Shadowhunters are a part of the Assassin Class. They are an Advanced Class of characters who wield the Shadowblade. This blade allows them to obliterate enemies in mere seconds. These characters are adept at close-ranged as well as long-ranged combat.
Key Highlights
- Shadowhunters are a class in Lost Ark that is skilled in both close-range and long-range combat. They wield the Shadowblade, which allows them to deal high amounts of damage to enemies quickly.
- The Shadowhunter class is known for its versatility, as it can switch between different combat modes and attack styles. Shadowhunters also have high mobility, making it easy for them to move around and dodge enemy attacks.
- One unique feature of the Shadowhunter class is the ability to transform into a Demonic form, which gives access to different abilities and increases the damage and movement speed.
- Shadowhunters are considered beginner-friendly due to their easy-to-use spells and abilities.
- In Lost Ark, the Shadowhunter class has two different build options: the Demonic Impulse build and the Perfect Suppression build.
- The Demonic Impulse build puts a focus on the Shadowburst Meter and the Demon Form, allowing for a longer duration in Demon Form and improved Demon Skills.
- On the other hand, the Perfect Suppression build disables the use of the Demon Form and emphasizes Normal spells.
- Both builds have different recommended spell and Tripod leveling paths and players should choose the build that best fits their preferred playstyle.
In addition to inflicting crazy amounts of damage, Shadowhunters also have easy-to-understand Spells and Abilities. These spells make Shadowhunter beginner-friendly as they can be a good entry point into exploring the world of Lost Ark.
While you’re at it, consider going through our Lost Ark Striker Build and Lost Ark Berserker build guides.
Shadowhunter Build
Benefits of Using Shadowhunter Class
Shadowhunters offer players a lot of amazing benefits that make them of the best Classes in Lost Ark. These benefits include;
- The Shadowhunter Class is beginner-friendly as it offers you easy-to-use spells that dish out insane amounts of damage.
- You have the choice to switch between 2 different combat modes based on the situation so the Class also offers great versatility.
- The Shadowhunter Class also gives you the ability to switch between melee and ranged spells based on the situation.
- Unlike other heavy damage dealers, Shadowhunters have an insanely quick attack speed that helps them destroy enemies quickly.
- The Shadowhunter Class offers great mobility so you can easily move around and dodge enemy attacks while using your spells.
As a Shadowhunter, you have different modes of attack depending on the situation and the enemies you are facing. You can go for either Human or Demonic form. Selecting any of these forms will completely transform the Shadowhunter’s gameplay and make them into a completely different character.
Shadowhunter Vs Deathblade
Shadowhunter and Deathblade are both a part of the Assassin Class in Lost Ark. Both of these Classes are excellent in dishing out high DPS and are also able to move around because of their high mobility. However, there are a few key differences that help separate the Classes from one another. While you’re at it, consider going through our Lost Ark Deathblade Build and Lost Ark Gunlancer Build guides.
In Shadowhunter’s case, you have to ability to use Demonic Form. This form allows you to deal insane amounts of damage while giving you access to different Demonic abilities. These abilities can help your character by increasing their damage and movement speed even more. Shadowhunters also have added flexibility as you can choose to attack enemies at close-range or from a distance. These Shadowhunter Skills make them an excellent Class to start in and master.
Conversely, Deathblades also have amazing versatility as you can switch between receiving different buffs or inflicting a massive amount of damage. If you go for the first build, you can boost all the players in your party by increasing their damage and movement speed. You can also go for the solo damage build that will help you take care of enemies on your own.
Shadowhunter Class Explained
The Shadowhunter is a DPS heavy class that allows you to deal crazy amounts of damage because of the Hybrid spells available. You can also transform your spells and upgrade all your abilities by switching into the Demon Form. The Demon Form allows your Shadowhunter to go through enemies without a problem. Furthermore, as Shadowhunters are part of the Assassin class, you have amazing mobility and swiftness that you can use to jump in and out of combat.
However, an important thing to consider while playing a Shadowhunter is that they have mediocre HP. That is why you need to be extremely careful of when and how you want to jump into fights. They do not have any armor or HP boost abilities so you need to be careful when dealing with a large mob of enemies.
