What are the best ways to use vaults for secure storage in ARK: Survival Evolved?
Vaults are one of the most secure storage options in ARK: Survival Evolved, offering a massive inventory capacity and high durability. They are essential for protecting valuable resources, rare items, and blueprints from both environmental threats and other players in PvP scenarios. To use vaults effectively, you need to understand their mechanics, placement strategies, and how to integrate them into your base design.
First, letÔÇÖs discuss the mechanics of vaults. Vaults are large, cylindrical storage structures that require a significant amount of resources to craft. They have 350 inventory slots, making them ideal for storing bulk resources like metal, polymer, or cementing paste. Vaults are also highly durable, with 25,000 health, making them resistant to most attacks from creatures and players. However, they are not indestructible, so proper placement and defense are crucial.
To craft a vault, you need to unlock the engram at level 55. The crafting cost is steep, requiring 200 metal ingots, 200 cementing paste, and 100 polymer. This makes vaults a mid-to-late-game item, so youÔÇÖll need to focus on resource gathering and refining before you can build them. Metal ingots are obtained by smelting metal ore in a forge, cementing paste can be crafted from chitin or keratin and stone, and polymer is gathered from organic polymer sources or crafted from obsidian and cementing paste.
Once you have the resources, place your vault in a secure location within your base. Vaults are large and take up a 2x2 foundation space, so ensure you have enough room. Ideally, place vaults in a central, well-protected area of your base, such as a reinforced room with metal walls and ceilings. Avoid placing them near the outer walls of your base, as they could be targeted during raids. If youÔÇÖre playing on a PvP server, consider placing vaults in hidden or hard-to-reach areas, such as underwater bases or cliffside locations.
To maximize security, surround your vaults with additional defenses. Turrets, plant species X, and tamed creatures like Rexes or Gigas can deter intruders. You can also use multiple layers of walls and gates to create a maze-like structure around your vaults, making it harder for raiders to reach them. In PvE, vaults are less likely to be destroyed by creatures, but you should still protect them from accidental damage or theft by tribe members.
One common mistake is overloading a single vault with all your valuable items. While vaults have a large capacity, itÔÇÖs better to distribute your resources across multiple vaults. This way, if one vault is compromised, you wonÔÇÖt lose everything. Label your vaults for easy organization, such as one for metal, one for ammunition, and one for rare items like artifacts or blueprints.
Advanced techniques include using vaults as part of your baseÔÇÖs defensive structure. For example, you can place vaults in chokepoints to block enemy movement or use them to reinforce weak spots in your walls. In PvP, some players use vaults as decoys, placing them in visible but heavily defended areas to distract raiders while hiding their most valuable items elsewhere.
Resource management is key when using vaults. Since they require a lot of materials to craft, prioritize building them only when you have a steady supply of metal, cementing paste, and polymer. Use industrial forges and chem benches to speed up resource production. If youÔÇÖre in a tribe, assign specific members to gather and refine the necessary materials to streamline the process.
For solo players, vaults are still valuable but require more planning. Focus on building a smaller, more secure base with fewer vaults to minimize resource expenditure. Use tamed creatures like Ankylos and Doedicurus to gather metal and stone efficiently. In PvP, solo players should consider building hidden vaults in remote locations to avoid detection.
In specific scenarios, such as preparing for boss fights or large-scale raids, vaults are invaluable for storing the massive amounts of resources required. For example, you can use a vault to store hundreds of bullets, explosives, and healing items for a raid. During boss fights, vaults can hold the necessary tributes and gear, ensuring everything is organized and ready.
In conclusion, vaults are a cornerstone of secure storage in ARK: Survival Evolved. By understanding their mechanics, optimizing their placement, and integrating them into your baseÔÇÖs defenses, you can protect your resources and items effectively. Whether youÔÇÖre playing solo or in a tribe, vaults are a must-have for any serious player looking to thrive in the dangerous world of ARK.
First, letÔÇÖs discuss the mechanics of vaults. Vaults are large, cylindrical storage structures that require a significant amount of resources to craft. They have 350 inventory slots, making them ideal for storing bulk resources like metal, polymer, or cementing paste. Vaults are also highly durable, with 25,000 health, making them resistant to most attacks from creatures and players. However, they are not indestructible, so proper placement and defense are crucial.
To craft a vault, you need to unlock the engram at level 55. The crafting cost is steep, requiring 200 metal ingots, 200 cementing paste, and 100 polymer. This makes vaults a mid-to-late-game item, so youÔÇÖll need to focus on resource gathering and refining before you can build them. Metal ingots are obtained by smelting metal ore in a forge, cementing paste can be crafted from chitin or keratin and stone, and polymer is gathered from organic polymer sources or crafted from obsidian and cementing paste.
Once you have the resources, place your vault in a secure location within your base. Vaults are large and take up a 2x2 foundation space, so ensure you have enough room. Ideally, place vaults in a central, well-protected area of your base, such as a reinforced room with metal walls and ceilings. Avoid placing them near the outer walls of your base, as they could be targeted during raids. If youÔÇÖre playing on a PvP server, consider placing vaults in hidden or hard-to-reach areas, such as underwater bases or cliffside locations.
To maximize security, surround your vaults with additional defenses. Turrets, plant species X, and tamed creatures like Rexes or Gigas can deter intruders. You can also use multiple layers of walls and gates to create a maze-like structure around your vaults, making it harder for raiders to reach them. In PvE, vaults are less likely to be destroyed by creatures, but you should still protect them from accidental damage or theft by tribe members.
One common mistake is overloading a single vault with all your valuable items. While vaults have a large capacity, itÔÇÖs better to distribute your resources across multiple vaults. This way, if one vault is compromised, you wonÔÇÖt lose everything. Label your vaults for easy organization, such as one for metal, one for ammunition, and one for rare items like artifacts or blueprints.
Advanced techniques include using vaults as part of your baseÔÇÖs defensive structure. For example, you can place vaults in chokepoints to block enemy movement or use them to reinforce weak spots in your walls. In PvP, some players use vaults as decoys, placing them in visible but heavily defended areas to distract raiders while hiding their most valuable items elsewhere.
Resource management is key when using vaults. Since they require a lot of materials to craft, prioritize building them only when you have a steady supply of metal, cementing paste, and polymer. Use industrial forges and chem benches to speed up resource production. If youÔÇÖre in a tribe, assign specific members to gather and refine the necessary materials to streamline the process.
For solo players, vaults are still valuable but require more planning. Focus on building a smaller, more secure base with fewer vaults to minimize resource expenditure. Use tamed creatures like Ankylos and Doedicurus to gather metal and stone efficiently. In PvP, solo players should consider building hidden vaults in remote locations to avoid detection.
In specific scenarios, such as preparing for boss fights or large-scale raids, vaults are invaluable for storing the massive amounts of resources required. For example, you can use a vault to store hundreds of bullets, explosives, and healing items for a raid. During boss fights, vaults can hold the necessary tributes and gear, ensuring everything is organized and ready.
In conclusion, vaults are a cornerstone of secure storage in ARK: Survival Evolved. By understanding their mechanics, optimizing their placement, and integrating them into your baseÔÇÖs defenses, you can protect your resources and items effectively. Whether youÔÇÖre playing solo or in a tribe, vaults are a must-have for any serious player looking to thrive in the dangerous world of ARK.