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Skyscale

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Disambig icon.png This article is about the mount. For other uses, see Skyscale (disambiguation).
Skyscale.png
“

Thanks to your training, your skyscale now has an instinctive bond with you and a desire to soar to new heights across Tyria.

— In-game description

Skyscale (overhead icon).png

The Skyscale is a mount first introduced in Episode 6 of Living World Season 4, War Eternal. It is the third new mount added to the game since the release of Path of Fire. During the Glory of Dragons story step, your character unlocks the ability to borrow single-use skyscales at Skyscale Roosts across Dragonfall.

Skyscales are useful for their ability to gain height while also moving horizontally in the air, which helps navigate difficult terrain. They can also hover in the air, cling to vertical surfaces and push themselves further up from them. Riding Skyscales can be compared to flying a helicopter, while another flying mount, the Griffon, functions more like an airplane, crossing large distances at high speeds.

Unlocking[edit]

The skyscale can be unlocked via two methods, and only one option is needed for full access everywhere. However, unlocking skyscale with Living World Season 4 method is required for upgraded mastery later (see Who Rescues Whom? and Wall Spring) and full mastery unlocks.

Living World Season 4 logo.png Living World Season 4[edit]

New Mount Acquired
Skyscale banner.png
The Skyscale
Thanks to your training, the skyscale species now has an innate steed-rider instinct and a desire to soar to new heights.
Skyscale (mount skin).png
Train your skyscale to leap off walls and harness reality rifts in order to reach incredible heights!
Mastery unlock icon.png
You've unlocked a Crystal Desert Mastery Point! View the Mastery Panel to learn more.

— Living World Season 4 unlocked pop-up

Primary article: Skyscale/Walkthrough

This original method is a bit longer; however, it is mandatory for obtaining the Legendary trinket, Vision, which requires unlocking the Rift Repair mastery and for the bonus effects in the Flight Training mastery track.

Note that the Flight Training mastery track is unlocked through playing the story Hell Breaks Loose and does not require either unlock collection.

Players who unlocked the mount through Secrets of the Obscure method must also complete the entire unlock process below to gain access to the Living World Season 4 skyscale mastery track.

  1. Requires ownership of Path of Fire and all episodes of Living World Season 4.
  2. Complete the following story chapters:
    • Legacy, the third chapter of A Star to Guide Us (episode 4), to unlock access to Sun's Refuge.
    • Descent, the last chapter of War Eternal (episode 6), to unlock Newborn Skyscales.
      • You must be logged onto the character that finished the story and epilogue to receive the mail to unlock this collection. Afterwards, any character can complete the collection once unlocked.
  3. Talk to Gorrik at Skyscale Eyrie in Dragonfall to unlock additional collection achievements.
  4. Complete all collection achievements to unlock the mount.
    • Total costs: 41 Gold coin + 5,390 Karma + 1,700 Volatile Magic + 520 Trade Contract + 250 Kralkatite Ore + 250 Difluorite Crystal + 250 Inscribed Shard + 250 Lump of Mistonium + 250 Branded Mass + 260 Mistborn Mote + 12 Piece of Skyscale Food.pngPiece of Skyscale Food + 1 Grow Lamp.pngGrow Lamp
    • The total minimum time needed for completion is 3 days and 8 hours due to the below time gates:
      • Each new collection (other than the initial one) is unlocked 2 hours after completing the previous collection, indicated by the Challenge of the Ancients.png Waiting for Gorrik effect. These total to 8 hours.
      • The Skyscale Care collection requires a minimum of 3 days (2 daily resets) if contributing a maximum of four times per day.
Unlock achievements

Secrets of the Obscure logo.png Secrets of the Obscure[edit]

Skyscale
Thanks to your training, your skyscale now has an instinctive bond with you and a desire to soar to new heights across Tyria.
Mastery unlock icon.png
Continue improving your skyscale's abilities by completing the Skyscale Mount Mastery track. (Requires ownership of the Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire expansion and all Living World Season 4 episodes.)

— Secrets of the Obscure unlocked pop-up

Primary article: A New Friend

This method streamlines skyscale acquisition[1] and afterwards also unlocks an additional collection (A New Look) to earn the Kryptis Skyscale mount skin.

Note that this will not unlock the Living World Season 4 mastery track—Rift Repair ability requires for the Vision legendary trinket.

The Flight Training mastery track improves the skyscale's combat functions and allows both griffons and skyscales to use updrafts and leylines. Unlocking this mastery track is part of the story and does not require completing the collection unlock below.

