Metal Rich nodes

[ZEnderMan333]

Hey,
So I'm new-ish to ARK and I have found after a lot of research that the southern part of the southern Isles has a lot of metal, although I do not know what to look for when trying to find a lot of metal. If someone could point me in the right direction that'd be great (What could be even greater is if someone could tell me which nodes contain more metal in the provided screenshot :]) https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2407437840

[Sicksadpanda]

I think the metal you're looking for are actually underground. There's a cave that's near the area.

This is the cave that has rich metal nodes.
https://ark.gamepedia.com/Lower_South_Cave

[🦊 Hermit]

Small, smooth rocks in rivers and lakes provide more metal than the average stone. But actual metal rocks are distinguishable by a golden-yellow streak across their surface. And dense metal nodes are entirely gold in colour, with no black on them.

Most metal nodes are on the peaks of mountains or in caves, especially in the south. However there is a small hill at 76, 46 in the south which does have a few nodes on it, and isn't as dangerous as the large mountains in the north. You'll likely see some raptors, a few carnos, the odd therizino etc. but not rexes and argentavis like you would on a large mountain.

[Docsprock]

Here is what a bunch of metal-bearing rocks look like:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2407546290

[ZEnderMan333]

ah ok, thanks! :D

[Ages]

IIRC rich metal gives about twice as much as normal metal nodes.
Small river rocks give a bit more metal then normal rocks and break fairly quickly (~3-5 swings with primitive pick, normal rates)
Most of the rocks in your screen shot where all common rocks and give the least amount of metal.

See the photos below for what each one looks like:
Rich Metal[ark.gamepedia.com]
Metal[ark.gamepedia.com]
River rocks[ark.gamepedia.com]
Common rock[ark.gamepedia.com]

Source of photos and more info:
https://ark.gamepedia.com/Metal

Edit: The river rocks look fairly big in the photo but they are usually quite small and can be found all over on beaches, on rivers banks and in the middle of shallow rivers. These small rocks are a great source for your first few bits of metal, at lease enough to craft the basic tools and maybe a trough.

[vikijel]

Check out the resource map(s), here is one for the island: https://ark.gamepedia.com/Resource_Map_(The_Island)

[Veeshan]

And keep in mind that resource gathering (and other things) is *extremely* random in Ark. So when gathering information (like determining how much better rich nodes are than normal) use large data sets.

[ZEnderMan333]

Ok so I'm on the verge of getting a pteranadon mount (I have the saddle, I just need to find a pteranadon, isn't that hard), and I know there are some realllllly hazardous areas, like the volcano and the northern mountains. How plausible is it to fly a pteranadon from the Footpaw to the volcano, grab a fair amount of metal fast, and then fly back to the footpaw?

[Ages]

Originally posted by ZEnderMan333:

Ok so I'm on the verge of getting a pteranadon mount (I have the saddle, I just need to find a pteranadon, isn't that hard), and I know there are some realllllly hazardous areas, like the volcano and the northern mountains. How plausible is it to fly a pteranadon from the Footpaw to the volcano, grab a fair amount of metal fast, and then fly back to the footpaw?

Normal settings? It's do-able but Pteras don't carry much weight wise.
Keep in mind that at around 80% weight they start to really slow down, almost stop moving.

I highly recommend taming a mid-high level ptera, preferable 140+ and using that to get around rather then a low level Ptera. With a low level you can not fly very far because of stamina. This will cause you to have to land in unsafe areas more often and likely loose your ptera and items.

Good tip to know is that you can fly faster holding shift, but you will not be able to go as far. If you are concerned about distance between landings fly at the normal speed.

Argentavis is excellent for farming metal - it has a weight reduction for stone, (and I think metal ingots?), excellent stamina and weight. It can also carry an anky which is used to farm large amounts of metal. Anky has great metal reduction, so keep metal on anky and stone on argy when flying back. Can always use a metal pick until you get an anky)

To tame an Argy you will likely want to make a trap - Stone is recommended and wood might work (thought it can break the wood and fly)
2x2x2 is sufficent (foundations 2 wide by x 2 long with two walls high, close the top off with a 2x2 trap door (large trap door i think they are called?)) Make sure you add at least 1 double door for your ptera to fly out when you trap the Argy and good idea to add a window on at least two sides.

