Ark: Survival Evolved is finally available on all major platforms, so here’s a guide to help get you started exploring the wilderness. This time our focus is on creatures, called Dinos, that you can tame in the open world. When it comes to use and gathering resources, here are five of the best ones.
1) Dung Beetle : This obviously isn’t the sexiest pick on our list, but it is a pretty useful one if you want to have a solid berry garden or make some organic turrets with Plant Species X. Just be sure to craft a pen so it can’t run away, then put all the feces you find in its inventory. Over time, you’ll have a ton of fertilizer. It’s the best way to get this precious commodity that’s a must-have for top-tier plants.
These are most common on the Island map in any major cave. You don’t knock them out, just fill them with feces.
2) Beelzebufo: Also known as the frog, the Beelzebufo is a seriously multifaceted Dino. If you can get one, its tongue attack is great for taming because it knocks out whatever it lashes. In other words, spam the tongue attack, then sprint away with this beast’s decently fast speed.
It’s a solid resource gatherer too. When killing bugs, like Meganeura, it harvests cementing paste that can be used to craft a whole bunch of high-level, useful industrial items. If you want to build a greenhouse or a metallic base, the Beelzebufo is essential to that process. It also finds chitin too, which can be used to fashion some really sweet armor. This is an easy tame. Just tranq it and fill it with meat and narcotics. Look for thick brush around the water’s edge to find one.
3) Castoroides : This Dino is often called the beaver. True to that lineage, the Castoroides is your one-stop shop for wood gathering. Not only can it find and hold wood in massive quantities if you saddle it, but, even if you don’t have a saddle, it gathers the resource for you. Wood is one of the most consistently necessary materials in Ark, and the Castoroides specializes in it. It also makes dams that yield cementing paste for industrial items.
To tame, just look near rivers on either map and you should be able to find a dam. They aren’t difficult to down even at high levels. Just hit one with a few tranq darts and fill it with kibble, vegetables, Mejoberry and generic berries.
4) Argentavis : Argentavis is one of the best birds that Ark offers. It’s great for traveling in the open world and can transport other animals to locations where they’re better able to farm. It’s also pretty good for killing creatures and foes, as well as harvesting prime meat. This is a powerful, winged buddy.
Argentavis are often found around beaches. To knock one out, shoot it with tranq arrows to force it low to the ground. At some point it will swoop down for the kill. That’s when you shoot its head and step out of the way quickly. After that, fill it with kibble, meat, fish meat and the usual narcotics. It can be a long tame, but it’s worth it.
5) Brontosaurus : This Dino is the tank of Ark: Survival Evolved, and it’s also the best all-around gatherer of vegetation if you can tame one. Nobody is going to mess with you if you’re riding a Brontosaurus, but be careful to never put yourself in a situation where you need to get away quickly. This guy is slower than slow. On the flip side, you can build a foundation on top of one to make a mobile home.
Brontosaurus’ are sort of everywhere on the Island or Center. Find a cliff to avoid its attacks and spam it with tranq arrows. Fill it with kibble, vegetables and berries until it’s time to wake. This tame can also be a really long one, but the Bronto is a must-have endgame item.
Ark: Survival Evolved is available now on Xbox One, PS4, PC, Mac and Linux. Check out our full beginner’s guide for a complete leveling plan.
Which Dinos do you love most in Ark: Survival Evolved? Was this guide helpful? Tell us in the comments section!