Players who already unlocked the mount through Living World Season 4 method and wish to unlock the Secrets of the Obscure mastery track do not need to complete the unlock process below as they already have skyscale unlocked. This may save additional time and currency if players are not interested in obtaining the mount skin.

  1. Complete the story chapter Hell Breaks Loose.
    • This unlocks the mount for use in Secrets of the Obscure and the Flight Training mastery track. To unlock full access outside of Secrets of the Obscure maps you must continue following the steps below.
  2. Unlock the Who Rescues Whom? mastery.
  3. Complete A New Friend and its sub-achievements to obtain the Skyscale (mount skin).pngAstral Ward Skyscale Mount Unlock.
Unlock achievements

Mechanics[edit]

  • A skyscale has 5932 base health.

Movement/Controls[edit]

A Skyscale in flight, ridden by a player character.

After learning the three masteries, general movement is controlled by the following default controls:

Directional movement - WASD + Mouse
Dash - V
Increase altitude - Spacebar
Decrease altitude - C
Increase/decrease pitch - Mouse up/down
Cling to wall - W (hold)
Wall Launch - (while clinging to a wall) Spacebar

Once the skyscale is fully unlocked, the player will have additional control options available as keybinds. In your Control Options menu, under Mounts, you will find Mount Ability 1 and Mount Ability 2. For the skyscale, these keybinds translate to Dash and Decrease altitude respectively. By default, your character can dash using the V, and decrease altitude using C. Alternatively the engage skill can be also used to decrease altitude, but this will cause the player to dismount once they reach the ground.

Players can control the pitch (up to approximately 30° from horizontal) of the skyscale by aiming the movement direction up or down with the Mouse while in flight.

Flying[edit]

A full flight meter (top) and a depleted flight meter with a red bar (bottom)

Like the Griffon, holding space will cause a skyscale to take flight. Unlike the Griffon, a skyscale is able to hover in the air indefinitely, and can freely ascend and descend in place (for example, ascending by 500 units will cost around 37% of the green flight meter above the Endurance bar, then descending 500 units will refill that same 37% of the flight meter). However, flying laterally will begin to consume the flight meter, reducing the maximum height that the skyscale is able to attain, until it is eventually forced to land. Upon landing, the flight meter instantly refills despite the flight bar not immediately reflecting this (for example, simply 'tapping' the ground will give you an entire flight meter the moment you touch the ground).

  • If a skyscale hovers too close to the ground, it will slowly descend and then land.
  • Descending while the flight meter is already full will waste the excess, and will reduce the skyscale's maximum altitude.
Flight range

The flight range of the skyscale can be visualized as a narrow cylinder at the skyscale's location with a downward sloping canopy extending out in all directions from the top of the cylinder.[2] The initial height of the cylinder is 1350 units, and the radius of the base of the canopy is about 7000 units.[3] Flying within the cylinder does not change the maximum altitude. Flying horizontally outside the cylinder causes the maximum altitude to decrease, depleting the flight meter and forcing the skyscale to descend when fully depleted; this also effectively forms a shorter cylinder and smaller canopy at the new location.

Exceeding the canopy

Currently the methods for allowing the skyscale to fly higher and further include

  • The Dash (default V) action, which consumes Endurance to propel the skyscale forwards, temporarily ignoring the maximum altitude; also does a roll in the air
  • The Crystal Champion Mastery skill Bond of Vigor will refill 50% of the flight meter, and refills the Endurance bar completely;
  • The Skyscale Mount Mastery Wall Launch can be used to convert one Endurance bar into about 66% flight meter while the skyscale is clinging to a wall;
  • Touching nodes from the flight paths formed after a Rift Repair node will refill the flight meter;
  • Touching a Volatile Magic, Unbound Magic or Latent Magic node will refill (and reset) the flight meter; and lastly,
  • Being propelled upwards by a Branded Tornado or Claw of Kralkatorrik will refill, but not reset the flight meter.

However, using any of these means to exceed the limits of the canopy will reduce the maximum possible flight meter that can be subsequently recovered, as indicated by a red bar that fills from the right side of the meter.

This red bar will force a rapid decrease in altitude until it's depleted.

Besides landing, the only way to reduce the red bar is by touching a Volatile Magic, Unbound Magic or Latent Magic node. Using Bond of Vigor doesn't reduce the red bar, but fills flight meter on top of it.

