You're standing in the middle of a lush field in Reveria. Your pockets are bursting with Ore, your stamina bar is blinking red, and the nearest town feels like it's a hundred miles away. We've all been there. This is exactly where the Fantasy Life i mounts system stops being a "nice to have" and becomes an absolute lifeline. Honestly, if you played the original 3DS classic, you know the struggle of hoofing it across the Grassy Plains. In Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, Level-5 hasn't just brought back the horses; they’ve fundamentally changed how we interact with the island’s verticality and its shifting timelines.
It's about momentum.
When you're juggling a dozen different Lives—from Paladin to Cook—you don't want to spend ten minutes walking. You want to get to the node, hit the boss, and get back to your workshop. The mounts in this game aren't just cosmetic skins. They're tools.
What's Actually New With Fantasy Life i Mounts?
The big thing people keep asking is whether we're stuck with just basic horses again. Short answer: No. Long answer: It's complicated by the game's time-travel mechanic. Because Fantasy Life i involves rebuilding a ruined island by traveling between the past and the present, your mounts serve as a bridge. You aren't just riding a horse; you're often navigating terrain that literally didn't exist a few "game hours" ago.
Level-5 has been somewhat tight-lipped about the full roster, but we’ve seen clear evidence of varied traversal options. We’re looking at the return of the classic Horse, but with a twist. In the original, you basically rented a horse or bought a permanent one if you had the Dosh. In the new title, the integration feels much tighter. You’ve got the Great Spirit influence now.
Think about the terrain. The new island is much more vertical than the old world of Reveria. You have cliffs, ruins, and tiered building plots. A standard horse isn't going to cut it when you need to leap across gaps in a crumbling civilization. This is where the "mystical" side of the Fantasy Life i mounts comes into play. We are seeing creatures that look suspiciously like they can handle steep inclines and perhaps even glide.
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It’s a massive relief. Walking everywhere was charming in 2012. In 2026? We need speed.
The Rental vs. Ownership Debate
Most players make the mistake of ignoring the rental system early on. Don't do that. Just like in the first game, you'll likely start with access to a stable. Renting is cheap. It’s basically pocket change compared to the loot you find in the first ten minutes of exploration.
Buying a permanent mount, however, is the long game. It’s an investment. In the previous game, owning your horse meant it stayed where you left it and actually had a "home" in your stable. In Fantasy Life i, ownership is tied to the island's reconstruction. As you build up your town, your facilities for mounts improve.
The Mystery of the Flying Mount
Let's address the dragon in the room. Or rather, the lack of one... so far. Everyone wants to know if we can fly. The original game teased us with the idea, but it was mostly restricted. With the new "island-building" focus, the community is convinced that aerial mounts are the endgame reward.
Imagine this. You've built a thriving town in the present. You need a specific material that only exists on a high peak in the past. If you can fly, the transition between these zones becomes seamless. It’s not just about speed; it’s about breaking the boundaries of the map. Level-5’s Dragon Quest IX heritage shows here. They know how to handle "the big unlock."
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Is it a dragon? A mechanical contraption built by a Master Carpenter and Alchemist? Probably both. The crafting system in Fantasy Life i is so deep that it wouldn't surprise me if the best Fantasy Life i mounts are actually things you have to build yourself.
Practical Tips for Managing Your Ride
Navigation is half the battle. When you’re on a mount, your interaction with the world changes. You can’t exactly mine a rock while sitting in a saddle. This creates a rhythm: ride, dismount, gather, ride.
- Watch the Stamina: Even mounts get tired. Don't just hold the gallop button. Use it in bursts to cross open fields, then let it recharge while you're navigating tighter paths.
- The "Park" Feature: If this follows the previous logic, your mount will wait for you. But be careful. If you enter a deep dungeon, your mount usually resets to the entrance or the stable. Don't expect your horse to wait outside a boss door in the Underworld.
- Cross-Life Utility: Use your mount to lure enemies. If you're playing a weaker "Gathering" Life like a Woodcutter, you can use the speed of a mount to bypass aggressive mobs that would otherwise one-shot you. It’s a cowards' tactic. It’s also very effective.
Why You Can't Ignore the Stable Master
The Stable Master is going to be your best friend. In the early footage, the stable is one of the first major "utility" buildings you can place on your island. The placement matters. If you put your stable at the far edge of your town, you're wasting time. Put it near the portal or the main gate.
There's also the "Bond" factor. While not explicitly a "pet sim," Fantasy Life has always rewarded players who stick with their choices. Feeding and using the same mount likely ties into its speed and stamina stats. It’s a subtle system. It doesn’t scream at you with progress bars, but you’ll notice your horse isn't huffing and puffing as much after a week of use.
Misconceptions About Mount Speed
A common gripe in the community is that "mounts aren't fast enough." People expect Grand Theft Auto speeds in a cozy RPG. That’s not the point. The Fantasy Life i mounts are designed to match the scale of the island. If you moved too fast, the world would feel tiny.
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The real value isn't the top speed. It's the ignore-factor. When you're on a mount, small enemies usually don't aggro as easily, or you can simply outrun their "tether" range before they even swing a sword. This saves your HP and your gear durability.
How to Get Your First Mount Fast
You want to rush the main quest until you unlock the "Island Development" feature. This is the bottleneck. You can't just buy a horse from a menu on day one. You have to earn the right to house them.
- Focus on the "Requests" from the mysterious girl. These move the timeline forward.
- Gather every piece of "Dosh" (money) you see. Don't spend it on fancy clothes yet.
- Look for the Stable blueprint. Once that’s built, the world opens up.
Honestly, the game feels completely different once you stop walking. It’s like the difference between flying coach and having a private jet. You see more. You do more. You are more.
The beauty of the system is how it scales with your "Life" rank. A Master Paladin might look cool on a basic horse, but wait until you see the endgame options that unlock once you've hit the top tier of your profession. There’s a sense of prestige involved. Your mount tells other players (and NPCs) exactly how much work you’ve put into the game.
Actionable Next Steps for New Players
- Prioritize the Stable: As soon as the game gives you the option to build, the stable should be in your top three priorities, alongside the forge and the alchemy lab.
- Test Different Terrains: Don't just stick to the roads. Test your mount's "climb" capability on the hills near the starting area to get a feel for the physics.
- Check the Past: Some mounts or mount-related items might only be available in the "past" version of the island. If you're stuck in the present, swap timelines and check the local vendors.
- Upgrade Your Tack: Look for saddles or horseshoes in the crafting menus. If you’re a Blacksmith, you can likely craft gear that improves mount stats.
By the time you reach the mid-game, your mount won't just be a way to get from A to B. It will be an extension of your character's build. Whether you're zooming across the plains to catch a rare fish or hauling heavy cargo back to your shop, the right ride makes all the difference in Reveria.
Maximize your efficiency by binding your "Mount/Dismount" action to a shortcut button as soon as the settings allow. This eliminates the clunky menu-diving that slowed down the original game's pace.