ARK Survival Ascended Guide Secret Element Farm (Genesis Ascended Part 1)

The Lunar Biome contains one of the fastest Element farms in ARK: Genesis Ascended Part 1. Special rocks inside its caves can provide hundreds of Element Shards per hit when harvested with the right tool. Once you identify the correct rocks and cave transition zones, you can gather enough shards to create hundreds of Element in only a few minutes.

What You Need for the Element Farm

A high-quality Mining Drill is the best tool for this farming method. The source test used a 293% Mining Drill, but a lower-quality version can still collect useful amounts.

Make sure you have enough carrying capacity because the rocks also produce large quantities of Ambergris. Drop unwanted Ambergris regularly to avoid becoming over encumbered.

You can use an Ankylosaurus or a Mantis equipped with a strong Pick, but both collect far fewer Element Shards than a Mining Drill. These creatures may also take environmental damage in parts of the Lunar Biome.

How to Identify Element Shard Rocks

The basic resource rocks resemble ordinary stones but have small bubble-like markings across their surface. Rocks found outside the caves usually provide only around 30 to 40 Element Shards.

The valuable versions are found inside Lunar caves. As you move from the outer Lunar Biome into a cave, the environment briefly changes to a darker, black-and-white appearance. Rocks beyond this transition point provide much higher yields.

How to Farm Element Shards

Enter a Lunar cave and begin mining every bubble-covered rock along the walls and floor. A high-quality rock can provide around 300 Element Shards from a single harvest, although the exact amount varies between rocks and server settings.

Continue moving through the cave while mining each suitable deposit. Some small rocks may provide lower amounts, while others can produce several hundred shards. In the source test, approximately 30,000 Element Shards were collected in around three minutes, which converts into 300 Element.

Best Lunar Cave Locations

This method works in multiple caves throughout the Lunar Biome. Search for any large cave entrance and travel far enough inside to trigger the environmental transition. Element-rich rocks can appear near the entrances, along internal pathways, and across the cave floor.

One confirmed Lunar cave is located around 32.6 Latitude and 17.1 Longitude. The cave extends deep into the surrounding terrain and contains many harvestable rocks along its pathways.

Mining Drill Versus Creatures

A Mantis with a strong Pick can harvest the rocks, but its returns are much lower than those of a Mining Drill. Even a Mantis with high Melee Damage may collect only a few hundred shards from deposits that produce considerably more with the drill.

An Ankylosaurus performs even less efficiently for this method, often collecting only 20 to 30 Element Shards from each rock. For the fastest results, carry a Mining Drill, clear your Ambergris frequently, and travel through several Lunar caves in a single farming route.