Sharpshooter Class Guide – Lost Ark
Sharpshooter is a bow user class that has ranged flexible damage dealing capabilities. Although they don’t have the highest DPS, they have high survivability in raids which make them very reliable.
The class has decent stagger but lack in the weak point department so they need to supplement that with battle items like Destruction Grenades.
They can accommodate a slower moving ranged playstyle or a quicker, more mobile mid range style allowing for a variety in playstyle across PvE to PvP.
This class can be challenging but is very rewarding the better you are at the game and the more mechanical skill you have as a player.
So if you’re looking for – a class that rewards you for good mechanical skill and movement as well as having one of the coolest weapon glows in the game then Sharpshooter is for you. Also, you can check out our Sharpshooter leveling guide.
Comparisons to other classes
Sharpshooters compared to other Gunner classes are in the middle in terms of characteristics.
Compared to Artillerist, Sharpshooter has more instantaneous effects but lacks the raw defenses and stagger that Artillerist brings.
Deadeye and Gunslinger can provide more damage but have a harder time dealing damage safely compared to Sharpshooter making him a more consistent choice.
If you want to know more about the performance of Sharshooter in the current meta, make sure to check out our articles on Lost Ark best classes!
Class Mechanics
Sharpshooters are a bow class that builds up their identity meter to utilize animal companions to provide various buffs.
Their skills are a variety of arrow attacks with Snipe being their core damage skill that the class revolves around landing. Snipe is a holding skill that can be aimed and needs to be released at the right time to get the damage and this is where the bulk of your damage comes from.
PvE
Sharpshooter has to use their close range abilities to build their identity meter then use their identity for large buffs so they can use their full rotation.
Sharpshooter builds are flexible as either class engraving are good builds and you can even use them both together. Their engravings revolve around working together with animals to buff themselves, fight, or debuff the enemy.
PvP
In PvP, Sharpshooters are a ranged class that uses stealth and their superior range to set up big damage plays before sliding back out to safety.
Due to their stealth, they can threaten backlines in a way that no other class can. This gives them the option of playing as a backline assassin or sit back and safely follow up their frontline with their big damage and follow up CC.
Sharpshooters are a fun and sneaky class in PvP for players that have good awareness, positioning, and mechanics.
Core Abilities
Moving Slash
Mobility skill that can be used to engage and start combos.
Claymore Mine
Hard Crowd control ability that’s useful to use in peeling for your teammates against enemies using Push Immunity skills or to combo
Salvo
Used to enter stealth. Use your stealth to create opportunities to engage.
Snipe
Main damage skill but takes awhile to go off and your opponents can easily cancel it.
Stalker
Used to disengage. Very useful since it has Push Immunity.
Atomic Arrow
Explodes after a short time. Can catch opponents with the arrow but it’s easier to apply to enemies that are already crowd controlled so it can extend combos or catch enemies again after they waste their roll.
Blade Storm
Combo extender due to its damage and crowd control abilities. Use after you catch an opponent with another ability.
Awakening Abilities
Golden Eye
Summon multiple hawks around yourself to create a golden whirlwind that grows stronger over time.
This is your preferred awakening due to it being more consistent to land the full damage compared to Fenrir’s Messenger.
Fenrir’s Messenger
Charge your bow to summon Fenrir’s Messenger to charge through your opponents dealing damage over time. You can release this skill early to summon a smaller and weaker version that does less damage.
This is the less preferable awakening because some bosses are too small to be hit by the full damage of the Messenger.
Advanced Class Engravings
Every Lost Ark class has access to engravings that will focus your playstyle in one particular direction. For Sharpshooter you will choose between Death Strike and Loyal Companion
Death Strike
Image from Maxroll
When you have a full meter, you can use this identity to send out a hawk to mark your target for death. While your target is marked, they take extra damage for 8 seconds.
This build revolves around building resources to land all your damage within a short window of burst.
