So far as that goes, there are a lot of factors to consider. Not only is Lost Ark a pretty well-balanced game, but it’s designed to encourage a variety of playstyles and class creativity. The best thing you can do is experiment with the various classes and their available builds. In fact, we probably won’t know what the absolute best builds in the game are until Western audiences have had the chance to experiment with this version of the title and see how that meta shakes out. Having said that, we’re happy to offer a snapshot of what the best builds for every class look like. Just keep in mind that this guide is mostly meant to put you on the right track. You’re going to have to experiment with the specifics based on your preferences and the situation you’re in.
Lost Ark: Best Berserker Builds For PvP and PvE
Berserkers play pretty much how you’d expect them to play based on the name. They’re a melee-focused class that uses big weapons to put up big damage numbers. They’re especially good at dishing out critical damage at close range, which is great when you’re dealing with large bosses and other massive targets that the Berserker can simply park behind. A Berserker’s ideal PvE build will typically emphasize damage and defense while sacrificing mobility slightly. Ideally, you’ll be playing end-game content with other classes who will help keep the Berserker alive and let the class focus on dealing damage. For PvP, you’re definitely going to want a little more mobility and defense. The right combination of skills should make it a bit easier to survive missing a couple of hits here and there (though you certainly want to avoid that whenever possible.
Lost Ark: Best Berserker PvE Build
View the Full Best Berserker PvE Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Berserker PvP Build
View the Full Best Berserker PvP Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Paladin Builds For PvP and PvE
Paladin is a fascinating Lost Ark class that tends to fall somewhere between a tank and support character depending on how you build them. For PvE, the ideal Paladin build simply focuses on staying alive and keeping their party alive/buffed. They’ll get their damage in when they can, but Paladins should really focus on keeping their support abilities up whenever possible. For PvP, a Paladin can surprise quite a few opposing classes by virtue of being so hard to kill. You’re going to have to play smart, but Paladins can certainly shine in team-based PvP scenarios.
Lost Ark: Best Paladin PvE Build
View the Full Best Paladin PvE Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Paladin PvP Build
View the Full Best Paladin PvP Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Gunlancer Builds For PvP and PvE
Gunlancers are certainly one of Lost Ark’s most noteworthy tank classes, but don’t let their slow speed and bulky armor blind you from their ability to deal incredible amounts of damage during short windows. In PvE, Gunlancers should focus pretty much entirely on defense while allocating points to offensive abilities that allow them to keep their shield on the priority target. Again, they are going to be the tank in pretty much any party. In PvP, Gunlancers trade some uniquely PvE abilities in for a slight boost in damage as well as some additional interrupt/stun skills. They’re actually quite capable in one-on-one scenarios, though you’ll certainly have to learn how to manage their abilities in order to start the proper skill sequence.
Lost Ark: Best Gunlancer PvE Build
View the Full Best Gunlancer PvE Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Gunlancer PvP Build
View the Full Best Gunlancer PvP Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Striker Builds For PvP and PvE
If you want to essentially play Lost Ark as a martial arts master monk that relies on inhuman speed and hand-to-hand combat to overwhelm foes, then the Striker is probably the character for you. In PvE, Strikers are looking to get in behind an opponent whenever possible, get their moves in, and get out as quickly as they arrived. If you try to stay in a fight too long, you’ll soon discover the extent of Strikers’ defensive shortcomings. In PvP, Strikers are still looking to pull off their key damage combos, but they’re also going to have to learn how to get out of a bad situation as quickly as possible as well as how to maximize their incredibly CC abilities that open up additional evasion and attack windows.
Lost Ark: Best Striker PvE Build
View the Full Best Striker PvE Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Striker PvP Build
View the Full Best Striker PvP Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Wardancer Builds For PvP and PvE
Wardancers are a more-than-capable DPS class, but the thing that truly sets them apart are their buff abilities and the ways they can make their party just a little bit better than they would be without them. A PvE Wardancer should consider themselves a damage dealer above all else, but they need to learn how to weave their buff abilities into prolonged fights. In PvP, Wardancers are looking to keep moving whenever possible and only go in for the attack when they’re certain they can pull off incredible ability chains that will put opponents on their back foot or kill them outright.
Lost Ark: Best Wardancer PvE Build
View the Full Best Wardancer PvE Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Wardancer PvP Build
View the Full Best Wardancer PvP Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Scrapper Builds For PvP and PvE
Scrappers may look like a simple melee DPS class, but if you really want to get the most out of them, you’re going to need to master some surprisingly complicated mechanics that will ultimately separate the good from the great. For PvE, Scrappers are looking to emphasize their single target damage while incorporating a few AOE skills and the defensive abilities needed to ensure they don’t completely fall apart when things go bad. It’s a similar story for PvP, but this build utilizes a few more deterrent abilities that should help when you’re surrounded or just want to escape a bad situation without simply running away.
Lost Ark: Best Scrapper PvE Build
View the Full Best Scrapper PvE Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Scrapper PvP Build
View the Full Best Scrapper PvP Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Soulfist Builds For PvP and PvE
If you’re the kind of player who loves to sprinkle a little magic into their melee, Soulfist may just be the Lost Ark class for you. In PvE, Soulfists are looking to cut through mobs while balancing their abilities in a way that allows them to pull off combos against stronger individual opponents. In PvP, Soulfists typically treat their opponents like PvE bosses. That is to say that they’re looking to evade attacks, weave in a few hits, and work their way towards those insane damage windows.
