How to Farm Stone Effectively in Ark: Survival Evolved
Farming stone is a fundamental activity in Ark: Survival Evolved, essential for crafting tools, building structures, and progressing through the game. The best way to farm stone involves a combination of the right tools, creatures, and strategies, all working in harmony to maximize your yield. In essence, the most efficient method centers around utilizing a Doedicurus with high melee damage, often carried by an Argentavis for mobility. The Doedicurus excels at automatically harvesting stone from rocks and boulders, and the Argentavis allows you to quickly relocate it between resource nodes.
The Doedicurus and Argentavis Duo: The Most Efficient Stone Farming Method
The Power of the Doedicurus
The Doedicurus is considered the premier stone gatherer in Ark. Unlike players who must manually swing a pickaxe or hatchet, the Doedicurus harvests stone passively, rolling into rocks and boulders and automatically extracting the resource. Here’s why they’re so effective:
- High Harvesting Efficiency: With a focus on increasing their melee damage, a Doedicurus can yield significantly more stone per strike compared to a player or other dinos.
- Passive Gathering: The Doedicurus will continuously gather stone as it rolls against rocks, without direct player input. This allows for hands-free, efficient collection.
- Versatility: Besides normal rocks, Doedicurus can also gather stone from other sources like metal rocks and crystals, making them a multi-resource harvesting option.
The Argentavis: Your Aerial Transportation
While the Doedicurus is your workhorse, the Argentavis is your mobility solution. It allows for the following:
- Carry Capacity: The Argentavis can pick up a Doedicurus, transporting it quickly between stone locations.
- Speed and Agility: The Argentavis is relatively fast, which allows for efficient movement across the map, reaching resource hotspots swiftly.
- Safety: Transporting the Doedicurus via the Argentavis keeps it safe from ground-based predators.
The Technique in Practice
- Taming: First, tame both a high-level Doedicurus and Argentavis, prioritizing melee damage for the Doedicurus and weight for the Argentavis.
- Leveling: Focus on leveling melee damage on the Doedicurus. Increase weight on the Argentavis to carry heavier loads and the Doedicurus.
- Gathering: Fly to a resource-rich area, pick up the Doedicurus with the Argentavis, and fly close to rocks and boulders. The Doedicurus will automatically harvest, providing a steady stream of stone.
- Inventory Management: Periodically return to your base to unload the gathered stone from both the Argentavis and the Doedicurus.
Alternate Stone Farming Methods
While the Doedicurus/Argentavis duo is the most efficient, here are other methods you might consider, particularly earlier in the game:
The Stone Pickaxe and Hatchet
The Stone Pickaxe and Stone Hatchet are the first tools available for resource gathering. Although not as efficient as the Doedicurus, they’re essential for beginners:
- Stone Pickaxe: More efficient for collecting flint, but can also gather stone, though less effectively than the hatchet.
- Stone Hatchet: More effective at gathering stone directly from rocks.
- Manual Labor: These tools require manual interaction, making the harvesting slower and less efficient but vital in the early stages.
Mining Boulders in Mines
Some players prefer to farm stone in mines, focusing on breaking boulders. This strategy offers specific advantages:
- High Yield: Boulders in mines tend to provide a significant amount of stone.
- Efficiency: Bypassing the smaller rocks and going directly for boulders can be more time-efficient in these locations.
Advanced Tips for Stone Farming
- Resource Respawn: Remember that resources respawn over time; if a location is depleted, simply move to another or wait for the nodes to reappear.
- Weight Management: Overweighting can impact your Argentavis and Doedicurus, so always keep an eye on your carry capacity.
- Location: Areas with a high density of rocks and boulders are ideal for stone farming. Some map locations have more resource nodes than others.
- Resource Multipliers: Check if your server settings affect resource gathering rates. Some servers may offer increased rates, making the process faster.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the best creature for gathering stone?
The Doedicurus is widely considered the best creature for gathering stone due to its ability to automatically harvest from rocks and its efficiency in doing so. Coupled with a high melee damage stat, a single Doedicurus can out-gather multiple players.
2. Where can I find the most stone resources?
Stone resources can be found in most areas with rocks and boulders. However, regions with a higher concentration, such as mountains, are generally good for stone farming. Specific areas within mines that contain boulders are very productive, as well.
3. How do I level up my Doedicurus for better stone farming?
Leveling up a Doedicurus for better stone gathering should focus primarily on increasing its melee damage stat. This will improve its gathering yield per strike. Also consider some health so it doesn’t die too quickly.
4. Can I gather stone from metal nodes?
Yes, the Doedicurus can gather stone from metal rocks and crystal deposits, although it doesn’t harvest metal from those nodes.
5. Do resources respawn in Ark?
Yes, all resources, including stone, respawn over time. The exact respawn time varies but you can re-harvest the same area again after time has elapsed.
6. What is the stone hatchet used for?
The Stone Hatchet is a basic tool used for harvesting resources, with a specialty for gathering stone, and it’s a staple for early game play.
7. Is the Stone Pickaxe good for stone gathering?
While the Stone Pickaxe can harvest stone, it’s less efficient than the Stone Hatchet for this purpose. It excels more at gathering flint.
8. Are there other tools besides pickaxes and hatchets?
Yes, besides pickaxes and hatchets you can also use dinos to gather stone. The Doedicurus is the best.
9. What are the best areas to harvest stone on The Island map?
The mountainous regions, such as the one surrounding the volcano, and the areas near rivers, typically have a high concentration of stone.
10. How do I make stone instead of cobblestone in Minecraft?
This is a common question, but it’s relevant to Minecraft, not Ark. In Minecraft, you need to smelt cobblestone to get stone. In Ark, that is not necessary.
11. What is the fastest method for harvesting stone?
The fastest method is using a high melee damage Doedicurus transported by an Argentavis. This allows for quick and efficient gathering from multiple nodes.
12. What is the importance of weight when farming stone?
Weight is crucial for both the Doedicurus and Argentavis. If either creature becomes overloaded, they will not be able to move as effectively or gather resources.
13. Can structures interfere with stone respawns?
Yes, placing structures or having tamed dinos nearby resource nodes can prevent them from respawning.
14. What are the best alternative tames for early-game stone gathering?
Before a Doedicurus, you might consider taming a Parasaur or Trike for slightly improved gathering of stone but they don’t match the efficiency of the Doedicurus.
15. What does the “Silk Touch” enchantment do in Minecraft in relation to stone?
Again, “Silk Touch” is an enchantment specific to Minecraft, not Ark. In Minecraft, Silk Touch allows you to get stone when mining, instead of cobblestone. This is not related to Ark.
By utilizing these strategies and understanding the mechanics of stone gathering in Ark: Survival Evolved, you can ensure a steady supply of this essential resource for all of your building and crafting needs.