Top 10 Best Farming Dinosaurs in Ark: Survival Ascended

Summary

Ankylosaurus is a versatile metal farming dinosaur, reducing metal weight by 85%.
Doedicurus excels in gathering stones, reducing weight by 75%, perfect for cement paste.
Mammoth is the best wood gatherer, crucial for crafting and useful for gathering early-mid game.

In “Ark: Survival Evolved,” no matter if a player chooses Player vs Player (PvP) or Player vs Environment (PvE), playing solo or with a large group, there’s one consistent requirement: farming. This can be for meat, crops, raw materials, or organic resources, and it’s crucial for meaningful advancement in the game. Taming creatures can make farming easier because they perform tasks more quickly and efficiently.

In this guide, we’ll focus on dinosaurs that are exceptional at resource gathering, ranking them from most useful to least. This information is beneficial for both new and seasoned players, as it will optimize their farming expeditions, allowing them to return to enjoyable aspects of the game more quickly. Ark offers a diverse selection of dinosaurs and creatures, and we’ll spotlight those that excel at farming resources.

10. Ankylosaurus

Versatile Metal Farming Dinosaur

The Ankylosaurus (Anky) can efficiently harvest metal, crystal, obsidian, and flint.
Reduces the weight of raw metals in its inventory by 85%.
It can harvest wood, thatch, and berries if required.
It can be transported by flying dinosaurs.

The Ankylozaurus, often considered the best choice for farming dinosaurs by players, excels as an early game powerhouse and maintains its effectiveness for late-game farms as well. It is particularly proficient in harvesting metal and crystal resources. However, when it comes to collecting obsidian and flint, other dinosaurs like the Dunkleosteus and Fasolasuchus may be more efficient. While the Ankylozaurus is generally excellent, some players might argue that the Dunkleosteus is superior for crystal gathering, especially if playing solo. The Ankylozaurus, on the other hand, showcases surprising agility underwater, making it a formidable combatant in aquatic environments. This versatility even extends to its ability to retrieve oil from the ocean floor.

As a gamer, I’d say: The Anky can collect element shards, sulfur, cactus sap, thatch, wood, stone, and berries, making it an excellent early tame for resource-gathering tasks. To maximize its potential, consider using an Argentavis to lift the Anky since it cuts the weight of crystals, metal ores, ingots, stones, and obsidian by half. This way, you can easily offload extra resources onto it or transfer all materials and cryopod the Anky for later use. If possible, team up with another player – one flying and one on the dino – to make the harvesting process smoother. Tranquilizing the Anky and feeding it regular kibble is key; if you don’t have kibble, crops or mejoberries will work just fine.

9. Doedicurus

Stone Gathering Dinosaur

The Doedicurus (Doedic) is the best at gathering stone.
Reduces the weight of stone by 75%.
Great for sand.
Can auto-gather and be lifted by flying dinosaurs.

This well-groomed Pengolin is an exceptional dinosaur for collecting stones since it lightens the load by a significant 75%. The Doedic serves as an excellent early-game taming choice, and stones are valuable for creating cement paste in the late game. To enhance its utility, it can either be lifted aloft by flying creatures or programmed to collect automatically, allowing the player to focus on other tasks. Furthermore, if one requires flint but is willing to wait, they can utilize the Pengolin’s exceptional stone-gathering skills and an industrial grinder to convert the stones into flint when necessary.

The Doedic has a knack for rolling to travel swiftly, giving an impression of speed initially, while its resilience makes it hard to eliminate. Definitely worth taming! To subdue this creature, players need to make it unconscious and offer it their preferred food – ordinary kibble. If they don’t have that on hand, crops can work as a suitable substitute.

8. Mammoth

Wood Gatherer

The best at gathering wood and thatch in the game.
Great for rare mushrooms.
It can be carried by large flying mounts, like the Quetzal and Wyvern.
The mammoth can collect berries and seeds.

The most proficient creature in the game when it comes to collecting thatch and wood, items essential early on as they are integral to hundreds of recipes. In the later stages of the game, wood is utilized for charcoal production, while thatch becomes crucial for making saddles – both vital resources. This versatile creature, much like others on this list, can be used to farm resources and make trips back to base more efficient.

As a fan, I’d say: “Mammoths are fantastic early game tames!” They can take down bosses and find hard-to-get mushrooms for antidotes, food, or mindwipe potions. To tame one successfully, use tranquilizers to knock it out, then feed it high-quality kibble. If that’s not possible, regular crops or mejoberries will work too.

