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ARK: Survival Ascended — The Island

Beach survivor to Alpha Ascension — the full canonical storyline of The Island, in the order that keeps your army ahead of the content.

survival✓ Verified in-gameThe IslandProgress is permanent — no reset147 steps

What this guide is

The Island is ARK's first canonical storyline map, and the only one whose progression is a single unbroken line: ten Artifacts feed three Guardian bosses, the Guardians' trophies open the Tek Cave, and the Tek Cave leads to the Overseer and Ascension.

This route assumes an Island-native playthrough — no importing creatures, equipment or resources from other ARKs. Transfers can collapse whole phases of this list, so if you are transferring in, treat the early phases as optional rather than skipped.

Phase levels are guidance, not gates. ARK gates content by your creatures and your saddles far more than by your character level.

Each ARK map is its own playthrough with its own bosses and ending, so each gets its own route here and its own separate progress.

Tags you'll see on steps

These appear beside individual steps in the walkthrough.

gateBlocks everything after it — the route genuinely stops here until this is done.
prepDo this before the step that follows, not alongside it. Skipping it is how armies die.
optionalNot required for Ascension.

Wording used in the steps

Shorthand in the step text, not tags.

Approximate levelsGuidance only. Your creatures and saddle blueprints gate ARK far harder than your character level does.
Island-nativeAssumes nothing transferred in from another ARK. Transfers shorten several phases considerably.
Gamma / Beta / AlphaThe three boss difficulties. Each needs its own Artifact run and its own trophy, and the Tek Cave difficulty you can open is set by the trophies you hold.
KibbleTames faster and at higher effectiveness. Building the crop and egg economy early is what makes high-level tames practical later.
ImprintRaising a bred baby with care for a permanent stat and damage bonus. Imprinted armies are the difference between Gamma and Alpha.

Walkthrough

Verified for The Island✓ Verified in-game
Sections
Survival to industry48
Phase 1 — Beach survivor (levels ~1–20)0 / 11

The first objective is not a big base. Establish a small, replaceable foothold near water and get enough mobility to leave the beach. Spawn in one of the easier southern regions.

  • Gather Stone, Wood, Thatch, Fiber and Berries
  • Craft a Stone Pick, Stone Hatchet and Spears
  • Craft Cloth Armor and a Waterskin
  • Build a small starter shelter with Storage Boxes and a Campfire
  • Place a Mortar and Pestle and start making Narcotics
  • Craft a Bow and start producing Tranq Arrows
  • Craft Sleeping Bags, then upgrade to a permanent Bed
  • Add basic spike-wall protection if your spot needs it
  • Start collecting Hide, Chitin and Keratin
  • Take your first utility tames0 / 5
    None of these are permanent — this generation exists to accelerate getting better ones
  • gateHave a bed, storage, narcotics, tranq arrows and enough supplies to start metal
Phase 2 — The Metal Age (levels ~20–40)0 / 10

Metal changes your harvesting efficiency completely. Do not obsess over perfect tame levels yet.

  • Locate your first reliable Metal deposit
  • Build a Refining Forge and start producing Metal Ingots
  • Build a Smithy
  • Craft a Metal Pick, Metal Hatchet and Crossbow
  • Produce Tranq Arrows in quantity, and craft a Pike
  • Upgrade from Cloth to Hide or Chitin armour
  • Build multiple Refining Forges
  • Start collecting Crystal, Obsidian, Oil and Silica Pearls
  • Stockpile Cementing Paste
  • Tame your first dedicated gatherers0 / 5
Phase 3 — Air power & a permanent base (levels ~35–60)0 / 9

One of the largest power spikes in an Island playthrough. The Argentavis becomes your logistical aircraft.

