Metal
A lump of unrefined metal ore, mined from rocks usually found high on mountains, or in caves. Can be refined in a Forge.
Details
- Category
- Resource
- Games
- ASE + ASA
- Expansion
- Base
- Loot crates
- 82 crates
- Item ID
- 9
Engram
How you unlock it
- Required level
- None
- Engram points
- 0
- How to unlock
- Resource (Not an Engram)
Maps
Found on 14 maps
Video guides: search YouTube for Metal guides
How to get Metal
Metal is gathered best by Ankylosaurus; found in 82 loot crates.
Best gatherers
AnkylosaurusLoot crates
82 crates
- Aberration BlueAberration and Valguero · ASA
- Aberration Blue BonusAberration and Valguero · ASA
- Aberration PurpleAberration and Valguero · ASA
- Aberration Purple BonusAberration and Valguero · ASA
- Aberration Surface BlueAberration · ASA
- Aberration Surface Blue BonusAberration · ASA
- Aberration Surface PurpleAberration · ASA
- Aberration Surface Purple BonusAberration · ASA
- Astraeos Desert PurpleAstraeos · ASA
- Astraeos Desert Purple BonusAstraeos · ASA
- Astraeos PurpleAstraeos · ASA
- Astraeos Purple BonusAstraeos · ASA
Show all 82 crates
- Fishing Items (Net)The Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Genesis Part 1, Genesis Part 2, The Center, Ragnarok, Valguero, Crystal Isles, Lost Island, and Fjordur · ASE
- Fishing Items (Pole)The Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Lost Colony, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA / ASE
- Genesis BlueGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Genesis CyanGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Genesis GreenGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Genesis OrangeGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Genesis PurpleGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Genesis RedGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Genesis WhiteGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Genesis YellowGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Island PurpleThe Island, The Center, and Ragnarok · ASA
- Island Purple BonusThe Island, The Center, and Ragnarok · ASA
- Mission 'Bulbdog Fetch' EasyGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Bulbdog Fetch' HardGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Bulbdog Fetch' MediumGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Circuit Chase' EasyGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Circuit Chase' HardGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Circuit Chase' MediumGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Downriver Run' EasyGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Downriver Run' HardGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Downriver Run' MediumGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Ferox Cull' EasyGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Ferox Cull' HardGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Ferox Cull' MediumGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Maewing Poach' EasyGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Maewing Poach' HardGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Maewing Poach' MediumGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Paracer Roundup' EasyGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Paracer Roundup' HardGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Paracer Roundup' MediumGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Shadowmane Prowl' EasyGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Shadowmane Prowl' HardGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Shadowmane Prowl' MediumGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Slide and Glide' EasyGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Slide and Glide' HardGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Slide and Glide' MediumGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Slipstream Sweep' EasyGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Slipstream Sweep' HardGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Slipstream Sweep' MediumGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Starwing Strike' EasyGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Starwing Strike' HardGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Starwing Strike' MediumGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Team Downriver Run' EasyGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Team Downriver Run' HardGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Team Downriver Run' MediumGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Velonasaur Stalk' EasyGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Velonasaur Stalk' HardGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Mission 'Velonasaur Stalk' MediumGenesis Part 2 · ASE
- Outpost: Molten Works EasyLost Colony · ASA
- Outpost: Molten Works HardLost Colony · ASA
- Outpost: Molten Works MediumLost Colony · ASA
- Quake Biolum 1Aberration · ASA / ASE
- Quake Biolum 2Aberration · ASA / ASE
- Quake Radiation 1Aberration · ASA / ASE
- Quake Radiation 2Aberration · ASA / ASE
- Scorched Buried WhiteThe Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Lost Colony, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA
- Scorched PurpleScorched Earth, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA
- Scorched Purple BonusScorched Earth, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA
- Thrall ArcherThe Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Lost Colony, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA
- Thrall DeadeyeThe Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Lost Colony, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA
- Thrall DemolisherThe Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Lost Colony, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA
- Thrall EnforcerThe Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Lost Colony, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA
- Thrall GunslingerThe Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Lost Colony, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA
- Thrall HeraldThe Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Lost Colony, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA
- Thrall MarauderThe Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Lost Colony, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA
- Thrall PiercerThe Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Lost Colony, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA
- Thrall ScattershotThe Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Lost Colony, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA
- Thrall SnarerThe Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Lost Colony, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA
- Thrall WardenThe Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Lost Colony, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok, and Valguero · ASA
- Volcanic RockRagnarok · ASA / ASE
Metal — Detailed Guide
Raw ore before the forge
Metal is the unrefined ore behind most of ARK's mid and late game, present in both ARK: Survival Evolved and ARK: Survival Ascended and listed on 14 maps in our records. The game describes it as "A lump of unrefined metal ore, mined from rocks usually found high on mountains, or in caves. Can be refined in a Forge." For most uses it has to be turned into Metal Ingot first.
Finding metal rocks
Ordinary rocks give only a trickle of metal. The rocks worth mining look smoother and more golden than the rest, and they cluster where survivors least like to go: deep water, river beds, coves, caves and the tops of mountains. On Aberration, the blue-veined black rocks of the Luminous Region are another rich source. A mined metal rock takes about an hour to come back.
Gathering it efficiently
Ankylosaurus: the strongest option, especially with Melee Damage levelled, and it reduces the weight of metal it carries.- Metal Pick: yields far more than a stone pick; at mastercraft or ascendant quality it is reported to match an Ankylosaurus per rock.
Mining Drill: another tool option for the same rocks.
Two tactics from the ARK Wiki: a partner on a 
Quetzal or 
Argentavis can carry you and your Ankylosaurus from rock to rock, and bringing an Ankylosaurus of the opposite sex gives a mate boost of 33% damage, which raises the yield.
Weight, stacks and loot
Metal weighs 1 per unit and stacks to 300, so a full stack weighs 300. Loot is a fallback source: 82 crate types can contain it.
Refining
A Metal Ingot takes 2 Metal per craft. Our ARK: Survival Ascended records also list a Mega Forge recipe that uses 3 Metal.