You're standing in the middle of a literal furnace. Your water bar is blinking red, your Jerboa is screaming at a sandstorm, and you just realized you need about 500 Obsidian to get anything useful done. This is the Scorched Earth experience. It’s brutal. In the original Survival Evolved, we had the layout memorized, but the ARK Ascended Scorched Earth resource map has shifted just enough in the Unreal Engine 5 remake to make old veterans feel like total newbies.
The verticality is different now. The rocks look different. Even the way nodes shimmer under the desert sun feels "off" until you get your bearings. If you’re looking for a simple GPS coordinate list, you’re missing the point of how this map actually flows. Resources here aren't just scattered; they’re clustered in high-danger zones that require a specific pathing strategy.
The Metal Problem and the Blue Mountain
Most players spawn in the South. It’s "easy," right? Wrong. The South is a trap if you’re looking for high-end gains. For Metal, you basically have to live or die by the mountains.
The Great High Desert surrounds the central peaks. If you look at the ARK Ascended Scorched Earth resource map with any level of scrutiny, you’ll see the "Blue Mountain" (the one near the Blue Obelisk) is the undisputed king of Metal. There are clusters here that will fill an Argentavis in six minutes flat. But here’s the kicker: the pathing for the AI is better in Ascended. Sabertooths and Wolves will actually hunt you down the slopes now, rather than getting stuck on a pebble like they did in 2016.
Rich Metal nodes—the shiny gold ones—are primarily tucked away on the higher ridges. If you’re staying low in the canyons, you’re hitting "regular" rocks that give a pittance of metal. It’s a waste of durability.
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Move toward the World Scar. While everyone thinks of the Scar just for Wyvern eggs, the ridges overlooking the trench are surprisingly dense with obsidian and metal. It’s high-risk. One lag spike and you’re lava food. But for a solo player, those cliffside nodes are often overlooked by the big tribes who are too busy fighting over the peaks.
Sulfur, Salt, and the Stuff That Keeps You Alive
Sulfur is annoying. You need it for Flame Arrows, Preserving Salts, and taming those weirdly fast Rock Elementals. On the ARK Ascended Scorched Earth resource map, Sulfur is almost exclusively tied to the yellow-streaked rocks found around the mountain bases and the sulfur pools.
The pits near the mountains are death traps. Not because of the heat, but because the fog in ASA makes it impossible to see the Kaprosuchus waiting in the muck. Honestly, if you need Sulfur, stick to the higher elevations of the central mountains. The nodes are smaller, but you aren't fighting for your life every five seconds in a swampy pit.
Raw Salt is another story. You’ll find it in the "bones." See those massive ribcages sticking out of the sand? Those are your Salt mines. There’s a massive concentration in the High Desert (the North and West sections). Look for white, crystalline pillars. They look like giant salt shakers exploded.
Finding Obsidian and Crystal Without Dying
Crystal is everywhere and nowhere. It’s weird. You’ll find it in the caves, obviously, but the most accessible Crystal is actually on the peaks of the smaller "buttes" in the middle of the desert.
The ARK Ascended Scorched Earth resource map shows a heavy concentration of Obsidian in the World Scar and the peaks of the central mountains. In ASA, Obsidian has a much sharper, glossier texture. It stands out against the matte red dirt.
- The Peaks: Highest density, highest danger (Gigas and Carchars spawn here).
- The Scar: Great for flyers, terrible for anything on foot.
- The Caves: The Church Cave and the Ruins of Nosti are loaded, but the spiders are a nightmare.
If you’re desperate for Obsidian and don't have a Quetzal yet, head to the "Low Meadows" area near the red obelisk. There are hidden veins tucked behind the large rock formations that most people fly right over.
The Silk and Cactus Sap Grind
Let's talk about the stuff that actually matters for the first ten hours. Silk. You need it for tents. If you don't have a tent, you die in a heatwave. It’s that simple.
Purple flowers. That’s your target. On the ARK Ascended Scorched Earth resource map, the riverbeds (the dry ones) are lined with these. Don't use your hands. Tame a Lymantria (the moth) or a Mosschops as fast as humanly possible. A Mosschops will get you more Silk in five bites than you’ll get in an hour of hand-picking.
Cactus Sap is the map's version of water and food combined. The small, round cacti give a bit, but the tall, thin ones are the jackpot. You can actually use a chainsaw on the tall cacti in Ascended to get thousands of sap units in seconds. It’s a game-changer for making Propellant.
Oil Jars and the Logic of the Desert
Oil is different on Scorched. You aren't diving underwater with a Pickaxe. You’re looking for Oil Veins.
These are found mostly in the badlands. Look for black, gooey spots on the ground that look like a leak. You have to build an Oil Pump on top of them. Once that pump is down, it’s passive income. The most contested Oil Veins are near the Blue Obelisk and the Western plateau.
If you’re a solo player, find a vein in the deep desert. Most people are too scared to go there because of the heat and the lack of landmarks, but if you have a compass and a dream, those veins stay untouched for weeks.
Polymer: The Organic Route
Forget the Fabricator for a second. If you need Polymer, you hunt Mantis.
The Mantis spawns are heavy in the dunes. Check the ARK Ascended Scorched Earth resource map for the "Dune Loop"—basically the entire perimeter of the map. Take a high-level Megatherium out there. Since Mantis are technically bugs, the Megatherium gets its bug-killer buff and absolutely shreds them. You’ll come home with stacks of Organic Polymer that will rot before you can even use it all.
Actionable Strategy for Success
Stop trying to build a "main base" on day one. Scorched Earth is about mobility.
- Tame a Jerboa immediately. It’s not just a pet; it’s your weather station. The sounds it makes tell you if a Sandstorm (lowered visibility/stamina drain) or a Heatwave (rapid dehydration) is coming.
- Focus on the "Middle Ground." The area between the easy spawns and the deadly mountains is where the best balance of Metal and Water exists.
- Use Morellatops. They are the literal "tanks" of the desert. They store water. If you're far from a well, a Morellatops is your only lifeline.
- Adobe is mandatory. Stone houses will cook you alive. Do not build in stone. Use the Cactus Sap and Sand you’ve gathered to make Adobe structures immediately.
The real secret to the ARK Ascended Scorched Earth resource map isn't just knowing where the nodes are; it’s knowing how to get to them before the sun kills you. The map is smaller than The Island, but it feels twice as big because every meter traveled costs you water and stamina.
Go for the Blue Mountain for your initial metal push. Secure an Oil Vein in the badlands early. Hunt Mantis for your Poly. If you do those three things, you’ll outpace 90% of the other players on the server within the first weekend. Keep your canteen full and your Jerboa close. The desert doesn't forgive mistakes, but it absolutely rewards the players who know exactly where the gold is hidden in the sand.
To progress further, focus your efforts on taming a high-weight Argentavis to begin transporting metal from the central peaks to an Adobe outpost situated near a reliable Water Vein. Once your metal production is stabilized, prioritize the construction of Wind Turbines in areas with at least 80% wind reliability—typically found on the higher plateaus—to ensure your refrigerators stay powered without the constant need for gasoline.