I’ve lost count of how many times I got one-shot by a Shadowmane while wandering the lush, bioluminescent shores of ARK Genesis 2’s Eden zone before I finally figured out a consistent taming method. If you’ve ever tried to sneak up on this fast, teleporting, stun-locking feline only to get shredded before you can even pull out your taming food, you know exactly how frustrating it is. Learning how to tame shadowmane ark genesis 2 is one of the most rewarding upgrades you can make to your roster, since these creatures are unbeatable for both PVP roams and PVE boss fights. I’ve tested every trick in the book over 30+ taming runs, so this guide skips all the outdated hacks and only covers what works right now for every skill level.
Pre-Tame Prep: What You Need Before You Start
You don’t want to show up to a Shadowmane taming attempt with a stone pickaxe and a pocket full of berries, trust me. I learned that the hard way on my first run, when I got cocky and thought I could outrun it on a Raptor. Spoiler: I couldn’t. Let’s break down exactly what you need to stack in your inventory first to avoid wasting time or losing all your gear.
One pro tip I swear by? Scout out your target Shadowmane first before you approach. You want to find one that’s alone, not near a pack of other Shadowmanes or aggressive Genesis 2 creatures like Noglins. If you try to tame one that’s surrounded by allies, you’ll get swarmed before you get your second tranquilizer shot off. I usually mark my target with a waypoint a full 10 minutes before I start the tame, so I can monitor its movement and make sure it doesn’t wander into a dangerous area.
How to Tame Shadowmane in ARK Genesis 2: Step-by-Step Taming Process
Now that you’ve got all your gear gathered, it’s time to start the actual taming process. I follow this exact order every single time, and I haven’t lost a Shadowmane taming run in over 6 months. First, you’ll want to wait until the Shadowmane is resting. You’ll know it’s resting when it’s lying down on the ground, not moving, and not attacking nearby creatures. Shadowmanes are most likely to rest during the in-game night, so I usually plan my taming runs for after the sun goes down to cut down on wait time.
Put on your Ghillie armor, crouch, and slowly approach it from behind. Don’t run, don’t stand up, and don’t get within 10 feet of its face, or it’ll spot you instantly. Once you’re about 20 feet away, take your first tranquilizer shot to the head. Head shots give 3x the torpor, so always aim for the skull to get the job done faster. As soon as you land the first shot, the Shadowmane will jump up and start charging you, or teleport to your location. That’s where your flying mount comes in. Hop on it immediately, and fly just high enough that the Shadowmane can’t reach you with its leap attack.
Wait for it to stop charging, then land for a split second to land another head shot. Repeat this process until its torpor bar is full and it passes out. Don’t try to land multiple shots in one go, because it will teleport right to you and knock you off your mount before you can react. Once it’s unconscious, open its inventory and place your taming food inside. Don’t leave any other items in there, because Shadowmanes will eat other food first and waste taming effectiveness. Keep an eye on its torpor bar the entire time it’s taming – it drops 2x faster than a Rex’s torpor, so you may need to shoot it with a few extra tranquilizer darts if it starts to wake up early. If it wakes up halfway through, you’ll have to start the entire process over, and it will be extra aggressive to you the second time around. I usually keep a stack of 20 extra darts on me just in case, even for lower level Shadowmanes.
Common Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Shadowmane Taming Run
I’ve made every single one of these mistakes myself, so I’m saving you the hours of lost progress and wasted resources by calling them out first. The most common mistake new players make is trying to tame a Shadowmane during the in-game day. Shadowmanes are far more active and aggressive during the day, and they almost never rest, so you’ll spend twice as long trying to find an opening to get your first shot off. You’ll also get spotted way easier, even with full Ghillie armor.
Another mistake is using regular tranquilizer arrows instead of darts or shocking bolts. Regular arrows don’t do enough torpor per hit, so you’ll have to land 3x as many shots, and the Shadowmane will have plenty of time to teleport away or kill you before you knock it out. Never attempt to tame a Shadowmane on foot, no matter how fast you think you are. Its stun lock attack will leave you frozen in place for 3 full seconds, and it can take off half your health with one swipe even if you’re wearing full Flak armor. I’ve seen players with 1000+ health get taken down in 2 hits because they thought they could outmaneuver it on the ground.
A lot of players also forget to clear the area around the unconscious Shadowmane before they leave it to tame. Small creatures like Compys or even wild Otters will attack the unconscious Shadowmane and lower its taming effectiveness, or even kill it before you get a chance to claim it. I always kill every aggressive creature within a 50 foot radius of the downed Shadowmane, and I even place a few spike walls around it if I’m taming a high level one to keep unwanted visitors away. One last mistake? Leaving other food items in your hotbar when you approach the Shadowmane. If you accidentally hit the wrong button and throw a piece of meat instead of firing your tranquilizer, you’ll startle it, and it will attack you before you can correct your mistake. I clear my entire hotbar except for my rifle, medical brews, and taming food before every run to avoid this.
Post-Tame Perks: How to Use Your New Shadowmane to Full Effect
Once your Shadowmane is tamed, you’re going to wonder how you ever played Genesis 2 without it. These creatures are easily one of the most versatile mounts in the entire game, and they excel at almost every activity you can throw at them. First, their teleport ability lets you cross the entire Genesis 2 map in less than 2 minutes, and you can use it to teleport past enemy walls in PVP or avoid boss attacks in PVE. The Shadowmane’s stun lock attack works on almost every creature in the game, including most bosses, so you can use it to slow down tough enemies and give your team time to deal damage.
It can also turn invisible when it’s crouching, which makes it perfect for scouting enemy bases or sneaking up on wild creatures you want to tame next. If you’re playing PVE, your Shadowmane can even harvest prime fish meat faster than any other mount, so you’ll never run out of taming food for other aquatic creatures again. I use mine every time I go on a run to collect Rhyniognatha eggs, because it can teleport past the swarms of aggressive creatures that guard the egg nests without taking any damage.
One thing to note: Shadowmanes have a fairly high food drain, so you’ll want to keep a stack of raw prime fish meat in its inventory at all times to stop it from starving if you leave it parked for a few days. You also don’t want to use it to fight Tek creatures, because their plasma attacks deal 2x damage to Shadowmanes and can take them down very quickly. For PVP players, I recommend leveling up your Shadowmane’s stamina and melee damage first, so you can teleport more often and deal more damage during fights. For PVE players, level up health and stamina first, so it can survive boss fights and long exploration runs across the map.
Taming a Shadowmane doesn’t have to be the frustrating, gear-wasting experience so many new players make it out to be. If you follow the prep steps and taming process we laid out, you’ll have your own powerful feline mount in no time, with minimal hassle. Don’t get discouraged if your first run doesn’t go perfectly – I messed up my first 4 attempts before I got the hang of the timing for shots and teleport dodges. Taking the time to learn how to tame shadowmane ark genesis 2 is 100% worth the effort, and it will open up so many new possibilities for both PVE and PVP play that you’ll never want to use another mount again. Next time you’re wandering Eden zone, keep an eye out for that perfect high level Shadowmane – you’ve got all the tools you need to tame it now.