Lost Ark Gunslinger Guide: How to Build a Gunslinger

Lost Ark Gunslinger Guide: How to Build a Gunslinger. In this Lost Ark Gunslinger Guide, I’m going to show you what it means to play as a Gunslinger in terms of how well they perform in combat, the best Skills and Tripods to focus on, and the playstyles available to them based on the Class Engravings they choose. If you’re searching for a Gunner that provides you with excellent mobility while dealing massive damage at any range, then this Lost Ark Gunslinger Class Guide is for you!

Be sure to check out our other Lost Ark Class Guides including: Shadowhunter, Sorceress, Paladin, Gunlancer, Deathblade, Wardancer, Scrapper & Sharpshooter!

Lost Ark Gunslinger Guide: How to Build a Gunslinger

Gunslingers are one of the Advanced Classes that fall under the Gunner Class. Unlike the Shadowhunter, they wield 3 Weapons, which they can efficiently swap to without a cooldown, namely, the Dual Pistols, Shotgun, and Sniper Rifle to shoot enemies from any distance. What’s more is the user interface at the center of the screen clearly illustrates the number of Skills available, which look like shaded boxes. As such, you won’t have to cycle through all 3 Weapons just to check the abilities you can readily use. Gunslingers are considered one of the most difficult DPS Classes to master since you need to manage multiple weapons for different circumstances.

High DPS
3 Different Combat Modes for 3 Weapons
Great Versatility
Great Ranged Damage
Good Mobility

As a Lost Ark Gunslinger, cycling among these weapons grants you the versatility to attack enemies at any range. Compared to their male counterpart, the Deadeye, they’re more than capable of inflicting massive damage from afar due to the Sniper Rifle damage bonus they get as a result of their Specialization Stat. Another advantage is that Gunslingers aren’t as vulnerable to taking damage up close and personal.

Lost Ark Gunslinger vs Deadeye

Gunslingers and Deadeyes are powerful and mobile DPS classes in Lost Ark but there are a few differences that set them apart. For instance, Gunslingers are better-suited at shooting enemies from afar due to their affinity towards Sniper Rifles. But she also inflicts considerable damage using her Pistols and Shotgun, making her much more versatile. Contrary to this, the Deadeye concentrates on inflicting good combo damage, and in fact, the highest damage up close with their Shotgun. As such, they can be seen in the front lines alongside enemies, which also makes them vulnerable in combat. Deadeyes predominantly execute Back Attacks so it’s important for them to constantly change positions to optimize the damage they inflict. But if you’re looking to safely execute long-range attacks without having to worry too much about the damage you receive, then the Gunslinger would be the better class for you.

Gunslinger Class Role and Identity

In Lost Ark, Gunslingers are a Pure Hybrid DPS Class that deals decent sustained and burst damage with the ability to attack effectively at both melee and ranged distances. As a Gunner, their mobility is excellent because of their Pistol Skills, allowing them to initiate combat and to dart in and out of it as necessary. Compared to the Deadeye, you’re no longer restricted to melee positional plays to maximize damage since you’re able to shoot from any direction due to a Shotgun upgrade. However, Gunslingers are very squishy similar to Shadowhunters, and having to switch between 3 weapons based on the situation can lead you to your demise.

All Advanced Classes in Lost Ark have unique features or Identities that differentiate them from the other Classes. These can either unleash more damage or enhance the buffs they grant. The Gunslinger, on the other hand, doesn’t really have an Identity per se. Instead, they can easily switch among 3 different stances based on the current weapon they’re wielding.

Dual Pistols provide utility in that it features tripods, which boost your attack speed, enhance mobility, and impose a debuff to reduce the crit resistance of enemies. Comparatively, the Shotgun and Sniper Rifle deal great burst damage at melee and ranged distances, respectively. Among these weapons, Dual Pistols have the highest fire rate, followed by the Shotgun and then the Sniper Rifle.

As such, the Dual Pistols and Shotgun are the most effective guns to use when you’re already being overwhelmed by swarms of enemies. Plus, they both have decent AoE damage areas. Meanwhile, due to the Sniper Rifle’s low fire rate and AoE radius, this is ideally used to initiate combat safely from a distance.

