Mastering the Longneck Rifle: A Guide for ARK: Survival Evolved Players

Essential Features of the Longneck Rifle

In the unforgiving world of ARK: Survival Evolved, survival hinges not only on resourcefulness and adaptability but also on your ability to defend yourself and dominate the environment. Among the arsenal of tools available to survivors, the Longneck Rifle stands as a testament to precision and versatility. This guide will delve into the intricacies of the Longneck Rifle, offering comprehensive insights to elevate your game, from its basic mechanics to advanced strategies. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or a fresh-faced survivor, mastering the Longneck Rifle is crucial for thriving in the ARK.

The Longneck Rifle is a long-range firearm, a mainstay in the arsenal of any serious ARK player. It’s designed for accurate shots at a distance, making it ideal for a multitude of tasks, from hunting dangerous creatures to taking down rival players or knocking out a creature for taming. It uses a variety of bullet types and can be fitted with scopes to enhance its effectiveness at different ranges. The Longneck Rifle isn’t just a weapon; it’s a multi-purpose tool that can shape how you experience the game.

The weapon’s primary function is its capacity to fire bullets, creating a fast-moving projectile with significant range. The Longneck Rifle can also be equipped with various attachments, such as different scopes, enabling a player to increase the firearm’s accuracy and effectiveness in various scenarios.

Breaking Down the Stats and Attributes

Understanding the statistics of the Longneck Rifle is paramount. They dictate how the weapon performs under diverse circumstances.

Base Damage

This stat determines the damage dealt by each successful shot before any modifiers. The base damage can be improved by acquiring a higher quality Longneck Rifle.

Durability

Just like any equipment, the Longneck Rifle has a durability bar that depletes each time the weapon is used. When this bar is depleted the rifle will break. Repairing your weapon is therefore essential, especially during prolonged combat or taming operations.

Ammo Capacity

This determines the number of bullets that can be loaded at one time. The standard capacity is one bullet at a time.

Weight

All resources have weight, and this affects the inventory size. This is not a significant issue with the Longneck Rifle, especially when compared to some heavier weapons.

Recoil

Every shot has recoil, this makes the weapon slightly jump after each shot, especially without modifications. To compensate, experienced players learn to anticipate and adjust for recoil, keeping the weapon aimed accurately for follow-up shots.

The advantages of the Longneck Rifle are evident in its long-range capabilities. This allows for engagements from a safe distance, minimizing the risk of close-quarters encounters, which can be dangerous in ARK. Moreover, the weapon’s accuracy, especially when equipped with a scope, enables players to target specific areas of a creature, whether for hunting or taming, using precise headshots to increase the chances of a knockout.

However, the Longneck Rifle also has weaknesses. The primary one is its relatively low damage per shot compared to higher-tier weapons. The durability of the rifle can also be a limiting factor. Furthermore, ammo consumption can be quite high, particularly when dealing with larger creatures or engaging in prolonged combat.

Building Your Own Longneck Rifle

Crafting a Longneck Rifle might seem complex at first, but the process becomes simple with experience. Gathering the required resources and crafting the weapon is key.

The Necessary Resources

To craft the Longneck Rifle, the following materials are needed:

• Hide is a readily available resource, and is gathered from creatures.
• Metal Ingots (or a similar metal source) is key to building a high-quality weapon.
• Wood is easily obtainable from trees and provides a strong basis for the rifle.
• Fiber, obtained from plants, is vital for crafting components.
• Gunpowder, a crucial element to providing ammunition.

The crafting station for a Longneck Rifle is the Smithy (or, for higher-quality results, the Fabricator). Each has its own specifications, but generally, the smithy is the base station. The blueprint to crafting the Longneck Rifle is gained through leveling up, which in turn unlocks the engram for it. The player can then learn the recipe.

Efficient resource gathering is crucial in this process. For hide, hunt creatures. For metal, mining and smelting is required. Wood is obtained by chopping down trees, and Fiber can be easily gathered from plants. Gunpowder requires the combination of Charcoal and Sulfur, which must be crafted.

