Lost Ark Paladin Build For End-Game Content
The Paladin in Lost Ark is one of the most sought-after classes in end-game content. End-game content in Lost Ark is designed around bringing one support for every three (DPS) damage dealers. There are currently two support classes: Paladin and Bard, so as a support-focused build, you'll have a substantially easier time finding a group for harder content.
However, one of the disadvantages of choosing a Paladin as your primary class is that you deal less damage and it will take you more time to clear solo content. Below is my preferred Paladin mobbing build in Lost Ark:
- Flash Thrust: Quick Prep - Chain Attack - Flash Enhancement (Bleed)
- This skill deals decent damage with low cooldown, and can't be interrupted. You can pair it with Bleed ruin to apply bleed stacks and deal (some) damage.
- Charge: Excellent Mobility - Shining Protection (Quick Recharge)
- Charge is your primary mobility skill and provides you with a 15% shield for 3 seconds.
- Executor's Sword: Stigmata - Challenger's Will - Broad Slash (Judgment)
- Execution of Justice: Rune Prison - Acuteness - Express Fury (Conviction)
- If you use a buff skill such as Wrath of God or Heavenly Blessings, you can cast this spell since it deals massive damage.
- Holy Sword: Stigmata - Weak Point Detection - Condensed Energy (Galewind)
- If you cast one of your identity skill, Sacred Executioner, this is the best skill to cast since it deals with massive AoE damage and could potentially full hp mobs.
- Wrath of God: Wide Thunderstroke - Thunder - Express Fury (Wealth)
- This is used with the Thunder skill tree to crowd control mobs while also providing damage buffs.
- Holy Explosion: Enhance Strike - Wide Explosion - Prepared Explosion (Protection)
- This is your primary mob clearing skill due to its massive AoE and high damage output.
- Heavenly Blessings: Faith - Valor - Heavenly Requiem (Wealth)
- This is one of your primary damage buff skills and is also paired with high-damage output skills. Heavenly blessings also deliver a massive AoE nuke.
Note: If you want to clear mobs faster, the best engraving to invest in is Preemptive Strike. The reason for this is your first hit deals a guaranteed crit with +160% damage on level 3.
Gameplay
- Rotate between Wrath of God and Heavenly Blessings buffs before using other skills, as they don't stack. Try to keep one of the buffs active at all times, which is made easier by the cooldown refresh/reduction of Chaos Dungeon.
- Always lure mobs and group up before using your damaging AoE skills.
- For bosses, activate Sacred Executioner before using Holy Sword for single target damage.
Lost Ark Paladin Skills For Raiding and Endgame PvE
Your main role as support is maximizing the team's survivability as well as providing them damage buff and heals.
Stats Priority
Supports usually only utilize Swiftness and Specialization Combat Stats. The ratio of these stats can be allocated to suit different player preferences
Specialization Build (aka Aura Build): This build is suited for when you can coordinate with your team during specific windows. This is because your cooldown is very high but your Holy Aura has 100% efficiency.
Swiftness Build (Cooldown Build): This is much suited with playing randoms since this focuses on swiftness and only having specialization stat on your necklace. This results in higher cooldown reduction, movement speed, and attack/cast speed.
Identity Skills
Sacred Executioner: Using this identity skill increases the range of basic attacks by 30%. Also, the damage by basic attacks and skills is increased by +40%. This is similar to bard's Serenade of Courage.
Holy Aura: Holy Aura is your bread and butter and is mainly used to support your team with an Attack Damage Buff and a Heal over Time once you have Blessed Aura class engraving.
Skill Build
- Charge: Excellent Mobility - Shining Protection (Quick Recharge)
- Executor's Sword: Excellent Mobility - Weakpoint Enhancement - Executioner's Strike (Overwhelm)
- Holy Sword: Positioning - Outburst of Light - Release Light (Overwhelm)
- Light Shock: Swift Fingers - Light's Vestige - Powerful Shock (Bleed)
- Godsent Law: Shield - Wide-Angle Attack - Grace (Protection)
- Wrath of God: Wide Thunderstroke - Faith - Express Fury (Wealth)
- Holy Protection: Quick Pace - Purify - Vow of Light(Focus)
- Heavenly Blessings: Faith - Valor - Absolute Blessing (Wealth)
- Awakening: Alithanes' Judgment
Gameplay
- Always use Light Shock to apply -10% defense debuff to the target.
- Rotate between Wrath of God and Heavenly Blessings since they don't stack. Always position yourself at the sides of bosses to buff both the tank and DPS.
- Use Holy Protection whenever it's ready to shield and heal your teammates. And if the boss is doing high damage skills, you can use Godsent Law to mitigate certain big attacks.
- Use your Holy Sword or Executor's Sword when the boss glows blue to counterattack.
Engraving
Class Engravings provide powerful benefits that dictate the playstyle of a class. Below are the recommended engravings:
- Blessed Aura: This is a must-have engraving for Paladin because this adds healing and damage reduction to your Holy Aura.
- Awakening: This reduces the awakening cooldown to provide more opportunities to shield allies from specific damage. Your awakening skills also fill your Piety meter to allow you for greater Holy Aura uptime.
Optional Engravings
The engravings listed below can be used depending on your gameplay.
- Expert: This increases your heals and shield efficiency for both holy protection and holy aura.
- Spirit Absorption: This is one of the most recommended engravings for specialization build since this increases your attack speed and movement speed by 15% at level 3.
- Heavy Armor: This gives you 100% defense at level 3. I don't usually recommend this for paladins since they're usually tankier than bards.
- Drops of Ether: this engraving generates ethers that can be picked up by allies to grant random buffs such as attack damage, critical strike chance, attack speed, movement speed, defense, or mana regen.
- Vital Point Hit: These increases stagger damage which will loosen the pressure on certain bosses with high stagger checks.
Note: If you want to go for the optimal build, you can opt for Blessed Aura, Awakening, Expert, Drop of Ether, and Vital Point Hit. If you want for alternative build go for Blessed Aura, Awakening, Expert, Spirit Absorption, and Heavy Armor.
Playing Lost Ark as a Paladin is a pretty exciting experience for me since Paladin has so much survivability as compared to a Bard and offers a comparable effect for the team. If you liked this guide, stay tuned for more class-specific guides.
