Which Tranq Dart Reigns Supreme in Ark: Survival Evolved? A Comprehensive Guide
The question of which tranq dart is “better” in Ark: Survival Evolved isn’t straightforward. It depends heavily on the situation, your resources, and the target you’re trying to tame. However, if we’re considering raw torpor infliction coupled with utility, the Shocking Tranquilizer Dart emerges as the superior choice.
While more expensive to craft than regular Tranquilizer Darts and definitely Tranq Arrows, the Shocking Tranquilizer Dart offers a significant advantage: massive initial torpor application and the ability to briefly stun the target. This stun can be critical for preventing attacks or escapes, especially when dealing with dangerous creatures. This is more important than raw torpor per second.
Tranquilizer Darts: A Deeper Dive
The Arsenal of Torpor
Ark: Survival Evolved offers a variety of methods for inducing torpor, the state leading to unconsciousness, which is essential for taming creatures. Among these methods, ranged weaponry loaded with sedatives stands out for its precision and safety (compared to melee options). Understanding the nuances of each option allows players to efficiently and safely tame the best creatures on the Ark.
The Standard Tranquilizer Dart
The basic Tranquilizer Dart is your bread-and-butter option for mid-to-late game taming. It requires a Longneck Rifle and provides a consistent, reliable source of torpor. It’s more effective than Tranq Arrows due to its higher torpor-to-damage ratio, meaning you’re less likely to accidentally kill your target. Crafting requires:
- 3 Simple Rifle Bullets
- 3 Metal Ingots
- 3 Narcotics
The Shocking Tranquilizer Dart
The Shocking Tranquilizer Dart is the king of torpor infliction. It combines a substantial initial torpor spike with a secondary effect: temporarily stunning the target. This is incredibly valuable when taming dangerous creatures like Gigantosaurus or Therizinosaurus, giving you a window to reposition or prevent them from attacking. As stated in the game guide, the target’s torpor will increase by 1200% of the damage dealt instantaneously, as well as an additional 500% of the damage over the next 5 seconds, for a total of 442 Torpor with a 100% Longneck Rifle. This is significantly superior to other tranquilizing methods.
Tranq Arrows and Toxicant Arrows
These are early to mid-game options, primarily used before obtaining the Longneck Rifle. Tranq Arrows are cheap and easy to produce, requiring only stone arrows and narcotics. However, they inflict significant damage alongside torpor, making it easy to accidentally kill low-level creatures. Toxicant Arrows are a step up, inflicting more torpor than Tranq Arrows, but still fall short compared to darts, and unlock too late to be useful.
Tranq Spear Bolts
These are specialized for underwater taming. While they inflict decent torpor, their limited range makes them impractical on land.
Choosing Your Tranquilizing Method
Here’s a breakdown to help you decide:
- Early Game: Tranq Arrows are your only realistic option until you can craft a Longneck Rifle. Focus on taming smaller, less dangerous creatures.
- Mid Game: Transition to Tranquilizer Darts as soon as possible. The improved torpor-to-damage ratio significantly reduces the risk of accidental kills.
- Late Game: Shocking Tranquilizer Darts become your go-to for taming high-level or dangerous creatures. The stun effect provides a crucial safety net.
The Importance of Timing
Regardless of the dart you choose, effective torpor application relies on timing. The article stated that it’s best to hit at a tempo of every 5 seconds. This is because torpor infliction pauses for 1 second before dropping. This means that the creature’s torpor starts depleting after 6 seconds, so it’s best to aim for shooting every 5 seconds. Learn the torpor drain rates of different creatures using external tools like the Dododex to optimize your shooting intervals.
Additional Tips for Successful Taming
- Use a Taming Pen: Build a simple enclosure to trap the target. This prevents it from running away or attacking you freely.
- Clear the Area: Eliminate any nearby predators that could interfere with the taming process.
