There are many creatures to find and tame in Ark: Survival Ascended, but the most valuable are those who can take you to the skies—and we’ve outlined the very best flying mounts.
Our list covers our best picks from The Island and Scorched Earth in Ark: Survival Ascended. It will remain applicable for The Center’s release, and we’ll update accordingly for future map releases that introduce more flying creatures.
Best flying mounts in Ark: Survival Ascended, ranked
1) Wyvern
The Wyvern is the undisputed king of the skies in Ark: Survival Ascended, boasting high weight capacity, decent speed, and deadly offense—making it the go-to option for anyone looking to dominate in the air.
Such strength doesn’t come easy because taming a Wyvern can be complicated, particularly if you’re after a high-level tame or a specific variant. But the effort is worth the reward in the end.
With the release of Scorched Earth, Wyverns are now available in Ark: Survival Ascended and come in three variations: Poison, Fire, and Lightning.
2) Argentavis
The Argentavis is a go-to option for anyone looking to take to the skies in style with strong offensive skills and capable of carrying a decent amount of weight, making it the perfect companion for resource farming trips.
Argentavis are easy to find in Ark: Survival Ascended. Compared to Wyverns and others on this list, they’re also easy to tame—but their full potential is unlocked by breeding them.
With a high-level bred Argentavis, you’ll have no issues taking down big threats like Alpha dinosaurs.
3) Phoenix
Only available in Scorched Earth during a Heat Wave, Phoenix are tough to tame due to their rarity and the fact they will turn into a pile of ash once the weather event ends—so you’ve got a small window of opportunity.
If successful, the Phoenix is a valuable tool for any survivor. It’s fast and the only flying mount capable of recharging stamina in the air so you can stay airborne for long periods.
Best of all, the Phoenix can be used as a mobile forge or campfire as any meat in its inventory will be cooked and Metal smelted into Metal Ingots. But its weight capacity means it’s more limited with the latter.
4) Quetzal
Quetzals are an absolute beast that can be used for mobile bases or as a transport ship when moving other creatures, with their best strength being their high weight capacity and ability to carry almost any other creature.
With that, you can move an Ankylosaurus or Doedicurus onto its back, move to a prime location for gathering resources like metal, obsidian, stone, and crystal, and harvest a huge amount by transferring what you’ve collected into the Quetzal’s inventory.
Quetzals are great companions when taming other creatures because you can pick targets up and drop them into traps or use the Quetzal to hover at a safe distance as stamina depletes slowly when airborne.
5) Rhyniognatha
Taming a Rhyniognatha is not a simple task in Ark: Survival Ascended because it has one of the more unique taming methods in the game. But the effort is definitely worth it due to the benefits of having a tamed Rhyniognatha.
Capable of turning Sap to Resin, the same resource is used for a variety of attacks and to set Resin Armor, making it great for any combat situation and has a roar that can scare most creatures—perfect for when you get ambushed.
Like the Quetzal, Rhyniognatha can carry a host of other creatures and is a great assistant for long farming trips due to its extremely high weight capacity.
6) Pteranodon
A Pteranodon is the perfect entry point if you’re just getting established in Ark: Survival Ascended. While it does not boast high weight and can quickly run out of stamina, it’s the best way to get airborne early in your adventure.
Pteranodons are a common sight on many maps and are easy to tame as they can be quickly rendered immobile with a bola. Once tamed, they can open the door to reaching better quality resources and better tames.
Eventually, you will upgrade from a Pteranodon to another flying mount, but in the meantime, a Pteranodon is your first point of call.