  • Tame a respectable Pteranodon and level its Stamina
  • Scout the mountains, Obelisks and cave entrances
  • Mark the Beaver Dam locations and scout future base sites
  • Tame a high-level Argentavis and obtain its saddle
  • Level the Argentavis's Weight, Stamina and Health
  • Run Argentavis + Ankylosaurus metal runs
  • Establish your Metal, Crystal and Obsidian routes
  • Move off the beach and establish your main base
    It needs room for breeding, greenhouses, industrial crafting, creature storage, large crop plots, refrigeration, egg production, boss-army staging and large resource storage
  • gateBe able to move Metal → Base → Forge → Smithy without dangerous manual trips
Phase 4 — Industrialisation (levels ~50–80)0 / 9
  • Build a Fabricator and start producing Gasoline
  • Build an Electrical Generator and wire the base
  • Build a Refrigerator and Air Conditioners
  • Build an Industrial Grill, and an Industrial Forge once unlocked
  • Build a Chemistry Bench when available
  • Upgrade storage and organise resource vaults
  • Begin Polymer and Electronics production
  • Stockpile Gunpowder and advanced ammunition
  • prepProduce Medical Brews in quantity
Phase 5 — Farming, kibble & breeding infrastructure0 / 7

Build a renewable food and breeding economy before serious boss prep. Honey matters more than it looks: it feeds Sweet Vegetable Cakes, which are what keep a Therizinosaurus army alive against the Dragon.

  • Plant Citronal, Longrass, Rockarrot, Savoroot and Narcoberries
  • Set up irrigation and Greenhouse structures
  • Produce Fertilizer
  • Tame the farming support creatures0 / 4
  • Establish egg-producing creatures
  • Stockpile Honey, Prime Meat Jerky and Cooked Meat Jerky
  • gateProduce the Kibble your target tames need, and keep enough for a high-level tame hunt
Phase 6 — Upgrade your creature roster0 / 2

Stop settling for whatever walks past the base. Start actively hunting high-level breeding stock.

  • Secure the essential Island utility creatures0 / 7
  • optionalAdd the optional heavy hitters you want
    Thylacoleo, Direwolf, Sabertooth, Megalodon, Tusoteuthis, Mosasaurus, Spinosaurus, Daeodon, Ovis, Carcharodontosaurus, Giganotosaurus
Caves & the Artifact campaign30
Phase 7 — Cave expedition kit0 / 7

Build a dedicated kit before the harder caves. The Baryonyx is the best general-purpose Island cave mount: good mobility, respectable damage, aquatic capability, compact enough for cave passages, and a strong underwater stun.

  • prepFlak Armor, plus a backup set
  • Pump-Action Shotgun, shells and a Crossbow
  • Grappling Hooks
  • Medical Brews, Stimulants, food and water
  • A Sleeping Bag, GPS and spare ammunition
  • Lesser Antidote where appropriate
  • prepTame and level a Baryonyx as your cave mount
Phase 8 — The six easier Artifacts0 / 6

Coordinates are ASA values and are the figures most likely to drift with map updates — treat them as a starting point, not gospel.

  • Artifact of the Hunter — Lower South Cave
    Around 81.2, 49.5
  • Artifact of the Clever — Central Cave
    Around 40.2, 46.6
  • Artifact of the Pack — Upper South Cave
    Around 76.8, 62.8
  • Artifact of the Massive — Lava Cave / South East Cave
    Around 74.1, 92.2. Bring Grappling Hooks and prepare for lava
  • Artifact of the Devourer — North East Cave / Carno Island Cave
    Around 9.0, 91.3. Dangerous drops — bring grapples or a parachute escape
  • Artifact of the Skylord — North West Cave
    Around 14.0, 13.8. Bring Fur and Grappling Hooks; tight passages
Phase 9 — The two hard land Artifacts0 / 5

These should come after industrial equipment, good armour blueprints and specialised mounts.

  • prepAcquire a Gas Mask or a full SCUBA setup for the Swamp Cave
    Poison gas inside requires full protection
  • Artifact of the Immune — Swamp Cave
    Around 64.8, 35.1
  • prepObtain high-quality Fur for extreme cold
  • prepBring high-quality weapons, plenty of ammunition, Grappling Hooks and Medical Brews
  • Artifact of the Strong — Snow Cave
    One of the map's serious checks — exceptionally high-level hostile creatures
Phase 10 — Underwater progression0 / 7

The last two Artifacts force you into the Island's ocean. A strong Basilosaurus is the recommended mount for both, with Megalodon support useful for the Caverns of Lost Hope.

