Which Lost Ark class should you choose?

(Image credit: SmileGate)

How to find the best Lost Ark class? With a total of five main classes and fifteen advanced classes, picking your favourite isn’t easy. In this Lost Ark class guide, we’ll break it down into playstyles: do you want to be a melee combat expert? A ranged magic DPS? A singing support? Or perhaps you’re just looking for a massive flamethrower?

Here’s an overview of every Lost Ark class, including the latest addition to the roster, the Glaivier. Let’s pick the best one for you!

Which class to play in Lost Ark

Best Lost Ark class — (Image credit: Smilegate)

Picking the best class for your personal playstyle is easier said than done, as this MMO doesn’t follow the classic DPS, Tank, and Healer divide too closely. Almost every class has a DPS basis, followed by a varying degree of support abilities. It’s a bit harder to specialize as a result, but it also means you can hold your own in a solo battle.

Beware that Lost Ark classes are gender-locked, meaning that a Warrior is always male and an Assassin is always female. And although some classes, like the Gunner, initially allow both male and female characters, the advanced classes are again divided between male (Sharpshooter, Deadeye, and Artillerist) and female (Gunslinger). As this may influence your final choice, we’ll mention the class genders below.

Warrior – best class for melee/hybrid DPS

Berserker (Male)

If you want to play as a straightforward melee damage dealer with a massive greatsword, the Berserker class is your best option. He’s a tad slow, but he’ll land some of the most devastating blows in the game, especially after going into a frenzy. You can easily charge this ‘Burst Mode’ by attacking opponents.

Paladin (Male)

The Paladin is one of only two support-focused classes in Lost Ark. What he lacks in attack power, he makes up for in attack buffs and healing skills. On top of that, the Paladin has good range and is pretty hard to kill. Of course, the buffs and healing skills require a bit more study than normal attacks, but this is nonetheless a great beginner’s class. It’s also worth it if you want to be a popular teammate.

Gunlancer (Male)

If you’re looking for the closest thing to a traditional tank, look no further than the Gunlancer class. Although his attack power and mobility are on the lower side, the Gunlancer operates in a large area-of-effect, is able to shield himself and the team, and has the ability to taunt enemies. He can also use a handy meat hook to pull his opponents closer (nice solution for those mobility issues). All of this together makes him one of the best classes in Lost Ark.

Martial Artist – best class for fast melee combat

Glaivier (female)

Lost Ark’s Glaivier class was added to the western servers in the big April 21 update. Unlike the other Martial Artist classes, the Glaivier uses a spear and a glaive (yes, both). The Glaivier works with two different ability sets, one focusing on high-range sweeping attacks (using the glaive), and the other focusing on short and precise strikes (the spear). Although it’s possible to focus your character build on one stance, you’ll have to be comfortable with both if you want to pick the Glaivier as your class of choice. Due to the Glaivier’s dual energy meter, using attacks in one stance will charge up the other.

Striker (Male)
Wardancer (Female)

Apart from their gender, the Striker and the Wardancer are quite similar. Both are swift streetfighter-like classes equipped with light gauntlets. They also share the same special ability, the ‘Esoteric Meter’, which grants access to extra powerful skills. If you don’t have a preference yet, consider the following differences before making your final choice: while the Wardancer is incredibly fast and has a few support buffs, the Striker deals slightly better damage and has a larger area-of-effect radius.

Scrapper (Female)

If you’re looking for a sturdier and arguably easier Martial Artist class, you might want to go for the Scrapper. The dual energy system can be a bit tricky (using either Stamina or Shock abilities increases the other meter), but this is more of a planning issue. Once you’ve figured out a good order for your skills, the Scrapper is a proper all-round melee class. Just keep in mind that by ‘melee’, we really mean melee. Stay close to your enemies.

Soulfist (Female)

If you’re unsure about the limited range offered by the other Martial Artist classes, go for the Soulfist instead. This Lost Ark class has a bit of everything, so it’s a great option if you don’t feel like specializing. It’s also a great choice if you’re into obliterating stuff with colorful light beams. Here’s the thing though; this class is both loved and hated for its extremely damaging ‘spiritbomb’. It takes a long time to charge, and if you hit (preferably as a critical hit), it’s the most devastating attack in the game. If you don’t… Well, we’d understand if you feel a bit frustrated.

Assassin – best class for melee DPS

Deathblade (Female)

Let’s start with some (potentially) disappointing news: none of the current classes is a traditional assassin class complete with invisibility skills and teleportation. Instead, you get a really edgy-looking sword fighter with high mobility, high attack, and pretty good range. The Deathblade is a great class for all kinds of players, including new ones. Defense is good enough to resist the ‘glass canon’ label here, but you do have to be ready to drop in and out of combat.

Shadowhunter (Female)

The Shadowhunter can transform into a demon, which means bonus points for edginess. Thanks to this special state, the Shadowhunter is somewhat similar to the Berserker. Not everyone is a fan though, either because they don’t like the demon state or they don’t want to be without it. Then again, you can put as much focus on the demon state’s uptime as you’d like in your final build.

Gunner – best class for ranged DPS

Sharpshooter (Male)

The Sharpshooter can summon a Silverhawk familiar to aid you in battle. If that alone isn’t enough reason to choose it, you might want to pick this Gunner type if you like the traditional ranger class. The Sharpshooter has good mobility, decent attack power, and lots of arrows. In all honesty though, that bird isn’t the best sidekick ever (it mainly deals a bit of damage over time), but this is arguably the best, if not the easiest, Gunner class in Lost Ark.

Deadeye (Male)
Gunslinger (Female)

The Gunslinger and Deadeye classes are all about high damage and mobility. The main difference, apart from their gender, is that the Deadeye deals a bit more damage while the Gunslinger is more evasive. If you discuss these classes with other Lost Ark players though, you’ll probably hear the term “glass canon” a lot. Although the Deadeye and Gunslinger are truly devastating in the right hands, they’re also easily killed (especially Deadeye). It’s best to skip them if you’re new to Lost Ark, unless a challenge is what you’re looking for.

Artillerist (Male)

If you’re into massive flamethrowers and rocket launchers, the Artillerist class is the perfect choice. Yes, it’s very slow compared to its gun-wielding colleagues, but it can be very satisfying to wipe a group of enemies off the map with a well-timed blast. Then again, it’s frustrating when you miss. Although the Artillerist isn’t a great option for new players for that reason, keep its unique playstyle in mind for your alt characters.

Mage – best class for support or ranged DPS

Bard (Female)

Often considered the best class in Lost Ark, the Bard is a true master of support. She can heal the team, shield the team, buff the team, and weaken the enemy. If aesthetics are important to you, have a good look at the Bard’s music-themed skills as well. What’s not to like? Naturally, her attack power is on the low side, but you’ll always find a party if you need one.

Sorceress (Female)

If you think the Bard’s skills look good, you should see the Sorceress. If you’re into visual effects, you’ll probably like the look of her meteor showers and lightning strikes. Apart from that, this is a very strong ranged damage dealer. It’s not the best choice for new players though, as the Sorceress easily gets overwhelmed, especially since she only has one ability with less than ten seconds cooldown.

Did you find your perfect class? Have fun while slashing, dodging, and shooting your way through Lost Ark!