Lost Ark Machinist (Scouter) Guide – Builds, Engravings, and Tips

Machinist Class Guide – Lost Ark

The Machinist, formerly known as the Scouter, is a very unique Lost Ark class. It utilizes a drone and a submachine gun to deal great damage, but then also has the ability to transform into Iron Man and use lasers instead.

Machinsts have the ability to micromanage their untargetable drone, so they can zone enemies and peel for allies from a large distance in PvP, or instead use the drone to safely use some skills on the boss.

The drone and the human parts of the class can be thought of as mostly separate. You can use a drone skill, then a human skill and have them both cast simultaneously – the exception being the extremely strong fusion skills that use both your drone and character to unleash powerful attacks, or provide greater utility.

Machinsts ultimately have the choice between being Iron Man, or wielding their submachine gun and drone. These two playstyles are vastly different and have interesting mechanics and combos to explore. Both are very viable, extremely fun and have engaging challenges to overcome.

Comparisons to other classes

Machinst is a very squishy class, as are the other Gunner advanced classes. This can be dangerous because much like Deadeyes, Machinst need to be relatively close to the boss to be able to utilise their whole kit, but they still have options to use from range. This emphasises the importance of positioning as it has the same defence coefficient as Gunslinger and Deadeye.

Similar to Artillerist, Machinst has a different mode that they can use that considerably changes their playstyle. Though more mobile than Artillerist, but less protected as it only provides immunity to stagger and is squishier.

Finally, unlike all the classes, Machinsts can micromanage their drones so they can land skills on enemies from places that other Gunner advanced classes can’t, especially since the drone cannot be hit.

Lost Ark Machinist Class Mechanics

Machinsts build up their meter by dealing damage to enemies using their drone skills and fusion skills. Once fully charged up the Machinst can transform and go into Hypersync mode:

• Extra movement speed
• Increased attack power
• Big shield
• Different set of skills

Note that if this shield is broken in Hypersync mode, the Machinst will change back to human form.

PvE

Depending on your choice of class engraving, you will spend most of your time in either the human form, or the Hypersync form.

In human form you will use a combination of drone skills, normal skills, and fusion skills to output as much damage as you can, as opposed to using said skills to charge up your identity to transform and deal your damage in your Hypersync mode – where you will have another kit at your disposal.

Machinst is one of the squishiest classes in the game, so ensure you are dealing damage safely and not ignoring mechanics.

PvP

In PvP, good Machinsts will be able to micromanage their drones to; zone, peel and catch people. Machinsts also have very good burst damage that they can cast from the distance. In Hypersync mode you will be immune to stagger and can engage the enemy to output great damage.

Similar to PvE, Machinsts need to be extremely careful as they are extremely squishy, making sure that you are in a safe place to cast a skill before doing so is vital to make sure you don’t get caught as failing to do so in most cases will cause you to take significant damage.

Core Abilities

Kamikaze Drones

Kamikaze Drones is a drone kill that sends 9 self-destructing drones to a targeted location dealing incredible damage. This skill is also used to generate identity meter. This skill also provides mid stagger.

Rockets “Raid”

Rockets “Raid” is a drone skill that fires 6 missiles to a target location generating substantial meter, dealing good damage, and dealing mid/high stagger.
It is also great to proc the Conviction Rune.

Particle Accelerator

Particle Accelerator is a fusion skill, this means it uses a drone and your character to cast. Your drone attaches to your arm and releases energy forward. It deals amazing damage, regens a lot of identity meter, and is your best source of stagger.

Air Threat

This is one of the skills you can use in Hypersync mode, you jump up high and shoot a laser forward. This is the only positional attack in Hypersync mode – a front attack. It is one of your highest damaging skills in the Legacy build, but it also acts as a mid-ranged counter and a mid stagger.
You can combo this skill with Comet Flight to make it cast much faster.

Machinist Awakening Abilities

As with all classes, the Machinist  has access to two Awakening abilities:

Airstrike

Select an area next to your character and a signal will be sent to the target location – which is a huge area. Bombs will be dropped on said location and the more bombs land the more identity meter is generated.
This is a great ultimate to reach transformation as fast as possible.

Reactor Explosion

Order your drone to self-destruct, inflicting massive damage to nearby foes.
This means that you can control your drone to go near a target before self-destructing, after this ultimate is cast, the drone will be regenerated and will be in an attached state. This Awakening is fast and does a ton of damage, make sure to use this if you don’t need the identity meter generation from Airstrike.

Machinist Class Engravings

Every Lost Ark class has access to engravings that will focus your playstyle in one particular direction. For Machinst, you will choose between Arthetine Technology and Legacy of Evolution. They are two completely different playstyles.

