Best ARK Survival Ascended Stats to Level Up

In ARK Survival Ascended, you'll encounter numerous challenges that necessitate crafting items and taming creatures to overcome. However, your fundamental abilities or stats are equally crucial, as they determine your foundational resilience in this demanding environment. However, given the number of stats available, determining the most important ones to invest in can be challenging, especially early on.

Fortunately, this guide is here to help. Below, we will precisely outline which stats you should prioritize leveling up first in ARK Survival Ascended, regardless of whether you're engaged in PVP or PVE. Without further ado, let's jump right in.

Best PVE Stats to Level in ARK Survival Ascended

Health:

Universally acknowledged as the most crucial stat in the game, health is indispensable for surviving encounters with the formidable and perilous dinosaurs inhabiting the Island. It is equally significant for your tames, so prioritize leveling up both your own and your dinos' health as rapidly as possible. While armor becomes the primary source of protection in the end game, having a surplus of HP is always beneficial. Aim for an overall health value of 200-300 by the conclusion of the game.

Weight:

The Weight stat dictates your carrying capacity, with an excess burden slowing you down and exposing you to threats from predators or other players. Initially investing 2-5 points in Weight and distributing the subsequent 10 points across other stats is a viable approach. However, maximizing points in Weight, ideally reaching 250-300 by the end game, proves advantageous. A higher weight stat facilitates more extensive gathering ventures, saving time and enhancing efficiency in harvesting quests, particularly during base building and the crafting of complex machinery.

Stamina:

Stamina is a valuable resource, especially in the early game of PVE, where you'll likely engage in frequent running to escape dinosaur encounters or navigate harsh environments for rare resources. Allocate 2-5 points into the Stamina statistic initially, aiming for a stamina value of 200 even in the end game. If you prefer melee weapons or swift movement, consider adding more points later as you gain levels.

Melee Damage:

While lower in priority, investing points in melee damage is vital, particularly for offensive engagements. The preceding stats contribute more to overall survival, but melee damage becomes crucial once you're established. Focus on adding approximately 5 points to the stat in the early game, and then intermittently add one or two points to melee damage between allocations to other stats. This strategy ensures you deal sufficient damage as you venture into more perilous areas without compromising your survivability by becoming overly focused on offense.

Fortitude:

Lastly, fortitude is essential for enduring harsh conditions, resisting diseases, and minimizing the risk of being knocked out, ie. Torpidity. In PVE, this stat is not as urgently needed since you can decide when to enter areas with extreme temperatures and avoid places with a high risk of disease or unconsciousness. Start by adding roughly 2-3 points into fortitude in the early game, and then incrementally allocate one point every so often until you reach 20. Adjust this stat as needed when exploring different regions.

Best PVP Stats to Level in ARK Survival Ascended

Health:

In PVP play, your primary focus should be on health, especially when engaging with opponents wielding more predictable weapons and damage outputs. By allocating dedicated points to the health stat, you can increase it by 10 points per point invested. To optimize your chances of survival, it is recommended to level up the health stat to at least 300. This minimum threshold ensures resilience against headshots from enemies armed with powerful rifles and melee weapons.

Weight:

Carrying weight, or simply just Weight, is crucial for transporting essential resources when facing enemy players, preventing encumbrance that could slow you down and make you an easy target. Maintaining a minimum carry weight of 250 enables you to transport extra armor sets, weapons, and ammunition. It's essential to strike a balance, as carrying an abundance of food becomes pointless if you lack the means to effectively combat adversaries.

Stamina:

Adequate stamina is vital in PVP encounters, allowing you to maneuver around opponents for repositioning or creating space to regroup and reload. Allocating 15 points to stamina and reaching a stat value of 250 ensures the player can run, fight, and swim for a considerable duration. Further investment in stamina may be considered unnecessary, as swift movement can often be achieved using a fast mount that you've tamed.

Melee Damage:

While melee damage is a stat worth considering for those skilled in close-range combat, it is not a critical requirement. Players, being faster and more strategic than dinosaurs, can often evade close-range attacks by maneuvering or firing from a distance. Nonetheless, allocating a few points to the melee damage stat can prove beneficial for early combat and resource collection, as it affects activities such as punching trees or foraging. Going beyond 200% melee damage is unnecessary, as players should aim to transition to ranged weapons as soon as possible.

Fortitude:

Fortitude determines your ability to withstand extreme temperatures, resist disease, and manage torpidity. Elevating this stat to 10 in the early levels enhances the player's defense, especially when early-game armor is typically weak and prone to breaking. While fortitude is essential for survival in harsh environments, it becomes less of a concern when facing other players who may not establish bases in extreme climates. With sufficient armor, tranq ammo becomes less effective, reducing the need to prioritize fortitude when engaging in player vs. player combat.

There you have it - a brief overview of our recommended stats to prioritize when leveling up, whether you're engaged in Player versus Player (PvP) or Player versus Environment (PvE) gameplay in ARK Survival Ascended. While we always recommend tailoring your stat distribution based on your specific playstyle and preferences, the mentioned stats provide a solid foundation to build upon. These stats serve as a reliable baseline to enhance your chances of survival against the demanding challenges and adversaries that await you in the game.