Deinonychus

The Deinonychus (Di-NON-ih-kus) (in Syntac's words Fluffy Craptor) is a Creature in 's Valguero DLC.

Behavior
The Deinonychus is fiercely territorial in the wild. They will protect their nests against any who dare to trespass.

Appearance
The Deinonychus has a similar appearance to its close relative, the, but has plumage similar to that of the. The Deinonychus has razor sharp claws useful for climbing and attacking.

Combat
This section describes how to fight against the Deinonychus.

Strategy
The best way to take down a Deinonychus is to use a long ranged weapon such as a or . Bring powerful attackers like Wyverns or Spinos, or lure Deinonychus off cliffs with a flier. If you don’t have a ranged weapon and they latch on to your mount, just smack it away as they have relatively low health.

If you are stealing eggs, then you definitely need to be prepared with a good mount because there is most likely going to be a pack of Deinonychus. It’s suggested to use a flyer so you’ll be safe. Make sure to steal the egg and then QUICKLY escape because the Deinonychus can pounce riders, which can pose a great threat as it gives time for the rest of the pack to arrive.

Deinonychus can deal a percentage damage bleed effect that scales with how big a pack is, thus high health tames may lose thousands of health instantaneously. They also have the ability to climb, but its not nearly as good as the or the.

Dangers
It is able to latch onto large creatures such as a or, making them hard to hit via conventional means. To make it even more dangerous, they are able to glide upwards to latch onto a nearby ledge similar to the, and pounce and attack much like the (It can't dismount you though). They also cause a bleed effect that stacks and makes them even more dangerous. They tend to be found in groups of at least 2 or more which can make killing/getting away much harder.

Weakness
While latched onto a large Creature, it can mostly only attack the said creature until it releases itself out, making it extremely vulnerable to any attacks from other Creatures or ranged weapons.

The Deinonychus is weak on knockbacks like. Using a with a decent amount of  can easily kill a pack or two at once. While latched they can still get hit by attacks from the one they are riding

Taming
Similar to the ,, and, wild Deinonychus cannot be tamed, but a fertilized can be stolen from a nest and hatched to obtain a tamed Deinonychus. Likewise similar to the Wyvern, Rock Drake, and Magmasaur, a typical player would need to be cautious, as these theropods react very aggressively to anything stealing their eggs. Unlike the Wyvern, Rock Drake, and Magmasaur however, Deinonychus are not initially aggressive to large-class predators such as Rexes or Spinos, and these tames may be walked directly up to the nests without conflict until an egg is stolen, making them excellent options for egg theft. Deinonychus nests can be found almost everywhere the dinosaurs spawn, but perhaps the most reliable place to find and farm eggs is the small canyon region in the White Cliffs called The Paradise, which is located in the flat plains area of the cliffs, near to The Lake region. Once an egg has been acquired, the incubation temperature is between 176 and 194 degrees Fahrenheit, or 80 to 90 degrees Celsius, which can be reached through the use of various fires (14 Campfires for example), Air Conditioners, or a Dimetrodon. Once you've hatched your first Deinonychus, unlike the Wyvern, Rock Drake, and Magmasaur, the hatchlings do not require any special food source, and can be fed a standard carnivore diet straight out of the egg. Finally, similarly to the Wyverns and Magmasaurs, successive generations can be bred from tamed individuals, and mutations for higher stats may be acquired.

Stealing an Egg
The nests spawn all around The Paradise in The White Cliffs, and stealing an won't be very hard with some these tames:


 * A is very recommended, with its ability to fly and poison you can run away easily. They are easy to tame and spawn all around The Paradise near the . Their  also has a low level requirement (35).


 * A high level is recommended because of its ability to fly: you can take the egg and fly away easily, or lure the pack off of a cliff.


 * A  can easily outrun the, making it highly recommended for the quest as well.


 * A fast can be a good choice either, since they can be tamed easily and their spawn area isn't very far from the Chalk Hills.


 * You, a, can also do the job. Place a or a  near the nesting area, steal the egg and run away. If you happen to die, respawn at the bed and get your stuff back along with the egg. Watch out for the  and the s.