Legacy of Evolution

• If Iron Man is your favourite Marvel superhero, or you just like shooting lasers, this engraving is for you. Legacy of Evolution increases your Hypersync mode skills and reduces their cooldown. On top of this it ensures you get back to shooting lasers as fast as possible as it gives you 40% of your reactor energy back when you exit Hypersync mode.
• Unlike Arthetine Technology, you do transform so you get a great shield that makes Machinst a lot tankier compared to its counterpart. Though unfortunately the damage is also lower by comparison.
• Specialization is a priority in this build for more damage in Hypersync mode as well as the ability to charge your identity gauge extremely fast. As a secondary stat you want crit for the extra crit rate.
• It is worthwhile to note that Legacy Machinst makes for an amazing alt because it is the cheapest class in the game to gear up alongside Demonic, needing only 2 gems and barely any tripods.

Arthetine Technology

• If using your submachine gun and drone to squeeze the most damage possible sounds like fun, this is your engraving. The Arthetine Technology engraving increases the damage of your Drone Operator and Companion Skills as well as Battery. You also gain movement speed when the drone is following you. All of this makes Arthetine Technology Machinst’s highest damage engraving.
• With this great damage there must of course be a downside – you are especially squishy as you have the second lowest defence coefficient in the game alongside Reaper, Gunslingers and Deadeyes.
• For this build you want to prioritise crit as a main stat and swiftness as a secondary stat. You get speed and cooldown reduction from your swiftness to pair nicely with your destructive damage from your crit.

Machinist Builds

Basic Legacy

Also known as the “Ironman” build, this guide will show you the simplest way to make your Machinst the most effective. It’s important for any Machinst player to confidently execute combos in hypersync mode to make the most out of its duration.

Build Skills

Runes

• Rockets “Raid” – Wealth (Legendary)
• Kamikaze Drones – Wealth (Epic)
• Comet Flight – Rage (Legendary)
• Laser Blade – Rage (Epic)
• Air Threat – Galewind (Epic)
• Maximum Power – Galewind (Legendary)
• Repulsor Beams – Bleed (Legendary)
• Head-on Collision – Galewind (Legendary)

If more stagger is needed then adding an overwhelm rune to Particle Accelerator and removing the bleed from Repulsor Beams is a viable option.

How to Play

• Build-up to Hypersync
  • Due to Specialisation being our main stat, and paired with wealth runes we get Hypersync very fast. In order to generate our meter we can use the drone (blue) skills, or the fusion (purple) skills. Note that if you use a fusion skill while a drone skill is currently active, you will cancel the current drone skill, so be careful with timing your skills.
  • You always start the encounter by using Airstrike, using it correctly will in most cases completely fill your identity gauge.
  • Following this, as we put our wealth gems on Kamikaze Drones and Rockets “Raid”, these should be our priority. We can also use Particle Accelerator to generate meter, as well as our other drone skills, Laser Gun and Fiery Funnel. Generally we use Evacuation for mobility, but if you have only a very little bit of meter missing you can use this skill to fill it. Your normal (yellow) skills will not regen your identity.
  • Remember that you can call your drone back to you using “x”

• In Hypersync
  • In Hypersync mode you can use Laser Blade (E) or Air Threat (R) after Comet Flight (Q) to make the skill faster to cast, Using QE even gives Laser Blade (E) an additional 20% damage. You want to use these skills in combination to ensure maximum damage output.
  • One of the possible combos – which is also the simplest and very effective:
    • QRWAQE, S, QRWAQE, W, QRWAQE, S, QRWAQE
  • This combo consists of just using QR W A QE and fitting S in between where possible.
  • There are other combos that allow you to squeeze some extra dps by, for example, being able to use a 3rd S skill in the rotation (though this is very hard to pull off as the duration of transformation is always 20 seconds).
  • Don’t worry about your 6% damage synergy, with Legacy Machinst you automatically proc it so you don’t need to use Energy Grenade like the AT Machinst build does.
• Utility
  • For countering we can use Hurricane Fire if we aren’t in Hypersync mode, alternatively, we use Air Threat (R) if we are in Hypersync mode. Hurricane Fire is a small distance dash that can counter, with the above tripods it will also give you push immunity, Air Threat is a medium/long range counter but it is relatively slow if not used with Comet Flight (Q), though Comet Flight isn’t required to use when countering unless repositioning is needed.
    • If possible, have a party member counter instead of you when you are in Hypersync mode, this is because your counter in this form is also a great source of damage, so using it to damage the boss is preferable, of course if you are, for example, solo bussing Valtan then you have to use it for countering.
  • In terms of mobility you can use Evacuation and Dexterous Roll, in Hypersync mode you can use Comet Flight (Q).
  • During stagger checks your most valuable ability is Particle Accelerator, and in case that your Particle Accelerator isn’t providing enough stagger, you can always add an Overwhelm rune as mentioned in the Runes section of this guide.
  • For Destruction, you want to use Laser Gun, and in Hypersync you want to use Head-on Collision.

