When you first arrive on The Island in Ark: Survival Evolved, with nothing but your wits about you, the thought of taming a dinosaur alone is daunting enough, let alone one big enough for you to ride.

Sure, after hours upon hours of grinding and leveling up, taming any dino to be your new scaly best friend seems like childsplay, especially when you have the right stats and gear to help you out and give you the best advantage possible.

But in those first few hours, when you're new, and have no idea what to do and where to go, the right dino companion could literally mean life and death. Not to mention bragging rights to your friends that you’re riding their favorite dino in the game.

With that being said, I’m Chas Conway, and here is a list of the Best All Around Mounts of Ark: Survival Evolved.

10) Beelzebufo

Starting off strong is the game's very own BattleToad. These bad boys usually hang out in the swamplands, which border the inner parts of The Island, so players will have to make it across there, eventually. Now, the Beelzebufo won’t attack players straight out, but will defend themselves if attacked, and the only way to tame one of these jumpy critters is to knock them out. And, like all frog stereotypes, they can bounce pretty high and fast, so watch out for them ambushing you when you try and take one of them on. Best tip is to get up high enough to where it can’t get to you, or reach you with its nasty Gene Simmons-like tongue, and shoot at it with tranquilizing arrows. Since these guys are carnivores, bringing enough meat is a must, as well as narcotics to keep it asleep while it’s being tamed

When it’s finally tamed, and you are able to saddle this olympic jumper, here’s every advantage you’ll have with your new croaky BFF:

• High jumping power, so you’ll be able to reach far and high up areas
• Amphibious, so it’s just as good in water than on land, if not better
• Leeches avoid them, which is one less headache to worry about when running around in a swamp
• Powerful tongue attack (never thought I’d write those words in my entire life), which can inflict Torpor damage, which can possibly knock enemies out! It even has great range when dealing with foes that are a bit away, and even those pesky flying creatures that try and kill you by hovering just above your head. Just a quick aim, and letting lose that lasso rope of a toad tongue, and we have an enemy down.

Beelzebufo Full Details: https://ark.gamepedia.com/Beelzebufo

Video of how to Tame a Beelzebufo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJUfGC7oeho

9) Ankylosaurus

One of the more well known dinos on our list, the Ankylosaurus lives up to its referred name as a walking tank. These guys are tough, powerful, and are able to take and dish out damage with its club tail, but will only attack if provoked. The only drawback is that these guys are slow, so don’t expect to go zipping around the island. Best way to tame them is to shoot them from a distance and knock them out with tranq arrows. Speed is your ally when going up against them, so go full Sonic. 

Now that this walking armored dino is yours, here’s everything it can do for you:

• It’s a literal tank, can take damage like a champ and dish it back out with its tail attack
• This thing can help gather items, mostly the heavier things like stone, metal, even crystals, using its tail attack to smash and gather materials in seconds that would normally take players a couple minutes.
• Since the Ankylo is a heavy dino, it can carry quite a bit of weight, so don’t be afraid to use it as your personal pack mule for heavy items that usually drag you down

Ankylosaurus Full Details: https://ark.gamepedia.com/Ankylosaurus

Video of how to Tame an Ankylosaurus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3yOiyYe2RI

8) Baryonyx

These cousins to the more well known Spinosaurus are all over beaches and swamps, looking for stragglers to take out and make a meal of, so be prepared when this thing catches you in its sights. It’s even more dangerous in water, as it is not only a fast swimmer, but it has a dazing tail attack which it likes to spam, creating the danger of drowning as well as being this things snack. Best option, in my opinion, is to make a stand on land and trap it, even using bolas to keep it from moving while you knock it out from a distance. Once it’s unconscious, it’s worth noting that this dino is a piscivore, not a standard carnivore, meaning it will only begin to be tamed if you feed it fish, not your standard meat. 

But once it’s yours, here’s everything this scaly Michael Phelps is able to provide:

• It’s a great swimmer, so be prepared to zip through the water with ease. And it never runs out of oxygen, so there’s no worry of it drowning on you.
• It’s a standard starting mount, meaning the difficulty is not that high for starting levels
• It can even follow you into most caves further down the line, when you’re at higher levels and are attempting to solve the puzzles to leave the Island
• It’s tail attack can stun a great majority of dinos released, and is even instrumental in taking on the task of helping tame the whale dinosaur, Basilosaurus, when you’re at a high enough level

Baryonyx Full Details: https://ark.gamepedia.com/Baryonyx

Video of  how to tame Baryonyx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdWbW3VLA9g

7) Raptor

One of the most famous dinosaurs on our list, the Raptor, (technically a Utahraptor, and not a Velociraptor as the Jurassic Park franchise would like modern audiences to believe) the Raptor is the bane and ultimate prize of many beginning players. These things are never alone, always hunting in packs, and always seem to ambush new players when they least expect it. Fast and dangerous, having one will make any player ecstatic, but a whole pack of them? You’d feel like your own personal Chris Pratt, running around with these things sprinting beside you. The trick is getting a Raptor before one, or its whole crew, decide to tear you apart. Best ways is to either use bolas to keep them in place while you knock them out, kill all but one to knock out and make your own, or set your own personal trap, lure a whole pack of them in, and send down a volley of tranq arrows. The point is, always have a plan when dealing with any number of Raptors. 

And once a Raptor is yours, here’s everything this clever girl can give players once she’s yours:

• Insanely fast, can be your own personal Usain Bolt as they sprint around places in record speed
• They can immobilize smaller enemies, even other players, with a pounce like attack, dealing damage while your target can’t do anything but suffer (cue evil laugh)
• It’s got pack tactics, meaning having more Raptors running alongside you gives them added damage and buffs. Besides, who doesn’t want a pack of Raptors?

