Gunners in the world of Lost Ark find themselves in the middle of a political conflict that may spark yet another world-spanning war if they don’t get to reassemble the Ark in time. Through their advanced tech and firearms, Gunners are more than capable of assisting the other Classes with their needs in the battlefield. And of their specializations, it’s the Machinist that is perhaps one of the most sophisticated of them all.

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Touting both a machine gun and a drone, the Machinist can call forth tactical strikes while providing cover, or go the other way around. Aside from their rather multifaceted skillset, the Machinist can at some point fully activate their technological systems to be in complete sync with their armor, allowing them to unleash lasers and other advanced weaponry completely unheard of in the game’s world. However, just how should players of Lost Ark approach the Machinist if they’re interested in making one?

The Machinist: It’s All About Style

Machinist in Lost Ark

Similar to the core Gunner Class, the Machinist specialization further enhances the tactical capabilities of the Gunner in the field, be it during main quests or even Lost Ark side quests. Instead of being a pure long-ranged DPS, the Machinist becomes a hybrid DPS and Support, being able to dish out mean damage through its Hypersync mechanic while at the same time capable of assisting their group through the Drone, which in itself is a maneuverable extra party member.

Despite these obvious benefits, players do need to remember that similar to the Gunner, the Machinist is much squishier due to their lack of immediate defensive capabilities. As with other Gunner specializations, the Machinist relies heavily on positioning due to the sensitive nature of their abilities. The closest specialization of comparison to the Machinist would be the Artellerist due to a similar “transformation” mode, though the Artillerist has a much slower, heavy-hitting playstyle compared to the fast-paced Machinist.

The Drone, Operator Combo: Live, Tactical Action

The Machinist stylishly flying with their Drone

Perhaps the most striking part of the Machinist in terms of Lost Ark gameplay has to do with its maneuverable Drone. Thanks to this ally, the Machinist can do what most specializations can’t - attack from two (2) fronts at once. With the Drone and the Machinist having both separate skills and combined “fusion” skills, players can have the Machinist and Drone do separate things, attack from two (2) different angles, and cover multiple points. This may seem confusing at first and may lead to Lost Ark beginner mistakes, but mastering the Drone can transform the Machinist into a stylish yet reliable offensive support.

Core Abilities

The Machinist and their Drone

Given the nature of the Drone as a separate assistance unit of the Machinist, it makes sense for much of the Drone’s abilities and recommended gameplay has to do with zoning and peeking opponents. In turn, it’s ideal for players to pursue Lost Ark crafting materials to build weapons with high base damage. Here are some of the Drone’s and Machinist’s core abilities that let it give the perfect offensive boost to players:

  • Command: Baby Drones: The basic but bread and butter of Drone abilities, Baby Drones releases small drones that self-destruct on impact for decent damage.
  • Command: Raid Missile: This forward-facing skill launches missiles and hits groups of opponents in that general direction, providing decent stagger.
  • Mobile Shot: Although not a Drone skill per se, Mobile Shot is a personal skill that serves as the player’s best mobility tool. This will have the Machinist shoot a target with their Machine Gun while rolling to another direction. They can use this skill again to initiate a second roll.

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  • Avalanche: Serving as the standard combo and counter skill of the Machinist, this is a forward charge that deals massive damage as well as a decent stagger. Finishing this move also gives players access to Paralysis Immunity Super Armor, giving them an edge against tougher foes.
  • Energy Buster (Fusion): This Fusion ability will have the Drone transform into a laser cannon that releases a massive burst of energy to opponents. Not only does this deal huge damage, this also generates a lot of Identity Meter and is the best source of stagger among Drone skills.
  • Annihilation Mode (Fusion): This Fusion ability is great when surrounded, as this summons a Drone and positions the player behind them. Afterwards, the player will fire from their machine gun across 450 degrees, doing so once every 90-degree turn.

Awakening Abilities

The Machinist doing a flashy pose

Similar to other specializations, the Machinist also boasts Awakening abilities that serve as “supers” and try to provide them with intense advantages in combat. When used properly, these Awakenings can rain down hell on enemies and end combat encounters rather quickly, without needing to use Lost Ark consumables. There are two (2) Awakening abilities available to the Machinist:

  • Air Strike: This will have the Machinist “scan” a target area in front of them and call a rain of missiles down on opponents, dishing massive damage and intense stagger - perfect for starting finishing combos. More enemies hit will grant more Identity Meter.
  • Final Explosion: This is a simple and straightforward Awakening that allows players to force their Drone to self-destruct. Doing this will have the Drone swiftly go to the specified target and, in a quick animation, explode. This deals a huge chunk of damage to the target as well.