Lost Ark: Best Soulfist PvE Build
View the Full Best Soulfist PvE Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Soulfist PvP Build
View the Full Best Soulfist PvP Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Gunslinger Builds For PvP and PvE
Lost Arks’ ranged classes can be absolutely devastating in a variety of ways, and few of the game’s ranged characters are more feared than a good Gunslinger. In PvE, a Gunslinger typically wants to reduce their downtime while increasing their attack speed. That combo allows them to always stay in the fray while remaining effective at various ranges. In PvP, Gunslingers typically emphasize speed and keeping their opponents at a distance long enough for them to outlast, outwit, and generally be pretty annoying.
Lost Ark: Best Gunslinger PvE Build
View the Full Best Gunslinger PvE Build
Lost Ark: Best Gunslinger PvP Build
View the Full Best Gunslinger PvP Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Artillerist Builds For PvP and PvE
If you’re interested in playing one of Lost Ark’s gunners but don’t like the idea of using small arms and evasion, then the Artillerist is absolutely the class for you. In PvE, an Artillerist will typically focus on sweeping AoE attacks while leaving themselves the option to go more defensive when the situation calls for it. In PvP, an Artillerist tends to focus more on their defensive abilities as well as a series of smart attacks that will punish opponents for daring to get close.
Lost Ark: Best Artillerist PvE Build
View the Full Best Artillerist PvE Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Artillerist PvP Build
View the Full Best Artillerist PvP Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Deadeye Builds For PvP and PvE
At first glance, the Deadeye probably looks pretty similar to the Gunslinger. Honestly, they really are pretty similar in a lot of ways. In PvE, a Deadeye will typically use AOE abilities against waves of lesser enemies while looking for their chance to get in close to bosses and other single targets. In PvP, the Deadeye will get in close a little more than usual while utilizing a few evasion skills that will (ideally) allow them to ensure that they don’t bite off more than they can chew.
Lost Ark: Best Deadeye PvE Build
View the Full Best Deadeye PvE Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Deadye PvP Build
View the Full Best Deadeye PvP Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Sharpshooter Builds For PvP and PvE
A Sharpshooter immediately distinguishes itself from other ranged damage dealers in Lost Ark by virtue of their use of a bow rather than a gun, but that’s not what really sets this class apart. In PvE, a Sharpshooter wants to stay as far away from bosses as possible while using a few key AOE abilities to deal with mobs. In PvP, the game plan is pretty much the same. There, though, you’re really going to have to learn how to weave in a few key attacks while staying on the move as much as possible.
Lost Ark: Best Sharpshooter PvE Build
View the Full Best Sharpshooter PvE Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Sharpshooter PvP Build
View the Full Best Sharpshooter PvP Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Bard Builds For PvP and PvE
Bards may be a support class, but their high-end power levels and incredible combination of abilities make them an irreplaceable part of any PvE or PvP team. In PvE, a Bard is going to focus on their support abilities 90% of the time, but the best Bard players will learn how to effectively utilize a few of their key attacks to contribute in other ways. In PvP…well, Bards certainly function best on a team, but they can deal a decent amount of ranged damage and use some of their defensive abilities to ensure opponents don’t just cut through them the moment they get in close.
Lost Ark: Best Bard PvE Build
View the Full Best Bard PvE Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Bard PvP Build
View the Full Best Bard PvP Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Sorceress Builds for PvP and PvE
Anyone who has played pretty much any class-based RPG ever will probably be instantly familiar with the Sorceress: your standard MMO mage in most respects. For PvE, Sorceress players are going to rely on their amazing AOE abilities while sprinkling in just enough single-target skills to keep them near the top of the damage meters during boss fights. It’s a somewhat similar story for PvP, though competitive Sorceress builds usually devote a few more points to evasive and defensive abilities to try to compensate for those times enemies get a bit too close for comfort.
Lost Ark: Best Sorceress PvE Build
View the Full Best Sorceress PvE Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Sorceress PvP Build
View the Full Best Sorceress PvP Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Shadowhunter Builds for PvP and PvE
As one of only two assassin classes in Lost Ark, Shadowhunters are quite different from everything we’ve looked at before. For that matter, they’re quite different from the other assassin class in the game. Shadowhunters depend on their ability to transform into a powerful demon in order to help finish fights. They’re similar to a Soulfist in that respect, but they’re just a little more dependent on their ability to transform. It’s not that they’re useless outside of their demonic form but rather that mastering them is all about learning how to maximize your time in other forms. In PvE scenarios, Shadowhunters will mostly focus on priority targets while filling their transformation gauge but they do bring some solid AoE abilities to the table. In PvP, Shadowhunters want to fill up their gauge as quickly as humanly possible (pun intended) so that they can terrorize their opponents and never give them the chance to take over the early fight.
Lost Ark: Best Shadowhunter PvE Build
View the Full Best Shadowhunter PvE Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Shadowhunter PvP Build
View the Full Best Shadowhunter PvP Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Deathblade Builds for PvP and PvE
Deathblades aren’t too far removed from the Rogue classes you see in other RPGs, which is really another way to say that they’re stealthy characters who do most of their damage from behind. To be honest, Deathblades are probably best thought of as a PvP class. That’s not to say that they can’t contribute to a PvP group, but their dependence on positioning, interrupts, and escapability means that they were clearly designed to shine against other players. So far as that goes, though, the right Deathblade can dominate nearly every other class in the game. In PvE, a Deathblade will try to stay behind single targets to maximize their damage output while using a few key AoE abilities to keep groups of foes at bay. In PvP, it’s all about frustrating foes with your mobility while stunning them long enough to pull off devastating combos that will leave them wondering what just happened and what they are supposed to do.
Lost Ark: Best Deathblade PvE Build
View the Full Best Deathblade PvE Build Here
Lost Ark: Best Deathblade PvP Build
View the Full Best Deathblade PvP Build Here
