What is the best way to breed for high melee damage in creatures like the Voidwyrm in ARK: Survival Evolved?

Breeding for high melee damage in creatures like the Voidwyrm in ARK: Survival Evolved involves a deep understanding of breeding mechanics, stat inheritance, and mutation systems. The Voidwyrm, a powerful flying creature introduced in the Genesis Part 2 expansion, is highly sought after for its combat capabilities, especially its melee damage. To breed a Voidwyrm with high melee damage, you need to follow a systematic approach that includes careful selection of parents, managing mutations, and optimizing the breeding process.

First, you need to understand the basics of stat inheritance. When two creatures breed, the offspring has a 70% chance to inherit the higher stat from either parent. This means if one parent has a high melee damage stat and the other has a lower one, the baby has a good chance of inheriting the higher stat. To maximize this, you should start by taming multiple Voidwyrms and checking their stats. Look for Voidwyrms with naturally high melee damage. Once you have identified the best candidates, you can begin the breeding process.

The next step is to create a breeding pair with the highest possible melee damage stat. This involves pairing two Voidwyrms that both have high melee damage. The goal is to produce offspring that inherit the high melee damage stat from both parents. Once you have a pair, you can start breeding them repeatedly to produce multiple offspring. Each time you breed, check the stats of the baby to see if it has inherited the high melee damage. If it has, you can replace one of the parents with the new baby to further improve the breeding line.

Mutations play a crucial role in increasing melee damage beyond the natural limits. Mutations can occur randomly during breeding and can increase a stat by 2 points. However, mutations are rare, with only a 2.5% chance per stat per baby. To maximize the chances of getting a mutation in melee damage, you need to breed a large number of Voidwyrms. Each mutation increases the melee damage stat, so the more mutations you can stack, the higher the melee damage will be. However, there is a limit of 20 mutations per stat, so you need to plan carefully to avoid wasting mutations.

One common mistake is not keeping track of mutations. Each mutation is counted separately for the mother and father, and each parent can contribute up to 20 mutations. If you exceed this limit, you will no longer be able to get mutations from that parent. To avoid this, you should keep detailed records of each breeding pair and the number of mutations they have. This will help you manage your breeding lines and ensure you are maximizing the potential for mutations.

Advanced techniques involve using a breeding line with clean parents. Clean parents are those with no mutations, allowing you to stack mutations more effectively. Once you have a clean pair, you can breed them to produce offspring with mutations. If a baby has a mutation in melee damage, you can replace one of the parents with the mutated baby and continue breeding. This process can be repeated until you reach the mutation limit.

Resource requirements for breeding Voidwyrms are significant. You will need a large supply of food, such as meat or fish, to keep the parents and babies fed. You will also need a safe and secure breeding area, as baby Voidwyrms are vulnerable to attacks. Building a dedicated breeding pen with walls and turrets can help protect your breeding operation. Additionally, you will need a steady supply of resources for imprinting, such as the required items for the Voidwyrm's imprinting requests.

Tribe and solo considerations are important. In a tribe, multiple players can share the workload of breeding, feeding, and imprinting, making the process more efficient. However, solo players can still achieve high melee damage Voidwyrms by carefully managing their time and resources. It is important to plan ahead and ensure you have enough resources to sustain the breeding process.

In conclusion, breeding for high melee damage in Voidwyrms requires a combination of careful stat selection, mutation management, and resource planning. By following the steps outlined above, you can create a powerful Voidwyrm with exceptional melee damage. Remember to keep detailed records, avoid common mistakes, and use advanced techniques to optimize your breeding lines. With patience and dedication, you can achieve your goal of breeding a high melee damage Voidwyrm in ARK: Survival Evolved.