Introduction
In the unforgiving world of ARK: Survival Evolved, survival hinges on mastering the art of crafting. While early game crafting is relatively straightforward, the mid-to-late game demands a more sophisticated approach. This is where the Chem Bench ARK steps in, becoming an indispensable tool for any survivor seeking to thrive and conquer. The Chem Bench unlocks a realm of advanced chemistry and resource transformation, enabling you to produce vital resources, powerful consumables, and game-changing equipment. From crafting the gasoline needed to power your generators and vehicles to brewing the potent narcotics for taming the most formidable creatures, the Chem Bench ARK opens up a new level of possibility.
But what exactly is the Chem Bench? Simply put, it’s a crafting station specifically designed for performing advanced chemical processes within the game. It acts as an upgrade over the mortar and pestle, offering more advanced crafting options and efficient production. Its importance cannot be overstated. It allows you to efficiently refine raw materials, produce crucial components for base building, and create essential supplies for exploration and combat.
This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough of everything you need to know about the Chem Bench ARK. We’ll explore how to acquire this critical crafting station, delve into the intricate recipes it offers, share strategic tips for maximizing its potential, and highlight common pitfalls to avoid. So, buckle up, survivor, and prepare to master the Chem Bench ARK, the key to unlocking advanced gameplay in ARK: Survival Evolved.
Obtaining the Chem Bench
Before you can harness the power of the Chem Bench, you need to first obtain it. The crafting process involves several steps, including leveling up, acquiring the necessary engram, and gathering the required resources.
First, you’ll need to reach a certain level to unlock the Chem Bench engram. A survivor must be at level eighty to be able to learn how to craft the Chem Bench.
Next, you’ll need to obtain the engram itself. Access the engram menu and spend forty-five engram points to learn the Chem Bench blueprint. Be sure you have enough points saved up!
Once you’ve unlocked the engram, the final step is gathering the resources needed to craft the Chem Bench. The Chem Bench requires significant investment of resources. Here’s a breakdown of the materials you’ll need:
- Metal Ingots: A substantial amount of refined metal is required. Efficiently mining and smelting metal is crucial.
- Cementing Paste: A key ingredient for many advanced structures and items. Consider taming snails or beavers to automate the production of cementing paste.
- Crystal: Found in caves and mountain tops, crystal can be difficult and dangerous to acquire.
- Oil: Deep sea oil veins or oil rocks on the surface can be harvested to gather this.
- Polymer: Organic polymer or corrupted polymer is needed to craft the Chem Bench. Farming Mantis or Penguins can yield a good source.
Once you have all the materials, you will need a fabricator to assemble your Chem Bench. Fabricators require generators for power.
Consider placement carefully. Because it requires power, it is important to place it somewhere that can be wired to a generator.
Using the Chem Bench
Once you’ve successfully crafted and placed your Chem Bench, it’s time to put it to work! Understanding its interface and functionality is key to efficient crafting.
Like most crafting stations, the Chem Bench has an interface with various slots for resources and output. It requires gasoline to operate. Simply place gasoline in the designated fuel slot to power the bench. The crafting process happens within the user interface. The left of the UI has different options that can be selected and the bottom part is reserved for the queue.
To craft an item, simply select the desired recipe from the crafting menu, add the required ingredients to the input slots, and press the craft button. The Chem Bench will then begin processing the materials, gradually producing the desired item. You can monitor the progress in the crafting queue, which displays the crafting time remaining for each item. The speed of crafting depends on the weight capacity.
Let’s explore some of the most essential recipes the Chem Bench ARK has to offer:
- Gasoline: This is a fundamental resource for powering generators, vehicles, and other advanced machinery. It’s crafted using oil and hide. Aim to optimize your oil and hide gathering to maintain a steady supply of gasoline.
- Narcotics: Narcotics are crucial for taming creatures. Crafted using narcoberries and spoiled meat, they induce torpor in animals, making them easier to subdue.
- Stimulants: These powerful consumables combat torpor and increase stamina. They are crafted using stimberries and gunpowder. Keep a stash of stimulants on hand for long expeditions and intense combat situations.
- Medical Brew: Medical Brews rapidly restore health, making them essential for surviving dangerous encounters. They are crafted using rare flowers, longrass, mejoberries, tintoberries, and azulberries.
- Energy Brew: Energy Brews quickly replenish stamina, allowing you to sprint longer and perform more actions. Crafted with stimberries, longrass, mejoberries, tintoberries, and azulberries.
- Mindwipe Tonic: This invaluable potion allows you to reset your character’s stats and engrams, enabling you to respecialize your survivor. It’s crafted using cooked meat jerky, cooked fish meat jerky, rare flowers, rare mushrooms, sap, narcotics, and stimulants.
- Fertilizer: Essential for speeding up crop growth in your garden. Feces, thatch, and oil are needed to craft this.
Advanced Strategies and Tips
Mastering the Chem Bench ARK involves more than just crafting recipes. It requires strategic resource management, base planning, and an understanding of the game’s mechanics.
- Resource Optimization: Efficiently gathering the necessary resources is crucial for maximizing the Chem Bench’s output. Consider taming creatures that excel at resource gathering, such as the Ankylosaurus for metal and the Castoroides for wood. Also, explore resource-rich areas and establish mining outposts.
- Base Placement: Strategically position your base near abundant resource nodes to reduce travel time and increase efficiency. Proximity to metal deposits, crystal caves, and oil veins can significantly boost your Chem Bench operations.
- Streamlining Production: The industrial grinder can convert items to smaller pieces or ingredients. Dedicated production lines can ensure a steady flow of resources into your Chem Bench.
- Player versus Player Considerations: Protect your Chem Bench and its valuable contents from raids by building a secure base with strong defenses. Be mindful of your crafting operations and take precautions to prevent your resources from being stolen. Consider utilizing narcotics offensively in PvP scenarios to disorient and subdue enemy players.
Troubleshooting
Even with careful planning, issues can arise when using the Chem Bench ARK. Here are some common problems and solutions:
- Insufficient Fuel: Ensure that you always have a sufficient supply of gasoline to power the Chem Bench. Regularly check the fuel level and refill it as needed.
- Incorrect Ingredient Ratios: Double-check the recipe requirements and ensure that you have the correct amount of each ingredient. Mismatched ratios can prevent the crafting process from starting or result in incorrect outputs.
- Engram Not Learned: Verify that you have unlocked the engram for the item you are trying to craft. If you haven’t learned the engram, you won’t be able to craft the item.
Conclusion
The Chem Bench ARK is much more than just a crafting station; it’s a gateway to advanced gameplay and increased power in ARK: Survival Evolved. By mastering its recipes, understanding its mechanics, and implementing strategic resource management, you can unlock a new level of efficiency, productivity, and dominance.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different crafting combinations and explore the full potential of the Chem Bench ARK. Optimize your production lines, refine your resource gathering strategies, and adapt to the ever-changing challenges of the ARK. With dedication and ingenuity, you can harness the power of the Chem Bench and thrive in this unforgiving world. The Chem Bench ARK will prove invaluable in your progression.
