Lost Ark is a well-balanced game. There is no class that is overpowered or that can do everything well.
You have your ranged DPS, melee DPS, support classes, and tanks. Each class fits into a particular playstyle and a specific role.
Let’s go through all the pros and cons to find out what certain classes and subclasses do best and what they are not good at, to find the best class for you.
Table of Contents
Deathblade
Deathblade is a flashy class with spectacular combat skill animations. You could think of the Deathblade as a melee DPS with a good number of ranged abilities and AOE abilities. Deathblade is an Assassin type of class.
Pros:
- It is very good at PvE as it outputs good DPS numbers and has a good rotation of abilities with a relatively short cooldown.
- Excels at PvE. It is one of the few classes with good DPS numbers in both PvE and PvP.
- Easy to learn. It has a simple system with a point in which you have 3 combo points that you can consume with abilities and generate them.
- Has back attacks. Positioning is important when playing a Deathblade as some abilities require you to attack an enemy from behind. However, it has plenty of abilities that get you behind the enemy, which enables you to create powerful combos.
Cons:
- Gear dependent. The Deathblade class requires optimal gear and a very high item level to put out consistent DPS and stay on top of the damage meters.
- Engravings are essential for this class. You need to get them right to deal with decent DPS.
Berserker
If you like a melee class that relies on brute force, large swords, and devastating abilities, the Berserker may be the class for you. As a warrior subclass, the Berserker is the only one out of the 3 that is focused on just dealing damage.
Pros:
- Easy to understand. All you have to do is build identity then start moving faster and dealing more damage with your abilities.
- Outputs constant DPS. No matter how you build the Berserker is not a burst DPS class. For long sustained fights, the Berserker always deals constant damage.
- Has one of the highest DPS in the game.
Cons:
- Can feel slow and sluggish. The Berserker needs to be close to its target. In boss fights, it can feel slow and you can get caught out or hit by abilities that ranged classes could avoid.
- Long cooldowns. Many of the abilities you will be using in a Berserker build have a long cooldowns.
Paladin
The Paladin is a subclass of the Warrior class. The support class is very similar to the Bard in many regards. If you like to play a class that brings a lot of utility, buffs, and heals to a party, the Paladin may be the right class for you to experience in Lost Ark.
Pros:
- High desirability in parties. DPS classes find it harder to get into a party. Support classes like the Paladin find it easier to get invited to raids since they have more utility.
- Support abilities come in the form of auras. This makes it easy for the Paladin to do some DPS while supporting a party.
- Easy to learn. Playing a support Paladin is easy to learn since it is a very simple and straightforward class.
Cons:
- Does less shielding than the Bard. The Bard can use their Identity gauge to boost their shielding capabilities.
- Heavily dependent on engravings. You will need 3 full engravings to be an effective Paladin.
Gunlancer
Lost Ark does not have a literal tank class but the Gunlancer is the closest you can get. As a Gunlancer, you do more damage than a support class but less than something like a Berserker.
Pros:
- The Gunlancer is the beefiest class in the game. Can take a lot of damage. You can survive most boss mechanics that would one-shot other classes.
- The only class to have a taunt ability. The Gunlancer can taunt a boss to force the boss to attack him for a few seconds.
- In high demand for parties. The Gunlancer has the taunt ability and can take a lot of damage, making him almost just as desirable as a Bard or Paladin.
Cons:
- Does modest DPS. The Gunlancer does not do a lot of damage. No matter what you do as a Gunlancer, you will never be at the top of the DPS chart.
- Weird dodge mechanic. All the classes in Lost Ark have a dodge that makes them dash towards the cursor. Only the Gunlancer dashes away from the cursor.
Gunslinger
It may be a bit weird to wield guns in a game about kings, knights, swords, and magic but somehow it works. The Gunslinger is a fun class with interesting mechanics that also present some challenges.
Pros:
- Very fun to play. The Gunslinger is very fun to play if you master its mechanics. It has loads of interesting abilities that can be used in combos.