Shadowhunter Abilities
All major classes in Lost Ark offer the players a plethora of unique spells and features that help them stand out amongst other Classes. They can either buff their allies or dish out crazy DPS themselves. In the case of Shadowhunters, this unique feature is the Shadownburst Identity. This skill allows your Shadowhunter to transform into a demon. To activate the Shadowburst Identity, you need to attack your enemies until the Identity meter fills up.
When the Identity meter gets full, you can activate the Demon Form. Once you will transform into a Demon, you will get access to new spells like Blood Massacre, and Destruction. These spells deal a crazy amount of damage and apply a knockdown effect on the enemies.
Once the identity meter runs out, you will revert to your Human Form. Additionally, your Identity meter will go on a cooldown and you will have to wait 30 seconds before you can fill it up again. While you’re at it, consider reading the Lost Ark Gunslinger Build and Lost Ark Sharpshooter Build guides.
Shadowhunter Leveling Guide
By the time you max out your Shadowhunter in Lost Ark, you will have 26 spells available. These spells include Normal, Demon, Intrude, and different Awakening Skills. In addition to these spells, you will have Skill Points unlocked which you will have to assign to these spells to upgrade them. Upgrading these spells to a certain level will unlock their Tripods. Tripods are an effective tool in Lost Ark as they allow you to get access to unique buffs for every spell.
There are multiple ways in which you can Level up your Shadowhunter depending on the build you want to focus on. However, the best Shadowhunter Leveling Guide will look something like this;
As you can see that different spells are maxed out while the others have a few Levels. This Leveling Up process depends on the usefulness and effectiveness of the spell in any given situation. To understand a spell’s usefulness, you will have to first learn how it works.
Best Lost Ark Shadowhunter Normal Spells
While playing the Shadowhunter Class, you have a choice between a large variety of spells. All of these spells are situational and you will level them up based on the build you are playing. There are Normal Spells that are available in both Forms and there are Intrude Spells that are only available in Demon Form.
Demonic Slash
The Demonic Slash becomes accessible when your Shadowhunter reaches Level 10. When activated, it charges toward a swarm of enemies and slashes them multiple times. This spell is good for initiation as it gives you an easy way to jump into the enemies. The spell is also perfect for dealing with large groups of enemies because the damage dealt by the spell is significant after applying the Tripods.
Tripods for Demonic Slash
The best Tripods available for Demonic Slash are Spin Kick, Numbing Effect, and Excellent Mobility. The Spin Kick adds a kick to the spell that is executed as soon as your Shadowhunter runs into the enemies. Numbing Effect decreases the Movement Speed of all the enemies by 35% as soon as they are hit by the spell. Excellent Mobility increases the distance of the spell meaning that you can target enemies far away without a problem. All these Tripods combined make Demonic Slash an important part of the Lost Ark Shadowhunter PvP Build.
Cruel Cutter
Cruel Cutter can be unlocked at Level 12. This spell is perfect for the Perfect Suppression Shadowhunter Build as it is an effective tool for shredding enemies from a distance. This spell also has a back attack effect that lets you deal more damage to enemies if you target them from the back.
Tripods for Cruel Cutter
The best Tripods that you can choose for Cruel Cutter are Electric Attack, Bleed Effect, and Encroachment Release. These Tripods all you to inflict Damage over Time in the form of bleeding and also significantly improve your Crit rate. The Encroachment Release Tripod increases your spell’s damage by 190% by consuming 20% of your Identity Meter. These Tripods are a perfect way to make Cruel Cutter one of the best Lost Ark Shadowhunter Skills.
Thrust Impact
The Thrust Impact skill can be unlocked at Level 16. This is a unique spell as it charges your weapon and once the power level is at max it deals a huge burst of damage. Like many of the Shadowhunter spells, this one is also perfect for dealing with a crowd of enemies. However, it takes a while to charge up the energy meter so you have to be careful during that period.
Tripods for Thrust Impact
The best Tripods for Thrust Impact are Stun Effect, Wide Explosion, and Encroaching Power. These Tripods when combined allow you to improve your spell’s damage and radius. They also apply a stunning effect as soon as the enemies are hit. Finally, these Tripods also reduce the spell’s cooldown and increase the Shadowburst Energy received by using it.
