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. Farming on the way? The interactive Ragnarok resource map plots metal, obsidian, crystal and oil coordinates with copyable teleport commands.
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.
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