Mastering the Lost Ark Shadowhunter: Complete Build Guide

In this comprehensive guide to the Lost Ark Shadowhunter class, we’ll cover everything you need to know about playing this powerful and versatile Assassin. We’ll discuss their combat capabilities, playstyles based on Class Engravings, and the best skills and tripods to focus on. If you’re looking for a class that can deal rapid, explosive damage combos in human form and transform into a demonic form for even more power, this Lost Ark Shadowhunter guide is for you!

Shadowhunters in Lost Ark

Shadowhunters are advanced classes that fall under the Assassin class. They wield Shadowblades, enabling them to obliterate enemies quickly at close or mid-range combat. They are beginner-friendly DPS classes, with well-balanced and easy-to-use skills in both human and demonic forms.

As a Lost Ark Shadowhunter, your goal is to inflict massive damage in your human or demonic form. In your human form, you’ll focus on using Normal Skills and upgrades to increase damage. In your demonic form, you’ll prioritize using Intrude Skills to build up your Shadowburst gauge for your transformation, providing you with boosted health and movement speed.

Lost Ark Shadowhunter vs Deathblade

While both Shadowhunters and Deathblades are excellent DPS and highly mobile classes in Lost Ark, there are differences between the two. Shadowhunters can transform into a demon to deal massive damage and have the flexibility to attack from different ranges effectively. Deathblades, on the other hand, can receive buffs or deal damage, making them highly versatile, and they can boost the party’s movement, which is helpful in combat. However, they require tactical positioning to execute Back Attacks more frequently. If you prefer a beginner-friendly Assassin with superb melee and ranged capabilities, the Shadowhunter is your choice.

Lost Ark Shadowhunter Class Role and Identity

The Lost Ark Shadowhunter is a Hybrid DPS Class with solid sustained damage and excellent burst damage when transformed into a demon. Their mobility is impressive, enabling swift movement in and out of combat. However, they have relatively low HP and must balance attacking with evasion to survive longer in encounters. Their skills generally lack the Super Armor Buff, making them susceptible to enemy crowd control effects.

The unique feature of the Lost Ark Shadowhunter is their Shadowburst Identity, allowing them to transform into a demon. To utilize this feature, they must successfully hit enemies with a variety of skills, filling up the Shadowburst Meter using Normal Skills or gaining energy faster through Intrude Skills such as Demonic Clone and Demon Vision. Once the meter fills, they can enter Demonic Mode, gaining access to powerful Demon Skills that stagger and knock down enemies while becoming immune to stagger themselves (but not knockback).

Lost Ark Shadowhunter Best Skills and Tripods

By level 60, your Lost Ark Shadowhunter will have 26 skills, including Normal, Intrude, Demon, and Awakening Skills. Additionally, you’ll invest points into Normal and Intrude Skills to unlock their respective Tripods, customizing your skills with decreased Mana costs or cooldown rates. You’ll need only eight skills per character with a select number of tripods.

In this guide, we’ll cover the essential Normal and Intrude Skills and tripods to invest in, regardless of your chosen playstyle. Some of the best examples include:

• Demonic Slash – Unlocked at Combat Level 10. This skill allows you to charge towards a group of enemies, slashing them multiple times. Recommended tripods: Excellent Mobility, Numbing Effect, and Spin Kick. These upgrades increase your move distance and attack speed upon hitting enemies.
• Cruel Cutter – Unlocked at Combat Level 12, this ranged skill is exclusive to the Perfect Suppression playstyle. Inflicts more damage when targeting enemies from the back. Recommended tripods: Bleed Effect, Electric Attack, and Encroachment
  Release. This combination increases damage, crit rate, and Damage over Time effects.
• Thrust Impact – Unlocked at Combat Level 16, this powerful skill allows you to build up energy for an explosive attack. Recommended tripods: Wide Explosion, Stun Effect, and Encroaching Power. These tripods enhance the AoE radius, stun enemies, and reduce the skill’s cooldown.

When choosing skills, remember to balance between Normal and Intrude Skills to fill up the Shadowburst Meter effectively and maintain your demonic form.

Shadowhunter Class Engravings and Stats

Lost Ark Shadowhunters have two Class Engravings available: Demonic Impulse and Perfect Suppression. Demonic Impulse eliminates the Composure Debuff, allowing you to enter Demonic State more frequently. In contrast, Perfect Suppression removes the ability to use the Demonic Mode, increasing the damage dealt with Normal Skills and tripods that use the Shadowburst Meter. Choose the Class Engraving that best suits your preferred playstyle and focus on enhancing your combat stats accordingly.

Shadowhunter Final Tips

Playing as a Lost Ark Shadowhunter can be rewarding but challenging due to their high damage output and vulnerability to crowd control effects. It’s crucial to remain vigilant and use evasion effectively to survive longer in encounters. In PvP, the Shadowhunter relies on ranged skills to catch opponents by surprise.

Make sure to balance between skills that utilize the Encroachment Release Tripod within your arsenal after building up enough Shadowburst energy. Continually adapt and experiment with skills and tripods to find the perfect combination for your playstyle.

Enjoy your journey in Lost Ark as a Shadowhunter, and don’t forget to check out our other guides and resources for more tips, tricks, and insights on this exciting game!