Argentavis

The Argentavis (Ar-jen-tah-vis), also referred to as the Argy, the Argent or the Argen, is a species of bird in ARK: Survival Evolved.

Behavior
The Argentavis is an aggressive predator and scavenger. Though they resemble eagles, especially while flying, they are closer to vultures and condors in behavior. They seem to use smell as their primary survival tool, using it to find dead corpses surprising distances away. However, the numerous other predator species which share their habitat are unlikely to leave many leftovers which force them to hunt live prey as well. They appear to rely on eyesight for this; however they are either oddly nearsighted for a bird of prey, or only attempt a hunt when it is extremely convenient for them, as they only attack the living when they are practically on top of them. Once they decide on a target however, they do not give up easily and are willing to chase players long distances if they get too close. They can be often seen soaring around mountain peaks and various cold climates, sometimes even in large groups which can make getting past them without conflict difficult, and are made all the more dangerous by narrow, cliffside mountain roads.

Appearance
A magnificent bird of prey that resembles an eagle crossed with a vulture, but much more muscular than either and ten times the size. The humongous Argentavis is the largest bird on The Island by far with their 15-20+ foot wingspans, edging out the and  while utterly dwarfing the human-sized. Their wings, though massive, are noticeably smaller in comparison to their body size than modern birds of prey, meaning they have to flap their wings more often and have difficulty soaring. Like other predatory birds, such as the and various modern day relatives, it relies on its sharp beak as well as enormous feet armed with talons to catch and dispatch prey.

Drops

 * Harvest


 * Primitive+


 * Guaranteed Special Loot

The Argentavis also drops minor items like a white beacon. The Argentavis Talon can be found in the inventory.

KO Strategy
The Argentavis isn't as fast as the but will still flee when  is getting high and not resume attacking the Player, so be prepared for a chase. It's relatively easy to keep them in range of a or  but  On the other hand, the Argentavis will attack you if you let it get close enough: additionally, their natural spawning ranges (primarily mountains) are usually overrun with dangerous predators, so be aware of your surroundings and be prepared in case the hunt goes sour.

Before its TLC update, the Argentavis had a 3x headshot modifier. The updated model no longer has the bonus that would be affected by this modifier, though they take 50% additional damage from projectiles compared to land-based creatures.

Shoot and Dodge
The best strategy is simple and effective: first, get your target Argentavis to fly at the ground level by attacking it with either a and  or a  and  and a. When it comes in for the attack, simply shoot it and then sidestep to avoid its huge talons. The bird will circle back around and repeat the process. When its torpor grows too high, the Argentavis will turn and try to fly away; be quick to shoot it down before it gets out of range. (This strategy is generally not recommended for players using crossbows with less than 300% Weapon Damage, as the Argentavis will flee out of range before the necessary tranquilizers can be administered. Longneck Rifles can still work well, however.)

Traps
An alternate strategy is to take advantage of the Argentavis' natural aggression. Because it will go on the attack once provoked and will follow the player a remarkable distance, the Argentavis can easily be lured into a variety of traps and taming pens. Low level survivors especially should consider building a simple trap out of Wood or Stone materials to keep the Argentavis immobile and get it away from other predators that would otherwise kill it once knocked unconscious. One of the simplest traps involves 4 dinosaur gateways (wood or stone) and 2 dinosaur gates. Put the gateways positioned in a straight line with gaps just large enough to allow the player through them but not the Argent. Place the dinosaur gates on the outermost gateways. Keep one side closed and open the other side. Provoke the Argent to chase you, line up with the trap, and the Argent will follow you in. While it's in the trap, close the gate and run out through the gaps between the gateways. With it trapped, simply tranq away while keeping the area clear. While the Argent will deal damage to wooden variants of the dinosaur gate and gateway, they generally can't do enough to come close to breaking it. Note, that you can provoke an Argentavis into chasing you by simply getting close enough, which will help isolate a chosen target from the flock without its other members interference. This method is generally considered the most effective means of taming the Argentavis, and can be combined with the Rapid Regeneration method seen below.

