Lost Ark Beginner’s Guide

Lost Ark -Everything You Need to Know for a Running Start

Lost Ark’s western release is finally around the corner. Like many players, you’re likely preparing yourself to dive into one of the hottest MMORPGs to release this year. Though it looks as straightforward as other games, there are a few aspects to keep in mind as you get started.

With our Lost Ark beginner’s guide, we give you a head start on the game’s systems, which classes are best for new players, and how the game’s currencies work.

How Does Lost Ark Play?

Lost Ark has been likened by many to ARPGs like Diablo and Path of Exile. Despite its top-down perspective and flashy aesthetics, it isn’t exactly like these games. You won’t be seeing any loot showers from defeating bosses and elite enemies. On top of that, other players will largely populate cities and the world around you because Lost Ark is primarily an MMORPG.

Apart from its appearance, the game shares some common traits with classic ARPGs. It has fast-paced combat that feels snappy and powerful. There’s still loot to be gained, too. The caveat is that it doesn’t come as bountifully. Finally, there are many ways you can upgrade and customize your character to turn them into the mass killing machine of your dreams.

Lost Ark Classes

Lost Ark has a slew of classes to choose from, all of which are divided into Base and Advanced. Each of the five Base classes has its own set of Advanced classes, which have their own defined playstyle and mechanics. After selecting a Base class, you can test out each Advanced class before deciding which one to play.

Warrior

The Warrior Base class has Advanced versions that span across the trinity of roles in an MMORPG. The Berserker is a close-ranged brute that excels at dealing large amounts of damage. The Paladin can act as a support and tank that protects their allies and heals them while damaging foes with holy fire. Finally, the Gunlancer is as straightforward a tank as it gets. With its shield, it can soak up damage and keep enemies off allies while at the same time returning fire to their foes.

Mage

The Mage Base class is your typical ranged spellcaster type and has two Advanced classes. The Bard is a musician who can deal powerful AOE damage and support their allies. They achieve this through songs that plague enemies with debuffs and enhance party members with buffs. The Sorceress is a more straightforward spellcaster that can clear enemies and deal immense damage through elemental spells.

Martial Artist

The Martial Artist is one of Lost Ark’s most unique set of classes. The Wardancer is a damage dealer that uses lightning-fast attacks that ramp up over time, culminating in big finishers. Because of their elemental powers, they can be seen as a battle mage class. The Striker is more in line with martial arts and monk classes from other games. It’s a straightforward class that deals considerable damage through simple punches and smashes. The Soulfist mixes ranged and melee attacks in an elegant dance of death. Its unique mechanic allows it to channel energy that improves their damage. Finally, the Scrapper is a slightly more complex Striker that has easy-to-grasp attacks but can become more effective through mastering its combo mechanics.

Gunner

The Gunner base class is your ranged damage dealer, and its Advanced classes all bring their own unique spin on the concept. The Artillerist has big AOE damage potential that can devastate groups of enemies. The main drawback is that switching its various attachments makes the class slow. The Sharpshooter can fire arrows with different properties and has mobility options for staying at range. The Deadeye switches between three different weapons, a shotgun for close range, a pistol for mid, and a rifle for almost all ranges. Finally, the Gunslinger takes you back to the old West with close-range gun attacks and superior mobility.

Assassin

The Assassin Base class is your typical rogue and demonic energy class type. The Shadow Hunter allows you to channel dark energy to meld magic and melee into one seamless deadly combination. Finally, the Death Blade is as pure an assassin as it gets in Lost Ark. You can stealth and ambush enemies while using speedy attacks to make quick work of your foes.

Which are the Best Beginner Classes in Lost Ark?

Lost Ark’s classes aren’t challenging to get to grips with, though some have higher skill ceilings than others. That being said, if you want to dive in without much hassle, the below list has all of the game’s most straightforward Advanced classes:

• Berserker
• Gunlancer
• Sorceress
• Striker
• Gunslinger
• Death Blade

Questing in Lost Ark

Lost Ark plays out mainly like an MMORPG, as we mentioned earlier in this post. That means you have a host of quests to complete on your path to reaching the endgame. The main caveat is that Lost Ark has a large number of quest types, each of which serves its own purpose:

• Main Quests – These are your typical campaign missions that push the story forward
• World Quests – You find these as you explore the world
• General Quests – These can be picked up in towns and other locations
• Chain Quests – These are a series of missions that lead up to a big reward
• Dungeon Quests – These are completed through dungeons
• Adventure Quests – These vary in purpose and give you the chance to acquire island tokens
• Rapport Quests – These allow you to develop relationships with various NPCs
• Sudden Quests – These are instantly activated by triggering events and disappear from your log if you fail them

How to Level Fast in Lost Ark?