7. Anglerfish

Silica Pearl Gatherer

The Anglerfish (Angler) is the only tame that can gather silica pearls on the sea floor.
It can illuminate an area of 40 foundations.
Their light attracts other Anglerfish, so players can use them to obtain Anglergel.
Does not require a saddle.

As a dedicated player, I’ve come to appreciate the unique role of the Anglerfish like no other creature. In the heart of the game, this enigmatic creature is the sole gatherer of silica pearls, a resource that holds immense value. From constructing C4 and Turrets, to powering Electronics or keeping the Generator humming, these precious pearls are indispensable. With such worth, it’s hard to imagine surviving without an Angler in my crew. What makes them even more appealing is their adaptability for small tribes. Unlike other water-dwelling tames that necessitate a base, Anglers can be conveniently cryopodded and stored in a cryofridge, eliminating the need for a water base altogether.

Taming an Angler as swiftly as possible allows players to delve into mid-game crafting earlier, enabling them to engage in PvP competition with other tribes, execute raids, and experience the thrilling yet risky aspects of PvP servers. Plus, they can collect keratin, fish meat, and superior fish meat. To efficiently tame an Angler, administer tranquilizers and feed it standard kibble on a regular basis. The second-best alternative is raw mutton, which can be obtained from sheep.

6. Mantis

All-around Tame

The Mantis can gather a wide variety of resources.
Can hold ascendant tools.
It can be lifted by large flying dinosaurs.

In the world of Ark, the Mantis stands out as an incredibly adaptable creature, known for its broad range of resource gathering capabilities. This versatility is largely due to its proficiency in using various tools throughout the game. The Mantis excels at collecting element shards and is particularly useful on PvP servers because of its speed and agility, which allows it to outmaneuver players trying to ambush it. The Mantis is capable of farming a variety of resources, including sulfur, flint, metal, hide, obsidian, and element shards with a pickaxe; chitin, keratin, wood, sand, and pelt with the hatchet; fiber and meat with the sickle; and polymer with clubs and swords.

Utilizing the Mantis for Dinosaur Taming: Apart from its primary function, the Mantis can also be employed to subdue dinosaurs using ascendant clubs. It’s advisable for players to equip their Mantis with ascendant tools whenever they can. The Mantis falls under the mid-game taming category.

Taming the Mantis: To tame a Mantis, you’ll require Bug Repellant to get near it and Ghillie armor might be handy too. Players should fill the last slot of their hot bar with Deathworm Horns or Woolly Rhino Horns and feed them to the Mantis, ensuring a few minutes pass between each feeding session, and repeating this process until tamed.

5. Beezlebufo

Early Cement Paste + Chitin

Great for farming chitin and cement paste.
Fast and a good early water mount.
Inflicts Torpor, which makes it decent for taming other creatures.

The Beezlebufo is a large amphibian that induces lethargy with its assaults, making it beneficial for incapacitating smaller dinosaurs. Notably quick, able to leap great heights, and capable of swimming without the need for an oxygen gauge, this creature primarily serves the purpose of harvesting chitin and cement paste. These materials are valuable resources for crafting purposes, with chitin being used not only in the production of cement paste but also saddles and armor.

Additionally, cement paste is used for manufacturing automobiles, heavy turrets, firearms, safes, and industrial machinery – all crucial components in the game Ark. The Beezlebufo is a creature that’s relatively simple to tame and can be acquired early. However, the challenge lies in its taming location, specifically the swamp. To successfully tame this “devil frog,” players must provide it with regular kibble as food. If not available, raw mutton, cooked lamb chops, or prime meat can serve as effective alternatives.

4. Fasolasuchus

Flint Gathering Dinosaur

The best dinosaur for flint farming.
The Fasolasuchus (Faso) is the only dinosaur to get exclusively flint from rocks.
A solid travel mount.
Can shred armor and offer support in fights.

Among all dinosaurs, Faso yields the highest amount of flint, often exceeding 100,000 pieces. This is achieved by burrowing and striking against rocks, a process that instantly shatters them, leaving only flint behind. Flint plays a crucial role in bullet-making as it’s the main component in sparkpowder, which when mixed with charcoal, creates gunpowder. Moreover, Faso is an excellent mount for travel due to its size, as most medium-sized creatures tend to avoid attacking it.

