Ark: Survival Ascendedhas plenty of strong bosses, but the Medusa from theAstraeosDLC may be one of the most difficult to beat for different rewards. The requirements to unlock the boss fight against Medusa are almost as tricky as the battle itself, requiring you to discover rare relics around the new map. As you explore the Astraeos map, you’ll have to look for specific items to challenge Medusa.
Alongside the Minotaur and the Cyclops, Medusa is one of three bosses inArk: Survival Ascendedthat are direct references to Greek mythology. Thistheme around classic myths is prevalent on the Astraeos map, where many monuments from those stories can be found. Interacting with all thenew creatures on the Astraeos mapin this new land will give you a head start to face some of these mythological monsters.
Medusa Boss Requirements - How To Get Every Artifact
Search Ancient Locations For Unique Items
To fight Medusa, youmust build the Medusa Portal, an ancient device that can be placed on a Terminal to generate a gateway to the boss' arena. Constructing a Portal is not easy, as it required a number of materials to craft, including:
Many initial materials used to build the Portal are easily acquired frommonsters you tame inArk: Survival Ascended. However, the Artifacts are unique items to the Astraeos region, acting as hidden relics you have to hunt down first. You won’t get any clues regarding an Artifact’s location, so you’ll have to explore multiple islands and look for various monuments or structures to discover them.
The amount of materials you use to create a Portal determines the difficulty of the boss you face. For example, building a Medusa (Gamma) Portal requires the materials listed above, but it leads to a weaker version of the boss with fewer rewards. The Artifacts will always be required to build a Portal.
The following table outlines where you can search for each Artifact, including their exact coordinates on the Astraeos map based on the grid of the region:
Artifact of the Massive
Old Tomb
(37.4, 22.5)
Inside an ancient temple nestled into the side of a mountain. Youneed 3 Pedastels to unlock the final chamber in this areato collect the Artifact you need.
Artifact of the Hunter
Forgotten Temple
(30.0, 9.6)
Within the caves under a waterfall, across several narrow bridges and platforms. You’ll have to face two Minotaur mini-bosses to reach this Artifact.
Artifact of the Clever
Sunken Caverns
(24.7, 23.9)
Underwater through multiple twisting tunnels where many mounts can’t fit with you. Megalodons and other aggressive creatures guard this Artifact.
How To Beat Medusa
Don’t Get Turned To Stone
Medusa is a terrifying opponent inArk: Survival Ascended, as shehas some of the highest health among any creatures in the game. This already makes the fight extremely difficult without other players, but there are strategies you can follow to face this monster of myth solo.
ensure you are at least Level 85 or higher before facing Medusa, with a mount of a similar Level. This will make the fight more even, but you can make it easier if you are overleveled past this point when challenging Medusa.
Medusawill summon bats and spiders to attack youalongside its own strikes, making the battle feel very chaotic at times. Every so often,Medusa will reveal her face to stun you, knocking you off even thecoolest mounts inArk: Survival Ascended. This forces you to fight Medusa on her terms, unless you manage to avoid looking at the boss at the right time to avoid the stun.
Ark: Survival Ascended DLC Transforms The Game Into An Immersive Greek Myth
Ark: Survival Ascended players wanting to experience the magic of Greek mythology need to check out this officially supported mod on Steam.
Fast dinosaur mounts tend to do well against Medusa, as they allow you to get behind the boss to inflict some damage. Staying away from Medusa’s head can help you avoid her strongest attacks, which can give you the Rabies condition if you’re not careful. To win this war of attrition, you need to constantly deliver some damage to Medusa without getting overwhelmed by the boss' many minions.
All Medusa Boss Rewards
Gain Legendary Resources For The Best Gear
Defeating Medusa, or Natrix The Devious as they are also called, will reward you with the following items:
While the Head of Medusa is mostly a decoration to showcase your victory, the Element you collect is an exceedingly rare resource used to build powerful gear.Tek weapons and armor can be crafted using Element, giving you strong equipment to handle other bosses. For thisfirst partner DLC forArk: Survival Ascended, this is a hefty reward for your efforts.
You gain more Elements from defeating Medusa when you face stronger versions of the boss. Only 150 Element is given for taking down the Gamma variant of Medusa, but the Alpha variant can drop close to 600.
I’ve found that most of the Tek you make will be perfect against the Cyclops or Minotaur bosses you can also find on the Astraeos map. Once you meet the requirements to face Medusa inArk: Survival Ascended, you can always face it again for even more rewards in the future.
