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ARK Survival Ascended Best Mining Drill Farm on Genesis: Gamma Ferox Mission Guide

The best Mining Drill loot farm on Genesis right now is the Gamma Ferox mission in the Arctic biome.

Yes, Gamma. Not Alpha.

In testing, 10 Gamma runs gave 13 Mining Drills or blueprints. Beta and Alpha gave worse Mining Drill results despite being harder. If you want practical loot with low risk, farm Gamma until the loot table changes.

ARK Survival Ascended Best Mining Drill Farm on Genesis: Gamma Ferox Mission Guide



Best Genesis Mining Drill Farm: Gamma Ferox Mission

Run the Ferox hunting mission on Gamma difficulty.

The mission is fast, repeatable, and does not require a ridiculous boss-level tame army. The main value is the loot table. For Mining Drills, Gamma is currently the clear winner.

DifficultyMining Drill ResultVerdict
Gamma13 Mining Drills / blueprints in 10 runs Best farm
Beta 1 tested Mining Drill Not worth it for drills
Alpha 1 tested Mining Drill Too much effort for poor drill returns

This may be a bug. It may be intentional. Either way, farm what works.

Ferox Mission Location on Genesis

Go to the Arctic biome and track the Ferox mission from the mission list.

BiomeLatitudeLongitude
Arctic6839

The mission marker can look odd because of a visual glitch. Use the coordinates if the terminal marker is unclear.

Start the mission on Gamma.

Recommended Tames for Gamma Ferox

You do not need an overbuilt creature for Gamma. A solid combat tame is enough.

Tested setup:

TameHealthMeleeResult
Acro15,000 HP600% melee Comfortable Gamma clear
Mate-boosted pair Better Better Safer and faster
Thylacoleo 30,000–40,000 HP Bleed damage Good for harder modes

For normal farming, bring a mate-boosted pair. It cuts the fight time and gives more safety if the Ferox gets messy.

Good options:

  • Acro
  • Rex
  • Shadowmane
  • Therizino
  • Thylacoleo for bleed damage

If you are pushing Beta or Alpha, use a high-health Thylacoleo. Bleed damage does real work against tanky mission creatures.

How to Track the Ferox Fast

The annoying part is not the fight. It is the footprints.

Run the mission at night.

The glowing tracks are much easier to see in the dark. During daytime, the snow glare can make them easy to miss.

TimeFootprint VisibilityFarm Speed
Day Poor to average Slower
NightClearBest

Tracking rules:

  • Follow the glowing footprints closely.
  • Walk over the tracks, not beside them.
  • If the trail stops, backtrack to the last visible footprint.
  • On large tames, walk before turns and sprint on straight lines.
  • Do not full-sprint through tight turns. You will overshoot the trigger.

This one habit saves the most time per run.

Gamma Ferox Mission Walkthrough

The mission has a simple loop: track ➔ fight ➔ track again ➔ finish.

Step-by-Step Route

StepActionWhy It Matters
1 Go to 68 Lat, 39 Lon Arctic Ferox mission area
2 Select Gamma Best Mining Drill results
3 Start at night Easier footprint tracking
4 Follow footprints Triggers the Ferox encounter
5 Whistle tames to attack Faster damage phase
6 Wait when Ferox runs Next trail appears after phase change
7 Repeat tracking Mission progresses
8 Kill/complete final phase Loot drops at completion

When the Ferox runs away, do not chase randomly. Stop, look for the next footprint trail, then continue.

If your tames keep chasing too far, whistle passive after each damage phase. Re-control the group before tracking again.

Loot Results: Why Gamma Beats Alpha for Mining Drills

The whole reason this farm matters is the loot.

In repeated Gamma runs, Mining Drills were common. In higher difficulties, they were not.

Test SetResult
10 Gamma runs13 Mining Drills / blueprints
Beta tested loot 1 poor Mining Drill
Alpha tested loot 1 Mining Drill around 111%

That is the problem with Alpha right now: more danger, more health to chew through, worse drill return.

For pure Mining Drill farming, Gamma has the best effort-to-reward ratio.

Best Farming Setup

Use this if you want clean repeat runs.

SlotRecommendation
DifficultyGamma
TimeNight
LocationArctic, 68 Lat / 39 Lon
TamesMate-boosted combat pair
Tested stats15k HP / 600% melee Acro
Hard-mode option30k–40k HP Thylacoleo
Target lootMining Drills and blueprints

If you only care about Mining Drills, do not overcomplicate it. Run Gamma, reset, repeat.

Common Mistakes That Slow the Farm

Running It During the Day

Daytime tracking is worse. Snow glare hides the footprints.

Run it at night whenever possible.

Sprinting Past Footprint Triggers

Large tames turn badly. If you sprint through every corner, you miss tracks.

Use walk mode on turns.

Farming Alpha for Mining Drills

Alpha sounds better. Current drill results say otherwise.

Farm Gamma unless loot tables change.

Bringing One Weak Tame

The Ferox still hits hard. Do not bring a fragile mount and expect smooth clears.

Use a mate-boosted pair or multiple combat tames.

FAQ

What is the best Mining Drill farm on Genesis in ARK Survival Ascended?

The best current farm is the Gamma Ferox mission in the Arctic biome. It is fast, repeatable, and tested better for Mining Drill drops than Beta or Alpha.

Where is the Ferox mission located?

The Ferox mission is in the Arctic biome, around 68 latitude and 39 longitude. Track the mission from the mission list, then use the coordinates if the marker looks bugged.

Why farm Gamma instead of Alpha?

Because Gamma currently gives better Mining Drill results. In testing, 10 Gamma runs produced 13 Mining Drills or blueprints, while Beta and Alpha produced only one tested Mining Drill each.

What tame should we use for the Gamma Ferox mission?

A strong combat tame works. A tested example is an Acro with 15,000 HP and 600% melee. A mate-boosted pair is strongly recommended for safer and faster clears.

How do we make the footprint tracking easier?

Run the mission at night. The footprints glow clearly in the dark. If the trail stops, backtrack to the last visible footprint and move directly over it.

Summary

The best Mining Drill farm on Genesis is the Gamma Ferox mission at 68 Lat, 39 Lon in the Arctic biome.

Farm it at night, bring a mate-boosted combat pair, follow the footprints carefully, and repeat. Based on testing, Gamma gave 13 Mining Drills or blueprints in 10 runs, while Beta and Alpha were worse for drill farming.

Harder is not better here. Gamma is the farm.

About the Author
GGWTB Editorial Team - LUKE

The GGWTB Editorial Team features 10 full-time gaming editors and 23 specialist contributors, delivering hands-on tested walkthroughs, easter egg breakdowns, and game updates.
LUKE — who spearheads our in-depth ARK Survival Ascended, COD: Modern Warfare 4 guides, and patch notes—every guide is rigorously verified on live servers for accuracy.

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