With all of these quest types, you might be wondering how to level up fast and get to the good stuff. The best approach is to use the following process:

1. Complete every quest you find up to levels 25-27. This will ensure you unlock everything necessary along the way.
2. From 25-27 to max level 50, you can simply do just the Main Quests.

The above method allows you to maximize your experience to make it to level 50 without backtracking once the Main Quests run out. If you’re a completionist, you’ll naturally want to slow your pace by doing all of the side quests you find.

Another general tip is to seek out two items you can find scattered around the world, Mokoko Seeds and Secret Maps. The former is an endgame item that you’ll want to have as many as you can by the time you reach level 50. The latter unlocks secret dungeons that lead to unique boss encounters with many loot rewards.

Progression in Lost Ark

It wouldn’t be an MMORPG without some progression systems. While there is extra content such as a robust housing and ship management system as well as a host of endgame activities, we’ll mainly be covering what you need to know about progressing your character.

Leveling

Lost Ark does progression pretty much the same way as other MMORPGs and ARPGs. The main difference is that there are two leveling systems. The first is your Combat Level which represents your character’s own progression. It’s what gives you access to various content such as areas, dungeons, and quests, just like other RPGs. Your Legacy Level represents your account-wide level and thus affects all of your characters. You gain new attributes through the Legacy Level, typically straight stat increases, such as higher strength and vitality.

Adventure Tome

The Adventure Tome contains a wide range of objectives that you complete as you go through the game and go through the world. Through this tome, you can unlock rewards such as cards and consumables. It’s not the most conspicuous thing to see in the game, so it’s essential to check it every so often to see if you unlocked anything.

Gear

Lost Ark has gear through the nose like any RPG worth its salt. You can gather various armor pieces, accessories, and weapons to upgrade your character. Enhancing your items is also possible through the Upgrade system. Keep in mind, though; it’s expensive as you must use materials you gather, so save this until you reach the endgame stages.

One thing to bear in mind is how you gain stats from gear. Big pieces like chests and helmets give you primary stats, such as strength and vitality. For secondary stats like critical strike chance, you need to equip accessories.

What Currencies Does Lost Ark Have?

Lost Ark is a free-to-play online game. As such, it has a robust currency system that can be a bit tough to understand at first blush.

Silver

Silver is your typical loot-based currency. It drops from everything you punch, shoot, and slice into oblivion. You can even acquire it as a reward from quests and dungeons. Silver is used for almost all of the base functions of the game, including crafting, buying consumables, and fast travel. As such, you’ll likely need a lot of it, so make sure you’re stockpiling enough for your adventures.

Gold

Lost Ark Gold is the main currency you use for trading in Lost Ark. You’ll mostly use it to buy items from the Auction House, and the way to acquire it is from dungeons, raids, and events. This makes it quite rare, which is why you can also buy it from the in-game shop for real money.

Peons

Peons are a supplementary currency used for Auction House purchases. The only way to acquire it is through the in-game shop and Blue Crystals.

Blue Crystals

Blue Crystals are used for your standard microtransaction purchases in the in-game shop of Lost Ark. You can use them to buy cosmetics, consumables, pets, and the above-mentioned Gold. While you can obtain them through in-game means, they’re scarce, meaning that it’s far more reliable to purchase them with real money.

Rift Shards

Rift Shards allow you to buy map boxes that give you access to certain dungeons. You can acquire these shards by participating in random world events called Chaos Gates.

Pirate and Voyage Coins

These coins are another important trading currency that enables you to trade for resources and consumables with pirates. You can also buy cosmetic stuff such as emotes and songs. Obtaining them requires that you complete marine events that take place on the water as you sail around the world.