Lost Ark is a global phenomenon recently released in Europe and North America. Considering it switched into a free-to-play model, hordes of new players are exploring Arkesia and testing out various classes.
Lost Ark has a lot to offer, and it’s easy to get confused. There are a total number of 15 classes to choose from, but only one can embrace demonic energy and enter a demon form.
Here, we’ll cover all Shadowhunter’s abilities and how to distribute skill points for either PvP or PvE builds. Follow this guide and unleash chaotic power with MMOPIXEL!
Shadowhunter is an advanced class from the Assassin tree, the other being the Deathblade. Both classes are very distinct, regardless of falling under the same category.
While the Deathblade is more about fast-paced combat, the Shadowhunter offers incredibly destructive powers when shapeshifting into powerful demonic forms. Upon transforming, they’re stealthy, agile, and can tear down foes in a couple of hits.
Playing an Assassin in Lost ark means high-risk, high-reward playstyle, although Shadowhunter is more beginner-friendly out of the two. Being able to awaken their inner demon from Identity Skill grants you health and movement speed for additional tankiness.
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A list of pros when picking up Shadowhunter.
Beginner friendly.
Compelling Demonic Mode.
Two different playstyles.
A list of cons to consider when picking up Shadowhunter.
Challenging PvP due to lack of Super Armor on most of its abilities.
Demon builds are clunky early on.
Human builds need a powerful gear to be relevant.
Here, we’re going to break down Shadowhunter’s normal skills and each awakening skill. To avoid confusion, we’re only describing skills you will use in our builds.
Icon |
Name |
Level |
Cooldown |
Description |
|
Demonic Slash |
10 |
10s |
Dash forward to inflict damage 3 times before swinging your demonic weapon. |
|
Demon’s Grip |
20 |
18s |
Rapidly thrust your demonic arm forward and pull foes to you, inflicting damage. |
|
Thrust Impact |
16 |
18s |
Use a burst of your weapon's powers to pull foes close before quickly sliding back to evade enemies and inflict damage. |
|
Howl |
40 |
30s |
Gather demonic powers and let out a cry that damages nearby foes, inflicting Fear for 2s. |
|
Demonic Clone |
10 |
12s |
Call forth an incarnation of the devil to attack by your side. Move forward and punch two times, then strike the ground with one final blow. |
|
Rising Claw |
10 |
12s |
Dart forward, then deliver an uppercut launching foes into the air. |
|
Demon Vision |
14 |
24s |
Focus demonic energy and shoot a ray of death forward to knock foes away. Charge up to channel longer before knocking enemies away for more damage. |
|
Decimate |
50 |
27s |
Gather demonic powers to swing your arms forward and summon giant demon arms that slash at foes. |
|
Grind Chain |
20 |
6s |
Violently claw at foes to inflict damage, then deliver another claw attack as you move forward. |
|
Sharpened Cut |
36 |
18s |
Move 9 meters forward while quickly spinning, inflicting damage to your foes. Ignore collision with normal monsters during the skill motion. |
|
Piercing Thorn |
28 |
20s |
Summon infernal spikes at the target location within 12 meters, knocking foes down. |
Icon |
Name |
Level |
Cooldown |
Description |
|
Gate of Eruption |
50 |
300s |
Open up the gates of hell, scattering hellish energy across the land that inflicts damage to foes and inflicts Fear for 4s. Dark energy periodically rises from the earth, explodes at the end, dealing damage, and knocks foes away. |
|
Fallen Ruin |
50 |
300s |
Shoot an energy ray straight to the ground. The laser causes an explosion moments later, knocking foes away. |
Each profession has two Class Engravings, which determine its playstyle. Shadowhunter is no different in this aspect. You can choose between two Engravings when going PvP or PvE. Let’s dive into them and learn which performs best for this class.
Demonic Impulse |
Perfect Suppression |
Composure State does not trigger when Demonize ends. Upon Demonize, the Demonic Skill cooldown is reset. |
Increases Shadowburst meter build-up for all skills. However, it disables Demonize in exchange for normal skill damage. |
Engraving Levels |
|
No Bonus Effect |
+20% normal damage, +50% Shadowburst meter build-up |
+15% Crit while in Demon Form |
+25% normal damage, +50% Shadowburst meter build-up |
+30% Crit while in Demon Form |
+30% normal damage, +50% Shadowburst meter build-up |
Demonic Impulse is mandatory for every demon build. It allows bypassing the 30-second cooldown between transformations. While in demon form, you’ll gain a significant damage boost to your abilities thanks to increased crit chance. Due to the heavy reliance on skills instead of gear, we think this is the best way of experiencing Shadowhunter.
