While other classes in Lost Ark may offer sorcery or big guns, you can’t deny that there’s something uniquely satisfying about melee combat. Today, we’re going to be going over every martial artist subclass in Lost Ark so you can find the right option for your playstyle.
What is Lost Ark?
In case you aren’t familiar with the game, Lost Ark is a 2.5D fantasy isometric MMOARPG that was developed by Tripod Studio and Smilegate before going on to win multiple awards at the Korea Game Awards in 2019.
The game cost over $85 million to develop and has actually been out since late 2019 for Korean players but only reached the North American and European regions in February of 2022 when Amazon Games published it.
Is The Martial Artist Class For You?
The martial artist class and all its subclasses have a very fast-paced PvP style. With enough practice and leveling, you could really start dominating your enemies. That said, those who usually play tanky or ranged characters may struggle with the CQC aspects of this class.
Which Martial Artist Should You Use?
While many games stick to a single class for melee, Lost Ark goes a step further by offering four distinct subclasses for those who want to fight their foes up close. Let’s take a closer look at each one so you can decide which option suits your playstyle best!
Striker
On the surface, the Striker subclass seems like a standard melee option with good physical attacks and quick movement. However, the unique benefits of being a Striker come in the form of crowd control which can be incredibly useful for PvP.
Multiple attackers in the Striker subclass will keep enemies dazed which can help your squad take out squishy enemies before they know what hit them. Furthermore, Strikers have a specialty gauge that stacks as you perform attacks and abilities.
As you build stacks, you’ll be able to use high-damage abilities that can only be triggered when your energy bar is either full or close to full. Much like the Wardancer subclass that we’ll go over below, the Striker subclass also has elemental skills that could turn the tides of your battles.
The playstyle around Striker builds usually consists of using your non-special abilities to build up your energy so you can get the most damage out of your ultimate abilities. This could get a bit repetitive for some players but, on the other hand, it makes the class a lot easier for beginners.
Pros:
- High burst damage
- Mobility skills help with kiting
Cons:
- Low defensive stats (glass cannon)
Skills:
- Tiger Emerges: advancing forward and inflicting fire damage
- True Heavenly Awakening: charging up a powerful double kick
- Storm Dragon Awakening: jumping spin kick with a follow-up knee strike
- Moon Flash Kick: advance forward with a flurry of kicks
- Swift Wind Kick: a 2.5-second spinning air kick attack
Wardancer
Not merely masters of martial arts, Wardancers augment their lightning-quick fighting skills with elemental power. They can store up elemental energy to unleash in devastating attacks and gravity-defying maneuvers.
This subclass offers powerful attacks and multiple agile maneuvers that are all fueled by the elemental mastery of Wardancers. Avatar fans will definitely feel at home with the lore, playstyle, and graphics of the Wardancer subclass.
However, if you prefer the lone wolf playstyle then having party buffs take up two of your eight skill slots could get annoying. After all, auto-attacking can get repetitive if your other skills are constantly on cooldown.
Pros:
- Fast-paced melee
- Elemental abilities and party buffs
Cons:
- 2/8 skills are dedicated to party buffs
Skills:
- Fist of Dominance: attract foes with an energy field then land a six-strike combo
- Advent of the Phoenix: a flying attack that deals damage and knocks foes down as you hit the ground
- Flash Heat Fang: multiple punches with a powerful finishing blow at the end
- Lightning Kick: a flurry of lightning kicks that can ground airborne enemies
- Triple Fist: unleash a series of five heavy punches against your opponents
Scrapper
If you’re looking for a true heavy hitter that can close the gap with enemies and take down bosses then Scrapper is definitely the subclass for you. Particularly in boss battles, the impairment skills that come with the Scrapper subclass can be a lifesaver.
The heavy gauntlet you wield is a force to be reckoned with and a relentless source of destruction. Specifically, the subclass has great sustained DPS, defense, and mobility when in battle.
Having such good stats in virtually all categories, you’re sure to catch a few foes off guard. In short, the Scrapper is a well-rounded class that’s perfect for beginners who want to get their footing before delving into the more detailed aspects of the game.
Pros:
- Well-rounded stats
- Impairment skills for boss battles
Cons:
- Not a specialist subclass
Skills:
- Blast of Ruination: charge up then thrust forward to knock foes back with your gauntlet
- Crushing Smite: launch three shockwaves directly in front of you
- Undefeated Dragon King: summon two black dragons on your enemies to strike them down
- Chain Destruction Fist: smash the ground four times with each strike more powerful than the last
- Death Sentence: release all your stored energy, knocking back foes and dealing significant burst damage
Soulfist
The closest comparisons one could make for Soulfist would consist of Goku and Marvel’s Iron Fist. This subclass is undoubtedly a flashy option that can lead to some epic moments if you use your skills properly.
The spirit bomb awakening skill is quite literally the most powerful attack in the entire game so mastering its execution and landing it every time should be your top priority when playing as a Soulfist.
What’s great about the Soulfist subclass is that it offers a lot of versatility regardless of the engagement range. Essentially, you can switch between melee and ranged attacks depending on how far away your targets are.
Soulfists are also able to channel a special type of energy known as Adamance which can be used to imbue abilities. Overall, the Soulfist is a fun and flexible option in Lost Ark but you could find yourself in some trouble if you can’t land your spirit bomb skill consistently.
Pros:
- Has the most powerful attacking skill in the game
- Flexible range options
Cons:
- You need to land your spirit bomb skill consistently
Skills:
- Annihilating Ray: charge up and blast an energy ray forward to damage enemies while knocking them back
- Heavenly Squash: drop a massive palm which deals an extra 30% in damage to foes who are in the air or down on the ground
- Magnetic Palm: jump forward and strike three times to throw your enemies into the air
- Pulverizing Palm: charge your palms and strike your enemies, with airborne foes receiving double damage
- Deadly Finger: dodge backward then strike the sky six times, dealing bonus damage to airborne enemies
Conclusion
As you can see, there are pros and cons to every subclass under the martial artist banner. As long as you’re having fun with your character, it shouldn’t matter whether or not a specific build is objectively the best.
At the end of the day, video games are all about exploring and having fun!
