auto turret targeting system disrupter [Updated!!!!] Acinonyx pardinensis! The Bola Cheetah!!!! Toppler of Giants!!!

[RaephClark]

 

🐾Banner by Raeph Clark, colored by LitteSpicyOreos and PaulStewart (WORK IN PROGRESS)🐾

🐾Dossier written by Raeph Clark; sketched and inked by LittleSpicy Oreos and Paul Stewart🐾

Common Name: Giant Cheetah

Species: Acinonyx pardinensis

Time: Early Pleistocene 

Diet: Carnivore

Temperament: Evasive and Opportunistic 

Wild

Acinonyx pardinensis is the epitome of the need for speed. They can turn on a dime thanks to their cleat-like feet, evading any obstacles that lie in their path. They will ambush and chase their prey until they catch up and trip them, stunning them until they go for the kill. 

Despite being the speed demon that it is, the Acinonyx isn’t the best fighter. In fact, they would rather abandon their meal than have to face any other predator that comes to claim it. But in their wake, they’ll leave a blinding trail of dust that will ensure a clean getaway. 

Domesticated 

Acinonyx are quite difficult to tame due to their wariness of predators. Not only that, but their incredible stamina also prevents tranquilizers from slowing them down. However, I have seen other Survivors lay carcasses of creatures out in the open, and if no other predators are around, they’ll come out for a bite. 

These wonderful cats make for great travel companions. Though not one for confrontation, the Acinonyx has developed a “cat sense” that allows it to evade attacks with ease, if timed right. And with the confidence of their rider, they can even immobilize creatures much larger than themselves by running around them with tethers that wrap around the legs, causing the creatures to trip and fall. I’ve also noticed other Tribes pair their Acinonyx with Dire Wolves. I’ve never seen a cat more comfortable with a canine before, but it seems like the Dire Wolves benefit from the relationship with a boost to their speed.

🐾Art by LittleSpicyOreos and PaulStewart; second image inked by kaiarra and LittleSpicyOreos🐾

Details

PVE

• The fastest land creature on the ARK, even faster than Gallimimus!
• Can make 90-degree turns without slowing down.
• Has high stats in Stamina, Speed and very high Torpidity, and average stats in Weight, Melee Damage and Health
• Can perform a “speed burst” at the cost of using up extra Stamina
• Has a “cat sense”, allowing it to dodge close-quarters attacks when zooming past; though it must be timed right. Alternatively, you can be immune to stun attacks by creatures such as Microraptors, Purlovia, Baryonyx, etc!
• Has a tripping mechanic that can immobilize small creatures or Survivors like a bola; shown in the form of a swiping motion similar to the Griffin; can be used while running without slowing down (has a cooldown)
• Just like the Equus, Survivors can craft a Tether in the Giant Cheetah’s inventory (with the saddle) and run around targets much larger than itself and tie their legs up, immobilizing them for a short period of time. The larger the creature, the more laps you’ll have to run (similar to Pokémon Ranger). Watch out walkers!
• Can use its momentum and evasive maneuvers to slam into larger targets, reducing their speed significantly (great for catching up to and slowing down wild creatures that are close to being knocked out!) (also has a cooldown)
• Wild and tamed individuals can immobilize your mount if it is below a certain drag weight, but you won’t be dismounted; wild Giant Cheetahs will flee if down to half health or if larger predators come in the vicinity.
  • Alternative: Wild and tamed can immobilize and knock you off your mount
• Riding a Giant Cheetah can allow Survivors to lock on to targets as they are running so they don’t miss when shooting with a Crossbow or Longneck Rifle.
• Will leave a dust cloud in its wake to deter aggressors, leaving them blinded and slowed for a few seconds. Eat my dust!
• Pairing with Dire Wolves allows them to have a Pack bonus that boosts their Melee, and the Dire Wolves will have a boost to their Speed!
• Will have an extra imprint bonus if raised with Dire Wolf pups.
• Saddle has the option to equip webbed mitts that allow traversal across water for a few seconds!
• Giant Cheetah are resistant to Microraptor knock-offs, so they can swat them away!
• Can SNUGGLE!

