What Cooks Metal Faster in ARK? A Comprehensive Guide
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The question of what cooks metal fastest in ARK: Survival Evolved is crucial for any survivor looking to advance. Efficient metal processing is key to crafting essential tools, weapons, and structures, so understanding the best methods can save significant time and resources. The simple answer is the Industrial Forge is the fastest at smelting metal. However, there’s more to this process than just selecting a forge, and several factors can impact your smelting efficiency. This article will delve deep into the nuances of metal smelting in ARK and answer some common questions related to it.
The Industrial Forge Reigns Supreme
The Speed Champion
The Industrial Forge is, hands down, the fastest method for smelting metal in ARK. It processes 40 Metal ore into 20 Metal Ingots in a swift 20 seconds. This speed significantly surpasses other methods, making it the preferred choice for mid-to-late game players. Its ability to simultaneously refine oil into gasoline and process wood into charcoal further solidifies its position as the most versatile and rapid smelting option.
Not Just Metal
While this article focuses primarily on metal smelting, it’s important to remember that the Industrial Forge isn’t a one-trick pony. It’s capable of simultaneously smelting metal, refining oil to gasoline, and burning wood to charcoal all at once, making it an invaluable asset to your base.
The Runner-Up: Refining Forge
The Early Game Workhorse
The Refining Forge is your initial step into metal processing and is much slower than the Industrial Forge. While it’s not the fastest, it is the most basic method and essential for beginners. It requires two metal ore to produce one metal ingot. It processes much slower than an Industrial Forge.
Fuel Options
Unlike the Industrial Forge, the Refining Forge requires consumable fuel. You can use Wood, Thatch, or Sparkpowder. Wood produces Charcoal as a byproduct, which can be useful, whereas thatch doesn’t last long and Sparkpowder seems to burn longer and more effectively.
The Magmasaur: A Dual-Purpose Beast
Resource Gathering & Smelting
The Magmasaur is a unique creature capable of both gathering metal and smelting it. While it excels at collecting stone, crystal, and metal, and boasts a significant metal weight reduction, its smelting capabilities are not the fastest.
Smelting Drawbacks
Although Magmasaurs can smelt metal, they drain food incredibly fast during the process. The rate at which they convert metal to ingots is rather slow, making a traditional forge a more efficient option in most cases. If you need to smelt large amounts of metal, using an Industrial Forge or Refining Forge are better choices. However, Magmasaurs are extremely useful when you need to gather a lot of metal.
Additional Factors Affecting Smelting
Efficient Resource Gathering
Before you can smelt, you need to gather metal. The Ankylosaurus is the most productive creature for harvesting metal, especially from metal nodes which are usually grey with gold streaks or solid gold in color. Using a pick is also effective. Remember that some metal nodes yield more metal than others.
Resource Management
Efficient resource management is vital to maximizing your smelting output. Understanding how much fuel you need and the quantities of metal required for your goals can help streamline the process.
The Best Fuel
While you can use Thatch in the Refining Forge, Wood and Sparkpowder are better options. Wood produces Charcoal as a byproduct which can be used for crafting various items like Gunpowder and Poison Grenades. Sparkpowder seems to burn for longer than wood.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the fastest forge in ARK?
The Industrial Forge is the fastest forge, smelting 40 metal into 20 metal ingots in just 20 seconds.
2. Is a Magmasaur better than an Industrial Forge for smelting?
No, the Industrial Forge is significantly faster at smelting metal than a Magmasaur. Magmasaurs excel at gathering metal and have a great weight reduction for metal, but for smelting, the Industrial Forge is much more efficient.
3. How do you get metal fast in Ark?
Harvesting metal nodes, which are grey with gold streaks or solid gold, using an Ankylosaurus or a pick is the most effective way to gather metal. The solid gold nodes yield the most metal.
4. Can Magmasaurs cook metal?
Yes, Magmasaurs can smelt metal, but you have to turn on smelting via the radial menu. However, their smelting rate is slow and they consume a lot of food.
5. What is the easiest metal to forge?
In real-world blacksmithing, Steel is considered the easiest to work with, especially low and medium-carbon steels. In Ark, however, metal ore is melted into metal ingots. The process remains relatively the same, regardless of metal node.
6. What is the best fuel for a Refining Forge?
You can use Wood, Thatch, or Sparkpowder. Wood produces Charcoal and Sparkpowder burns longer than wood or thatch.
7. How much metal ore can 1000 wood smelt?
Using the standard Refining Furnace, 1000 wood and 600 metal ore will produce 600 metal fragments as well as 750 Charcoal as a byproduct.
8. Are Magmasaurs good for smelting?
No, while Magmasaurs can smelt metal, they are not efficient due to their slow smelting speed and high food consumption. It’s much more efficient to use a basic or industrial refining forge for smelting metal.
9. What is the fastest way to smelt?
In real life, a blast furnace is a faster alternative to smelt ores. In Ark the Industrial Forge is by far the fastest method.
10. Is Sparkpowder better than wood for fuel?
Sparkpowder seems to burn longer than wood but costs more resources to acquire.
11. What are Magmasaurs good for besides smelting?
Magmasaurs are great for resource gathering (metal, stone, crystal) due to their weight reduction and are useful as mortar/base destroyers. They can damage structures with their magma ball attack.
12. Can Magmasaurs walk on lava?
Yes, Magmasaurs can walk on lava in the Island Volcano, and after updates, in the Ragnarok volcano. They do not survive in lava in the maps Valguero and Ragnarok, aside from the volcano.
13. What do Magmasaurs eat while smelting?
Stone is their primary food source whether smelting or not. Meat can be used to heal them, but they consume stone as food.
14. What is charcoal used for in Ark?
Charcoal is used to craft items such as Gunpowder, Smoke Grenades, and Poison Grenades.
15. Does Doedicurus collect metal?
While Doedicurus cannot collect metal from metal nodes, it is able to collect metal when attacking obsidian nodes. The Doedicurus is a much better obsidian harvester than the Ankylosaurus.
Conclusion
Efficient metal smelting is crucial for progression in ARK: Survival Evolved. While the Magmasaur offers some smelting capabilities, the Industrial Forge is by far the fastest and most efficient method for processing metal. Utilizing an Ankylosaurus to harvest the metal is also paramount for efficient gathering. Understanding these factors and applying them to your gameplay will ensure you have a steady supply of metal for crafting and construction, and will allow you to effectively thrive in the wilds of Ark.