Rapid Regeneration Method
An extremely easy and efficient method used for taming Argentavis involves their Rapid Regeneration status effect they gain whenever they eat. This method is especially useful because it allows any level Argentavis to be tamed within minutes. All one needs to do is apply torpor to a wild Argentavis, and then knock it out when the Rapid Regeneration status effect is active. The status effect causes the Argentavis to consume food at an accelerated rate, and it will continue to consume food until the effect wears off, even after it has been knocked out. Because its food will now be significantly drained, it can start being fed right away and tamed extremely quick. The optimal setup for doing this method would be to build a structure to trap a wild Argentavis, and then tranq it until it loses aggro. Once this has happened, find and kill a small creature that can be dragged and drag it into the enclosure. The Argentavis will eventually eat it and gain the Rapid Regeneration buff, signaled by the green particles around its head. Once the buff has been enabled, finish tranqing it until it is knocked out, and its hunger will continue to drop at an accelerated rate, even after it has fallen unconscious. Keep in mind that the Rapid Regeneration buff only lasts for 20 seconds, so be sure to bring a magnifying glass to check the Argentavis' torpor and ensure you will be able to knock it out before the buff wears off. Another thing to be aware of is that bringing in the kill for the Argentavis to eat will also attract other wild Argentavis, which will then attempt to enter or attack the enclosure. Be sure to clear out the area once you have your Argentavis of choice successfully trapped.

Combat
This section describes how to fight against the Argentavis.

General
The Argentavis can be somewhat of a challenge to hit with any ranged weapons until the first shot has landed. Once it becomes aggressive, it will charge until its torpor becomes too high.

Strategy
The methods of killing an Argentavis depends on whether you're looking to engage it from the ground or from the air. Ranged weapons like the Longneck Rifle, Assault Rifle, and even the Sniper Rifle are suggested if you plan on attacking it from the ground. Once attacked, the Argentavis will become aggressive and fly straight towards the player, head first. This behavior, compounded with their head-shot modifier, makes them fairly easy to kill or knock out assuming you can get a clear shot. If you are attacking the Argentavis from the air, perhaps using a tamed Argentavis of your own, be careful of drawing too large of a crowd. Argentavis tends to spawn in large groups, and attacking one will make all of them aggressive. Watch your back and don't let them trap you in a swarm.

Weaponry
Ranged weapons are a must. Be careful when using a weapon equipped with a Scope, as they obstruct your field of vision, making you vulnerable to attack by other predators endemic to the Argentavis' native mountain ranges.

Dangers
The Argentavis can be dangerous to players with low-damage weapons; however, if the player uses proper strategy, the Argentavis shouldn't be a problem. The Argentavis can be very dangerous in groups of two or more as it can be hard to fight two at once, let alone more. Don't let them rile you up! Focus on hitting them with melee weapons as they swoop around you, and make sure you concentrate. Be aware of other animals in the area, like Sabertooth and other fast carnivores.

Weakness
They are fairly slow despite their appearance; it is even possible to outrun them on foot.

Roles

 * Jack-of-All-Trades: The Argentavis could be argued to be one of the top most valuable creatures in the entire game due to their expansive versatility. Even a single rather low-level or un-specialized Argent can serve numerous purposes like hunting, raiding mid-tier bases, scout, transport, metal gathering assistant, flying smithy, alpha killer, taming assistant, the list goes on. However, if one is to truly experience all the uses that the Argent has to offer, it is recommended that multiple are tamed and leveled to fit a specific task.
 * War Mount: With a high damage output and excellent maneuverability, the Argentavis is an essential for warlike tribes. The Rapid Regeneration buff—which partially recovers both health and stamina even in flight—helps staying alive. Is effective when either flown solo, having a very large group all be mounted by different survivors, or having a large unmounted group following. No matter the tactic or situation, the Argent can fulfill many needs on the battle field. (Level up, , and )
 * Hunter: Thanks to its power, maneuvering capabilities, and regeneration, the Argent makes a more than decent mount at hunting down most creatures and harvesting the corpses. Smaller creatures can be picked up to ensure a kill isn't loss. For larger creatures, flying and attacking from above can ensure less damage taken. Alpha Raptors and Carnos can similarly be stun-locked by its left click attack when on steep surfaces. (Level similarly to a war Argentavis with, , and , as well as  if desired)
 * Transport: Great for long distance transport, especially with its weight reductions and high weight for a flyer. This makes the Argent an excellent choice for mid-tier survivors to transport large amounts of materials and even some creatures over a long distance. (see below). (Level up and )
 * Short Distance Transport: It can be used to transport heavy goods within a base because it has a high mobility and can get almost everywhere (Fits through every 2x1 gap) and has a decent weight capacity.
 * Flying Mount/Scout: Though it may be slower than most other flyers like the, few land-based can cover as much ground as the Argentavis can and few flyers can stay in the air as much as an Argent either, as its stamina lets it fly for much longer periods of time. (Level up and )
 * Player Killer: Capable of grabbing players both off of their mounts and off the ground. Once captured they can either be dropped from great heights or dispatched with their talons. (Level up and  )
 * Taming Mount: The Argentavis is capable of picking up most animals and carrying them to a designated taming spot safely. As long as the creature being held is passive, neutral, prioritizes players over tamed animals or has manageable damage, Argentavis high endurance gives you an ability to safely tranquilize it with time to spare. (Level up, . should also be considered if the creature that is to be tamed is also aggressive and powerful and thus an Argent must be able to tank damage taken for a period of time.)
 * Miner Mount: With high base and acquired carrying capacity and Weight reduction multipliers, the Argentavis is arguably the best mount to be used for remote mining expeditions. Being able to traverse long distances past the dangerous terrain and capable of carrying either and  to relevant resource spots and back, Argentavis allows the survivors to effectively gather large amounts of Stone, Metal and other heavy materials, when no associated deposits are available nearby. (Level up  and )
 * Portable Hook-post: The Argentavis can be hooked onto using the, making them useful for a number of tasks, such as taming from midair. Simply fly above the area you wish to tame a creature (like a ), dismount (make sure to equip a parachute for safety!) and hook onto the Argentavis. Make sure it's set to follow you- it will move a little bit as you're falling, but when you hook on, it will stop; otherwise, it will try to land. (Level up and ).
 * Flying Smithy: If the is equipped, the Argentavis can be used as a Smithy to craft (not repair) equipment (Added in TLC Patch #2). Although in Mobile, the Argentavis Saddle can be used to repair things. This is a popular method used by experienced players to craft absurdly costly blueprints as the Argent will have more inventory space than a smithy.
 * Alpha Slayer: With a skilled pilot and a properly trained Argent, it may be the best mount for slaying Alphas, particularly Alpha Raptors. Stand on steep surfaces, be mindful of stamina, have some patience, lure target to corpse and hover over in the case of an alpha Rex, and it'll all be worth it (unless you value your time.) Activate the Rapid Regeneration buff by killing nearby creatures to keep your health up. (Level up, , and )
 * Flock: While the Argentavis doesn't get a pack bonus, a swarm of them can take down the toughest of creatures by virtue of all of their combat traits and are not hard to amass, either by breeding or large amounts of taming. This can make them effective against the Desert Titan and Manticore, though it would be ill-advised to attempt to take on a Giganotosaurus with this method as its large AoE attacks will decimate the flock nearly all at once.

