Welcome to an MMO with incredible depth and stunning graphics. But beware: The game offers a level of complexity that can almost be overwhelming. Our Lost Ark Guide gives useful Tips and includes interesting facts about the Stronghold system, the island features, and more.
It doesn’t matter if you are an advanced player or a beginner. This game definitely has a lot to offer and is a title in which you can quickly get lost. We hope that with this guide, we can make your life in Lost Ark a little easier.
What kind of game is Lost Ark?
Lost Ark is an action MMO from the developer Tripod Studio, whose game design is strongly reminiscent of well-known hack-and-slash titles like Diablo. However, at its heart, it is an online RPG like World of Warcraft. It offers a massive open world, where you’ll be able to meet other players and have lots of space to explore. The title has the familiar MMORPG features for interacting with other players, such as emotes, a chat, or the possibility of forming a group or guild to go loot hunting together to upgrade your gear and level up. But in addition also some pretty innovative other features. But don’t worry, the ever-popular hack-and-slashing, on the surface and in dungeons, is here too, of course – there are tons of monsters and bosses waiting for you. Furthermore, there are countless quests packed in a very well-staged main story.
Lost Ark, as a free-to-play title, has been officially available in the western world exclusively for PC since February 11, 2022. However, because it has already been live in Asia for three years beforehand, numerous bugs have already been fixed, content has been expanded, and the game is now very well optimized. So don’t hesitate to grab a copy on Steam. If you haven’t yet, get an insight into the game with the following Trailer:
Brand new December 2022 Update with a new class
Yesterday, on 12/14/2022, the new December update went live. Especially exciting is a new class: The Summoner, which can use earth, water, and lightning spells in battle as well as call elemental spirits. Watch the brand-new Trailer here:
Our comprehensive Lost Ark Guide
As already mentioned, the game has an enormous depth and many different game features. We have summarized the most relevant topics and what is most important for you as a player below.
1. Lost Ark Beginner’s Guide
In our beginner’s guide, you’ll learn what the most important parts of the game are and what you should pay attention to in the first place.
The classes in Lost Ark
There are a total of six basic classes to choose from:
- Summoner
- The Warrior
- Martial Artist
- Gunner
- Mage
- Assassin
Unlike titles like Diablo 3, there is a gender lock here, which means that genders are tied to classes. This is a circumstance that we think is no longer quite up to date, and we hope that the developers will perhaps work on this again. The basic classes can then be developed into advanced classes (note: this cannot be undone!). However, the advanced classes can be tested in a training room after the base class has been created, so you can try them out and decide at your own pace.
Complete quests and level up
If you follow the main storyline, you can reach level 50. Up to this level, it is advisable to go without other in-game features such as Stronghold or crafting for the time being and only deal with them after you reach level 50. From this level on, the daily quests will be unlocked, which will bring you more rewards. Your character has two levels: The character level, with which you improve your character, and the level of your account, which unlocks various bonuses for all your characters on your account. With level 50, you have reached the so-called “soft cap”, as this level can be reached relatively quickly (about 30 hours for new players). Leveling up to level 55, the “hard cap”, however, requires much more time (between weeks and months for most players, but it depends on how much time you can invest into the game).
Unlock companions & mounts
Very early in the game, you will receive your first own pet and mount. Your pets not only grant you additional bonuses, such as an offensive and defensive companion effect, but they can also collect all loot, such as gold for you. With the help of the mount, you can quickly travel through the immensely large world.
Learn a craft (trade skill) and build a stronghold
In Lost Ark, you can learn six crafts (here named trade skills) and collect various items and resources. The professions are Fishing, Hunting, Mining, Excavating, Logging, and Foraging. In each of these, there are further possibilities to level up. With the help of the collected resources, you can then build a so-called Stronghold, where you can then brew potions, build ships and make other things. Both the fortress and the craft are not mandatory tasks to advance in the game. However, it offers you many advantages. The potions are especially recommended, but you can also buy them for gold in the auction house.
What is Rapport in Lost Ark?
Earn reputation points by forming relationships with NPCs. To do this, use emotes, give them gifts, or play songs using sheet music that you get in the main quest line. The reputation points will earn you more rewards.
Collectibles
In the game, you will find rare items in certain places. You can deliver them to NPCs, which you’ll encounter mainly in capital cities, to get various rewards.