Controls
The Deinonychus is a versatile tame capable of many unusual, but useful abilities that give it an edge in both combat and merely getting around the map. What sets it apart from many of ARK's tames is that not all of the Deinonychus' abilities are readily apparent, so it takes some practice to get used to the controls and get acquainted with its full skill set (it is, however, not quite as difficult as the to master, but the Deinonychus still has a relatively high skill ceiling compared to most tames).

Pack Screech: One of the most simple abilities it has at its disposal, that it shares with many of ARK's creatures, and one players are often quite familiar with before they get on the saddle of a Deinonychus, is its screech ability. This ability requires an 'alpha' Deinonychus to use (the highest leveled Deinonychus in a group will be designated the alpha, and will be marked by an orange glow around its head), and provides a temporary buff to speed and damage when used for itself and up to 4 other pack members who join in the screech. Sometimes, the alpha Deinonychus is still able to use its screech even when its bonded pack members are out of render distance. To trigger this ability, press the crouch button (default, , ).

Charge Jump: On top of the standard running and jumping controls that are familiar to most tames, the Deinonychus is one of the few tames that has a 'charge up' to its jump. While on the ground, the jump button (default, , ) can be held before being released, which will result in a 'glide' of sorts that keeps the Deinonychus airborne longer than it would have been from just tapping the button. Combined with a running start, the Deinonychus can clear some very impressive gaps with this ability. To further aid the rider, it even has a special animation where it starts to crouch as you hold the jump button, to let you know when the leap is fully charged. If your jump misses, however, you rarely need to worry, as the Deinonychus has a unique immunity to fall damage.

Climbing: What really sets the Deinonychus apart from other tames is its unique method of climbing (which the later emulated, but did not copy completely). The Deinonychus is capable of latching onto climbable surfaces (nearly anything vertical counts, including harvestable nodes like trees) with its claws while mid-air from a jump (it will do so automatically), and can even launch itself with targeted precision towards a climbable surface in range. Unlike most other climbers, such as the or, the Deinonychus does not climb using the movement buttons, but by tapping the jump button (default , , ); which will cause the Deinonychus to lurch and shimmy in the direction the camera is facing, functioning like a living version of s (although it cannot climb upside down like the picks can, only on vertical surfaces). The faster you press the jump button, the more quickly the Deinonychus will climb. While climbing, the Deinonychus is even capable of leaping huge distances between climbable surfaces, like a clumsy version of the 's launch ability. This is done the very same way the Deinonychus uses its charge jump while on the ground: by holding the jump button before releasing. The camera has to be targeting a surface that is considered climbable however, otherwise the charge-leap will fail, resulting in a normal shimmy. While latched onto a surface, if at any time you wish to detach your Deinonychus and return to the ground, merely press the crouch button (default, , ), and it will let go of whatever it is climbing on.

Special Attacks: Finally, the Deinonychus is capable of latching onto larger targets in much the same way as it climbs: by using the jump button (latch-able opponents will have a red fangs icon that lets you know they are able to be jumped onto). Once attached, the Deinonychus can perform a special attack where it bites chunks out of the latched creature (default, , ). Just like its primary attack, this bite attack also inflicts the target with a bleeding status effect. This attack should be used with caution however, as nearly every opponent that can be latched onto is capable of fighting back and hitting your Deinonychus while it is latched on. To let go of these dangerous opponents, simply press the jump button a second time. Whereas smaller opponents are concerned, the Deinonychus is capable of pinning them down in the very same manner as a raptor by pressing the secondary attack button (default, , ) when the target is in range.

The following creatures can be latched onto by the Deinonychus:

The following creatures can get pinned down by Deinonychus:

