How to tame a Rex in ARK: Survival Ascended, and why it still matters

The idea: a four-piece trap and a bear trap

The Tyrannosaurus is the easiest tame in this batch because the trap is tiny. All you need is four Metal Billboards and one Large Bear Trap. Three billboards form a U, the bear trap goes in the middle, and you lure the Rex onto it. Once it is stuck, you place the fourth billboard across the open side and the Rex is boxed in while you knock it out.

Raconin’s video is short because the setup is. This guide fills in everything the 2 minutes 47 seconds cannot: what to carry, how the numbers scale with level, and why people still tame Rexes late in the game.

What to bring

• Armour: a flak set, as the video suggests, and a few Medical Brews.
• Knockout tools: a crossbow with tranq arrows, or a Longneck Rifle with tranq or shocking darts. The wiki also says to make sure you have at least a crossbow or Longneck.
• Binoculars or a modded spyglass to watch torpor.
• The trap: 4 Metal Billboards and 1 Large Bear Trap.
• Food: raw mutton or Exceptional Kibble. The wiki lists Exceptional Kibble as preferred kibble, with Raw Mutton and Raw Prime Meat as preferred meats.

Build and tame, in order

1. Make the U. Place three Metal Billboards in a U shape.
2. Set the bear trap. Put the Large Bear Trap in the middle of the U, where the Rex will step.
3. Lure the Rex. Pull it toward the trap and let it chase you over the bear trap so it gets caught.
4. Close the box. As soon as it is stuck, place the fourth billboard on the open side. It is now safely trapped and cannot run.
5. Knock it out. Shoot it with your crossbow or Longneck and watch torpor on the binoculars.
6. Feed it. When the Rex is unconscious, put raw mutton or Exceptional Kibble into its inventory.
7. Wait and guard. Keep other creatures away. Damage taken during the tame costs taming effectiveness, which is why Raconin says no other creature should attack it.

How much knockout does it take?

The wiki gives a Rex a base torpidity of 1,550, plus 93 per level. Its depletion rate climbs with level, which means higher-level Rexes wake faster. Using the wiki’s optimal-case figures (listed for ASE, so treat them as a guide): a level 1 Rex needs roughly 8 tranq darts or 4 shocking darts to knock out; a level 150 Rex needs about 70 tranq darts or 35 shocking darts. For food, a level 1 Rex fills its torpor on raw mutton in about 10 minutes, a level 150 Rex needs about 35 raw mutton over about 70 minutes.

The wiki also reminds you to bring extra supplies, and so do we. Round every number up, and keep your healing within reach. The wiki also warns that the Rex is not to be trifled with early in the game. It notes that a player on foot can outrun one unless small obstacles slow them down, so run your lure route over clear, flat ground.

Finding a Rex and choosing the one to tame

The wiki lists wild Rexes on The Island, The Center, Scorched Earth, Ragnarok, Extinction, Valguero, Crystal Isles, Genesis: Part 2, Lost Island and Fjordur. That list covers every ARK generation, so look at the creature list for the ASA map you are on. Because a tamed Rex keeps its wild levels, the level of the one you trap matters more than almost anything you do later. Here is the wild stat line from the wiki to help you judge what a point is worth:

For fighting roles, the wiki’s advice across tank, hunter, damage and raid roles is the same: level Health first and Melee Damage second. Only if you want a transport Rex do Weight, Movement Speed and Stamina matter more. Two small facts help in combat as well: the bite is usable about every 0.82 seconds, and the Rex gets a 15 percent damage bonus against herbivores.

Why the Rex is still worth taming

In the video, Raconin says a Rex is one of the most important creatures in the game for him, and gives three reasons: boss fights, PvP, and the Tek Saddle. Here is what each one means in practice.

Boss fights

The wiki calls Rexes among the best creatures against Broodmother Lysrix and Megapithecus, where their large health pool and high damage let a group hold the boss’s attention for a long time. It suggests bringing a Yutyrannus for its roar buff and a Daeodon for healing. For boss use the wiki recommends levelling mostly Health and some Melee Damage. If you want to see how a different big predator handles a boss, read our Ice Titan guide.

PvP

A raiding Rex is built around health with some damage. The wiki suggests pairing a Rex with a tank such as a Stegosaurus or Triceratops that soaks turret fire while the Rex attacks the base.

The Tek Saddle

Raconin points out that a Rex with a Tek Saddle uses Element to damage Tek structures, including Tek Turrets. Here is what the wiki says, so you can plan around it:

• The saddle fires laser projectiles from the melee key. The wiki describes the damage as explosive rather than Element-type, and uses Element from the Rex’s own inventory: 1 Element gives 25 shots, at 4 percent energy a shot, about 2 shots per second.
• The wiki lists Tek Saddles among the few things that can damage a Tek Turret, along with explosives, the Tek Rifle and certain creatures, and adds that Tek Saddles were patched to have a lower range, so the Rex is no longer able to destroy turrets from a safe distance.
• The Rex Tek Saddle cannot be used inside boss arenas, even though it can be equipped there.
• The engram is unlocked by defeating Alpha Megapithecus, Alpha Manticore, Gamma Nunatak, Alpha Rockwell or the Forest Titan. Crafting needs 350 polymer, 1,800 metal ingots, 250 crystal, 40 Element and 100 Black Pearl, according to the wiki, in a Tek Replicator or Exo-Mek.

If you are using Rexes against Tek structures, level Health: your Rex needs to survive the turret fire long enough to do the job, and you also need to avoid being shot off your saddle. That is Raconin’s advice too.

Layout tips for the trap

• Set the trap on flat ground. A Rex is much easier to lead over level terrain, and the billboards snap cleanly.
• Leave the open side of the U facing the direction you will run from, so the Rex arrives in a straight line.
• Keep the fourth billboard in your hand before you start. You only get a short window once it is caught.
• Put the knockout weapon on the next hotbar slot so you can switch immediately after you place the billboard.

Mistakes to avoid

• Placing the fourth billboard late. Once the Rex is stuck, close the box immediately.
• Underestimating the bite. The wiki lists the bite at 62 damage with a roar that stuns for 3 seconds. Stay back and heal.
• Running low on tranq ammo. The numbers above are optimal. Bring more.
• No guard. A Rex that takes damage while taming loses effectiveness. Keep the area clear.
• Expecting the Tek Saddle to work in a boss arena. It does not, per the wiki.

For other taming structures see our taming traps compared page, and for a stone-only alternative on a different predator read the Spino stone pit guide.

Frequently asked questions