A practical guide to the mounts of the Clockwork City

Clockwork City, tucked into northern Elsweyr near Orcrest, is one of ESO’s most distinctive dungeons because its Dwemer setting supports more than a single collectible. The rewards that draw players most often are the Clockwork Dragon, a mechanical flying mount, and the Clockwork Horse, a mechanical ground mount. Their acquisition routes differ sharply, so treating them like the same rare-drop farm can waste an entire weekend.

The Dragon is tied to group play. Its unlock comes from The Great Machinist, the final boss in Clockwork City, and any reward prompt shown after that encounter. The Horse comes through the quest A Legacy of Metal and can be pursued without assembling a dungeon party. These are one-time progression unlocks rather than ordinary random drops, meaning one successful clear or one completed quest can secure each addition to the mount collection.

For a new character, the practical order is simple: finish A Legacy of Metal while the quest is fresh, then queue for the dungeon when the preferred role is available. Experienced players can reverse that sequence. Either way, learning the unlock requirements, handling the encounter and preparing the right character will produce a more dependable result than running the dungeon repeatedly and hoping for an improbable drop.

Choosing between the two unlocks

The Clockwork Dragon is the practical choice for players who want to cross Elsweyr quickly, climb to otherwise awkward ledges or reach a quest marker above the roads. It is a full flying mount, so it also gives the mechanical Dwemer collection a visible presence in the sky rather than merely in a stable. Its appeal combines transport, exploration and the satisfaction of completing one of the dungeon’s signature encounters.

The Clockwork Horse serves a different purpose. It is a land mount with an unmistakably mechanical silhouette, suited to players who enjoy unusual armour, gear and mounts more than rapid traversal. It can still cover roads, fields and dungeon approaches, although the newest travel mounts generally offer stronger practical speed. Neither unlock is required for later ESO progression, so both should be approached as permanent collectibles with their own visual identities.

For inspiration, the intricate brass and gear aesthetic of both rewards sits comfortably beside fantasy artwork such as the Asaba Art catalogue. That visual comparison is useful when deciding which one feels more at home in a character presentation, but the in-game reward remains the deciding factor for most collectors.

Obtaining the Clockwork Dragon

Open the Group Finder and select Clockwork City rather than relying on a premade advertisement. Choose the role that matches the character, such as damage, tank or healer, and let the system assemble a group. Clockwork City is a 12-player dungeon, so a reliable finder queue is usually faster than waiting for a particular guild. Follow the wing-unlock and objective prompts as the group moves; reaching The Great Machinist is the essential part of the mount route.

The boss encounter is more demanding than ordinary overland enemies. Players need to handle the dungeon’s automatons, respond to clearly marked attacks, spread when the mechanic calls for it and avoid blocking the tank or healer. Keep interrupts and defensive abilities available, follow the group leader during mechanics and do not assume an add-on can replace situational awareness. A clean group composition makes the unlock far less stressful than forcing an unfamiliar role into a random band.

When The Great Machinist is defeated, finish every reward notification and follow-up conversation before leaving the instance. The Clockwork Dragon unlock is connected to that named encounter, not to a chance drop from ordinary Dwemer constructs. Normal difficulty offers the more accessible route, while Veteran requires level 50 and the appropriate content eligibility. Check the encounter tooltip and your reward window before repeating, since the content itself is the target rather than a collectible that can be farmed from the first trash pack.

Obtaining the Clockwork Horse

The Horse is obtained through A Legacy of Metal, a quest in the Clockwork City area. Speak with Razum-dar in the city and look for the quest in the dialogue options or Quest Journal. Follow its markers through the workshop, complete each stated objective and return for the hand-in. The reward list includes the mechanical Clockwork Horse, and the unlock notification is the clearest confirmation that the quest has been completed properly.

Unlike the Dragon route, this unlock does not require killing The Great Machinist or filling a 12-person party. It can be done independently, before the dungeon run or afterwards, which makes it an efficient first objective for a new character and a useful fallback if group formation is slow. If Razum-dar does not offer the quest immediately, continue the local quest chain until its prerequisite is active rather than searching unrelated vendors or add-ons.

