ARK: Survival Ascended — Ragnarok Caves & Artifacts
Ragnarok has two cave categories: dungeons (unbuildable, hold the artifacts you need for boss tributes) and standard caves (mostly buildable, full of loot, ideal for sub-base placement). This guide covers the most-visited caves, the artifacts they contain, and the dino populations you'll encounter.
Cave Categories
| Type | Build? | Why Visit |
|---|---|---|
| Dungeons | No | Boss-tribute artifacts only here |
| Standard Caves | Yes (mostly) | Loot, sub-base placement, route shortcuts |
Major Caves — One-Line Reference
| Cave | What's Inside |
|---|---|
| Glacier Cave | Cold biome cave, ice-themed loot, Direwolves and Yutyrannus on approach. |
| Kamaka Cave | Standard cave, decent buildable space, mid-tier loot. |
| Forbidden Grotto | Mid-game cave system, mixed predator spawns. |
| Kuri Cave | Standard cave, good early-game loot run. |
| Skellet Canyon Cave | Open canyon system with multiple entrances. |
| Fafnir's Cavern | Massive Aberration-style cave with colorful lighting, multiple entrances, aggressive Aberrant Megalania + Carno spawns. One of the largest cave systems on the map. |
| Carnivorous Caverns | Holds Artifact of the Cunning. Dark interior, dangerous predator concentration. |
| Monkey Temple Ruin | Holds Artifact of the Strong. Sub-cave with stair entrance. |
| Life's Labyrinth | Standalone artifact cave at central coords. |
| Ice caves + sunken Viking boats + hidden castles | Themed loot pockets scattered across Fafnir's system and the snow biome. |
Artifact Locations (Coordinates)
Artifact of the Cunning
Inside Carnivorous Caverns — coordinates 20.2 lat, 46.0 lon. Hidden in a cave room accessible by ascending above a tiny cove with a pool. Bring a Yutyrannus for the cold buff and at least one ranged weapon for the predator wave.
Life's Labyrinth
Standalone cave system at 47.7 lat, 78.9 lon. Maze-like layout — bring spare torches and a path-marking strategy.
Artifact of the Strong
In the Monkey Temple Ruin near the lake at 23.2 lat, 25.3 lon. The stairway entrance is at 24.6 lat, 24.9 lon. Mid-difficulty cave; small parties can clear it.
Notable Dino Spawns Across Ragnarok
Ragnarok's spawn list is broad — most ARK dinos plus Wyverns, Bison, Karkinos, Polar Bears. Highlights for cave runs:
| Region | Notable Spawns |
|---|---|
| Snow Biome | Wyverns (Ice surface trench), Yutyrannus, Polar Bears, Direwolves, Mammoths |
| Wyvern Trench (NE) | Ice + Fire + Lightning + Poison Wyverns. Egg run paradise; very high risk. |
| Forest / Grassland | Deinonychus (forests, swamps, mountain regions — green zones have highest density), Carnos, Raptors, Argentavis |
| Mountains (Mount Gunners) | Argentavis, Sabertooth, Rexes (high level spawns), Wyvern surface flyovers |
| Volcano | Alpha spawns, Carnos, Pteranodons, occasional Wyvern |
| Coasts & Caves | Aberrant variants in Fafnir's; Megalania in caves; Karkinos on southern beaches |
Wyvern Egg Runs
Ice Wyvern eggs are accessible from the snow biome surface trench (less protected than the main Wyvern Trench). Approach from above with a fast flyer, grab the egg, fly straight up — Wyverns can't out-climb a Pteranodon at full speed if you maintain altitude.
Loot & Beach Crates
Tropical beaches line Ragnarok's coast. Look for:
- Basilosaurus skeletons + supply crates washed ashore — easy mid-tier loot.
- Deep-sea loot crates glowing red along the ocean floor — up to 5–6 at once in some clusters. Bring a Megalodon escort.
- Crystal Wyvern eggs if your server is running the cross-biome variant pack.
Recommended Cave Run Order
- Kuri Cave — beginner cave, low-tier loot, get used to combat.
- Kamaka Cave — slightly harder, decent loot.
- Forbidden Grotto — mid-tier, mixed enemies.
- Carnivorous Caverns — Artifact of the Cunning. Bring a tribe.
- Monkey Temple — Artifact of the Strong.
- Life's Labyrinth — mid-game, navigation challenge.
- Fafnir's Cavern — endgame, full base potential, deep loot.
Common Mistakes
- Bringing a flyer into a cave — most cave systems force-dismount mounted flyers at the entrance.
- No torches — many caves have no ambient light, especially Fafnir's deeper sections.
- Skipping Yutyrannus support for Carnivorous Caverns — cold debuff drains stats during the artifact retrieval.
- Soloing Wyvern Trench for eggs at level < 60 — Wyverns one-shot non-tank flyers.
Conquer Ragnarok's caves. Host an ASA Ragnarok server with Supercraft and run a full artifact campaign without server-side lag.