The different dungeons
Lost Ark has various raids (dungeons) and a so-called “Tower” for you and your team members. Here we distinguish between “Chaos Dungeons” and “Abyss Dungeons”. The first one is recommended for 1-4 players. The Abyss Dungeon, however, can only be entered with a party of four players. The dungeons vary in their difficulty levels, which offer more or less reward. In the Tower, you will receive certain rewards once on each level.
Gear-up
Strengthen your character by wearing weapons and armor with appropriate stats. Ideally, you’ll have an entire matching set. You can then upgrade the weapons and items using the gear score, gems, or runes. But don’t forget about your companions, because their items also improve your character’s stats.
2. Lost Ark Stronghold Guide
The stronghold is your own little retreat, which you can build and decorate yourself or invite your friends to it. But you can also use it for crafting powerful armor or potions, for example. This game shelter also represents the most complicated feature of the title before the end game. Get an overview and learn how to build your stronghold properly with our guide.
How do I build a stronghold?
After you successfully complete the “Clerk Theo’s Invitation” quest, building a Stronghold will be granted. As soon as you recapture the “Luterra Castle” (around level 25) in the main story, you can start building it. After you complete the quest chain, you will also receive a quick travel song that will allow you to easily get to your estate called “song of hearth and home”.
Stronghold navigation & management
Teleport to your stronghold using the “Song of Hearth and Home”. Press “Ctrl + 1”, and you will get to the management menu where you can access all the functions. By pressing “Ctrl + 2”, you are able to give your stronghold a new look. Press “Ctrl + 1” again to return to the management menu. Here you can choose from the following systems below, which offer different possibilities:
- Manor: Establish advantages for your stronghold with the help of the Manor.
- Training Camp: Automatically level up one of your alternate characters (Alts) by two levels.
- Station: This is where you send your crewmembers on missions to earn coins and special rewards together.
- Workshop: Here, you can craft items and many other products.
- Lab: Unlock new crafting options and helpful features for the fortress.
- Knowledge Transfer: Level your alternate characters for some gold to 50 quickly without having to replay the main story.
Collect materials for your stronghold
In this MMO, the materials “ore”, “food”, “wood”, and “plants” are of great importance. Not only do various tasks require the availability of these resources, but they also optimize the potential of your Stronghold. Press “B” to get to your Trade Skills on the way. With the help of your trading skills, you can collect valuable resources such as flowers, wood, or ores. During the search, you will also find special ingredients, which you can use for exotic recipes. These are the places where you are most likely to find the materials:
- Dyorika Plain (Flowers)
- Lakebar (Ores)
- Sunbright Hill (Wood)
Materials can not only be found and collected but also traded. You can find traders at the spawn location of your island, from whom you can get special resources in exchange for common items if you have a lot of them available. A very useful feature to upgrade your Stronghold faster.
Level & upgrade your stronghold
You upgrade your Stronghold in the Lab. There you can increase the levels of your other systems step by step by clicking on fields like “Manor Lv.2” or “Workshop Lv. 2”, which will be displayed in a list. Don’t forget to prioritize the list according to your wishes. Also, make sure that you have enough resources to reach certain levels. A certain level of your Stronghold may be necessary for some upgrades.
Just like characters, your Stronghold also has a level you can earn XP for it through stronghold-related activities. You can earn additional XP for your estate through research, travel, and crafting, and it is recommended to run the station missions through the “Station” system.
3. Lost Ark Rapport Guide
They can be found in most games: NPCs that interact with you as the player. However, gamers often avoid the interaction because it doesn’t add value for them. In Lost Ark, it’s different, because here you’ll get lucrative rewards from interacting with NPCs, which will help you advance in the game. You should definitely use this system to get interesting rewards every day. In this part of the guide, you will learn how the so-called Rapport is structured and how it works.
Build a friendship with NPCs
Interact with an NPC and get to know him and his story. He will just talk to you or give you a Rapport quest. Your friendship will grow the more you interact with this NPC and do certain tasks for him, or her. In this way, your level for the NPC will increase, which is structured as follows:
- Stage 1: Normal (2 sublevels)
- Stage 2: Amicable (3 sublevels)
- Stage 3: Friendly (3 sublevels)
- Stage 4: Trusted (3 sublevels)
- Stage 5: Affection (1 sublevel)
How it works
You can access the Rapport Section by pressing “Alt + N” in the game or via the Adventures tab in the game menu. There you can see the locations of the “Rapport NPCs”, including the type of rewards, which can be very different. In any case, the interaction will earn you a lot of gold coins. Select each continent in the Rapport section to see which NPCs are located where. These non-player characters are grayed out until you interact with them for the first time.
You can increase the Rapport level by playing instruments, using emotes, or giving gifts. However, keep in mind that you can only use five emotes, play five instruments, and give a total of 99 gifts per Rapport NPC. Also, each higher level requires more Rapport points. So it’s a long way to the maximum level.
Five ways to raise your rapport level
- Have a chat:
The first and fastest way to raise the Rapport level of an NPC is to talk to him. You will get into a text chat, which ends relatively quickly and earns you a decent amount of points. - Emotes:
In Lost Ark, there are many different emotes that you can unlock and use to earn Rapport points with NPCs and thus increase your level. Please note: You can only use five emotes per day on an NPC. Emotes let your main character perform a certain type of gesture or action, such as a wave dance. However, each NPC prefers only certain emotes, and you should try to unlock all of them to have a wide choice to level up easier. You can get emotes by completing quests or buying them. - NPC Quests:
Once you have interacted with an NPC, you will see a pink exclamation mark on the map. It usually doesn’t take much time to complete these missions, but you’ll get plenty of Rapport points at the end. - Songs:
As with the emotes, there are also plenty of different songs that you can play to NPCs. When interacting, you’ll see a list of songs that the non-player character favors. Playing these songs to him or her will earn you the wanted points. You can unlock songs by completing quests. - Gifts:
Everyone likes to receive gifts, and so do NPCs. That’s why you will get the most Rapport points in this game this way. The advantage of this is that the Rapport NPCs will gratefully accept any of your presents and reward you richly, especially if they are favored gifts. You get gifts by completing quests. Alternatively, you can buy Rapport chests with Providence Stones and get gifts that way. You can get these stones by completing Una’s tasks, stronghold missions, or by killing certain enemies.
4. Lost Ark Island Guide
In the large game world of Arkesia, there are almost 100 islands that you can sail to and explore. Some of them are very small isles, while others are the size of a continent compared to the map. Many of these islands contain numerous treasures and activities. In this chapter of our guide, you will learn what to look for and where to start your adventure.
What do the islands offer?
The islands regularly host calendar events that are only available at certain times of the year, such as “Snowpang Island”, “Phantomwing Island”, or “Forpe Island”. These islands are the most lucrative at the appropriate times. Here you can get valuable equipment to upgrade your existing gear. Abyss and Chaos Dungeons, as well as world bosses (which spawn only at this time), are desired targets here. You’ll gain important items to upgrade your end-game gear too. Starting at level 50, you’ll probably spend a lot of your time on the islands perfecting your equipment.
The different types of islands
In this MMO there are islands that are only available for a limited time, while others can be navigated at any time. The types of activities also vary. Largely, you can distinguish between three island types.
- Static Islands:
Islands that are always available and on which you complete missions. - Temporary islands:
They are only available for a limited time. However, they appear often, and you can visit them several times a day. However, you will not find these islands easily. 10 minutes before the scheduled arrival time, a whirl will appear, indicating the supposed spawn point of the island. Enter the island name in the search field of the overworld map in the upper right corner to display all possible spawn points. It’s not easy to reach these islands, but the rewards are worth the effort. - Adventure Islands:
They are available at certain times of the day, but you can only visit one of these islands per day. The Procyon’s compass shows you which islands are currently accessible. It is worth visiting these daily, as they contain valuable island tokens, currency, or runes.
Especially rewarding islands
The amount of islands is enormous. We recommend, however, concentrating first on the most beautiful and profitable ones. Four islands that are especially recommendable:
- Golden Wave Island:
This island is equipped with many loot chests. If you want to get a lot of items without much efforts, such as pirate coins, engravings, or map packs, Golden Wave is highly recommended. - The Lonely Island:
Be sure to visit Grandpa Opher on The Lonely Island. There you will be able to trade island souls for interesting items, such as the Golden Moss Turtle Mount. Additionally, you will receive an Island Soul when you approach him right away. - Turtle Island:
Besides getting valuable Jewel Corals and another Island Soul, you can also ride a turtle, whose color you can also customize if you complete the quest series on the isle. Many armors and weapon crystals await you too. - Panda Island:
On this island, you can not only visit these cute creatures but also gain numerous valuable goodies, such as armor and weapon crystals, harmony leap stones, and harmony shards.
