For new players, Lost Ark classes may seem unusual. While you have a few main classes, each class has its subclass. The warrior class is what most beginner players are recommended to start with.
While you can play the game however you want, and with whatever class you want, the Warrior presents a good opportunity to explore the game as the class has simple mechanics and they are easy to learn.
The subclasses you can play as a warrior are Berserker, Paladin, and Gunlancer. While they all belong to the same main class, their role in a party is different due to their kit, mechanics, and abilities.
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Berserker
The Berserker is the warrior DPS subclass. It is considered a melee class wielding a single dual-hand weapon. Most of its abilities align with what you would expect from such a subclass if you come from other MMORPGs.
There is plenty of hack and slash abilities, AOE damaging abilities, and plenty of explosions. If you like large numbers and the ability to carry an entire party in terms of damage, the Berserker is your go-to subclass.
Compared to the other Warrior subclasses, the Berserker offers the least utility for a party but brings DPS. You are likely to see a lot of Berserkers in the game.
Also, it is the squishiest Warrior out of the 3 subclasses. You should remember that the DPS of a Berserker is heavily reliant on gear. You will out-DPS most other classes as long as you have at least the same item level in terms of gear. You should be the class at the top of the DPS meters for endgame content.
One last thing to mention about the Berserker class is that it is less forgiving to play. Unlike the Gunlancer or the Paladin that can take some damage in boss fights and still survive, you, as a Berserker, need to learn the fights and understand boss mechanics.
A dead DPS player is of no use to a party thus, your focus should be on staying alive, and DPS numbers should be on the second spot on your list of priorities.
Paladin
The Paladin is completely different from the Berserker. It does the least amount of damage out of the 3. However, it is a highly desirable subclass to have at a party. The Paladin brings buffs, heals, debuffs, and shields to the table. You can carry an entire party by using only 4 abilities. This makes the class extremely good to play when at parties, probably the best in the game.
Paladins are a support subclass, and this is where they excel. Despite being considered a support class, the Paladin can also clear solo content with great ease.
Having buffs and heals helps you a lot on your solo runs. However, you cannot build a DPS Paladin. This is not possible due to how his abilities scale and his abilities in his kit. Do not take that player seriously if someone claims to build a DPS Paladin. If you find it easy to get parties to clear raid content, the Paladin has a much easier time than the Berserker.
As a Paladin, your main priority will be to keep everyone alive at a party. You can do this with shields, heals, buffs, and debuffs. This includes yourself. While you can take some damage, you are not as resilient as a Gunlancer.
Gunlancer
The Gunlancer is a tank. He is meant to soak as much damage as possible and keep mobs focused on him instead of the party. His ability to take damage and not die makes the class easy to play and higly effective.
You do not need to be extremely careful in boss fights. Where other subclasses would have to dodge boss abilities and be knowledgeable about mechanics, Gunlancers can just stand and take damage.
While the Gunlancer is meant to take damage, making it a very forgiving subclass to play, it does do a decent amount of damage. You can expect to deal more damage than a Paladin, but you will never out-DPS a Berserker. Berserkers are subclasses that are solely focused on dealing damage and nothing else.
The only circumstance in which you would deal more damage than a Berserker is when you have a considerably better item-level score. If you have equal gear, you will not carry a party in terms of DPS.
However, just like the Paladin, the Gunlancer has no problem clearing solo content. You deal decent damage, and you take very little damage. The only downside to the Gunlancer is that you are slow in terms of movement and cast time of abilities. Even the Paladin feels like a swifter class to play.