Best Gatherers
A thriving base requires endless resources. These are the absolute best dinosaurs to tame for farming materials quickly and efficiently.
| Resource | S-Tier (Best) | Stat Priority | Notes / Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | Therizinosaur | Melee / Weight | Level "Delicate" harvesting. Alt: Mammoth / Castoroides (50% wood weight reduction). |
| Stone | Doedicurus | Melee / Weight | Reduces stone weight by 75%. Will auto-farm stone when set to wander. |
| Metal / Flint | Ankylosaurus | Melee (Only) | Reduces raw metal weight by 85%. Carry it with an Argentavis/Quetzal to ignore its slow speed. |
| Berries | Brontosaurus | Melee / Stamina | One tail swing clears entire forests of berries. Alt: Stegosaurus (better for targeted farming). |
| Fiber | Therizinosaur | Melee | Tickle attack gathers thousands of fiber instantly. Alt: Dire Bear (auto-farms while running). |
| Hide / Meat | Giganotosaurus | Melee | A high-melee Giga or Carcharodontosaurus will fill your troughs instantly. Alt: Thylacoleo. |
| Polymer (Organic) | Pelagornis / Moschops | Melee | Pelagornis deals bonus damage to Kairuku (Penguins). Moschops has specific polymer leveling. |
Combat & Bosses
When it comes to defending your base or challenging the Guardians, you need an army bred for war.
The Holy Trinity of Boss Fights
- Yutyrannus: The commander. Its roar buffs allied dinos with 25% increased damage and 20% damage reduction. You only need ONE per boss fight, ridden by a player. Level: Stamina / Health.
- Rex: The classic tank and DPS. A bred army of 19 Rexes with high-quality saddles (80+ armor) is the standard strategy for the Megapithecus and Broodmother. Level: Health / Melee.
- Therizinosaur: The Dragon slayer. Because herbivores take less fire damage from the Dragon's breath and can heal via Sweet Vegetable Cake, Theris are essential for the Alpha Dragon fight. Level: Health (cap at 21k) / Melee.
Cave Delvers (Artifact Hunters)
- Baryonyx: Incredible in water (can stun with tail spin) and thin enough to fit through most land caves. Heals rapidly from eating fish.
- Thylacoleo: Can climb walls and apply a bleed effect that shreds high-health cave enemies. (Note: cannot enter some very tight caves).
- Megatherium: Gets a massive damage/defense buff when it kills an insect. Essential for the Swamp/Poison cave.
PvP Soakers (Defense)
In PvP, raiding heavily defended bases requires "soaking" enemy turrets until they run out of bullets. These dinosaurs are used purely as bullet sponges.
| Dinosaur | Role / Strength | Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Stegosaurus | The ultimate all-rounder. Hardened Plate mode reduces damage, and the rider cannot be shot off by auto-turrets. | Tek Turrets / Microraptors. |
| Rock Elemental | Takes 90% reduced damage from bullets. Excellent for soaking Heavy Auto Turrets. | Tek Turrets (deals full damage to golems) / Armor-piercing rounds. |
| Trike | Its head hitbox takes vastly reduced bullet damage. Great for early-game pushing into "deathwalls". | Flanking / Net Projectiles. |
| Gasbags (Extinction) | When inflated, it takes up to 80% reduced damage. Can fly and bounce into hard-to-reach sky bases to soak. | Biting it (takes full melee damage) / Tek Turrets. |
Aquatic Mounts
The ocean is unforgiving. These mounts are essential for underwater caves and Black Pearl farming.
- Basilosaurus (S-Tier): Immune to jellyfish stings (which normally dismount you) and Tusoteuthis grabs. Rapidly regenerates health near the water's surface. The undisputed king of underwater caves.
- Tusoteuthis (S-Tier): The giant squid. Has a massive attack radius and can grab enemy submarines or Mosasaurs. Extremely fast.
- Mosasaurus (A-Tier): The underwater Giga. Massive damage and health, can equip a platform saddle, but vulnerable to jellyfish.
- Ichthyosaurus (Utility): The underwater Pteranodon. Fast and easy to tame passively. Good for quickly grabbing deep-sea loot crates.
Shoulder Pets
These tiny companions sit on your shoulder and provide passive buffs or utility.
| Pet | Primary Utility |
|---|---|
| Otter | Provides massive hyperthermal and hypothermal insulation (based on its Melee Damage). Can carry multiple Artifacts simultaneously! |
| Bulbdog / Shinehorn | Provides Charge Light, which is mandatory on Aberration to keep the Nameless away and weaken Reapers. |
| Microraptor | PvP Meta. When thrown, it will instantly knock an enemy player off their mount, stunning them for 10 seconds. |
| Dimorphodon | Acts like a flying piranha. A swarm of these leveled in melee can shred enemy players right off their Rex saddles. |
| Sinomacrops (Lost Island) | Acts as a living jetpack/glider, completely replacing the need for parachutes or tek suits. |
💬 Community Strategies & Discussion
Did you find a hidden chest? Struggling with a boss? Share your tips and questions with other mercenaries below!