Lost Ark Deadeye T4 Build — Enhanced Weapon vs Pistoleer

Deadeye is the three-weapon Gunner: shotgun for close-range burst, handgun for mobility and utility, rifle for picking at range. The identity works through stance swaps — Enhanced Weapon gets a damage buff for the next three skills after each swap, plus built-in crit rate and crit damage. It’s the highest-ceiling Gunner and also the least forgiving.

Role in the party

Melee-range burst DPS with a counter (Enforce Execution), synergies (AT02 Grenade, Spiral Tracker for Weakness Exposure), and enormous back-attack damage. You are squishy and positional — a Deadeye who can’t find the boss’s back does a fraction of his potential damage.

The two T4 routes

• Enhanced Weapon — the meta route. All three stances stay open, but shotgun skills carry most of your damage. You swap stances on a rhythm to keep the swap buff rolling, circle behind the boss, and dump shotgun skills (Shotgun Rapid Fire, Judgment Day, Shotgun Dominator, Doom Shot) at close range. Higher ceiling, higher investment.
• Pistoleer — handgun only. Shotgun and rifle are disabled, but you get a highly mobile, stylish, consistent playstyle with handgun damage buffs and a movement skill that stacks. Easier to execute, lower ceiling, and a great first Deadeye build while you learn.

Ark Passive direction

• Evolution: Specialization and Crit for Enhanced Weapon (shotgun skills scale with it), Crit and Swiftness for Pistoleer.
• Enlightenment: Tactical Bullet is the Enhanced Weapon keystone (swap buff), Pistoleer the handgun keystone — then their respective branches. Ammo Supplement, Precision Shot Training, and Strategic Garb deepen the shotgun route; Handgun Enhancement and Secret Weapon deepen the pistol route.
• Leap: nodes that enhance Quick Fire or your main spenders depending on route.

Engravings, gems, and gear

Enhanced Weapon commonly runs Grudge, Raid Captain, Cursed Doll, Ambush Master, and Adrenaline or Preemptive Strike; Pistoleer leans Grudge, Adrenaline, Keen Blunt Weapon, and Precise Dagger. Gems go on your top damage skills first, then cooldown. See gear honing T4, engravings, and Ark Grid for the full picture.

Core loop

Swap stances after every three skills to keep the buff, spend shotgun skills behind the boss, use handgun skills to reposition and rebuild gauge, and keep the counter and synergies on cooldown. Bursting Flare (Awakening) is your damage option; Clay Bombardment casts faster.

New player friendliness

Low to medium. Pistoleer is a fine entry point, but Enhanced Weapon demands back-attack uptime and precise stance rhythm. Don’t bring a half-built Deadeye to Nightmare content and expect to parse.

How this differs from our other Gunner guides

Unlike Artillerist (rooted turret) or Sharpshooter (safe ranged), Deadeye actively wants to be in melee range behind the boss. If that sentence excites you, welcome to the class.

More reading: classes overview · gems · troubleshooting your DPS? start with engravings