 

🐾Giant Cheetah Color Region Concept by kaiarra; Color Regions Animation by LittleSpicyOreos🐾

PVP

• Great for scouting ahead or even catching up to scouts and immobilizing them
• Can immobilize threats for a short period during raids (see the Tether mechanic in PVE)
• Can place down explosives like C4 while running (with saddle equipped)!
• Can pick up dropped bags or items while running for quick “dash and grabs”
• Can evade attacks when timed right (has a cooldown for balancing)
• Can boost Direwolf speed if in proximity with their partners!

🐾Art by kaiarra🐾

Taming

• Remove all threats in the area (mainly aggressive or carnivorous creatures)
• Kill a creature and drag it out in the open and lie in wait (Ghillie armor works best!)
• The Giant Cheetah will come out and feed on the carcass, similar to a Fjordhawk. The more bites the more progress it makes!
• Will flee if another predator approaches.

Saddle

• Can be unlocked at Lvl 60!
• Can craft a Tether that can immobilize much larger targets by wrapping the tether around them!
• Can allow dropped bags to be grabbed while on the run!
• Can drop explosives like Grenades or C4 on the go! Jars of Pitch included!
• Can harness different powders for different effects! Torch required!
  • Element Dust to charge up dust clouds with an EMP, shorting out electronics!
  • Sparkpowder to set of Flares to disrupt targeting systems of auto turrets and RPGs!
  • Gunpowder to set of explosives!

🐾Saddle Concept by PaulStewart and LittleSpicyOreos🐾

TEK Saddle

• Grants Giant Cheetah increased Speed and more Stamina!
• Can create after-images of itself to confuse opponents (like Double Team in Pokémon!)
• Dust clouds made will include an EMP burst that can mess with electronics and TEK gear and can cause damage!
• Can strafe and evade in any direction, similar to how Tapejara move!
• Can traverse across water with ease (Similar to how Rhyniognatha and Bloodstalkers wade!)
• Can have a speed burst just like the TEK Leggings allow, breaking through rocks and trees with ease!
• Can slow the Cheetah’s descent while falling, reducing fall damage significantly!

🐾TEK Saddle Concepts by LittleSpicyOreos, kaiarra, PaulStewart🐾

Being the fastest land mammal in modern day, I think the Giant Cheetah would be a prime choice for any biomes with flat terrain and wide-open spaces. Plus, I think we need more cats in ARK, right? Though the Giant Cheetah was slower than modern cheetahs due to their proportional size, we can still imagine this wonderful creature as the fastest thing in the land. 

The Giant Cheetah can be used for scouting as well as being a fast and annoying distraction in PVP. Like cheetahs today, they could make a 90-degree turn to catch prey off guard and trip them so they can go in for the kill. I also had the fun idea that Survivors can leave behind a grenade, C4 or something (if timed right) once they hit that 90-degree turn. This may have a cooldown after turning several times. The Giant Cheetah could alternatively leave a dust cloud that can blind and slow enemies for a quick getaway. And with a saddle equipped, you can use different powders for different effects! Element Dust to charge the dust cloud with an EMP to short-circuit electronics! Sparkpowder will set off flares and disrupt targeting systems of auto turrets and RPGs! And Gunpowder can be ignited with a Torch to set of explosions!

🐾Art by kaiarra🐾

As mentioned before, the Giant Cheetah will be built for speed, not power. You could chip away at enemies with the bomb run or quick swipes, but it would be preferred that you keep your kitty as alive as possible. Like the Equus, it can make a rope-like Tether that you can hook onto larger creatures and wrap around their legs as you run in laps around them and they will eventually become immobilized, creating a perfect opportunity to tranquilize a fleeing creature or topple a towering opponent. And the larger the creature, the more laps you’ll have to make around the creature. Watch out AT-ATs!

And what’s more is that it can have a “cat sense” that’ll allow it to evade enemy attacks with ease (this may have a cooldown as well). And this cat sense also grants the passive ability to be immune to stun attacks from Microraptor, Purlovia, and other stunning creatures on land! And with the regular saddle, you could also pick up items as you pass over them if you enable it for easy grabbing, especially if you’ve died recently and are in dangerous territory and you need to grab your dropped gear as quickly as possible.

The Giant Cheetah would be a passive tame. First you should clear the area of any threats, aggressive predators or herbivores, and then kill a creature and drag it out in the open. The bigger the better. Then throw on some Ghillie armor (and maybe Bug Repellant?) and just lie in wait until it comes closer and feasts. The more bites it can take the better. Repeat the process until you've tamed your own Giant Cheetah!

