ARKHow to Tame a Dinosaur in ARK Survival Ascended: The Complete Guide
Taming a dino in ARK Survival Ascended: KO and passive methods, torpor, kibble, narcotics, the top 5 dinos to tame first and server configuration. Step by step.
To tame a dino in ARK Survival Ascended, knock it out with tranquilizer arrows (the KO method), place the right food in its inventory and keep its torpor up with narcotics until the process is complete. For peaceful creatures, passive taming is enough: approach quietly and feed them directly. Kibble is always the most efficient food to speed up a tame.
The 2 taming methods in ARK
Mastering ARK taming starts with one simple question: does your target need to be knocked out or not? Two main methods exist, and picking the right one from the start saves you a lot of mistakes.
Knockout taming (KO)
This is the method used for the vast majority of dinosaurs in ARK Survival Ascended. The principle: raise the creature's torpor until it passes out, then feed it through its inventory until the tame is complete.
Before you start, gather the essential gear:
- Bow with tranquilizer arrows (level 21+)
- Crossbow (level 35+) for more efficiency
- Tranquilizer dart rifle (level 62+) for high-level creatures
- Narcotics or narcoberries to maintain torpor
- Food suited to the targeted species
- Trapping structures: foundations, walls, ramps
Three values must be watched at all times during a KO tame:
| Value | Role |
|---|---|
| Torpor | Must stay high until the end. Administer narcotics manually. |
| Taming effectiveness | Starts at 100%. Every point of damage taken before the KO reduces it. It determines post-tame bonus levels. |
| Taming progress | A bar that fills with each meal eaten. Kibble fills it the fastest. |
Passive taming
Some creatures do not need to be knocked out. Passive taming means approaching the animal quietly, placing the correct food in the last slot of your hotbar, then feeding the creature when the prompt appears on screen.
Examples of passively tameable creatures: Moschops, Equus, Ichthyosaurus, Sinomacrops.
Rules to avoid scaring the animal off:
- Remove any aggressive equipment before approaching
- Move slowly, crouched if possible
- Do not hit the creature, even by accident
- Start over if it gets scared: wait for it to calm down
Step 1: knock the dinosaur out
The knockout phase is the trickiest part of a KO tame. One dosing mistake and you kill your future mount.
Which weapons to use by your level
Weapon choice depends directly on your character level and the targeted creature's resistance:
- Level 21-34 - Bow + tranquilizer arrows: 20 immediate torpor + 40 torpor over 4 seconds. Ideal for small creatures (Parasaur, Raptor, low-level Trike).
- Level 35-61 - Crossbow + tranquilizer arrows: more power, fewer shots needed. Recommended for medium-sized creatures.
- Level 62+ - Dart rifle: 26 immediate torpor + 221 torpor over 5 seconds. Essential for high-level creatures like the Rex or the Spino. Count on about 50 to 60 darts for a level 150 Rex, versus 100 to 150 arrows with a bow.
Always wait 5 seconds between shots. Torpor keeps rising after impact: shooting too fast deals useless damage and lowers taming effectiveness.
Aiming for the head: why it is crucial
The head is the top-priority zone to target. Most species apply a x3 torpor multiplier on head strikes. The result: you knock the creature out two to three times faster, with fewer shots and less damage dealt.
Build a trap before engaging. A basic, effective structure:
- 4 foundations placed in a square
- Walls on 3 sides (2 to 3 walls high depending on the dino's size)
- 2 ramps forming a funnel toward the entrance
- A gateway or removable wall to close it once the creature is inside
Lure the dinosaur into the trap by provoking it or using a fast mount. Once trapped, aim for the head from an elevated position.
Managing torpor without killing the creature
Torpor drops naturally over time. If it reaches zero, the dinosaur wakes up and the tame is lost. If you deal too much damage before the KO, you risk killing the creature.
Golden rules:
- Wait 5 seconds between shots to let torpor build up
- Watch the health bar: if it drops too fast, switch to a less powerful weapon
- As soon as the creature is unconscious, open its inventory and remove any stimulating food (red berries, azulberries) that reduces torpor
- Add at least 50 narcotics right away to secure the first few minutes
Step 2: feed and monitor the tame
The creature is down. Now patience comes into play.
Which food for which dinosaur?
Food determines both the speed and the final effectiveness of the tame. Here is the general hierarchy:
Carnivores:
- Kibble suited to the species (best effectiveness)
- Superior cooked meat
- Raw meat
Herbivores:
- Kibble suited to the species
- Vegetables (carrot, pumpkin)
- Berries (mejoberries first)
Check Dododex or ARK Unity to find each creature's preferred food and calculate the exact quantities by level.
Speeding up the tame (kibble and narcotics)
Kibble is the key to fast, effective tames. Each species has its preferred kibble. Example: Exceptional Kibble is optimal for the Rex and the Spinosaurus. Its recipe: 1 special egg (Golden Hesperornis, Yutyrannus or Basilosaurus), 1 focal chili, 10 fiber, 5 mejoberries, 2 dried meat, 1 water. A level 150 Rex needs about 15 to 20 Exceptional Kibbles for a 100% effectiveness tame in 1h30 to 2h.
