Alright, fellow speedrunners and Hogwarts Legacy enthusiasts! You've stumbled upon the definitive guide to mastering one of the most crucial, and dare I say, *stylish*, elements of any potential speedrun in Hogwarts Legacy: the capture and flight of the elusive Thestral. Forget the leisurely strolls through the Forbidden Forest; we're talking about shaving precious seconds off your PB and optimizing every single movement. If you're here for the German gameplay #36 showing this exact segment, you're in the right place to understand the *why* and *how* behind the speed.
Table of Contents
Understanding Thestrals: More Than Just a Mount
In the context of a speedrun, the Thestral isn't just a mount you acquire; it's a tool. A potentially game-changing one. Seeing them is tied to witnessing death, a lore detail that often gets overlooked but adds flavor. For our purposes, however, the key is their speed and maneuverability. Early acquisition and efficient use can unlock faster traversal routes, allowing you to skip sections that would otherwise take significantly longer on foot or even with a broom.
The initial quest to even see Thestrals involves witnessing a death. In a speedrun, this is usually handled by a pre-scripted event or a specific sequence of actions early in the game. The critical part isn't the lore, but the unlock. Once unlocked, your objective is to get this mount as early as possible. The faster you can mount up, the faster you can move between key objectives.
The ability to fly a Thestral is a major speed advantage, especially in the early to mid-game where fast travel points might be limited or inconveniently placed.
We're looking for the most optimized path to trigger the quest, complete the necessary steps, and secure the Thestral without any unnecessary detours. This often involves precise routing and understanding of the game's trigger mechanics.
The Capture Strategy: Speed and Precision
Capturing a Thestral isn't a complex mini-game in Hogwarts Legacy. It's more about the sequence leading up to it and the immediate aftermath. The core strategy revolves around:
- Efficient Quest Progression: Identifying the exact quest that leads to the Thestral encounter and completing its objectives with maximum speed.
- Minimizing Dialogue: Skipping all possible dialogue options.
- Precise Movement: Navigating the environment where the Thestral appears without hesitation.
- Immediate Mounting: As soon as the interaction prompt appears, executing it flawlessly to mount the creature.
In my experience, the most successful runs don't wait for the game to guide them leisurely. We actively seek out the quest triggers. This often means backtracking slightly or taking a less obvious path earlier in the game to initiate the sequence that unlocks Thestral bonding. The goal is to have this mount before you absolutely *need* it for a long-distance traversal.
Consider the approach to the Forbidden Forest area where Thestrals are found. Any deviation from the fastest path, any enemy encounter that isn't mandatory, any unnecessary loop or turn, adds seconds. We're talking about milliseconds being shaved off by perfect movement and input. The difference between a good run and a world record often lies in these seemingly minor optimizations.
The faster you can initiate the capture sequence, the earlier you gain this crucial mobility advantage.
The "Deutsch #36" video likely showcases this exact phase. Watch it frame-by-frame if needed. See where the player moves, when they interact, and how quickly they dismount or remount if necessary for the next objective. Every action is deliberate.
Optimizing Flight: Gliding Through the Run
Once you've secured your Thestral, the real speed advantage kicks in. Mastering Thestral flight isn't just about pointing forward; it's about understanding the game's flight mechanics to their absolute limit.
- Ascent and Descent: Knowing when to gain altitude for a long glide versus when to descend quickly to avoid obstacles or reach a specific point.
- Turning Radius: Understanding the tightest possible turns the Thestral can make without losing significant speed. This is crucial for navigating tight environments or making sharp course corrections.
- Stamina Management (if applicable): While Thestrals in Hogwarts Legacy don't typically have a stamina bar that runs out like brooms, understanding the optimal speed to maintain for maximum distance per "boost" or segment is key.
- Utilizing Terrain: Flying low over terrain can sometimes be faster than flying high, especially if it avoids wind resistance or allows for quicker drops.