Demolition
The Demolition becomes available when your Shadowhunter reaches Level 24. It is a combo skill and allows your character to rush forward while performing swift slash attacks. The first two slashes do normal damage while the third one is stronger and deals more damage. It also knocks back the enemies and helps create space between you and them.
Tripods for Demolition
There are multiple Tripods available for Demolition but you should emphasize getting Weak Point Detection, Charge Slash, and Quick Attack. The Quick Attack Tripod significantly improves the damage dealt by the first attack and then instantly switches to the third one. Charge Slash enhances the damage of the final slash and applies a knockdown effect on it. Weak Point Detection lowers the enemy’s armor which weakens their defense and improves the damage dealt.
Spinning Weapon
You can unlock the Spinning Weapon by reaching Level 32. This is another combo spell that causes your Shadowhunter to launch two spinning weapons. These weapons can Damage over Time as soon as they come in contact with the enemies. You can pair this spell up with Demolition to create a perfect Shadowhunter Combo.
Tripods for Spinning Weapon
While using the Spinning Weapon spell, you need to prioritize Tripods like Quick Prep, Instant Disposal, and Piercing Edge. Quick Prep reduces the cooldown of the spell while Instant Disposal boosts the spell’s damage by lowering its cast range. Piercing Edge causes the enemy’s damage immunity to drop by 50% as soon as they are hit with these weapons.
Best Shadowhunter Intrude Skills
Here is the list of skills that go well with the shadowhunter intrude.
Demonic Clone
This is the first Demonic Form spell and it is unlocked at Level 10. When activated, the spell summons a huge devil that can deal great damage to multiple targets within a specific range. This spell can be used as a gap closer because of the size of the devil. Like other Assassin spells, you can inflict bonus damage by attacking enemies from behind.
Tripods for Demonic Clone
The best Tripods that you can get for the Demonic Clone are Vital Point Hit, Chain Attack, and Enhanced Release Encroachment. These bonuses improve the Crit rate per attack and add a staggering effect to every single devil attack. While the spell is active, it also continuously fills up your Shadowburst meter.
Rising Claw
This spell becomes accessible when your Shadowhunter gets to Level 10. This is another gap closer that propels your character forward while launching your enemies in the air. The spell is good for initiation as the knock-back will let you position your character properly and inflict more damage per hit.
Tripods for Rising Claw
While leveling up the Rising Claw spell, you need to prioritize Tripods like Naively Honest, Critical Blow, and Grasp of Death. Naively Honest grants your character paralysis immunity meaning that you cannot get stunned while channeling the spell. Critical Below boosts the Crit damage dealt by the spell by 160% at Level 5. Grasp of Death catches the enemies while they are in the air and inflicts bonus damage.
Demon Vision
You can unlock the Demon Vision spell by reaching Level 14. When activated, the spell channels a beam of demonic energy. This beam inflicts a massive amount of burst damage to all enemies in an AOE. It also applies a knock-back effect on enemies as soon as they are hit with the spell. However, you must be facing the enemies while you are using the spell because you cannot change the direction afterward.
Tripods for Demon Vision
You need to focus on the Concentrated Release, Encroaching Power, and Overflowing Power Tripods for Demon Vision. These Tripods upgrade your spell’s damage and AOE. Additionally, you will be able to fill up your Shadowburst meter faster to use the Demon Form. These buffs make Demon Vision a necessary addition to the Shadowhunter PvE Build.
Demon’s Grip
The Demon’s Grip spell can be unlocked when your Shadowhunter reaches Level 20. This spell utilizes a demon arm to grab the target and pull them towards you. This spell can be used in multiple ways. It is a good initiation and gap closer spell and you can bring the enemies to you. It is also good when you are being attacked by a mob of enemies as you can prioritize which one you want to kill first.
Tripods for Demon’s Grip
To get the most out of the Demon’s Grip spell, you need to get the Quick Prep, Encroaching Power, and Giant Grasp Tripods. Once you have these Tripods you can use the skill more regularly because of the low cooldown and you will also gain more Shadowburst energy. Furthermore, Giant’s Grasp will also let you pull in more enemies at a time making Demon’s Grip an excellent Lost Ark Shadowhunter Combo skill.