Roles

 * Combat Specialist: The Deinonychus may be small compared to the giant combatants of the ARKs like Rexes and Spinos, but appearances can be deceiving. Despite its size, the Deinonychus can be one of the most lethal fighters available, enough to rival, and even one-up, their larger competitors in some situations. On its own or in a group, what gives Deinonychus its edge is not its meager health pool or average amount of base damage, but in fact, its access to Bleeding!; a status effect that drains 0.3% of a victim's health over 7 seconds, bypassing armor (like Player armor and Tame saddle armor, but not innate resistances, such as the Rock Elemental's natural armor). It can also stack up to 5 times, and can be used with other creatures' bleeds, allowing for increased bleed damage. A single Deinonychus, provided it attacks relentlessly, can apply all 5 stacks of Bleeding on its own, but pack mates should be brought along for maximum effectiveness. For this role, level and  to all Deinonychus, and add  and  to any you intend to ride.
 * Pack Fighter: Whether it involves simple hunting, traveling, or intensive combat, a pack of three to five Deinonychus comes with benefits. The highest level Deinonychus will be designated the alpha, which provides a constant bonus to damage, along with access to a vocalization ability that grants a 45-second pack buff to other allied Deinonychus in its vicinity (up to 4); which boosts movement speed, damage, and resistance to all pack members. One thing to note for this role is that non-ridden Deinonychus will not climb, even if they follow their pack leader; they require a rider to command those precise movements. This means if you intend to travel over difficult terrain, it may be best to leave non-riding pack mates at home.
 * Slayer Companion: The Deinonychus is fragile on its own, so pitting it alone against dangerous targets is a risky strategy, that can result in some bitter losses. Unlike other bleeders, who can function as true slayers of difficult opponents, the Deinonychus is a more of a glass cannon, best used when paired with another creature that deals bleeding damage (like or ). As the bleed inflicted by a Deinonychus is the only bleeding effect that will stack with other bleeds, and because the health percentage the Deinonychus bleed drains is lower and lasts longer than most other bleeds, this earns the Deinonychus a niche, but still quite useful role, as a damage supplement; best used in team strategy situations, rather than on its own.
 * Alpha-Slayer: Whether it's for getting rid of them as mere pests, killing them for the massive amount of they're worth, collecting their relevant Trophies, or leveling your ; Deinonychus makes slaughtering lower-tier Alpha Creatures a walk in the park. More challenging Alphas, such as Alpha Rexes, are best avoided, but can be rushed, albeit with risk, when their attention is focused on a different, and more tank-oriented, opponent.
 * Deathworm-Slayer: While not a role that Deinonychus are specifically required for, they make the task of felling the dangerous s much easier, particularly the s. The worms themselves are not as dangerous as or s and don't have the same armor as s, but they have a high health pool and deal a good amount of damage. A small pack of saddled and armored Deinonychus will do just fine for normal worms, though for alpha worms, a larger pack, or a small pack used alongside other large-class predators, would be a good idea.  and support is optional for this role; unrequired for single  battles, but they are invaluable if you intend to hunt multiple worms. Keep in mind, however, that this is a role that, although the Deinonychus are capable of performing, they are still not the best choice for doing so. The average Deinonychus' lower levels in health and weight can make the fights costly and hauling the heavy loot the worms drop problematic. A far better choice for this role, if you have one at your disposal, would be the native  (the higher the level, the better), which can push the worms back out of melee range with their wing attack and pelt them with highly damaging lightning bolts, as well has haul off the loot.
 * Boss-Slayer: Among all the tames that inflict bleeding effects on their targets, the Deinonychus is unique among them in the fact that its bleed is the only bleed that works on Bosses. A small pack of Deinonychus, provided they survive long enough, used alongside more traditional boss-oriented tames like the and Rexes, can result in a 'cheese' of the boss fight that requires less resources and effort than a standard battle. The optimum number of Deinonychus that should be brought into the boss arena is approximately three: two betas and an alpha. While a single Deinonychus can apply all five stacks of its bleeding effect on a boss alone, it is best that they have the protection and damage increase of both a mate boost and pack buff, which helps keep your Deinonychus alive through the battle. In turn, just bringing three Deinonychus in also saves more room for a larger amount of traditional bossing tames to join the party. Without a doubt, the Deinonychus is a must-have for this role, and makes farming  and collecting Tek Engrams a breeze.
 * PvP Specialist: Able to latch onto larger targets, pin smaller ones, and inflict stacking bleed damage: the Deinonychus was born for harassment. Coupled with its speed, sharp turning radius, rider weaponry and climbing abilities; the Deinonychus makes an ideal choice as a light skirmisher, harrier, or scout. Its relative fragility gives it the status as something of a glass cannon, however, as the average Deinonychus can quickly be torn apart by more powerful opponents, forcing most Deinonychus to be used in more tactical roles, so be careful with your feathered friend! Although it doesn't occur there naturally, the Deinonychus can be transferred to and excels in the Aberration map, as fliers are (mostly) disabled and climbing is well-preferred.
 * Travel Mount: Possessing speed, stamina, jumping prowess, climbing capabilities, and a unique immunity to fall damage; the Deinonychus makes for a useful and entertaining means of travel. While capable of getting you across land routes with extreme efficiency when guided by a skilled rider, the Deinonychus handles water very poorly in comparison, with a considerably slow swim speed.
 * Cave Delver: With both its combat and traveling skills taken into consideration, the Deinonychus makes a prime candidate for tackling most artifact caves. However, caverns that require traversal through water are best left to stronger swimmers than the Deinonychus, unless the swimmable section can be skipped by climbing. Caves that have magma, on the other hand, can end up causing some very unfortunate deaths if you make a wrong move with the Deinonychus' jumping and climbing, and are best left to delvers that have less room for error with their jumping abilities.
 * Kibble Farmer: While tamed female Deinonychus do not lay unfertilized eggs like other tames, their wild counterparts produce vast amounts of them in their nesting grounds. Classified as a, wild Deinonychus Eggs can be collected by the bushel and serve as a means to mass-produce with ease, the finest generalized taming food in the game.

