How do I breed for high knockback damage in ARK: Survival Evolved?

Breeding for high knockback damage in ARK: Survival Evolved involves a combination of selective breeding, stat inheritance, and mutation mechanics. Knockback damage is primarily determined by the melee damage stat of a creature, as higher melee damage increases the knockback effect when attacking. To achieve this, you will need to focus on breeding creatures with high melee damage stats and potentially introduce mutations to further enhance this stat. Below is a detailed guide on how to achieve this.

First, you need to understand the mechanics of breeding and stat inheritance. When two creatures breed, the offspring inherits stats from either parent. Each stat, including melee damage, has a 55% chance to be inherited from one parent and a 45% chance from the other. This means you need to start with a pair of creatures that have high melee damage stats. The higher the base melee damage of the parents, the better the chances of the offspring inheriting a high melee damage stat.

To begin, you should tame multiple creatures of the same species with high melee damage stats. For example, if you are breeding Rexes, you would want to tame several Rexes and check their stats after taming. Look for Rexes with naturally high melee damage. Once you have a few candidates, you can start breeding them to combine their stats. The goal is to create a breeding pair where both parents have high melee damage stats, increasing the likelihood of the offspring inheriting those stats.

Next, you need to consider mutations. Mutations can randomly occur during breeding and can increase a stat by 2 points. Mutations can also change the creature's color, but the focus here is on the stat increase. Each creature can have up to 20 mutations on the maternal and paternal sides, totaling 40 mutations. However, after 20 mutations on one side, the chance of further mutations decreases significantly. To maximize your chances of getting a melee damage mutation, you should breed your high-stat creatures repeatedly and check the offspring for mutations.

When a mutation occurs, you need to determine if it affects the melee damage stat. If it does, you can use that mutated creature in your breeding line to pass on the increased stat. Over time, you can stack multiple melee damage mutations to create a creature with extremely high knockback damage. This process requires patience and careful record-keeping to track which creatures have which mutations and stats.

Resource requirements for breeding include a steady supply of food for the parents and the offspring. You will need a large amount of meat for carnivores or berries for herbivores. Additionally, you will need a safe and controlled environment for breeding, such as a secure base with air conditioning or incubators to regulate temperature for eggs. For live births, you will need to ensure the baby is protected and fed until it reaches adulthood.

Tribe and solo considerations are important. In a tribe, multiple players can share the workload of breeding, feeding, and imprinting, making the process faster and more efficient. Solo players will need to manage all aspects of breeding on their own, which can be time-consuming. However, solo players can still achieve high knockback damage by carefully planning their breeding lines and using tools like the S+ Mod or other quality-of-life mods to automate some tasks.

Common mistakes to avoid include breeding creatures with low melee damage stats, as this will not produce the desired results. Additionally, failing to track mutations and stat inheritance can lead to confusion and wasted effort. It is also important to avoid over-mutating a creature, as mutations beyond 20 on one side become increasingly rare and less effective.

Advanced techniques include using a breeding calculator to predict stat inheritance and mutation outcomes. This can help you plan your breeding lines more effectively. Additionally, you can use cryopods to store and manage your breeding creatures, making it easier to organize and track your progress.

In summary, breeding for high knockback damage in ARK: Survival Evolved involves selecting creatures with high melee damage stats, breeding them to combine those stats, and introducing mutations to further enhance the melee damage. This process requires careful planning, resource management, and patience. By following these steps and avoiding common mistakes, you can create powerful creatures with high knockback damage, whether you are playing solo or as part of a tribe.