so I've played thousands of hours of ARK and I still sometimes forget what materials I need for a simple cryopod or industrial grill and I have to tab out to the wiki and then tab back in and by then I've been eaten by something and it's annoying and the whole reason I put this guide together is so you can just look at one page and know exactly what you need to farm for every recipe in the game organized by tier and honestly the crafting system in ARK is deep and interconnected in ways that aren't immediately obvious and understanding the material chains is the difference between efficient progression and wasting hours farming the wrong things
and ARK 2 keeps the same core engram system from ARK 1 with engram points earned per level up but the recipes have been rebalanced and some material costs have changed based on the new map resources and I've compiled everything from the dev previews and community crunch reveals and the UI screenshots that show the crafting interface and this guide covers the complete progression from level 1 stone tools all the way through to Tek tier endgame gear and I've organized it so you can scan by level bracket and immediately see what becomes available and what materials you need to stockpile
Stone Tier (Levels 1-15) — Survival Basics
the stone tier is your first hour of gameplay and the recipes here are simple and cheap but getting them right saves you time and death loops and the key insight is that you should craft a Pick first because it gathers more flint and stone and metal than a hatchet and those materials unlock the next tier and honestly the order you craft things in matters way more than people think
Stone Pick — Level 1 — 1 Wood 1 Stone 10 Thatch — this is literally the first thing you should craft and the pick gathers flint stone metal and crystal and it's not optional and craft it immediately
Stone Hatchet — Level 1 — 1 Wood 1 Stone 10 Flint — the hatchet gathers wood thatch and hide and you want this second after the pick
Campfire — Level 2 — 16 Stone 12 Thatch 1 Wood 2 Flint — cook meat and make charcoal and charcoal is needed for gunpowder later and stockpile it early
Spear — Level 2 — 8 Wood 2 Stone 12 Flint — your first weapon and it can be thrown and it breaks fast so carry 3 or 4
Cloth Armor Set — Level 3-5 — 195 Fiber 15 Hide total across all 5 pieces — Cloth Shirt level 3 needs 45 Fiber 5 Hide Cloth Pants level 3 needs 40 Fiber 3 Hide Cloth Hat level 4 needs 25 Fiber 2 Hide Cloth Boots level 4 needs 20 Fiber 2 Hide Cloth Gloves level 5 needs 15 Fiber 3 Hide and fiber is everywhere and hide comes from Dodos and Dilos and honestly cloth armor is terrible but it's better than being naked and you need something between your skin and the dinosaurs
Mortar and Pestle — Level 6 — 65 Stone 15 Hide — the single most important crafting station in the early game because it makes sparkpowder and narcotics and cementing paste and without it you can't tame anything and you can't progress and build it immediately
Sparkpowder — Level 6 — 2 Stone 1 Flint in Mortar — used as fuel for preserving bins and making gunpowder later and it's efficient fuel that burns longer than wood
Narcotic — Level 6 — 5 Narcoberries 1 Spoiled Meat in Mortar — essential for taming and keeping creatures unconscious and you need hundreds of these and start stockpiling narcoberries and spoiled meat immediately
Bola — Level 9 — 10 Thatch 3 Stone 15 Fiber — temporarily immobilizes small and medium creatures and this is your ticket to taming Raptors and Parasaurs and Pteranodons and honestly the Bola is the most important early game tool and never leave base without at least 3
Storage Box — Level 4 — 25 Wood 20 Thatch 10 Fiber — basic storage and you need lots of these
Preserving Bin — Level 5 — 35 Stone 20 Wood 30 Fiber — extends food spoil time with sparkpowder as fuel and essential for storing prime meat for taming
Standing Torch — Level 3 — 8 Stone 3 Thatch 3 Wood — light and warmth at night and keeps some creatures away
Slingshot — Level 5 — 10 Wood 10 Hide 20 Fiber — ranged torpor weapon for knocking out small creatures and honestly it's bad and I skip it and go straight to the Bow but some people like it for early taming
