Introduction
The Magmasaur, a fiery, lava-dwelling behemoth, has become a prized possession for many survivors in ARK: Survival Evolved. Its ability to withstand extreme temperatures, gather resources efficiently, and unleash devastating fire attacks makes it a valuable asset in any tribe’s arsenal. However, taming and maintaining a Magmasaur isn’t as simple as tossing it some berries. Proper feeding is paramount to successfully taming these creatures, ensuring they thrive after the taming process, and, crucially, for breeding their young. This comprehensive guide will delve into every aspect of Magmasaur food, from the initial taming process to the delicate art of raising baby Magmasaurs, providing you with the knowledge necessary to master these magnificent creatures.
Taming Food for Magmasaurs
The process of taming a Magmasaur is unique and demanding, starting with the acquisition of eggs in the volcanic biome and culminating in a nerve-wracking incubation period. But even before the egg hatches, understanding the ideal taming food is critical.
Preferred Taming Food Options
When it comes to actually taming a Magmasaur once it hatches, a few specific food types will be far more effective than others. The undisputed king of Magmasaur taming is sulphur. This volcanic mineral provides the highest taming effectiveness, meaning a faster taming process and more levels gained after the Magmasaur is successfully tamed. Ambergris is the other food option, also a good choice, though significantly less efficient than sulphur. While Ambergris will certainly get the job done, expect the taming process to take longer and the post-tame level bonus to be less impressive.
Obtaining Sulphur and Ambergris
Sulphur, as its name suggests, is most commonly found within the scorching depths of the Volcano biome on many ARK maps. Look for yellowish, crystalline deposits lining the walls of the volcano’s interior. Be warned: the Volcano is a dangerous place, filled with extreme heat, aggressive creatures like Magmasaurs and Lava Lizards, and precarious terrain. Use an appropriate mount for gathering sulphur. An Ankylosaurus is generally considered to be the best choice, due to its weight reduction and resource gathering capabilities, but a Magmasaur can also be used. Pack light to maximize the amount of sulphur you can carry before becoming encumbered.
Ambergris, on the other hand, is an otherworldly resource primarily found on the Genesis: Part Two map. This map features a vast and diverse ecosystem, including the TEK biome where Ambergris can be found floating in space. Ambergris is harvested directly from these floating deposits. Due to the hazardous environment, you will likely need a fast flier to quickly traverse the landscape and escape danger.
Taming Strategies
Taming a Magmasaur is a risky process. First, you will need to incubate the stolen egg in a liquid lava environment until it hatches. After the egg hatches, you can start the taming process. You’ll need to create a safe enclosure near the hatching location to contain the baby Magmasaur. A simple box made of stone or metal will suffice. This pen will protect the creature from hostile dinos and prevent it from wandering off. Once the Magmasaur is safely inside the trap, begin feeding it sulphur or Ambergris. Stay vigilant and keep a close eye on the taming progress bar. The Magmasaur will become aggressive if provoked, so maintain a safe distance while it eats.
Don’t forget soothing balm, a consumable item that greatly increases taming effectiveness. Using Soothing Balm will significantly reduce the amount of food required and the taming time.
Taming Calculator Usage
Before embarking on your Magmasaur taming adventure, it’s wise to consult a taming calculator. Several excellent resources are available online, including the ark official website’s taming calculator or mobile apps dedicated to ARK. These tools allow you to input the desired level of the Magmasaur and the food you intend to use, and they will calculate the precise amount of sulphur or Ambergris needed for a successful tame. This pre-planning step is crucial, as running out of food mid-tame can lead to a frustrating reset of the taming progress.
Post-Taming Food and Nutrition
Once you’ve successfully tamed your Magmasaur, your responsibilities don’t end. Maintaining its health and happiness requires a consistent supply of appropriate food.
Preferred Food for Sustaining Magmasaurs
Sulphur remains the preferred food choice even after the taming process is complete. It provides the most efficient hunger satiation, allowing you to maximize the time between feedings. While other food sources may technically work, they are far less efficient and can lead to health problems in the long run. For instance, some players might try to feed their Magmasaurs cooked meat, but this will result in slower hunger satiation and require more frequent feeding sessions.