Keep the names separate when checking progress. The Clockwork Cat is a companion, not the Horse, even though both are associated with mechanical collectibles and may appear on the same online checklists. Open the character’s mount interface after the hand-in to confirm that the Horse is equipped as a ground mount. If the quest shows as complete but no mount appears, review the original reward notification and submit an ESO support ticket if the entitlement is still missing.

Preparing for the dungeon

Character preparation determines how quickly the group reaches its final reward. Choose the difficulty that matches the player’s level and experience, gather the role the group lacks and bring appropriate potions, food and recovery support. Normal is forgiving for a first attempt, while Veteran offers stronger encounters and useful loot but requires level 50 and an eligible account. Champion points are not a substitute for proper gear or mechanics.

Older dungeon gear can still provide useful sustain, and Fearturbo’s Earthgore set facts explain the strengths and limitations of that popular set. Earthgore is not required for either Clockwork City mount and may not be the best use of every equipment slot, especially for maximum damage. Use the information to understand why the set was valued, then test your current build rather than copying an outdated loadout without comparison.

Practical preparation also includes space and tools. Clear several inventory or bank slots, repair damaged equipment and keep enough consumables for a long session. Add-ons such as Display Health Bars, Combat Log and Map make responsibility clearer, while the official ESO API and current game client keep supported add-ons working. On a first clear, a simple role-specific setup is usually more valuable than installing several interfaces that obscure the boss mechanics.

Making both unlocks efficient

Start with the solo quest, then use the wait for a dungeon group productively. A Legacy of Metal has no dependency on The Great Machinist, so completing it first removes one unlock from the mental checklist and leaves the Dragon as the only run-dependent task. While queued, finish crafting, inventory management or another short quest that does not require loading a separate adventure. This keeps the session focused without turning the mount hunt into an empty queue.

Neither mount needs repeated farming once the relevant unlock is recorded. Run Clockwork City again for other rewards, weekly goals or mastery only when those extra benefits justify the time. The Dragon should be placed in the flying slot and the Horse in the ground slot through the mount interface, after which either can be summoned wherever that mount type is permitted. Flying saves travel time between skybound objectives, while the Horse offers a more characterful way to cross the same roads.

The mechanical design makes both unlocks particularly satisfying to keep even when faster mounts become available. Use the Dragon for broad exploration across Elsweyr and the Horse for deliberate routes, screenshots and matching gear. If another character appears to lack a newly learned mount, check the unlock notification and character eligibility before assuming the collection was lost; this avoids unnecessary repeat runs.

Playing and planning from Australia

Australian storefronts show prices in Australian dollars, and official Steam, PlayStation and Xbox purchases generally include the 10% Goods and Services Tax in the displayed price. Check the regional account on the device actually used for ESO, because a console or Steam client set to another country may show a different catalogue or payment method. For age guidance, consult the Australian Classification Board listing rather than relying on an overseas PEGI or ESRB label.

Clock time is another practical detail for an Australian player. Sydney and Melbourne shift with daylight saving, Brisbane stays on a fixed offset, and Perth sits two hours behind Brisbane; a group listed in UTC can therefore meet at a different local hour across the year. Many players in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane naturally open ESO after dinner or the evening commute, so scheduled boss runs often suit that window. Set alarms in the local timezone and label them before daylight saving changes, rather than relying on a clock face.

The local market adds another layer to the Horse’s appeal. Australia’s sizeable equestrian sector, represented by metropolitan riding clubs, specialist tack shops and rural events from Victoria to Queensland, makes a mechanical riding silhouette easy to appreciate even before it appears in ESO. That comparison is cultural rather than lore-based: the Clockwork Horse belongs to Tamriel’s Dwemer engineering tradition, not to an Australian stable, but the familiar shape of tack and armour gives local players another angle from which to enjoy the design.

Buy through official stores and ignore urgent messages promising discounted currency, free game keys or surprise account gifts. The Australian Cyber Security Centre regularly warns about fake game-store and gift-card lures, and entering details into a lookalike page can expose an ESO account. The next concrete step in this unlock path is to open the in-game Group Finder, select Clockwork City and queue for The Great Machinist.