glowing eyes and an aura of mystery that stands out in any crowd of adventurers.

Brown Paint Horse: Displaying unique brushstroke-like patterns blending brown and white shades, this mount appeals to players seeking rustic elegance with artistic flair.

Bay Dun Horse: With its rich golden-brown coat accented by a striking black mane and tail, this mount embodies the spirit of wild, untamed landscapes perfect for roleplaying enthusiasts.

Common mistake: Many players underestimate daily crafting writ income. At maximum crafting levels, completing all seven daily writs generates approximately 4,600 gold daily, meaning you could purchase one of these mounts in under 10 days through consistent effort alone.

Ebon Dwarven Wolf

The Antiquities System, introduced in 2020, offers the Ebon Dwarven Wolf mount through extensive lead collection. This mechanical marvel features sleek grey and black metal construction with electrifying jump animations and haunting howl effects.

Acquiring this mount requires mastering the scrying and excavation mechanics across multiple zones. The 17 required leads span dungeons, public dungeons, and overworld locations requiring diverse gameplay engagement.

Optimization strategy: Begin with green-quality leads in starter zones to level your scrying skill efficiently before tackling purple and gold leads in more challenging areas.

Advanced players should prioritize leads that drop from dungeon bosses, as these often require group content completion that can be scheduled with guildmates for optimal efficiency.

Essential leads include: Dwarven Spine-Coupling from Rkulftzel rubble piles; Dwarven Steam Conduit from Inner Sea Armature’s final boss; and Dwarven Rib-Frame from Klathzgar’s Centurion in Bangkorai.

Time investment: Completing all 17 leads typically requires 15-20 hours of dedicated gameplay, making this one of the more time-intensive free mount acquisition methods.

Champion Senche Lion

The Sunspire Trial from the Elsweyr Chapter challenges 12-player groups against three powerful dragons. The Champion Senche Lion mount requires completing the Sunspire Dragonbreak achievement on veteran difficulty within 30 minutes without any team member deaths.

Group composition optimization: Successful veteran trial completion demands balanced teams with at least 3 dedicated healers, 2 tanks, and 7 damage dealers with optimized rotations and gear sets.

Sul-Xan Fleshripper

Rockgrove Trial, introduced with the Deadlands DLC, offers the Sul-Xan Fleshripper mount through the Xalvakka’s Bane achievement, requiring completion of all other Rockgrove achievements on veteran difficulty.

Preparation requirements: Teams should have minimum 80,000 DPS per damage dealer, with tanks capable of sustaining 35,000+ health through heavy damage phases.

Common failure points: Many groups struggle with the Soul Bombardier and Keep Your Distance mechanics, requiring precise positioning and rapid reaction times from all members.

Nascent Indrik

Seasonal events provide consistent opportunities for free mount acquisition through the event tickets system. Players can earn limited tickets daily by completing event-specific activities during limited-time celebrations.

Strategic ticket management: Since you can only hold 12 event tickets simultaneously, plan your purchases carefully focusing on mount fragments first before other rewards.

The Impresario merchant appears during events offering mount components, with popular options including the Soulfire Dragon Illusion and various Indrik evolution stages.

Voidmother’s Welwa

The Endeavors System revolutionizes free mount acquisition by allowing players to earn Seals of Endeavors through daily and weekly challenges, redeemable for premium Crown Crate mounts without spending real currency.

Twitch integration through Ouroboros Crates offers another free mount avenue. By linking accounts and watching eligible streams, players can obtain the exclusive Senche of Scarlet Regret mount, though its extremely low drop rate requires significant viewing time investment for acquisition.

Pro tip: Combine event participation with daily endeavors for maximum free mount progression. Complete at least three daily endeavors and the weekly endeavor consistently to accumulate Seals of Endeavors efficiently for seasonal crate purchases.

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