Howl
You can unlock Howl by reaching Level 40. Activating howls causes your Shadowhunter to let out a demonic cry that deals damage to enemies in the surrounding area. It also applies a fear effect on the enemies as soon as they come in contact with the spell. This is a good spell for creating some breathing room for your Shadowhunter when you are overwhelmed by a large group of enemies.
Tripods for Howl
Out of all the Tripods available for Howl, you need to focus on selecting Quick Prep, Encroaching Power, and Mighty Roar. This combination can be very efficient as it reduces the cooldown while increasing the Shadowburst energy gained. The Mighty Roar Tripod increases the spell’s radius and damage significantly. These factors make it a must-have for the Lost Ark Shadowhunter PvE Build.
Decimate
The final Shadowhunter spell is known as Decimate. You can unlock this spell by getting your Shadowhunter to Level 50. The Decimate spell slashes multiple enemies with the help of a set of large demonic arms. This is your Shadowhunter’s ultimate spell as it deals an astronomical amount of damage and has a long cooldown. So, you need to be very careful when and how you want to use this spell.
Tripods for Decimate
You can select Tripods like Quick Prep, Weak Point Detection, and Cruel Hands to enhance the spell’s effectiveness. These Tripods will not only improve the spell’s cooldown and damage but will also increase the damage on push-immune enemies.
Engravings and Stats
In Lost Ark, you can unlock Engravings for all advanced classes. These Engravings help you unlock new features, effects, and abilities for the class that you are playing. There are a plethora of ways you can use these Engravings. You can either activate them by reading Recipe Books and using Accessories or you can use Ability Stones to get access to them.
Based on the Engravings you unlock and decide to use, you have a choice between two different Shadowhunter Builds. Both of these builds are extremely unique in terms of the spells that are available and the abilities that can be used. You will have to master different playing styles for these builds to get the most out of them
Demonic Impulse Shadowhunter Build
The Demonic Impulse Build puts a lot of focus on the Demon Form. In this Build, the Composure Debuff on the Shadowburst Meter is removed. This means that you don’t have to wait 30 seconds before you can start recharging the meter again.
Demonic Impulse Shadowhunter Leveling Guide
There are multiple ways in which you can Level up your spells in Demonic Impulse. However, it is important to remember that you need to put your major focus on the Intrude Skills as you will be able to use them more often. While keeping that in mind, the best Shadowhunter Leveling for this build will look something like this;
When you are playing the Demonic Impulse Build, you need to prioritize spells like Howl, Demonic Clone, Thrust Impact, and Decimate. These spells need to be maxed out as a lot of the Demonic Impulse Build depends on dishing out damage. Similarly, you need to put a few Skill Points into spells like Demonic Slash, Demon’s Grip, Rising Claw, and Demon Vision. You need at least 4 Levels into these spells so that you can get access to their Tripods.
Demonic Impulse Shadowhunter Stat Guide
In terms of Demonic Impulse Stats, you must emphasize Specialization and Crit when you are gearing up. Maximizing Specialization will significantly enhance the duration of the Shadowburst Meter which means that you can stay in Demon Form for a longer period. Specialization also improves your Demon Skills which will now deal more damage.
The Crit stat improves your Crit rate which will improve the damage numbers of all your abilities.
Perfect Suppression Shadowhunter Build
Perfect Suppression is the exact opposite of the Demonic Impulse Build. In Perfect Suppression, you completely disable the use of the Demonic Mode. You will stay human throughout the entirety of the game. As you will only play as a human, you will not need the Intrude Spells and most of your damage will come from Normal spells. You will also have to skill your Tripods differently and not select the ones that help you fill-up the Shadowburst Meter.
Perfect Suppression Shadowhunter Leveling Guide
The leveling process of this Lost Ark Shadowhunter Build will also be different from Demonic Impulse. Instead of putting Skill Points into Demonic Spells, you will prioritize maxing out the Normal Spells in the game. Keeping that in mind, the perfect Skill Point distribution for Shadowhunter will look like this;
So, when you are distributing Skill Points while playing the Perfect Suppression Build, you need to first max out spells like Howl, Thrust Impact, Cruel Cutter, and Decimate. All these spells have an extremely high damage output and have nothing to do with the Demon Form. You also need to Level up spells like Demonic Slash, Rising Claw, Demolition, and Sharpened Cut so you can access their Tripods.
