How to tame Karkinos in ARK Survival Ascended Aberration

Karkinos are humongous crabs introduced with the ARK Survival Ascended Aberration map. When killed, their shell provides a large amount of Polymer—but tamed Karkinos are just as useful. In addition to its combat prowess, it also serves as a great mount. While they're quite common, knocking them out can often prove to be a challenge.

This guide covers everything you need to know about Karkinos in ARK Survival Ascended Aberration, including its spawn locations, taming process, and all its abilities.

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Common Karkinos locations in ARK Survival Ascended Aberration

Karkinos spawn locations in ARK Survival Ascended Aberration (Image via Studio Wildcard || ark-unity.com)

Karkinos usually spawn in the blue and red regions in ARK Survival Ascended Aberration, located in the uppermost section, near the center of the map.

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How to tame Karkinos in ARK Survival Ascended Aberration

Karkinos is an aggressive creature (Image via Studio Wildcard)

Taming a Karkinos in ARK Survival Ascended Aberration is far more challenging than simply feeding it a preferred food item. This giant crab requires the Knockout Taming method, which involves a complex setup and strategy.

To tame a Karkinos, you will need a few essential items: a Harpoon Launcher with Net Projectiles, a Catapult Turret with Boulders, and Exceptional Kibble. While the first two items can be crafted in a Smithy once their Engrams are unlocked, the Exceptional Kibble can be made in a Cooking Pot.

Note that the Net Projectile will require you to install a mod, as it's part of a later DLC that's not yet available in the base game. However, using it will make trapping the Karkinos significantly easier.

Approach a Karkinos with these items in hand. It will attack as soon as you get closer. Use the Harpoon Launcher with a Net Projectile to bind it to the ground, immobilizing it temporarily. Next, set up a Catapult Turret and fire Boulders at its body. Avoid hitting the limbs, as this won't increase its torpor.

Alternatively, if you are not using the Harpoon Launcher mod, you can build a four-by-four platform on the ground and enclose it with pillars, leaving one side open. Lure the Karkinos onto the platform and close off the open side to trap it inside.

This setup will hold the creature in place, allowing you to use the Catapult Turret to target its body through the gaps between the pillars. Afterward, follow the same process as previously mentioned to successfully complete the taming process..

After each hit, check whether the giant crab is unconscious. This may require several Boulders, depending on its level. Once knocked out, place a stack of Exceptional Kibble in its inventory to complete the taming process.

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ARK Survival Ascended Karkinos spawn commands

While you can manually find and tame a Karkinos in ARK Survival Ascended Aberration, there is an alternate method you can use. You can use console commands to spawn one if you are the server host or playing in single-player mode.

Here are the spawn commands for the Karkinos in ARK Survival Ascended Aberration:

• To spawn a wild Karkinos: admincheat summon Crab_Character_BP_C
• To spawn in tamed Karkinos: admincheat summontamed "Crab_Character_BP_C" 150

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How to craft Karkinos Saddle in ARK Survival Ascended Aberration

You can craft a Karkinos Saddle at the Smithy (Image via Studio Wildcard)

To ride a Karkinos in ARK Survival Ascended Aberration, you will need a Karkinos Saddle. The Engram for this saddle becomes available at Level 65 and can be crafted at a Smithy.

The materials required to craft a Karkinos Saddle are:

• 170x Hide
• 225x Fiber
• 200x Fungal Wood
• 80x Blue Gem

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All Karkinos abilities in ARK Survival Ascended, explained

As mentioned, Karkinos in ARK Survival Ascended Aberration is capable of jumping great distances, making it an excellent mount that helps you navigate uneven terrain with ease. Additionally, this giant crab is a formidable fighter that can pick up creatures and other players, even throwing them across long distances.

Here are the keyboard controls for the Karkinos in ARK Survival Ascended Aberration:

• Attack with left/right claw: Click Left/Right Mouse Button
• Grab a creature/player: Hold Left/Right Mouse Button
• Throw creature/player: Press C
• Jump: Press Spacebar

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Check out our other guides on the game:

• Ark Survival Ascended DLC Roadmap and map release schedule
• All Ark Survival Ascended Explorer Notes locations
• Best Ark Survival Ascended tame for every resource
• Ark Survival Ascended: Scorched Earth resource maps for all materials
• Ark Survival Ascended The Center Resource map: Best locations for all materials