ARK Resource Crafting Calculator
Crafting Target
Total Raw Materials
- Metal Ingot50
- Cementing Paste15
*Calculations are based on base official server requirements. Blueprints with high armor/durability will scale these costs significantly.
Farming in ARK: Survival Evolved is a massive time investment. There is nothing worse than flying an Ankylosaurus halfway across the map, smelting metal for two hours, and realizing you are exactly 50 Cementing Paste short of finishing your base.
Our ARK Resource Crafting Calculator helps you plan your farming routes by calculating the exact raw material costs for bulk crafting, ensuring you only need to make one trip to the volcano.
How to Use the Crafting Calculator
Using the calculator is simple and designed for quick referencing while alt-tabbed out of the game.
Step 1: Select Your Target Item
Use the dropdown menu to select the item or structure you want to craft. We have categorized them into Structures, Stations, Tek Tier, and Saddles to make finding your goal easier.
Step 2: Input Quantity
Enter the number of items you need to craft. For example, if you are building an outer perimeter wall, you might need 50 Behemoth Metal Gateways.
Step 3: Review Resource List
The calculator instantly updates the raw material list on the right. You can now write this down or keep it on your second monitor as a shopping list for your tribe.
Base Building Material Requirements
Upgrading from a Stone base to a Metal base is the biggest hurdle for mid-game players.
A single Metal Foundation costs 50 Metal Ingots and 15 Cementing Paste. If you are building a moderately sized 10x10 base (100 foundations), that is 5,000 Metal Ingots (requiring 10,000 raw metal) and 1,500 Cementing Paste just for the floor! Knowing these numbers ahead of time prevents half-finished, vulnerable bases.
Optimizing Your Farming Runs
Once you have your shopping list from the calculator, you need the right tames to get the job done:
- Metal & Crystal: Use an Ankylosaurus. Carry it with an Argentavis or Quetzal to the tops of mountains to bypass the Anky's terrible movement speed.
- Cementing Paste: Tame a Beelzebufo (Frog) and eat Meganeura (Dragonflies) in the swamp, or raid Giant Beaver Dams.
- Polymer: Instead of crafting hard polymer, use a Pelagornis or Moschops to harvest Organic Polymer from Kairuku (Penguins) in the snow biome. Just remember it spoils!
Tek Tier Resource Sinks
End-game ARK requires thousands of resources per item. The Tek Replicator alone costs 100 Element, 5000 Metal Ingots, and 800 Polymer.
If you are planning to build a Tek base, you must establish an Industrial Forge for smelting, and you must start farming Bosses regularly to maintain your Element supply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this work for ARK: Survival Ascended?
Yes. The base resource costs for standard items and structures remain largely identical between Survival Evolved (ASE) and Survival Ascended (ASA).
Why are my saddle costs different?
Our calculator uses base 'Primitive' crafting costs. If you are crafting from an Ascendant or Mastercraft blueprint, the resource costs will scale massively based on the item's armor stat.
What is the most expensive item in ARK?
The Tek Replicator is famously expensive for early Tek tier, requiring 100 Element and 5000 Metal Ingots. However, high-armor Ascendant Mek Blueprints or Giga saddles can easily cost tens of thousands of metal ingots.
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