In Lost Ark, there’s a wide array of customization options for players from class to how you behave in battle. One of the biggest examples of this is the Stronghold. If you’re curious about how to best utilize your island Stronghold in Lost Ark, our guide should help you take full advantage of your home space.

Stronghold Guide for Lost Ark

In Lost Ark, your Stronghold is your ultimate home and crafting space. In short, it’s a base of operations.

You don’t get it right away, and when you do, it’s not even at its full potential. Instead, you have to work at it throughout the game.

Here’s everything you need to know about your island Stronghold home space to help guide you through an important feature in the game.

How to Unlock Your Stronghold in Lost Ark

Even though your Stronghold is important, it’s not automatically available as soon as you start the game. Instead, you have to unlock it at around level 25 or level 26. So, just play through the game following the main storyline quests. Eventually, you will reach the “Eadalin’s Gift” quest found in North Vern. Following that, you meet the King in “Secretary Theo’s Invitation” and unlock the complete estate.

Once that quest is completed, you will then unlock the Song of Hearth and Home item to fast-travel back to the island as needed.

Managing the Stronghold

In Lost Ark, there is much you can do with your Stronghold. Let’s start with the facilities listed below:

  • Crafting Workshop
  • Lab
  • Manor
  • Station
  • Training Zone

Crafting Workshop

As the name of this facility implies, you’ll craft useful items in the Crafting Workshop. This includes Battle Items and Life Skill Tools. You’ll need Crafting Recipes to make your materials, however.

In the beginning, you only have one Crafting Project at the start. You can upgrade your workshop though to unlock more recipes and crafting slots.

Lab

In Lost Ark, the Lab is one of the most vital facilities in the island Stronghold home space. All of your research is done here, and although it can take hours, it’s worth it in the end. Plus, you can unlock new features for your Stronghold with the Lab.

Manor

At this massive building, you can build support structures to serve as passive buffs. This can be things like lessening the time it takes to craft items or giving you an energy bonus. Through the Manor menu, you can decide what passives you want going on at the time.

Additionally, you can use the Outfit tab to display outfits that also grant passive bonuses.

Station

The Station facility in the island Stronghold is where you focus on your crew and pets. You’ll have to unlock a ship, and when you do, you can send members off on Normal and Special Missions. With the Special Missions, you can complete endgame content and net bigger rewards.

Training Zone

In the Training Zone, you can passively level up your alt characters. However, the characters have to be at level 50 to access the zone. Alongside that, you can only train the alt characters that sit at one level below the character with the highest level.

Lost Ark Stronghold Trade Merchants

Besides the facilities, your island Stronghold in Lost Ark will also have trade merchants visiting. These NPCs will sell a host of goods. The merchants can change once the server refreshes. Also, for them to show up, you must sign a contract with them in the Lab.

Knowledge Transfer

While at your Stronghold, you can also use the Knowledge Transfer feature to skip out on some grinding. This will help you level up your alts to the level of your main character by simply spending some gold.

Lost Ark: Which Classes Are Gender-Locked?

Lost Ark Stronghold Tips

Here are a few useful tips about quickly accessing certain things in your island Stronghold home space in Lost Ark:

  • Press the [F2] key to reach your song menu and find the fast travel option for instant transportation to the island.
  • Tap [Ctrl+1] to get to the island management menu to access all the important features in the base.
  • Press [Ctrl+2] so that you can decorate your estate.
  • Increase your Stronghold’s level via missions, weekly quests, and research.

Lost Ark is available on PC via Steam.