LavaCave (The Center)

Location

Map

The Center

Location

11.2° Lat, 67.4° Lon

Loot

Artifact of the Massive
10.2° Lat, 52.9° Lon

Artifact of the Strong
15.2° Lat, 57.4° Lon

Loot Quality

Red

LavaCave is a region in The Center DLC.

Overview[]

The LavaCave is in the East of the Lava Biome, and it is one of the hardest caves in the DLC: The Center.

It is almost impossible to access the cave without a Pteranodon, Argentavis, or Quetzal. One could enter using Grappling Hooks or Climbing Pick (Aberration), albeit an extremely difficult prospect.

This cave contains two Artifacts. For the Artifact of the Massive, take the path to your right, and you will come to its chamber. For the Artifact of the Strong, take the left path heading toward the first ruined archway in the cave.

Dangers[]

Extreme Heat
Dangerous jumps, not even a parachute will save you from lava

Recommended Equipment[]

Tips[]

Bring Grappling Hooks, and lots of them; should you fall, grappling is the only thing that can prevent you from losing everything.
IMPORTANT: If you're playing Official or any server with cave flying disabled, land your flyer as soon as you fly down the initial chamber. You will be ejected from your mount (possibly over a lava pit) if you continue flying.
A Therizinosaur is probably the most suitable dinosaur in this cave, since it doesn't aggro any of its inhabitants. Even with a low level one, this cave is a piece of cake. You do not even need to jump on the way to the Artifact of the Strong like with smaller tames. Just watch out if you dismount it. In addition a Wyvern can carry it to the initial chamber (mind above note).
Using a Megalania with medium to high stamina you can easily climb along the walls and ceiling, bypassing the majority of hazards. If you climb high enough, the Araneo won't reach you with their net attack, and if you carefully plan your path you won't aggro the Onyc either.

Creatures[]

Compatible Tamed Creatures[]

Warning:

All creatures taken into the cave will be unable to leave unless they can fly, be carried by a flyer, or ride on top of a Quetz Platform Saddle.

This table is incomplete.
You can help us by adding the tamed creatures you know can enter the cave. If the creature can't enter, please exclude it.

Accessibility Ratings:

Excellent: Full-Cave Access (Entrance-to-Artifact)
Limited: Can Access Portions of the Cave Safely
Not Recommended: Can Get Stuck/Unable to Leave Cave

