Tranquilizer Dart

Ammo for knocking targets out

Longneck Rifle users load the Tranquilizer Dart, also known as the Tranq Dart, to knock targets out in ARK: Survival Evolved and ARK: Survival Ascended. A hit raises the target's Torpidity fast, and the dart delivers more torpor than Tranq Arrows from a Crossbow. Its lower damage also helps with weaker creatures that the higher damage of a Tranq Arrow might kill. The in-game text: "A potent dart full of tranquilizing poison. For use in a Longneck rifle. Can not be used with attachments."

How the torpor adds up

According to the ARK Wiki, a dart deals 26 base damage, which rises with the quality of the rifle that fires it. On impact the target's torpor goes up by 600% of the damage dealt, and another 250% follows over the next 5 seconds, adding up to 221 Torpor from a 100% Longneck Rifle. A second dart that lands before the first has finished stretches the effect in time: a target with 2 seconds of torpor gain left goes up to 7 seconds.

Loading a dart strips any attachment from the rifle, though the attachment can be put back on later. Because darts cost a lot to make, the wiki suggests a Crossbow with Tranq Arrows whenever the target is unlikely to die from it.

Crafting Tranquilizer Darts

The engram unlocks at level 62 for 30 engram points; our records list the Stone Arrow, Narcotic and Simple Rifle Ammo as prerequisites. The wiki names the Smithy and the Argentavis Saddle among crafting places. One dart takes 1 second, gives 0.05 XP and uses 3 Narcotic, 2 Metal Ingot (or Scrap Metal Ingot) and 1 Simple Rifle Ammo.

A dart weighs 0.2, and a full stack of 100 weighs 20. Crates are another source: 45 crate types can contain darts, among them the Dragon Hoard, Lost Colony Cave Yellow and Mission 'Bulbdog Fetch' Easy. Our records list the dart on 14 maps.

Recipes that use it

In ASA, 1 dart goes into each of 2 recipes, the Pheromone Dart and the Shocking Tranquilizer Dart. ASE has a third, the Tranq Spear Bolt.