Basic Metal Tier (Levels 16-35) — The Real Game Begins
metal tools change everything and a Metal Pick gathers resources at 1.5x the rate of a stone pick and has way more durability and metal weapons do significantly more damage and the metal tier is where you stop feeling like prey and start being a predator and the Forge is the gateway building and you need it to smelt raw metal into ingots
Refining Forge — Level 20 — 125 Stone 5 Flint 65 Hide 20 Wood 40 Fiber — converts raw metal into metal ingots at a 2 to 1 ratio and also makes charcoal from wood and gasoline from oil and hide and this is non-negotiable and build at least 2 forges
Smithy — Level 20 — 50 Stone 30 Wood 20 Hide — the workbench for metal tools weapons and armor and you interact with it as an inventory and it's required for every recipe in this tier and place it next to your forge for the smelting workflow
Metal Pick — Level 25 — 1 Metal Ingot 1 Wood 10 Hide in Smithy — 1.5x gathering rate for flint metal crystal and stone and it has 40 durability vs the stone pick's 12 and this is the single best upgrade in the game for resources per hour
Metal Hatchet — Level 25 — 1 Metal Ingot 1 Wood 10 Hide in Smithy — 1.5x wood hide and thatch gathering and 40 durability
Crossbow — Level 25 — 7 Metal Ingot 10 Wood 20 Fiber in Smithy — shoots tranquilizer arrows for taming and regular arrows for combat and it's a massive upgrade over the Bow with 95 base damage vs the Bow's 55 and it's your primary taming weapon for most of the game
Pike — Level 30 — 10 Metal Ingot 5 Wood 15 Hide in Smithy — reach weapon that hits from further away than a sword and it's essential for fighting creatures that can knock you back and honestly I prefer the Pike over the Sword because the extra reach lets you hit things without them hitting you
Chitin Armor Set — Level 30 — 80 Chitin 40 Hide 20 Fiber across all 5 pieces — better than cloth and lighter than metal and chitin comes from killing insects in caves and with a Megatherium the gathering rate is insane
Compass — Level 30 — 5 Metal Ingot 1 Flint 1 Wood in Smithy — shows cardinal directions and useful for navigation before you learn the map
Spyglass — Level 35 — 5 Metal Ingot 10 Crystal 5 Hide in Smithy — view creatures from a distance and check levels before engaging and absolutely essential for scouting taming targets
Mid Game Tier (Levels 36-60) — Industrializing Your Operation
this is where ARK really opens up and you get access to guns explosives better armor and the industrial crafting stations that automate resource processing and the material requirements get serious and you need a proper farming operation with tamed dinos to supply the metal polymer crystal and cementing paste demands
Fabricator — Level 48 — 35 Metal Ingot 20 Crystal 10 Cementing Paste 50 Oil 15 Polymer in Smithy — the advanced crafting station that unlocks polymer tools weapons and armor and electronics and this is the mid game wall that separates casual players from dedicated tribes and building it requires a significant resource investment
Longneck Rifle — Level 45 — 15 Metal Ingot 20 Wood 15 Hide in Smithy — the best taming weapon and it fires tranquilizer darts which are way more effective than tranq arrows and a single dart applies 221 torpor over 5 seconds vs the crossbow arrow's 157 and these numbers matter when taming high torpor creatures like Rexes and Spinos
Simple Pistol — Level 40 — 15 Metal Ingot 5 Wood in Smithy — basic firearm and it's okay for personal defense but honestly the shotgun is better for close range and the rifle is better for taming and the pistol is in a weird middle ground
Pump-Action Shotgun — Level 55 — 25 Metal Ingot 10 Polymer 15 Cementing Paste in Fabricator — devastating at close range with 46 damage per pellet times 12 pellets per shot and this is your anti-cave creature weapon and nothing clears a cave faster
Assault Rifle — Level 60 — 35 Metal Ingot 20 Polymer 25 Cementing Paste in Fabricator — high fire rate and good for boss fights and PvP and it chews through ammo so you need a solid gunpowder and metal farming operation to sustain it
