Ark: Survival Ascended: 10 best tames on The Island

Ark: Survival Ascended offers plenty of creatures to battle and tame on The Island map, but what stands out as the best? Various creatures have strengths in different areas, so it’s always wise to have various tames at your disposal, with these 10 being top of the class.

Best tames to get in Ark: Survival Ascended

Argentavis

Pteranodons used to be the go-to flying tame in Ark and are still likely to be the first flying creature you get your hands on, but an Argentavis is the best of the bunch for aerial mobility and traversing the map.

Able to pack a punch and fight off any threats, the biggest upside of the Argentavis is it can carry plenty of resources in its inventory before being weighed down—and can even pick up some bigger creatures and transport them around the map.

Argentavis are bountiful, too, so they are easy to locate, and you can tame several to tweak their stats to suit different needs. Ideally, you’d have a fast one for scouting, one with high weight for transporting materials, and one with high damage output for battling.

Ankylosaurus

A high-level Ankylosaurus, or walking tank, can survive clashes against even the most aggressive and powerful dinosaurs without taking much of a scratch. However, its primary use will be for resource gathering.

Using an Ankylosaurus is the best way to harvest metal and obsidian in Ark: Survival Ascended, both of which are valuable materials required for constructing the best gear in Ark, from weapons to bases.

When in the inventory of an Ankylosaurus, metal weighs significantly less, and, therefore, you can get more bang for your buck from every metal run.

T-Rex

Undoubtedly the most iconic dinosaur of all, the T-Rex in Ark: Survival Ascended is extremely valuable as they are easy to locate, not too difficult to tame, and can be used to assemble an army.

A high-level T-Rex will not have any problems against other wild creatures, so they’re great for exploring or fighting Alpha Dinosaurs for loot, and they have the added benefit of facing off against the Ark bosses, unlike the Giganotosaurus.

Breeding T-Rexs can result in even more powerful beasts at your disposal, and the babies are super cute, so it’s a win-win situation.

Doedicurus

While this creature may look like a walking rock, don’t be fooled; the Doedicurus is extremely useful for farming Stone in Ark: Survival Ascended.

A Doedicurus can fulfill a similar role in your tribe as an Ankylosaurus, though for stone rather than metal, and can even gather stone automatically when placed near a suitable rock, resulting in passive Stone collection.

When in the inventory of a Doedicurus, Stone weighs 75 percent less, so you can use the creature to gather all the stone you need to build that big, shiny base you have planned.

Basilosaurus

While Ichthyosaurus and Megalodons are both viable options for water exploration, a Basilosaurus is the best of the bunch due to the added benefits you can enjoy while riding this aquatic behemoth.

Though not as fast as other aquatic creatures, Basilosaurus is immune to the shock effects from the likes of a Cnidaria and Electrophorus, meaning you don’t have to worry too much about them, and the Basilosaurus protects the rider from extreme temperatures underwater—nullifying the need for Scuba gear.

As it’s immune to Cnidaria shocks, the Basilosaurus is great for gathering Bio Toxin and exploring ocean caves, while it also automatically generates Oil that can be refined into Gasoline.

Therizinosaur

A Therizinosaur is a terrifying sight if you happen to bump into one during your exploration of The Island, as these murder chickens can be deadly if provoked. Despite their scary appearance, these creatures are herbivores.

If you manage to tame a Therizinosaur, you’ll benefit from having an extremely versatile creature at your disposal, which can be used for gathering thatch, wood, and fiber, as well as an offensive tame to kill wild creatures to gather hide, keratin, chitin, and more.

While its damage output is lower than a Rex or a Spino, its attack speed is considerably faster, allowing for a higher DPS, and it can also be used to harvest materials autonomously if set to wander.

Beelzebufo 

These giant frogs can be found in abundance in the swamp areas of The Island and should be the first point of call if you’re after a tame that can help you gather resources for construction, thanks to a unique perk.

Using a Beelzebufo to kill insects like Meganuera and Titanomyrma results in a huge yield of Cementing Paste, a precious resource that you will need an abundance of for various crafts.

The Beelzebufo attack also has the bonus of inflicting torpor with its tongue attack, meaning this giant frog is a valuable tool for knocking out creatures you intend to tame. A considerable jump ability also makes traversal much easier and can be used to escape danger.

Mammoth

The Mammoth is a huge tank that can collect Rare Mushrooms, Thatch, Berries, and more. It also has the added benefit of reducing the weight of wood by 75 percent when placed in its inventory.

While docile, Mammoths can also be used as an aggressive tame as they have a high damage output, particularly with their stomp attack, and you can grab smaller creatures using its trunk. Defensively, they’re just as strong as they can shoulder significant punishment.

Using the trunk bellow ability is also extremely useful in combat situations, including against bosses, as it inflicts the Intimidated debuff that reduces all damage the enemy inflicts by 25 percent and can be continuously refreshed.

Direwolf

Fast, agile, and capable of inflicting decent damage, all without requiring a saddle, the Direwolf is tame and capable of impacting combat situations—mainly if part of a pack or if it is the Alpha.

Direwolves are great for scouting due to their speed and jump ability. At the same time, they’re great at harvesting Organic Polymer and can be used to track down unopened explorer notes or to warn of the presence of hidden or buried creatures.

Due to their size, Direwolves can enter most caves and are extremely useful for protecting against the swarm of creatures found inside.

Otter

Undoubtedly one of the cutest creatures on Ark: Survival Ascended, an Otter is a great tame early on for providing a reliable food source of fish and is extremely useful for collecting Silica Pearls and Black Pearls early before deep-water areas can be farmed.

However, the best use of the Otter is for insulation, as it can be carried around on your shoulders to protect from heat and the cold—making it much easier to travel through the various biomes on The Island.

Having an Otter on your shoulders also boosts carry weight by half of the Otter’s total weight capacity, and it will also attack enemies from your shoulder if they are within range.

So, there you have it. You know everything about the best tames in Ark: Survival Ascended. Enjoy!