Mounts are one of the most misunderstood systems in Build An Ant Empire, and this Build An Ant Empire mount guide exists because the training mechanic comes with a hidden cost that catches new players off guard. Turning an ant into a mount sounds like a fun bonus feature — and it is — but the process is one-way, can fail, and permanently removes that ant from your colony. Before you hand your best worker to the mount training NPC, read on so you know exactly what you're signing up for.
What Are Mounts in Build An Ant Empire?
Mounts are trained ants that you can ride around the map as a traversal tool. Instead of walking everywhere on foot, you equip an ant mount and travel at a slightly faster pace while tending to your colony's needs — collecting food boxes, selling them for Cash, and checking on the Ant Queen.
That said, it's worth setting expectations early. Based on player experience, the speed boost a mount provides is only marginally better than your regular walking speed. This isn't a game-changing sprint ability. The developers clearly designed mounts as a flavor feature rather than a core efficiency tool, especially because the game already includes a teleport function.
How to Get a Mount: Step-by-Step
The mount training process is simple mechanically, but it has permanent consequences. Follow these steps:
| Step | Action | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Choose an ant from your colony | Pick which ant you're willing to give up |
| 2 | Locate the mount training NPC | This NPC handles all mount conversions |
| 3 | Turn the ant over to the trainer | The ant leaves your colony permanently |
| 4 | Wait for the training result | Training can succeed or fail |
| 5 | Equip the mount | If successful, ride your ant around the map |
The critical warning: No matter the outcome — success or failure — you cannot use that ant in your colony again. Once you hand it to the mount training NPC, the ant is gone from your worker pool for good. A failed training attempt doesn't return your ant; it just means you walked away with nothing to show for it.
Should You Train a Mount? The Cost-Benefit Breakdown
Given the permanent cost and uncertain success rate, the real question is whether a mount is ever worth it. Here's an honest comparison:
| Factor | Mount Benefit | The Trade-Off |
|---|---|---|
| Movement speed | Slightly faster than walking | Teleport-to-nest button makes it redundant |
| Worker loss | None while riding | Ant is permanently removed from food production |
| Training risk | A usable mount on success | Failure wastes the ant entirely |
| Cash impact | No direct income boost | Losing a producer lowers food output |
| Novelty | Fun cosmetic/traversal flavor | Fades quickly once teleport use becomes routine |
Based on community reports, most experienced players treat mounts as a late-game luxury. Once your colony generates large amounts of Cash passively and you have more ants than slots, sacrificing one worker barely dents your economy. Early on, however, every ant matters — each one directly increases the value of the food you sell at the Sell station.
Our recommendation: Delay mount training until your colony has multiple occupied slots and steady income. Never train your highest-rarity ants or ones carrying valuable Mutations (like Starlight at a 5x EFF multiplier), since those ants are your economic backbone.
How Mounts Fit Into the Larger Progression Loop
To understand why mounts are a side system, it helps to see the full Build An Ant Empire money loop. The game by Insect Kingdom Studio runs on a repeating cycle:
- Roll eggs from the Ant Queen and buy the ants worth keeping.
- Place ants into colony slots to start food production.
- Collect food boxes at the collection station.
- Sell food at the Sell station for Cash.
- Reinvest Cash into upgrades: egg luck, egg rolls, food value, and ant speed.
Mounts appear at step six of the progression — after Mutations, Jelly, Pets, and Dungeons — as one of the final systems you layer onto a scaled colony. That placement tells you everything: this is end-game flavor content, not a priority system.
For comparison, here's how mounts stack up against other systems in terms of value per investment:
| System | Cost Type | Impact on Income | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egg luck upgrades | Cash | High (better ants) | Top priority |
| Colony slots | Cash | High (more producers) | Top priority |
| Mutations (Potions) | Cash (expensive) | High on best ants | Mid priority |
| Speed Jelly | Items | Moderate (faster ants) | Mid priority |
| Pets | Unlockable | Passive stacking bonuses | Mid-late priority |
| Mounts | One ant (permanent) | None (traversal only) | Low priority |
Smart Mount Training Strategies
If you've decided you want a mount despite the trade-offs, use these tips to minimize the damage:
- Train your weakest ant. Pick a low-rarity Common ant that contributes minimal food value. The mount speed is the same regardless of which ant you sacrifice, so there's no reason to burn a rare.
- Avoid Mutated ants entirely. A Mutation like Leaf (1.35x EFF) or better is worth far more in your colony than as a slightly faster walking speed.
- Train when slots are full. If all your colony slots are occupied and you're rolling more ants than you can place, your overflow ants are the ideal training candidates.
- Check the teleport button first. Before training, spend a session using the teleport-to-nest button at the top of the screen. Many players find it covers 90% of what a mount would offer — better to discover this before losing an ant.
- Treat failure as a lesson, not a loss. Since training can fail, only ever attempt it with ants you can genuinely afford to lose.
Mounts vs. the Teleport: An Honest Verdict
The biggest knock against mounts is right there in the game's UI. The teleport button at the top of the screen lets you instantly return to your nest, which undercuts most of the traversal value a mount provides. In a colony tycoon where your time is best spent optimizing the food-to-Cash loop, marginal walking speed rarely moves the needle.
That doesn't make mounts worthless — they're a fun way to personalize your experience, and riding an ant around your empire has genuine charm. Just go in with clear eyes: this is a cosmetic-flavored convenience, not an economy upgrade.
If you want more background on the game itself, the official Roblox platform hosts Build An Ant Empire along with millions of other community-created experiences worth exploring.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get a mount in Build An Ant Empire?
To get a mount, take an ant from your colony to the mount training NPC and turn it over for training. The process can succeed or fail, and either way the ant is permanently removed from your colony.
Does the mount training always succeed?
No. Based on player experience, the training process has a chance to fail. Unfortunately, a failed attempt still costs you the ant — it won't be returned to your colony.
Is a mount worth losing an ant over?
For most players, no — at least not early on. The mount is only slightly faster than walking, and the teleport-to-nest button covers most traversal needs. Wait until your colony economy is strong and you have spare low-rarity ants.
Which ant should I use for mount training in Build An Ant Empire?
Always use your weakest, lowest-rarity ant with no Mutations. Mount speed doesn't scale with rarity, so sacrificing a Common ant costs you almost nothing while preserving your high-EFF producers.
Bottom line: Mounts in Build An Ant Empire are a charming late-game extra, not a necessity. Protect your best workers, train only your surplus Commons, and enjoy your ant-back ride once the empire is already running itself.