Nanoh's Ascended Saddles
Are standard ARK saddles leaving your tames feeling underpowered? Do you dream of a Rex that shrugs off explosions or a Raptor that outruns a Giga? If so, Nanoh's Ascended Saddles is the mod you have been searching for. This transformative add-on introduces a collection of enchanted saddles, each packed with stat multipliers, damage-type resistances, and unique buffs that completely redefine how you approach combat, exploration, and resource gathering in ARK: Survival Ascended.
This mod is designed for players who want more depth and power from their creature companions. Instead of simply providing armor, these saddles turn your tames into specialized war machines or utility specialists. The core philosophy is simple: earn your power. All saddles are obtained through a dynamic drop system triggered by defeating a dino of the specific species the saddle is for. This ensures that every powerful saddle feels like a hard-won trophy, not a handout.
What Makes Nanoh's Ascended Saddles Unique?
The magic of this mod lies in its multi-layered enhancement system. Each saddle isn't just a single buff; it's a combination of several powerful effects that synergize to create truly formidable creatures. The enhancements are broken down into three main categories: stat boosts, damage-type resistances, and special saddle buffs.
Stat Multipliers and Resistances
Every saddle in the mod provides a baseline set of improvements that are "handled by base saddle buff." These include:
- Increased movement speed, making your tames faster in combat and travel.
- Reduced aggro range, allowing for stealthier approaches.
- Boosted melee damage output, turning your tames into heavy hitters.
- Significant incoming damage reduction, increasing survivability.
- Flat regeneration rates for health, stamina, food, and oxygen.
- Reduced knockback and torpidity regeneration, keeping your tames in the fight longer.
On top of these, saddles offer specific damage-type resistances, including melee, projectile, carnivore, herbivore, explosive, ice, and fire. This allows you to tailor your tames to counter specific threats, such as making a Therizinosaurus resistant to fire for a Magmasaur raid or a Rex built to withstand explosive turret fire.
Unique Saddle Buffs
Perhaps the most exciting feature is the inclusion of special, named buffs that add game-changing mechanics. These buffs are not just numbers; they alter behavior and strategy. Some standout examples include:
- Athlete: Regenerates stamina at a rapid rate for endless sprinting.
- Body Builder: All items on the creature have almost zero carry weight, turning it into a massive storage unit.
- Boxer: Increases damage output by a flat 25%.
- Hard Headed: Provides a flat 25% damage reduction.
- Graceful Tumbler: Completely negates fall damage, making high-cliff traversal safe.
- Lightning Reflexes: Gives a 30% chance to dodge incoming damage entirely.
- Dismount Prevention: Protects riders from being dismounted by Purlovia, Microraptors, and similar pests.
- Harvester: Allows the creature to harvest a specified resource, streamlining gathering.
- Water Rider: Enables land-only dinos to be ridden underwater, opening new exploration avenues.
- Heal Aura: Passively heals nearby allied dinos, creating a support role.
- Parting Gift: Restores health upon killing an enemy, rewarding aggressive play.
- Rider Protection: Prevents the rider from taking damage while mounted.
The Legendary Saddle Roster
Nanoh's Ascended Saddles features a massive roster of named saddles for popular creatures, each with a unique and often humorous title. Here are just a few of the "Current NAS Saddles" available:
- Rex - A-Team: The classic powerhouse, built for heavy combat.
- Megalodon - Chum Norris: The ocean's deadliest predator gets even scarier.
- Megatherium - Chilliam Shakespear: A bug-slaying poet of destruction.
- Castoroides - Justin Beaver: The ultimate wood-cutting machine.
- Tusoteuthis - Squid Pro Quo: A deal with the deep that favors you.
- Giga - Gigaron: The king of destruction, now with even more bite.
- Parasaur - Parasaur of Pain: A surprisingly effective early-game combat mount.
- Raptor - Raptors Revenge: Fast, deadly, and perfect for pack hunting.
- Rock Drake - Dova's Thu'um: A shout of power for the cave dweller.
- Stego - Adg's Recliner: A tanky, comfortable ride for any situation.
- Managarmr - Slim Speedy: The fastest creature in the game becomes even quicker.
- Snow Owl - Irritable Owl Syndrome: A cold-hearted healer with a temper.
- Dreadnoughtus - Big Momma: A walking fortress that commands respect.
- Mek - Armor-Geddon: The ultimate anti-structure weapon.
- Rock Golem - The Rock: An immovable object with unstoppable force.
This list is extensive, covering everything from early-game utility creatures to late-game apex predators, ensuring there is a powerful saddle for every playstyle and stage of the game.
Customization and Server Administration
Server owners have full control over the mod's balance through an extensive configuration system. You can adjust stat multipliers, drop rates, resistance maximums, and more to fine-tune the experience for your community. This ensures that the mod can be balanced for PvE, PvP, or casual play. For a quick test or to see the config UI, admins can use the remote cheat giveitem command: /NanohsAscendedSaddles/AdminUI/PrimalItem_SaddleConfigRemote.PrimalItem_SaddleConfigRemote.
Important Mechanics and Fair Play
It is crucial to understand that this mod integrates with an external API to track saddle drops. This means that any saddles spawned in via console commands or admin cheats will not receive the stat boosts or buffs. The mod is designed to reward legitimate gameplay. If you use a shop mod or try to cheat to get these saddles, you will be left with a useless, non-boosted item. The only way to get the full power is to earn the drop by defeating the corresponding dino in the world.
Installation and Compatibility
Installing the mod is straightforward. To download Nanoh's Ascended Saddles, you can find it on the CurseForge or Mod.io platforms directly through the ARK: Survival Ascended mod manager. For a more streamlined experience, many players use the foxygame.net launcher, which simplifies the process. The foxygame.net launcher provides a one-click install for Nanoh's Ascended Saddles for ARK: Survival Ascended, and its add-on catalog automatically checks for updates, ensuring you always have the latest version without needing to manually track files. This is particularly useful for server admins who want to ensure all their players are on the same version of the mod.
When considering how to install, always verify that the mod version is compatible with your current game build. The mod is regularly updated to support the latest patches and DLC releases for ARK: Survival Ascended, ensuring that features like the new Dreadnoughtus or Gigantoraptor saddles work seamlessly with the base game. Always check the mod's description page for the latest supported version notes. The mod is designed to be highly compatible with other mods, but as with any mod, it is best practice to test it on a single-player session or a test server before adding it to a large, established cluster to avoid any potential conflicts.
In conclusion, Nanoh's Ascended Saddles is more than just a stat booster; it is a complete overhaul of the saddle system that encourages exploration, rewards combat, and adds a layer of strategic depth to taming. Whether you are a solo player looking to solo bosses or a tribe leader preparing for war, this mod offers a fresh and exciting way to experience ARK: Survival Ascended. The unique buffs, combined with the fair drop system, make it a must-have for any serious survivor looking to ascend their gameplay.