- Bring Backup: Especially when taming dangerous creatures, having a friend to provide cover fire or administer additional narcotics can be invaluable.
- Use Kibble: Kibble dramatically speeds up the taming process and improves the final taming effectiveness (the bonus levels gained). Research the preferred kibble of your target before attempting the tame.
- Mind the Headshots: Aiming for the head can increase damage, so try to aim for the body to avoid accidental kills.
Mastering the Art of Taming
Ultimately, successful taming in Ark: Survival Evolved requires a combination of knowledge, preparation, and skill. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each tranquilizing method, coupled with smart tactics, will significantly increase your chances of adding powerful creatures to your tribe.
For more information on game design and the intersection of learning and games, explore resources like the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How many Shocking Tranq Darts does it take to knock out a Giganotosaurus?
As indicated in the game guide, to tranquilize a Giganotosaurus, you will need a significant number of Tranquilizer Darts due to its high torpor resistance. On average, it takes approximately 80 to 150 Tranquilizer Darts to render a Giga unconscious. Using Shocking Tranq Darts can reduce this number slightly and provide crucial stun windows.
2. Are Tranq Arrows worth using in the late game?
Not really. While cheap, their low torpor-to-damage ratio makes them risky for taming anything but the lowest-level creatures. Tranq Darts are a much safer and more efficient option.
3. Can you knock out a Giga with Tranq Arrows?
Yes, you can. But as the guide stated, the giga is a ferocious creature and you need about 500 tranq arrows to knock down a 135. It’s extremely dangerous and time-consuming. Using Tranq Darts or, preferably, Shocking Tranq Darts, is highly recommended.
4. Do Tranq Darts do damage in Ark?
Yes, Tranq Darts inflict damage as well as torpor. The damage is generally lower than Tranq Arrows, making them safer to use.
5. What is the best weapon to knock out Dinos in Ark?
The Longneck Rifle firing Shocking Tranq Darts is generally considered the best for most situations, balancing range, accuracy, and torpor infliction.
6. Why are my Tranq Arrows killing the Dinos I’m trying to tame?
This is because the Tranq Arrows are inflicting too much damage relative to the creature’s health. As explained in the guide, a level 50 Sabertooth has a 6.7% chance of being killed from tranq arrows being fired from a crossbow. Use a higher quality weapon for less damage.
7. Are Tranq Spear Bolts useful?
Only underwater. Their limited range makes them impractical on land.
8. How much torpor does a Shocking Tranq Dart do?
As mentioned in the game guide, the target’s torpor will increase by 1200% of the damage dealt instantaneously, as well as an additional 500% of the damage over the next 5 seconds, for a total of 442 Torpor with a 100% Longneck Rifle.
9. What’s the best way to get Narcotics?
Crafting them. You’ll need Narcoberries (collected from bushes) and Spoiled Meat. A Mortar and Pestle is required for crafting.
10. What is the strongest tameable creature in Ark?
The Giganotosaurus is widely considered one of the strongest, although other creatures like the Rex and Argentavis are also powerful and have their own unique uses.
11. What’s the hardest boss in Ark?
The King Titan is generally considered the most challenging boss in Ark: Survival Evolved.
12. How many Tranq Arrows does it take to knock out a Megalodon?
As cited in the guide, an effective way to tame Megalodons is to tranquilize them in shallow waters with 10-30 Tranq arrows.
13. What is the strongest weapon in Ark?
The Tek Phase Pistol is considered the most powerful weapon in Ark.
14. Can you tame a Giga with a trap?
Yes, as stated in the guide, the best way to tame a giganotosaurus is to make 4 metal gateways and a large bear trap. Lure the Giga in, trap it, and then knock it out with a tranq gun and shocking tranq darts.
15. How many tranq darts does it take to tame a level 150 Griffin?
The amount of darts would be based on the quality of your rifle, but around 68 should work if you have a white/gray rifle. This is more common for a more powerful weapon.