Weight Reduction
The Argentavis reduces the weight of the following resources by the listed amount while they are in its inventory:

Flight
Flying an Argentavis uses similar controls to movement on ground level with a few exceptions. Quirks :
 * 1) Will only move forward upon command. With no forward command issued they will eventually stall to a halt and hover in mid-air. Even while not moving Argentavis lose a small bit of stamina just to stay aloft.
 * 2) Feeding  or  to a Argentavis in-flight can allow you to fly for longer periods, but the stamina gain is minor at best and very inefficient unless used in large enough quantities. A Custom Consumable recipe made from stimberries can be far more effective for this purpose.
 * 3) Landing is accomplished by pressing the jump-key, causing the mount to move to the ground and land, where your Argentavis folds its wings. Now you can dismount by pressing use  as with any other mount or walk on the ground. To start off again, press the jump-key.

Note: Tamed and unmounted Argentavis do not lose stamina while flying. You can use this quirk to carry large amounts of weight quickly with an Argentavis set to follow.

Carrying
An Argentavis is capable of carrying smaller creatures. This is done by using the alt-fire button while flying or hovering over the creature. The Argentavis will swing its legs forward in an animation similar to its attack. If the grab was successful, you will be able to see the creature being pulled behind the Argentavis, as well as its name and level. This is very useful for separating a small, high-level animal such as a from its pack so that you can tame it elsewhere. The Argentavis can also attack creatures it is carrying by using the default attack button, or release them by pressing alt-fire again. The creature being carried usually can not attack the Argentavis while it is being carried, but can land a hit when it is picked up or dropped. If the carried creature is held too close to the Argentavis, though, it can attack.

The Argentavis is also capable of carrying a small creature in its beak. This is done by using the crouch button

An Argentavis is currently able to carry 5 creatures at any one time; one in its claws, one in its beak, a survivor in the saddle, a creature being carried by the survivor and a creature being carried by a survivor riding the creature in its claws.

On PvE servers only allied creatures may be carried unless allowed in server configuration.

Carry-able Creatures
The Argentavis is capable of carrying the following creatures in its claws:

Additionally the Argentavis is capable of carrying the following creatures in its beak:

Lore

 * In Rockwell’s Explorer Notes, he mentions his Argentavis named “Archimedes”. This is a reference to the Greek mathematician. This could also be a slight mention to the game Team Fortress 2, in which the character known as the Medic has a pet dove also named Archimedes.
 * In Helena's Explorer Notes, she has an Argentavis named "Athena", a reference to the Greek goddess of wisdom.