Taming a Trike in ARK Survival Evolved gives you a fast, sturdy mount that can handle varied terrain while carrying weight and fighting alongside you. This guide breaks down practical steps, risks, and optimizations so you can get the most out of one of the game’s most reliable early-game companions.
Use this table to quickly compare taming approaches and see the trade-offs between time investment, resource cost, and combat readiness.
| Taming Method | Base Food | Approx. Time | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kibble (Egg-based) | Egg-based Kibble | 15–25 minutes | Balanced speed and low torpor gain tolerance |
| Meat (Raw Mutton preferred) | Raw Mutton | 30–45 minutes | Accessible early-game resource, slower but reliable |
| Plant-based Paste | Plant Species X Fruit or Tintoberry | 40–60 minutes | Low melee risk, ideal for solo players without strong armor |
| Advanced Tek Taming | Tekgram requirements + Element | 10–15 minutes with Tek Triceratops Blueprint | High-level players seeking speed and lower resource use |
Preparing For Trike Taming In ARK
Effective Trike taming starts before you even tranquilize the animal. Bring reliable light sources, enough saddles, and a secure enclosure to prevent escape or aggression from other creatures. Early preparation reduces wasted tranquilizer darts and keeps the taming process smooth.
Choose a safe zone with limited line-of-sight to hostile wildlife and build a simple fenced area where you can safely feed and revive the Trike. Using a tall wall or a cliff edge can help you control aggro while keeping you protected from retaliatory charges.
Recommended Starting Gear
Before engaging a wild Trike, equip tranquilizer darts or a long-range weapon, carry narcotics to manage torpor, and wear at least basic armor to survive an accidental hit. Bringing a companion creature or turret adds extra safety during extended feeding sessions.
Active Taming Process For The Trike
To begin active taming, knock out the Trike using tranq darts or stunning tools, then approach and interact to start feeding. Prioritize maintaining steady torpor levels while using your chosen food, avoiding starvation or premature death during the procedure.
Each feeding cycle slightly increases taming effectiveness while managing the creature’s torpor. Use narcotics like narcoberries or crafted stimulants carefully, keeping a balance between keeping the Trike asleep and avoiding dangerous torpor crashes in the late game.
Efficiency Tips For Faster Taming
Use high-quality Kibble based on Rex Egg to dramatically cut taming time, or hunt herbivore creatures nearby to gather a steady supply of Raw Mutton. Position yourself within a small pen where you can safely toss food through a gate, minimizing risk and maximizing feeding speed.
Advanced Strategies And Saddle Unlocking
Once tamed, you must unlock the appropriate saddle to ride and command the Trike effectively. The base saddle is unlocked through leveling, while advanced versions require specific creature drops, engrams, and resource investment for high-tier utility.
Advanced gameplay often involves Tek saddles or specialized configurations that boost speed, carry capacity, or resistance to damage. Coordinate your engram progression with your taming schedule to ensure your Trike can scale alongside your character’s growth and territorial needs.
Trike Saddle Tiers Snapshot
| Saddle Tier | Unlock Requirement | Key Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Saddle | Character Level 15 | Mounting, basic storage, riding |
| Tek Saddle | Tekgram + Element | Higher stats, military control, faster movement |
| Element Shard Variants | Boss drops + engrams | Themed cosmetics and visual armor layers |
Optimizing Your Trike For Endgame Content
After taming, focus on leveling health, weight, and melee damage to maximize the Trike’s battlefield value. Proper imprinting and targeted stat boosting turn your mount into a durable front-line asset for raids, exploration, and resource hauling.
- Level health first for reliable survivability in large engagements
- Allocate weight points to improve carry capacity for supply runs
- Boost melee damage to leverage the Trike’s charging mechanics
- Use imprinting to pass on valuable mutations and reduce resource cost
- Equip a Tek or high-tier saddle to unlock advanced movement controls
FAQ
Reader questions
How do I keep the Trike from panicking during taming?
Feed consistently and keep torpor stable using narcotics; avoid loud noises or nearby aggressive creatures that can cause sudden spikes in aggression.
Can I tame a Trike passively without engaging in combat first?
Yes, you can tranquilize and feed it from a safe distance or through a fence, though you still risk nearby wildlife interrupting the process.
What is the most efficient food for mid-game taming?
Egg-based Kibble is the most efficient, balancing torpor control, speed, and resource availability for most player levels.
Is it better to tame a male or female Trike for breeding?
Either gender works for breeding, as both can be imprinted and produce offspring, so choose based on your existing herd composition and genetics.