The Phoenix: Everything you don't know yet

How to get it, why to get it, and most importantly, what to do with it. (No longer accurate)

Overview

This is a phoenix.

The phoenix is one of the more versatile dinos, and can be used:

• Like a refining forge
  
• Like a campfire
  
• To kill things
  
• As a flying mount
  
• To gather resources
  
• To light things up
  
• As a source of silica pearls

However, the phoenix is notoriously difficult to obtain, as wild ones only exist during heatwaves in scorched earth, and only one at a time.

Pros/Cons

Now that you know a little bit about the phoenix, ask yourself: Should I actually try to get a phoenix?

Pros:

• Never need a forge/campfire again
  
• Regains stamina just from not moving
  
• Safely deal with land enemies
  
• Can be fast when flame charging/gliding

Cons:

• Hard to find
  
• Hard to tame
  
• Time limit on taming one
  
• Only eats sulfur
  
• Lights up, which isn't great on a pvp server
  
• Can't breed
  
• Low health
  
• Low carry weight

Taming a phoenix

Before you try your hand at taming one, you need to find one. First off, phoenixes don't spawn in normal conditions - they only spawn during heatwaves. When the heatwave is gone, wild phoenixes disintegrate until the next wave, so you need to find and tame the phoenix before the heatwave ends. This is made even more difficult by the fact that up to just three wild phoenixes can exist at a time, so they won't be easy to find.
Phoenixes fly all the time and are completely incapable of landing on the ground - search the skies. Bonus points if it's night, because that's when the phoenix's fiery glow is more noticable.

Now that you've found one, it's time to tame it.

Phoenixes cannot be tamed passively, and they cannot be tamed with the knockout method. Phoenixes are tamed very violently: Attacking phoenixes with flame weapons (flamethrower is optimal, fire arrows don't give much progress and torch gives even less) will up their taming bar.

Phoenixes are tamed very violently: Attacking phoenixes with flame weapons will up their taming bar.

No in-depth taming data exists at the moment, but as of yet, here are (some of) the fire sources in best-worst order.

• Fire Wyvern
  
• Flamethrower
  
• Lit Oil Jars
  
• Fire arrows
  
• Torch

Phoenixes are passive and do not flee from you, as well as being unbola-able. If you want to get one somewhere, you'll have to use rare flowers. This gives you a pheremone effect and lures nearby dinos.

When the heatwave ends, the phoenix will disappear. However, it is important to note that the phoenix doesn't despawn or anything. Rather, it turns to ash and buries itself in the ground. The phoenix will be almost completely undetectable, save for the fact that pillars can't be placed in the spot where the phoenix disintegrated.

Invisible underground phoenixes actually can be tamed without a heatwave by use of wyvern breath and flamethrowers.

When the next heatwave starts, the phoenix will emerge from its hiding place. It may be useful to note where a phoenix disintegrated, as this will give you a head start the next time.

Sidenote: Make sure to bring lots of water and desert gear - There still is a heatwave.

Using a phoenix

These are stats of a phoenix, taken from the wiki, accurate as of 9/4/17. However, it should be noted that while the phoenix can glide and flame charge to go fast, its real base sprint speed is closer to 1,000 than to 2,000.

A phoenix has four powers:


The left click bite attack, which has a chance to set its target on fire. When whistled to attack, phoenixes will fly in circles around their target biting, similar to pteranodons.

The right click 'blaze' attack, which shoots a fireball at a surface. The fireball stays for a bit as a patch of fire, setting anything that enters alight, before going out.

Phoenixes have an option for 'blaze targeting'. If targeting is on, blaze attacks will try to hit creatures it would otherwise have missed slightly. If it is off, all targeting is manual.

Fireballs will disappear if shot from too great a distance.



The C key claw attack, which harvests resources. Phoenixes are slightly more efficient than a metal axe when it comes to gathering wood, stone, and sand, but they can't gather metal/crystal/etc. Gathering is not a recommended use for a phoenix, thanks to its impossibly low carry weight.



The space key flame charge. Hold down space to maintain a flame charge. This lets you go faster, and to a lesser extent, lets you dive boost like a griffin. If you go down, then turn upwards while flame charging, you'll glide for a bit at a faster than average speed. Be warned that flame charge drains food exceptionally quickly.



One of the things a phoenix is useful for is as a silica pearl generator.

Phoenixes eat sulfur and only sulfur, which restores 10 hunger apiece. About every ten pieces, a phoenix will defecate a cluster of (default 15) silica pearls, but this can probably yield more by making use of the 'defecate' key.

One method to get pearls is gliding around with flame charge, but keeping the sulfur in your own inventory. This will drain food exceedingly quickly. Then, go to base and feed your phoenix. It'll make pearls right there, for easy collection.

Sidenote: Phoenixes are completely immune to stimberries



A phoenix can be used to cook things. Any meat (or prime meat) in its inventory cooks itself, any metal ore smelts itself, and any hide and oil turns itself into gasoline.



Phoenixes glow, but do not provide heat. The glowing, while detrimental on a pvp server if you're just flying around, can be helpful on a normal one. Not only are phoenixes a free source of light, nothing says 'Here I am' like a flying, glowing bird of fire.



A tame phoenix will literally always be a flying mount. That is, a phoenix never stops flying, and as it doesn't need a saddle, it never stops being an available mount.

The phoenix has the extraordinary ability to regain stamina midair, thanks to its inability to leave the air. If you start to feel tired, stop moving. Your stamina will be back shortly, and you never had to land. In addition, the phoenix's status as second-fastest scorched earth flyer means it would be one of the best flying mounts in ark - if it didn't have ark's most pathetic carry weight.

Base 60 weight, seriously? This is just a theory, but I think originally the phoenix was a pet and then they changed it to be rideable, but this was after they did the stats, dossier and saddle. That's why everything about the phoenix but it's size says 'Don't ride it'.



The phoenix is also a good dino when it comes to killing land dinosaurs. It never has to land on the ground, so it can stay in-air infinitely and rain down blaze attacks from above. With enough time/patience, you can safely kill any land dino. Just bring a lot of sulfur.

The End

If you have any additional information, issues, discrepancies or complaints, leave a comment. I'll update this guide periodically as new information comes out.

[LebronJameson]

thats very cool thanks

[loganblake100]

Well how do you harvest there ashes?

[angryIsosceles]

@Matthew_Gaming The wyvern

[Crungus]

what is the fastest scorched earth flyer

[Draykoss]

I was actually unaware of the charge, in that case it is relatively quicker, course there are still other preferred creatures to go around on, so thanks as well lol

[angryIsosceles]

@Draykoss I just checked. While the phoenix can flame charge and glide to speed up, its real sprint speed is somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000. Thanks!

[Draykoss]

I took out everything in my inventory so it's weight was basically 0, it was still slow as all hell

[Wasagi007]

No word to if they gona spawn on Ragnarok?

[angryIsosceles]

@Draykoss That's because their terrible carry weight means they're always somewhat encumbered. Their base speed is actually pretty good.

[Draykoss]

last time i checked phoenixes were unbelievably slow