The Machinist Cyber Soldier is a technical, drone-focused build in Lost Ark. I play this on my main and I’ll tell you exactly how it works, why I pick certain stats, and where players trip up. I’ve noticed it rewards planning more than pure button-mashing.
🤖 Core idea and how it works
This build runs on two things: drones and energy. Your drones deal steady damage and control space. Your energy meter powers big skills. Think of energy like a bank account—spend it poorly and you’ll be broke during a boss phase. Keep rhythm: deploy drones, spend smart, recover when you must.
Why focus on drones? They keep you effective while you move. I’ve found players who ignore drone timing lose consistent DPS. Honestly, some people overrate pure burst; sustained pressure wins more raids.
⚙️ Key stats and concrete targets (2025)
Here are specific goals I use. These targets assume level 60 and Nightmare-level gear participation.
| Stat | Priority | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crit | Highest | 60–70% | Drives raw damage |
| Specialization | High | 1400+ | Boosts drone damage & energy efficiency |
| Swiftness | Medium | 800–1000 | Cooldowns and fluidity |
| Domination | Low | Minimal | Only after other caps |
Tip: accessory quality matters—aim for 80+ on long-term pieces. This matters because numbers scale with quality (so those little percents add up in raids).
🔧 Skill priorities and tripods
Max drone deployment early. Energy recovery and efficiency come next. You want your toolkit to support sustained windows, not just a single big hit.
- Drone Deployment — max first
- Energy Cannon — main burst
- Tactical Strike — AoE and repositioning aid
- System Override — emergency energy
- Plasma Storm — finisher
Pick tripods that lengthen drone uptime or cut energy cost. Why? Because longer drones = more unattended damage = you can react to mechanics. There are exceptions (depends on your niche), so test in practice dummies.
💎 Engravings — what I choose and why
Start with Cyber Soldier engraving at Level 3. It directly improves drones and energy rules. After that I push Keen Blunt Weapon and Hit Master for consistent scaling. Grudge? Controversial: I think it’s overrated for many players — it boosts damage but forces risky play. Save it until you know boss patterns and can handle an extra 20% damage taken (yes, that’s real and dangerous).
Also, PvP players will want different picks. Heavy defensive engravings make sense if you avoid risky play.
🎯 Rotation — simple and practiceable
Basic flow: deploy drone, buff, use burst, sustain with basics, refresh drones. Short version: control energy, don’t blow it all at once. Want an exact example?
Mechanical Enhancement → Drone Deployment → Energy Cannon → Tactical Strike → Plasma Storm → System Override (if low)Here’s the funny part: timing beats perfect sequences. A perfectly timed Energy Cannon on a boss vulnerability trumps a longer textbook rotation. Practice makes that muscle memory.
📊 Awakenings — when to press them
Two awakenings are useful depending on the scenario:
| Name | Type | Best use | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mech Suit Deployment | Sustained | Long raids | 300s |
| Orbital Strike | Burst | Short windows, PvP | 300s |
Save them for critical windows. Using an awakening on cooldown is wasteful. Depends on your team and the encounter; sometimes you hold one for a wipe-saving moment.
Practical tips, pitfalls, and a weird insight
Position drones where they’ll keep working when you kite. You’ll thank me later. Watch your energy—if you fall to 0 during a phase you’ll be dead weight.
“I found that placing drones slightly behind cover kept them alive longer in Siege content.” — me
Counterintuitive note: sometimes lowering raw crit to boost specialization raises your sustained DPS more than the single-target numbers you see on a sheet. Try it (yes, try it).
Controversial opinion: PvP balance often feels broken; Cyber Soldier can dominate at range with cheap setups. Some will disagree — that’s fine. Between us, it feels a bit unfair sometimes!
Final coaching notes
Practice in the training area, then move into Nightmare raids. This doesn’t always work on first attempts; you’ll need repetition. We found that two evenings of focused practice improved raid performance more than random grinding over a week.
To sum up (okay, a short wrap): master drones, manage energy, time your awakenings, and don’t rush Grudge. Keep tinkering—small changes yield big results. Go play and tell me what you break!