5. Lost Ark Leveling Guide
Do you want to reach level 50 as fast as possible? In our Lost Ark Leveling guide, we’ll give you the basics and helpful tips to quickly reach the soft cap. And don’t worry; your adventure doesn’t end after reaching level 50.
Level 10-36
Since the recent NA/EU version, you start your adventure at level 10. The game begins with several long cutscenes. You can skip the prologue to save time if you want – but the story is worth it. The following part is pretty clear and straightforward: Just follow the main quest, which is always marked orange on the map as your goal. Since the newest version, the sidequests have also been buffed considerably. You can complete many of them quite easily while completing the main mission. However, this is not a must, and you can also fully concentrate on the main story to level up quickly.
Level 36-50
From level 36 on, the game changes significantly, and you get access to sailing. Your quests will now also show up in blue instead of orange. Now you should complete the following regions in this order: Tortoyk – Anikka – Arthetine. This is the easiest way, but alternatively, you can choose the order yourself, which will make your journey a bit more difficult. Once you reach level 49, head to North Vern to get to the 50th level with the completion. Below we’ve listed more helpful tips to make your leveling more efficient:
- It’s best to focus only on enemies that are relevant to the quest
- If you have to complete dungeons, always do them solo at the lowest level
- Invest your skill points only in damage; later, you can always re-skill for free
- Increase your mobility and speed by using your mount
- Activate automatic riding to, e.g., sort your loot while traveling on your mount
- Use fast travel (“Triports”)
6. Five Helpful Tips & Tricks for Lost Ark
As the last part of our Lost Ark guide, for now, we would like to share with you some helpful tips & tricks that should make your time in the game even more comfortable.
Una’s Tasks
These are the daily and weekly quests in Lost Ark, of which you can always complete three per day/week. By repeatedly completing the Una’s tasks, your reputation level will increase in the area where you accepted the mission. The higher the level, the higher the rewards. To do these missions, you must have arrived in North Vern and be level 50.
Four ways to farm gold
Gold is the most important currency in the game. With it, you can buy items in the auction house, or you need Gold to upgrade your equipment. Here are four ways to get gold quickly:
- Interact with Rapport NPCs
- Complete daily tasks
- Complete daily dungeons
- Sell unnecessary items
Four ways to farm silver
Silver is another important currency in the game, and you need it to upgrade your equipment. With these four methods, you can get silver quickly:
- Complete Chaos Dungeons
- Complete Cube Dungeons
- Complete weekly or daily tasks
- Exchange it for other currencies in the Gold Store or Guild Store
Counter boss attacks
In Lost Ark, dodging is really important. Sometimes, however, you need to expose yourself to their strong attacks mercilessly. Here it is important to block the attack in time to deflect the damage. A look at your skill descriptions will tell you which of your skills are suitable for a counterattack. In the skills menu, if your selected skill is tagged on the right side with the orange tag “Counter: Yes”, you can use it for dodging. This method is essential to kill your bosses quickly and efficiently, but also often determines victory or defeat.
How to farm harmony leapstones quickly
Once you’ve reached soft cap level 50, your focus will be on strengthening your character’s equipment. For armor upgrades, you need Guardian Stone Fragments, and for weapon upgrades, you need Destruction Fragments. However, both types require Harmony Leapstones in addition. Because your upgrades can also fail, you should get yourself a decent amount. Obtain them through these five ways:
- Obtain Harmony Leapstones in the first two runs in the Chaos dungeons
- Complete daily quests (Una’s tasks)
- Farm islands, such as Glacier Island or Gull Island
- Complete PvP quests
- Complete guardian raids alone or with up four players
That’s it (for now) with our Lost Ark guide. We intend to expand it in the near future, so stay tuned for upcoming updates. Let us know in the comments below how you liked it. Feel free to also share if we made a mistake somewhere or if something important is missing.
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