For advanced speedrunners, this also includes understanding where specific glitches or exploits might occur during flight. Are there areas where clipping through the environment is possible? Can you use flight to reach areas unintended by the developers? These are the questions that separate a casual playthrough from a competitive speedrun.
The concept of "banking" turns in flight games often applies here. By tilting the Thestral, you can achieve tighter turns. Practicing this until it's second nature is vital. In many runs, the path between objectives is not a straight line, and efficient navigation through complex areas like Hogsmeade or the castle itself requires expert control.
Sequence Breaks and Skips Involving Thestrals
Thestrals, and flying mounts in general, are often catalysts for sequence breaks. These are moments where a speedrunner deviates from the intended game progression to skip entire sections.
- Early Access to Areas: Can you use the Thestral to fly over walls or barriers that would normally require specific spells or story progression to bypass?
- Objective Skipping: Sometimes, reaching an objective location via flight faster than intended can trigger the next stage of a quest prematurely, or even skip objectives altogether if the game’s logic allows.
- Combat Avoidance: High-speed flight can be used to bypass combat encounters that aren't mandatory for the run. Aggroing enemies and then immediately taking flight can be a viable strategy.
Identifying these opportunities requires deep knowledge of the game's map layout and quest triggers. It's about thinking outside the box and exploiting the engine's capabilities. The development team behind Hogwarts Legacy has put a lot of effort into preventing many common sequence breaks, but the speedrunning community is persistent. Keep an eye on leaderboards and video submissions on sites like speedrun.com for the latest strats.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Even with the best strategy, things can go wrong. Here are common mistakes speedrunners make:
- Taking Too Long to Acquire: Spending too much time on unrelated activities or getting lost on the way to the Thestral quest.
- Inefficient Flight Pathing: Not utilizing the optimal routes, making unnecessary turns, or flying too high/low when a different altitude would be faster.
- Mounting/Dismounting Delays: Hesitation when mounting or dismounting can cost precious seconds.
- Ignoring Environmental Hazards: Crashing into obstacles or getting stuck on terrain during flight.
- Over-reliance on RNG: While some elements are RNG-dependent, a solid strategy minimizes reliance on lucky drops or spawns.
The key takeaway from any good gameplay showcase, like the German #36 video, is to observe the fluidity. There's no wasted movement. Every action has a purpose contributing to the overall goal: finishing as fast as possible.
Preguntas Frecuentes
Q1: How early can I get the Thestral in Hogwarts Legacy for a speedrun?
A1: The exact point depends on the specific speedrun category (e.g., Any%, 100%), but most Any% runs aim to acquire the Thestral as soon as the main questline allows, typically within the first few hours of gameplay, by prioritizing the relevant story beats.
Q2: Is flying a Thestral faster than a broom in Hogwarts Legacy?
A2: In terms of raw speed and maneuverability for navigating complex environments or specific routes, the Thestral is often considered superior or on par with the fastest brooms, especially when acquired early. It excels in tight turns and quick ascents/descents.
Q3: Can Thestrals be used for sequence breaks?
A3: Yes, the ability to fly offers numerous opportunities for sequence breaks, allowing players to bypass normally impassable barriers or reach objectives far earlier than intended by the game's design.
Q4: What is the most common mistake when trying to capture a Thestral quickly?
A4: The most common mistake is deviating from the critical path required to start and complete the capture quest. Runners often lose time by getting sidetracked or not optimizing their movement between quest stages.
Mastering the Thestral is a key component of any top-tier Hogwarts Legacy speedrun. It’s about dedication, practice, and understanding the intricate mechanics that allow for the fastest possible completion. Keep practicing those flight paths, experiment with routes, and maybe you’ll be the next one setting a new world record!
What are your favorite Thestral flight tricks or sequence breaks? Did you find the German gameplay #36 particularly insightful? Let us know in the comments below, or join our Discord community to discuss your strategies and find fellow runners!