How do I craft and use a tek chestpiece for advanced protection in ARK: Survival Evolved?

Crafting and using a Tek Chestpiece in ARK: Survival Evolved is a significant milestone in the game, as it provides advanced protection and unique abilities. The Tek Chestpiece is part of the Tek Tier, which is the highest level of technology available in ARK. To craft and use this item, you need to progress through the game, gather rare resources, and defeat powerful bosses. HereÔÇÖs a detailed guide on how to achieve this.

First, you need to unlock the Tek Chestpiece engram. This engram is not available through normal leveling. Instead, you must defeat certain bosses to unlock it. The bosses you need to defeat are the Broodmother Lysrix, Megapithecus, and Dragon, which are found in the Island map. Each boss drops a specific Tekgram, and you need to defeat all three to unlock the full Tek Tier. Once you have the Tekgrams, you can craft the Tek Chestpiece at a Tek Replicator, which is also unlocked through the same boss fights.

To craft the Tek Chestpiece, you will need a variety of resources. These include Element, which is a rare resource obtained by defeating bosses or harvesting it from specific nodes in certain maps. You will also need Metal Ingots, Polymer, Crystal, and Electronics. Polymer can be obtained from killing creatures like Kairuku or by crafting it with Obsidian and Cementing Paste. Crystal is found in caves or on mountain tops, and Electronics are crafted from Metal Ingots, Silica Pearls, and Oil. Gathering these resources can be time-consuming, so itÔÇÖs a good idea to use tamed dinosaurs like Ankylosaurus for Metal and Crystal, and Beavers or Mammoths for Wood and Thatch.

Once you have all the necessary resources, you can craft the Tek Chestpiece at a Tek Replicator. The Tek Replicator requires Element to power it, so make sure you have enough Element before starting the crafting process. The Tek Chestpiece provides excellent protection against damage and also has unique abilities, such as the ability to hover for a short period, which can be useful for traversing difficult terrain or escaping dangerous situations.

Using the Tek Chestpiece effectively requires managing its energy consumption. The chestpiece uses Element Shards as fuel, which are crafted from Element. Each Element Shard provides a certain amount of energy, and you will need to keep an eye on the energy level to ensure the chestpiece remains functional. You can recharge the chestpiece by adding more Element Shards to its inventory.

One common mistake players make is not preparing adequately for the boss fights required to unlock the Tekgrams. These bosses are extremely powerful and require a well-prepared team of tamed dinosaurs and high-quality weapons. ItÔÇÖs essential to breed and raise strong dinosaurs like Rexes or Therizinosaurus, and equip them with good saddles to increase their survivability. Additionally, having a good supply of medical brews and food for both you and your dinosaurs is crucial.

For solo players, the challenge is even greater, as you will need to manage everything on your own. ItÔÇÖs advisable to focus on taming and breeding a strong army of dinosaurs and gathering as many resources as possible before attempting the boss fights. Joining a tribe can make the process easier, as you can share the workload and combine resources and dinosaurs for the boss fights.

Advanced techniques include optimizing your dinosaur breeding for maximum stats and using specific strategies for each boss fight. For example, using Yutyrannus to buff your dinosaurs and Daedon for healing can significantly increase your chances of success. Additionally, using high-quality weapons like Rocket Launchers or Assault Rifles can help deal with the bosses more efficiently.

In summary, crafting and using a Tek Chestpiece in ARK: Survival Evolved involves defeating powerful bosses, gathering rare resources, and managing energy consumption. Proper preparation, resource management, and strategic planning are key to successfully obtaining and using this advanced piece of equipment. Whether playing solo or in a tribe, the Tek Chestpiece offers significant advantages and is a valuable asset in the late game.