Lost Ark Gunslinger Best Skills and Tripods

By the time your Gunslinger reaches Level 60 in Lost Ark, you will have unlocked a total of 23 Skills comprised of Pistol, Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, and Awakening Skills. To add to this, you’ve also invested several points into Pistol, Shotgun, and Sniper Rifle Skills to specialize further by unlocking their respective tripods. The Tripod System allows players to customize their skills in various ways like improving crit damage or reducing cooldown rate. In total, you need 11-12 skills for the Gunslinger with a select number of tripods. In this section, I’ll cover the essential Pistol, Shotgun, and Sniper Rifle Skills and tripods you should allocate points into regardless of the playstyle you end up choosing.

Best Pistol Skills and Tripods

Spiral Tracker – Unlocked at Combat Level 10. Hurls a spinning handgun, which shoots multiple enemies to deal decent spread damage. To enhance the Spiral Tracker’s capability, the ideal tripods to choose are Weakness Exposure, Quick Pace, and Whirlpool. Not only do you inflict a debuff against your targets by lowering their crit resistance but you also momentarily stun and pull them towards the center of an area as they’re getting shot by the spinning handgun, granting you additional breathing room. Coupled with Quick Pace, you’re movement speed is improved for a couple of seconds.

Quick Step – Unlocked at Combat Level 10. A very good mobility skill that closes the distance between you and your enemies by sliding forward and then shooting them at point-blank range. Make sure to aim at them at the beginning since you can no longer change directions once you activate Quick Step. If you miss, you’ll be vulnerable to a few seconds of damage as you wait for its respective animation to end. The Quick Step Tripods to consider include Life Absorption, Rapid Fire, and Vital Point Shot. This combination allows you to improve both your attack and movement speed as well as the damage you inflict. And it’s further exemplified since all of your attacks will be considered critical hits with enhanced critical damage.

Somersault Shot – Unlocked at Combat Level 10. Another decent mobility skill that lets you jump over a group of enemies to evade their attacks. At the same time, when you’re at the apex of your jump, you deal a considerable amount of damage. The Somersault Shot Tripods to get are Ignore Collision, Burn Effect, and Super Armor. With these, you’ll be able to pierce Normal Bosses and gain Push Immunity. Additionally, you can inflict Damage over Time (DoT) when you burn the enemies you shoot.

Equilibrium – Unlocked at Combat Level 12. Rapidly fires your pistols in multiple directions. Equilibrium is a perfect skill to activate when you’re surrounded by numerous enemies, especially with the following tripods – Weakness Exposure, Enemy Raid, and Vital Point Shot. These upgrades allow you to keep firing in a 360-degree area while boosting the damage you deal against Challenge and Normal Monsters. Meanwhile, you’re also able to once again reduce the crit resistance of your targets and buff your crit rate.

Dexterous Shot – Unlocked at Combat Level 22. Shoots in multiple directions while moving forward. Similar to Spiral Tracker, Dexterous Shot temporarily stuns enemies, giving you space to dodge, which is further improved by the Master of Evasion Tier 2 Tripod. The other upgrades you should consider are Weakness Exposure and Agile Shot, which raises your combo by 1, letting you inflict greater sustained damage.

Bullet Rain – Unlocked at Combat Level 36. Fires a barrage of bullets against enemies in front of you. Similar to Quick Step, remember to face in the direction of your targets first before activating Bullet Rain since you won’t be able to change orientations afterward. The best tripods to pick include Vital Point Shot, Rapid Fire, and Flame Shot. Vital Point Shot and Flame Shot significantly enhance your crit rate and crit damage while Rapid Fire increases Bullet Rain’s duration from 2s to 3s and boosts its damage. If you’re up against Challenging Monsters, you may want to swap Rapid Fire for Ranged Shot to raise your damage against them in addition to widening the skill’s AoE radius.

