For new players, the first entry into Lost Ark and the ubiquitous task of selecting which class to play for hundreds of hours on end, can be daunting. Lost Ark features five classes, each with its own set of subclasses or specializations, which offer a total of 15 class choices already. 

But not all classes are created equal. Some are better and some are worse. Some are easier and some are hard to master. And if you are a new player who hasn't played Lost Ark before, how would you know whether to pick a Striker or a Wardancer for your Martial Artist specialization?

Inven Global's guide to the best classes and specs for novice Lost Ark players is here to help you with that.

Warrior: Combat Readiness Gunlancer

Combat Readiness Gunlancer is for all my fellow tank lovers out there. Don’t get me wrong though, you’re still primarily a DPS class as your main job is to do damage. Despite this, Gunlancer has general similarities to how traditional tanks would be played in an MMORPG. You’re going to be positioned in front of bosses, rather than behind them. One of your skills, Shout of Hatred, will taunt and interrupt boss patterns and attacks if used correctly. You’ll even be able to provide shields to your party!

There is a lot of skill expression present in the Gunlancer class that typical tank players are already accustomed to. You’ll also be familiar with the feeling of being the last person alive in the raid surrounded by your dead party members. Yes, you’re that tanky.

The Combat Readiness Engraving buffs the damage of your Normal skills (your blue colored skills), your shield amount from your Identity Gauge (Z key), and increases your damage every time you are hit. What isn’t to love? Additionally, this build is extremely cheap to set up, as you’ll only need a level 1 Combat Readiness Engraving. Additionally, you’ll be using Barricade and Stabilized Status as damage Engravings, which almost nobody else uses but you. You’ll be able to buy and use jewelry with Engravings that most people think are worthless.

You’ll primarily want Specialization and Crit for this build. Aim for a 70/30 split between the two, with a priority on Specialization.

Martial Artist: Ultimate Skill: Taijutsu Scrapper

While all the Martial Artist classes are great for any monk archetype enjoyer, I personally think Scrapper, in general, is the best option for new players (no bias). I’ll have to give this spot specifically to the Ultimate Skill: Taijutsu Scrapper. Having excessive mobility is fantastic for a game that wants you to get hit as few times as possible, and Ultimate Skill: Taijutsu Scrapper has exactly that. You should also check our Scrapper guide for advice on how to build it.

Six of your eight total skills as an Ultimate Skill :Taijutsu Scrapper have some sort of forward movement built into it. While it’s going to play differently than the build you used while leveling (which will play more like Shock Training Scrapper), I’d argue that it’s magnitudes easier by eliminating the need for resource management. In addition, your mobility and attack speed will drastically go up, making it easier to avoid boss attacks and mechanics.

The Ultimate Skill: Taijutsu Engraving buffs the damage of your Stamina skills (your yellow-colored skills) as well as your Stamina regeneration (your yellow energy resource), but adds a damage penalty to your Shock skills (your green-colored skills). As Ultimate Skill: Taijutsu increases Stamina skill damage massively per level, you’ll want to get this to level 3 as soon as possible. You’ll also want standard damage Engravings such as Grudge and Keen Blunt.

You’ll primarily want Crit and Swiftness for this build. Aim for a 70/30 split between the two, with a priority on Crit.

Gunner: Loyal Companion Sharpshooter

Loyal Companion Sharpshooter is the closest we’re going to get to the typical Hunter class archetype. You’re going to be a ranged DPS class that also uses a pet for a good portion of their damage. Loyal Companion Sharpshooter will play almost exactly like the Sharpshooter you played while leveling, with a bit more “oomph” on your Silverhawk. You’ll want to summon your Silverhawk whenever it’s available, and then use the skill Wings of Storm off cooldown while the Silverhawk is out. Right before the Silverhawk expires, make it suicide using Last Rush to squeeze in an “extra” skill. The playstyle isn’t going to change drastically like some of the other builds recommended here, but why change what ain’t broke?

The Loyal Companion Engraving buffs the AoE radius of your summoned Silverhawk, your summoned Silverhawk’s basic attack damage, and the duration of your summoned Silverhawk. As Loyal Companion will increase the damage of your Silverhawk significantly, you’ll want to get this to level 3. However, it is up to you to decide whether you want to level Grudge to 3 first after you have a level 1 Loyal Companion Engraving. You’ll also want standard damage Engravings such as the aforementioned Grudge and Keen Blunt.

You’ll primarily want Crit and Swiftness for this build. Aim for a 60/40 split between the two, with a priority on Crit.

Mage: Reflux Sorceress

Sorceress is the go-to for anyone craving the standard Mage archetype. Many people say that this will be a difficult class to play, which is only partially true. Ignite Sorceress is thought to be one of the harder classes to play in Lost Ark, as it is highly dependent on maximizing your rotation of spells in the short Magic Release buff window. Which usually requires you to stay still and cast for a prolonged period of time in very difficult encounters. Reflux Sorceress allows you to remove the dependence on Magic Release entirely. Literally, as in you won’t be able to use it with the Reflux Engraving equipped. You’ll be able to blast and dash away without being worried about effectively utilizing your Magic Release. This is the simple-minded, smooth-brained alternative for anyone who wants to dabble in a bit of magic.

The Reflux Engraving buffs the damage of your skills (except Awakening and movement skills) but completely disables the Magic Release portion of your Identity Gauge (Z Key). As Reflux increases skill damage massively per level, you’ll want to get this to level 3 as soon as possible. You’ll also want standard damage Engravings such as Grudge and Keen Blunt.

You’ll primarily want Crit and Swiftness for this build. Aim for a 70/30 split between the two, with a priority on Crit.

Assassin: Remaining Energy Deathblade

For all my Rogue buddies, the Deathblade is Lost Ark’s stabby stabby melee damage dealer. Deathblade uses a lot of Charging type skills to do most of her damage, which means that you’re going to be stationary and vulnerable while charging them. This might seem a bit strange for what is supposed to be an agile Rogue-like class. Personally, I think the class rewards patience and careful planning, which is what I associate with an assassin. While Remaining Energy Deathblade does not change the playstyle of Deathblade heavily, it greatly smoothes out some of the kinks that the base class has.

The Remaining Energy Engraving will grant you damage, movement speed, and attack speed buff for a duration after casting your Blade Burst skill (Z key). This allows you to keep up good damage uptime and an incredibly satisfying gameplay flow with how your Identity Gauge works. You’ll want at least a level 1 Remaining Energy Engraving for this reason. Focus on getting Grudge to level 3 first, before getting additional levels in Remaining Energy. Additionally, you’ll be using Super Charge as another damage Engraving, which like the class engraving will also help smoothen out how the class feels. 

You’ll primarily want Specialization and Crit for this build. Aim for a 70/30 split between the two, with a priority on Specialization.

Lost Ark class guides

Paladin guide
Scrapper guide
Striker guide
Wardancer guide

Lost Ark general guides

10 things you need to know before you play Lost Ark on day 1
The best classes and specializations for new Lost Ark players
A beginner's guide to Lost Ark: Leveling, class synergies, and Knowledge Transfer
How to unlock and use the Power Pass to boost a new character to max level

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