What is the Best Animal to Harvest Stone in Ark?
The clear winner for the best animal to harvest stone in Ark: Survival Evolved is the Doedicurus. This creature stands head and shoulders above the rest due to its specialized ability to gather massive quantities of stone, combined with its exceptional weight reduction for the resource. While other creatures can collect stone, none do it with the efficiency, carrying capacity, and versatility of the Doedicurus.
Why the Doedicurus Reigns Supreme for Stone Gathering
The Doedicurus isn’t just good; it’s exceptional at harvesting stone. Here’s a breakdown of why it’s the top choice:
- Stone Gathering Efficiency: The Doedicurus excels at breaking down rocks, yielding significantly more stone per hit compared to other creatures or even player-wielded tools. Its rolling attack is particularly effective, rapidly clearing rock nodes and maximizing stone output.
- Versatility in Stone Sources: While the Doedicurus is often associated with standard rock formations, its ability extends much further. It can efficiently harvest stone from a variety of sources, including metal nodes and crystal nodes. This means you’re not just limited to basic rock formations, offering far more flexibility when you need to build.
- Weight Reduction: Perhaps the most critical factor is the Doedicurus’s innate 75% weight reduction for stone. This allows it to carry enormous quantities of stone, far surpassing the limits of other creatures or even player inventory. This reduction translates into fewer trips back to base and more uninterrupted resource gathering.
- Ease of Use: Unlike some specialized resource gathering dinos that require precise maneuvers, the Doedicurus is relatively easy to control. Its rolling attack is straightforward, and its tanky nature means it can withstand attacks from wild creatures while you’re gathering.
- Durability: The Doedicurus is a fairly sturdy creature, able to withstand environmental hazards and minor attacks that could stop other, less robust dinos. This reduces downtime and keeps your stone gathering operation rolling.
While there are other methods and creatures that can gather stone, such as using a hatchet or a pickaxe, or even just your bare hands (as mentioned in the article), none can match the combination of efficiency, carrying capacity, and flexibility that the Doedicurus offers for serious stone harvesting.
Comparing the Doedicurus to Other Options
While no other dino truly contends with the Doedicurus for stone, understanding how it compares to others is useful:
- Ankylosaurus: While excellent for metal, the Ankylosaurus is not as efficient at gathering stone as the Doedicurus. The Ankylosaurus excels at metal, flint, crystal, and gems.
- Human With a Pickaxe/Hatchet: Though easy early on, this method is extremely inefficient for large quantities of stone. Human inventory is limited, and their harvesting speed is low compared to a Doedicurus.
- Magmasaur: While great for metal and some crystal, the Magmasaur does not excel at stone gathering when directly compared to the Doedicurus. It is more of a late game metal harvesting dino.
- Dunkleosteus: It excels at gathering Crystal and is not meant for Stone gathering, but it does get some.
Ultimately, the Doedicurus stands alone as the premier stone harvester, making it an essential tame for any serious ARK player focused on building and crafting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can the Doedicurus only gather stone from normal rocks?
No, the Doedicurus is not limited to just normal rocks. It can efficiently harvest stone from metal nodes and crystal nodes as well. This versatility makes it an even more valuable asset for gathering a range of resources.
2. Is using a pickaxe or hatchet better than a Doedicurus for getting stone?
No, while these tools can get you stone, they are far less efficient compared to a Doedicurus. The Doedicurus gathers much more per hit and carries much more weight due to its 75% weight reduction for stone.
3. What is the best early-game method for gathering stone if I don’t have a Doedicurus yet?
Early on, using a hatchet is more efficient than a pickaxe for gathering stone. However, if you must rely on a tool, a hatchet is the best option. Remember, however, that using a hatchet or pickaxe is not as effective as a tamed Doedicurus.
4. How does the Doedicurus’s weight reduction work?
The Doedicurus has an innate 75% weight reduction for stone. This means that for every 100 units of stone, it only counts as 25 units of weight in its inventory, significantly increasing its carrying capacity.
5. Can I use explosives to get stone?
Yes, explosives like C4 or grenades can break stone and metal structures. However, this is primarily for destroying structures, not for gathering resources efficiently.
6. What is the best dinosaur for harvesting metal?
The Ankylosaurus is the best dinosaur for harvesting metal due to its high yield and 85% weight reduction for metal. However, the Doedicurus can still gather stone from metal rocks.
7. Is the Rex a good dino for stone gathering?
No, the Rex is not designed for resource gathering. It is primarily a powerful combat dinosaur with high HP and melee damage, making it a valuable choice for battles, not material collection.
8. Which dino is best for harvesting crystal?
The Ankylosaurus and the Dunkleosteus are among the best for crystal harvesting. While the Doedicurus can gather stone from crystal nodes, it is not the most efficient crystal-gatherer.
9. What is the best tool for harvesting metal?
While an Ankylosaurus is the top choice, a high-quality metal pick (mastercraft or ascendant) can be almost as effective, especially on higher difficulty settings.
10. Is stone a good building material in Ark?
Stone is a mid-tier building material. It has the same HP as wood but is significantly more resistant to metal tools. However, metal structures are far superior for overall defense and resistance to explosives.
11. What are the most valuable resources in Ark?
Some of the most valuable resources include cementing paste, obsidian, oil, black pearls, and element, which are often required for crafting advanced items.
12. What dino is best for harvesting Obsidian?
The Dunkleosteus, Magmasaur, and Ankylosaurus are considered the best choices for harvesting Obsidian.
13. What gathers the most keratin in Ark?
The Direwolf, Sabertooth, and Therizinosaurus are the most effective creatures for gathering keratin. Using a Metal Hatchet is recommended for harvesting from corpses.
14. What are some of the fastest dinosaurs in Ark?
Some of the fastest dinos include the Gallimimus and the DodoRex. However, speed often comes at the expense of combat power or resource gathering capacity.
15. What is a good first tame in Ark?
Dodos or Dilos are often recommended as starting tames, as they are easy to knock out and tame, helping players establish themselves early in the game. They can also be good for early-game egg production.
In conclusion, while many methods and creatures can gather stone, the Doedicurus stands out as the ultimate choice due to its unparalleled efficiency, weight reduction, and versatility. Taming one should be a high priority for any serious ARK player aiming to build large structures and craft many items.