Lost Ark classes: Which class is best when you're starting out?

• Read our Lost Ark review

Of course, it will take time for you to come up with your own Lost Ark tier list that ranks all of the classes in order of which ones you like best. But you've got to start somewhere, and we're going to try and offer you some sage advice on that front in this very article.

And so, read on for all of the essential information about the Lost Ark classes and which ones you should start with!

Lost Ark classes: Which is the best starter class?

The main five Lost Ark classes that you'll be asked to choose from at the start are Mage, Warrior, Assassin, Gunner or Martial Artist.

Those names are fairly self explanatory, with the Mage being magical and the Gunner using guns, and so on and so forth. If you've got a certain power fantasy in mind, then – for example, if you're very keen to be using guns in the game – feel free to just follow your heart and go for it.

It's also worth noting that, when you choose a class in Lost Ark, you will be able to try out each of its sub-classes in a little tutorial segment before you have to decide which path you're going down.

Another thing to note is that classes are gender-locked in Lost Ark – every sub-class is only available as one gender, either male or female.

Over time, different players will gravitate towards different Lost Ark classes, and everyone will have a different Lost Ark tier list in their own head. And when you're teaming up with pals for multiplayer, you'll want to make sure you have a nice balanced crew.

If you're really looking for a tip, we'd recommend starting Lost Ark with the Mage class, because those magical attacks feel properly powerful from very early on, allowing you to get into your stride a bit quicker. Keep on reading and we'll tell you more about each Lost Ark class.

Lost Ark Mage class: Bard or Sorceress?

If you do want to go down a magical route, you'll want to pick the Mage option! Note that the Mage is currently a female-only character class in Lost Ark, so there's no way to make a male mage in the game currently.

When you pick Mage, you'll soon be given a choice between the Sorceress and Bard sub-classes. Other than the obvious visible difference – the Bard has a musical theme with weapons that look like instruments – it's worth noting that the Bard is a support role whose main aim is heal and aid your party.

On the other hand, the Sorceress is all about attack. She has various damage-over-time attacks that will drag out the pain for your foes, as well as area-of-attack moves that will assault various enemies at once. So the Mage class is basically a simple choice between defence and attack. We'd recommend the attacking Sorceress option, unless you're deliberately trying to build a support character.

Lost Ark Warrior class: Berserker, Paladin or Gunlancer?

If you fancy yourself as a Warrior in Lost Ark, the sub-classes you'll be asked to choose between are the Berserker, the Paladin and the Gunlancer. Note that this is a male character class, so there aren't any options for a female Warrior in Lost Ark.

In general, the Warrior class makes you something of a tank, which means you can take a lot of damage as well as dishing out your fair share of it.

The key difference to be aware of here is that Berserker has a fury meter that, when you've charged it up, can boost your attack's damage and speed for a limited time. On the other hand, the Paladin is more geared around supporting your teammates, while the Gunlancer is most impressive on the defensive front.

Lost Ark Assassin class: Shadow Hunter or Death Blade?

The Assassin class in Lost Ark is mainly focused on melee combat, and it's split into the advanced sub-classes Shadow Hunter and Death Blade. Two very cool names there! Note that the Assassin class is always female in Lost Ark.

The Death Blade is all about combos, encouraging the player to learn sick moves that involve three special swords. Or on the Shadow Hunter side of things, you'll be able to charge up a bar that allows you to dish out demonic attacks that temporarily alter your physical form.

Lost Ark Gunner class: Gunslinger, Deadeye, Artillerist or Sharpshooter?

In Lost Ark's gunner class – which is gender locked to be a male character – your specialist sub-classes are Gunslinger or Deadeye. Whichever way you end up going, you'll be dishing out a high amount of damage per second as a ranged fighter that uses a number of different guns.

The main difference here is that the Deadeye sub-class offers a little bit more in terms of technically-advanced abilities, while the Gunslinger sub-class allows you to stick to the basics without that extra faff.

Artillerist is an advanced class that will eventually allow you to play with bigger guns (including a flame-thrower), and there's another advanced Gunner class called Sharpshooter which is all about bows and arrows rather than guns.

Read more on Lost Ark:

• Lost Ark review - our first impressions
• Lost Ark Founder's Pack - what are the differences?
• Lost Ark PC requirements
• Lost Ark server list

Lost Ark Martial Artist class: Wardancer, Soulfist, Scrapper or Striker?

With the melee-focused Martial Artist class, Lost Ark offers you four options: Wardancer, Scrapper and Soulfist, which are female; or the Striker, which is male.

Wardancer and Striker are similar, with both of those classes allowing you to deliver powerful elemental moves if your combo game is good enough.

The Scrapper has a heavy gauntlet that helps you whack enemies into submission, while the Soulfist class has a rare mix of melee moves and long-range attack options. It really is up to you to choose whichever one sounds coolest to you!

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