Perfect Suppression Shadowhunter Stats Guide
In terms of Perfect Suppression stats, you need to put more focus on Crit and Swiftness. The Crit stat will boost up the overall damage being dished out and make this a more attractive Shadowhunter Build. You also need to upgrade your Swiftness stat to boost the percentage chance of Critical Damage. Swiftness will also improve your Shadowhunter’s movement and attack speed which will be a welcome addition since you will play in Human Form.
Unique Features About Shadowhunter Class
Playing the Shadowhunter can be fun and extremely rewarding. Not only do you get to master a fun class but the damage dealt means that you will be able to plow through all enemies. However, the spells and the abilities can become difficult to manage if you are being mauled by a large group of enemies. Furthermore, you need to be always watchful of your HP as one wrong step in a boss fight can have disastrous results.
If you decide to go for a Shadowhunter PvP Build, it is important to utilize skills like Grind Chain and Piercing Thorn to deal damage from afar. In PvP situations, you need to be as far away as possible as Shadowhunters are extremely squishy.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that if you want to use spells that have the Encroachment Release Tripod, you need to have at least 20% Shadowburst Energy. To do this, you need to use some other Intrude spells first before you get to these to maximize the damage dealt.
Finally, you can use spells like Demolition and Demonic Slash for defense as well as offense. Whenever you are being swarmed by enemies, you can use these spells to rest the fight and improve your positioning.
Demon-Form Skills
Moving right along with our Lost Ark Shadowhunter PvE Build, the next set of skills that we will look into is the skills that can be used by the Shadowhunter when they have fully converted to their Demon Form, which makes the skills all the more potent in the damage output.
Ruining Rush
Starting off with the first main skills that players will use when they are out on the battlefield, Ruining Rush takes the first spot. After activating the skill, players will be able to charge forward towards their opponents with ultimate force, which will cause the enemies to take in 327 damage.
Finally, players will be able to land a final attack whereby they will use their claws in order to pierce and scratch at the enemies until they are practically dead on the battlefield. Ruining Rush itself requires players to be at least level 10, alongside also having an extremely short cooldown of 6 seconds, making it extremely useful in PvE combat.
Death Claw
Moving on, the second skill that players really need to look into is Death Claw, which is not accompanied by any sort of support tripods; however, after casting the skill, it grants the players the ability to get close to their foes and perform a claw attack swiftly that will deal a total of 625 damage, which is pretty potent itself.
However, it doesn’t just end there; after this attack, players can perform a finishing blow that will cause enemies to go airborne, whereby they will intake final damage that equates to 624. The stagger rating for the skill itself is on the lower side. However, it only has a 4-second cooldown, which allows for faster skill casting, and players need to be at least level 10.
Gore Bleeding
Keeping things going, another impeccable skill that players should not skip out on is Gore Bleeding, which as the name itself suggests, after it has been summoned, players will be able to ferociously claw at their opponents until they are practically bleeding to their deaths. A total of 1694 damage can be dealt with with this skill.
For the final attack, players can claw yet again at their enemies. However, this time, the damage output will be a bit on the lower side, with it being 726. The stagger rating for Gore Bleeding is pretty high, allowing players to go in and attack even more. It has a low cooldown of 6 seconds and requires players to be at least level 20 in order to cast it. Just like other classes, the Scrappers are also dominators of the battlefield.
Destruction
Going along with the Lost Ark Shadowhunter PvE Build, another skill that players can look into for this specific build is Destruction, which basically allows the player to concentrate on gaining as much demonic energy as they can and then evidently release it unto their opponents, which will cause them to intake 1955 damage.
The destruction itself has a medium to high stagger rating, which grants the player the ability to go all-in towards the enemies and practically render them useless. Players can be an early game, mid-game, or late game and still use Destruction as the required level is level 10. It also has an extremely low cooldown of only 8 seconds.
Leaping Blow
Moving right along, the next skill that players can look at is Leaping Blow since it essentially grants the players the ability to launch themselves into the air and instantly jump to the general area in which the opponents are located, and leap down onto the ground with such force that it will summon forth a shockwave that will cause 1976 + 1064 overall damage.
