In-Depth Lost Ark Engraving Guide – What are the Best Engravings

Lost Ark is currently the talk of the gaming world. Just a few days after its release, the game became the most played Steam game in the platform’s history, vastly outplacing popular older games like DOTA 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Only two weeks in, more players are expected to drop over time to try out the Korean ARPG for themselves. The game has so many unique features, including myriad classes and a unique Tripod system. However, one thing that adventurers need to learn is the game’s complex engraving system.

What are Engravings?

Engravings are essentially obtainable buffs that players can acquire as they progress through the game. These buffs can either provide players with damage boosts or utility bonuses. Though this system is not that important during the early parts of the game, this feature becomes essential especially in the end-game content since it augments the players’ power.

Lost Ark has three types of Engravings: general or regular, class-specific, and negative. Regular engravings refer to buffs that can be equipped by every class in the game while class-specific are job-locked bonuses that can only be used by specific characters. Negative Engravings are debuffs that characters will receive in exchange for acquiring buffs with better node levels.

How Do You Get Engravings?

Engravings are activated by leveling up their nodes. There are three levels for each Engraving which require five nodes each to activate. Adventurers will get attack or utility bonuses that scale depending on the level of the Engravings. Players can receive the buffs or bonuses by equipping Engravings that are at least level one. Negative Engravings are an exception since they will activate regardless of if they are equipped or not as long as they have reached at least one level.

This is where things get a bit complex for this feature. Adventurers can acquire Engravings via accessories, ability stones, and Engraving recipes. These items and consumables increase the number of nodes activated which in turn will activate the levels of Engravings upon reaching a certain number of activated nodes.

Accessories only add two or three nodes to the Engravings most of the time while ability stones give the largest number of nodes obtainable which is 10. Unfortunately, these items have drawbacks since they also carry Negative Engraving nodes. Adventurers should be very mindful of the items they equip or the stones that they facet so that they can avoid activating debuffs.

The safest way to activate Engraving recipes. These books can be acquired as rewards from quests, daily rewards, or loots from island quests. Unfortunately, this method is very costly and time-consuming since multiple recipes are needed to activate just one node each time. For adventurers that are willing to grind for these books, this method is a must.

Players have two slots for equipping Engravings. Ideally, one slot should be given to a general Engraving while the other is assigned to class-specific ones. However, adventurers can choose to forego using class-specific buffs and just use multiple general bonuses. Furthermore, players can also use the same Engraving twice, so how these buffs can be used is up to the users.

List of General and Negative Engravings

As mentioned earlier, there are three specific types of Engravings. Each one will have various effects on the players’ characters, so adventurers should understand how these bonuses or debuffs work. Here are the different types of General and Negative Engravings and the effects they give per level:

Best General Engravings for End-Game Content:

Awakening

• Effect Level 1: Awakening skill will have a 10% cooldown reduction and can be used 1 more time.
• Effect Level 2: Awakening skill will have a 25% cooldown reduction and can be used 2 more times.
• Effect Level 3: Awakening skill will have a 50% cooldown reduction and can be used 3 more times.

Barricade

• Effect Level 1: While shielded, damage is increased by 3%.
• Effect Level 2: While shielded, damage is increased by 8%.
• Effect Level 3: While shielded, damage is increased by 16%.

Cursed Doll

• Effect Level 1: Attack power increased by 3%, but all healing received (except Natural Recovery) is reduced by 25%.
• Effect Level 2: Attack power increased by 8%, but all healing received (except Natural Recovery) is reduced by 25%.
• Effect Level 3: Attack power increased by 16%, but all healing received (except Natural Recovery) is reduced by 25%.

Grudge

• Effect Level 1: Increases damage to Bosses or high-ranking enemies by 4% but receives 20% more damage from them.
• Effect Level 2: Increases damage to Bosses or high-ranking enemies by 10% but receives 20% more damage from them.
• Effect Level 3: Increases damage to Bosses or high-ranking enemies by 20% but receives 20% more damage from them.

Keen Blunt Weapon

• Effect Level 1: Increase Crit Damage by 10%, but regular attacks lose 20% damage.
• Effect Level 2: Increase Crit Damage by 25%, but regular attacks lose 20% damage.
• Effect Level 3: Increase Crit Damage by 50%, but regular attacks lose 20% damage.