Engravings

Without a 9/7 stone or ancient accessories you have 2 main options.

• Legacy (Class) 3
• Grudge 3
• Keen Blunt Weapon 3
• Adrenaline 3
• Raid Captain 3

OR

• Grudge 3
• Cursed Doll 3
• Barricade 3
• Raid Captain 3
• Adrenaline 2
• Legacy (Class) 1

With a 9/7 stone or ancient accessories, you can then move on to:

• Grudge 3
• Keen Blunt Weapon 3
• Barricade 3
• Raid Captain 3
• Adrenaline 3
• Legacy (Class) 1

Combat Stats

You want to have full Specialisation, with a Spec/Crit necklace. Specialisation will allow you to recharge your meter quickly and to increase the damage of Hypersync skills.

Gems

For Legacy Machinst, you only need 1 dmg gem and 1 cd gem, these are the Hypersync mode gems.

Gearset

Hallucination, this is to make up for the low crit rate this build has, though Keen Blunt Weapon is only recommended if you have Adrenaline 3.

Gear Tripods

Legacy Machinst benefits from having Reactor Power tripods leveled up as they cause identity to be charged quicker, in addition to this you can get some QoL by getting some tripods for your mobility skills such as Dexterous roll. Overall, Legacy Machinst doesn’t require many tripods.

Basic Arthetine Technology

This guide will show you the best way to make your Machinst the most effective in his human form. It’s important for any Machinst player to confidently combine their drone and human skills, as well as knowing the priority of skills to use to maximize DPS uptime and synergy buffs.

Build Skills

Runes

• Kamikaze Drones – Galewind (Epic)
• Particle Accelerator – Galewind (Legendary)
• Rockets “Raid” – Conviction (Legendary)
• Energy Grenade – Bleed (Legendary)
• A Long Queue – Judgement (Legendary)
• Dexterous Roll – Rage (Legendary)
• Hurricane Fire – Quick Recharge (Legendary)
• Slaughter Duet – Galewind (Epic)

How to Play

If Reactor Explosion is off cooldown, use it first in order to proc the buffs from the Dominion set.

Remember that you can use drone skills (blue) and normal skills (yellow) simultaneously, this is achieved by using a normal skill after using a drone skill, you cannot do this the other way around.

With this in mind:

• Use Rockets “Raid” and A Long Queue, this also procs Conviction/Judgment
• Use fusion skill (purple) off cooldown
• Use Kamikaze Drones and Hurricane Fire.

Unlike the Legacy build, try to maintain your synergy buff of 6% damage to allies and yourself active by using Energy Grenade on the target, this skill must deal damage to the enemy to proc the synergy. The synergy on this skill lasts 14 seconds, so you should be able to get 100% uptime on it comfortably.

Engravings

• Awakening 3
• Grudge 3
• Keen Blunt Weapon 3
• Raid Captain 3
• Arthetine Technology 3

Combat Stats

• 1600 Crit
• 500 Swiftness

Gems

• A Long Queue – DMG & CD
• Kamikaze Drones – DMG & CD
• Rockets “Raid” – DMG & CD
• Particle Accelerator – DMG & CD
• Slaughter Duet – DMG & CD

These are the recommended gems, there is 1 gem missing that can be filled for a cooldown gem for one of the remaining abilities. Since Energy Grenade has 12 seconds of cooldown and the synergy it applies lasts for 14 seconds it doesn’t need a cooldown gem.

Gearset

Use the Dominion set to gain more awakening skill uses, less awakening skill cooldown, and extra buffs such as additional cooldown reduction and increased skill damage.

Gear Tripods

• Particle Accelerator – All tripods
• Slaughter Duet – Shelling Sector and Scaling Wave
• Rockets “Raid” – All tripods
• Kamikaze Drones – All tripods
• A Long Queue – All tripods
• Dexterous Roll – Quick Prepare, Initiative
• Hurricane Fire – Easy Prey, Blitzkrieg

Thanks for reading our Lost Ark Machinist guide! To learn more about other classes, check out our collection of Lost Ark class guides.