Advanced Taming Techniques — ARK: Survival Ascended Guide

Master ARK: Survival Ascended taming! Learn advanced techniques, how to keep creatures unconscious, and the best foods for faster taming. Become a dino expert!

Hey there, survivor! So you're ready to move beyond the basics and really get into taming some of the tougher creatures in ARK: Survival Ascended? Awesome! Let's dive into some advanced techniques that'll make you a dino-taming pro. First off, remember that taming is all about making a creature friendly to you. Once it's friendly, it's your ally – it'll follow you, fight with you, carry stuff, and you can even ride some of them. They stay loyal until they die, and you can even release them for other players to claim, which is pretty neat for gifting or lending a hand to tribe mates. Every creature takes a different amount of time to tame, from a few minutes to several hours. If you're going for a longer tame, it's super helpful to have a friend or two with you. You can take turns keeping the creature unconscious, feeding it, and watching out for any nasty surprises from other dinos. If you're flying solo, try to find a safe, secluded spot or build a quick enclosure before you knock it out. How to Tame: The Basics To tame any creature, you first need to knock it unconscious. Here’s how you can do that: * Punching: Your fists are your first option, but be careful! It's risky because you have to get up close, and you might accidentally kill the creature. Plus, you'll take some damage yourself. It's generally not recommended unless you're in a real pinch. * Slingshot: This is your next step up. It's pretty cheap to craft and easy to find ammo for. Keep pelting the creature, aiming for the head if you can, and eventually, it'll go down. * Bow with Tranquilizer Arrows: This is the most effective method. It costs more resources, but if you've got them, it's worth it. Landing these shots quickly, especially headshots, will put creatures to sleep much faster. Once a creature is unconscious, you need to keep it that way until it's fully tamed. Open its inventory and force-feed it Narcoberries or Narcotics. This bumps up its torpor stat, which is basically its consciousness level. You want to keep this high. Zero torpor means it's awake, and once it hits a certain point (unique to each creature), it passes out. If the torpor drops too low, it'll wake up, and you'll lose all your progress! While it's out cold, you need to feed it. If it doesn't eat, it won't tame. For herbivores, feed them any kind of berry except Stimberries (they won't eat those) and Narcoberries (which are for keeping them unconscious). While most herbivores like Mejoberries, it's always best to check their specific preferences on their wiki page. For carnivores, feed them meat. Raw meat works, but Prime Meat is way better. Some even prefer spoiled meat! Again, check their preferences. Don't worry, you don't have to stand there the whole time. You can go do other things, but keep an eye on its food and torpor levels. If it runs out of food or wakes up, your progress resets. You can see the taming progress (the brown bar) and how unconscious it is (the purple bar) by hovering over it. Once it's tamed, you'll get to name your new buddy! The Advanced 'Starvation' Method (Use with Caution!) This is where things get a bit more strategic. The 'starvation' method is about timing the feeding perfectly to maximize Taming Effectiveness. It's a bit tricky and requires your full attention, as a lapse could mean the dinosaur wakes up before it's fully tamed. Basically, you want to let the creature's torpor drop *just enough* so it's about to wake up, then feed it its preferred food. This usually gives you a higher taming effectiveness bonus. You'll need to monitor its torpor closely and have its favorite food ready to go. It's a delicate balance, but when done right, it can lead to a stronger, more effectively tamed creature. Remember to always check the creature's specific wiki page for its preferred foods and taming details – it's your best resource for success!