The Striker, currently the only subclass of Lost Ark’s male Martial Artist, presents all of the core hallmarks required for a Martial Artist to be effective in a fight — rapid attacks, respectable damage, and emphasis on in-fight positioning to maximize damage output.
While tanky enough to handle primary aggression and be playable as a solo class, the Striker benefits when playing alongside a tankier class that can draw away enemies’ attention.
Playstyle: Sucker punch
The majority of the Striker’s offensive skillset caters toward back attacks, so many of the class’s offensive skills are best used on enemies who are preoccupied with his teammates.
- Lightning Kick: Series of kicks that launch the user forward, dealing moderate damage and knocking targets around
- Triple Fist: Short-range flurry of punches that can target the weak points of bosses
- Storm Dragon Awakening: Chain skill of up to three attacks that will propel the player forward and deal medium damage with each input
- Violent Tiger: Combo sequence of two overhead kicks in quick succession if the input is held down throughout its duration
In addition, the momentum of the Striker’s attacks often pulls him toward, and eventually through, his targets. This makes him the ideal DPS class to sweep through the crowds of enemies that tanks often draw.
Related: What does “Weak Point” mean in Lost Ark?
The Esoteric Meter: Double-Bubble
As the Striker deals damage to enemies, they will gradually fill the Esoteric Meter at the middle of the player’s HUD.
The Esoteric Meter is structured in a series of three “bubbles,” with each bubble representing about a third of the meter’s overall capacity. After filling a particular amount of bubbles, the Striker will be able to use a variety of Esoteric skills — attacks that deal exponentially more damage at the cost of bubbles.
- Spiral Impact: Single-hit, high-damage punch consuming one bubble
- Blast Formation: Launches a series of three explosions, dealing high damage at the cost of two bubbles
These two Esoteric skills in particular can be used in tandem, one after another, once the Esoteric Meter has been filled in its entirety.
The meter charges very quickly, often filling from empty after just two or three standard attacks into crowds. However, with most Esoteric skills consuming as many as two or three bubbles in a single use, the Esoteric Meter empties just as rapidly as it fills.
As such, to maximize the Striker’s potential damage output it is ideal for players to alternate between standard skills and Esoteric skills, using the former to prepare the latter.
Related: Lost Ark PvE Classes Tier List – The Best Characters for PvE
