In ARK: Survival Evolved, Element is one of the most important and rare resources. The production of Tek and farming Element are essential parts of the endgame. MeinMMO reveals how to obtain Element.
How do I get Element? To obtain Element in ARK: Survival Evolved, you generally need to have successfully completed at least one boss fight.
By defeating your first boss, you not only receive Element but also unlock the Tek-Replicator, which is required for crafting Element.
Once you have unlocked and built the Tek-Replicator, you can consider various ways to farm Element. In principle, you can receive Element as a reward or craft it as an end product from other resources.
MeinMMO explains the methods to obtain Element:
- Element as a reward for defeating a boss
- Element as an end product, crafted from Element dust
- Element as a reward for successfully defending Element Nodes
- Purchased from HLN-A for 2,000 Hexagons
- Element as an end product, crafted from Element ore and other resources
- Element as an end product, crafted from Element shards
ARK: Element – Defeating Bosses
Element through boss fights: When you successfully complete a boss fight, the defeated boss drops its inventory. You can take Element from this inventory.
What factors influence the selection of possible boss fights? In the method of farming Element through boss fights, we refer to maps and the associated bosses or boss arenas that were not part of a DLC and are playable without additional costs.
What factors influence the farming of Element through boss fights? How much Element a boss drops depends on the chosen difficulty level (Gamma, Beta, or Alpha) as well as the boss being fought.
Depending on the map being played, only certain bosses are available as opponents, and you might need to switch maps for a different boss.
List of bosses / arenas with Element
- Broodmother Lysrix
- Megapithecus
- Dragon
- Manticore
- The Center Arena
- Ragnarok Arena
- Forsaken Oasis (Valguero Arena)
- Crystal Wyvern Queen
- Dinopithecus.
How much Element do I receive? For the standard bosses or boss arenas, the following values apply at different difficulty levels:
- Element on Gamma: 20 to 85 per fight
- Element on Beta: 56 to 255 per fight
- Element on Alpha 148 to 520 per fight
Which bosses are worth it for Element?
The highest Element drop rates of a difficulty level are found in the arenas. On the maps The Center, Ragnarok, and Valguero, it is possible to face multiple bosses at once. Accordingly, the rewards are high.
- Where is the most Element available?
The most Element in fights against single bosses can be obtained from the Dragon and the Dinopithecus. However, they are already some of the larger challenges in ARK: Survival Evolved.
- Where is Element easiest to obtain?
The easiest and least rewarding fight is against Broodmother Lysrix. However, this is not a problem for inexperienced solo players with the right preparation.
- A good middle ground
A good middle ground is the fight against Megapithecus, Manticore, or Crystal Wyvern Queen. These encounters provide a “medium” amount of Element compared to the Dragon or Broodmother, but can be managed well with proper preparation.
Extinction Wastelands: Defending Element Nodes
Element from Element Nodes: On the Extinction map, you can defend so-called Element Nodes. You interact with the nodes, after which waves of creatures rush at you and the nodes. The hostile creatures attack you and the Element Nodes.
If you successfully defend the Element Nodes against all waves of enemies, you can occasionally receive Element as a reward.
However, unlike in the mentioned boss fights, it is not possible to farm Element by defending Element Nodes without additional costs. Extinction is a paid DLC.
ARK: Genesis – HLN-A as Element Seller
Can you buy Element? If you own the Genesis season pass, you can also buy Element from the constantly present companion robot HLN-A, referred to by many players as “Helena”.
HLN-A charges 2,000 Hexagons for 1x Element. You receive Hexagons for completing Genesis missions. Depending on the preset difficulty level, you receive more or less Hexagons per successfully completed mission.
Crafting Element from Element Dust
How do I craft Element? If you do not want to face boss fights multiple times and also do not wish to deal with Element Nodes, you can craft Element from selected resources in a Tek-Replicator or a Charge Node.
You can craft Element from the following resources:
- Element dust
- Element ore
- Element shards
Crafting Element from Element Dust: With 1,000x Element dust, you can create 1x Unstable Element, which after a short waiting period turns into normal Element. This may seem little, but with efficient and sophisticated farming methods, it can yield permanent success.
This can be achieved through well-thought-out farming tours, as well as by eliminating Tek creatures. Particularly on the Extinction DLC map, farming Element dust is advisable. There, in addition to Tek dinosaurs, there are also the so-called Enforcers and other electronic creatures.
The metal-formed “creatures” drop Element dust when you harvest their carcasses. The same happens when you break down lanterns and similar objects on Extinction with creatures or tools. Here is a list of the creatures whose harvesting yields Element dust:
- Tek-Stegosaurus
- Tek-Quetzal
- Tek-Parasaur
- Tek-Rex
- Tek-Raptor
- Enforcer (only on Extinction)
- Defense Unit (only on Extinction)
- Attack Drone (only on Extinction)
Producing Element on the Aberration Map
Crafting Element from Element Ore: Element ore is a resource that was introduced with the Aberration DLC. It can be found on the map of the same name as well as on the free-to-play map Crystal Isles.
If you combine Element ore with a series of other resources, you can produce finished Element in a Charge Node. The following resources together yield 1x Element:
- 8x Charge Storage
- 50x Ball of Frozen Gas
- 20x Element ore
- 20x Green Gem
- 10x Red Gem
- 15x Blue Gem
The “Crystal Isles” Element Hotspot
Crafting Element from Element Shards: Another popular and effective method is crafting Element from Element shards. From 100x Element shards, you can make 1x Element and vice versa.
Farming Element shards is possible in ARK: Genesis Part 1 and on the free Crystal Isles map. Farming on Crystal Isles is particularly effective since you can obtain Element shards by harvesting certain blue crystals in the snowstorm/biozone in the northeastern part of the map.
Element is available in ARK: Survival Evolved through many different methods. Which one works best for you depends on your playstyle and preferences.
Which method do you prefer? Do you prefer farming resources and then crafting Element or do you prefer fighting boss opponents? Do you have any other methods to obtain Element?