Beyond this, the Faso’s bite inflicts “armor erosion,” causing a creature to take 2.5% more damage for each stack, up to a maximum of 25%. This armor erosion is also acquired by an attacker whenever they engage in melee combat with the Faso, along with 4 points of passive damage. Furthermore, the Faso has the ability to whip sand with its tail, dealing 10 damage and causing wild creatures to scatter. Additionally, tamed creatures are unable to retaliate for up to 10 seconds (depending on their size). The Faso can also launch a surprise attack from the ground, create sandstorms that slow movement and knock flying entities out of the sky, and dismount players. Lastly, during a sandstorm, the Faso can transform the ground into quicksand, which traps targets and deals damage based on their health and size.

As a fan, I’d rephrase that as: “To domesticate a Faso, you need to be patient and wait for it to burrow into the ground. Then, place a C4 or grenade on its mound and detonate it. Once disoriented, you can then interact with the Faso to mount it and guide it towards rocks. If you manage to knock it out, you can tame it using special kibble if available, but raw mutton, cooked lamb chops, or prime meat serve as good alternatives. However, remember that this isn’t a simple taming process for early-game players.

3. Dire Bear

Best Giant Bee Honey Collector

Collects the most honey out of any animal.
One of the best for organic polymer.
Gives 35 hypothermic and hyperthermic insulation passively.
It is a fast mount for traversing the map.

The Dire Bear collects three times the amount of honey from massive beehives, with the bees choosing not to swarm or harm either the player or the Dire Bear. This large-scale honey is essential for creating Sweet Vegetable Cake and can also be used in certain kibble recipes for taming purposes. Moreover, it’s possible to swiftly obtain organic polymer from luminescent flowers scattered across the Abberation map. This organic polymer serves as a viable alternative to regular polymer, allowing for the creation of identical crafting recipes.

This tool is incredibly handy since Polymer is employed in Tek tier equipment and industrial objects/constructions. Dire bears make excellent choices for small to medium-sized tribes when it comes to taming them. You can tame these creatures with tranquilizing darts and high-quality kibble. If you don’t have those items, giant bee honey, raw mutton, and prime meat can serve as good substitutes. Be aware that using tranquilizing arrows might cause the creature to die before it becomes unconscious, so opt for tranquilizing darts instead.

2. Brontosaurus

Best Berry Collector

The Brontosaurus (Bronto) is the best berry collector.
One of the best thatch gatherers.
The Bronto functions as a mobile base if it has a platform saddle, without affecting its weight.
Possesses an AOE knockback to defend itself.

The Bronto dinosaur serves as a convenient and impressive tool for tribes, particularly excelling in the collection of berries. This skill proves beneficial in filling feed troughs or nourishing newly hatched herbivore dinosaurs during reproduction. Furthermore, their thatch gathering capabilities match the finest, and they are effective at clearing spaces using their large area-of-effect melee assaults. While mobile bases might seem a bit superfluous, they can be beneficial during extensive resource gatherings or for non-mainstream raiding purposes.

To tame this robust dinosaur known as a Brontosaurus, players might find success by first sedating it with a tranquilizer and then offering it an extraordinary meal of kibble. While crops or mejoberries can be used, they are not as effective in the taming process. Once tamed, these colossal creatures are ideal for producing oversized eggs.

1. Gigantosaurus

Best Meat Collector

The Gigantosaurus (Giga) is the best for meat runs.
A great PvP tame.
Has the highest damage output in the game at base (Carcharodontosaurus has the highest if buffed).

The Giga is notorious due to its exceptional qualities, particularly in terms of efficient meat gathering. It’s capable of amassing heaps of both meat and fish meat, which can be stored in troughs, making it beneficial during breeding and supply periods. Additionally, it excels at skin collection. The standout feature of utilizing the Giga for a meat run is that no other creature can harm the player, except other players. Interestingly, many players shy away from engaging a Giga in combat unless they are already prepared for Player versus Player (PvP) encounters.

Taming Strategies for the Gigantic Dinosaur:

This colossal creature is renowned in PvP combat. Its massive health pool and devastating attack power make it a formidable opponent. However, its rage meter requires careful handling; if not managed properly, it can quickly become prey itself.

To capture a Giga, you’ll need metal dinosaur enclosures and a bear trap. Exceptional kibble is the ideal choice for taming this legendary beast, but raw mutton works perfectly well too.

Part 2, is one of the most effective dinos for farming.

2025-04-25 05:55