Rocket Launcher — Level 55 — 25 Metal Ingot 20 Polymer 15 Cementing Paste in Fabricator — destroys structures and does massive AOE damage and essential for PvP raids and some boss fights and rockets are expensive and each rocket costs 5 Metal Ingot 8 Gunpowder 2 Polymer in the Fabricator
Simple Bullet — Level 40 — 2 Metal Ingot 2 Gunpowder in Smithy — pistol ammo
Shotgun Shell — Level 55 — 2 Metal Ingot 3 Gunpowder 1 Polymer in Fabricator — shotgun ammo with 3 gunpowder per shell and shells are expensive to make and you need hundreds for cave runs
Advanced Rifle Bullet — Level 60 — 2 Metal Ingot 3 Gunpowder 1 Polymer in Fabricator — AR ammo
Rocket — Level 55 — 5 Metal Ingot 8 Gunpowder 2 Polymer in Fabricator — launcher ammo
Flak Armor Set — Level 50 — 80 Metal Ingot 50 Hide 40 Fiber across all 5 pieces in Smithy — best pre-Tek armor and it provides 500 armor rating per piece when crafted well and you need this for late game content and boss fights
GPS — Level 55 — 15 Metal Ingot 10 Crystal 5 Polymer in Fabricator — shows coordinates and your position on the map and essential for navigation and sharing locations with tribe members
Industrial Grill — Level 52 — 40 Metal Ingot 10 Cementing Paste 20 Oil 15 Polymer in Fabricator — cooks meat in bulk with gasoline and lights 300 raw meat per cook cycle and feeds armies of dinos
Industrial Cooker — Level 55 — 45 Metal Ingot 15 Cementing Paste 25 Oil 20 Polymer in Fabricator — automatically cooks recipes and kibble with water irrigation and it's essential for making the kibble required for high level taming and honestly this is a must have for any serious tribe
Chemistry Bench — Level 55 — 50 Metal Ingot 25 Cementing Paste 30 Oil 20 Polymer in Fabricator — produces gunpowder and narcotics at 1.5x efficiency and crafting speed compared to the mortar and pestle and the efficiency gains mean you spend less time farming materials and more time playing the game
Saddles — The Engrams That Actually Matter
saddles are what unlock creature riding and each creature has its own saddle engram at specific levels and here are the key saddles by level bracket and what they cost and some saddles act as mobile crafting stations like the Argy saddle functioning as a Smithy and the Castoroides saddle functioning as a Smithy with wood weight reduction and saddle armor matters for creature survivability
Parasaur Saddle — Level 9 — 30 Hide 15 Wood 50 Fiber — your first rideable mount and it's not fast but it carries things and gathers berries
Raptor Saddle — Level 18 — 40 Hide 15 Wood 60 Fiber — first combat mount and fast and the pack buff makes groups of Raptors strong
Pteranodon Saddle — Level 38 — 75 Hide 25 Fiber 25 Chitin — flight and freedom and this changes everything
Triceratops Saddle — Level 16 — 50 Hide 20 Wood 70 Fiber — early tank and berry gatherer
Ankylosaurus Saddle — Level 36 — 65 Hide 15 Wood 85 Fiber 10 Metal Ingot — metal farming mount and essential for resource economy
Doedicurus Saddle — Level 34 — 60 Hide 15 Wood 80 Fiber — stone farming mount
Argentavis Saddle — Level 62 — 150 Hide 50 Fiber 25 Chitin in Smithy — flying hauler with weight reduction and Smithy capability and this is the mid game workhorse saddle
Mammoth Saddle — Level 31 — 55 Hide 20 Wood 75 Fiber — wood farming mount with weight reduction
Rex Saddle — Level 74 — 200 Hide 100 Fiber 50 Metal Ingot in Smithy — apex predator saddle and your boss fight mount
Giganotosaurus Saddle — Level 96 — 500 Hide 200 Fiber 150 Metal Ingot 50 Cementing Paste in Smithy — the most expensive saddle in the game and appropriately so
Mosasaurus Saddle — Level 78 — 250 Hide 150 Fiber 80 Metal Ingot 30 Cementing Paste in Smithy — ocean king and platform saddle for mobile ocean base
Quetzal Saddle — Level 76 — 200 Hide 100 Fiber 80 Metal Ingot 30 Cementing Paste in Smithy — platform saddle flyer and mobile sky base
Consumables & Medical — What Keeps You Alive
consumables are often overlooked in crafting guides but they make a massive difference in survival and taming and boss fights and the medical brew and energy brew are essentially mandatory for late game content and custom recipes from the cooking pot can give massive buffs