Perfect Suppression Engraving is meant for those who want to utilize the human build fully. With enhanced Shadowburst meter build-up and bonus damage, you will gain a significant boost to your gear. Remember to prioritize better equipment over anything else to deal effective damage. That’s why we strongly advise going with Demonic Impulse instead.
We gathered the best Engravings which all Shadowhunter builds can benefit from. Here’s the list of suggested Engravings for Shadowhunter Assassin class:
Grudge. Gain a 20% damage boost in exchange for 20% more damage taken. A solid choice for every DPS character, including Shadowhunter.
Raid Captain. Increase damage by 45%, according to your Move Speed modifier. Both human and demon builds can utilize this engraving since they possess a lot of movement speed bonuses.
Keen Blunt Weapon. Deal 50% more critical damage with a chance to deal -20% damage.
Master of Ambush. Attacks from behind deal additional 25% more damage. Shadowhunters deal more damage with back attacks by default, making it a great pick.
Cursed Doll. If you’re having a hard time positioning yourself in battle, pick this instead of Master of Ambush. It gives you 16% more damage in addition to a 25% bonus to healing. Increased health recovery is excellent for survivability.
This build focuses on minimizing the downtime on Shadowburst gauge, thus allowing you to use your demon form as often as possible. You have to utilize the Demonic Impulse Engraving for Shadowburst energy to do so.
Throw as many skills as possible while in human form to fill out the meter and activate your demonic form. This way, you’ll deal massive single-target damage in addition to solid AoE clear.
Demon Skills don’t have Tripod upgrades, so they refer only to your human skills.
Skill |
Skill Level |
Tripod I |
Tripod II |
Tripod III |
Demonic Slash |
4/10 |
Excellent Mobility |
- |
- |
Demon’s Grip |
10/10 |
Quick Preparation |
Encroaching Power |
Stretching Hand |
Thrust Impact |
10/10 |
Swift Thrust |
Deep Thrust |
Encroaching Power |
Howl |
10/10 |
Quick Preparation |
Encroaching Power |
Scream of Fury |
Demonic Clone |
10/10 |
Vital Point Strike |
Fist of Destruction |
Enhanced Release Encroachment |
Rising Claw |
7/10 |
Naively Honest |
Concussion |
- |
Demon Vision |
10/10 |
Concentrated Release |
Encroaching Power |
Instant Discharge |
Decimate |
10/10 |
Swift Fingers |
Weak Point Detection |
Cruel Hand |
These skills are mostly ranged, so keep your distance while in combat. It’s best to use Thrust Impact first, retreat with Demonic Slash, then use any other skill to build up Shadowburst energy. With enough enemies, you’ll be able to use demon mode within seconds between each transformation. It’s best to Use Fallen Ruin as an Awakening Skill.
If you want to step aside from taking part in endgame raids and dungeons, consider switching to PvP build. Shadowhunter is excellent for PvP in close-quarter combat while still destroying anyone from ranged distances.
Use this build to fully utilize those qualities by giving her crowd control AoE attacks and support capabilities. We listed down the best skills just for that.
Skill |
Skill Level |
Tripod I |
Tripod II |
Tripod III |
Demonic Slash |
10/10 |
Excellent Mobility |
Nimble Movement |
Chain Charge |
Thrust Impact |
10/10 |
Swift Thrust |
Enhanced Explosion |
Spectral Explosion |
Grind Chain |
10/10 |
Swift Thrust |
Deep Thrust |
Encroaching Power |
Sharpened Cut |
7/10 |
Excellent Mobility |
Infiltration Attack |
- |
Demonic Clone |
10/10 |
Vital Point Strike |
Fist of Destruction |
Encroachment Discharge |
Rising Claw |
7/10 |
Naively Honest |
Giant Hand |
- |
Demon Vision |
10/10 |
Quick Release |
Electric Discharge |
Instant Discharge |
Piercing Thorn |
10/10 |
Enhanced Strike |
Triple Thorn |
Massive Thorns |
The Best Awakening Skill for PvP is Gate of Eruption. Due to its four-second fear effect as well as its large radius, you can single-handedly turn the tides of any PvP battle when used correctly. Use your skills to build up Shadowburst using melee and ranged abilities to transform as often as possible.
Shadowhunters are meant to beat the demons at their own game. Thanks to their Awakening Abilities, they can deal even more damage than most classes. However, the lack of super armors might be punishing for beginners. This class is easy to learn but hard to master.
Being effective means a deep understanding of her abilities and taking advantage of cooldown resets between your transformations. Remember, you’re still an assassin, not a tank. If you want to check out more guides regarding Lost Ark, sign up on MMOPIXEL to be aware of all content we’re uploading.