The Astrocetus is the Space Whale of Genesis — a knockout tame so large it barely fits in the sky. Tame one and you get a platform mount that doubles as a base in the air.
The numbers
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Taming type | Knockout Taming |
| Health | 2,800 |
| Food | 6,000 |
| Weight | 2,000 |
| Melee Damage | 30 |
| Torpor | 4,200 |
| Preferred food | Extraordinary Kibble |
| Found on | Genesis: Part 1, Genesis: Part 2 |
Base stats from the official ARK wiki creature data. Its preferred taming food is Extraordinary Kibble.
The method, in one sentence
Build a TEK Hover Skiff with cannons on its front tip, lure the Astrocetus in, and shoot the cannons at its head from 20–30 metres away, then feed it Extraordinary Kibble or preferred meat and keep the torpor bar up on a creature that drifts.
That is the whole tame. Everything hard about it is in the execution.
Step by step
- Craft a TEK Hover Skiff and mount cannons at its very front tip. Foundations are optional but worth building — without them the cannons have a chance of shooting the skiff instead of the Astrocetus.
- Lure it towards you with aggro. The Astrocetus is slow with a large head, so once it is in place there is no risk of missing it.
- Keep 20–30 metres away and shoot the cannons at the head. This is currently the best known method. A Mek with the M.S.C.M. module can take a max level Astrocetus in one shot, but the splash damage dramatically lowers taming effectiveness, so it is not recommended.
- Or use a Megachelon instead. The same tactic works — it is slower, but it is very tanky and well protected from the dangers of the Lunar biome. Line the Astrocetus up with the turtle’s back and have a friend shoot the cannons aimed at the head.
- A third option: a tower with a pillar and a cannon. Air-jump up to reach them, pull the Astrocetus with bow and arrow into your cannon, and shoot it with the cannon.
- A fourth option, if you have the resources: a Bloodstalker and several rocket launchers. It is the easiest option, but it is resource intensive.
- Feed it once it is down. Extraordinary Kibble or preferred meat, keeping the bar up — because it drifts, losing the bar means re-finding it.
- Claim it and use the platform for an aerial base.