Medical Brew — Level 18 — 1 Narcotic 1 Tintoberry in Cooking Pot — heals 40 HP over 5 seconds and it's cheap to make and you should carry at least 20 in any dangerous situation
Energy Brew — Level 15 — 1 Narcotic 1 Stimberry in Cooking Pot — restores stamina and essential for long flights and underwater exploration
Lazarus Chowder — Level 45 — 1 Cooked Meat 1 Narcotic 1 Mejoberry 1 Savoroot in Cooking Pot — slows oxygen consumption and essential for underwater cave runs
Fria Curry — Level 40 — 1 Cooked Meat 1 Narcotic 1 Mejoberry 1 Longrass in Cooking Pot — provides cold resistance and essential for snow biome exploration
Calien Soup — Level 35 — 1 Cooked Meat 1 Narcotic 1 Mejoberry 1 Citronal in Cooking Pot — provides heat resistance and essential for volcanic biome exploration
Enduro Stew — Level 45 — 1 Cooked Meat 1 Narcotic 1 Mejoberry 1 Rockarrot in Cooking Pot — boosts melee damage by 35 percent for 15 minutes and this is huge for boss fights
Focal Chili — Level 60 — 1 Cooked Meat 1 Narcotic 1 Mejoberry 1 Citronal 1 Savoroot 1 Longrass 1 Rockarrot in Cooking Pot — boosts movement speed by 25 percent and crafting speed by 100 percent for 15 minutes and the crafting speed buff makes this essential for mass producing bullets and rockets before a raid or boss fight
Shadow Steak Saute — Level 70 — 1 Cooked Prime Meat 1 Narcotic 1 Mejoberry 1 Rare Mushroom in Cooking Pot — massive health regen for 100 seconds and essential for soloing difficult content
Tek Tier (Levels 80+) — Endgame Everything
Tek tier is unlocked by defeating bosses and collecting the engrams from their loot tables and Tek equipment runs on Element which drops from bosses and the Tek stuff is absurdly powerful but the Element economy means you can't use it continuously without a steady boss farming operation and it's the final progression tier and it makes you basically a sci-fi god in a dinosaur world
Tek Replicator — Boss Drop — 100 Metal Ingot 50 Crystal 30 Polymer 50 Element in Fabricator — the ultimate crafting station that can fabricate anything in the game and it runs on Element and crafts at insane speeds
Tek Chestpiece — Boss Drop — 60 Metal Ingot 30 Crystal 20 Polymer 50 Element in Tek Replicator — provides flight and super speed and damage resistance and this is the most transformative piece of gear in the game
Tek Rifle — Boss Drop — 40 Metal Ingot 25 Crystal 15 Polymer 35 Element in Tek Replicator — energy weapon with high damage and it can destroy structures from range
Tek Forcefield — Boss Drop — 80 Metal Ingot 40 Crystal 30 Polymer 60 Element in Tek Replicator — creates a bubble shield around your base that blocks projectiles and damage
Tek Generator — Boss Drop — 70 Metal Ingot 35 Crystal 25 Polymer 50 Element in Tek Replicator — powers all Tek structures and runs on Element and it's more efficient than a regular generator
Tek Teleporter — Boss Drop — 90 Metal Ingot 45 Crystal 35 Polymer 70 Element in Tek Replicator — instant teleportation between paired teleporters and it can teleport creatures and players and this is the ultimate logistics tool
and here's the thing about ARK 2 crafting that I wish someone had told me before I started and it's that you should always be stockpiling cementing paste metal ingots and polymer from the moment you unlock the Forge because these three materials are used in basically every mid game and late game recipe and if you wait until you need them to start farming you'll spend 80 percent of your time commuting between resource nodes and 20 percent actually crafting and playing the game and that's a terrible ratio and the people who progress fastest in ARK are the ones who build passive resource generation into their base from the very beginning with dung beetles for oil and Achatinas for cementing paste and Ankylosaurus and Doedicurus pairs for metal and stone and a Mammoth or Castoroides for wood and once your passive income is set up the actual crafting becomes effortless because you always have materials on hand and honestly that's the real secret to ARK and it's not about grinding harder and it's about grinding smarter