  • prepCraft a SCUBA Tank, Mask and Flippers, plus spare tanks
  • Tame a high-level Basilosaurus and level its Health and Melee
  • Consider breeding Basilosaurus and bringing Megalodon support
  • Prepare underwater healing supplies
  • Artifact of the Brute — Caverns of Lost Faith
    Artifact around 62.7, 17.3
  • Artifact of the Cunning — Caverns of Lost Hope
    Bring your strongest ocean mount and clear carefully
  • Start hunting underwater and Deep Sea loot crates
Artifact check — which boss needs what0 / 3

All ten Artifacts, sorted by the Guardian they summon. Artifacts are consumed, so every difficulty needs its own run.

  • Broodmother Lysrix — three Artifacts0 / 3
  • Megapithecus — three Artifacts0 / 3
  • Dragon — four Artifacts0 / 4
Phase 11 — Loot & blueprint farming0 / 2

Do not rush Alpha bosses on primitive saddles just because you hold the Artifacts. Keep good saddle blueprints even when the crafting cost looks absurd — saddles are the single biggest survivability upgrade available.

  • Farm the priority blueprints0 / 6
  • Run cave, snow, swamp and underwater crates plus high-quality surface drops
Boss armies & the Guardians21
Phase 12 — Boss breeding programme0 / 6

You do not need the same army for every boss. Megatherium is exceptional against the Broodmother because killing her spider minions triggers its Insect Killer buff; Rexes are the generalist alternative. Therizinosauruses are the safest mainstream Dragon answer, because herbivores can eat Sweet Vegetable Cakes mid-fight for sustain. A Yutyrannus is effectively mandatory for any conventional army.

  • Broodmother army — breed and imprint Megatheriums, combining best Health and Melee
  • Megapithecus army — breed and imprint Rexes, combining best Health and Melee
    ⚠️ The Megapithecus arena has dangerous terrain — do not whistle the whole army forward near the edge
  • Dragon army — breed and imprint Therizinosauruses, and produce Sweet Vegetable Cakes
  • prepBreed or tame a high-level Yutyrannus and learn to hold the Courage roar
  • prepCraft improved saddles for every army member
  • optionalConsider a Daeodon for healing
    Optional — do not give up a combat slot unless your strategy actually benefits
Phase 13A — Gamma Guardians0 / 3

Arena level requirements: Broodmother 30, Megapithecus 45, Dragon 55. Gamma is your first real army test — treat it as a rehearsal rather than a formality.

  • Defeat the Gamma Broodmother and save the trophy
  • Defeat the Gamma Megapithecus and save the trophy
  • Defeat the Gamma Dragon and save the trophy
Phase 13B — Beta Guardians0 / 5

Arena level requirements: Broodmother 50, Megapithecus 65, Dragon 75. Beta adds creature-part tributes on top of the Artifacts — Broodmother wants items such as Sarcosuchus Skins, Sauropod Vertebrae and Titanoboa Venom, and the other two have their own predator trophies.

  • prepRecollect the required Artifacts
  • prepFarm the Beta tributes for each boss
  • Defeat the Beta Broodmother and save the trophy
  • Defeat the Beta Megapithecus and save the trophy
  • Defeat the Beta Dragon and save the trophy
Phase 13C — Alpha Guardians0 / 7

Arena level requirements: Broodmother 70, Megapithecus 85, Dragon 100. This is the major Island benchmark, and the Alpha trophies are what open the Alpha Tek Cave.

  • prepImprove your breeding lines and upgrade saddle blueprints
  • Fully imprint a replacement army
  • Stockpile Medical Brews and Sweet Vegetable Cakes
  • prepRecollect Artifacts and farm the Alpha tributes
  • Defeat the Alpha Broodmother and save the trophy
  • Defeat the Alpha Megapithecus and save the trophy
  • gateDefeat the Alpha Dragon and save the trophy
Tek, the Tek Cave & Ascension25
Phase 14 — Tek tier0 / 5

Boss victories start unlocking Tek. You do not need every Tek item before the Overseer — prioritise survivability, then mobility, then damage, then logistics.

