How to Tame An Astrocetus in ARK: Survival Ascended Genesis

The Astrocetus has made its return with ARK: Survival Ascended Genesis. The bioluminescent flying whale is capable of packing a lot of damage, paired with utility. However, to get all these benefits, you’d want to tame it – and that is not the easiest thing to do in the game. So to help you out, I have written this guide on finding and taming an Astrocetus in ARK: Survival Ascended Genesis

How To Find Astrocetus in ARK: Survival Ascended Genesis

An image showing gameplay of Ark Ascended Astrocetus. — Image via Studio Wildcard | Snail Games USA.

The Lunar Biome is your best bet to spot an Astrocetus. It is a massive, luminous whale-like creature that isn’t hard to miss because of the distinct trail and glow around it. To locate one, either actively explore the area or remain fixed in one place. While either approach is viable, I had the most luck staying in one place and prepping for taming the Astrocetus once it is spotted by placing cannons on the ground.

How To Tame Astrocetus in ARK: Survival Ascended Genesis 1

Once you’ve spotted an Astrocetus, the next phase is prepping for it. You have two options here – Cannons or Rocket Launchers. Within cannons also, you can either set those up on a flying creature or on the ground. If you are looking to set these up on the ground, it’s best to keep some 3-4 cannons, and spare ammo at hand.

While you should be able to get the Astrocetus down in a couple of hits, if the one that turns up is of a higher level, the spare ammo and back up cannons will help.

Astrocetus, like Tidepups in ARK Survival Ascended Genesis, are docile creatures; however, they will become hostile if you approach too closely. We would use this trait to our advantage. Here’s how you can tame an Astrocetus easily.

Firstly, you have to place your cannon. Depending on how you want to approach, place it in a secure location.
The next phase is to lure the Astrocetus toward the cannon trap you’ve set up. Once it is close, unleash the cannons while aiming towards the head. Aiming for the head would deal more damage, so take your time, since they have slower mobility.
Alternatively, you can use multiple Rocket Launchers to deplete its health pool and knock it out. This is what worked best for me. If you’re someone who has good aim, I recommend that you try this first.
Once the Astrocetus is knocked out, you’d want to feed it meat. After feeding it enough, you’ll have your very own space titan.

While Astrocetus appear big, they have a smaller health pool. There are chances you might end up killing it in an attempt to tame it, and while you’ll get Raw Meat and Raw Prime Meat, if your main purpose is to tame them, be careful before spraying too many cannonballs or rockets at the Astrocetus.

What Can You Do With Astrocetus in ARK: Survival Ascended Genesis 1?

After taming an Astrocetus in ARK: Survival Ascended, you have multiple use cases open. For instance, you can use it as a Bomber to deal heavy damage to ground enemies. You can even use the Hyperspace jump to teleport around, which has a four-second cooldown.

You can use the Astrocetus to deal bite damage. But if you’re buddy tagging along, you can use turrets from the passenger seat as well. Leaving aside combat, Astrocetus are great cargo carriers as well. But to unlock all these features, you’d need a Tek Saddle.

The recipe for the Astrocetus Tek Saddle goes as follows: