Lost Ark: Deathblade (Assassin) – Character Class Guide

This guide provides an overview of the Deathblade, one of the Assassin classes in Lost Ark.

Deathblade Class Description

Gender: Female

Combat Style: Melee

Specialization: Death Trance – fill up three areas by eliminating enemies to use powerful abilities.

The Deathblade is a balanced melee class that relies on mobility for offense and defense. It excels at attacking small enemy groups and requires strategic positioning on the battlefield. It is a DPS class that emphasizes dodging over blocking, but is not overly difficult to master. This class offers two basic builds or allows players to create their own combinations of engravings. The Deathblade performs well in PvP games.

Surge Build

The Surge build is based on constant attacking to improve combat performance. The Surge engraving converts the Blade Surge ability to Zero and introduces a buff that increases damage, allowing players to regain a portion of the Death Orb Meter after combat.

Engravings:

• Surge (class engraving) – Level 1
• Master of Ambush – Basic Back Attack boost for all Assassin builds

Optional Engravings:

• Adrenaline – Adds a cumulative buff to attacks and crits
• Super Charge – Improves “charged” skills
• Grudge – Increases damage taken and dealt with level 3 required

Combat Stats:

• Crit – 30% – The points left over after Specialization should be allocated to critical strike chance
• Specialization – 70% – Improves attack power, meter recovery, reduces cooldown, and significantly improves Awakening skill damage

Skills, Tripods, and Runes:

Skill	1st Tripod	2nd Tripod	Tripod 3	Rune
Wind Cut (7)	Quick Prep	Sustain Damage	Thick Sword Energy	Rage
Spincutter (6)	Open Weakness	Quick Prep	Triple Spin	Quick Recharge
Dark Axel (10)	Swift Fingers	Tenacity	High Axel	Galewind
Soul Absorber (10)	Swift Fingers	Fist of Darkness	Halve	Wealth
Earth Cleaver (4)	Push	Weak Point Detection	Earth Explosion	Overwhelm

The Maelstorm skill (level 7)

Orb Control

Dark Order

Focus

The Blitz Rush skill (level 10)

Vital Point Hit

Charge Enhancement

Shadow Rush

Protection

The Void Strike skill (level 10)

Orb Control

Void Zone

Dark Dimension

Wealth

The Flash Blink skill (Awakening)

The numbers in parentheses indicate the recommended skill level for a character at level 50. A “+” means that the skill should be further developed, and a “-” means that it should be prioritized.

Playstyle:

When using the Surge build, you should follow the engraving’s instructions. You need to attack enemies by rotating through skills and ending with the Blade Surge skill, which is now the Zero skill. This will allow you to recover some of the meter to restart the sequence in Death Trance. Using this build is challenging, as it requires Back Attacks for full effectiveness and has skills with long wind-up times during which you risk taking damage. It’s also important to use the Open Weakness tripod effectively with the Spincutter skill, which buffs both you and other team members.

Remaining Energy build

In the Remaining Energy build, as in Surge, you will still rely on building up your meter through powerful Charging Skills, but this time it’s to deal direct damage (without building up buffs) and make effective use of the final Blade Burst.

Engravings:

1. Remaining Energy – class engraving. Initially, level 1 is sufficient.
2. Super Charge – improves Charge type skills.

Optional engravings:

1. Adrenaline – a fully build-compatible engraving that adds a cumulative buff to attacks and crits.
2. Master of Ambush – Back Attack’s basic upgrade.
3. Grudge – increases damage taken and attacks dealt (level 3 required).

Combat stats:

1. Crit – 30% – any remaining points after Specialization should be allocated to critical strike chance.
2. Specialization – 70% – improves attack power, meter recovery, reduces cooldown, and significantly improves Awakening skill damage.

Skills, tripods, and runes:

Skill	1st Tripod	2nd Tripod	3rd Tripod	Rune
The Spincutter skill (level 4)	Open Weakness	Quick Prep	Triple Spin	Quick Recharge
The Dark Axel skill (level 10)	Swift Fingers	Tenacity	High Axel	Protection
The Soul Absorber skill (level 10)	Swift Fingers	Fist of Darkness	Halve	Wealth
The Earth Cleaver skill (level 4)	Push	Weak Point Detection	Earth Explosion	Overwhelm
The Moonlight Sonic skill (level 10)	Fist of Darkness	Sustain Enhancement	Shade Sonic	Wealth
Maelstorm (Level 4)	Orb Control	Dark Order		Focus
Blitz Rush (Level 10)	Vital Point Hit	Charge Enhancement	Shadow Rush	Protection
Void Strike (Level 10)	Orb Control	Fist of Darkness	Dark Explosion	Wealth
Flash Blink (Awakening)

The numbers in brackets indicate the recommended skill level for a character at level 50. “+” means it should be further developed, “-” means it should be prioritized.

Gameplay Style:

Deathblade has a unique ability called Blade Surge, which can only be used during Death Trance, a state triggered when at least one orb in the Death Orb Meter is full. The gameplay style focuses on filling the meter by correctly attacking to launch one particularly devastating move. In this case, however, the focus is more on Charge attacks, such as Blitz Rush, Void Strike, and Soul Absorber, and dealing strong damage with more than just the final attack. When Blade Surge is used, it depletes the meter, so the next rotation is largely about refilling it.

FAQ

What are the main characteristics of the Deathblade (Assassin) class in Lost Ark?

The Deathblade, also known as the Assassin, is a highly mobile and stealthy class in Lost Ark. Its main characteristics are its agility, speed, and burst damage. The class relies on quick movements and precise strikes to take down enemies. The Deathblade has several skills that allow it to move quickly around the battlefield and avoid enemy attacks. It also has powerful burst damage skills that deal massive amounts of damage in a short amount of time. The class is best suited for players who enjoy playing fast-paced and highly mobile characters.

What are the recommended skill builds for the Deathblade class in Lost Ark?

There are several skill builds that work well for the Deathblade class in Lost Ark. One popular build focuses on maximizing burst damage and mobility. This build prioritizes skills that deal high damage and allow the Deathblade to move quickly around the battlefield. Another build focuses on increasing the class’s survivability and utility. This build prioritizes skills that provide crowd control and defensive buffs. Ultimately, the best skill build for the Deathblade depends on the player’s playstyle and preferences.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Deathblade class in Lost Ark?

The Deathblade class in Lost Ark has several strengths and weaknesses. Its main strengths are its high mobility, burst damage, and stealth abilities. The class is able to quickly move around the battlefield and take down enemies with precise strikes. It is also able to remain hidden from enemies and avoid detection. However, the class has several weaknesses as well. It is relatively fragile and lacks sustained damage. The Deathblade also requires a high level of skill and precision to play effectively. Additionally, the class may struggle against enemies that are immune to its burst damage or have high mobility themselves.