Taking to the skies in ARK Survival Evolved marks a massive milestone for any player looking to explore the map efficiently. The Pteranodon is typically the first flying mount survivors tame due to its relative accessibility along beaches. Understanding when you can craft its saddle and what resources are required will help you prepare for flight early in your gameplay.
Required Level and Engram Unlock Costs
To craft the Pteranodon Saddle, players must reach survivor level 38. Unlocking the engram requires 15 Engram Points from your accumulated points pool. Once unlocked, the saddle can be crafted directly from your inventory without requiring a Smithy.
Essential Crafting Materials
Crafting a basic Pteranodon Saddle requires 230 Hide, 125 Fiber, and 75 Chitin or Keratin. While Hide and Fiber are simple to harvest using basic tools on early-game creatures, obtaining Chitin or Keratin can pose a challenge for newer players. Harvesting Trilobites along shoreline beaches or hunting insects in caves are reliable methods to gather the necessary Chitin.
Early Game Flight Strategies
Securing your first flyer drastically improves travel speed and allows you to scout dangerous territories safely. Because wild Pteranodons have relatively low weight capacities, prioritizing stamina and weight stats upon leveling up is recommended. Flying also opens up new opportunities to locate supply drops that may contain higher-quality saddle blueprints.
Alternative Ways to Obtain Saddles
If you have not reached level 38 yet, you can still find pre-crafted saddles or blueprints inside supply crates scattered across the map. Purple and yellow beacon drops frequently yield saddle blueprints of varying qualities, including Journeyman or Mastercraft tiers. However, crafting higher-tier blueprints directly increases the overall material requirements significantly.
