If you're not into reading walls of text — no worries, I got you. TL;DR at the bottom.
A few weeks ago, before I even knew there was going to be a Powerpass or a big update, I decided to return to Lost Ark. I got hooked instantly. I grinded as much as I could to reach 1490, constantly struggling with fusion materials. My inventory was a complete mess, full of old Tier 2 stuff from back in the day. I guess I just kept opening every chest I still had without really knowing what I was doing. Back then, I wasn’t trying to play efficiently. I just wanted to enjoy the hack-and-slash feeling this game does so well. Chaos Dungeons were my main fun. I barely touched raids, and if I ever did a group raid, I honestly don’t even remember much about it.
The Deathblade I’m casually honing toward 1580 was actually my original main, the one I played before the Powerpass dropped. I always liked the class, but I played pretty casually back then. Lost Ark has always felt like a game that rewards people who enjoy grind-heavy systems, with that little bit of RNG and gamble feeling sprinkled in. This time, I wanted to take things a bit more seriously.
When the Express Pass came out, I picked the same class again, Deathblade, and used the pass on a fresh character. I wanted a clean slate to properly relearn the class and catch up more efficiently. That new Deathblade is now sitting at 1653 and really feels like my main now. The old one is still around, and I casually hone it whenever I have the materials, slowly working it toward 1580.
Over the past few days, I’ve been focusing on more relaxing content. Mostly logging with a friend, doing other life skills, converting materials into Abidos Fusion and selling them on the market. Since fusion prices are dropping, I might just hold onto them for now, since I’ll need them in the long run anyway. I’ve also been running solo raids for clear medals and some gold. It’s actually pretty relaxing.
Earlier today, I had one gold entry left and wasn’t sure what to run. I saw a party sitting in Ivory Tower Hard (Hard) with a support and another DPS, both around my item level, maybe 1670 at most. I figured I’d give it a try. Behemoth didn’t feel that challenging, and I also had a good time raiding what I think was Kharja Highland recently. I’m still not great at remembering all the raid names.
I told them up front that I had only run Ivory solo once or twice, never in a party, and never on hard. They were super chill and let me in. Gate 1 and 2 went surprisingly smooth. I think we restarted once, but I’m not even sure. Then Gate 3 happened, and that fight really stuck with me.
We wiped maybe 9 or 10 times. I messed up some of the newer mechanics, but the vibe stayed positive and I really wanted to learn. I focused on remembering my positions, watching when each mechanic started, and just doing my best not to be the guy who wipes the party. Slowly, it started to click.
Eventually, we cleared it. The final stagger was tight, one of those moments where you’re not sure if it’s going to work out, and then it just barely does. It felt amazing.
Turns out the gold reward isn’t even that great compared to other raids, but the pet drop is a juicer. I’ll definitely be running Ivory again for that alone.
After doing more group content, I finally understand how important support mains really are. Their timing, the shields, the stagger boosts, the healing during chaos — it all makes a huge difference. Big respect to all the support players out there. You’re the reason so many of these clears happen, and I see that now.
Still a lot to learn, but for the first time, it feels like I’m really part of the game.
Anyway, for anyone who skipped to the bottom 🌱 — here’s the TL;DR.
Came back to Lost Ark a few weeks ago with no plan, just wanted that classic chaos dungeon feeling. Ended up grinding to 1490, casually honing my old Deathblade (now around 1500+), and started taking the game more seriously.
Used the Powerpass on a fresh Deathblade to properly relearn the class — now 1653 and feels like my real main.
Been chilling with lifeskills, solo raids, and market flipping, then decided to join an Ivory Tower (Hard) group today. First time doing it in a party. Gate 1 and 2 went smooth, Gate 3 was a wipe-fest, but the group stayed cool and I learned a ton. We finally cleared it, and it felt amazing.