The next Pistol Skills are exclusively applicable to the Time to Hunt playstyle due to the firepower they provide. These are necessary to compensate for the Lost Ark Gunslinger inability to use any of the Shotgun skills when choosing this playstyle.

Meteor Stream – Unlocked at Combat Level 10. Summons a barrage of bullets into the air and crashes them into the ground to deal explosive damage against enemies within the AoE. Meteor Stream is a good initiator skill against unaware and slow-moving targets given that it takes a couple of seconds for the bullets to crash into them. However, avoid using this if there are already mobs swarming you since you’ll most likely have to dodge from them right away. Moving before the bullets crash into the AoE will cancel the skill altogether, thereby wasting the skill’s effect and starting its long cooldown. The Meteor Stream Tripods to acquire are Weak Point Detection, Wide Explosion, and Bombardment Support. This combination allows you to widen your AoE radius and inflict massive damage against enemies who have immunity against being pushed.

Peacekeeper – Unlocked at Combat Level 26. A series of combos in the form of dashing forward, inflicting burst damage, kicking enemies, and rapidly firing against enemies. Although it takes practice to effectively make use of Peacekeeper, it’s a must-have skill because of the impeccable mobility you gain and the great damage you inflict. You can even change directions, albeit not so much, before the start of every combo. The ideal tripods to get are Excellent Mobility, Cykin CQC, and Purification Ceremony. The latter two upgrades enhance the combos you make in terms of their damage and crit rate.

Best Shotgun Skills and Tripods

The following Shotgun Skills and tripods that I’ll be talking about are exclusively available to the more versatile Peacemaker playstyle of the Lost Ark Gunslinger.

Shotgun Rapid Fire – Unlocked at Combat Level 14. Fires the Shotgun 3 times in a cone-shaped area in front of you. The Shotgun Rapid Fire Tripods to choose are In a Tight Spot, Quick Prep, and Extended Shot. In a Tight Spot is one of the best tripods of the Lost Ark Gunslinger Class because it removes the restriction of performing Back Attacks so you don’t have to go through the hassle of carefully positioning your character behind the enemy just for the damage bonus. In exchange, this tripod boosts your damage and crit rate. Meanwhile, Quick Prep significantly reduces cooldown and Extended Shot adds a massive attack after the 3-fire combo to knock down targets while heavily damaging them in the process.

Last Request – Unlocked at Combat Level 20. Fires one massive bullet to inflict considerable damage. What makes it all the more terrifying are the Execution and Volley Tripods. Execution lets you dash forward, making Last Request a good initiator skill, followed by Volley, which raises the number of times you attack. Lastly, to offset the skill’s long cooldown rate, you need Quick Prep.

Sharpshooter – Unlocked at Combat Level 40. Makes use of 2 shotguns in either hand to deal 7 attacks and the best damage possible compared to the other Shotgun Skills. To maximize the damage you deal against stronger enemies who are push-immune, you’ll want to take Special Bullet, In a Tight Spot, and Frost Haven. Frost Haven impedes enemy movement and it also freezes them after a few seconds. Once frozen, you deal double the damage.

Best Sniper Rifle Skills and Tripods

Spiral Flame – Unlocked at Combat Level 10. Fires a massive bullet to send enemies flying into the air while dealing burst damage in the process. With the Ice Shot tripod, you convert the skill’s element from fire to water to greatly reduce the movement speed of your remaining targets. To enhance Spiral Flame, it’s good to get Rear Blast to inflict more damage while freezing them. Lastly, with Kill Confirmation, you increase crit rate by more than 50% against weakened enemies.

Perfect Shot – Unlocked at Combat Level 20. A good initiator skill that fires a high-caliber bullet, which becomes lethal when you hit its Perfect Zone. Unlike the previous Lost Ark Gunslinger Skills, you can easily aim with this one in any direction before hitting the Sniper Rifle’s Perfect Zone. The Perfect Shot Tripods you ought to choose are Bleed Effect, Precision Shot, and Enhanced Shot. This combination allows you to inflict Bleed against remaining enemies for DoT and improve your crit rate and damage at the cost of a smaller Perfect Zone window.

