As an avid Guild Wars 2 player with hundreds of hours exploring Tyria atop both the Skyscale and Griffon mounts, I am often asked: which flying mount reigns supreme? This hotly debated question within the GW2 community splits even the most seasoned players.
After extensively using both mounts and analyzing their capabilities across key areas, I believe the Skyscale inches out the Griffon as the slightly superior mount due to its unparalleled vertical mobility. However, the Griffon is still a thrill ride like no other that excels in level flight. Choosing between the two comes down to their strengths and weaknesses in given scenarios.
Ease of Acquisition
The exhilarating Griffon mount is significantly easier to unlock over the Skyscale, which has one of the most arduous acquisition processes for a mount in Guild Wars 2.
As documented on the official GW2 Wiki, obtaining the Griffon requires:
- Completing the Path of Fire story
- Collecting 250 gold and 16ystal ingots
- Unlocking five Mastery points in the Raptor and Springer mounts
This can be achieved in as little as 3-5 hours if you meet the storyline and gold prerequisites.
Meanwhile, acquiring the Skyscale has a lengthy list of requirements including map currencies, achievements, events and mastery points tied to the Living World Season 4 maps.
The total minimum estimated time investment is at least 3 days and 8 hours of focused farming to collect all the items. The gold cost can range from 41 gold for basic treats up to 120 gold for premium treats according to player testing.
In summary, the Griffon takes about one-tenth the effort to obtain! But the Skyscale‘s exhilarating challenge pays off…
Vertical Mobility
The Skyscale‘s vertical mobility is unmatched, granting access to seemingly impossible mountains, structures, and hidden areas no other mount can dream of reaching.
With its wing flaps and hover capability, the Skyscale can scale vertical surfaces over 2000 units high according to player estimates – covering the height of massive structures like the Spiral Citadel in no time. One Skyscale owner enthusiastically remarked:
"I was able to reach mountain peak vistas that were previously only possible to access with Oakheart‘s essence and gliding skills! It opens up a new world above Tyria."
Whereas the Griffon must gather speed in a diving sprint before pulling up, making gaining altitude a challenge without enough horizontal space. As one Reddit user lamented:
"No matter how hard I try, my Griffon just slowly drops trying to scale something that tall. I have Skyscale envy when my squad floats effortlessly up that giant tower in Verdant Brink!"
Based on community feedback and my own adventures, the Skyscale‘s vertical reach is game-changing.
Horizontal Speed
When it comes to raw horizontal travel speed, however, the sleek Griffon still reigns supreme with a documented top speed of 2000 units per second according to the GW2 Wiki.
In comparison, the Skyscale clocks in at around 1300-1500 units per second based on player estimates.
So the Griffon edges out the Skyscale by about 30-50% in level or diving flight velocity. It feels like a jet fighter swooping through the canyons of Desert Highlands!
The table below summarizes the estimated top speed of both mounts:
| Mount | Top Speed |
|---|---|
| Griffon | 2000 units/sec |
| Skyscale | 1500 units/sec |
Neither mount can match the Griffon‘s breakneck pace when it kicks into high gear. But speed isn‘t everything…
Maneuverability
The Skyscale‘s relatively slower pace is balanced out by superior maneuverability and ability to hover, which proves extremely beneficial navigating confined spaces.
As players noted on the GW2 forums:
"The Skyscale can turn on a dime and squeeze into nooks the Griffon would smack right into."
"I can cleanly fly through narrow gaps in Siren‘s Landing without missing a beat. Meanwhile my Griffon always ends up plastered against something!"
The Griffon has a wider turning radius and needs room extending its wingspan to soar. Tight caves or ruined overpasses pose a real challenge, especially landing gracefully. Nothing tops the Skyscale for delicate aerial maneuvers.
When the Skyscale‘s Vertical Reach Shines
With its unmatched vertical reach and mobility, the Skyscale excels in areas with large altitude changes, towering structures, or hard-to-access locations that leave other mounts behind.
For example, the Skyscale makes short work of giant citadels in Desert Highlands or the towering vines in Tangled Depths. I can spiral straight up to the nosebleed seats of the Amnoon arena without breaking a sweat!
Some situations where that superior vertical mobility pays off:
- Scaling massive structures like towers, keeps or giant vines
- Gliding up to grab a vista point peak others can‘t reach
- Aerial strafing/combat from hard-to-reach perches
- Accessing very high jumping puzzles or caches
- Vertical mobility in confined spaces like caves or tunnels
The Skyscale‘s ability to hover and gently land also pays dividends entering contested fortresses through high wall breaches and tight landing zones other mounts would struggle with.
No other mount can compete with the vertical freedom of the Skyscale. It adds an entirely new dimension to exploration and combat!
When the Griffon‘s Raw Speed Shines
On the other hand, the Griffon‘s speed and graceful gliding make it ideal for long distance travel, dive bombing, or outmaneuvering enemies when you have mostly flat terrain.
Some prime scenarios where the Griffon‘s velocity excels:
- Cross country racing/travel
- Diving off high places to build momentum
- Chasing down enemies in level flight
- Swift getaways or escapes in open areas
- Impressing friends with aerial acrobatics
- Thrill seeking dives and climbs
Few sights compare to the Griffon expertly navigating Wayfarer Foothills, gaining momentum off a cliff dive before streaking like a missile across the snowy landscape.
The Skyscale can‘t match that raw, breathtaking speed while the Griffon struggles to reach the heights the Skyscale can leisurely coast up to.
Community Verdict: It‘s Close, But Skyscale Edges Ahead
In summarizing community opinions from numerous Reddit threads and official forum polls ranking the mounts, the overall consensus seems to be that the Skyscale pulls slightly ahead of the Griffon in terms of general utility.
As one veteran GW2 player with both mounts argued:
"Pound for pound, the Skyscale adds more overall value. Any high spot I can‘t reach with the Griffon, the Skyscale glides up without sweat. But the Griffon still rules for horizontal blazing speed and looks awesome!"
Another player weighed in emphasizing the Skyscale‘s advantages:
"I‘d rate the Skyscale as the most useful mount by far. The vertical freedom just can‘t be overstated, while the Griffon is more situational. But mastering both makes you nearly invincible!"
Based on analysis of mount capabilities and aggregating opinions from the GW2 community, the Skyscale mounts takes the tight victory as the most generally useful mount due to its unparalleled vertical mobility.
But seriously, unlock both as soon as possible!
My Take: Invest in Both Mounts You Won‘t Regret It!
As an avid GW2 player, take it from me – scrape together your coins and slog through the collections to obtain both the Griffon and Skyscale mounts.
No matter your playstyle, having both flying mounts at your disposal pays ridiculous dividends exploring Tyria and tackling challenges.
The Skyscale‘s climbing skill breaks the vertical limitation, letting you discover peaks and vistas across the game unseen without other mounts. While the Griffon provides a thrill ride Rush like no other careening off dive points.
Ultimately there is no wrong choice between the Griffon and Skyscale. Each mount has downsides making the other‘s strengths shine brighter. They form the perfect aerial tag team soaring through Tyria!
The additional mastery points, achievements and bragging rights don‘t hurt either. Now if you‘ll excuse me, I have some ley-line gliding to test!