Creature	Accessibility	Rideable	Notes
Allosaurus	Limited	Yes
Ankylosaurus	Limited	Yes
Archaeopteryx	Excellent	No	Can be carried in and out by player.
Argentavis	Excellent	Unofficial/ Single-Player	Official Servers: Cannot mount in cave past the initial descent. Unofficial/Single-Player: Requires server setting -ForceAllowCaveFlyers to mount.
Arthropluera	Limited	Yes
Beelzebufo	Excellent	Yes
Brontosaurus	Not Recommended	Yes	Will be unable to leave cave.
Carbonemys	Limited	Yes
Carno	Limited	Yes
Castoroides	Limited	Yes	Unable to go up the first stairs section towards Artifact of the Strong.
Chalicotherium	Limited	Yes
Compy	Excellent	No	Can keep one on shoulder or bring a whole pack.
Dilophosaur	Limited	No
Dimetrodon	Limited	No
Dimorphodon	Excellent	No	Can keep one on shoulder or bring a whole flock.
Diplocaulus	Limited	Yes
Diplodocus	Not Recommended	Yes	Will be unable to leave cave.
Dire Bear	Limited	Yes
Direwolf	Excellent	Yes
Dodo	Excellent	No	Can be carried in and out by player.
DodoRex	Limited	Yes	Requires Quetz Platform Saddle to retrieve from cave.
Doedicurus	Limited	Yes
Dung Beetle	Excellent	No	Can be carried in and out by player.
Gallimimus	Limited	Yes
Giganotosaurus	Not Recommended	Yes	Will be unable to leave cave.
Gigantopithecus	Limited	Yes
Hesperornis	Excellent	No	Can be carried on shoulder.
Ichthyornis	Excellent	No	Can be carried on shoulder.
Jerboa	Excellent	No	Can be carried in and out by player.
Kairuku	Excellent	No	Can be carried in and out by player.
Kaprosuchus	Excellent	Yes
Lymantria	Excellent	Unofficial/ Single-Player	Official Servers: Cannot mount in cave past the initial descent. Unofficial/Single-Player: Requires server setting -ForceAllowCaveFlyers to mount.
Lystrosaurus	Limited	No
Mammoth	Limited	Yes
Mantis	Limited	Yes
Megaloceros	Limited	Yes
Mesopithecus	Excellent	No	Can keep on shoulder or bring a whole troop.
Microraptor	Excellent	No	Can keep on shoulderor bring a whole flock.
Morellatops	Limited	Yes
Onyc	Excellent	No
Otter	Excellent	No	Can be carried on shoulder.
Oviraptor	Limited	No
Pachy	Limited	Yes
Paracer	Not Recommended	Yes	Will be unable to leave cave.
Parasaur	Limited	Yes
Pegomastax	Excellent	No	Can be carried on shoulder.
Pelagornis	Excellent	Unofficial/ Single-Player	Official Servers: Cannot mount in cave past the initial descent. Unofficial/Single-Player: Requires server setting -ForceAllowCaveFlyers to mount.
Phiomia	Limited	Yes
Procoptodon	Excellent	Yes
Pteranodon	Limited	Unofficial/ Single-Player	Official Servers: Cannot mount in cave past the initial descent. Unofficial/Single-Player: Requires server setting -ForceAllowCaveFlyers to mount.
Quetzal	Excellent	Unofficial/ Single-Player	Official Servers: Cannot mount in cave past the initial descent. Unofficial/Single-Player: Requires server setting -ForceAllowCaveFlyers to mount.
Raptor	Excellent	Yes
Rex	Limited	Yes	Requires Quetz Platform Saddle to retrieve from cave.
Rock Elemental	Limited	Yes	Requires Quetz Platform Saddle to retrieve from cave.
Sabertooth	Excellent	Yes
Sarco	Limited	Yes
Scorpion	Limited	Yes
Spider	Limited	Yes
Spino	Limited	Yes	Requires Quetz Platform Saddle to retrieve from cave.
Stego	Limited	Yes
Tapejara	Excellent	Unofficial/ Single-Player	Official Servers: Cannot mount in cave past the initial descent. Unofficial/Single-Player: Requires server setting -ForceAllowCaveFlyers to mount.
Terror Bird	Excellent	Yes
Therizinosaur	Limited	Yes	Requires Quetz Platform Saddle or a Wyvern to retrieve from cave.
Thorny Dragon	Limited	Yes
Titanosaur	Not Recommended	Yes	Is too large for much of the cave. Will be unable to leave cave.
Trike	Limited	Yes
Vulture	Excellent	No	Can keep on shoulder or bring a whole flock.
Woolly Rhino	Limited	Yes
Wyvern	Excellent	Unofficial/ Single-Player	Official Servers: Cannot mount in cave past the initial descent. Unofficial/Single-Player: Requires server setting -ForceAllowCaveFlyers to mount.

Resources[]

From local creatures[]

Notes[]

Take Otter because he can carry many Artifacts.
The cave is so massive, that if you manage to get a Giganotosaurus or anything smaller down, you'll be able to navigate it around the majority of the cave. Getting it back out would be the issue.
Lava will not kill you instantly, but will do massive damage quite quickly. It is possible to save yourself if you manage to find a rock to jump on.
Before The Center became a DLC, reportedly one could retrieve the Artifact of the Devious here. After its official release however, it seems to have been replaced by the Artifact of the Strong.
There is a bug where while attempting to fly into the cave entrance, you will clip to the top of the volcano's caldera. It is recommended to land your mount outside the entrance and walk it manually inside before flying down into the cave.
There is another bug where the game will think you are underwater in much of the cave and display ocean particle-effects. This is only cosmetic, and you will not be affected otherwise.
If using a Megalania on the way to the Artifact of the Massive, it is possible to be teleported outside and find yourself in the middle of the vulcano island.

Gallery[]

Cave Entrance
The initial descent into the cave proper
Chamber with the Artifact of the Massive