Obtaining Your First Mount - A Complete Walkthrough of the Mount Donan‘s Favor Quest in Diablo 4

As you journey through the dark gothic world of Diablo 4, you‘ll come to realize that having a loyal mount at your side can greatly enhance your gameplay experience. Mounts provide a much needed speed boost when traversing the game‘s vast open world, while also offering dynamic combat abilities to turn the tide of battle. One of the first opportunities to get your hands on a mount comes from completing a simple starter quest called Mount Donan‘s Favor. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to complete the Mount Donan‘s Favor questline and earn your first mount!

An Introduction to Mounts in Diablo 4

Before we dive into the specifics of acquiring your first mount, let‘s start with a quick crash course on how mounts function in Diablo 4. Mounts provide several core benefits:

Increased Movement Speed – Mounts grant 60% faster movement over traveling on foot, which really adds up when exploring large open world zones.
Combat Abilities – Each mount type has special abilities that can be used in combat, like trample attacks or temporary shields. Makes mounts viable fighting companions!
Capacity – Certain mounts like horses and boars provide extra inventory space for hauling more loot from your adventures.
Customization – Mounts can be customized with armor, saddles, bridles and more. Express your personal flair!
Account-Wide – Once earned, mounts are unlocked account-wide for all current and future characters.

These benefits make securing your first mount as early as possible a top priority. So let‘s get into exactly how to complete the Mount Donan‘s Favor quest to claim your reward!

Starting the Mount Donan‘s Favor Quest

To kick off the quest that will grant you your first free mount, you need to speak with Stable Master Oskar at the Kyovashad Stables in Kyovashad.

The Kyovashad Stables can be found in the southeastern part of the main starting zone, just south of the Waypoint. Look for the large stable icon on your area map and head there to find Oskar.

When you talk to Oskar, make sure to select the dialogue option that says "I‘m a friend of Donan‘s. He said you could provide a horse." This will trigger the quest to start.

Here‘s a quick overview of how to begin the Mount Donan‘s Favor quest:

Travel to Kyovashad in the starting zone
Locate the Kyovashad Stables in the southeast
Speak with Stable Master Oskar
Select the dialogue option referencing Donan‘s recommendation

And you‘re off to the races! Oskar will grant you the quest and your first mount.

Claiming Your Reward – The Ramsmeat Steed

Upon accepting the quest, you‘ll see the quest completion fanfare on screen. Open up your inventory, and you‘ll now have a new Mount item available. This first mount will be the Ramsmeat Steed, which is a basic brown horse.

Don‘t let the plain appearance fool you – this mount still provides the standard 60% movement speed increase that all mounts confer. It may not be the coolest or most exotic mount, but it‘s a perfectly serviceable option that will aid exploration and travel in the early hours of the game.

Here are some quick facts on the Ramsmeat Steed rewarded from this quest:

Obtained: Level 1
Speed Increase: 60%
Ability: Hoof Strike
Capacity: +10 Inventory Space

As a level 1 uncommon mount, the Ramsmeat Steed doesn‘t have any remarkable bonuses or abilities. But the inventory space is valuable, and Hoof Strike gives a solid damage option. Overall, it‘s a great low-level selection to get you moving faster right out of the gates.

Later in the game you can upgrade to more exotic mounts with greater capacities, damage abilities, and speed through special items and vendors. But this trusty steed will be a staple early on.

Using Your New Mount Effectively

Mounting up for the first time is exhilarating! But it does take a bit of practice to use a mount to its full potential. Here are some tips:

Summon your mount whenever traveling long distances to benefit from the speed boost
Strafe side to side on your mount to avoid enemies and projectiles
Utilize your mount‘s abilities like Hoof Strike to deal extra damage in combat
Dismount when entering small dungeons or tunnels your mount can‘t navigate
Customize your mount‘s appearance and equip bonuses through the Stable menu

Take some time to get comfortable with the mounted controls and handling. It will start to feel natural quickly. Mounts make almost all activities in Diablo 4 faster and more fluid.

Now let‘s look at how to further expand your mount collection…

Getting More Mounts in Diablo 4

After you‘ve secured your first mount from the Mount Donan quest, your next goal will be acquiring even more mounts. Diablo 4 has a wide menagerie of exotic mounts beyond basic horses. Here are a few examples and how to obtain them:

Bog Dog Wolf Mount

The Bog Dog is ferocious armored wolf mount perfect for melee classes. It has a Brutal Bite ability that grants life leech on hit.

Obtained: Purchased from Staable Master for 5,300 gold

Sunmane Stallion

This mount leaves a blazing fiery trail in its wake. Its Ignite ability burns nearby enemies while also granting Ignore Pain to absorb damage.

Obtained: Purchased from Stable Master for 16,800 gold

Battle Boar

A heavily plated rugged boar that shrugs off attacks. It provides bonus Magic Find and Gold Find.

Obtained: Purchased from Stable Master for 21,700 gold

These are just a few of the many mounts available. New mounts can be purchased from any Stable Master in the main towns of Diablo 4. Prices range from a few thousand gold for basic mounts to over 20,000 gold for legendary ones!

Save up your gold earnings from quests, enemies, and selling unwanted gear at the vendor. A diverse mount collection will make exploration feel fresh and new.

Ideal Mounts for Each Class

The mounts you choose to pursue will depend heavily on your character class and playstyle. Here are some top mount recommendations for each class:

Barbarians – Battle Boar or Steel Jaw Bear. The extra toughness and damage absorbing effects complement their frontline role.

Rogues – Bog Dog or Shadow Wolf. Swift and vicious beasts that enhance their hit and run style.

Sorcerers – Sunmane Stallion or Arcane Mistral. Boosts damage with Ignite abilities and concentrated magical assaults.

Druids – Rookshrike or Wyllum Sloth. Natural mounts that improve their primal abilities. Extra minion bonuses.

Necromancers – Skeletal Steed or Plague Mare. Undead mounts that sync with their death magic abilities.

Try to choose mounts that shore up your character‘s weaknesses or enhance their playstyle strengths. A tanky frontliner like a Barbarian might prioritize shields and resistance over speed or damage. Whereas a Sorcerer thrives on Ignite effects. Learn your class, and outfit your mount accordingly!

Advanced Tips for Maximizing Mount Potential

For hardcore Diablo fans wanting to truly master the mounted combat playstyle, here are some advanced tactics and tips:

Mounted attacks do not inherit any weapon properties. Prioritize sheer damage over effects.
Movement abilities like Vault can be used while mounted to cover ground extremely quickly.
Fragile mounts fare better for ranged classes who take less direct damage.
The Horseman‘s Flail and Spurs of the Hawk items further boost mounted capabilities.
STEEDMONGERdecoratePrefix your mount with Pearls for more Magic Find and Gold Find.
Mounted followers like the Ferocious Wolf provide a second damaging mount.
Customize barding armor colors to telegraph dangerous mount abilities.
Frost damage can slow targets to keep them in range of your mount‘s attacks.

Take the time to experiment with skills, gear, and customization to make your mount feel like a natural extension of your hero. The pair should move and attack as a single devastating unit.

Conclusion

Completing the quick and easy Mount Donan‘s Favor questline provides huge quality of life improvement in the early hours of Diablo 4. Your first mount opens up faster overworld navigation, additional inventory space, impactful abilities, and stylish customization. Learning to control your mount does take practice, but soon becomes second nature. Use this guide to obtain your Ramsmeat Steed, then set your sights on amassing an eclectic and awe-inspiring mount collection. Now set out and experience the dark fantasy world of Sanctuary from horseback at full gallop! The journey awaits, brave hero.