Are you a new or casual player of Lost Ark who’s looking for the best class to play solo? Or you’re a pro player just looking to explore some alternate characters in the game? Irrespective of the category you belong to, this article will answer all your questions. I’ll review the best classes to use when playing Lost Ark. Whether you enjoy playing the PvE or PvP mode, we’ll walk you through the best classes for each mode.
Before I explain each of my class and subclass choices extensively, here’s a quick rundown on the best solo classes to play in Lost Ark:
Table of Contents
For PvE mode
- Class: Warrior
Subclass: Berserker, Paladin.
- Class: Gunner
Subclass: Gunslinger, Artillerist, Deadeye.
For PvP Mode
- Class: Warrior
Subclass: Berserker
- Class: Martial Artist
Subclass: Striker.
- Class: Gunner
Subclass: Sharpshooter.
What are the Best Solo Classes for Lost Ark PvE?
If you’re a newbie just trying out Lost Ark PvE, there are a few things you need to know beforehand:
- The leveling of the game is quite tiring. While you could have some fun playing these parts, it seems like watching a boring movie without being able to skip at times. If you really want to enjoy the game, make sure you get to level 50. Then, the real fun and carnage start.
- If you plan to explore different classes, you might want to develop these classes simultaneously (more on this below). This is because you can only attempt some tasks once. So, developing an alt. character after fully developing your main can be harder due to the number of reduced tasks to do. These are usually referred to as Roster Quests, which means you can only do them once per server (not per character).
- Getting to level 50 allows you to use a power pass which levels up a second character to level 50 immediately. This means that you should focus on getting one character to 50 first before you start creating several alts. After reaching 50 feel free to start spamming alt characters.
- Lastly, the dungeons are where you get the undiluted action from. If you’re just looking for fun-filled destruction and action, the dungeons are the quests you need to play. However, the dungeons are endgame content. This means you must have leveled up to 50 to access these battlegrounds.
Now, let’s get into the best classes to play within Lost Ark PvE:
The best solo classes to use in Lost Ark PvE mode include Warrior (Berserker and Paladin) and Gunner (Gunslinger, Artillerist, and Deadeye).
1. Warrior Class
When playing PvE solo, you’ll be meeting with a lot of bosses and hordes of creatures, especially in the endgame quest dungeons. In such situations, the heavy-hitting damage the Warrior Class characters wield makes them perfect for these quests. The Warrior Class are the power engines of Lost Ark. Although they’re not so quick on their feet, they more than compensate for this with the catastrophic damage they wield.
The Warrior Class consists of the Berserker, Gunlancer, and Paladin classes. However, the Berserker and Paladin subclasses are better suited when playing solo in PvE. Let’s examine these subclasses and their various characteristics which make them perfect for solo play in the PvE mode:
a. Berserker
The Berserker character is a melee expert who wields weapons known as greatswords. Just as the name implies, their weapon can do a world of damage to their foes. They are more focused on attacking their foes using strength and a range of skills to get the job done. However, if you’re playing in the dungeons, you should ensure you don’t get stuck in the middle of the battle.
This is because compared to other classes, they are not so mobile. Also, they’re more focused on their offensive attacks than defending themselves. This means your HP could take a serious hit if you play recklessly. However, they can take quite a beating, so you might not end up getting killed.
One beautiful sight to behold when using the berserker character is their burst mode. They gain even more attack damage, movement speed, and a special skill that brings immense damage to their foes. It becomes total chaos!
Some of the best Berserker skills you would want to try out are the crime hazard and the sword storm. The crime hazard is a particular favorite of mine. The character jumps up and swings his greatsword to inflict damage on its foes and swings them into the sky, then strikes the sword downwards to send them spiraling back into the earth. Attacks like this make you appreciate the mechanics of the game even more.
If you’re a beginner and you’re unsure of the class to start with, the Berserker is definitely a great choice to start, hide your weaknesses, and still pack some mean ass damage in your artillery.
Berserkers are almost always welcome in a raid group (if you do choose to group up). They have high stagger (required for some bosses), some of the highest DPS in the game, and are innately tanky since they belong to the warrior class. You really can’t go wrong with picking a Berserker.
b. Paladin
While the Berserker is more offensive-oriented, the Paladin character is more balanced. Although Paladin is more of a character meant to be used when playing in a team, they can also deliver good damage to their foes. Paladins wield a one-handed sword that can deliver melee damage to their in-game enemies.
