The Bard is one of Lost Ark’s dedicated support characters and is usually the top choice for a dedicated support in both PvE and PvP, although the Paladin (and in the future, the Artist) see play as well. This class provides all sorts of buffs to the party, including damage reduction, damage increases, and various other bu

Cone-shaped explosion, longer cooldown (+4s), and extra 100% damage to Challenge or lower enemies

Awakening Skill – Golden Eye. Both Engravings are viable, but Golden Eye often finds itself in Dungeon-clearing builds thanks to its massive AoE output. It’s faster than Fenrir’s Messenger, the other class Engraving, and doesn’t need to be charged up. Instant hit for lots of damage. Can’t really go wrong with it.

In simple terms: Combat Readiness is for a tanky, shielded build, whereas Solo Knight is for a burst damage and DPS build. Leaning into the Gunlancer’s advantages means that the Combat Readiness Engraving is the one we’d recommend for a juicy, powerful PvE build. It enhances your defensive abilities (shield) while also providing you with plenty of damage buffs. However, Gunlancer is a super-balanced class, and if you’re looking for pure burst damage output, there is a very reliable DPS crit build using the Lone Knight Engraving to clear dungeons and other endgame cont

Your Stronghold is more than a player home in Lost Ark. Unlocked around level 25, this area serves as a base of operations that can craft battle items, unlock useful bonuses, and even complete endgame activities for you (albeit with fewer rewards). Be sure to use your life skills to gather materials for your Stronghold, and always have your Stronghold buildings actively progressing something.

The Gunlancer is a heavy tank class that provides some shield buffs for your party, as well as by far and large one of the most useful skills in the anime game Events: a taunt . The Gunlancer also has a powerful shield that lets you ignore a lot, if not all, attacks – even those from bosses. This means you can stick right in the face of the boss, taking heavy hits (even staggers and knock-ups) while consistently doing damage. The class relies mainly on heavy burst damage with the Lone Knight Engraving or for consistent, sustained tanking with the Combat Readiness Engrav

The Striker’s specialty gauge stacks from attacks and abilities, generating Elemental Orbs . You might see these called Chakras or energy while reading through other guides. You can store three elemental at any time, four if you use the Deathblow class engraving. These are then used up when you activate Esoteric skills , high-damage abilities that can only be activated when your Elemental bar is full or partially f

In terms of utility, the Striker really specializes in CC . This is why he’s so useful in PvP. With a number of attacks that keep your enemies pinned down, you’re playing an offensive role that should target healers and other squishy oppone

A dedicated vendor can also transfer your item upgrades into a new piece of gear, saving you days of grinding.

You get two Powerpass tickets upon reaching level 50, allowing you to boost two alternate characters straight into the endgame.

You’re not really a DPS or support when you play the Gunlancer, but rather this big, solo-friendly, beginner-friendly class that might just be the perfect fit for a brand new Lost Ark player. Here’s our class breakd

Engravings are a major source of character power in Lost Ark, granting build-enabling boons when active. Obtaining the best Engravings for your class is a massive time and Gold sink, one that can get exponentially worse if you end up chasing the wrong Engravings. Time is money in MMOs, and Lost Ark is no different. Before you start fracturing ability stones and dismantling jewelry, be sure that the Engravings you’re chasing are worth using for your build. The best Engravings vary for each class, so check out our Lost Ark hub to see what your class’ best Engravings are.

The only class that we don’t recommend you play is Paladin if you’re looking to play as a DPS. Paladin’s do not have competitive DPS values to be used in the endgame. However, they do make for incredible supports, just as powerful as Bards. Beyond that minor exception, every class is viable in Lost Ark. Play what looks fun to you.

The Bard’s Identity Skill is Serenade. You earn Serenade Bars during combat for hitting attack abilities, and each activation of a Serenade consumes one bar. You can stack up to three bars at the same t

Lost Ark is finally here. After years of waiting, western audiences can finally hack and slash their way through Lost Ark’s leveling and endgame experiences. Hundreds of quests, dozens of activities, and multiple progression systems will keep devoted players busy for hours.

For Awakening, it’s time for Golden Eye again . Lots of AoE damage is good for dealing damage as you move in to deal damage with Blade Storm and the stealth it provides can be good for dodging attacks from the Raid boss. There is some flexibility with this build so play around with what feels good to you.