After months of waiting, the Lost Ark Destroyer release date is finally here! Set to be the first post-launch class drop, it's doubtless going to be a hot topic very soon, so we've pieced together a brief look at what we know, with the scope to talk about the best Lost Ark Destroyer build in time as well.
Before we dive into the good stuff, we just need to clarify that the current Lost Ark Destroyer release date is confirmed for May 19. There was some confusion due to Amazon wiping the records of the new class prior to its confirmation, but that's thankfully all sorted now.
New to the record-breaking action-RPG release? Check out the Lost Ark classes list for pointers, the Lost Ark classes tier list for rankings, and the Lost Ark gender lock guide to effectively cut your character creation options in half if you're set on playing a single gender.
When Is the Lost Ark Destroyer Release Date?
The Destroyer class arrived in Lost Ark on May 19, 2022. However, the route to actually getting this new character in the game was far from straightforward.
Following an early release of the Lost Ark roadmap, we were initially led to believe that the Lost Ark Destroyer release date was originally set for April 2022. By "originally," because since then Amazon took the post down shortly after it made waves across the internet.
No clarification was given to the mentioned release date specifically, meaning it very likely changed, causing Amazon to retract the entire announcement.
What's the Best Lost Ark Destroyer PVE Build?
We don't know what the best Lost Ark Destroyer build for PVE will be until the class makes it into the game. It's been available on the Korean version for some time now, but given the likelihood of things changing (even ever so slightly) with the Western release, it's too easy to talk about something you can't even make use of just yet.
In PVE lobbies, we recommend using Destroyer's Hypergravity Mode. This skill is activated by pressing Z. Destroyer will unleashed a gravity surge to slow down enemies, become immune to debuffs, and enjoy a damage boost. You'll still move reasonably slowly, but the amount of damage you do per hit is blistering to bot enemies.
As such, you'll also want to equip the Gravity Training engraving when using Destroyer in PVE matches. At each of the three levels, it gradually reduces the cooldown time for the Gravity Meter, as well as increasing general damage and crit damage in Hypergravity Mode.
What's the Best Lost Ark Destroyer PVP Build?
Destroyer has two skills: Concentration Skills, and Gravity Release Skills. The former group lets you charge up the hammer, with the latter creating a shield around you and also temporarily buffing attacks. It's a crucial skillset that'll serve you well in defending teammates in PVP modes.
The best engraving for PVP builds is Rage Hammer. It increases damage across the board by 5% per level you rank it up, while also boosting your crit rate and crit damage too. That'll ensure any movement speed you lack is made up for in attacking potency.
Given its strong focus on slow and steady high-damage whacks, though, we suspect high critical hit rate builds with decent resistances will be best. In terms of 3v3 battles, things will likely remain the same. You'll just want to pair up with classes that can lock your opponents in place, slow them down, or help you shrug off any similar debuffs.
The Best Lost Ark Destroyer Skills
To save you looking through all 30+ of the unique individual skills which apply to the Destroyer class, we've instead cherry-picked a few that would suit any build.
Concentration Skills
- Endure Pain - Destroyer releases a roar that damages any enemies with 6 metres, while also buffing Push resistance, and reducing damage taken.
- Gravity Impact - Destroyer slams the hammer down, landing damage and pulling and attacking enemies eight times. The energy field then explodes, causing even more damage.
- Running Crash - Destroyer sprints towards enemies, swinging the hammer seven times. It also unleashes graviatational energy, sending enemies into the air and doing one final dose of damage.
Gravity Release Skills
- One-Man Army - Swing the hammer six times, doing increasing damage each time it connects with an enemy.
- Seismic Hammer - Turns the hammer upside down, slamming it to the ground. Not only does this deal damage, but it also creates a zone of continued damage, 11 meters in size.
- Perfect Swing - Charge a hammer attack, which then moves you 3 metres forward before commencing. If you overcharge it past the 2s limit, it'll move you 4 meters, and land more damage.
Awakening Skills
- Terra Break Hammer - Creates cracks in the ground that soon form a gravitational field, sending all enemies to the ground. Swing your hammer to send them into mid-air, then jump to slam them to the ground. This also fully replenishes your Gravity Meter.
How Does the Lost Ark Destroyer Work?
The Lost Ark Destroyer is a melee-focused advanced class that stems from the hard-hitting Warrior. It wields a gargantuan hammer to deal slow, but powerful blows to enemies. The class uses plenty of charged attacks to deal staggeringly high damage. This requires knowing exactly when the monster has finished its own onslaught, but with great patience comes great rewards - a heavy thwack followed by a nice, big damage value. That thwack can also draw enemies into its gravitational field, pulling them towards Destroyer, to land even more damage.
Equally, it's one of the most effective tanks in Lost Ark. Destroyer can soak up plenty of damage, and can generate shields to protect teammates around them as well.
And that's about all there is to say about the Lost Ark Destroyer right now. You could go ahead and watch a bunch of gameplay videos on YouTube from the Korean version of the class, but there's no guarantee it'll be the same once the final Western release date rolls around. Until then, collect a turtle pet with the Lost Ark Jewel Coral guide. And if you want to catch your own amphibious creatures, we can teach you how to fish in Lost Ark as well.