Ark is a Pirate class with a special mode that evolves your skills and gives you more damage. Super versatile class that always hovers around the top of the DPM charts.
A good Ark is one who knows how to manage cooldowns and their Specter form. The class has great party buffs and large burst damaging skills so make sure you get the timing right when using them.
What To Know Before You Make An Ark
First off, you should always make an Ark regardless if you’re maining that class or not. Ark’s have a great link skill which allows you to get up to +16% damage at max stacks. Ark takes a little time to get used to especially if you can’t one-shot mobs without your Spectra form. But if you can properly use Specter form you’ll be dashing through the maps without issue and killing everything. More on the mobbing and bossing combos below!
If you’re thinking about making an Ark as your main then you’ll be happy to know Ark has great mobbing + mobility, great utility (2 I-frames and lots of buffs), a bind, super stance while in spectra form, and a skill that allows you to fly for a short duration.
Never let yourself run out of the Specter form. If you do there will be a cooldown time before you can regain Spectra again. If you change forms right before it runs out there will be no cooldown time and you will regain Spectra quickly.
Ark has a beginner skill called Contact Caravan that can give you a choice of bonus EXP, bonus Damage, and bonus CD reduction. Depending on who gets called you’ll get a specific buff. Literally free stats but long cooldown so make sure to keep track and use it whenever available.
Overall, Ark is a really strong and fun class, but requires you to pay attention to what skills you need to use and keeping track of your Spectra gauge.
Ark Primary and Secondary Weapons
Ark’s primary weapon is a Knuckle (Absolab). Ark’s secondary is Abyssal Path (Princess No.).
Ark Shared Cash Shop
When it comes to the Cash Shop, the characters that are of the same Race can share NX items and Cash Shop items with each other.
Ark is a part of the Flora race and shares his Cash Shop with:
- Adele
- Illium
Ark Link Skill
Ark’s link skill is called Solus and is considered one of the best link skills to have.
Solus
Lose oneself to battle with an intense, combat-focused will.
If the combat state is maintained for a certain period of time, the damage increases. (max level: 3)(Link Skill)
- Level 1: Activates when the combat state continues for 5 sec. Can be stacked a max of 5 times. Duration: 5 sec
When activated, damage increases by 1%, and damage increases an extra 1% per stack (Lvl Req. 70)
- Level 2: Activates when the combat state continues for 5 sec. Can be stacked a max of 5 times. Duration: 5 sec
When activated, damage increases by 1%, and damage increases an extra 2% per stack (Lvl Req. 120)
- Level 3: Activates when the combat state continues for 5 sec. Can be stacked a max of 5 times. Duration: 5 sec
When activated, damage increases by 1%, and damage increases an extra 3% per stack (Lvl Req. 210)
After 25 seconds in combat, at max stacks and Link level 3, you’ll get a 16% damage increase.
Check out the Link skills Guide for Bossing and Training!
Ark Legion Effect
Ark’s legion effect is a flat STR increase.
Strength (STR)
| Rank B | Rank A | Rank S | Rank SS | Rank SSS |
| +10 | +20 | +40 | +80 | +100 |
Rank SSS: Level 250
Rank SS: Level 200-249
Rank S: Level 140-199
Rank A: Level 100-139
Rank B: Level 60-99
Ark Best Inner Ability
Ark’s best inner abilities are: Passive Skills +1 (Prime line), Boss Damage (2nd line), Cooldown Skip (3rd line). It is important for Ark’s to have Passive Skill +1 because they get a lot of passive buffs when you hit 4th and 5th job and this inner will help you get over the cap.
Boss Damage secondary if you plan to boss with your Ark, otherwise something like ATK or Cooldown Skip is fine.
Cooldown Skip for your 3rd line is great since getting your skills up faster means more DPS.
Damage Increase To Monster with Abnormal Status is a kind of a sleeper hit. This can be paired with Magician link skill and should be used instead of any ATK lines.
Ark Skill Build
When it comes to Ark skill build you want to get a few points into your attacking skills and then max your passive and active buffs. Remember to put on your training links to maximize efficiency. If you don’t know what to use, check this Link skills Guide for Bossing and Training!.