- Good DPS and high range. Most of the abilities of the Gunslinger class are ranged. You rarely need to get close to enemies. At the same time, you deal consistently high DPS, especially in groups.
- Good mobility. Many abilities have a movement component, making you very mobile on the battlefield.
Cons:
- Very squishy. It is almost a glass cannon class. The Gunslinger can die easily in fights and a dead DPS is of no use to anyone.
- Challenging to play. Due to the combo system, the Gunslinger has more abilities than other classes and a low cooldown. You should expect to mash your keyboard more while playing this class.
Deadeye
The Deadeye class can be considered the male equivalent of the Gunslinger class. It has flashy abilities and can out damage a Gunslinger. Despite all this, the Deadeye takes a while to master its mechanics.
Pros:
- One of the highest DPS classes in the game. Can do a lot of damage in the hands of a skilled player.
- Can be played with a Handgun spec for higher range abilities but deals a bit less damage than shotguns.
Cons:
- Relies on shotguns. This means that you have to be in melee range and this is a major flaw for the class as it is squishy.
- More difficult to play than the Gunslinger. You get much more punished due to your low-range abilities.
Artillerist
The Artillerist is a glass that seems geared for war and mayhem. Using weapons and guns instead of swards makes it fit the game when added alongside the Gunslinger and Deadeye. The Artillerist is the Rambo version of them.
Pros:
- Good utility in groups. The Artillerists can apply debuffs to enemies that make them take more damage from the entire party.
- One of the most balanced classes. The Artillerist does everything, including ranged abilities, melee abilities, reasonable beefiness, good damage, and some utility.
Cons:
- Jack of all trades, master of none, the Artillerist does not excel at anything. It is unlikely you will get MVP with the Artillerist.
- Requires the mastery of an ability rotation. Your abilities synergize with each other, and for endgame builds, you need to have an ability rotation to put out consistent DPS.
Sharpshooter
If you like a more traditional ranged class that does not need bullets to kill enemies, the Sharpshooter may be your cup of tea. It is a class that uses a bow and arrow and has a pet Hawk that can be used with certain abilities.
Pros:
- Easy to play. The class does not have complicated abilities, does not need to worry about a rotation, and has reasonable cooldowns.
- Good movement. Unlike other ranged classes, the Sharpshooter will find it easy to move around the battlefield and avoid deadly boss abilities.
- Buffed recently. It used to be a low DPS class but with recent buffs, the Sharpshooter is much more satisfying to play when you put out big numbers.
Cons:
- Very simple and basic class. There is nothing flashy about the Sharpshooter. It has simple abilities that are easy to learn.
- Unappealing signature ability. Nothing is exciting or flashy about your signature ability as a Sharpshooter. The Hawk gauge gets filled and when it does, all you do is call your Hawk to do some damage to enemies.
Bard
Lost Ark has only two caster classes: the Sorceress and the Bard. The Bard is a female support class that does everything the Paladin does with some useful Identity gauge boosts.
Pros:
- High burst shields. The Identity gauge can be used to boost shields to party members. From this perspective, the Bard is better than the Paladin.
- High burst healing. Unlike the Paladin that has healing over time, the Bard has chain heal that heal party members instantly when to cast. This is much more beneficial for boss fights.
- Good damage buffs for the party and debuffs for enemies.
Cons:
- More challenging to play than the Paladin. Many support abilities that the Bard uses require you to cast them in limited areas and the party needs to sit in the area of effect of the ability to benefit from it.
- Does the least amount of damage in the game. The Bard gets out damaged by the Paladin, which means that you should not care about DPS if you play this class.
Sorceress
The second mage in the game alongside the bard is the Sorceress. You use elemental damage to wreak havoc across the battlefield. It also has several playstyles depending on your build.
Pros:
- Many abilities that can slow or stun enemies. Being a squishy class, this type of utility can save your life and the life of your party.
- Good mobility. The Blink ability allows you to move across the battlefield. It is a teleport that allows you to keep your enemies at a distance along with the dodge.
