DragonSword Awakening Mounts Guide – Early Unlocks & Exploration Skills

#Which mounts should you unlock first?

The useful early DragonSword Awakening mounts are not just cosmetic rides. In a launch-preview walkthrough published before the public Steam release, collected Familiar variations improve the shared exploration kit used by mounts. The practical early priorities demonstrated in that source are:

1. the starter beetle line for shared mount stamina;
2. the Sandstorm Sky Wolf line for underwater dashing;
3. the squirrel line for a faster climbing jump;
4. the Bright Crow Tit line while you naturally collect bird eggs;
5. the Griffin line later, after Elite Mercenary Rank.

This is a progression route from a third-party pre-release review build, not an official Hound13 ranking or proof that every condition remained identical at launch. Names, effects and unlock counters should be checked against your current in-game Collection menu because captions can mishear proper nouns and patches can alter conditions.

#How the mount and Familiar system helps exploration

The Steam store describes Familiars as collectible companions that assist your journey. The launch-preview walkthrough goes further by demonstrating that collecting particular variations added exploration functions shared across the mount roster in the tested build.

That distinction matters. You are not only choosing which creature looks best; you are gradually improving how long mounts can travel and which terrain actions they can perform. These functions reduce repeated trips when searching for Waypoints, treasure, eggs and world objectives.

#Priority 1: starter beetle variations for stamina

The walkthrough calls the first mount the Robust Stag Beetle and identifies its collection bonus as additional mount stamina. It shows another variation available through the collection or exchange menu, followed by a mining-related condition for a later variation.

The durable advice is:

• buy or claim the affordable early variation when its Collection requirement appears;
• break ore deposits while exploring instead of backtracking solely for the mining counter;
• treat the exact Emblem cost, ore count and percentage as version-sensitive until confirmed in your own current menu.

Why start here? Stamina affects every long route. A small shared stamina improvement can help on ground travel, flight and underwater trips, including the route used for the secret costume and hidden boss.

#Priority 2: Sandstorm Sky Wolf for underwater dash

The source walkthrough demonstrates a Sandstorm Sky Wolf entry purchased with Gold and a later variation tied to story progress. The narrator states that collecting the relevant second variation unlocks underwater dashing for Familiars and mounts.

Use this as the practical order:

1. check the Familiar Collection menu after ordinary story progress;
2. buy the early Gold entry only after protecting the budget needed by your active three-character team;
3. complete the displayed story condition for the next variation;
4. confirm the underwater-dash icon or Collection effect before relying on it.

Underwater mobility has direct value for deep-sea treasure and long dives. It does not remove the need to manage stamina or use food where a route demands more endurance.

#Priority 3: squirrel variations for climbing jump

The pre-release guide attributes Climbing Jump to the squirrel Familiar line. The demonstrated unlock path includes a squirrel-hunting counter and a Mercenary Rank requirement.

Start the counter during normal exploration rather than farming it from zero later:

• use lock-on to notice small targets;
• a ranged or projectile attack can make moving targets easier to hit;
• keep progressing Mercenary Rank, because finishing a counter does not necessarily bypass the rank gate;
• verify the exact required count in the current Collection screen.

Climbing Jump is most useful on cliffs, towers and structures where the direct route is vertical. It complements the search patterns in the treasure and collectibles guide.

#Priority 4: Bright Crow Tit and bird eggs

The walkthrough shows the Bright Crow Tit as an early rank reward and a later variation connected to collecting bird eggs. It recommends checking rooftops, scaffolding, trees and elevated terrain while moving through the world.

Important boundary from the same demonstration: the narrator reports that goose eggs did not count toward the displayed bird-egg objective. Treat that as a dated player observation, not a universal taxonomy rule. Read the item and objective wording in your own build before planning a route.

A good routine is to mark egg clusters on the interactive map or in your own notes, then revisit them after the world state changes. The video suggests that previously collected eggs can return, but the precise reset rule was not independently reproduced for this article.

#Priority 5: Griffin after Elite Mercenary Rank

The Griffin is presented as a later progression target gated by Elite Mercenary Rank. A further variation is associated with defeating world bosses.

Do not delay the more accessible stamina, underwater and climbing utilities while waiting for this line. Progress toward the Griffin naturally by:

• increasing Mercenary Rank;
• clearing available world bosses;
• recording which bosses and resets counted in the Collection menu;
• checking the current patch if a displayed counter behaves unexpectedly.

The narrator describes unusual boss refresh behavior in the build used for the video. That behavior may have been a bug and should not be treated as a dependable farming method.

#Early mount checklist

• Open the Familiar or Collection menu and read each variation's current condition.
• Claim an early stamina-improving beetle variation.
• Break ore during ordinary routes.
• Save enough Gold for team progression before purchasing a Familiar entry.
• Unlock underwater dash before planning deep-sea collection routes.
• Begin squirrel and bird-egg counters early.
• Continue Mercenary Rank progression for later lines.
• Recheck counts and names after a patch.

#Familiar DLC is not the same as a verified mount upgrade

The Steam store lists optional Familiar DLC, including the Deluxe Pack Familiar and separate Familiar packs. A store listing proves that a Familiar is sold; it does not by itself prove a traversal skill, stamina bonus or better performance than a base-game Familiar.

Do not buy DLC solely because a creature is described informally as a mount. Check the store description and the current in-game Collection effect. This guide does not claim that paid Familiars are required for exploration.

#Evidence boundary

The game's official Steam page confirms collectible Familiars. The specific unlock order and traversal effects above come from GameBreakerGod's launch-preview walkthrough, uploaded before the public Steam release, and should be treated as behavior demonstrated in that review build. Exact costs, counters, proper names, reset timing and Collection bonuses remain patch-sensitive and were not all independently reproduced in the public build.

#Sources

• DragonSword: Awakening on Steam — official Familiar and game-system description.
• GameBreakerGod: Get These Mounts FIRST! They Unlock Everything — launch-preview demonstration of the beetle, Sandstorm Sky Wolf, squirrel, Bright Crow Tit and Griffin progression routes; published before the public Steam release.
• DragonSword Awakening Map & Exploration Hub — related routes and the interactive map.