Lost Ark’s Slayer Advanced Class: Builds, playstyle, tips

The Slayer Class releases in Lost Ark in May, here’s everything you need to know about this new Advanced Class including early builds, playstyle, and how it will be different from the Berserker class.

The Slayer is the fifth Warrior Advanced Class to be released in Lost Ark. In many ways, the class is a female version of the Berserker class. A tank-like fighter who excels in close-quarter combat, swinging her greatsword and making use of her powerful Burst Mode to cleave enemies into pieces.

While some players felt that the Berserker class could be slightly clunky at times, the Slayer is intended to be smooth as silk, while being just as devastating in battle.

To celebrate the release of the Slayer Advanced Class this May, we’ve put together a guide that explains her playstyle, focusing on two of the builds players can create for the class depending on their own preferred combat style. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the next character class in Lost Ark – the mighty Slayer.

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Slayer Class playstyle

The Berserker class was reliant on Red Dust usage for their Burst mode, this gives the Slayer class (and the player) more control over her attacks such as how and when to utilize special abilities. Players can simply manage the Slayer’s Identity gauge which is bound to feel more natural and less cumbersome.

The Identity gauge allows the Slayer to enter Burst Mode, boosting her Critical Hit Rate by 30%, as well as her Movement Speed and Attack Speed by 20%. This makes a class that’s already dangerous in close combat absolutely deadly. For added emphasis, while in Burst Mode, the Slayer has access to a unique Specialty skill called Bloodlust, a series of savage strikes that can deal major damage.

In terms of playstyle, the Slayer will be an easy class to master. Those who play as her will need to know when to get into combat, trigger burst mode, hit hard, then get out. Unlike the Berserker class, the Slayer is designed to jump in and out of Burst mode more frequently, as this is the best way to maximize damage output.

Ultimately, the Slayer class is designed for players who enjoy getting into the thick of combat and pushing their build to do as much damage as possible before retreating to safety. There are always ways to up the ante in terms of damage and if the Slayer is anything like the Berserker, combat should be an absolute thrill. 

Potential build options

The Slayer has a few build options, but there are two that stand out the most, that’s the Executioner and Predator engravings/build styles.

The Executioner is perhaps the easiest to use as it’s the typical tank build. The idea is players enter Burst Mode and focus on using their most powerful moves until cooldown before repeating this, hammering the enemy with heavy-duty attacks until they fall. 

The goal with the Executioner engraving is to choose the most dangerous attacks, but the ones that charge the slowest. Luckily, these are often the strongest ones, so the idea is to maximize damage but at the cost of speed.

The Predator class engraving is a style most suited to players who prefer speed over power and relies on a different set of tactics. This build increased the Slayers critical hit rate while in Burst Mode while also replenishing 10% of the player’s Identity meter (on a 1 second cooldown) nearly every time the character lands an attack. 

The idea here is to keep the attacks and damage coming for as long as possible. Naturally, the Slayer will eventually run out of Burst Mode and will need to enter cooldown, but after 30 seconds, the barrage begins again!

The Slayer will release in May with her own powerpass and progression events. We look forward to seeing if the class outshines the Berserker.

Although, what’s most exciting is we’ve only just scratched the surface on what this new class can do. One thing’s for certain though – this is a character class that’s going to do a huge amount of damage! It’s also going to be a class that’s well suited to new Lost Ark players due to its fun combat style and accessible nature.

Proving Grounds Season 3

As well as the deadly Slayer Advanced Class, Season 3 of Lost Ark’s Proving Grounds will also arrive in May 2023. 

This new season of the competitive PvP mode will allow players to prove themselves as a warrior and climb up the season’s ranks while earning various rewards. But more importantly, it’s about players topping the leaderboards and showing the world of Arkesia that they are the most skilled fighters!

The season is likely to continue for several months and in our view, is the perfect opportunity to try the Slayer Advanced Class. As a close-quarters combat specialist, the Slayer is an ideal choice for PvP and we imagine those who choose the class could do very well. 

While the Slayer won’t have an unfair advantage over other classes, they will be a simple and effective class to use in PvP, so newer players will be able to hold their own against more experienced veterans. 

There are some changes to Proving Grounds in Season 3, for example, the amount of Courage Coins earned last season will be reset back to zero. However, all players can once again earn PvP tier points and earn new coins.

When Season 3 begins, the Proving Grounds Store will be renewed. The higher you climb in rank, the more items you’ll be able to exchange. Any Honor rewards purchased in Season 3 will continue to be available until the next season starts, so you won’t need to panic spend.

Those who reach Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Master ranks will receive special rewards at the end of the Season, though these are yet to be confirmed.

The Highest tier ranks will be adjusted to make them even more prestigious. While it was previously rank 200 – 31, Master Rank will be updated to rank 100 – 11 for Season 3 of Proving Grounds. Finally, the Grand Master Rank requirement rank will be adjusted, from 30-1 to 10-1, to reflect this change.

Whether you’re playing as the new Slayer Advanced Class or any of the earlier classes, we’ll see you on the battlefield of Proving Grounds Season 3.