Master of Ambush

• Effect Level 1: Successful back attacks have 5% increased damage.
• Effect Level 2: Successful back attacks have 12% increased damage.
• Effect Level 3: Successful back attacks have 25% increased damage.

Raid Captain

• Effect Level 1: Increase outdoing damage by 10% of the player’s movement speed bonus percentage.
• Effect Level 2: Increase outdoing damage by 22% of the player’s movement speed bonus percentage.
• Effect Level 3: Increase outdoing damage by 45% of the player’s movement speed bonus percentage.

Spirit Absorption

• Effect Level 1: Attack and Movement Speed are increased by 3%.
• Effect Level 2: Attack and Movement Speed are increased by 8%.
• Effect Level 3: Attack and Movement Speed are increased by 15%.

Other General Engravings

Adrenaline

• Effect Level 1: Using skills that are not mobile or basic attacks will increase the player’s attack power by 0.3% for 6 seconds (can stack 6 times). Upon reaching six stacks, players will gain a 5% additional crit chance. If a skill cancel results in a cooldown reduction, the buff will occur after the skill.
• Effect Level 2: Using skills that are not mobile or basic attacks will increase the player’s attack power by 0.6% for 6 seconds (can stack 6 times). Upon reaching six stacks, players will gain a 10% additional crit chance. If a skill cancel results in a cooldown reduction, the buff will occur after the skill.
• Effect Level 3: Using skills that are not mobile or basic attacks will increase the player’s attack power by 1% for 6 seconds (can stack 6 times). Upon reaching six stacks, players will gain a 15% additional crit chance. If a skill cancel results in a cooldown reduction, the buff will occur after the skill.

Broken Bone

• Effect Level 1: Increase damage to staggered enemies by 7.5%.
• Effect Level 2: Increase damage to staggered enemies by 20%.
• Effect Level 3: Increase damage to staggered enemies by 40%.

Champion’s Tenacity

• Effect Level 1: When HP reaches 50% or lower, outgoing damage increases by 3%.
• Effect Level 2: When HP reaches 50% or lower, outgoing damage increases by 8%.
• Effect Level 3: When HP reaches 50% or lower, outgoing damage increases by 16%.

Contender

• Effect Level 1: Slaying an enemy increases attack power by 1% for 15 seconds. (Stack up to 5 times)
• Effect Level 2: Slaying an enemy increases attack power by 1.5% for 15 seconds. (Stack up to 5 times)
• Effect Level 3: Slaying an enemy increases attack power by 2.5% for 15 seconds. (Stack up to 5 times)

Crisis Evasion

• Effect Level 1: Players become invincible for 3s after receiving fatal damage. HP recovery increase to 50% during this period. (15m cooldown)
• Effect Level 2: Players become invincible for 3s after receiving fatal damage. HP recovery increase to 50% during this period. (12m cooldown)
• Effect Level 3: Players become invincible for 3s after receiving fatal damage. HP recovery increase to 50% during this period. (9m cooldown)

Crushing Fist

• Effect Level 1: Attacks against staggered enemies ignore 10% of their defense.
• Effect Level 2: Attacks against staggered enemies ignore 30% of their defense.
• Effect Level 3: Attacks against staggered enemies ignore 50% of their defense.

Divine Protection

• Effect Level 1: Receiving damage has a chance a 20% chance of activating Divine Protection which reduces damage by 60%. (60s cooldown)
• Effect Level 2: Receiving damage has a chance a 20% chance of activating Divine Protection which reduces damage by 60%. (20s cooldown)
• Effect Level 3: Receiving damage has a chance a 20% chance of activating Divine Protection which reduces damage by 60%. (10s cooldown)

Disrespect

• Effect Level 1: Damage against enemies with 30% HP or lower is increased by 9%.
• Effect Level 2: Damage against enemies with 30% HP or lower is increased by 22%.
• Effect Level 3: Damage against enemies with 30% HP or lower is increased by 36%.

Drops of Ether

• Effect Level 1: Attacks can create an Ether. (90s cooldown)
• Effect Level 2: Attacks can create an Ether. (40s cooldown)
• Effect Level 3: Attacks can create an Ether. (20s cooldown)

Emergency Rescue

• Effect Level 1: When HP reaches 30% or below, a shield that 20% of the player’s max HP is created for 6 seconds. If the shield is not destroyed and the duration ends, the character recovers HP depending on the remaining shield points.
• Effect Level 2: When HP reaches 30% or below, a shield that 30% of the player’s max HP is created for 6 seconds. If the shield is not destroyed and the duration ends, the character recovers 50% of the remaining shield points.
• Effect Level 3: When HP reaches 30% or below, a shield that 50% of the player’s max HP is created for 6 seconds. If the shield is not destroyed and the duration ends, the character recovers HP depending on the remaining shield points.

