Solo farming in ARK: Survival Ascended is all about cutting wasted time. If you are still dragging an Anky around with an Argy for every metal run, you are losing minutes every trip.

On The Center, the better solo play is underwater farming with a Dunkleosteus.

The route is simple:

• Go to 37.0, 77.9
• Use a Dunkleosteus
• Carry an Autumn Drake
• Farm metal, stone, and oil
• Drop overweight resources
• Pick them up with a Tek suit
• Unload into nearby dedicated storage

This setup is fast, repeatable, and much cleaner than land farming for solo players.

• Best Solo Farming Location on The Center
• Required Setup for the Dunkleosteus Farm
• Why the Autumn Drake Matters
• Best Dunkleosteus Stats for Metal and Stone Farming
• Step-by-Step Solo Farming Route
• 1. Start at 37.0, 77.9
• 2. Hit Metal Before Stone
• 3. Farm Small Stone Rocks
• 4. Grab Oil at 38.3, 79.0
• 5. Drop Resources When Overweight
• 6. Unload Into Dedicated Storage
• Expected Resource Output
• Dunkleosteus vs Anky and Argy Farming
• Solo Efficiency Tips
• FAQ
• What is the best solo metal farming location on The Center?
• What creature is best for this farm?
• Is the Autumn Drake required?
• Do you need a Tek suit?
• Is this better than Anky and Argy farming?
• Summary

↖ Best Solo Farming Location on The Center

The main spot is underwater on the east side of The Center.

This area has dense seabed resources. You will find:

• Shiny metal rocks
• Small stone rocks
• Oil rocks near the riverbed-style terrain
• Caves and dips with clustered nodes

The big win is density. You spend more time harvesting and less time flying around looking for nodes.

↖ Required Setup for the Dunkleosteus Farm

Do not overcomplicate this. The method works because every item has a job.

The Tek suit is not mandatory, but it makes the method much better. Without Tek, you can still farm, but overweight handling becomes slower.

↖ Why the Autumn Drake Matters

The Autumn Drake is not decoration. Keep it on your shoulder.

That 15% harvesting bonus is huge over time.

If one session gives you around 20,000 raw metal, the buff can mean thousands of extra resources across repeated runs. For solo players, that is free value. Use it every trip.

↖ Best Dunkleosteus Stats for Metal and Stone Farming

Your Dunkleosteus should be built for output and carry weight.

A strong farming Dunkleosteus should aim for roughly 650–700% melee damage if your server settings allow it.

After that, pump Weight hard.

If your Dunkleosteus caps after two or three nodes, your loop is bad. You need more weight, closer storage, or extra Dunkleosteus on follow.

↖ Step-by-Step Solo Farming Route

This is the full loop. Keep it tight.

↖ 1. Start at 37.0, 77.9

Go underwater with your Dunkleosteus and Autumn Drake equipped.

Look for shiny seabed rocks. Those are your metal nodes.

Farm these first.

↖ 2. Hit Metal Before Stone

Metal is the priority.

You need it for:

• Tek Replicator
• Turrets
• Weapons
• Ammo
• Industrial structures
• Advanced crafting

A good short run can pull around 9,000 raw metal, depending on rates, melee damage, and node respawns.

For reference, a Tek Replicator needs 5,000 metal ingots, which means 10,000 raw metal before smelting.

↖ 3. Farm Small Stone Rocks

After metal, hit the smaller seabed rocks.

They give far more stone than they look like they should. This is why the route is so strong. You do not need to swap to a Doedicurus.

Stone feeds:

• Sparkpowder
• Cementing paste chains
• Base building
• Ammo production support

If you are solo, farming stone and metal in the same route saves a ton of time.

↖ 4. Grab Oil at 38.3, 79.0

Move toward 38.3, 79.0 for oil patches.

Oil is lighter than metal and stone, so it is easy to add to the run.

Use it for:

• Gasoline
• Polymer chains
• Explosives
• Industrial crafting

If you are already capped on weight, skip oil and come back after unloading. Do not ruin the metal loop for a few extra stacks.

↖ 5. Drop Resources When Overweight

This is the key solo trick.

When the Dunkleosteus gets overweight:

1. Open inventory.

2. Drop metal and stone.

3. Move with your Tek suit.

4. Pick up the bags yourself.

5. Return to your underwater storage.

This is faster than crawling back overweight on the tame.

↖ 6. Unload Into Dedicated Storage

Build a small underwater outpost nearby.

Minimum setup:

Keep it compact. Big underwater bases get noticed. Small farming stations last longer.

↖ Expected Resource Output

Your numbers depend on server rates, creature stats, and node availability. Still, this route scales well.

The method works because the loop is short:

Farm ➔ Drop ➔ Pick up ➔ Unload ➔ Repeat

No long flights. No Argy positioning. No Anky babysitting.

↖ Dunkleosteus vs Anky and Argy Farming

The old Anky + Argy method still works. It is just clunky for solo farming.

For solo play on The Center, the Dunkleosteus underwater farm wins because it solves three problems at once:

• Less travel
• Less creature juggling
• Less surface PvP traffic

It is not risk-free, but it is quieter than most land routes.

↖ Solo Efficiency Tips

Use these rules if you want cleaner runs.

• Farm metal first. It is the highest-value resource.
• Keep the Autumn Drake on your shoulder. Never farm without the buff if you have one.
• Pump Weight after strong melee. Damage means nothing if you cap instantly.
• Place storage close. If the unload trip feels long, your base is in the wrong spot.
• Bring extra Dunkleosteus if your server has boosted harvest rates.
• Ignore crystal here. It exists, but this is not the best crystal route.
• Do not build huge. A small hidden outpost is safer on PvP servers.

If you find yourself spending more time swimming than harvesting, tighten the route or move the storage.

↖ FAQ

↖ What is the best solo metal farming location on The Center?

Use the underwater area around 37.0, 77.9. It has strong access to metal and stone nodes, with oil nearby around 38.3, 79.0.

↖ What creature is best for this farm?

The Dunkleosteus. It can harvest metal, stone, oil, and crystal, but this route is best for metal, stone, and oil.

↖ Is the Autumn Drake required?

Not required, but strongly recommended. The 15% harvesting bonus adds a lot of extra resources across repeated farming runs.

↖ Do you need a Tek suit?

No, but a Tek suit makes the method much faster. It lets you pick up dropped overweight resources and move them back to storage quickly. Scuba gear works as a slower backup.

↖ Is this better than Anky and Argy farming?

For solo players on The Center, yes. The Dunkleosteus route gives metal, stone, and oil in one compact loop without constant Anky repositioning or long land travel.

↖ Summary

The best solo metal, stone, and oil farm on The Center is the underwater Dunkleosteus route at 37.0, 77.9.

Run it like this:

• Use a Dunkleosteus
• Carry an Autumn Drake
• Farm metal first
• Hit nearby stone rocks
• Grab oil at 38.3, 79.0
• Drop overweight resources
• Pick them up with a Tek suit
• Unload into nearby dedicated storage

It is faster, cleaner, and more solo-friendly than dragging an Anky around with an Argy. Once the underwater storage is placed, this becomes a repeatable resource engine for serious progression.