Food Consumption Rate
The rate at which your Magmasaur consumes food will depend on several factors, including its activity level, its weight, and the server settings. Active Magmasaurs, especially those used for heavy resource gathering or combat, will naturally burn through food faster. To minimize food consumption, consider cryopoding your Magmasaur when not in use. This will essentially put it into a state of suspended animation, drastically reducing its metabolic rate. Keeping a Magmasaur stationary also helps conserve food, as movement contributes to hunger.
Food Storage
Sulphur has a relatively long spoil time, but it’s still essential to store it properly to prevent waste. Keeping sulphur in a dedicated storage container, like a preserving bin or a refrigerator, will significantly extend its shelf life. It’s also wise to keep a reserve of sulphur close to your Magmasaur’s enclosure for quick and easy access during feeding times.
Special Considerations
Magmasaurs are uniquely adapted to survive in extreme environments, particularly those with high temperatures. They are also immune to radiation. These factors eliminate some of the usual challenges associated with keeping other creatures alive. Their unique metabolic needs make sulphur the optimal food choice.
Breeding Magmasaurs and Food
Breeding Magmasaurs is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, aspects of owning these creatures. It is not possible to breed a Magmasaur unless the creatures are in a lava environment. But raising baby Magmasaurs requires a specific, and often hard-to-acquire, food source.
Baby Magmasaur Food
Unlike their adult counterparts, baby Magmasaurs cannot consume sulphur. Instead, they require a specialized food known as Lava Cakes. These treats are the only food source that baby Magmasaurs can digest and are absolutely essential for their survival. Neglecting to provide Lava Cakes will quickly lead to starvation and death.
Obtaining Lava Cake Ingredients
Crafting Lava Cakes requires a variety of ingredients, each presenting its own unique challenge to acquire.
- Honey: Obtain Honey from Giant Bee Hives found in redwood forests. Use a flying mount to carefully approach the hives and collect the honey. Alternatively, the Bee Keeper Hat can be crafted which will allow you to safely collect honey without being attacked by bees.
- Sap: Tap trees with tree platforms attached to them to collect sap.
- Red Sap: Is found in trees located in the Rock Drake Nest area in Aberration.
- Stone: Gather Stone from rocks using a pickaxe or a Doedicurus.
- Crystal: Mine Crystal from crystal formations in caves or mountains.
- Oil: Oil can be obtained by killing Trilobites or from underwater oil nodes.
Managing Baby Magmasaur Food
Maintaining a reliable supply of Lava Cakes is crucial for raising baby Magmasaurs successfully. Start stockpiling the ingredients well in advance of the hatching date. Setting up automated resource gathering systems for ingredients can greatly simplify this process. When feeding a baby magmasaur, ensure that food is always readily available in the trough. Imprinting bonuses play a crucial role in the development of baby Magmasaurs, and providing them with Lava Cakes is a fundamental requirement for achieving those bonuses.
Advanced Tips and Tricks
Mastering Magmasaur ownership involves more than just knowing what to feed them. Optimizing your resource gathering and managing your Magmasaur’s weight are equally important.
Optimizing Sulphur Harvesting
Improving your sulphur harvesting efficiency will significantly reduce the time and effort required to keep your Magmasaur fed. Employing the right dinos is key. An Ankylosaurus is an excellent choice for its weight reduction and resource gathering capabilities. Focus on leveling up your harvesting dino’s melee damage to increase the amount of sulphur obtained per swing. Manage your weight carefully to maximize the amount of sulphur you can carry before becoming encumbered.
Alternative Food Sources
While sulphur is always the best choice, there might be rare situations where alternative food sources become necessary. However, be aware that using less-ideal food can have negative consequences, such as reduced health regeneration and increased food consumption.
Managing Magmasaur Weight
Magmasaurs can carry a significant amount of weight, but it’s still essential to manage their inventory carefully. Overloading your Magmasaur will drastically reduce its movement speed, making it vulnerable to attack. Weight reduction strategies, such as using a dedicated weight-carrying dino or crafting storage boxes near your base, can help alleviate this problem.
Conclusion
Taming and raising Magmasaurs in ARK: Survival Evolved is a challenging but rewarding endeavor. By understanding their dietary needs, optimizing your resource gathering, and implementing effective food management strategies, you can ensure the long-term health and happiness of these magnificent creatures. From the initial taming process using sulphur to the delicate art of raising baby Magmasaurs on Lava Cakes, every step requires careful planning and execution. Embrace the challenges, learn from your experiences, and share your own tips with the ARK community. With dedication and the right knowledge, you too can tame the heat and master the Magmasur!
