In any ARPG, you're only as strong as your weakest ability. Lost Ark skills are the main allure of this brand-new action game, and if you're playing (or thinking about playing), it's probably because you've seen some cool actions shred demons like they're fresh and tasty lettuce.
MMORPGs like Lost Ark can get very confusing, very quickly. You'll find hundreds of Lost Ark skills scattered across its 15 classes. You start off with a bunch, you unlock even more, and then you even change old skills into new skills as you upgrade them. The Lost Ark skills menu certainly doesn't explain things well, so we will.
Looking to get started in Lost Ark? Lost Ark Founder's Packs still offer some decent rewards for the cash. Once you're in, you'll want to check out Lost Ark classes and use the Lost Ark tier list to pick your poison - though the Lost Ark gender lock system might limit your options if you're particular about your characters.
What Are Lost Ark Skills?
Simply put, Lost Ark skills are the fancy attacks you use to crush your enemies. Whether they're combo actions, buffs, freezes, snares, or traps, they're all Lost Ark skills, and they're all very much worth looking into.
As soon as you load into the game as your character, you're able to test around six Lost Ark skills for your chosen class. Though they'll give you a great feel for your chosen profession, your combat strategy will begin to look very different as you level up, unlock new Lost Ark skills, and use skill points to alter their effects.
How Do Lost Ark Skill Points Work? - How to Upgrade Lost Ark Skills
If you're here after having played the game, you're probably wondering how Lost Ark skill points work. Though you're introduced to them very early on, they're not well explained at all.
Before you hit level 15, you'll have around 20 skill points to drop into those Lost Ark skills you'll have been using for a little while now. They're there to augment and change your trusty abilities into even better versions, but the results can be a mixed back - especially if you don't want to feel like you've wasted a precious resource.
You can load up the Lost Ark skills window in the following ways:
- Tap the squarish '+' icon above your hotbar when you gain a new point
- Tap the 'Combat Skills' inside the 'Character' menu (this works on controller too)
- Press the 'K' key
Use either of the three methods above and you'll see a long list of your Lost Ark skills, a lot of icons, and a lot of buttons. This can look daunting, but it's not possible to permanently make or break your character by touching anything in here.
Before level 16, you'll only have access to your first set of Lost Ark abilities. You're free to hold onto your points until you unlock more, but you'll speed up your progression by using them all now. To do so, just tap any Lost Ark skills you like to use, and hover over the icons laid out along the right-hand side.
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Once you put enough points into any one skill, you'll level it up, which allows you to then augment it with any one of the two or three Skill Runes on the first row. At 20 points, you'll level up the skill enough to pick a Skill Rune from the second row. The same happens again once you put 48 points into the skill, unlocking the third and final Skill Rune option for you to choose.
What Do Lost Ark Skills Points Do?
Putting points into Lost Ark skills unlocks Skill Runes that permanently alter the skill in question. Some of these can simply buff the damage or a skill, or tweak them in more drastic ways: like by adding additional attacks, charges, increasing their duration, or unlocking the ability to move while using them.
Every skill is different, and by eventually mixing and matching any three of around eight available Skill Runes for each ability, you'll eventually end up with moves that look very different to how they started.
Are Lost Ark Skill Points Permanent?
Before you go thinking putting a point into your Lost Ark skills you can ruin hours of character leveling, just take a breather. Despite being a free game, Lost Ark isn't waiting to nickel and dime you for making a curious mistake.
- Check out: Our Lost Ark leveling guide for some helpful hints
Any skill points you spend on Lost Ark skills can be recovered for free by simply tapping the '-' button by each skill. This will reclaim the points whether you've saved your build or not, simply removing any applicable Skill Runes and returning the points to you ready to slot into something else.
Need more on Lost Ark? Use the link at the top of this page to jump to our hub, where you'll find loads of guides. If you're looking for suggestions, though, the Lost Ark skins page can get you looking good. And if you're into collectables, our Lost Ark cards guide and Lost Ark Mokoko seeds page can get you started there.