For narcotics: each narcotic restores 40 torpor points instantly. Only administer them when torpor drops below 50%. Avoid overdosing: torpor cannot exceed the creature's maximum. For long tames (Giganotosaurus, Quetzal), prepare at least 200 to 300 narcotics.
Protecting the dino during the process
An unconscious dinosaur is an easy target for nearby predators. Set up protection from the start:
- Build temporary walls around the creature
- Stay close with a combat mount
- Avoid areas with a high predator density for your first tames
- On PS4/PS5, enable sound notifications so you never miss a critical torpor drop
The 5 best dinosaurs to tame first
New to ARK Survival Ascended and not sure where to start? These five creatures offer the best usefulness-to-difficulty ratio for new players.
| Dinosaur | Difficulty | Usefulness | Food | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parasaur | Very easy | Exploration, predator detection | Berries, vegetables | 10-20 min |
| Trike | Easy | Berry harvesting, defense | Berries, vegetables, Simple Kibble | 20-40 min |
| Raptor | Easy | Combat, fast travel | Raw meat, Simple Kibble | 15-30 min |
| Pteranodon | Medium | Flight, map mobility | Raw meat, Regular Kibble | 30-60 min |
| Ankylosaurus | Medium | Metal and flint harvesting | Vegetables, Simple Kibble | 45-90 min |
The Parasaur is often the best first tame: fast, useful for exploration and its saddle unlocks early. If your priority is survival and farming, start with the Trike. For combat, the Raptor is a must.
Taming on a multiplayer server: what changes
Taming on a multiplayer ARK Survival Ascended server follows the same basic rules, but several settings radically change the experience.
Configurable taming rates (x2, x5, x10)
On a private server, the admin can change the taming rate through the GameUserSettings.ini file. The key setting is TamingSpeedMultiplier:
[ServerSettings]
TamingSpeedMultiplier=3.0
DinoCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier=2.0
- x1 = official speed (slow, realistic)
- x2 = a good balance between challenge and comfort
- x5 = short sessions, ideal for communities
- x10 = near-instant taming, creative mode
Always stop the server before editing the config file. Changes overwritten on restart are the number one source of error.
Recommended taming mods (CurseForge)
The mods available on CurseForge greatly enrich the experience. To install mods on ARK, head to the dedicated section of your panel.
Recommended mods:
- Awesome SpyGlass: shows a creature's level, stats and preferred food when you point at it. Essential to avoid wasting kibble on a bad level.
- Dino Storage v2: advanced storage and cloning system for tamed creatures.
- Ultra Stacks: raises stack limits so you can carry more narcotics and food in a single trip.
- Structures Plus (S+): improves trapping structures with advanced features (automatic gateways, smart walls).
Configuring your Lordhosting server for taming
At Lordhosting, taming is configured directly from the admin panel, with no manual editing of .ini files. A few clicks are enough to adjust TamingSpeedMultiplier, DinoCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier or even BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier for breeding.
Rent your ARK Survival Ascended server and enjoy an infrastructure optimized for gaming: built-in anti-DDoS, automatic backups and responsive support. Your taming sessions will never be interrupted by a server crash again.
Common beginner mistakes (and how to avoid them)
Even with a good guide, some mistakes come up again and again. Here are the most frequent ones and how to fix them.
Shooting too fast during the knockout phase. Torpor keeps rising for 4 to 5 seconds after each shot. Chaining arrows without waiting deals useless damage and lowers taming effectiveness. Always wait 5 seconds between shots.
Forgetting to remove stimulating berries from the inventory. Azulberries and Stimberries actively reduce torpor. As soon as the creature is unconscious, open its inventory and remove anything that is not taming food or narcotics.
Not preparing enough narcotics. A level 150 Rex can need more than 150 narcotics. Always prepare double what you estimate. Using narcoberries in a pinch is possible (5 torpor each), but they are far less efficient.
Taming in a dangerous area without protection. A passing Raptor can kill your unconscious future Pteranodon in seconds. Always build at least some walls around the creature before you begin.
Ignoring taming effectiveness. Every point of damage dealt before the KO reduces effectiveness. A level 150 dinosaur tamed at 50% effectiveness loses half of its potential bonus levels. Always aim for the head, use the right weapon and wait between shots.
Using the wrong food. Feeding raw meat to a Rex instead of Exceptional Kibble multiplies the tame time by 3 to 4. Always check the preferred food on Dododex before you start.
Not monitoring torpor on PS4/PS5. On console, it is easy to get distracted. Enable audio notifications and come back to check the torpor bar at least every 2 to 3 minutes. On PS4/PS5, the mechanic is identical to PC: only the controls change.
Useful sources
- Dododex - ARK taming calculator: precise calculation of food and narcotic quantities and tame time based on level and your server's multipliers.
- ARK Unity - Taming guide: interactive tool with preferred food, tame times, recommended weapons and a taming simulator.
- ARK Wiki Fandom - Taming: complete official reference on all taming methods, kibble recipes and per-creature data.
