How do I breed for high damage resistance in ARK: Survival Evolved?

Breeding for high damage resistance in ARK: Survival Evolved involves a combination of understanding stat inheritance, mutations, and careful breeding practices. Damage resistance is tied to the creature's health and armor stats, so the goal is to breed creatures with high health and, if applicable, high armor values. HereÔÇÖs a detailed guide on how to achieve this.

First, you need to understand the mechanics of stat inheritance. When two creatures breed, the offspring has a 55% chance to inherit the higher stat from either parent. This means if one parent has high health and the other has low health, the baby has a good chance of inheriting the high health stat. To maximize damage resistance, you should start by taming or breeding creatures with naturally high health stats. For example, a Rex with a high base health stat is a good candidate for breeding.

Next, you need to consider mutations. Mutations can randomly increase a stat by 2 points and also change the creature's color. Each creature can have up to 20 mutations on the maternal and paternal sides, totaling 40 mutations. However, once a creature reaches 20 mutations on one side, it can no longer receive new mutations from that side. To breed for high damage resistance, you want to aim for mutations that increase health. This is a rare and random process, so it requires patience and multiple breeding attempts.

To start, you should create a breeding pair with high health stats. Once you have a pair, place them in a secure breeding area with plenty of food and space. Enable mating and wait for the female to lay an egg or give birth, depending on the species. Once the egg is laid, you need to incubate it at the correct temperature. For example, Rex eggs require a hot environment, so you may need air conditioners or standing torches to maintain the temperature. If the creature gives live birth, ensure the area is safe and free from predators.

After the baby is born or hatched, you need to care for it until it reaches adulthood. This involves feeding it the appropriate food and ensuring it stays safe. During this time, you can also imprint on the baby by interacting with it when it requests care. Imprinting increases the creature's stats and makes it more loyal to you, which is crucial for maximizing its effectiveness in combat.

Once the baby reaches adulthood, you can check its stats to see if it inherited the high health stat or received a mutation. If it did, you can use it as a new breeding parent to continue improving the health stat. If not, you may need to try again with the same parents or find new parents with better stats.

One common mistake is not keeping track of mutations. ItÔÇÖs important to document which creatures have mutations and how many they have to avoid hitting the mutation cap. Another mistake is not providing enough food for the baby, which can lead to starvation and death. Always have a surplus of food ready, especially for carnivores that require a lot of meat.

Advanced techniques involve stacking mutations. This means breeding a mutated creature with a non-mutated creature to keep the mutation count low on one side while still passing down the mutated stat. This allows you to continue receiving new mutations on the other side. For example, if you have a Rex with a health mutation, breed it with a Rex that has no mutations. The offspring will have the health mutation and can be bred again to potentially receive another mutation.

Resource requirements for breeding include a secure base with plenty of food, incubators or temperature control devices, and time. Breeding can be time-consuming, so itÔÇÖs important to plan accordingly. If youÔÇÖre in a tribe, you can divide the responsibilities, with some members gathering food and others managing the breeding process. Solo players will need to manage everything themselves, so itÔÇÖs crucial to be organized.

In summary, breeding for high damage resistance in ARK: Survival Evolved involves selecting creatures with high health stats, understanding stat inheritance and mutations, and carefully managing the breeding process. By following these steps and avoiding common mistakes, you can create powerful creatures with high damage resistance that will give you an edge in the game.