Loyal Companion
Image from Maxroll
This engraving increases your natural meter recovery as well as providing a few extra perks. The extra perks include, extra movement speed, stronger hawk attacks, longer duration for your hawk, and debuffing the enemy that increases your damage done to them by a small amount.
Neither engraving precludes the other so they can be both used in tandem if desired for a Death Strike build that has a safer way of generating meter.
Build
Death Strike Build
Image from Lostarkive
- Blade Storm
- 3-2-2
- One of your main meter generation skills used to consistently cast Death Strike.
- Deadly Slash
- 2-3-1
- One of your main meter generation skills as well as your counter.
- Snipe
- 1-3-2
- Your main DPS skill that covers a third or more of your overall damage. Important to always land this skill.
- Arrow Wave
- 1-1-1
- Your other main DPS skill used after Snipe with a similar range.
- Charged Shot
- 3-1-1
- Secondary DPS skill. During Death Strike, prioritize your main DPS skills first before using this.
- Sharp Shooter
- 1-3-1
- Secondary DPS skill. During Death Strike, prioritize your main DPS skills first before using this.
- Moving Slash
- 3-2-0
- Your main mobility skill used to dodge, avoid boss mechanics and reposition.
Stat Priority
- Crit is your primary stat.
- Specialization is your secondary stat for extra meter generation.
Runes
- Wealth runes on your main identity meter generators.
- Galewind runes on your main DPS skills to make gameplay smoother and easier due to lack of swiftness.
Engraving
- Death Strike 3 is mandatory for how efficiently it scales.
- Hit Master 3 is a great secondary engraving due to not being reliant on front and back attacks. Keen Blunt 3 is also a very nice engraving due to Sharpshooters having access to easier crit on their main damage skills.
- Grudge and Cursed Doll lvl 3 make great skills once you are an advanced player and can slot them in.
Gems
- Bring both gems on Arrow Wave, Sharp Shooter, Charged Shot, and Snipe.
- Everything else is a bonus for gems.
Loyal Companion Build
Image from Lostarkive
- Arrow Wave
- 1-1-1
- Your other main DPS skill used after Snipe with a similar range.
- Charged Shot
- 3-1-1
- Secondary DPS skill. During Death Strike, prioritize your main DPS skills first before using this.
- Sharp Shooter
- 1-3-1
- Secondary DPS skill. During Death Strike, prioritize your main DPS skills first before using this.
- Snipe
- 1-3-2
- Your main DPS skill that covers a third or more of your overall damage. Important to always land this skill.
- Atomic Arrow
- 3-3-2
- Your synergy skill with a low cooldown. Party synergy applies on the explosion and not the initial hit so keep that in mid.
- Moving Slash
- 3-2-0
- Your main mobility skill used to dodge, avoid boss mechanics and reposition.
- Arrow Shower
- 2-1-1
- Damage over time ability with built in crit chance. Try to find a time where the boss is stuck in animations so you can land the full duration.
Stat Priority
- Swiftness is your primary stat.
- Crit is your secondary stat.
Runes
- Galewind runes go on your main DPS skills.
- Wealth runes on meter generation skills.
- Bleed rune on your low CD party synergy skill for constant bleed application.
Engraving
- Loyal Companion 3 is the primary engraving for this build. It’s your class engraving and it’s most efficient at level 3.
- Hit Master 3 is a great secondary engraving due to not being reliant on front and back attacks. Keen Blunt 3 is also a very nice engraving due to Sharpshooters having access to easier crit on their main damage skills.
- Raid Captain 3 and Keen Blunt 3 are good secondary engravings to get after your core once you satisfy their requirements. Raid Captain needs high swiftness to get 140% movement speed for maximum efficiency while Keen Blunt wants at level 60% crit to match up with other engravings damage increase.
- Grudge and Cursed Doll lvl 3 make great skills once you are an advanced player and can slot them in.
Gems
- Damage and cooldown gets go on your 4 main DPS skills.
- Rest of the gems are a bonus.
Thanks for reading! For more articles and guides, check out the rest of our Lost Ark blog.
