Archaeopteryx

Aerial Lifejacket

Sometimes while flying, players will accidentally hit the dismount button () which is a frequently fatal mistake. Much like the , an Archaeopteryx held while flying will slow a falling survivor's descent. However, unlike the Parachute, the Archaeopteryx's gliding ability is so slow that players often are still in range of their flying mounts long enough to be able to remount while in mid-air. In addition, the player cannot use Weapons or Tools while gliding making it…

Escape Artist

Players can make a quick getaway from danger by gliding away with an Archaeopteryx. Jumping from even the slightest difference in terrain can cause a player to soar considerable distances.

Portable Hang-Glider

With better maneuverability and slower fall speed than the Parachute, it's more appropriate to call Archaeopteryx a hang-glider. It allows players to jump considerable gaps and can allow for safe (albeit, slow at first) descents to safety. You can deactivate and reactivate this ability by pressing your Reload hotkey ().

Large-Mount Safe Dismounter

Freely dismount your tall animals without worrying about damage. Safely jump off, execute a carefully timed double-tap of the reload key to set your desired descent speed, and softly touch down moments later.

Aerial Refueling

With your flying mount set to follow, you can dismount while in flight and simply glide forward while your mount rejuvenates its stamina, then glide toward it and remount. All without the risks of landing.

Element Conservation

In combination with a and the Archa can be used to conserve fuel increasing Distance and reducing Element Usage.

Tree Sap Collector

When set on wander, it will slowly gather from Redwood and Joshua Trees. It collects around 1-2 Sap every 5–10 minutes (Values differ from the number of trees it visits). You should put a on your Archaeopteryx if you plan to use them for sap collection (Or track it if you are on ), as it is very easy to lose them.

They are not very useful for this role as they do not gather sap while in Stasis, and often wander out of render distance... not to mention their low health pool. While dino leashed to one redwood tree, Archaeopteryx will gather sap at a pace that is comparable to 1/7th of a tree sap tap essentially a low-budget version.

Traversing the Tek Cave

It turns out that the Tek Cave on The Island can be passed through by using an Archaeopteryx to glide over all the danger to the end of the cave without ever touching the ground. Though it takes some skills to avoid flying enemies like the and especially avoid bringing the attention of any and high level from the cave for the simple fact that with a simple roar, they can scare the Archaeopteryx and make it drop you, beating the cave this way to arrive at the is…

Egg Farm

On maps where the Archaeopteryx is common to see like Extinction it can be an early-game supply of eggs to make . It is also easy to tame, so the task to tame some of them to start a farm may take just a couple of minutes.

Pet

Like all creatures that can be carried or sat on the shoulder of a survivor, the Archaeopteryx is considered one of the 'pets'. Though the Archa cannot wear a hat or helmet and be put on the shoulder like other pets, they still have value to breeders, exotic pet collectors, and survivors who want a goofy, feathered companion to accompany them on their daily routines and adventures.