Enhance Shield

• Effect Level 1: Players become immune to all Status effects when they gain a shield but lose 90% of the Shield’s HP and Defensive stance’s damage absorption points.
• Effect Level 2: Players become immune to all Status effects when they gain a shield but lose 75% of the Shield’s HP and Defensive stance’s damage absorption points.
• Effect Level 3: Players become immune to all Status effects when they gain a shield but lose 50% of the Shield’s HP and Defensive stance’s damage absorption points.

Ether Enhancement

• Effect Level 1: Generate additional Ethers with +4% Crit Damage after receiving an initial Ether.
• Effect Level 2: Generate additional Ethers with +12% Crit Damage after receiving an initial Ether.
• Effect Level 3: Generate additional Ethers with +24% Crit Damage after receiving an initial Ether.

Expert

• Effect Level 1: Increases shield and HP recovery effects for the whole party by 6% which doubles by 3% if targets are below 50% HP.
• Effect Level 2: Increases shield and HP recovery effects for the whole party by 14% which doubles by 7% if targets are below 50% HP.
• Effect Level 3: Increases shield and HP recovery effects for the whole party by 24% which doubles by 12% if targets are below 50% HP.

Explosive Expert

• Effect Level 1: Increase bomb battle item capacity by 1.
• Effect Level 2: Increase bomb battle item capacity by 2.
• Effect Level 3: Increase bomb battle item capacity by 3.

Fast Speed

• Effect Level 1: Increase the casting speed of both holding and casting skills by 5% and damage by 4%.
• Effect Level 2: Increase the casting speed of both holding and casting skills by 10% and damage by 10%.
• Effect Level 3: Increase the casting speed of both holding and casting skills by 20% and damage by 20%.

Fortitude

• Effect Level 1: Incoming damage is reduced which scales with the amount of HP lost. (Max 5%)
• Effect Level 2: Incoming damage is reduced which scales with the amount of HP lost. (Max 15%)
• Effect Level 3: Incoming damage is reduced which scales with the amount of HP lost. (Max 30%)

Heavy Armor Equipment

• Effect Level 1: Overall defense is increased by 30%. Heavy Armor and Equipment Defense are not affected by Def. Reduction debuffs.
• Effect Level 2: Overall defense is increased by 75%. Heavy Armor and Equipment Defense are not affected by Def. Reduction debuffs.
• Effect Level 3: Overall defense is increased by 150%. Heavy Armor and Equipment Defense are not affected by Def. Reduction debuffs.

Hit Master

• Effect Level 1: Increases damage of non-back or front attack by 3%.
• Effect Level 2: Increases damage of non-back or front attack by 8%.
• Effect Level 3: Increases damage of non-back or front attack by 16%.

Increase Max MP

• Effect Level 1: Increase Max MP by 5%.
• Effect Level 2: Increase Max MP by 15%.
• Effect Level 3: Increase Max MP by 30%.

Lightning Fury

• Effect Level 1: Lightning orbs have a 60% chance of appearing when attacking. Orbs are generated every 4s and explode damaging surrounding enemies upon reaching 5 orbs.
• Effect Level 2: Lightning orbs have a 60% chance of appearing when attacking. Orbs are generated every 2s and explode damaging surrounding enemies upon reaching 5 orbs.
• Effect Level 3: Lightning orbs have a 60% chance of appearing when attacking. Orbs are generated every 1s and explode damaging surrounding enemies upon reaching 5 orbs.

Necromancy

• Effect Level 1: Damaging enemies summons soldiers that attack foes. (75s cooldown)
• Effect Level 2: Damaging enemies summons soldiers that attack foes. (30s cooldown)
• Effect Level 3: Damaging enemies summons soldiers that attack foes. (15s cooldown)

Magic Stream

• Effect Level 1: Mana regen is increased by 10% per 3 seconds when not receiving damage.
• Effect Level 2: Mana regen is increased by 30% per 3 seconds when not receiving damage.
• Effect Level 3: Mana regen is increased by 60% per 3 seconds when not receiving damage.