While both bars of the flight meter coexists, the red one will deplete the green one. Pressing Spacebar to increase the altitude will take priority, consuming the green bar while increasing the red bar.

Wall clinging[edit]

The skyscale can cling to vertical surfaces by holding W, or activating autorun. While clinging, the Endurance bar and the flight meter won't recharge, and skills such as Bond of Vigor will have their cooldown frozen. Releasing the key will make the mount bounce backwards, releasing the grip to the wall.

If Wall Launch is unlocked, it can be used by holding Spacebar while clinging to a wall. This will convert one Endurance bar into about 66% flight meter. Releasing Spacebar will cause the skyscale to launch upwards, expending about 20% of its flight meter.[4] As stated before, using the newly obtained teal gauge will increase the red one.

To avoid the automatic wall grab in order to land on small ledges, it's possible to move using only A, S or D, decreasing altitude with C if required. Using the dash at an angle will produce a similar result, it won't trigger the automatic grab even against a wall.

Anomaly:
Using Air Rescue after the player has been propelled by upwards ley lines or a branded tornado over a certain altitude will cause the flight meter to start red instead of green, causing a very fast descent.

Related masteries[edit]

Living World Season 4[edit]

Mastery XP required Points Description
Air Rescue Air Rescue 571,500 3 Path of Fire mastery point Learn to mount the skyscale in midair to save yourself while falling.
Rift Repair Rift Repair 609,600 4 Path of Fire mastery point Learn to use your skyscale's magic resources to close rifts. This will draw out the magic trapped within and reveal new flight paths.
Wall Launch Wall Launch 698,500 5 Path of Fire mastery point Learn to launch off walls with your skyscale, providing a moment of respite and the ability to fly to greater heights.
Total 1,879,600 12 Path of Fire mastery point

Secrets of the Obscure[edit]

Mastery XP required Points Description
Who Rescues Whom? Who Rescues Whom? 381,000 2 Secrets of the Obscure mastery point Learn to mount the skyscale in midair to save yourself while falling.

If you also have the Air Rescue Skyscale Mount Mastery trained, your skyscale may gain the Bond of Vigor effect shortly after mounting in midair.

Unlock the A New Friend achievement.

Fireball Fireball 508,000 2 Secrets of the Obscure mastery point Unlock the ability for your skyscale to spit a fireball at aerial targets.
Wall Spring Wall Spring 635,000 3 Secrets of the Obscure mastery point Learn to spring off walls with your skyscale, providing a moment of respite and ability to fly to greater heights. If you also have the Wall Launch Skyscale Mount Mastery trained, this ability charges faster and launches farther when fully charged.
Enhanced Updrafts Enhanced Updrafts 762,000 3 Secrets of the Obscure mastery point Learn to magically strengthen the power of updrafts to allow them to benefit your flying mounts.
Combat Launch Combat Launch 1,016,000 4 Secrets of the Obscure mastery point Learn to call your skyscale during fights to carry you to safety or attack from a new angle.
Ley-Line Acclimation Ley-Line Acclimation 1,524,000 5 Secrets of the Obscure mastery point Learn to enter ley-line energy flows while mounted to glide along with the flow, gaining speed and access to otherwise inaccessible places.
Rising Spirits Rising Spirits 2,159,000 6 Secrets of the Obscure mastery point Learn to use magically enhanced updrafts to replenish your mount's endurance.
Total 6,985,000 25 Secrets of the Obscure mastery point

Other masteries[edit]

Path of Fire
Living World Season 4
Living World Season 5 (Icebrood Saga)
End of Dragons
Janthir Wilds
  • Warclaw (map icon).png Well Rested (mastery).png Well Rested: Increase endurance regeneration by 20%.

Skills[edit]

# Skill Activation time Recharge time Description Mastery Requirement
 Skyscale (skill).png Skyscale Summon and mount your skyscale.
 Skyscale mastery skill.png Skyscale 180 Leap into the air, then summon and mount your skyscale.  Combat Launch.png Combat Launch
1 Mount skill Blast.png Blast 2 Engage. While on land, leap into the air and breathe fire ahead of you. If in the air, descend toward the ground before attacking.
2 Mount skill Fireball Skyscale.png Fireball Precision Aimed Ability. Command your skyscale to launch a fireball, dealing damage and burning its target.