This damage output is enough to render enemies useless in their wake and have the players dominate the battlefield. There is a level 30 requirement for players if they aim to equip and cast it while in PvE combat. With that, the stagger rating is medium to high, and it only has an 18-second cooldown. Players who are veterans at Lost Ark and are looking to experiment more, then the Lost Ark Wardancer Build is the way to go!
Blood Massacre
Ending the demon-form skills with the final one, players can look at Blood Massacre, which has the ability to let the player raise their arms up and concentrate on gathering as much blood energy as possible in order to unleash it across the opponents, which will cause an explosion that will cause enemies to take in 4011 damage.
The stagger rating is extremely high, allowing players to go in and go insane with their normal and charged attacks until they murder the enemies. There is a 20-second cooldown on the skill as well.
Engravings
Moving right along with the Shadowhunter PvE Build, another thing that players will need to highly consider is Engravings which can be extremely useful as they are basically stronger versions of basic skills.
Adrenaline
Starting off with the first engraving, players can take a look at Adrenaline which basically grants the players the ability to use their bursts and ultimates other than just basic attacks, and while using them, their overall attack power will be buffed, which allows them to decimate enemies quicker and dominate the battlefield quickly.
Level one will grant the player a 0.3% buff for a total of 6 seconds in their attack power, while level 2 will increase the attack power by 0.6 seconds, as well as increase the crit rate by 10%. If players decide to max out the engraving, their attack power will be buffed by 1%, and the crit rate will be buffed by 15%.
Hit Master
Moving on, another excellent engraving that players are advised to invest in is Hit Master, as its main aim lies in supporting the player when they are in the middle of a tough battle by providing them a 16% damage buff at level 3. This allows the player to unleash damage that is even more potent than it originally was.
There are a few exceptions to the types of attacks that can be buffed, such as Back Attacks, Frontal Attacks, and Awakening Skills.
Keen Blunt Weapon
Following through with the next engraving, players can take a look at Keen Blunt Weapon, which will basically enhance the player’s overall crit damage, which grants the player the ability to land more critical hits while also making the overall damage output all the more deadly, rendering any enemy that is in the field utterly useless.
Level one will buff the player’s damage output by 10%, while level 2 will increase it even further by 25%. However, if players want to experience the greatest damage output, then they should level it to level 3, which gives the player a 50% crit damage buff. However, there is a slight chance that the damage output will be reduced by 20%.
Grudge
Moving on to the next engraving that players really want to invest in for the Lost Ark Shadowhunter PvE Build is Grudge, which will basically buff up the player’s overall damage dealt with bosses or elite enemies.
Level one will offer the player a 4% overall damage buff when fighting against some of the toughest enemies, while level 2 will increase it to a further 10%. With that, players are highly advised to max Grudge out, which is to fully level it to level 3 in order to gain a 20% enhanced damage output against bosses.
When it comes to stats, players should invest in enhancing their Stats and Specialization, which grants the plater with further buffs which can make them even more potent as a Shadowhunter. With that, this wraps up our Lost Ark Shadowhunter PvE Build, let us know what you think!
Other Tips
Lost Ark offers its players five unique classes that make them come back to the game every single day. All of these classes focus on a unique aspect of the game and require players to master different game mechanics. Players have to spend hours upon hours learning all the details about a single class alone.
The five main classes in Lost Ark include Assassin, Mage, Gunner, Martial Artist, and Warrior. All these classes bring something unique to the game.
Different elements provide unique outcomes in the game, and some of them are used to buff your allies while others are used to inflict raw damage. So, players have to choose what playstyle they want to adapt before selecting a character. Also, card sets and materials also play a vital part in making your gear.
Furthermore, when you pick a specific class, you also have to decide between different subclasses that exist in it. Although these subclasses perform the same functionality, they do it in a completely different way from one another. All of this keeps players hooked and makes them want to put more hours into the game.
If you found this guide useful, you can also read about the Lost Ark Sorceress Builds. Let us know what you thought about this guide in the comments below!
Next: Best Lost Ark Deadeye Build
Thanks! Do share your feedback with us. ⚡
How could we improve this post? Please Help us. ✍
