If you’ve ever wandered a dark Ark forest after dusk and had your health bar drop to zero before you even saw what hit you, you’ve probably crossed paths with a Troodon. These tiny, venomous pack hunters are way more dangerous than their size suggests, but if you know how 2 tame a troodon ark players swear they’re one of the most useful early-to-mid game companions you can get. I’ve tamed over a dozen of these guys across different maps, from The Island to Fjordur, so I’ve worked out all the kinks that make most new survivors give up on this tame entirely. This guide skips the vague wiki notes and gives you exactly what you need to know to pull off the tame without wasting hours or losing all your gear.
Pre-Tame Prep: Gear and Supplies You Can’t Tame a Troodon Without
Troodons have very specific taming requirements that most new players miss, leading to failed tames and lost supplies. First, you need to understand that their torpor drains twice as fast as most other small dinosaurs, so regular narcotics barely work for longer than a minute. You also can’t use raw meat or berries to tame them, they only eat fertilized eggs, with higher tier eggs giving far faster taming progress.
- 20+ bio toxin or 40+ high-grade narcotics to counter their fast torpor drain
- 3-5 high-quality fertilized eggs (rex or spino eggs work best for fast taming)
- A 2x2 stone taming pen with a door (they can chew through wood if left unattended)
- Night vision goggles or a torch with plenty of fuel to track them after dark
- A shield to block their venom attacks if they aggro on you mid-trap
Don't skimp on the bio toxin, I learned this the hard way my first try. I only brought 15 narcotics, and the Troodon woke up twice before I could get even 20% taming progress, and ended up chewing through my wooden pen and killing my level 30 parasaur. Also, avoid using fertilized dodo eggs if you can, they give barely any taming progress, and you’ll end up wasting 30+ minutes waiting for the tame to finish, risking wild spawns attacking you or the Troodon waking up.
Where to Find Troodon Spawns on Popular Ark Maps
Troodons only spawn after dark, and despawn immediately when the sun rises, so you only have a 10-minute in-game window each night to track one down. All maps have Troodon spawns in dark, forested areas, usually away from large predator spawns so you don’t have to fight off rexes while you’re trying to set up your trap.
On The Island, the best spot is the southern redwood forest edge near the swamp, they spawn in packs of 2-3 every night between 8 PM and 5 AM in-game time. On Fjordur, head to the Vardiland forest south of the green obelisk, you’ll find them running around with packs of direwolves sometimes, so keep an eye out for their glowing yellow eyes. If you can’t find a high level one on your first try, don’t settle for a level 10 or lower, their venom damage scales directly with their level, so a high level Troodon is way more useful long term. Also, avoid packs with more than 3 Troodons, their venom stacks, and you’ll get knocked out before you can even pull out your tranquilizer bow if all three attack you at once.
How 2 Tame a Troodon in Ark: Step-by-Step Taming Process
Alright, you’ve got your supplies, found a solo high level Troodon, now it’s time to trap and tame it. First, lure it towards your taming pen by running close enough to get its aggro, then run through the pen door and shut it behind you before it can turn and run. Don’t shoot it before you trap it, they’re extremely skittish, and if you hit them from a distance they’ll run away and despawn before you can catch up.
Once it’s trapped, shoot it with 2-3 tranquilizer arrows to the body, don’t hit the head, their head hitbox is tiny and you’ll waste arrows. Once it’s knocked out, put the bio toxin in its inventory first to keep its torpor up, then add the fertilized eggs. Don’t leave the area while it’s taming, wild dilos or raptors often spawn near forest edges, and they’ll attack the unconscious Troodon without warning. I usually stand guard with a pike while I wait, so I can take out any small predators that come too close.
The taming speed depends on the egg quality and the Troodon’s level, a level 100 Troodon will take around 12 minutes to tame with a fertilized rex egg, and around 25 minutes with a fertilized trike egg. If the taming effectiveness drops below 80%, you’re better off letting it wake up and finding another one, the lower effectiveness will lead to worse stats once it’s tamed, and it’s not worth the effort.
Post-Tame Perks and Common Uses for Tamed Troodons
Now that you’ve got your tamed Troodon, you might be wondering what it’s actually good for, since it’s way smaller than most other tames. First off, their venom attack knocks out small to mid sized creatures in 2-3 hits, which makes them perfect for taming other small dinosaurs like dodos, oviraptors, or even raptors if you have a high level pack. If you have 3 or more tamed Troodons, their pack bonus gives them 50% more damage and 30% faster movement speed, which makes them great for base defense against small raider groups, they’ll knock out enemy players before they can even get through your outer gates.
They’re also great for exploring caves, their small size lets them fit through tight gaps that larger tames can’t, and their venom takes out cave spiders and scorpions before they can get close enough to poison you. Troodons can even be set to harvest spoiled meat automatically from corpses, which is perfect if you need lots of bait for fishing or narcotics crafting. The only real downside to tamed Troodons is they have low health, so you can’t send them against large predators like rexes or spinos, they’ll get killed in one hit. I always keep a pair of level 120 Troodons on my shoulder when I’m out gathering resources, they’ve saved me from multiple surprise raptor attacks by knocking the raptor out before it can get a bite in.
Taming a Troodon might seem intimidating at first, especially if you’ve been ambushed by wild packs before, but it’s one of the most rewarding early game tames you can get if you follow the steps we laid out. Now that you know how 2 tame a troodon ark players of all skill levels can add this handy little hunter to their dino roster without wasting hours or resources on failed attempts. Next time you’re gearing up for a night of exploring, bring along your taming supplies, and you’ll have a loyal venomous companion by your side before sunrise.