Ark 1st Job Max Order
Get a point in Basic Charge Drive, Ominous Nightmare, Spell Bullets
- Mystic Leap
- Mystic Arts Mastery
- Basic Charge Drive
- Ominous Nightmare
- Spell Bullets (toggle on by right clicking) less hassle by putting it on Auto
Ark 2nd Job Max Order
Get a point in Scarlet Charge Drive, Unstoppable Impulse, Impending Death
Master Corruption (lets you go back and forth between flora and spectral form)
- Knuckle Mastery
- Knuckle Booster
- Physical Training
- Initiate Fusion
- Unstoppable Impulse
- Scarlet Charge Drive
- Impending Death
Ark 3rd Job Max Order
Get a point in Gust Charge Drive, Vivid Nightmare, Vengeful Hate (toggle on)
- Advanced Fusion
- Mystic Arts Training
- Innate Arts Training
- Vivid Nightmare
- Gust Charge Drive
- Vengeful Hate
- Creeping Terror
Ark 4th Job Max Order
Get a point in Endless Nightmare, Abyss Charge Drive, Blissful Restraint
Advanced Mystic Arts, Complete Fusion, Battle Frenzy (getting 1 point will help training)
- Knuckle Expert
- Complete Fusion
- Advanced Mystic Arts
- Advanced Innate Arts
- Endless Nightmare
- Abyss Charge Drive
- Battle Frenzy
- Blissful Restraint
- Hero of the Flora
- Flora Hero’s Will
Ark 5th Job Max Order
When it comes to 5th Job it’s all about boost nodes and getting your perfect trio. Ark uses a lot of skills and these are the ones you want to make into 3 trios.
- Basic Charge Drive
- Impending Death
- Ominous Nightmare
- Unstoppable Impulse
- Gust Charge Drive
- Abyss Charge Drive
- Creeping Terror
- Scarlet Charge Drive
Ark V Matrix and Perfect Boost Node Guide
The most important trio are the first 3, Basic Charge Drive, Impending Death, and Ominous Nightmare. You might have noticed there are only 8 skills listed and 9 node slots to fill. What you will do is have a random skill there, preferably one of the top 3, till you can max out all your nodes.
The second trio is Unstoppable Impulse, Gust Charge Drive, Abyss Charge Drive, great for
The last trio (Creeping Terror, Scarlet Charge Drive, your choice) is easy to assemble and does not require a ton of priority.
Small Tip: 100% critical rate is important but you only need 80% because using Scarlet Charge Drive gives you 20%.
Ark Hyper Skill Build
When it comes to Hyper skills get the Actives, Charge Spell Amplifier, Endless Agony, Divine Wrath, whenever possible and for the passives:
Passive Skills
Reinforced Battle Arts
Guardbreak Arts
Boss Rush Arts
Incredibly Tenacious Instinct (3 dashes!)
Enhanced Spectra Healing
Advanced Specter State can be useful with the animation canceling but Enhanced Spectra Healing is more reliable and helps your recover Spectra quickly.
Ark Mobbing Combo
When in Flora form you’ll be using Basic Charge Drive, Ominous Nightmare, and Unstoppable Impulse. the most. But, using other skills have added benefits like buffs.
- Basic Charge Drive – Spam skill with no cooldown (Speed Buff)
- Ominous Nightmare – Large front AoE skill (1-2 second cooldown)
- Unstoppable Impulse – Quick diagonal movements while dealing damage, 2 charges (3-4 second Cooldown)
- Abyss Charge Drive – This is for added burst damage (gives IED + Boss dmg buff)
- Gust Charge Drive – Useful skill that pulls enemies together with 4-5 second cooldown (Gives +1 Attack Speed Buff)
- Scarlet Charge Drive – Dash skill leaves burning ground (Attack Power + Crit Rate buff)
When in Flora form you want to use all these skills to hit monsters and gain the buffs before you transition into Specter State.
While in Specter State you become insanely strong and way better mobbing. Spam Ominous Nightmare and Unstoppable Nightmare for full map clears.
Ark Bossing Combo
Ark bossing seems pretty straightforward, use Flora form to buff up with skills then transition into Specter state and destroy them. But, there is a slight twist and a way you can output even more DPS through animation cancellation.
Basically, you use your base attack skill Basic Charge Drive or Ominous Nightmare (depends if in specter form or not) and then another skill like Gust Charge Drive in the middle of it.
Here is a video of what it looks like.
The easiest way to practice this is to get your Basic Charge Drive and Gust Charge Drive down. If you are able to see the Gust Charge Drive animation without ever using the jump key then you’ll know you got it.
This technique works extremely well on stationary targets so it’s a good thing Ark has their own bind skill.
Ark Weapon, Secondary, and Emblem Optimization
Ark weapon, secondary, and emblem are best with 1 line of boss, 1 line of IED and the rest Attack. Especially if you’re in Reboot the attack lines get inflated and outpace Boss lines.
IED will always be important and you can get a lot from your legion and links. Boss damage only if you’re going to be using the character to fight bosses but otherwise meso/drop or more attack always works.