🐾Art by kaiarra🐾

And with it tamed a tamed Acinonyx could receive a pack bonus from nearby Dire Wolves, or better yet, have an imprinted bond with an individual Dire Wolf so it’ll have increased stats with them, making it crucial to breed the best Dire Wolf possible to pair with a recently tamed or bred Giant Cheetah. Just have a Dire Wolf in proximity with the Giant Cheetah and it’ll give the option to pair, or once one is born, it’ll pair with the closest Dire Wolf. And because the Giant Cheetah is faster and may go further than the wolves, its bond range will be larger than other pack bonuses, making it ideal for PVP situations.

A tamed Giant Cheetah could also be a great taming mount, having the ability to trip wild or domesticated creatures as if it were a bola. And they can swat away Microraptors passively so you can avoid those pesty knock-offs! And for endgame, a TEK saddle could be given to it that’ll not only make it go faster but give it the capability to strafe and evade with ease in every direction, even make afterimages of itself to confuse enemies. And you can slow your descent when falling to reduce fall damage significantly and can even run and walk across water and speed burst through rocks and trees like TEK leggings!

The Giant Cheetah would be found in open areas where there is plenty of room to run around, like the savanna or open plains. They'll go after any creatures that won't fight back, or at least won't hurt it as much. If it takes enough damage, it'll flee. As for design, let’s give it the "King Cheetah" look, a color variant of modern cheetah that features recessive melanistic genes! Also, the cubs look incredibly cute! They chirp like birds and are little balls of fluff! And better yet, adults and babies have the option to snuggle up to you!

🐾"Extinction" Variants by LittleSpicyOreos, PaulStewart🐾

If anyone has any other thoughts, feel free to comment below!

Also, should we name the Giant Cheetah Acinonyx celeritadaemon (“speed demon” in Latin)? I’ll let you all decide!

And thank you to the following people who added more amazing suggestions from previous votes and beyond! And a special thank you to Studio Wildcard for making ARK: Survival Evolved one of my all-time favorite games! And I wish everyone else luck with their submissions as well!

Credits
pumpkin2k (for the initial momentum slam bow idea)
MiniWatto (for being one of many to submit the cheetah)
LittleSpicyOreos (Dossier and Tek saddle concept, living bola trip, dust cloud, snuggle ideas)
DrawolfKnight (art concept and “cat sense” ability)
PaulStewart (for the initial multiplier attack idea)
AmanaTishala (for awesome ideas!)
ApocalypseGal (for the lying down position idea and previous dossier concept)
Furious33 (for the initial charge lunge attack idea)
KimaGaming (for the passive feeding idea)
Crested Gecko (for the toe beans!)
Sovi (Star Wars Snowspeeder Trip idea; walking on water idea; artwork too!)
ashgcy (for the Pokémon Ranger loop idea for the snowspeeder trip)
Kage 360 (for inspiring the Microraptor immunity idea)
pauliwog87 (for the dash and grab idea; and for inking the dossier art!)
kaiarra (for the art concepts!)
Shockal (for being a rival and showing me how to use embedded links)

Sources

Original post!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acinonyx_pardinensis
https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Giant_cheetah
https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Giant_cheetah
My experience volunteering, working, and going to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden almost all my life!

🐾Image concept curtesy of DrawolfKnight🐾

🐾Jaguarundi variant concept courtesy of Sovi🐾

🐾GIF and Chibi by LittleSpicyOreos!🐾

Edited September 20, 2023 by RaephClark
Updating the post!

[RaephClark]

12 minutes ago, PaulStewart said:

This is looking so good! Great work everyone who has been working on the cheetah or offered suggestions! I really hope we get to see this in the game some day!

And you did just as fantastic of a job as anyone with the art along with @LittleSpicyOreos!!!! I'm happy to have you guys on the team!

[GleamDragon]

Mmmm. I think ark is telling me we need another cat.

[LadyImpressive]

It would be so cool to have more cat creatures in the game, especially one with these kinds of mechanics! Great work!