  • Learn your unlocked Tekgrams
  • Accumulate Element
  • Build a Tek Replicator when it becomes available to you
  • Produce the Tek equipment that actually helps, and upgrade armour and weapons
  • Keep breeding your final army
Phase 15 — Tek Cave access0 / 3

The Tek Cave sits at the Volcanic Maw at the summit of the Volcano. The difficulty you can open is set by the Guardian trophies you hold, and each tier has its own character level gate.

  • Gamma Tek Cave — three Gamma trophies and Level 600 / 2
  • Beta Tek Cave — three Beta trophies, Alpha-creature tributes and Level 800 / 3
  • Alpha Tek Cave — three Alpha trophies, Alpha-creature tributes and Level 1000 / 3
Phase 16 — Final preparation0 / 8

The Tek Cave can kill an army before you ever reach the Overseer. Everything here is worth doing properly.

  • prepHigh-quality Flak, plus Fur or Tek as appropriate, and backup armour
  • Pump-Action Shotgun with a large quantity of shells, plus a ranged backup
  • Medical Brews, food, water and grappling equipment
  • Calien Soup, Fria Curry, Enduro Stew, and Focal Chili if you want it
  • Organise creatures into manageable groups and disable unnecessary wandering
  • Check following distances and saddles, and fill Therizinos with Cakes
  • Repair every armour piece and weapon, and heal every creature
  • prepBack up your critical breeding lines at base and store anything you are not willing to lose
Phase 17 — The Tek Cave0 / 4

The objective is reaching the teleporter at the end without feeding half your army to lava. Pull hostile creatures rather than rushing them.

  • Open the Tek Cave and enter before the entrance timer expires
  • Move the army carefully and keep your lines organised
  • Avoid the lava and use the Yutyrannus carefully
  • Reach the final staging area, and heal and reorganise if you can
Phase 18–19 — Overseer & Ascension0 / 5

The Overseer is the Island's final boss, and the fight references the Guardians you have already beaten. Ascension level increases do NOT stack — Alpha grants the full +15 rather than 5 + 10 + 15.

  • Maintain the Yutyrannus Courage buff and keep the army grouped
  • Prioritise survival, and use ranged weapons where appropriate
  • Defeat the Gamma Overseer and Ascend — up to +5 survivor levels
  • Defeat the Beta Overseer and Ascend — up to +10 survivor levels
  • gateDefeat the Alpha Overseer and Ascend — the full +15 survivor levels
Optional completion23
Explorer Notes0 / 6

Not required for Ascension, but a major secondary completion track — and their XP buffs stack usefully with high-XP activities while levelling.

  • optionalHelena Notes
  • optionalRockwell Notes
  • optionalMei-Yin Notes
  • optionalNerva Notes
  • optionalCreature Dossiers and special notes
  • optionalComplete the full Island Explorer Note collection
Apex tames0 / 5

Milestones rather than requirements.

  • optionalHigh-level Rex, Therizino and Megatherium breeding lines
  • optionalHigh-level Basilosaurus and Yutyrannus lines
  • optionalGiganotosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus
  • optionalMosasaurus and Tusoteuthis
  • optionalRhyniognatha, where your current ASA content setup allows
Endgame base0 / 7
  • optionalIndustrial Forge, Industrial Cooker and Chemistry Bench
  • optionalMultiple Refrigerators and a dedicated breeding facility
  • optionalFull greenhouse, kibble line, honey and Sweet Vegetable Cake production
  • optionalArtifact storage and boss trophy display
  • optionalTek Replicator, Tek Generator, Tek storage and Element reserves
  • optionalHigh-tier blueprint library
  • optionalDedicated ocean outpost and mountain metal outpost
Definition of finished0 / 5

For tracking purposes, The Island is complete at this point — and the next ARK becomes the next chapter rather than an abandoned map.

  • All 10 Artifacts obtained
  • Alpha Broodmother, Megapithecus and Dragon defeated
  • The resulting Tekgrams unlocked
  • Alpha Tek Cave completed and the Alpha Overseer defeated
  • gateAlpha Ascension completed, with the Island's full +15 level increase