While they have healing abilities that can be very useful in a team, you can also use these abilities to heal yourself during the game. If you might think using this subclass will be better for a beginner due to its healing abilities, you’ve guessed wrong. Paladins require a lot of technicalities to use, so it will be hard for a beginner to have expert game knowledge to use these skills optimally. However, if you love challenges, you should take on a Paladin.
While the Paladin can also do a good deal of damage, their movement is also clumsy. In fact, they are slower than Berserkers in mobility. So, your dodging skills will have to be at an all-high if you do not want to get obliterated when battling hordes of foes. However, they can also take a beating, so you might just make it out.
Some of the best skills of the Paladin class include the Execution of Damage and Holy Sword moves. These two moves deal the most damage in the Paladin’s skill book. As you level up your character, you can do more damage with these skills.
If you’d love to have some healing abilities on the side when doing the rounds on your foes, then the Paladin class is suitable for a solo run.
Why Gunlancers aren’t Suited to Playing Solos
To start with, Gunlancers are known for their ability to absorb huge amounts of damage. This makes them, more often than not, team players and are usually at the frontline of the fight to help the team absorb the enemies’ attacks. While they can also do decent damage, they’re not as good at dealing damage compared to the other two Warrior subclasses.
In a solo game, you need to be able to deal a good amount of damage to your foes to make the game easier for you to play. Hence, the Gunlancers aren’t compatible with Lost Ark PvE solo playing.
2. Gunner Class
If you would love to have a combo of mobility and mean-ass damage, then the Gunners are the best class for you. The Gunners are characters who use firearms and execute attacks from any range. Their mobility and damage combo makes them very valuable when facing hordes of foes, especially in harder dungeons.
The Gunner class consists of the Gunslinger, Artillerist, Deadeye, and Sharpshooter subclasses. However, Gunslingers and Artillerists are the best subclasses to use when playing PvE. Let’s walk you through these subclasses and show which characteristics are the best.
a. Gunslinger
The Gunslingers pack a punch in terms of damage irrespective of the range they’re shooting from. They possess catlike reflexes, which help them evade attacks quickly and get out of tight spots.
Gunslingers carry three types of firearms: pistols, shotguns, and snipers. The Gunslinger subclass is perfectly suited if you love to pick off your enemies from afar. They have the best set of sniper kills in the game, so you’re assured of hitting some awesome long-range kills.
Despite their rich skillset, their ability to take a beating isn’t on the same level. Gunslingers are more fragile characters, and you’ll need to put their mobility to good use to ensure you don’t get killed repeatedly.
Some silky skills I loved using with the Gunslingers include the sharpshooter skill and the dexterous shot. While the sharpshooter deals a lot of damage, the dexterous shot involves more movement and is aesthetically pleasing to watch.
Therefore, gunslingers are your best bet if you want a character that gives you a combo of mobility with good damage.
b. Artillerist
Are you a player who doesn’t really care about those smooth moves? Do you just want to bring carnage and ruins into every quest or dungeon you enter? If so, the artillerist is your guy. Artillerists are characters that carry heavy and badass damage-inflicting weapons to the battlefield. As expected, they can put their foes in a world of hurt with their huge guns known as launchers. However, their gun also slows them down due to its weight.
Their heavy armor makes up for their lack of mobility, making them impervious to heavy damage. This way, they give beginners a chance to take some heavy hits and stay alive.
They can also transform their launchers into various heavy-hitting weapons, which provides diversity in their damage. However, Artillerists are easily predictable and vulnerable. This is because, in most of their shooting stances, they cannot move. So, you have to make sure you’re not at a range where your foes can do heavy damage to you.
If you love huge explosions, then this class is a match made in heaven for you. With like their Bombardment: Focus Fire and Bombardment: Energy Cannon, you’re assured of wreaking havoc. Just like the name implies, these skills cause both a perfect combo of damage and explosions.
c. Deadeye
Deadeyes are the male counterparts of the gunslinger subclasses. They also wield the same weapons as the Gunslingers. However, while the gunslingers are more mobile and move around quickly, the Deadeye is more aggressive. However, this is not the only difference between both classes.
First, the Deadeye characters are more suited to using the shotgun (unlike the Gunslinger’s sniper), which means they’re better for dealing damage at closer range. Also, they’re not as mobile as the Gunslingers: however, they’re still pretty fast compared to Artillerists.
The Last Request and the Dexterous Shot are two skills in Deadeye’s handbook that I loved utilizing repeatedly. If you’re a player who loves an aggressive style of play, then the Deadeye is a very good choice to use.