While holding the ability button down, you can precisely aim where the skyscale will launch the fireball. Release the ability button to launch the fireball in that direction.		  Fireball (mastery).png Fireball
3 Mount skill Wall Jump.png Wall Jump While clinging to a wall, hold to charge a jump. Release to jump.  Wall Launch.png Wall Launch or
 Wall Spring.png Wall Spring
4 Mount skill Descend.png Descend While flying, decrease altitude.
5 Mount skill Dash (Skyscale).png Dash While airborne, rapidly dash forward.
6 Mount skill Bond of Life.png Bond of Life 180 Temporarily grant your mount the use of your own health pool at the risk of being downed in your mount's place.  Bond of Life (mastery).png Bond of Life
7 Mount skill Bond of Vigor.png Bond of Vigor 60 Increase your mount's endurance regeneration.  Bond of Vigor (mastery).png Bond of Vigor
8 Mount skill Bond of Faith.png Bond of Faith 30 Launch off of your mount!  Bond of Faith (mastery).png Bond of Faith
9 Mount skill Stealth (mount).png Stealth 40 Grants stealth to you and your mount.  Ash Legion Mount Stealth.png Ash Legion Mount Stealth
9 Replaced by Stealth (mount).png Stealth 2.0 30 Grants stealth to you and your mount.  United Legions Waystation Mastery.png United Legions Waystation Mastery
Mount skill Dismount.png Dismount Dismount your mount

The update Through the Veil (November 7, 2023) added a toggle skill to disable ley-line riding F1 after learning Ley-Line Acclimation.

# Skill Activation time Recharge time Description Mastery Requirement
F1  Disable Ley-Line Riding.png Disable Ley-Line Riding 1 Click to toggle off ley-line riding on your flying mount.  Ley-Line Acclimation.png Ley-Line Acclimation
F1 Redirect Arrow.png Enable Ley-Line Riding.png Enable Ley-Line Riding 1 Click to toggle on ley-line riding on your flying mount.  Ley-Line Acclimation.png Ley-Line Acclimation

List of Skyscale skins[edit]

An icon for empty skyscale slot. Skins for the skyscale can be viewed and applied in the Hero panel: Fashion: Travel tab.

See also: Gallery of Skyscale skins

(*) The mounts in the marked rows either don't appear in API:2/account/mounts/skins and API:2/mounts/skins and/or don't have an ID set. Therefore it cannot be checked if they have been unlocked.

Lore[edit]

“

Skyscales are a new and mysterious draconic life form. They use their powerful wings to lift into the air from the ground and maintain altitude and can cling to walls to regain their strength. With a skyscale companion, you’ll reach heights you’ve only dreamed of.

— The Skyscale

Skyscales are a new species of lesser dragons born from the Mists out of the disturbances caused by Kralkatorrik and Aurene.[5] Similar to other lesser dragon species, like wyverns and drakes, while they are capable of consuming magic, they are not capable of ascending into Elder Dragons.[6] The original Skyscales were "born" from the Mists fully grown, resulting in an accelerated growth rate that eventually killed them prematurely. However, the next generation were born from eggs normally and do not suffer from this accelerated aging.[7]

Gallery[edit]

Concept art
Renders
  • Concept Art

    Concept Art

Screenshots
  • Pop-up upon unlocking the skyscale in Living World Season 4.

    Pop-up upon unlocking the skyscale in Living World Season 4.

  • Pop-up upon unlocking the skyscale in Secrets of the Obscure.

    Pop-up upon unlocking the skyscale in Secrets of the Obscure.

  • Skyscale

    Skyscale

  • Flying skyscale

    Flying skyscale

  • Flying skyscale

    Flying skyscale

  • Idle animation.

    Idle animation.

  • A skyscale egg.

    A skyscale egg.

  • A skyscale hatchling in her nest.

    A skyscale hatchling in her nest.

  • Skyscale attack against an elemental in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure.

    Skyscale attack against an elemental in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure.

  • Skyscale's fireball attack in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure.

    Skyscale's fireball attack in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure.

  • SotO screenshot 22.jpg

Related achievements[edit]

Notes[edit]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ A New Chapter Begins in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure, Guildwars2.com
  2. ^ Guild Chat Episode 83: Fly High, Skyscale (30:55-32:25), youtube.com
  3. ^ Research by u/TheBandicoot
  4. ^ Research by u/TheBandicoot
  5. ^ Glory of Dragons
  6. ^ Guild Chat Episode 83: Fly High, Skyscale, youtube.com
  7. ^ Newborn Skyscales
Mount and Mastery features
Mounts
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