Lost Ark: Pistol Lancer Guide – How to play the class with the strongest defense

While Lost Ark doesn’t offer a real tank function, there is a tank nonetheless. The Pistollance is indestructible and offers party members protection under its shield. MeinMMO author Anny Bader took a closer look at it and explains what is important.

The Pistol Lancer is a subclass of the Warrior. He’s not particularly fast, but he doesn’t have to be. With its strong defense, it can withstand most attacks that other classes have to dodge. As a pistol lancer, you can continue to exercise DPS in such situations.

In Lost Ark there is no Holy Trinity, groups are not divided into DD, support and tank as in other games. So you can’t play the Pistol Lancer as a real tank. Nevertheless, you can endure a lot and can protect your group members and use a taunt skill to render enemy attacks ineffective.

His abilities are divided into red and blue. The red ones are attacks with his Pistol Lance, the blue ones are normal attacks with the shield, buffs and debuffs.

On the tier list of MeinMMO, the pistol lancer is in the S range in PvE. In PvP, he initially belongs to the B tier, with a higher PvP rank he slips into the A tier. It is therefore quite suitable for PvE and PvP.

This is how the pistol lancer plays

That’s the special ability of the pistol lance: During combat, his identity meter charges at the bottom center of the screen. You can use this energy in two different ways.

If you press Y, you get a strong shield. You cannot be thrown back in it, you hardly take any damage, but you are 50% slower.

If you press X, your entire party in a certain radius will receive a shield that redirects their damage to you. In addition, your defense improves. It also deals damage to the opponent.

Normal attacks (blue)

Guardian’s Lightning Bolt: Lightning from the sky, electrocuting enemies for 3 seconds.

hook chain: Pull opponents towards you and deal damage.

Nellasia’s energy: All party members within 24 yards take 10% less damage.

call of hate: Taunt that negates attacks from nearby enemies.

shield charge: Charge forward with your shield.

shield slam: Strike with the shield. Can be used twice.

shield shock: Strike the enemy with the shield, reducing their movement speed by 40% for 4 seconds.

smash: Stuns enemies for 3 seconds. counter attack.

jump attack: Leap 9 meters towards the target area and slam the ground.

Lance Attacks (Red)

Charged Spike: Focus energy and thrust your spear forward.

Rising Gunlance: Stick the spear into the ground, throw opponents into the air.

fireball: Shoot your opponents.

Gunlance Shot: Push attack that charges the lance and eventually fires a grenade.

cannon eruption: Compress energy, then smash your opponent, who will be knocked back. High tumble.

Counter Riflelance: Repel attacks and then counterattack.

Sharp Rifle Lance: Thrust the spear forward.

Sprinting Highshot: Strike at enemies as you move forward. Press again to fire a grenade. counter attack.

The Pistol Lancer in the leveling process

It is important when distributing the points that you never have to bring the skill levels higher than level 10. Skill level 4 is required for the first tripod, skill level 7 for the second, and skill level 10 for the third.

Level 12: First you distribute 4 points each to fireball and sharp gun lance.

Up to level 21: 48 points on Guardian’s Lightning Bolt for AoE damage.

Up to level 25: 20 points on Call of Hatred.

Up to level 35: 48 points on Charged Spike.

Up to level 42: Now there are more points on Keen Gunlance, 48 in total.

Up to level 47: A total of 48 points on fireball.

Up to level 50: Finally you put your points on jump attack.

The best builds in endgame

In the endgame, as with most other classes, you choose between two class engravings. You decide between the red and the blue skills.

Class Engraving A: Solo Knight

What does the engraving do? As a solo knight, you focus on the red skills you perform with the Pistol Lance. You do a lot of stagger and burst damage. In addition, at level 1, your crit chance increases by 5% and your crit damage increases by 30%.

Positioning in combat is important. Most of your red attacks do more damage from the front, which is why you should carry out as many frontal attacks as possible.

You still have the blue abilities, but you can no longer use your identity ability’s battlefield shield, which X previously allowed you to use. So there is no longer a sign for the entire group. If you use the shield on Y, your energy will be consumed twice as fast as before.

Ultimately, the solo knight does more damage through crit and focus on red skills, but also takes more damage. Nevertheless, it remains robust and can withstand more than most other classes, but can definitely keep up as a DPS class.

When it comes to stats, you rely on crit and agility, with crit being more important.

Which engravings do I use? In addition to the class engraving, you should rely on supercharge, since you have very long cooldowns as a pistol lancer. Master Smasher is also worthwhile, as you cause even more damage with frontal attacks with the engraving.

If you want even more crit in your build, use Adrenaline and later, when your crit is very high, Reckless Blunt Weapon.

Which trading cards are important? As with almost all damage dealers in Lost Ark, you first use the Howling Rocks set for the trading cards to increase your crit rate. It consists of Armel, Seria, Solas, King Thirain, Kharmine and Delain Armel.

The Light of Redemption set is optimal, but it consists of rare cards. So it will be expensive later, but worth it. The set consists of Shandi, Azena and Innana, Nineveh, Wei, Balthorr and Thirain. For a 6-piece 30-piece awakening, the cards give you 8% more Holy damage and convert all your damage to Holy damage.

What skills do I use?

As an awakening you use Warden’s Protection.

What is the rotation like? You start with Smash to stun your opponent and buff yourself through the Prepare Attack tripod.

This is followed by Cannon Burst, Dashing Highshot, Fireball, and Charged Spike.

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After 10 seconds, Smash is recharged and your rotation can start over.

Class Engraving B: Combat Readiness

What does the engraving do? With the combat readiness class engraving you rely on the blue skills of the pistol lance and have the strongest defense of all classes in Lost Ark.

Your normal abilities deal 20% more damage and your shield lasts 30% longer while in defending stance. If you get hit while in Defensive Stance, you do 4% more damage for 10 seconds.

The build is great for countering boss attacks, which becomes increasingly important in the endgame. You can read exactly how this works in our guide.

When it comes to stats, you rely on specialization and crit, with specialization being more important in order to charge your shield quickly and use it for a long time.

Which engravings do I use? In addition, you choose the battle engraving Barricade. This allows your opponents to take more damage when your shield is active. So pretty much all the time.

Stabilized damage is also worth it. This allows you to deal more damage when your HP is above 80%.

After that, you can choose between Master of the Strike, Adrenaline, Spirit Absorption, and Awakening.

Which trading cards are important?

The trading cards are no different from the other class engraving. To further increase your crit rate, you should start with the Howling Rocks card set. It consists of Armel, Seria, Solas, King Thirain, Kharmine and Delain Armel.

The Light of Redemption set is also optimal here, but it consists of rare cards. So it will be expensive later, but worth it.
What skills do I use?

Use Guardian’s Protection as an awakening.

What is the rotation like? You start the fight with Sprinting Highshot.

For maximum DPS, use Smash, Guardian’s Lightning Bolt, Shield Slam, Shield Charge, and Leap Attack.

You don’t have to dodge, just tank the attacks and spam the blue attacks.

What do you say about the pistol lance? Do you see him as a tank or more as an indestructible damage dealer? Did you go for the solo knight or did you choose combat readiness as your class engraving? Write it to us in the comments here on MeinMMO!

More guides are available here: Lost Ark Guides: All tips, tricks and builds at a glance