ARK Survival Ascended Guide | How to Get Element and Red Element (Lost Colony)

Element and Red Element are important resources in ARK: Survival Ascended’s Lost Colony DLC, and there are several ways to obtain them. You can farm Element Dust and convert it into Element, use a Bloodforge to create Red Element, convert Red Element back into regular Element, or earn Red Element by completing Outpost Missions.

The simplest way to obtain regular Element is to start with Element Dust. On Lost Colony, destroy lamp posts, lights, and similar city furnishings to collect Element Dust. Bridges are particularly useful farming areas, including the large bridge around coordinates 43.2, 35. A Doedicurus can make the harvesting process much faster.

Once you have 1,000 Element Dust, open your inventory crafting menu and craft Unstable Element. It has a spoil timer, and once that timer expires, the Unstable Element becomes one regular Element.

Craft Red Element with the Bloodforge

The Bloodforge unlocks at Level 75 and is crafted in a Tek Replicator. To produce Red Element, place two Elements and 50 Blood Packs into the Bloodforge and craft Unstable Red Element. Once its spoil timer finishes, it becomes Red Element. The Bloodforge can also create Red Element from 100 Red Element Shards or 1,000 Red Element Dust.

For an easy supply of Blood Packs, build a Medical Stand, which unlocks at Level 60. Attach a nearby tamed creature and set the Medical Stand to Create Blood Packs. The process drains the creature’s health while producing Blood Packs, so monitor its health carefully, or the creature can die.

Convert Red Element Back into Element

Red Element can also be converted back into regular Element through the Bloodforge. Exsanguinating one Red Element produces two Exsanguinated Red Elements, which eventually stabilize into two regular Elements. This makes excess Red Element useful whenever more standard Element is needed.

Get Red Element from Outpost Missions

Another way to obtain Red Element is by completing Lost Colony Outpost Missions. In Defense Outposts, you must defend the central tower from waves of Revenants, spending mission resources on defenses like Auto Turrets and upgrades.

After the final wave and boss are defeated, collect the key dropped by the Outpost boss and use it to open the vault. The rewards include loot and Red Element, and successful Outposts can also provide tamed Thralls.

Farm Element Dust for regular Element, then use the Bloodforge or complete Outpost Missions to obtain Red Element on Lost Colony.

FAQ

Q. How much Element Dust is needed to make one Element?

A. You need 1,000 Element Dust to craft one Unstable Element, which becomes regular Element after its spoil timer expires.

Q. What is needed to craft one Red Element?

A. The Bloodforge recipe requires two Elements and 50 Blood Packs and initially produces Unstable Red Element.