What is the Best Weapon to Tame in Ark?
The most effective weapon for taming in Ark: Survival Evolved is, without a doubt, a high-quality Longneck Rifle equipped with Tranquilizer Darts. While other methods and weapons can work, the combination of a potent rifle and darts offers the best balance of torpor application, accuracy, and minimal health damage, making it the most efficient and reliable choice for knocking out creatures across a wide spectrum of levels and sizes.
While the Crossbow with Tranq Arrows is a decent early-to-mid-game option, the Longneck Rifle with Tranq Darts truly shines in the later stages and for more challenging tames. The key to its superiority lies in how weapon quality affects torpor application. Tranq darts receive a significant boost in torpor damage from the rifle’s quality percentage, whereas tranq arrows receive less of a boost from weapon quality. This means a high-quality rifle will significantly outpace the torpor inflicted by an equal quality crossbow and will minimize the health damage dealt to the creature. This is critical for taming creatures with low health-to-torpor ratios, preventing accidental kills.
The Longneck Rifle’s ranged advantage also allows for safer taming, enabling you to maintain a distance from potentially dangerous creatures and avoid taking unnecessary damage. Additionally, the rifle’s improved accuracy compared to the crossbow means you can target specific body parts more reliably, potentially scoring headshots which drastically increase torpor inflicted for many creatures and help bring down tames faster.
Ultimately, while the Crossbow is a solid starting tool and can do the job, the Longneck Rifle with Tranq Darts is the optimal choice for efficient, safer, and more consistent tames, especially for those aiming to conquer the endgame content of Ark: Survival Evolved.
Why is the Longneck Rifle with Tranq Darts Superior?
Enhanced Torpor Application
As highlighted, Tranq Darts gain far more benefit from weapon quality than Tranq Arrows. This scaling effect means that a high-quality Longneck Rifle will inflict significantly more torpor per shot than a comparably-quality crossbow would. This translates directly into needing fewer shots to knock out a creature, reducing the risk of accidental death or a failed tame. This is especially relevant to low health creatures with high torpor pools.
Reduced Health Damage
Tranq Darts only increase their torpor damage from weapon quality, not their health damage. This contrasts sharply with Tranq Arrows, which have a scaling effect on both torpor and health damage. The lower health damage of darts is crucial, particularly when taming creatures with a high torpor and low health ratio, like Kairuku. The reduced health damage from darts minimizes the risk of accidentally killing a target during the taming process.
Improved Accuracy and Range
The Longneck Rifle is renowned for its accuracy and range, allowing you to reliably target vital areas on the creature being tamed such as the head, which is vital for increased torpor. The extended range enables a safer taming process, minimizing potential damage from the tamed target. This allows you to stay out of range of the creatures’ melee attacks while continuing to apply torpor effectively.
Endgame Efficiency
As you progress through Ark, you’ll be taming increasingly powerful and difficult-to-tame creatures. The superior torpor application, safety, and accuracy of the Longneck Rifle make it the only choice for efficiently and effectively taming these end-game creatures. The Longneck Rifle can get you a higher chance of success with less risks.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Taming Weapons in Ark
1. What is the maximum damage percentage a weapon can achieve in Ark?
Most non-Tek weapons have a damage cap of 755.3%. Tek weapons have a lower cap of 296.6%. Some special weapons may have even lower damage caps, often due to unique utilities or traits.
2. Is the Recurve Bow better than the Crossbow for taming?
While the Recurve Bow deals slightly more raw damage with Stone Arrows (110 vs 95), it’s not a preferred choice for taming. The Crossbow benefits from the availability of Tranq Arrows, which inflict torpor, whereas the Recurve Bow does not. The crossbow still remains more practical for early taming due to its availability and access to tranq arrows.
3. What other weapons can knock out creatures in Ark?
Besides the Crossbow and Longneck Rifle, other methods for inflicting torpor include the Pulmonoscorpius’s attack and even bare fists. However, these are less effective and more risky than the more ranged-based and controlled options.
4. What are the best armor sets in Ark, and do they aid in taming?
While armor doesn’t directly aid in taming, the best armors like Tek Armor, Riot Gear, and Flak Armor offer crucial protection, allowing you to stay alive while taming dangerous creatures.
5. Does a higher quality weapon increase the effectiveness of tranq arrows and darts?
Yes, absolutely. Weapon quality significantly impacts the effectiveness of tranq arrows and darts, especially with the Longneck Rifle and Tranq Darts where quality is heavily scaled for torpor damage. This can be the difference between a successful tame or a failed one.
6. What is the max level a player can reach in Ark?
As of June 2022, the maximum player level is 190, achievable through a combination of normal leveling, defeating bosses, and collecting explorer notes.
7. Does headshot damage affect taming in Ark?
Yes, headshots significantly increase both damage and torpor dealt to creatures. This is crucial when using the Longneck Rifle and darts. A headshot can often decrease the number of shots required to knock out a creature, speeding up the process.
8. Which dinosaurs are considered the strongest and do their taming methods differ?
Some of the strongest tames in Ark include the Rex, Giganotosaurus, and Rock Drake, and all of these creatures will need a high quality Longneck Rifle and Tranq Darts. Different species require different amounts of torpor, but the general principles of using tranq darts remain consistent.
9. How many Tranq Darts does it take to knock out a Giga at Level 70?
It can take anywhere from 80 to 150+ Tranq Darts to successfully tranquilize a Giganotosaurus. The exact number will vary depending on the weapon quality and whether headshots are scored.
10. What is the difference between Riot and Flak armor?
Riot armor provides better armor and torpor resistance, however, is more expensive to craft. Flak armor is more economical and provides great overall defense. Riot armor is generally better for taming due to the extra defense and torpor protection.
11. Which character stats should I prioritize for effective taming?
Prioritize stats like Fortitude (for torpor resistance), Health, and Weight to carry supplies. Stamina, Melee Damage, and Movement Speed can help with other tasks, but Fortitude is a must when taming due to its torpor resistance
12. Why can’t I equip my Tek Armor?
To equip Tek Armor, you need the corresponding Engrams (Tekgrams), which can be unlocked through certain boss fights or by using specific commands to obtain the engrams needed.
13. What weapon or dino is best for gathering hide?
The Metal Hatchet or Chainsaw are best for gathering hide, while Direwolves, Sabertooths, or Thylacoleo are efficient choices for farming corpses.
14. Is there a significant difference between using a spear and a sword?
The spear is a more effective early-game ranged weapon and excels in initial combat. The sword is better for breaking down doors and dealing high melee damage, albeit with reduced durability.
15. Is the spear better than a bow?
In a straight projectile battle, a bow is generally superior to a spear in terms of range, speed, and accuracy, because arrows are lighter than spears. Spears are more effective in hand-to-hand combat.