Lost Ark Shadowhunter Builds: Best Skills And Engravings For PvP/PvE

Our Lost Ark Shadowhunter builds will help you make the most of this powerful class which allows players to switch between a human form and a demon form. Across the many Lost Ark classes, the Shadowhunter stands as one of the more unique ones due to its demon gimmick, giving players new abilities and enormous damage potential. So you may want to check out our Lost Ark Shadowhunter builds below for PvE and PvP. 

For more class builds, make sure to check out:

• Lost Ark Striker Builds
• Lost Ark Gunlancer Builds
• Lost Ark Sorceress Builds

Lost Ark Shadowhunter Builds: What Is A Shadowhunter?

The Lost Ark Shadowhunter acts like a mix between the traditional rogue archetype and a shapeshifter, as they have the potential to enter a demon form, which is the crux of the classes' power. They utilise dual blades when in their human form, with a variety of close-range AoEs and narrower long-range skills. 

The Shadowhunter has the ability to use backstabs to increase damage on all basic attacks and abilities. They also have an identity gauge like the other classes in-game, which ties into their demon form. Once it's been filled from taking part in combat, they can make the switch into a demon which changes up all their attacks and combat skills. They are the type of class that's perfect for players who like to get into their enemies' faces.

• Struggling with the first Guardian Raid to introduce one-shot mechanics? Check out how to beat Lost Ark Tytalos.

Lost Ark Shadowhunter Builds: Best PvE Skills

PvE content with the Shadowhunter is pretty straightforward, as you should make use of your long-range skills to chip down enemies before they get close. From there focusing on triggering your backstabs for extra damage is a good idea until you can launch into demon form to eviscerate anything or anyone around.

Below we've listed the skills we primarily use for the Shadowhunter in PvE, along with the Tripods we picked up after levelling a skill to four, seven, and ten.

• Demonic Clone - Merciless Blow - Fist of Destruction - Encroachment Discharge
• Decimate - Quick Prep - Weak Point Detection - Cruel Hand
• Howl - Quick Prep - Encroaching Power - Scream of Fury
• Demon's Grip - Quick Preparation - Encroaching Power  - Stretching Hand
• Cruel Cutter - Bleed Effect - Ranged Attack - Boomerang
• Thrust Impact - Wide Hit 
• Demonic Slash - Excellent Mobility
• Demon Vision - Concentrated Release

Lost Ark Shadowhunter Builds: Best PvP Skills

The PvP content in Lost Ark lets players put more points into their skills to form a unique kit that makes the most of fighting other players. You can also develop more interesting and experimental builds this way, but our build is fairly straight forward and similar to the PvE one - just with more utility. 

• Grind Chain - Earth Attack - Impaired Mobility - Chain Attack
• Demonic Clone - Naively Honest - Fist of Destruction - Encroachment Discharge
• Demonic Slash - Excellent Mobility - Nimble Movement - Chain Charge
• Piercing Thorn - Enhanced Strike - Triple Thorn - Massive Thorns
• Demon Vision - Quick Release - Electric Discharge - Instant Discharge
• Cruel Cutter - Bleed Effect - Ranged Attack - Boomerang
• Thrust Impact - Excellent Mobility - Enhanced Explosion 
• Sharpened Cut - Excellent Mobility - Infiltration Attack

Lost Ark Shadowhunter Builds: Awakening Skills

Awakening skills are Lost Ark's version of an ultimate ability akin to those found in MOBAs and hero shooters. Their powerful effects and long cooldowns stand in stark contrast to the rest of the skills you'll possess, and as a result, you won't be able to access them until the end-game once the main story of Trixion has been completed. All classes get two of these, but only one can be equipped at a time. The Shadoowhunter's Awakening skills are:

• Gate of Eruption - Creates a demonic portal that deals constant damage until exploding for even more burst damage, while also filling the demon mode metre by quite a bit.
• Fallen Ruin - Fire a giant eye-laser for massive burst damage, but can only be used in demon form. 

The best choice right now is Gate of Eruption purely for its damage potential and the huge boost it gives to the demon mode metre.

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Lost Ark Shadowhunter Builds: Engravings

Engravings are a quality method of specialising your character further to your liking, even allowing you to change your classes functions in some circumstances. There are lesser Engravings which any class can use, along with two powerful Engravings which are unique to each class. You won't get the latter options until end-game, but lesser Engravings can be found during the story. 

Some of the lesser Engravings that can be useful for this class are as follows:

• Grudge - Increase your max damage output but increase the damage you receive back. Only useful after it's maxed out as the tradeoff can be harsh.
• Adrenaline - Gives you a buff to crits which stacks as you use abilities.
• Master of Ambush - Increases the damage of backstabs, although this does nothing in demon form.
• Spirit Absorption - Provides a speed boost to your attacks and movement. No downsides so always equip this if you find it.

The more powerful Engraving options for the Shadowhunter are:

• Demonic Impulse - Removes the timer that stops you from going into demon form straight after exiting, increasing the frequency of your overall demon form use.
• Perfect Suppression - Allows some skills to use part of the demon form metre for extra damage and effects, but disables the ability to transform into a demon.

Obviously, both of these Engravings can wildly change how this class functions, but Demonic Impulse is a better choice in most cases, as demon form is extremely powerful. Perfect Suppression can still be a quality choice in the end-game, but it's harder to make the most of it.  

That's our rundown of some Lost Ark Shadowhunter builds for both PvE and PvP content, along with the best Awakening skills and Engravings for the class.

Check out our Lost Ark Glaivier class guide if you want to try something else.