Tek Forcefield

A shield dome powered by Element

The Tek Forcefield is a Tek tier structure in ARK: Survival Evolved that throws an energy shield over an area. The in-game text: "Generates an impenetrable, expandable spherical shield to keep out enemies. Requires Element to run, and Tek Engram to use." It needs no foundation, works underwater and can be picked up again.

Unlocking and crafting

The Tekgram is a boss reward; the ARK Wiki lists the Alpha Manticore, Alpha Rockwell and Alpha Moeder, as well as the Beta Dragon, Beta Crystal Wyvern Queen and Beta Dinopithecus King, as fights that unlock it. The Tek Replicator and the Exo-Mek are named as crafting stations. One forcefield takes 5 seconds, gives 33 XP and weighs 4. The materials:

• 5000 Metal Ingot or Scrap Metal Ingot
• 800 Polymer, Organic Polymer, or Corrupted Nodule
• 600 Crystal or Primal Crystal
• 150 Black Pearl
• 75 Element or Red Element

Start-up, size and Element use

Once activated, the field takes 5 minutes to come online. Its size is set from the radial menu, from roughly 4 foundations across at the smallest to about 25 at the largest, and the size also sets the fuel cost: 1 Element per hour at the smallest radius, 10 per hour at the largest. Resizing an active field is gradual, and the wiki warns that aggressive creatures may glitch through while it expands.

Inside the dome

Wild creatures and players from outside the tribe run into the barrier as if it were a solid wall, while the owner, tribe members and allies pass through. Aggressive creatures can attack it but do no damage to the field or to anyone inside, and creatures big enough to poke part of their body in, such as a Rex or a Brontosaurus, can be hit from within. The dome also prevents radiation sickness in zones such as the Molten Element Region on Aberration and The Unknown on Valguero, and rain does not get through.

What can break it

Normal rifles, melee weapons and most creatures cannot damage it. Explosives can, friendly ones included, and so can the Tek Rifle, the Tek Sword, the Flamethrower, a Compound Bow firing a Flame Arrow, Magmasaur spit, Titans, Titanosaurs, Corrupted Creatures and the Tek Saddle lasers of the Rex, Mosasaur, Megalodon, Tapejara and Rock Drake. A significantly damaged dome starts to blink, and when it is destroyed any Element left inside is lost with it. Two forcefields cannot be placed close together; even at full size the gap between them fits a Titanosaur. A Paintbrush with a Dye recolors the barrier.

Loot crates are one more source: 20 crate types can contain the structure, for example Genesis Blue and Genesis Red on Genesis Part 2.