Elden Ring mount guide: How to get Torrent

The Elden Ring mount is one of the new Soulsborne elements that you'll encounter in the Lands Between. Your trusty spectral steed, Torrent, isn't just useful for hoofing it between Sites of Grace—he can help you traverse obstacles with his double jump, and even lend you a hand with fighting.

There are a variety of bosses and enemies in the world whom you'll have to tackle from horseback, such as mounted knights guarding the roads, and even dragons. Torrent adds a whole new level to dragon fights. He lets you easily avoid their AoE flames and weave between their legs to bonk them on the nose with your weapon.

Luckily it's easy to get Torrent right at the beginning of the game. I'll show you how to get started with Torrent in Elden Ring, and also explain some key horseriding details.

How to get a mount in Elden Ring 

You can get Torrent shortly after you leave the Stranded Graveyard and make your way into the open world. Head north towards the ruined Church of Elleh and activate the Site of Grace there. The next Site of Grace you activate and rest at will prompt Melina to appear. Head along the east road to the Gatefront Ruins: it boasts two Sites of Grace to choose from on either side.

Melina will offer you a bargain, and if you say yes, she'll give you the Spectral Steed Whistle. Even if you say no to her initially, you'll still be able to call her at a Site of Grace and change your mind. Once you've acquired the whistle, you can equip it along with your consumables and use it to summon Torrent.

Torrent can sprint just like you. He can also jump, though he has a second jump charge, making him better for climbing and platforming. Here are some other points to remember:

• You can use specific attack buttons to dictate which side you swing your weapon during combat. If you’re using a controller, R2 and L2 are slow attacks with a long windup, R1 and L1 are quick attacks.
• If you run over glowing skulls with Torrent, you can also pick up golden runes from them.

Now you've got Torrent, don't forget to get the Elden Ring Spirit Calling Bell before you carry on.  

How to heal Torrent 

Torrent has his own health bar, and he may die before you do, knocking you to the ground. As you can imagine, this is especially troublesome in the middle of a boss fight.

Luckily, you can heal Torrent by feeding him Rowa Raisins. You can make these with the Rowa Fruit you'll find on bushes throughout the Lands Between. You can even feed him while still running, making it a handy tool for healing him mid-fight. Rowa Raisins don't require a recipe to unlock, and you can use your crafting menu to make them once you acquire the Crafting Tools from Kale the Merchant in the Church of Elleh. If Torrent dies too much, you'll have to use one of your Flasks of Crimson Tears to heal him. 

The upside is just as Torrent can lose health, you can also kill enemy and boss mounts which often makes it easier to defeat them.

Elden Ring Spirit Springs: What are they? 

The Lands Between are filled with high cliffs and deep ravines, and sometimes you need a speedy way to get out of them. That's where Spirit Springs come in—you can use them to let Torrent jump huge distances. You can only do this at fixed points, but they're easy to recognise. 

First, look for a circle made of water that is shifting and moving, then step inside with Torrent and press the jump button. Make sure you are actually facing towards where you are trying to reach, otherwise it could end badly for both of you.