While being able to dominate the land-based PvP of Ark: Survival Evolved remains a staple of the Ark world, there are still two more domains that require careful selection of Dinos. As it stands, Air-based PvP remains one of the most common open-world PvP styles, often occurring during simple farming runs, a scouting mission, or as part of a raid. This list will give you the best sky-based Dinos for your tribe to remain safe and sound.
1. Wyvern
Wyverns are some of the most popular tames when it comes to air domination. With Wyverns coming in various forms there are many different uses for each one. Poison Wyverns are deadly to ground-based Survivors due to their right-click spit attack that can knock out and kill, but they don’t fare as well in the sky.
Fire Wyverns are powerful but are closer range attackers. Frost Wyverns slow and do heavy damage but are against closer range. Lightning Wyverns are the powerhouse of the species, able to do ranged, targeted, and armor-piercing attacks both to ground-based and air-based foes, whilst Crystal Wyverns can move faster once Hydrated and can come in various forms that allow them to siphon HP. The newer Tek Wyverns come with the ability to stun at closer range and can be very useful in PvP situations with groups.
2. Snow Owl
Snow Owls are the healers and bombers of the sky. Similar to the Daeodon, they can heal units and players around them at the cost of their movement once they’ve been encased in the Snow Owl’s frosty aura. Snow Owls are also able to dive-bomb the ground, causing a freezing explosion that slows foes around the impact site. This dive-bomb attack is also a great way to dive through gaps in turrets walls to easily push a raid through to victory. The Snow Owl is also able to use an infrared vision mode, which allows it to see any target while it silently glides about.
3. Astrodelphis
Found in the space biome of Gen 2, these dolphin-like creatures give off a colorful trail of light as they float by, but strapping a saddle onto them turns them into fighter jets that travel through the air, ocean, and space at alarming speeds. Once equipped with a saddle and loaded up with Element, the Astrodelphis can fire lasers and homing Tek bombs at tames and Survivors. They can also generate more damage based on buffs they pick up from killing, meaning that they scale in deadliness as time goes. They’re able to evade through barrel rolls and flips that keep even the best marksman guessing as to where they need to aim their next shot.
4. Managarmr
Fast agile and strong swimmers, the Managarmr is a force to be reckoned with in the skies. It can dash long distances and can carry multiple riders into battle. The Managarmr can utilize an ice breath that can freeze players and tames, based on the amount of time they’re placed under the beam of ice. This means that multiple Manas can freeze targets quicker and more effectively based on their distance to the foe.
5. Bloodstalker
While not technically a flying creature, the Bloodstalker is very much a hybrid between land and sky. With its ability to swing through trees via its web, it can fling itself through the air to evade or pursue targets. Additionally, it’s able to use those same webs to latch onto players and reel them in to allow higher damage Dinos to kill them, or kill the player itself.
6. Tek Quetzal
Largest of the base flying creatures, the Quetz is a massive bird that can provide several utilities to a raid. As with other Dinos, the Tek version of this beast has higher level caps, which lead to better stats once tamed at max level. Quetzals can wear platform saddles, much like the Paracer, and this enables players to build structures around them to protect a Quetz from being damaged. Useful when pushing into a base upon a cliff-side, or a turret tower that’s inaccessible from the ground, the Quetz can provide a solution to many different issues as well as being a mobile FOB in some instances.
7. Tapejara
The Tapejara is a smaller and more agile flying mount than others. It’s able to cling to walls and cliff faces and can carry multiple Survivors. Its most important function comes in with its Tek Saddle which turns the Tapejara into a fighter. Able to gun down structures and Tek Forcefields with this saddle, the Tek Tapejara is a solid addition to a tribe’s PvP roster.
8. Gasbags
Flying Dinos are not known for their ability to soak turrets, but the Gasbags is the one tame that is perfectly suited to this function. This large caterpillar-like creature sucks in huge pockets of air, expanding itself to float upwards towards turrets where 80% of the damage is diverted to its oxygen supply. This air can also be expelled in a rush to knock back players who get too close and also lower the Gasbags if danger approaches. They are also usable on maps like Abberation.
9. Astrocetus
The space whale is the largest of all the air-based dinos in the game. Resplendent as it drifts through space, the Astrocetus is a gentle beast that requires a lot of effort to tame compared to the other Dinos on this list. It also needs a saddle that can only be crafted once you’ve killed the Master Controller at Beta level on Gen 1. Once you’ve strapped the saddle to your whale, you’ll be able to use abilities like Hyper Drive to teleport yourself and allies, but this drains the Cosmic Power. It’s also able to carpet bomb targets from above by using Ambergris. The Astrocetus also offers turrets that can be mounted by other members of your tribe whilst another member steers.
10. Rock Drake
Rock Drakes are versatile mounts that are able to stealth, glide, and climb up cliff faces. The Rock Drake is not tamed through knockout or passive tames, but through stealing an egg from the nests located in Abberation Zones. As the Rock Drake is native to the Abberation it takes the place of other flying mounts, and with the additional Tek Saddle you can unlock for it, this creature can become a ranged force when raiding a base.
Honorable Mentions
Pteranadon
While quickly outpaced at higher levels of the game, the Ptera is one the most vital starter Dinos on the Ark. Pteras are great for helping Survivors looking to steal Wyvern eggs as they are small enough to land in the nesting areas, but as they are slower than Wyverns some exceptional flying is needed to get away from the pursuing parents.
Sinomacrops
While not useful in any sort of combat-based situation on its own, the Sinomacrops can function as a variety of tools to any Survivor below Tek level. They can help Survivors to fly upwards, glide and they act as a parachute if needed. Sinomacrops also have a screech attack to ward off annoying thieving Dinos or attackers as needed.
Microraptor
Small but annoying the Microraptor can stun anyone who gets too close, knocking players off their tames which can be invaluable in a fight.
