What is the best way to farm element for advanced base building in ARK: Survival Evolved?
Farming element in ARK: Survival Evolved is essential for advanced base building, as it is required to craft high-tier structures, Tek equipment, and other advanced technologies. Element is a rare and valuable resource, and obtaining it requires careful planning, preparation, and execution. HereÔÇÖs a detailed guide on how to efficiently farm element, covering mechanics, strategies, and considerations.
Element is primarily obtained by defeating bosses, completing certain missions in Genesis maps, or harvesting it from specific sources like the Extinction map. The most reliable method for farming large amounts of element is by defeating bosses, as they drop element directly or provide element shards that can be crafted into element. To start, you need to prepare for boss fights, which require strong tamed creatures, high-quality gear, and a well-coordinated tribe if playing in a group.
First, you must gather the necessary resources to summon bosses. Each boss requires specific tribute items, such as artifacts, trophies, or other rare materials. Artifacts are found in caves, which are often guarded by dangerous creatures, so bring strong tames like a pack of Raptors, a high-level Carnotaurus, or a Rex to clear the caves. Trophies are obtained by defeating Alpha creatures, which are stronger versions of regular dinosaurs. Make sure to bring a powerful tame, such as a high-level Rex or Spino, to take down Alphas.
Once you have the tribute items, you can summon the boss at an Obelisk or a Tek Cave entrance. The difficulty of the boss fight depends on the level of the boss you choose (Gamma, Beta, or Alpha). Higher difficulty levels yield more element but are significantly harder. For example, the Alpha Broodmother on The Island map drops 100 element, while the Gamma version drops only 25. Choose the difficulty level based on your tribeÔÇÖs strength and preparation.
For boss fights, you need a team of strong tames. Rexes are the most commonly used creatures for boss battles due to their high health and damage output. Other viable options include Therizinosaurus, which are effective against the Dragon boss due to their herbivore healing buff, and Megatherium, which excel against the Broodmother because of their insect-killing bonus. Make sure your tames have high-quality saddles to reduce incoming damage and are leveled appropriately, with a focus on health and melee damage.
During the fight, focus on coordinating attacks and healing your tames if possible. Use a Yutyrannus to provide a courage buff, increasing your tamesÔÇÖ damage and resistance. A Daedon can also be used to heal your tames, but it requires a lot of food to sustain its healing ability. Avoid common mistakes like bringing under-leveled tames or forgetting to equip saddles, as these can lead to failure.
After defeating the boss, you will receive element or element shards. On Extinction, you can also farm element by harvesting corrupted nodes or defeating Titans, which drop large amounts of element. On Genesis maps, completing missions can reward element, but this method is less efficient than boss fights.
For solo players, farming element can be more challenging due to the difficulty of boss fights. However, you can still succeed by focusing on Gamma-level bosses and using a well-bred and imprinted army of Rexes or Therizinosaurus. Breeding and imprinting your tames will significantly increase their stats, making them more effective in combat. Additionally, consider using Tek gear, such as the Tek Rifle or Tek Armor, to give yourself an edge in battle.
Advanced techniques include using mutations to breed super tames with exceptionally high stats. This requires time and effort but can result in creatures capable of taking on Alpha bosses with ease. Another optimization is to use a Tek Replicator to craft element from shards more efficiently, as it reduces the crafting time and resource cost.
In summary, farming element in ARK requires preparation, strong tames, and strategic planning. Focus on gathering tribute items, breeding powerful creatures, and coordinating with your tribe for boss fights. Avoid common mistakes like under-preparing or neglecting saddle quality, and consider advanced techniques like mutation breeding for long-term efficiency. With the right approach, you can amass a steady supply of element to fuel your advanced base-building projects.
Element is primarily obtained by defeating bosses, completing certain missions in Genesis maps, or harvesting it from specific sources like the Extinction map. The most reliable method for farming large amounts of element is by defeating bosses, as they drop element directly or provide element shards that can be crafted into element. To start, you need to prepare for boss fights, which require strong tamed creatures, high-quality gear, and a well-coordinated tribe if playing in a group.
First, you must gather the necessary resources to summon bosses. Each boss requires specific tribute items, such as artifacts, trophies, or other rare materials. Artifacts are found in caves, which are often guarded by dangerous creatures, so bring strong tames like a pack of Raptors, a high-level Carnotaurus, or a Rex to clear the caves. Trophies are obtained by defeating Alpha creatures, which are stronger versions of regular dinosaurs. Make sure to bring a powerful tame, such as a high-level Rex or Spino, to take down Alphas.
Once you have the tribute items, you can summon the boss at an Obelisk or a Tek Cave entrance. The difficulty of the boss fight depends on the level of the boss you choose (Gamma, Beta, or Alpha). Higher difficulty levels yield more element but are significantly harder. For example, the Alpha Broodmother on The Island map drops 100 element, while the Gamma version drops only 25. Choose the difficulty level based on your tribeÔÇÖs strength and preparation.
For boss fights, you need a team of strong tames. Rexes are the most commonly used creatures for boss battles due to their high health and damage output. Other viable options include Therizinosaurus, which are effective against the Dragon boss due to their herbivore healing buff, and Megatherium, which excel against the Broodmother because of their insect-killing bonus. Make sure your tames have high-quality saddles to reduce incoming damage and are leveled appropriately, with a focus on health and melee damage.
During the fight, focus on coordinating attacks and healing your tames if possible. Use a Yutyrannus to provide a courage buff, increasing your tamesÔÇÖ damage and resistance. A Daedon can also be used to heal your tames, but it requires a lot of food to sustain its healing ability. Avoid common mistakes like bringing under-leveled tames or forgetting to equip saddles, as these can lead to failure.
After defeating the boss, you will receive element or element shards. On Extinction, you can also farm element by harvesting corrupted nodes or defeating Titans, which drop large amounts of element. On Genesis maps, completing missions can reward element, but this method is less efficient than boss fights.
For solo players, farming element can be more challenging due to the difficulty of boss fights. However, you can still succeed by focusing on Gamma-level bosses and using a well-bred and imprinted army of Rexes or Therizinosaurus. Breeding and imprinting your tames will significantly increase their stats, making them more effective in combat. Additionally, consider using Tek gear, such as the Tek Rifle or Tek Armor, to give yourself an edge in battle.
Advanced techniques include using mutations to breed super tames with exceptionally high stats. This requires time and effort but can result in creatures capable of taking on Alpha bosses with ease. Another optimization is to use a Tek Replicator to craft element from shards more efficiently, as it reduces the crafting time and resource cost.
In summary, farming element in ARK requires preparation, strong tames, and strategic planning. Focus on gathering tribute items, breeding powerful creatures, and coordinating with your tribe for boss fights. Avoid common mistakes like under-preparing or neglecting saddle quality, and consider advanced techniques like mutation breeding for long-term efficiency. With the right approach, you can amass a steady supply of element to fuel your advanced base-building projects.