Why Sharpshooters aren’t Suited to Playing Solo in PvE
The sharpshooter class is excellent for picking off enemies from range using their bows and arrows. However, the havoc they can wreak isn’t so huge; hence, killing some enemies can be such a Herculean task. Also, you must be able to move very fast. This is because sharpshooters are very susceptible to damage. Hence, playing endgame content (e.g., dungeons) with these characters might be hard. These characteristics make them a less suitable character for PvE content.
What are the Best Solo Classes for Lost Ark PvP?
When playing PvP, there’s one rule you should have at the back of your mind: there’s little to no chance for errors. Most of the guys who dare to play the PvP mode are pros and can obliterate you in seconds if you’re just starting. So, if you’re a beginner, I’ll advise you to start by getting conversant with the PvE mode before starting PvP.
Now that is done, below are the best classes and subclasses to play with when playing the PvE mode:
The best solo classes for Lost Ark PvP content include Warrior (Berserker), Martial Artist (Striker), and Gunner (Sharpshooter).
1. Warrior Class
When playing PvP, you need to wreak all the havoc you can with every attack you launch. This is why the warrior class is one of the best classes you could use. With the amount of heavy-hitting damage they could cause, they are perfect for this role. However, only the Berserker subclass fits the bills for playing PvP content. Care to find out why? Then, read on!
a. Berserker
Just as said earlier, the Berserkers know how to do one thing well: wreak havoc. Combined with their ability to take hits, they’re one of the best characters to use in a heated PvP game. Their AoE is also very large, so you can cover large distances with one hit.
However, Berserkers find it hard to pack considerable damage against pacier classes like Martial Artists. Due to their slow speed when initiating attacks, Martial Artists and Gunslingers might find it easier to predict their moves and evade them. Also, you should not let your character get trapped in the middle of battle, especially after using a skill. Berserker’s skills require long periods of cooldowns, so you have to factor this into using these characters.
2. Martial Artist Class
Like actual martial arts, characters in this class are quite nimble on their feet and use a combo of attacks that hit their opponents like a gust of wind. Their biggest advantage is their lightning speed. Their opponents barely see them coming. If you love to hit your opponents hard and quick, this is the class for you.
The Martial Arts class consists of four subclasses: Striker, Wardancer, Scrapper, and Soulfist. However, the Striker is the best choice among these subclasses in a PvP match. Find out the reason why below:
a. Striker
Strikers are martial art experts that wield weapons known as light gauntlets. In reality, their hands are legs are also parts of their weapons. They attack their enemies with lightning speed using many physical skills coupled with aerial attacks as well. They use the gauntlets only when they’ve stored up enough energy to launch a massive burst of damage.
Apart from being very fast, they also have quick skill cooldowns compared to other characters. This means their movement around the battle arena is not limited even after performing various skills. They are perfect for PvP battles because they can easily evade attacks from characters with heavier damage.
However, it is advisable not to take on too many enemies simultaneously with a Striker character. If you do, you expose your character to damage from various sources at the same time. Even godlike evasion skills can’t save you from encountering some damage in such a scenario.
The skills I loved using with the Striker subclass were the Swift Wind Kick and the Lightning Whisper. The latter literally rained down lightning on my foes. Pretty sweet!
3. Gunner Class
Why use your arms when you can use ammunition? The Gunner is another beautiful class to survive in a heated PvP battle. With their agility and guns/ bows and arrows, you can easily stay far away from the heat of the battle and kill off enemies. As mentioned earlier, the class consists of the Gunslingers, Artillerists, Deadeyes, and Sharpshooters. From my experience playing the game, I loved using the Sharpshooter class while playing. Below are some of the characteristics of the class which I loved.
a. Sharpshooter
If you love the mechanics of the bow and arrow, then you need to try out the Sharpshooter subclass. Just like other members of the Gunner class, Sharpshooters are pacy characters who use bows and arrows to kill off their foes from a range. An added advantage of the Sharpshooters I loved using was the added damage their pet hawks could cause.
However, Sharpshooters are not so impervious to damage, so you do not want to get caught in the heat of battle while using them. They have stealth ability, making it easier to deliver sneak attacks on enemies. If you love striking from range and have good aim, then a Sharpshooter subclass would do you a world of good in a PvP match.
Conclusion
Playing solo can be an exciting adventure and can also be very tiring. The thrill that comes from fighting through a horde of foes and coming out is one of the best feelings for a gamer. However, some quests could prove to be a little more difficult than the others. However, if you’d love to experience more of the latter, then try out our recommended subclasses above. Happy questing!
