TL;DR
- Card books provide permanent stat bonuses that stack across all collections simultaneously
- Demon damage sets are priority investments since all endgame bosses are demons
- Use tracking spreadsheets to optimize XP efficiency for damage gains
- Plan for Akkan’s undead phase with separate card investments
- Card EXP is finite – maintain reserves for critical legendary upgrades
Understanding Card Books and Collections
Lost Ark’s card system represents one of the most impactful progression mechanics for character power scaling. The framework operates through two distinct card categories: equippable cards that provide active set bonuses when multiple matching cards are slotted, and collectible cards that grant permanent passive enhancements once you complete entire collections, referred to as books. This guide will demonstrate why prioritizing card book completion is essential and which specific sets to awaken for maximum damage optimization.

The collection mechanics function through awakening progression – as you enhance individual cards and complete different book sets, you accumulate substantial passive statistical improvements. What distinguishes books from equipped card sets is their simultaneous activation capability; while you can only benefit from one or two equipped set bonuses at any given time, book collections provide cumulative bonuses across all completed sets concurrently.
Essential Strategies for New Players
Before diving into advanced optimization, newcomers should establish fundamental card management practices. Most beginners lack resources to expand character slots or card inventory capacity, making strategic conservation imperative. Never discard any acquired cards, including common gray-quality ones, and avoid opening card packs prematurely. The rationale behind this approach is that eventually, book completions will provide significant passive bonuses that scale with your collection depth.
Common mistakes include wasting card experience on suboptimal sets or dismantling cards that seem unimportant initially. Many players regret early decisions when they discover certain common cards are essential for completing valuable book collections later.
Advanced Card Optimization Techniques
For experienced players, the primary focus should be demon damage-oriented book collections. Since virtually every end-game raid boss qualifies as a demon type, these bonuses provide massive damage amplification across all content. Most veterans accumulate substantial card experience reserves but struggle with allocation decisions.
Utilize specialized tracking spreadsheets that calculate which card sets deliver optimal damage returns relative to XP investment costs. These tools enable precise efficiency tracking for your card experience to damage conversion ratios. Begin by creating a personal copy of the spreadsheet to enable interactive functionality.
After establishing your tracking foundation, systematically mark completed sets. The process is straightforward: compare XP requirements for card upgrades against demon damage percentages each book provides.
For instance, to track your Moonmist Manor progress, access your in-game card collection to verify completion status, then return to the spreadsheet to update your achievements. This creates permanent progress tracking, enabling informed decisions about upgrade priorities and current collection standing.
Why Card Collections Matter for Endgame
While 1-2% damage increases may appear negligible theoretically, their practical impact becomes substantial when compared to other progression systems. Most players target 18 awakening Light of Salvation, except for classes with exceptionally high critical strike rates like Berserkers. Comparing Lostwind Cliff 18 versus Lostwind Cliff 12 reveals typically 1-2% damage differentials – modest gains that nevertheless drive extensive player investment through card farming and selection pack usage.
Book upgrades offer significantly more accessible damage amplification than pursuing 18 awakening Light of Salvation. This advantage becomes critically important in endgame scenarios where 10-15% damage improvements are virtually nonexistent; consequently, even 1-5% enhancements represent substantial power increases.
Akkan Raid Preparation: Undead Damage Planning
Advanced tracking spreadsheets include dedicated undead damage sections because Akkan undergoes demon-to-undead transformation during gate 3. Acquiring complimentary undead damage provides valuable coverage, though this content remains distant for most current players. Avoid committing card experience toward undead sets prematurely.
However, Akkan recently received a damage multiplier adjustment – he now receives 2x amplified damage based on your undead damage percentage. As you approach Akkan progression, consider allocating card experience toward undead collections since they deliver substantial damage amplification, particularly with the 2x multiplier active. Notably, total XP requirements for undead sets remain substantially lower than demon collections, which become increasingly demanding at higher awakening levels.
The strategic purpose behind undead damage preparation is eventual Akkan confrontation requirements.
Card EXP Management and Resource Conservation
Exercise caution regarding card experience expenditure. Once initiated, card XP depletion accelerates rapidly; 3 million XP seems substantial initially but proves inadequate for comprehensive upgrades. If pursuing Light of Salvation awakening, preserve sufficient reserves to complete final card enhancements. Card experience represents a finite resource that receives minimal attention until shortages emerge, and once depleted, regeneration sources remain limited.
Maintain contingency reserves to upgrade crucial legendary card sets for equipment slot utilization.
Action Checklist
- Create personal copy of card tracking spreadsheet for progress monitoring
- Inventory all cards without discarding any, including gray quality cards
- Prioritize demon damage book collections for immediate XP investment
- Maintain minimum 1.5 million card XP reserve for critical upgrades
- Begin undead damage collection planning 2-3 weeks before Akkan progression
No reproduction without permission:OnLineGames Guides » Lost Ark Guide: Why You Need to Focus on Card Books Master Lost Ark's card system to maximize damage bonuses against demons and undead bosses