Hypersync: Think Exoskeleton, Iron Man

The Hypersync Mode

As with other classes in Lost Ark, the Machinist does have a special gimmick associated with their Identity Meter. When filled up, they go into Hypersync, a special “mode” that fuses the Drone with the Machinist and transforms into an exoskeleton. In this form, players essentially become Iron Man, boasting flight and skills that range from missiles to lasers. The Hypersync will have players enjoy extra mobility, attack damage, and a new set of skills - perfect for dealing with new situations. However, Hypersync breaks as soon as the player’s shield breaks.

Core Abilities

The Hypersync and the mode's many attacks

Once the Machinist goes into Hypersync mode, they get access to new abilities separate from their original abilities. This is because the Drone itself fuses with the player and give them access to a more powerful arsenal. Some core abilities during Hypersync mode include:

  • Comet Strike: A nifty mobility maneuver, Comet Strike will have players “teleport” to their target by rushing forward, knocking all opponents back in the process.

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  • Echelon Beam: This front-facing attack will have the Machinist fire a beam forward while rising in the air. Although a regular-looking attack with no immediate benefits, the fast-paced nature of this ability makes it perfect as a counter.
  • Crimson Breaker: A rather staple flashy manevuer, Crimson Breaker will have the players generate various parts that fire lasers forward, serving as a nifty combo finisher against clustered foes.

Engravings: Dictate The Flow Of Combat

Hypersync Mode ready for combat

As with other classes in Lost Ark, the Machinist also has their fair share of Engravings. Not a bit too dissimilar the talent trees of World of Warcraft, a specific Engraving more or less dictates a recommended approach to combat, as well as Perks and Lost Ark Gems players should acquire. Here are those Engravings and what they imply:

  • Legacy Evolution: This focuses on achieving Hypersync mode as often as possible, and maintaining survivability during normal mode. Although this Engraving won’t lead to as much damage compared to Arthenthine Technology, the focus on Specialization and Criticals in Legacy Evolution comes with higher damage and lower cooldowns of Hypersync skills. Not to mention, this comes with 40-percent Identity Meter as soon as Hypersync is over.
  • Arthentine Technology: This focuses on achieving maximum output when the Machinist operates with the Drone, emphasizing mobility and base damage. Given the lack of boosted defenses, Arthentine Technology is much squishier compared to Legacy Evolution, which the former compensates by giving the Machinist a boost in speed. In terms of stats, this build focuses on Crit and Swiftness, emphasizing better mobility during combat.

Playstyles: The Machinist Against The World, Other Players

The Hypersync Armor

Players interested in making full use of the Machinist’s arsenal in Lost Ark gameplay may first want to consider the kind of playstyle they’re pursuing. Aside from understanding the Stances and knowing which Engravings to focus on, creating a Machinist geared towards PVE or PVP do require some specific approaches:

In PVE: The Position Determines Success

The Machinist preparing a weapon

Due to the more tactical-intensive nature of both the Machinist and their Drone, their ideal PVE approach would have a lot to do with tactical maneuvering. Remember, Machinist skills are segregated into normal, Drone, and Fusion skills - all of which players need to use carefully when dealing with both mobs and elites.

Ideally, players would want to maintain a close range to enemies as often as possible, especially since precision aim is important when facing any type of enemy. The Drone/Machinist split works against mobs, whereas Hypersync’s boosted stats work well when fighting elites.

In PVP: The Drone Distracts Enemies

A Machinist Armor

In contrast to a no-holds-barred PVE strategy, the Machinist’s approach to PVP requires a bit more finesse. Due to the nature of only having one target in PVP, the fragile Machinist finds themselves in a precarious position against heavy-hitters. Thankfully, this is where the Drone comes in.

Thanks to the Drone, players are able to use the same multi-targeting strategies that Machinists are known for in exploration. Positioning the Drone and the Machinist in opposing sides of the map can ensure the Drone is stationary while providing covering fire, whereas the Machinist can roam around and dodge the enemy’s deadlier attacks. Dividing the enemy’s attention in this manner can certainly give Machinists the opening they need to unleash deadlier attacks, especially entering Hypersync prior to engagements.

Lost Ark was released last 2019 and is playable on PC.

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