If you’ve ever tried running the Ice Artifact Cave on ARK PS4 solo, you know how brutal the unforgiving cold, swarming dire wolves, and hidden drop traps can be. I’ve messed up more runs than I can count going alone, wasting hours of farming for gear just to get knocked off a ledge by a random araneo. So I started teaming up with my regular co-op partner to figure out how to 2 man ice artifact cave ark ps4 with minimal mid-game gear, no tames, and consistent success on official servers. This guide is based on 30+ runs we’ve done in the last few months, so every tip is tested to work for players as low as level 60, no mods or admin commands required.
Pre-Run Prep You Need to 2 Man Ice Artifact Cave in ARK PS4
The biggest mistake we see new teams make is showing up with overpriced endgame gear they can’t afford to lose, or underprepping so much they wipe 2 minutes into the run. We’ve landed on a role-split gear loadout that’s cheap to craft and covers every possible risk in the cave. You don’t need flak armor, high-tier weapons, or even a flyer to get to the entrance if you’re willing to hike through the snow biome for 10 minutes.
- Player 1 (Tank/Scout): 200+ durability fur armor, 2 health brews, 100 cooked prime meat for fast health regen, metal pick, 2 stone climbing picks, flare gun with 20 flares for dark side tunnels
- Player 2 (DPS/Looter): 150+ durability fur armor, 1 common pump-action shotgun with 50 shotgun shells, 3 health brews, 50 stimberries to counteract poison from araneos, empty artifact mount to hold the artifact safely
- Shared supplies: 10 torches, 2 oil jars for clearing ice webs, 1 extra climbing pick for emergencies, 20 narcotic arrows if you want to tame any high level dire wolves you find on the way
This role split works because the tank goes first to trigger traps and draw enemy aggro, while the DPS hangs back to take out threats before they can overwhelm the first player. We’ve tried swapping roles and bringing identical loadouts, and this setup cuts our run time in half and reduces wipe risk by 80% compared to other splits. Even if you’ve read other generic cave guides, this loadout is tailored specifically for PS4 server spawn rates and lag, which can make enemy hitboxes a little wonky at times.
Navigating the Cave’s Most Dangerous Sections Without Wipes
The cave entrance is at coordinates 29.1, 31.6 in the northern snow biome – mark it on your map before you leave your base so you don’t get lost if a snow storm hits mid-hike. The first 50 feet of the cave is full of thin ice patches that break if you step on them, dropping you into a pit of 3+ level 150 dire wolves that will shred your armor in seconds. The tank should test every patch of ice by hitting it once with their pick before stepping on it. If it cracks, jump over it, don’t risk it even if it looks like a small drop.
Halfway through the cave, you’ll hit a section full of thick ice webs that block the path. These aren’t just cosmetic – they slow you down by 70% and spawn hidden araneos that spit poison at you from the dark. Use the oil jars to burn them down in 2 seconds, don’t try to hack through them with a pick, it takes too long and you’ll almost certainly get swarmed. Always keep at least 1 torch out per player to keep your cold resistance high – even with full fur armor, the cave’s core temperature will drain your health faster than a poison attack if you’re not carrying a light source.
Even if you’ve memorized the path, go slow on your first 2 runs. PS4 server lag can make hidden traps appear out of nowhere, so don’t sprint through sections even if they look clear. We once wiped because my partner sprinted over a trap I didn’t get to test first, dropping both of us into a wolf pit before we could react.
Fighting Enemies Efficiently As a Two Person Team
The cave has three main enemy types: dire wolves, araneos, and occasional yetis that spawn in the deeper side tunnels. The number one rule we stick to every run is never split up – even if you see a level 180 dire wolf run off to a side tunnel, stick together. Splitting up almost always leads to one player getting swarmed while the other is too far away to help.
When enemies spawn, the tank should run directly at them to draw aggro, then face them away from the DPS player. The DPS should aim for the head with the shotgun, one headshot takes out a level 150 wolf in most cases, even with a common pump shotgun. If you run into a yeti, the tank should circle it constantly to avoid its ground pound attack that does 200+ damage per hit, while the DPS unloads all their shotgun ammo into its chest – yetis have a weak spot there that takes 3x damage, so you can take one down in 10 seconds flat if you aim correctly.
Don’t waste ammo on small araneos – the tank can swat them with a pick in one hit, so save shotgun shells for wolves and yetis that deal way more damage. If either player’s health drops below 30%, back up to a clear spot and use a health brew, don’t try to power through. We’ve wiped too many times because one of us thought we could finish off a wolf before our health ran out, and it’s just not worth the risk of losing all your gear. This role split is what makes how to 2 man ice artifact cave ark ps4 work so well, even if both of you are under level 70.
Grabbing the Artifact and Extracting Safely
Once you reach the artifact chamber, you’ll see the Artifact of the Strong sitting on a stone pedestal in the middle of the room. But don’t run straight for it – there are 4 hidden dire wolves that spawn the second you touch the artifact, so you need to get in position first. The tank should stand 5 feet to the left of the pedestal, facing the back of the room where the wolves spawn. The DPS should stand 15 feet back, shotgun fully loaded, facing the same direction.
The tank grabs the artifact, the wolves spawn immediately, the tank draws their aggro, and the DPS takes them out in 10 seconds max. As soon as the wolves are dead, the DPS should put the artifact in their artifact mount immediately – if you die on the way out, you won’t lose it, which saves you from wasting the whole trip. There are also 2 loot crates in the back of the chamber that often have high-tier weapon and armor blueprints, so loot those quickly before you head out.
Backtrack the exact same path you took to get in. Don’t try to take shortcuts, you’ll almost certainly step on a thin ice patch you missed on the way in. If a snow storm hits while you’re exiting the cave, wait it out just inside the entrance – you can’t see 2 feet in front of you in a PS4 server storm, and it’s easy to fall off a cliff trying to get back to your base. We usually bring a few extra berries and meat so we can wait out storms for 10 minutes if we need to, no rush.
Once you get the hang of the route, this run is one of the most consistent ways to get artifacts for boss fights, or to sell for high-tier blueprints on official PS4 server trading hubs. I’ve gotten 3 max damage shotgun blueprints and 2 full flak armor blueprints from the loot crates in this cave over the last few months, so it’s well worth the 15 minute investment. Don’t get discouraged if you wipe the first couple times – it takes a run or two to memorize the trap locations and enemy spawn points. Once you nail the rhythm of how to 2 man ice artifact cave ark ps4, you’ll be running it every other day for extra loot and experience to level up faster.