- High DPS. The Sorceress can be played as a burst class using her Identity gauge. It can also be played as a DPS that deals consistent DPS. Regardless of playstyle and build, a Sorceress will always be at the top of the damage dealt meters.
Cons:
- Very squishy. You need to be careful how you use your mobility skills to be alive. You can get killed easily as a Sorceress.
- Not much utility at a party. The Sorceress does not have any kind of buffs or debuffs. You are a one-man show that deals tons of damage.
Striker
In Lost Ark, you have 4 Martial Artists subclasses. The first one is the striker. It is safe to say that the Striker is the male equivalent of the Wardancer. Both classes use combo points as their identity system to deal high damage to single or multiple targets.
Pros:
- Extremely visually appealing combat skills. You will use abilities that punch and kick enemies in creative and visually stunning ways.
- High DPS. It is a DPS class that if put in the hands of a skilled player, can easily earn the MVP title at the end of a raid. The Striker can deal a lot of damage with his bare fists.
Cons:
- Challanging to master. Using the combo points makes the class more difficult to master than other classes.
- Feels slow to play. Swiftness is a stat that makes the character do faster animations. All Striker builds completely avoid Swiftness.
Wardancer
The Wardancer plays almost the same as the Striker. They have the same combo point system and have similar abilities. The only thing the Wardancer brings to the table is some party buffs.
Pros:
- Party buffs. The Wardancer can benefit a party by offering a buff that can increase critical hit chance by 18%.
- Movement speed buff. Again, the Wardancer can benefit a party by providing everyone with a movement speed buff.
- High DPS. Like the Striker, the Wardancer can deal tons of damage if you master the class.
Cons:
- Challenging to master. Like the Striker, you need to understand how the combo point system works and coordinate your abilities.
- High cooldowns. While you build your combo points and wait for your next burst DPS rotation, you will have to auto-attack, making it more unappealing to play.
Scrapper
Out of the four Martial Artists, the Scrapper is the tankiest. Being a melee class, you want to have some sort of beefiness to survive. The scrapper provides just that. You can stay close to enemies, fistfight them and take some damage simultaneously.
Pros:
- Beefy. You are not as beefy as a Gunlancer but at the same time, you will not die as easily as the other Martial Arts classes. As a Scrapper, you will worry less about getting hit by bosses.
- The Scrapper has two dashes and good survivability. Good utility and mobility. It is the kind of class that is very friendly towards new players.
- Good Stagger or Impairment damage. This mechanic will prove to be very useful when fighting certain bosses as you can stop them from using abilities that would wipe the group.
Cons:
- Takes a while to get used to due to its energy mechanics. You get yellow and green energy. Using green energy abilities generates yellow points and yellow abilities generate green points.
- You need to focus on builds that mix the two types of abilities. Meaning that you cannot have any build you want.
Soulfist
The last Martial Art class is the Soulfist. Like the other Martial Artists, the Soulfist is very satisfying to play. It combines many ranged and melee abilities that are reminiscent of popular Anime shows.
Pros:
- Highest damage ability in the game. There is no other ability in the game on any class that can do as much damage as the Spirit Bomb.
- Great burst damage. You will mostly be useful in boss fights that are not very long. You will be able to out DPS most other DPS classes. In sustained combat, your average DPS tones down.
Cons:
- Can miss important abilities. If you miss your Spirit Bomb, you miss out on lots of DPS. Doing high DPS with a Soulfist requires you to be accurate.
- Tiered power identity gauge. The class feels sluggish when you do not have the third level in your gauge. It is the kind of class that feels slow until you reach that full identity gauge.
Shadowhunter
A demonic assassin subclass with a cool kit. It’s fun and unique with the demon form and human form mix.
Pros:
- Has very flashy and cool abilities.
- Has some range and the abilities fire quickly, making your gameplay feeling fast paced.
Cons:
- One of the most powerful build paths for this class disables the demon form to make your human form more powerful, which in my opinion takes away the entire appeal of the Shadowhunter.
- Outside the demon form your cooldowns are long.