The Speed Demons of Ark: Definitive Fastest Mounts Guide

As a dedicated Ark survivor with over 500 hours played, I‘ve made it my mission to tame and master the fastest mounts the game has to offer. I‘ve raced Gallimimus convoys across Scorched Earth, plunged down Frozen Fang Peak on a streaking Lightning Wyvern, and pushed a dolphin pod to its limits exploring the oceans of Genesis.

Now I want to share my hard-earned insider knowledge with you on exactly what the speediest creatures are in Ark Survival Evolved across land, air and sea…plus key tips to tame your own record-breaking mounts!

Fastest Land Dino: The Gallimimus Bullet Train

Without a doubt, the fastest rideable land creature I‘ve discovered is the Gallimimus. Don‘t let the feathers and bird-like appearance fool you – this dinosaur is built for land speed, earning its nickname as the “bullet on feet”.

With a best-in-class base speed stat of 125 at max level, Gallimimus blows away all other contenders as the Usain Bolt of Ark. Raptors, Procoptodons, horses, Dire Bears…nothing can catch a high-level Galli once it hits its stride.

I put that to the test recently during an epic cross-Valguero race between tribes. Each team selected what they thought was the fastest land mount, then raced them from White Cliff Cave up to the Great Trench without flier support. Here were the results:

As expected, the Gallimimus left even swift Raptors far behind, proving its elite movement speed credentials. With exceptional 788 stamina allowing it to run long distances without resting, Gallis are absolutely the prime choice for covering serious ground fast on foot.

Just watch out for attacks during travel – with just 315 health and 14 damage, Gallimimus are highly vulnerable without protection. I lost my best breeding male to a pack of Troodon ambushes! So keep them safe inside convoys.

How To Tame Your Own Speed Demon Gallimimus

If you want to claim the fastest land transportation for yourself, getting a top tier Gallimimus is easiest done through breeding for speed stats.

However even baseline wild Gallis are quicker than most creatures. I‘ve included my pro tips here on finding and taming high level specimens with kibble:

• Locations: Seek open grassland/desert regions like the Southwest beaches of The Island. Use a scope from high ground.

• Food: Regular kibble tames Gallis the fastest, but crops like Longrass, Rockarrot and Citronal work well too.

• Stats: Stamina directly boosts speed endurance. Check levels and stats before deciding to tame.

• Taming: Set up a taming pen before starting the process since Gallis startle easily. Stay hidden until trapped!

Now let‘s move our speed analysis from land to the air…what flying creature will come out on top?

Fastest Flying Mount: The Lightning Wyvern

Venturing into Ark‘s skies brings new possibilities for hyperfast travel aboard flying beasts. But which flier has true speed demon credentials? Of all the soaring critters in Ark, the Lighting Wyvern wins talon-down as fastest air mount.

With a stellar base 223 speed stat when fully imprinted and levelled, Lightning Wyverns can streak across maps at insane velocity. Combined with their barrel roll evasive action to rocket forward in bursts, expert riders can push them over extremely long distances without landing.

I frequently scout on my max speed/stamina Lightning Wyvern "Zeus" from my Crystal Isles base all the way north to the snow biome and back in one uninterrupted flight. He‘s an integral part transporting goods between our coastal harbor and inland outposts.

Here‘s how the top contenders compare in terms of base stats:

While other fliers have roles to play, none can match the pure velocity of a high level Lighting Wyvern soaring at full tilt. Their epic speed and power is balanced by longer maturation times during breeding, but dedicated players willing to raise successive generations will get the fastest possible air transport.

Claiming Your Own Wyvern

Getting a top tier speed Wyvern requires stealing and hatching their valuabe eggs – a true rite of passage! Here is what I‘ve learned:

• Locations: Lightning Wyverns spawn on Crystal Isles and Ragnarok maps. Seek nests along sheer cliff faces.

• Strategy: Use a fast, disposable flier like a Tapejara. Grab eggs and flee quickly!

• Breeding: Mate high speed Wyverns and selectively breed babies with best speed stats. Imprint them for 20% bonus!

Stay tuned fellow survivors, next we‘ll dive under the waves to see what oceans beasts provide the fastest aquatic transportation…

Speediest Water Mount: Imprinted Dolphins

While swimming might seem inherently slower than flying, domesticated ocean creatures can still provide ultra-fast transports with the right traits and techniques. Of all aquatic options, imprinted Dolphins stand out as the Usain Bolt‘s of the sea.

With a mighty 174 base swim speed when fully levelled, high generation dolphins bred selectively for speed stats surge through water faster than a human torpedo! Plus they gain a 50% speed burst from jumping as an extra booster.

I learned that lesson firsthand racing ocean creatures between herbivore island and south tropical shores on The Island map. My opponent chose an average dolphin…and I arrogantly thought my 135% speed Ichthy would win easily. Boy was I wrong! See the results:

That imprinted dolphin demolished my previous speed records, spurting ahead whenever it leapt and barely slowing during dives. Further breeding and stat testing showed top tier dolphins can reliably beat even 140%+ speed ichthys.

So for those who love scouting new underwater areas or quickly moving cargo through seascapes, imprinted high generation dolphins are 100% your fastest and most agile option. Using cross-server travelling can help find those elusive 150+ stat progenitors too!

How To Make Dolphins Even Faster

Beyond selective breeding programs, there‘s a few extra tricks aquarists use to amp dolphin speeds even higher:

• Level exclusively into Swim Speed and Stamina for hyper-sprint dolphin lineages

• Use Lazarus Chowder consumables for +50% speed bursts

• Chain jumping to repeatedly activate the 50% jump speed bonus

• Imprint for 20% faster top speeds across the board

If you want to rule the oceans with the fastest rides possible, putting in the long-term breeding efforts for 150+ swim speed dolphins pays off tremendously. Now let‘s recap everything we‘ve covered…

Conclusion & Summary

After extensively scouting Ark‘s land, air and seas on a personal quest for speed, I‘m confident in declaring these mounts the definitive fastest for their environments:

Land: Gallimimus

Air: Lightning Wyvern

Water: Imprinted Dolphin

If you‘re looking for raw velocity to save travel time patroling your territory, conducting supply runs between bases, or scouting new areas, you can‘t beat these creatures stats-wise.

Just remember rider skills and external factors also impact dino speeds greatly. So master sprinting techniques, carry less encumbering weight, and utilize speed boosting consumables.

Most importantly – get out there and start your own breeding projects! With enough generations and selective stats passing, you can make insanely fast custom creature lines. That commitment pays off when nobody else can catch you soaring past on your speed demon mounts.

Let me know what your fastest tames are, or if you have any other speed creature tips for fellow Ark survivors!