The time it takes to craft the Longneck Rifle can vary depending on the crafting station and the player’s crafting speed. However, the time to collect resources can be more of an issue, as it may require multiple trips to different areas to collect all needed resources.

The quality of the crafted weapon is determined by the stats of the character, the resources used, and the crafting station. A higher quality rifle deals more damage and is more durable, therefore it is beneficial to find the blueprint of the Longneck Rifle from a high-tier source.

Ammo and Its Specific Uses

The Longneck Rifle gains its utility from the various types of ammunition it can use, each designed for a different purpose.

Simple Rifle Ammo

This is the basic ammunition, crafted from simple resources and used for general combat situations. It provides a decent amount of damage for taking down common creatures or defending against threats.

Advanced Rifle Ammo

This is higher tier ammo with increased damage output, enabling you to inflict more damage on bigger, more dangerous creatures, and players.

Tranq Darts

These are the cornerstone of the taming process. They inflict torpor, knocking out creatures over time.

Shocking Tranq Darts

These inflict a significant amount of torpor quickly.

You must craft all of these ammos at a relevant crafting station. For example, you craft Simple Rifle Ammo in the Smithy, using Gunpowder and Metal Ingots. More advanced ammos require more advanced crafting stations such as the Fabricator.

The best uses of each ammo type depend on the scenario. Simple Rifle Ammo works best for hunting or dealing with lower-level threats. Advanced Rifle Ammo provides the necessary punch for high-level threats. Tranq Darts are essential for knocking out creatures, and Shocking Tranq Darts offer a quicker route for that purpose.

The optimal range for each type of ammo depends on the scope attached to the weapon. However, in general, the Longneck Rifle’s range is considerable, and players can generally safely engage targets from a distance, without the risk of taking melee damage.

Scoping Out the Possibilities

Scopes are crucial attachments for the Longneck Rifle, enabling precision and long-range targeting.

Scope Options

There are three primary scopes. These are:

• Simple Scope is the initial scope, offering a basic zoom and improved vision at medium ranges.
• Holographic Sight offers a good balance between zoom and visibility, suitable for engaging targets at medium distances.
• Advanced Sniper Scope provides the highest zoom level, ideal for long-range engagements and precision shots.

All the scopes can be crafted at the Fabricator. To attach the scopes, access your inventory and combine the scope with your Longneck Rifle.

Using scopes effectively involves practice. The crosshairs must be aligned with the target’s head for maximum effectiveness, particularly with tranq darts.

Gameplay Strategies and Tactics

The Longneck Rifle is a tool for both combat, taming and resource gathering.

Combat Applications

In combat situations, the Longneck Rifle allows for ranged engagements. The high range of the weapon allows for combat from relative safety.

Taming Applications

The Longneck Rifle’s primary advantage is during taming. Tranq Darts will be your friend. Carefully position your shots, and apply headshots for increased effectiveness.

Resource Gathering

The Longneck Rifle can also be used for hunting, helping to harvest resources.

To maximize your effectiveness, consider practicing your shooting skills to better anticipate the target’s movements.

Maintaining Your Longneck Rifle

Upgrading the Longneck Rifle, as well as maintaining the durability of the weapon, is paramount.

Weapon Quality

The weapon quality level affects damage, durability, and often other attributes. The higher the weapon quality, the better the Longneck Rifle performs.

Repairing the Longneck Rifle

When the Longneck Rifle is damaged, it must be repaired. The Smithy is used to repair lower-tier Longneck Rifles, while the Fabricator handles higher-tier ones. Repairing involves using resources that match those required for crafting the rifle.

Mastering the Longneck Rifle is more than just knowing how to fire; it is a testament to strategy, skill, and survival.

Conclusion

The Longneck Rifle is more than just a weapon; it’s a cornerstone of survival in ARK: Survival Evolved. From ranged combat to creature taming, this versatile weapon empowers players to conquer the challenges of the ARK environment. With a firm understanding of crafting, ammo types, attachments, and effective combat strategies, you can transform your gameplay. Practice your aim, adapt to changing scenarios, and always be prepared for the unexpected. Now, armed with this knowledge, venture forth and make the Longneck Rifle your trusted companion in the unforgiving world of ARK: Survival Evolved.