[JoeBlow69]

This cheetah is sweet

[PaulStewart]

Imagine the giant cheetah tearing across the land and kicking up clouds of dust. It weaves between defense units and the rider releases a bit of element dust into the cloud behind it. The fine particles infiltrate the cracks in the machines armor, bits of element short circuiting the electronics. The defense unit sparks and crumples to the ground where the pack of wolves who followed close behind quickly rip it to scrap.

[Dramagmentra]

 

•  

This IS AMAZING!!! HAS MY VOTE!!!

[Ringtail827]

I like it

[Kaiarra]

Looking great! Fingers crossed for the speed kitty. 🤞

[LittleSpicyOreos]

I love our kitty so much...I wish I had more time to do ALL THE ARTS for it ^^;

[ApocalypseGal]

On 9/3/2023 at 3:07 AM, RaephClark said:

Here’s some progress on my current sketch so far! I’ll catch you all in the morning!!!! 

awww this looks great! you did a great job on it, all of the art this time around have been amazing!. everyone of you are sooo talented! 🥰

[RaephClark]

34 minutes ago, ApocalypseGal said:

awww this looks great! you did a great job on it, all of the art this time around have been amazing!. everyone of you are sooo talented! 🥰

Thank you so much!!!! I was pretty sick over the weekend so I didn’t get to work on more sketches, but I’m feeling a bit better!

[ApocalypseGal]

1 hour ago, RaephClark said:

Thank you so much!!!! I was pretty sick over the weekend so I didn’t get to work on more sketches, but I’m feeling a bit better!

awww of course! I am glad to hear that you are feeling better. 😊

[Valkyel]

It could be really fun running around the map with this big cat

[RaephClark]

2 hours ago, Valkyel said:

It could be really fun running around the map with this big cat

I would agree as well! Plus you could avoid most dangers by simply getting out of Dodge ^^

[WitheringSoul113001]

your doing good so far man keep it up!!

[RaephClark]

1 hour ago, WitheringSoul113001 said:

your doing good so far man keep it up!!

Thank you! We're trying our best!

[ApocalypseGal]

On 9/3/2023 at 6:04 PM, RaephClark said:

Just updated the post yet again! And I also forgot to mention in the tags....Acinonyx is MICRORAPTOR-PROOF. Enjoy a stroll without having Microraptors get in your way!

ooo that's a nice little feature! microraptors can really get in the way. I really like that. 😄

[RaephClark]

11 hours ago, ApocalypseGal said:

ooo that's a nice little feature! microraptors can really get in the way. I really like that. 😄

Yup! The bane of every traveler on ARK 🤣

[RaephClark]

Hello everyone! Post has been updated once again! Feel free to check it out! And the Element Dust dispenser is now a powder dispenser!!! Short-circuit electronics! Set off flares to disrupt auto turrets! Or make things go ka-BOOM! And all you need is a torch!

[LittleSpicyOreos]

I gotta say if there WAS an alternate fur to my dossier design...I'd 100% be ok with @Sovira 's design! I do love it!

[jordanqv]

Amazing concept art by @DrawolfKnight. a corrupted cheetah would be amazing. Maybe it could stops a little bit time when you use a weapon mounted on it. Being so fast it could be hard to use things on it. 

[jordanqv]

5 hours ago, RaephClark said:

If only we could do that! Sadly I think that’s only in a Singleplayer game setting 😅 but I love the idea though!

Yeah it may be hard to add on an open world, maybe using the tek mount it could be used as the super splyglass. Cheetahs have great vision. or something related to ther abilities to climb trees. unfortunetly there are not so much trees on extinction. Haha this is a crazy idea, but maybe it could have an animation running in circles, and with its speed it could make little tornados, these maybe can make some dinos levitate. So a crew can tame it while it cant move. Or maybe it could have a rhino attack or like the gryphon a power punch running on high speed. 

[ApocalypseGal]

all the new artwork is looking great! 😄 and you guys coloured in the cub and pup photo its so precious! i adore it! 🥰

[karina44]

totally voting for the cheetah.

[RaephClark]

5 minutes ago, GleamDragon said:

Mmmm. I think ark is telling me we need another cat.

We certainly do!!! And what better way to bring in a new and diverse cat than the Giant Cheetah??? Sabers have their niche as bulky attackers, Shadowmanes are adept at specialized attacks, and so I think our cheetah would be perfect for support and traversal! Plus our Direwolves could enjoy some fun companions haha