Ptera is usually a high priority tame for me early game - I use it to get around everywhere, but try to get an argentavis as soon as you can.

[Veeshan]

Originally posted by ZEnderMan333:

Ok so I'm on the verge of getting a pteranadon mount (I have the saddle, I just need to find a pteranadon, isn't that hard), and I know there are some realllllly hazardous areas, like the volcano and the northern mountains. How plausible is it to fly a pteranadon from the Footpaw to the volcano, grab a fair amount of metal fast, and then fly back to the footpaw?

It's totally feasible to locate a node in a temporarily safe area and bring back somemetal, just go naked with just a pick. But yeah weight is gonna be reeaally low.

[ZEnderMan333]

Originally posted by Ages:

Originally posted by ZEnderMan333:

Ok so I'm on the verge of getting a pteranadon mount (I have the saddle, I just need to find a pteranadon, isn't that hard), and I know there are some realllllly hazardous areas, like the volcano and the northern mountains. How plausible is it to fly a pteranadon from the Footpaw to the volcano, grab a fair amount of metal fast, and then fly back to the footpaw?

Normal settings? It's do-able but Pteras don't carry much weight wise.
Keep in mind that at around 80% weight they start to really slow down, almost stop moving.

I highly recommend taming a mid-high level ptera, preferable 140+ and using that to get around rather then a low level Ptera. With a low level you can not fly very far because of stamina. This will cause you to have to land in unsafe areas more often and likely loose your ptera and items.

Good tip to know is that you can fly faster holding shift, but you will not be able to go as far. If you are concerned about distance between landings fly at the normal speed.

Argentavis is excellent for farming metal - it has a weight reduction for stone, (and I think metal ingots?), excellent stamina and weight. It can also carry an anky which is used to farm large amounts of metal. Anky has great metal reduction, so keep metal on anky and stone on argy when flying back. Can always use a metal pick until you get an anky)

To tame an Argy you will likely want to make a trap - Stone is recommended and wood might work (thought it can break the wood and fly)
2x2x2 is sufficent (foundations 2 wide by x 2 long with two walls high, close the top off with a 2x2 trap door (large trap door i think they are called?)) Make sure you add at least 1 double door for your ptera to fly out when you trap the Argy and good idea to add a window on at least two sides.

Ptera is usually a high priority tame for me early game - I use it to get around everywhere, but try to get an argentavis as soon as you can.

By the way if I had access to just "taming an argentavis" I probably wouldn't be looking for a ptera. I am extremely early game right now, on single player (so animals don't really get higher than lvl 20).

[🦊 Hermit]

Honestly, you'd probably get more if you tamed a trike and visited the hill tops in the south than if you tamed a ptera and went to the volcano. The ptera has such low weight that you'd struggle to bring back anything worthwhile, but a trike has pretty decent carry weight, and can fight off almost anything you would find in the forests provided you timed your attacks to make use of it's knockback so you didn't take many hits. Even a rex can be fought with trikes if played right - the only big threats would be therizinos or an allosaurus pack.

[ZEnderMan333]

You see my main problem is that I have tamed a therizn... bird with claws and I have not yet reached lvl 69 to be able to craft the saddle

[vikijel]

on island i would recommend making a raft and rafting to herbivore island (bottom right corner of the map) - its the safest place to get lot of early metal (on the hill there) and possibly also tame ankylo.... just watch out for whales on the way, hug the shores on the way there

[🦊 Hermit]

Originally posted by ZEnderMan333:

You see my main problem is that I have tamed a therizn... bird with claws and I have not yet reached lvl 69 to be able to craft the saddle

That's actually a bonus, not a problem^^ Theris are great bodyguards, even if they have no saddles. I've seen a theri go toe-to-toe with a rex of equal level in the wild, and the theri won! Get something that can carry a lot of weight and have the theri follow it as a defender, you should have little trouble on the southern hills :)