Target Down – Unlocked at Combat Level 50. Enters snipe mode to target multiple enemies and deal great damage. The Target Down Tripods you should prioritize are Quick Aim, Explosive Steel Bullet, and Heaven Calls. This combination allows you to inflict Bleed while reducing the target’s movement and attack speed. It also boosts your crit rate against Challenge Monsters and stronger enemies.

Lost Ark Gunslinger Class Engravings and Stats

In Lost Ark, every Advanced Class unlocks Engravings that allow you to further specialize in your chosen Class as these grant special effects, which you can activate by reading Recipe Books and equipping Accessories and Ability Stones. You’re able to obtain them as random rewards by completing endgame activities such as Chaos and Abyss Dungeons, and Guardian Raids.

In this section, I’m going to talk about the Lost Ark Gunslinger Class Engravings, which determine the playstyle you wish to adopt for your character and are class-specific abilities and traits. You gain access to this when you reach higher levels. Let’s first discuss the Time to Hunt Class Engraving or playstyle together with the Stats that go with it.

Gunslinger Time to Hunt Playstyle

The 2 Class Engravings available to the Gunslinger are Time to Hunt and Peacemaker. Time to Hunt enhances your Pistol and Sniper Rifle’s crit rate at the cost of completely disabling your Shotgun Stance. This lessens the versatility of the Gunslinger but makes it easier to play since you only have 2 weapons to switch between. Reaching the Time to Hunt Engraving Level 1 is enough to make a good build.

Out of the numerous skills, you should slot the 3 Sniper Rifle Skills together with 8 Pistol Skills we’ve discussed to maximize the damage you deal. In terms of Time to Hunt’s Combat Stats, you’ll want to prioritize Crit followed by Specialization when gearing up. This setup maximizes your crit rate as well as the crit damage of your Pistol and overall damage of your Sniper Rifle.

Gunslinger Peacemaker Playstyle

Conversely, Peacemaker is the more popular playstyle between the two because it improves the specialties of every weapon. With the Pistol, attack speed is enhanced; with the Shotgun, it’s crit rate; and with the Sniper Rifle, it’s damage dealt. For the Peacemaker Engraving, reaching Level 1 is sufficient to make a competitive build. The skills you’ll want to utilize are spread out among the 3 weapons with the Pistol having the most number of skills at 6.

In terms of the Peacemaker’s Combat Stats, you’re going to have a similar setup with the Time to Hunt playstyle in that you’ll focus more on Crit and then Specialization to maximize the damage you deal with all 3 weapons.

Gunslinger Final Tips

As a Lost Ark Gunslinger, you can expect to have a challenging yet rewarding experience in determining the best times to switch from one weapon to the next. Each of these weapons has distinct functionalities that you have to maximize not only to deal massive damage but to also survive longer in combat given how fragile and squishy this Class is. In PvP, the Gunslinger still struggles from low HP but it can be circumvented by taking advantage of their high mobility and lethal damage combos. What’s more is they have quite a few Super Armors, which help protect them from crowd control. And finally, because Gunslingers are able to deal high damage in the melee and ranged distances, they’re a formidable opponent to go up against.

The Somersault Shot Skill can be combined with the other Pistol Skills that make use of the Back Attack damage bonus like Quick Step, Equilibrium, Dextrous Shot, and Bullet Rain. Be sure to initiate with Somersault Shot first before quickly activating either of these skills to precisely shoot enemies from behind. As a result, your overall damage will definitely be boosted, allowing you to efficiently eliminate enemies.

Lastly, if you find yourself dying too often, you’ll want to invest some points into Swiftness for the Time to Hunt and Peacemaker playstyles, right after Specialization. Doing so will boost the attack and movement speed of your Lost Ark Gunslinger so you can cover more ground when evading incoming attacks.

Stay tuned for more Lost Ark Class Guides and be sure to check out our Lost Ark Wiki or drop by our Twitch Channel if you have questions about the game. What did you think of this Lost Ark Gunslinger Class Guide? What Advanced Class are you planning to try out first? Let us know in the comments below!