Lost Ark's PvP system is one that, at a glance, seems chaotic and maybe even "shallow." But, upon actually taking part in it and looking beneath the surface, it quickly becomes clear how much of a misunderstanding this is.
The Player-versus-Player content in Smilergate's Lost Ark has an absurd amount of depth as well as rewards (such as exclusive Mounts) and plays widely different from any other fights in the entirety of the game. Because of this steep initial learning curve, players are struggling and bouncing off Lost Ark's PvP pretty quickly (thankfully a lot more was just added to the game). Here are some of the best tips that can help players avoid this.
8 Positioning Is Everything
This needs to be the first lesson players learn when diving into the Proving Grounds of Lost Ark, and that's the lesson of Positioning. While Positioning obviously matters for a large majority of LA's endgame content, such as Abyssal Dungeons and Raids, it's a bit different here.
It's more than just making sure to stay out of the red telegraphs and attack the boss from the most Class-efficient area (AKA Front or Back attacks). In addition, players must be aware of their animation startups, the range of their attacks to a pixel-perfect degree, and how far their opponent's attacks will reach. A simple misstep in positioning can easily get a player trapped in an infinite combo that takes them from 100 percent to dead in a few short seconds.
7 Learn The Importance Of Peeling
Peeling is a pretty standard term in MMORPGs, MOBAs, and a couple other game genres. Essentially, it means to pull the aggro of the enemies away from allies so that they can reset, reposition, and unleash some damage of their own.
In some games, like League of Legends, Peeling is innate and relatively easy to understand. In Lost Ark, however, it's a bit more difficult to pull off, since an extra step forward can get a player caught in a semi-infinite combo. So, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Peeling is primarily about drawing Aggro, not dealing damage.
- Players should never abandon the person who peeled for them.
- Sometimes, it's just not worth the risk to attempt and Peel for an ally.
6 Understand Class Flowcharts
There's a fair comparison to make between Lost Ark's PVP mode and the Fighting Game genre. Both games require that players learn the "Flowchart" of their character/class. The "Flowchart" includes:
- Which Skills are the most optimal to use for every different situation.
- What to do when a Skill hits or when it misses, and what the next step should be.
- What Skills lead into each other as part of a combo, and when to use Skills individually.
No matter what class one plays in Lost Ark, understanding their class's Flowchart is essential.
5 You Don't Have To Full-Send It Every Time
When most Lost Ark players start getting into the game's PVP, it's very easy to fall into the false narrative that every engagement continues until someone dies. In the lower MMR, players more often than not just fully commit to every fight, AKA the "sink-or-swim" strategy. But this tactic becomes increasingly less effective the more people get matched with higher-tier players.
In actuality, Lost Ark's PVP is built more around a "Guerilla Warfare" concept. Instead of one big engagement, it's better to have a series of smaller engages, in which players focus on safely disengaging after they get their full combo out, only going back in once this combo is ready again or their window of opportunity appears.
4 Internalize Lost Ark's Crowd Control Rules
Crowd Control in the Proving Grounds of Arkesia is huge. Understanding what types of CC exist in the game, how each type works, and what they look like can vastly change a player's Win-Loss statistic. There are three different "types" of CC in Lost Ark: Stagger, Knock Up, and Stuns. Each one has a different "Immunity" that players will see in their Skill descriptions.
- Stagger (Paralysis Immunity): This is when the player's attack animation gets interrupted by another attack, AKA "Staggered" out of their attack. Basic Attacks usually cause Stagger.
- Knock-Up (Push Immunity): This one is obvious visually, as this is either when the player is knocked up into the air or down onto the ground. The Recovery Action can be used while stuck in this CC.
- Stun (Debuff Immunity): The "Hardest" form of CC, Stun stops the player in place, gives them stars above their head, and prevents them from using any of their abilities. There is no way to break free from this instantaneously.
Additionally, there are three types of "Super Armor" in the game, which use specific keywords to denote what CC they cancel or are "immune" against. Paralysis Immunity ignores Stagger; Push Immunity ignores Knock-Up; and Debuff Immunity ignores all CC, including Stun.
3 Play In 21:9 Aspect Ratio
In the standard Lost Ark content where it's very PvE-centric, the debate between players using their default resolution or the "forced" 21:9 Aspect Ratio doesn't have a lot of ground to stand on. In fact, many players don't even know this option exists. Yes, players can see a bit further in all directions thanks to the wider camera, but there's also that obnoxious letterboxing on the top and bottom of the screen, and the UI doesn't utilize this new empty blank space at all.
Still, in PvP, this aspect aatio is almost required to make any sort of significant progress in the rankings. Without it, players will constantly find themselves hit by Bard, Sorceress, and Deadeye Skills without seeing where they're coming from. Additionally, some Skills with the right Tripods enabled can cover more than the entire screen, so this aspect ratio also allows players to utilize their own Skills more efficiently as well.
2 Cowards Usually Win
Anyone who plays a projectile or technical character in fighting games knows this, but winning is winning. It doesn't matter what it takes. A Fox player can spam their Blaster in Super Smash Bros all they want; Guile can spam Sonic Booms in Street Fighter; Faust can toss items around all day in Guilty Gear — they'll all be considered legitimate winners.
This same methodology applies to Lost Ark's PvP, where "cowards" usually reign supreme. It essentially boils down to this: get in safely and unload the Class's main combo, get out while the enemy is down, and use every tool to stay away from them until the combo is back up. Simply rinse and repeat. And, when a player gets low on HP, they should absolutely try and run out the clock as much as possible before dying.
1 Know Your Role
Lastly, Lost Ark PvP players need to learn their Role in regard to their class. For the most part, the Combat Role of each Class in PvP is pretty similar to their role in the PvE content. Gunlancers are aggressive tanks, Berserkers are button-slamming damage dealers, and Sorceresses are trap-planting queens.
But, there are several exceptions as well, such as the Support Classes and the Martial Artists (including the new Glavier class). Bards and Paladins, in particular, are heavy hitters in PvP that will take most PvE players by surprise. Essentially, all players should learn what their Class excels at in PvP and adapt their playstyle accordingly instead of just going "all-in" every time.
Lost Ark is available on PC.