Raptor Full Details: https://ark.gamepedia.com/Raptor

Video of how to Tame a Raptor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYlRvlF8wek

6) Equus

One of the less extravagant dinos on our list, the Equus seems to be your standard prehistoric horse. And like all horses, there’s tricks to making sure it’s a companion for life. Firstly, these guys will bolt if anyone gets too close, so wearing a set of Ghillie armor will camouflage you enough to get in close. Then, giving it some of its preferred berry foods will let it lower its guard enough for you to jump up and mount it. Now, no one likes being suddenly piggybacked, so it will buck and freak out, attempting to knock you off, and if it does, it will run away. Best way to tame it is to trap it somehow, either with a bola or placing some sort of fencing/boundary around it, then feed it and mount it. Rinse and repeat until it's yours. Once it is, you’re able to ride around on it without a saddle, but once you give it a saddle, the Equus becomes your own personal walking smithy, and you’re able to craft items on the go! 

• The Equus is fast! One of the fastest early mounts of the game! 
• As stated before, its saddle is a portable smithy, so you can craft items anywhere!

Equus Full Details: https://ark.gamepedia.com/Equus

Video of how to Tame an Equus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e23otn6Jr2M

5) Ichthyosaurus

Growing up near Seaworld, it’s always been a dream to swim and ride a dolphin. Now, thanks to Ark, you can get a prehistoric dolphin for yourself! These little guys are super cute and curious, that they will simply approach players on a whim. They won’t even attack! They just want to check you out! Best way to tame these guys is to simply feed them fish. The Ichthyosaurus is one of the easiest dinos to tame on this list, and they’re insanely fast in the water.

• The Ichthyosaurus is one of the fastest swimming dinos in the game! It can evade dangers and predators with ease
• These guys can help farm materials that are only found in creatures in deep underwater regions
• It’s one of the few dinos that will allow you to use weapons while riding on it’s back

Ichthyosaurs Full Details: https://ark.gamepedia.com/Ichthyosaurus

Video of how to Tame a Ichthyosaurus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IoIqp3EHlo

4) Dire Bear

Remember that saying “Don’t mess with Mama Bear”? That applies to our next entry, the Dire Bear. These dangerous, yet cuddly creatures, are found in the forested areas of the Island, mostly the redwood area or the colder, wooded regions. These guys are territorial, and will attack players if they don’t respect their personal bubble, but they’re slower than the average bear, so you’d be able to keep your distance if you’re fast enough. Taming them takes the good old knockout method, and, once they’re down, you can feed these omnivores any kind of food to start the taming. When these deadly, yet fluffy, beings are yours, here’s everything to look forward to that they can provide:

• They’re great at gathering fiber, and even can collect berries, hide, and chitin
• If you need honey, but can’t get close enough to a beehive without getting stung, the Dire Bears are able to naturally collect honey from the hive without triggering any bee attacks. Your allergies will thank us later.
• Never get into a fist fight with these guys, their claws deal tons of damage.
• Despite being on the heavy side, the Dire Bears can travel long distances while using very little stamina, and can take quite a bit of carry weight.

Dire Bear Full Details: https://ark.gamepedia.com/Dire_Bear

How to Tame a Dire Bear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyEZm7DGw9E

2) Carnotaurus

Next on our list is the very villain from Disney’s Dinosaur; the Carnotaurus. These dinos are the scaly equivalent to a pissed off bull seeing red. They deal tons of damage with their jaws and horned head, and always look for a fight, so watch out if you managed to catch one, because chances are they see you too. Not only that, but they sometimes travel in packs, like angry dogs, so you may have to deal with more than one. Best way to tame one of these angry lizards is to get enough distance away from them, or even take them on from higher up where it can’t reach you. Once this rage machine is yours, here’s everything that it can contribute to your survival;

• This thing deals so much damage, it is a one man army if high enough level. It could even possibly take on a Rex in a fight!
• It’s also quite fast, going fast and far using very little stamina
• Great guard dogs! Smaller creatures and other enemy players will think twice if they see a Carno watching over your house.
• Leeches are a huge headache when playing the game in swamp areas, but they can’t seem to latch onto the Carnotaurus that easy due to its horned head being too far from the base of its legs, giving you a chance to wipe away those annoying blood suckers

Carnotaurus Full Details: https://ark.gamepedia.com/Carnotaurus

Video of how to Tame a Carnotaurus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DwW5OSCtIc

1) Triceratops

At the top of our list is probably the most well known dinosaur aside from the T-Rex; the Triceratops. These dinos are like walking bulldozers, able to deal loads of damage with their spearlike horns, and are able to run you down when you piss them off. The Triceratops, or Trikes as known in the game, are able to use a charging ability that not only buffs their damage, but forces them to go faster towards their target. They also have a knockback ability, pushing targets a considerable distance, making them dangerous if you’re cornered against a wall or on the edge of a cliff. Once you knock them out, feed these bulls some berries and boom, a living demolition team is yours.

• They’re great at gathering berries using its basic attacks, if you run low on food
• Can travel quite a distance using low stamina, despite not being quite the sprinter
• Great in combat! Can deal loads of damage, and can even take damage from enemy dinos and other players like a champion! A must dino when fighting multiple enemies or a big bad.
• An easier dino to tame in your earlier days of playing, and, if you have a pair of them guarding your house, will keep you safe from invading carnivores like Raptors, or even Carnotaurus’ while taking little damage!

Triceratops Full Details: https://ark.gamepedia.com/Triceratops

Video of how to Tame a Triceratops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzUl7h8b0Zo

And that’s our list. Did your favorite dinosaur make it on the list? Do you think there are other better dinos I should have included?

Please let us know, and, until then, I’m Chas Conway, and I’ll see you on the Ark.

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