Can Shadowmanes Beat the Dragon in ARK: Survival Evolved?
Yes, Shadowmanes can absolutely beat the Dragon boss in ARK: Survival Evolved, and they can do it remarkably quickly when used correctly. While the Dragon is a formidable foe, with its fiery breath and high health pool, the unique combination of the Shadowmane’s abilities, combined with strategic player tactics, makes them an incredibly effective counter. The key isn’t simply brute force, but rather exploiting their strengths to minimize damage taken while maximizing damage output. Let’s delve deeper into how these majestic creatures can take down one of the game’s toughest bosses.
Why Shadowmanes Excel Against the Dragon
Several factors contribute to the effectiveness of Shadowmanes against the Dragon. Firstly, their offensive capabilities are exceptional. They deal significant damage with their claws and powerful bites, and their ability to roar boosts both their attack and that of nearby allies. This is crucial in boss fights where every point of damage matters. Additionally, unlike many other powerful creatures that require saddles, Shadowmanes can be ridden without one, giving a more direct connection to the player’s input during combat.
Secondly, Shadowmanes are fast and agile. They can close the distance to the Dragon quickly, allowing players to stay within striking range and avoid the Dragon’s dangerous fire attacks. This mobility, when combined with their high damage output, lets a skilled player consistently inflict damage while dodging the worst of the Dragon’s attacks. The ability to maneuver rapidly allows the player to control the fight more effectively, crucial in the often chaotic environment of a boss arena.
Thirdly, the Shadowmane’s stealth and unique cloak ability provide an advantage, though mostly utilized for taming rather than fighting. However, their raw power, combined with their speed and attack boost, is the primary reason why they are effective against the Dragon.
Finally, when fully mutated and properly bred, with high melee damage and health, a team of Shadowmanes can overwhelm the Dragon and finish the fight in just a few minutes. This makes them one of the fastest ways to defeat the Alpha Dragon, given the right circumstances and preparation.
How To Effectively Use Shadowmanes Against the Dragon
While Shadowmanes have the potential to dominate the Dragon, success depends on player preparation and tactics. Here’s a rundown of how to effectively use them in a Dragon fight:
Breeding and Mutation
- High-Level Tames: Start by taming Shadowmanes with high base stats. This will form the foundation for a strong breeding program.
- Focus on Health and Melee: When breeding, prioritize mutations that increase health and melee damage. These are the two most important stats for boss fights.
- Imprinting: Fully imprint your bred Shadowmanes. Imprinting adds significant stat boosts, making them more resilient and powerful.
Gear and Preparation
- Ghillie Suit/Cactus Broth: While not necessary for the actual boss fight, use a Ghillie suit or consume cactus broth when taming to ensure you get the best possible tames.
- Weapon: Consider bringing a high-quality shotgun or rifle for personal protection or to assist in emergencies.
- Potions and Consumables: Have healing potions, endurance buffs and other consumables at the ready for both yourself and your Shadowmanes.
Battle Tactics
- Aggressive Approach: Once the fight begins, focus on staying close to the Dragon. Use the Shadowmane’s mobility to stay within melee range, dealing constant damage.
- Roar Timing: Utilize the Shadowmane’s roar strategically. Use it to boost the damage of your entire pack of Shadowmanes.
- Avoid Fire: The Dragon’s fire breath is its most dangerous attack. Dodge it by carefully maneuvering your Shadowmanes.
- Pack Mentality: If possible, fight with a group of bred Shadowmanes. The coordinated assault will maximize damage output and take down the Dragon very quickly.
Shadowmanes vs. Other Boss Tames
While Shadowmanes can excel against the Dragon, how do they compare to other common boss-fighting tames?
Magmasaur
The Magmasaur is often considered the absolute best tame to fight the Dragon because they’re immune to fire damage and can fight at a distance. However, their relative lack of mobility compared to the shadowmane and reliance on their fire damage, makes them significantly slower to kill the boss when compared to well-bred shadowmanes.
Therizinosaurus
A swarm of Therizinosaurus can overwhelm the Dragon, thanks to their high damage output. They need to be bred with strong health, however, and take much longer to kill the boss compared to the Shadowmane.
Rex
The Rex is a classic choice for boss fights, but Shadowmanes are generally superior due to their versatility, speed, and the ability to fire guns while riding. Though Rexes can work, a Shadowmane is usually a much better option.
Yutyrannus
A Yutyrannus is great for support in boss fights but is unable to dish out the damage by itself, requiring help from other damage dealers like the Therizinosaurus. They are unable to deal the sort of damage that a mutated shadowmane can.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Shadowmanes are indeed a very powerful force when used against the Dragon in ARK: Survival Evolved. With their speed, damage output, ability to be ridden without a saddle, and roar boosts, they can efficiently and swiftly defeat the Dragon with the right tactics and preparation. While other tames can get the job done, the combination of flexibility, agility, and power makes a well-bred Shadowmane pack a top-tier choice for Dragon battles. The effectiveness of the Shadowmanes, makes the Shadowmane one of the most versatile creatures in all of Ark.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can you use Shadowmanes for other bosses besides the Dragon?
Yes, Shadowmanes are versatile creatures that can be used against any boss in ARK. Their overall capabilities make them a powerful all-round combatant.
2. How do you tame a Shadowmane?
To tame a Shadowmane, you must sneak up on it while it is sleeping (crouch using a Ghillie Suit or after using Cactus Broth). Feed it a Filled Fish Basket of at least 0.5x size. The type and level of the fish do not matter.
3. What is the best way to breed Shadowmanes?
Focus on breeding high-level Shadowmanes with a strong emphasis on mutations in health and melee damage. Imprinting is also crucial.
4. What does a Shadowmane’s roar do?
The male Shadowmane’s roar boosts attack, defense, and speed for other nearby Shadowmanes, and boosts torpor and stamina of all Shadowmanes.
5. Can Shadowmanes be ridden without a saddle?
Yes, Shadowmanes can be ridden without a saddle, giving players direct control.
6. Are Shadowmanes better than Rexes for boss fights?
Yes, Shadowmanes are often considered superior due to their speed, versatility, and the ability to fire weapons while riding.
7. What is the maximum level for a Shadowmane?
Shadowmanes can exceed the normal level cap of 150 and have been seen to reach level 500.
8. Are Shadowmanes good for transportation?
Yes, their speed and saddle-free riding ability makes them excellent for transportation.
9. What do baby Shadowmanes eat?
Baby Shadowmanes eat raw fish meat.
10. Are Shadowmanes immune to fire or radiation?
No, Shadowmanes are not immune to fire or radiation.
11. Are Shadowmanes aggressive?
Shadowmanes are aggressive when provoked, even during their resting periods during the day.
12. What is the easiest boss in Ark?
The easiest boss on The Island is the Broodmother Gamma due to the ability to cheese the boss by using a procroptodon and a shotgun.
13. What is the hardest boss in Ark?
The Dinopithecus King is considered the strongest boss in ARK, as it is a larger variant of the Megapithecus.
14. What is the biggest boss in Ark?
The King Titan is the largest boss in the game.
15. How many boss fights are in Ark?
On the Island, there are four main boss fights: the Broodmother Lysrix, the Megapithecus, the Dragon, and the Overseer.