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Ark Survival Evolved: How to Get Cementing Paste – A Comprehensive Guide

Cementing Paste is a crucial resource in Ark Survival Evolved, essential for crafting a wide range of structures, weapons, and tools. Obtaining a steady supply of cementing paste can significantly accelerate your progress in the game. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the various methods to acquire cementing paste, ensuring you’re well-equipped to tackle the challenges of the Ark.

Understanding Cementing Paste

Before diving into the methods, let’s understand what cementing paste is and why it’s so important. Cementing paste is a compound resource created by combining chitin/keratin and stone. It is used in the crafting of advanced items, including saddles, high-tier weapons, and structures like the industrial grinder and fabricator. Without a consistent source of cementing paste, your ability to progress and thrive in Ark will be severely limited.

Methods for Obtaining Cementing Paste

There are several methods to obtain cementing paste, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The best method for you will depend on your current stage in the game, the resources available to you, and your preferred play style.

Crafting Cementing Paste

The most direct method is crafting cementing paste in a mortar and pestle or a chemistry bench. The recipe requires:

Chitin or Keratin: 4
Stone: 8

Chitin and Keratin are obtained by harvesting corpses of various creatures, while stone is readily available throughout the map. The chemistry bench provides a more efficient crafting rate compared to the mortar and pestle.

Gathering Chitin and Keratin

The efficiency of crafting cementing paste hinges on your ability to gather chitin and keratin quickly. Here are some of the best creatures to hunt for these resources:

Trilobites: These small creatures are found on beaches and in shallow water. They provide a decent amount of chitin and are relatively easy to kill, making them a good early-game source.
Scorpions: Found in caves and desert areas, scorpions yield a significant amount of chitin. Be cautious, as they can inflict torpor.
Spiders (Araneo): Spiders are abundant in caves and provide large quantities of chitin. They can be challenging to fight, especially in groups.
Pulmonoscorpius: Larger, more dangerous scorpions found in caves. They offer substantial chitin and are a good source once you have adequate defenses.
Arthropluera: These cave-dwelling creatures are excellent chitin sources but are heavily armored and require specialized tactics to defeat.
Dragonflies (Meganeura): Found near swamps, dragonflies provide a decent amount of chitin and are relatively easy to kill in large numbers with a good weapon like a sword or pike.
Beelzebufo: These giant frogs, also found in swamps, can harvest large quantities of insects, turning them into cementing paste via their tongue.

Using a metal hatchet or sword generally yields more chitin/keratin than other tools. Tamed creatures like sabertooths, direwolves, and therizinosaurus can also be effective at harvesting chitin and keratin. [See also: Best Dino for Resource Gathering in Ark]

Optimizing Stone Gathering

Stone is a common resource, but gathering large quantities can be time-consuming. Here are some tips to optimize your stone gathering:

Doedicurus: This creature is specifically designed for gathering stone. When ridden, it can quickly collect large amounts of stone.
Ankylosaurus: While primarily used for metal, the Ankylosaurus can also efficiently gather stone, especially when upgraded with weight capacity.
Metal Pickaxe: Using a metal pickaxe is far more efficient than a stone pickaxe for harvesting stone.
Locations: Rocky areas and mountains are prime locations for finding abundant stone deposits.

Beaver Dams

Beaver dams are structures built by wild beavers that contain a variety of resources, including significant amounts of cementing paste. Raiding beaver dams can be a quick way to acquire cementing paste, but it comes with risks.

Finding Beaver Dams

Beaver dams are typically found in rivers and lakes, often near wooded areas. Common locations include:

The Island: Rivers around the Redwoods biome.
Scorched Earth: The Oasis area.
Ragnarok: The Viking Bay area.
Valguero: The lake near the White Cliffs.
Crystal Isles: The rivers surrounding the floating islands.

Raiding Beaver Dams

When approaching a beaver dam, be prepared for a fight. The beavers will aggressively defend their dams. Here are some tips for safely raiding beaver dams:

Clear the Area: Before looting the dam, eliminate all nearby beavers.
Use a Flying Mount: A flying mount like a Pteranodon or Argentavis allows you to quickly access and escape from the dam.
Be Aware of the Debuff: Taking items from the dam will cause all nearby beavers to become hostile.
Loot Quickly: Once the beavers are cleared, loot the dam quickly to minimize the risk of other players or creatures interfering.
Destroy the Dam (Optional): Destroying the dam after looting can prevent it from respawning in the same location, forcing beavers to build new dams elsewhere, which can sometimes yield better loot.

Achatina

Achatina are giant snails that passively produce cementing paste in their inventory. While they produce at a slower rate compared to other methods, they provide a consistent and low-effort source of cementing paste.

Taming Achatina

Achatina are non-violent tames, meaning you must passively feed them sweet vegetable cake until they are tamed. Sweet vegetable cake is crafted using:

Giant Bee Honey: 2
Rockarrot: 2
Longrass: 2
Savoroot: 2
Stimulant: 4
Fiber: 25

Achatina are found in swampy areas and caves. Approach them cautiously and feed them sweet vegetable cake when prompted. [See also: Taming Guide for Achatina in Ark]

Using Achatina for Cementing Paste

Once tamed, Achatina will passively produce cementing paste in their inventory. To maximize their production, ensure they are well-fed and kept in a safe location. Achatina will also consume plant matter to produce Achatina Paste, which is a substitute for cementing paste in some recipes.

Using the Dung Beetle

Dung Beetles convert feces into fertilizer and oil. They also produce cementing paste when fed feces. This is a passive method that doesn’t require much effort after the initial setup.

Taming the Dung Beetle

Taming Dung Beetles requires a specific approach. They must be tamed passively while unconscious. This means you need to knock them out and then place feces in their inventory. They prefer larger feces, such as those from larger herbivores like Brontosaurus or Diplodocus.

Cementing Paste Production with Dung Beetles

Once tamed, place the Dung Beetle in an enclosed area (like a small room) and provide it with feces. The beetle will slowly convert the feces into fertilizer, oil, and cementing paste. Periodically check its inventory to collect the produced resources.

Optimizing Cementing Paste Production

To maximize your cementing paste production, consider the following tips:

Multiple Methods: Combine multiple methods to ensure a steady supply. Crafting, raiding beaver dams, and using Achatina or Dung Beetles can complement each other.
Resource Management: Efficiently manage your chitin/keratin and stone gathering. Use appropriate tools and tames to expedite the process.
Breeding Achatina: Breed Achatina to increase the number of snails producing cementing paste.
Base Location: Choose a base location that provides easy access to resources like chitin, keratin, and stone. Being near a swamp or cave can be advantageous.
Tek Replicator: If you have access to the Tek tier, the Tek Replicator can craft cementing paste more efficiently than the chemistry bench.

Conclusion

Cementing paste is an indispensable resource in Ark Survival Evolved. By understanding the various methods to obtain it and implementing effective strategies, you can ensure a consistent supply and accelerate your progress in the game. Whether you prefer crafting, raiding beaver dams, or utilizing Achatina and Dung Beetles, mastering cementing paste acquisition is key to thriving in the Ark. Remember to adapt your approach based on your current resources and play style, and always be prepared for the challenges that the Ark throws your way. Happy surviving!