Build An Ant Empire Mounts Guide: How to Train and Ride

How to Get a Mount in Build An Ant Empire

In Build An Ant Empire on Roblox, mounts are a unique convenience feature that allows you to traverse the map more efficiently. However, obtaining one is not as simple as purchasing an item from a shop. It requires a significant sacrifice from your colony's workforce.

The process involves interacting with a specific Mount Training NPC or designated area. Before you approach this NPC, you must understand that the "cost" is not just a currency; it is the permanent loss of a worker ant.

1. Assess Your Colony: Ensure your current food production and income are stable enough to function without one of your workers.
2. Select a Candidate: Choose an ant that is replaceable. Avoid your best producers or high-value mutated ants.
3. Locate the Trainer: Visit the Mount Training NPC or area within the game world.
4. Submit the Ant: Interact with the trainer and submit your selected ant.
5. Observe the Result: The game will process the training, which can either result in a successful mount creation or a failure.
6. Ride: If successful, you can now use your new mount to travel the map.

The Risks of Mount Training: Success vs. Failure

One of the most critical aspects of Build An Ant Empire that new players often misunderstand is the nature of the "failure" state. It is a common misconception that if the training fails, your ant is returned to you. This is not the case.

Based on community reports and game mechanics, Mount Training carries a binary outcome regarding the mount, but a singular outcome regarding the ant.

Because the ant is removed from your colony in both scenarios, you must treat every training attempt as a permanent loss of a worker. Do not attempt to "chase" a success by repeatedly sacrificing ants if your colony cannot sustain the drop in production. Always check your remaining roster before initiating the process.

Strategic Selection: Which Ant Should You Train?

Choosing the right ant for training is a test of your colony management skills. Since the ant is gone forever, you need to minimize the impact on your Food sales and overall income.

• [ ] Stable Income: Do I have enough remaining workers to maintain my current food and cash flow?
• [ ] Replaceability: Is this ant just a "spare," or is it a key contributor to my daily production?
• [ ] Mutation Value: Is this ant a valuable mutant that I rely on for efficiency bonuses?
• [ ] Risk Tolerance: Am I prepared for the possibility that this ant will be removed without granting me a mount?

If you are a beginner, it is highly recommended to wait until your empire is large enough that the loss of a single worker is negligible. If your colony relies on every single ant to stay afloat, you are not ready for mount training.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

A common mistake players make is sacrificing a high-value mutated ant in the hopes that it will produce a "better" or "faster" mount. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that the quality of the sacrificed ant influences the stats of the mount. You are simply trading a worker for a mount. Treat it as a utility upgrade, not an investment in superior mount stats.

Warning

Never sacrifice your only strong producer. If your colony's income relies on a specific ant’s output, keep that ant in production. Losing your top earner will set your progression back significantly, regardless of whether you get a mount in return.

Are Mounts Worth the Cost?

Whether a mount is "worth it" depends entirely on your playstyle and current progression level. Many players find that the travel convenience is a quality-of-life improvement, but it is rarely a game-changing boost to your actual empire-building speed.

Mounts vs. Teleportation

According to observations from the Build An Ant Empire community, mounts are described as only "slightly faster" than walking. In many cases, the in-game teleport-to-nest button is already the most efficient way to navigate the map.

Before you sacrifice a worker for a mount, ask yourself:

• Where do I travel most often? If you are frequently returning to the nest, the teleport button is likely faster and free.
• Do I need to traverse the map manually? If you find yourself spending a large portion of your playtime walking between resource nodes, a mount might offer a minor speed increase that adds up over time.

A mount does not automatically make your colony grow faster. It is a travel tool, not a production tool. If your goal is to maximize colony growth, focus on optimizing your worker output rather than training mounts.

Mutations and Mounts

Players often ask if there is a synergy between mutations and mount training. Specifically, will a mutated ant result in a better mount, or can you get a potion refund?

Based on current game mechanics, the answer is no. When a mutated ant is handed to the trainer, it leaves production entirely, and its mutation effect is removed from your colony. There is no promise of a potion refund or a special mount stat based on the mutation.

If you have a worker with a valuable mutation, keep it working in your colony. The benefit of the mutation to your production is usually worth far more than the slight speed increase provided by a mount.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get the ant back if the training fails?

No. Regardless of whether the training is successful or fails, the submitted ant is permanently removed from your colony production.

Is there a guaranteed success rate for training?

No. The game does not publish a specific success percentage for mount training. You should always prepare for the possibility of failure.

Should I use a mutated ant to get a faster mount?

It is not recommended. There is no evidence that mutations provide better mount stats, and you will lose the valuable production bonus that the mutated ant provides.

Are mounts significantly faster than walking?

Community reports suggest mounts are only slightly faster than walking. The teleport-to-nest feature is often more efficient for returning to your base.

What should I do if my training fails?

Assess your remaining colony production. If your income is stable, you can choose to try again later with a different worker, but do not prioritize this over maintaining your empire's food supply.