Mass Gain

• Effect Level 1: Decrease attack speed by 10% in exchange for 4% increased attack power.
• Effect Level 2: Decrease attack speed by 10% in exchange for 10% increased attack power.
• Effect Level 3: Decrease attack speed by 10% in exchange for 18% increased attack power.

Master Brawler

• Effect Level 1: Head Attack damage increased by 5%.
• Effect Level 2: Head Attack damage increased by 12%.
• Effect Level 3: Head Attack damage increased by 25%.

Master of Escape

• Effect Level 1: Cooldown for Stand Up action is reduced by 4%.
• Effect Level 2: Cooldown for Stand Up action is reduced by 12%.
• Effect Level 3: Cooldown for Stand Up action is reduced by 25%.

MP Regen

• Effect Level 1: Increases MP regen by 5%.
• Effect Level 2: Increases MP regen by 15%.
• Effect Level 3: Increases MP regen by 30%.

Shield Piercing

• Effect Level 1: Increases damage to shields by 16%.
• Effect Level 2: Increases damage to shields by 50%.
• Effect Level 3: Increases damage to shields by 100%.

Precision Dagger

• Effect Level 1: Increases crit chance by 4% but loses 12% of crit damage.
• Effect Level 2: Increases crit chance by 4% but loses 12% of crit damage.
• Effect Level 3: Increases crit chance by 4% but loses 12% of crit damage.

Preemptive Strike

• Effect Level 1: Critical hits are guaranteed with 30% damage when attacking Challenge or lower monsters with full HP.
• Effect Level 2: Critical hits are guaranteed with 80% damage when attacking Challenge or lower monsters with full HP.
• Effect Level 3: Critical hits are guaranteed with 160% damage when attacking Challenge or lower monsters with full HP.

Propulsion

• Effect Level 1: Increases damage of skills (except awakening) by 3% for 5 seconds after using a mobile move.
• Effect Level 2: Increases damage of skills (except awakening) by 8% for 5 seconds after using a mobile move.
• Effect Level 3: Increases damage of skills (except awakening) by 16% for 5 seconds after using a mobile move.

Stabilized Status

• Effect Level 1: Damage is increased by 3% when above 80% HP.
• Effect Level 2: Damage is increased by 8% when above 80% HP.
• Effect Level 3: Damage is increased by 16% when above 80% HP.

Strong Will

• Effect Level 1: Decrease incoming damage by 5% when Pushed.
• Effect Level 2: Decrease incoming damage by 15% when Pushed.
• Effect Level 3: Decrease incoming damage by 30% when Pushed.

Super Charge

• Effect Level 1: Charge skills increase in casting speed by 8% with additional 4% damage.
• Effect Level 2: Charge skills increase in casting speed by 20% with additional 10% damage.
• Effect Level 3: Charge skills increase in casting speed by 40% with additional 20% damage.

Vital Point Strike

• Effect Level 1: Stagger attacks increase their effectiveness by 6%.
• Effect Level 2: Stagger attacks increase their effectiveness by 18%.
• Effect Level 3: Stagger attacks increase their effectiveness by 36%.

Negative Engravings

Attack Power Decrease

• Effect Level 1: Offensive power is decreased by 2%.
• Effect Level 2: Offensive power is decreased by 4%.
• Effect Level 3: Offensive power is decreased by 6%.

Attack Speed Decrease

• Effect Level 1: Attack Speed is decreased by 2%.
• Effect Level 2: Attack Speed is decreased by 4%.
• Effect Level 3: Attack Speed is decreased by 6%.

Defense Decrease

• Effect Level 1: Reduces Defense by 5%.
• Effect Level 2: Reduces Defense by 10%.
• Effect Level 3: Reduces Defense by 15%.

Speed Decrease

• Effect Level 1: Decreases Movement Speed by 2%.
• Effect Level 2: Decreases Movement Speed by 4%.
• Effect Level 3: Decreases Movement Speed by 6%.

Though players only have two equipment slots for Engravings, it is generally a good idea to have at least 3 activated General Engravings that can be equipped at any time. Swapping buffs and bonuses will give more flexibility to players allowing them to adjust their gameplay depending on their enemies.

Engravings will be essential to players who have reached the end-game content of the Korean ARPG. Having the right or improper bonuses will make or break the effectiveness and efficiency of Lost Ark classes in features such as Chaos Dungeon, Guardian Raid, Abyss Raid, and many more. Adventurers should understand which Engravings would best benefit their class and their playstyle.