Metal is the gateway to mid-game gear, structures and saddles in ARK: Survival Ascended — and farming it efficiently is a rite of passage. This guide covers the proven Anky + Argent method, where to find the best metal nodes, and how to refine raw metal into ingots at scale.
The Anky + Argent combo
The classic metal engine pairs two creatures. The Ankylosaurus mines metal nodes far faster than a metal pick and reduces metal’s weight in its own inventory, so it can carry a huge haul. The Argentavis then picks the Anky up and carries it to mountain nodes — and because the Argent also reduces the weight of ore it holds, you can transfer the Anky’s metal onto the bird and fly home heavy. One player with this combo out-farms a whole tribe on foot.
Where to mine
Metal nodes are the darker rocks with shiny gold/silver veins, clustered on mountains and volcanic areas. Regular grey rocks give mostly stone with a little metal — head for the rich veins on high ground. Map your map’s best clusters with our ARK resource maps and run a repeatable circuit before the nodes respawn.
Refining into ingots
Raw metal is heavy and useless until smelted. Refine it into metal ingots in a Forge, or far faster in an Industrial Forge once you’ve unlocked it. Ingots are what most gear, structures and saddles actually require, so keep a forge (or several) running while you farm — by the time you’re back from a run, the last batch is done.
Tips
- Bring a high-melee Anky — more melee means more metal per hit.
- Watch your Argent’s weight — even reduced, metal adds up fast.
- Industrial Forge early — it transforms your smelting throughput.
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