In Guild Wars 2 started on November 30 a beta event where you can try out new content from the upcoming expansion End of Dragons. One of these contents is the new mount Siege Turtle. It is not only huge but also feels really hefty.
What kind of mount is this? The Siege Turtle comes into play with the new expansion End of Dragons. It is the largest mount in Guild Wars 2 to date and has a special function.
You can take other players who are in a group or squad with you on the mount. While you control it, they can use the turtle’s skills. The mount has huge cannons that can be fired.
As with mounts in Guild Wars 2, the Siege Turtle uses a “realistic movement”. This means that it starts off slowly and builds speed over time. However, it has a particularly long braking distance and a huge turning radius – just fitting for huge turtles.
A first look at the mount is given by this trailer:
What event is happening? From November 30 to December 4, you can participate in a beta event in Guild Wars 2. For this, you will receive 3 additional character slots where you can create finished max-level characters, that have access to the new elite specializations.
These characters can also use the new mount and move around like normal characters in the game world. However, be aware that all progress made with the character will be reset.
MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch has already tried the mount briefly and is having a lot of fun with it. He summarizes his first impressions for you here.
Impressive mount with cool abilities for the passenger
What makes the mount so great? Right from the start, the sheer size of the turtle stands out. The mount rivals some buildings, and your character seems ridiculously small on it.
However, it gets really good when you start moving with the turtle. In the first seconds, the turtle hardly gains speed, but then it takes off.
You can see how your speed is doing above the endurance bar. The red area, and thus the maximum speed, can only be reached if you run straight ahead. Any slight curve noticeably reduces your speed.
You can also briefly hover over the ground with the spacebar. This is particularly cool when you jump down a slope but do not want to take damage. Hovering is also useful for jumping over obstacles.
However, the turtle has a considerable braking distance and a huge turning radius. Quick maneuvers or short sprints are not its strength, but there are other useful mounts in the game for that.
The owner of the turtle also has an attack where the turtle performs a huge body slam.
If a second player comes along, they cannot control the turtle, but they can use its special abilities:
- On one hand, you can fire a cannon shot during movement, dealing AoE damage to up to 5 enemies. You have 5 shots that recharge over time and regenerate faster the more the turtle runs.
- On the other hand, you can give the turtle a short speed boost. However, this should be well coordinated with the steering person. In the first tests, I had my teammate run straight into a wall with the boost.
The new abilities of the turtle
In addition to the abilities, the turtle also comes with some new skills. You can unlock these after unlocking the Siege Turtle:
- Turtle Health Boost – Doubles the turtle’s hit points
- Slam Mastery – Using the Slam ability generates 0.25 shots for the other player for each enemy hit
- Improved Jump Jets – The turtle can jump further and higher
- Power Shell – Incoming damage is converted into ammunition for the shooter
- Sharing is Caring – Other mounts now also benefit from the turtle’s additional hit points
You can later level the skills by unlocking the mount and then collecting XP beyond level 80.
What do you think of the turtle? Does the mount appeal to you, or do you prefer smaller and more agile mounts? And what should your perfect mount look like? Feel free to write it in the comments.
While Guild Wars 2 places value on useful abilities and coherent gameplay with its mounts, things can get really crazy in Final Fantasy XIV. Here are some highlights:
Final Fantasy XIV: From flying beds to monkeys – The 10 craziest mounts
