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Gunlancer Overview

Introduction

The Gunlancer is the only Lost Ark class that can be considered a “tank” by traditional MMO standards. He has a taunt, a huge shield, and can absorb a ton of punishment. If you are looking to stay in melee and obliterate your foes while ignoring mechanics, look no further.

Remember that Lost Ark is not a traditional MMO and players don’t manage enemy aggro. That means that the Gunlancer has to do damage like other classes, and they do plenty of it. Their main function is being a tanky damage dealer with some support skills like party shields.

The class has a good balance of AoE and single target skills, allowing them to wipe out hordes of mobs quickly without flinching or to focus the boss with their massive stagger abilities, stunning them.

To learn more about the other Warrior classes, check out Berserker, Paladin, or Destroyer.

Class mechanics

Gunlancers build up their Shield Gauge by doing damage with their skills. You have two options for how to use it:

  • Defensive Stance: This can be activated at any time, granting you a shield and pushback immunity. You cannot generate meter while active and the gauge will slowly be drained – getting hit will drain it faster. This is the hallmark skill for any Gunlancer, allowing them to do things other classes cannot.
  • Battlefield Shield: The Gunlancer sacrifices his entire Shield Gauge to create a zone of safety for his allies, absorbing all damage in an area. This is not used often but can be useful in specific situations where your party is going to take a lot of damage.

Class overview

Strengths and Weaknesses

strengths

  • Tankiest class in Lost Ark
  • Party utility: shields and taunt
  • Powerful stagger, Destruction, and respectable damage

weaknesses

  • Requires frontal attacks to be effective
  • Slow with limited movement
  • Backdash feels clunky to use

Class playstyle

The Gunlancer builds up their Identity gauge to use self-shield and stay in the fray dishing out damage while ignoring mechanics:

They use their skills to do damage or help out teammates. In general, they have 2 types of skills: Red and Blue skills.

  • Red skills: Skills that use your Gunlance and have powerful damage & stagger.
  • Blue skills: Skills that rely on your shield to do damage, stagger, and support your allies while filling up your identity meter.

PVE

Gunlancers are a highly-valued class whose job is to control the fight by interrupting the boss’s key abilities with Taunt while doing your damage rotation. For them to stay in melee range and do this effectively, Shield Gauge needs to be built and used efficiently.

On top of that, a Gunlancer’s abilities debuff the boss, and knowing when to use group buffs can dramatically impact the fight. If you want to focus on battle strategy, and don’t like mechanically demanding classes, you will feel right at home here.

PVP

In PvP, Gunlancers focus on disruption and burst damage. You have several abilities which stun and displace foes. Your allies will rely on you for peels, and you can support them with buffs as well.

Offensively, you have some great burst that enemies usually don’t expect. Using your Defensive Stance for CC immunity wisely will allow you to get your damage off no matter what. If pulling your enemies off your allies and into your calculated burst sounds like a great time, this is the PVP class for you.

Core abilities

Surge CannonBashLeap AttackGuardian's ThunderboltShield ChargeShout of HatredGuardian's ProtectionLance of Judgment

Surge Cannon

Compress the energy using the exploder on your weapon, then propel it out in front of you.If the energy is not fully compressed, inflict 385 Damage and push foes away. When fully compressed, inflict 770 Damage and knock back foes.