Most of Lost Ark’s male Gunner subclasses fit rather light, DPS-oriented roles.

Where Deadeye’s multifaceted utility and Sharpshooter’s long-range support often see them aiding a much tankier ally in battle, Artillerist lets the Gunner become the tank, taking on a more direct role in his signature brand of long-range combat.

Playstyle: Never stop shooting

The Artillerist benefits from having a variety of high-damage combat options at his disposal.

Fights involving an Artillerist can, and often benefit from being opened at range with a barrage of AoE attacks. His kit features a variety of skills dedicated to lobbing damage onto unexpecting enemies from beyond the range of standard enemy aggression.

  • Howitzer: Positional AoE blast can attack boss weak points, contributing to a raid party’s targeting effortsMultiple Rocket Launcher: Fires a series of five randomly spreading rockets in an arch in front of the player, which can be barraged over long-distance into hordes of enemies

Some of Artillerist’s shell-based attacks deal incredibly high damage, but are slow-moving and easy to miss. These are best used at medium-range to ensure a successful hit once enemies have started to pursue.

  • Enhanced Shell: Fires a very high damage projectile that explodes into AoE damage upon hitting an enemyFreeze Shell: A lesser-damaging shell attack compared to Enhanced Shell, but successful hits will slow targeted enemies temporarily

While Artillerist is effective at varied ranges, his effectiveness tends to drop off somewhat when overrun at close range. As the bulk of his skillset fires projectiles in a cone in front of him, his flanks are often left exposed when enemies begin to swarm away from his line of fire.

However, a handful of options exist for Artillerists to create distance between themselves and nearby attackers.

  • Buckshot: Fires a quick, close-ranged burst across a wide cone in front of the user, knocking enemies backGatling Gun: Fires multiple lighter bullets that can repeatedly stagger enemies, effectively stun-locking them

The Firepower Meter: Knowing when to hold ‘em

As the Artillerist deals damage, he begins to fill the Firepower Meter at the center of his HUD. The strengths of this meter are twofold.

The level of charge in the Firepower Meter provides a passive boost to the Artillerist’s damage, up to a 30% increase when the meter is full.

When full, however, the Artillerist can activate Barrage Mode, temporarily locking him in place and replacing his hotbar skills with three incredibly powerful “Specialty” attacks.

  • Focus Fire: Hold skill that can stagger and subsequently punish any opponent caught within its rangeEnergy Cannon: Fires and sustains a wide, high-damage beam that moves to the crosshair, allowing focus fire on mobile or separate enemiesImpregnability: Deploys a shield that tanks 30% of the user’s health bar in damage, providing the Artillerist with survivability while stood still in Barrage Mode

Due to the Firepower Meter’s damage-ramping mechanics, the Artillerist benefits from shooting anything at any time, and holding onto his charge until a powerful enemy demands the use of Barrage Mode. However, The subclass’s skillset best benefits players who know when to shoot where, and with what skills.