Notes/Trivia

 * During the first introduction of the creature's dossier, it was hinted that Deinonychus would be breedable by this sentence: "This makes breeding successive generations a hazardous process."
 * This was eventually proven true in Community Crunch 186, making Deinonychus the first raise-only tame to be breedable, unlike the, but followed by the , , , and  (which was made breedable in TLC 3).
 * Deinonychus magna pede roughly translates to "great footed terrible claw".
 * Deinonychus do not take fall damage, see Fall Damage for more info.
 * If you hold jump while on the ground, the Deinonychus will start to crouch. The longer you hold the more powerful the jump will be. Unlike other creatures with a chargeable jump such as the, , or , the jump can not be aimed, and holding jump does not stop the Deinonychus from running.
 * Contrary to popular belief, the Deinonychus is an original Creature and does not come from the Mod ARK Additions, as confirmed by Zen Rowe.
 * Both the and Deinonychus are the only creatures with more than one idle animation.
 * Unlike the and, the Deinonychus will never spawn above a Level increment of 30 (150 is their max level on official).
 * Baby Deinonychus may sometimes hatch from within the nest, and they can then be claimed by anyone, but be wary of nearby wild Deinonychus, for they will treat claimed babies as targets. It may be wise to carry a in case this happens. Although this got fixed within a couple of patches after the Valguero release, hatching temperatures need to be so high, hatching-in-the-wild will no longer occur.
 * Sometimes when aggroed, Baby Deinonychus may pin down survivors and then run off.
 * , Deinonychus and are the only creature that possess an icon different from their dossier/hologram.
 * Deinonychus, and Tropeognathus are the only creatures whose dossiers couldn't be obtained.
 * The Deinonychus is the very first Creature in ARK: Survival Evolved to be classified as a subspecies.
 * Bleed damage caps at 600% melee and does get reduced by saddles.
 * Unlike, its bleed cannot slow down target.
 * The Deinonychus is one of the five species that cannot be tamed, but still can be acquired by the survivor through other means, with the others being, , and.
 * The Deinonychus has "Raptor" in it's class name. When using the Getallstate Raptor_Character_BP_C command all the deinos will show up too.
 * Deinonychus is one of the few creatures to reffer to nickname "Donkey". The other are Paracer, Equus, Unicorn, Tek Stryder and Dunkleosteus.

Bugs

 * Rarely afflicted with a bug in which it is unable to latch onto latch-able dinosaurs, climb, call, leap onto smaller dinos, or is unable to jump completely. There is no current fix to this.
 * Has occasional spawn issues on Primitive Plus.
 * It will drop s passively, only producing s when breeding. This may be intentional.
 * It can latch onto resources, trees, stones etc. If it destroys the resource that it latched on, it will remain latched, but on nothing.
 * 's courage roar can affect Deinonychus, however the effect doesn't show up so its impossible to know whether it is encouraged or not unless you ride it.