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GINX TV > Guides & Tutorial > ARK Survival Ascended

ARK Survival Ascended Crossbow: How To Craft & Use

In this guide, we'll be exploring how to craft and use the incredibly versatile crossbow weapon in ARK Survival Ascended.
By Shane Moosa | 
First Published December 13, 2023, 10:14
ARK Survival Ascended Crossbow: How To Craft & Use
Studio Wildcard

ARK Survival Ascended boasts a diverse selection of weapons, each with its unique strengths. While some prioritize power and lethality, others, such as the crossbow, excel in flexibility and versatility. Despite being an early-game weapon, the crossbow remains useful throughout the entire game, serving purposes like taming, combat, and even traversal. 

If you haven't unlocked this potent and versatile weapon yet, don't worry. This guide will walk you through unlocking and crafting the Crossbow, providing detailed insights into its usage throughout your time in ARK Survival Ascended.

How To Craft Crossbow In ARK Survival Ascended

The Crossbow becomes available for crafting at an early stage in the game, unlocking at level 25 and requiring the use of the Smithy crafting station. The resources needed to craft the Crossbow are relatively easy to obtain and are listed below for your convenience:

ARK Survival Ascended Crossbow How To Craft at Smithy
Using a Smithy, players can craft the crossbow using the items listed below. (Picture: Shane / Studio Wildcard)
  • 7 × Metal Ingot or Scrap Metal Ingot
  • 10 × Wood or Fungal Wood
  • 35 × Fiber

Once crafted, you are now equipped with the Crossbow for various needs in ARK: Survival Ascended. However, the weapon is only as effective as its ammunition, so let's explore how the Crossbow can be utilized with different types of ammunition in the game.

How To Use Crossbow in ARK Survival Ascended

The Crossbow has the versatility to use various forms of ammunition, including arrows like Stone Arrow and Tranq Arrow. Additionally, later DLCs for ARK: Survival Evolved introduced Flame Arrow, Feathered Stone Arrow, and Obsidian Arrow, which are likely to be available in ARK: Survival Ascended as future DLCs arrive.

ARK Survival Ascended Crossbow Uses Damage and taming
The crossbow is an excellent weapon for both combat and taming as the ammunition for the weapon comes in both stone and tranq variants. (Picture: Shane / Studio Wildcard)

For survivors on The Island (the currently available map), understanding the damage output of the Crossbow is crucial. When loaded with Stone Arrows, the Crossbow serves as a ranged weapon for hunting and killing players or creatures. Loading it with Tranq Arrows allows you to render players or creatures unconscious. Flying creatures take 1.5x damage from non-bullet ranged weapons, and it functions equally well underwater, making it an ideal choice for hunting or taming underwater creatures and dinos.

Beyond conventional ammunition, the Crossbow can also be loaded with utility ammunition like the grappling hook, significantly impacting gameplay by facilitating traversal of tough terrains or easily escaping perilous situations. Additionally, the Zip-Line Anchor (another potential future DLC addition) allows you to create zip lines between two solid surfaces in the game.

ARK Survival Ascended Crossbow Uses Traversal Grappling hook
The crossbow can even use a grappling hook, allowing you to traverse the landscape of the Island with ease. (Picture: Shane / Studio Wildcard)

In conclusion, the Crossbow is a valuable tool with diverse applications in ARK: Survival Ascended, providing both offensive and utility options for players. Now that you understand how to craft and use it, you're ready to enhance your survival experience in the game. Good luck out there!

Shane Moosa

Written by Shane Moosa

Shane started his career as a freelance writer for Gamezo while working full-time as a software developer. You can often find Shane trying his hand at no-hit runs of Souls Games such as Elden Ring and Dark Souls 3 (and being quite unsuccessful). To relax, Shane will often boot up sessions of Overwatch 2 or Hunt: Showdown, but his interests are spread across various games, from AAA titles (He loved the Dead Space Remake and RE4 Remake) to indies such as Hollow Knight, Celeste, and Hades. Shane is always willing to try new games though, so feel free to drop him an email with what you think he should check out next.