Assassin's Creed Odyssey Horse Guide: which horse to choose, and where to find horse skins for Phobos
There's a whole lot of world map to get around in Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and while your ship will be useful for those big seabound journeys, you're going to need a trusty steed for getting across land at speed. That's where Phobos comes in - that's your faithful horse - though like most things in Odyssey, there's a strong element of choice involved.
On this page we'll run down what horse to pick when you're offered that as a choice, plus how to summon your horse and finally where to find horse skins to change the look of Phobos.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey: which horse should you choose?
In the very earliest stages of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, you'll be taken to the stables at the vineyard by your friend Markos. All of this happens as part of the main story progression, so if you've not reached this point yet, don't panic: it's coming.
Once you're introduced to the magnificent beasts in the stable, you'll be faced with another difficult choice, and so soon after choosing between Kassandra and Alexios: you have to pick one horse to take with you as your companion. Your horse will be with you constantly throughout the game right up to the moment you see one of Assassin's Creed Odyssey's endings, so on one hand this is a difficult choice. On the other hand, your choice of horse will be ruled moot later on. Here's why.
Ultimately, all three horses are basically identical in all meaningful ways - and this is despite the descriptions the game gives you. Markos introduces them as such:
- The Left Horse, a dark grey steed, "can cling to mountain passes like a goat". It hails from Skyros.
- The Middle Horse, brown and white in color, has been "bred for courage". It's from Thessalonia.
- The Right Horse is a lovely white color and is "bred for battle - a warrior's horse." It's from Makedonian.
As far as we can tell, Markos' descriptions are just for color and flourish - the horses are functionally identical. As such, we recommend you pick the horse that you like the color of best.
Whatever you choose, your horse will always be named Phobos, and you'll be able to easily change the color of the horse later on. We'll talk about that briefly in just a moment. First, however...
How to summon your horse in Assassin's Creed Odyssey to reunite with Phobos
This is more a tip than a guide, but it's well worth remembering: you don't have to walk up to Phobos directly to get on him. He's a loytal beast, and so it'd do you well to remember that you have a horse whistle that you can use to summon Phobos at any time, anywhere (within reason).
Just a quick tip: remember that pressing down on the D-Pad once uses the whistle that's used to distract or attract the attention of enemies when you're in stealth. In order to summon your horse, you need to hold down the d-pad instead. You'll be able to tell the difference not just because Phobos comes, but by the length of the whistle blow.
Remember that if Phobos is gravely injured in battle, you won't be able to summon him for a while - so be careful.
Horse Skins: where and how to change Phobos' look in Assassin's Creed Odyssey, including the Unicorn skin
As mentioned earlier, the three options early on between the horses is essentially all cosmetic. If you get bored of the look of your horse you can change it with cosmetic horse skins, however - and that includes the two you rejected earlier plus a range of other skins - some serious, some a little more jokey.
Horse Skins can be picked up from the merchants of Assassin's Creed Odyssey as well as in the Helix Store (for Legendary skins). For in-game merchants, the most reliable place to find horse skins is with Blacksmiths, a variety of whom can be found spread across the various settlements in Odyssey's world. Horse skins fit into the same categories as the various types of armor in Assassin's Creed Odyssey - ranging from common up to legendary.
Items held by blacksmiths change and rotate regularly, and that includes horse skins. You'll find various skins ranging up to Epic rarity at various times, so keep checking in. Here's a list of the horse skins for Phobos we've encountered in the Blacksmiths so far:
- Brown Horse Skin
- A strong horse that won't hesitate to charge through battle.
- 2500 Drachmae (2000 with Mercenary discount)
- Egyptian Horse Skin
- Horse from Egypt can endure the most hostile climates.
- 2500 Drachmae (2000 with Mercenary discount)
- Pale Horse Skin
- Health and enduring, this horse can accomplish any task.
- 2500 Drachmae (2000 with Mercenary discount)
- Racing Horse Skin
- These horses are bred for speed and like to carry as little as possible.
- 2500 Drachmae (2000 with Mercenary discount)
- Traveler's Horse Skin
- There is no better horse for embarking on an epic journey.
- 2500 Drachmae (2000 with Mercenary discount)
- Fangs Horse Skin
- This horse comes from generations who served silent and deadly warriors.
- 8000 Drachmae (6400 with Mercenary discount)
- Unicorn Horse Skin
- This fabulous animal of legend is a loyal companion.
- 8000 Drachmae (6400 with Mercenary discount)