Bowman/Long
- This is an article regarding Bowmen and especially Archers. For a guide for Hunters, see Hunter/Long. For a guide for Crossbowmen, see Crossbowman (Guide).
The job order for the Bowman reveals a 2-way job route. In order to advance as a Bowman, various requirements need to be fulfilled. You should take time deciding what kind of a Bowman you want to become down the road before committing to a route.
Why Become A Bowman?
Bowmen are one of the most effective ranged class in MapleStory. They can deal high amounts of damage and, in higher levels, control mobs of monsters very well and getting rid of them if they are close.
Pros
- High to very high ranged damage, mainly because of Critical Shot.
- Second Job knock-back ability that can block attacks from monsters close to you.
- Can attack from far away.
- Equipment is relatively cheap in higher levels — i.e., compared to that of other classes.
- At Second and Third Job advancements, obtaining of effective mob-controlling skills.
Cons
- Very unstable damage; this problem can be diminished by skills like Bow Mastery or Crossbow Mastery to tolerable amounts.
- High consumption of arrows, until the learning of Soul Arrow.
- Training is somewhat tedious during First Job advancement levels.
- Fairly low damage at level 20 and further, until roughly level 40.
- Arrows can't be "recharged" like thiefs.
- The most reliable arrows cost the most.
- Until Second Job Power Knock-back skill is acquired your character will "whack" monsters close to him\her with the (cross)bow instead of shooting arrows.
The First Job Advancement Procedure
Character Creation
IMPORTANT: This no longer applies to game versions higher than and including 0.50. Just create your character and use the auto-assign function to add AP. After you advance to bowman, you will have 4 INT and LUK. After that you should apply the DEX and STR formula which is mentioned below.
Create a new character and name it. Make sure your stats from the dice roll end up like this:
STR: ??
DEX: ??
INT: 4 or 5
LUK: 4 or 5
?? = Anything but usually you want your DEX to be a tad higher.
The ideal values would be 4 in INT and LUK each. Bowmen need STR to wear equipment and DEX to strengthen their damage with bows and crossbows. It is not advisable to start with high INT and LUK because these points are more worth in STR and DEX — INT raises you magic attack and defence, and LUK raises your accuracy and avoidability a little bit. DEX already increases your accuracy very much and gives enough avoidability.
Being a Beginner
Now that you have created your character, you can start exploring and doing the simple quests on Maple Island. Do not forget to talk to Roger, eat his apple and talk to him again, so that you can obtain three Red Potions. Also, make sure of doing Pio's quest and talking to him again to obtain the Relaxer. It is also advisable to do Please bring this letter to Lucas, in order to receive a hat to boost your defence a bit; and Mai's Training.
Train until level 10 hunting Snails, Blue Snails, Shrooms, Red Snails and a few Orange Mushrooms if you want and are patient; but just enough ones for completing Mai's Final Training and Bigg's Collection of Items.
Beginner Skills
A Beginner gets 1 SP each time (s)he levels-up, until level 7. You can spend these on the Beginner skills available to you. As a Bowman, there is no most useful skill, although Recovery and Nimble Feet are the most recommended ones.
Distributing Ability Points
Every time you level-up, you gain five Ability Points (AP). These can be used to improve your Abilities — STR, DEX, INT, LUK, HP, and MP. As a Bowman, you will only need STR to wear equipment and DEX to successfully attack with a (cross)bow. When you level-up, you should go to your character Stats List and organise your AP so
- if you are going to use bows, your STR is equal to
Level + 5; - if you are going to use crossbows, your STR is equal to your level.
Exemplis grata: Let us say that a bowman had 9 of STR and 7 of DEX when (s)he created his/her character. Therefore, his/her stat list would have grown this way:
Level 2: 9 STR, 12 DEX
Level 3: 9 STR, 17 DEX
Level 4: 9 STR, 22 DEX
Level 5: 9 STR, 27 DEX
Level 6: 9 STR, 32 DEX
Level 7: 9 STR, 37 DEX
Level 8: 9 STR, 42 DEX
Level 9: 9 STR, 47 DEX
Level 10: 10 STR, 51 DEX.
If (s)he had been a (Cross)Bowman, his/her stat list would have grown this way:
Level 2: 9 STR, 12 DEX
Level 3: 9 STR, 17 DEX
Level 4: 9 STR, 22 DEX
Level 5: 10 STR, 26 DEX
Level 6: 11 STR, 30 DEX
Level 7: 12 STR, 34 DEX
Level 8: 13 STR, 38 DEX
Level 9: 14 STR, 42 DEX.
Edit: Actually, if you follow the fourmula, you would have found out that the crossbowman is actually on the top (str=lvl)and the hunter would have been the bottom(str=lvl+5)
The general formula (when we finally reach Level + 5 or Level for LUK, depending on the sub-class chosen) is to put 1 AP into STR and the remaining AP into DEX, every level.
Getting to Henesys
After reaching level ten, do not level-up any further. If you level past 10 being a Beginner, you will lose at least 3 Skill Points and will not be able to get them back after advancing.
Edit : Now Maplestory has created a new patch that includes the function of gaining back skill points when you go over level 10. Eg. If you are lvl 14 and then make your job advancement, your will get 13 Skill Points when leveling up. I realised this when I went over to lvl 27, when i was hacking on my account. XD
Anyhow, head then to Southperry. Ask captain Shanks to bring you to Victoria Island, pay him the fare and you are now on Victoria Island. Congratulations!
Now hop off the boat and talk firstly with Olaf, solve the quest A Lesson on Job Advancement and make him give you the quest The Path of Bowman. Then talk to the man at the ticketing booth . Ask him to take you to Henesys. Pay him the fare and you will be in Henesys.
Looking for Athena Pierce
After you enter Henesys, you should start heading to the right until you stumble across Mushroom Park. Enter this area and keep walking to the right until you can see a large Mushroom Hut. Go into the building and climb to the top where you will find Athena Pierce, the wise Bowman. Talk to her and, as long as you are Level 10 and have 25 DEX, you will advance as an Archer, the first Job in the Bowman tree — congratulations!
Skills and SP Distribution
The following is a list of skills that Archers can learn and use.
| Icon | Name and Description | Max Level | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
 | The Blessing Of Amazon: Increases accuracy.
| 16 | — |
 | Critical Shot: Allows you to perform a critical attack with a certain success rate.
| 20 | — |
 | The Eye of Amazon: Increases the range of attack for both bows and crossbows.
| 8 | The Blessing Of Amazon level 3. |
 | Focus: Focuses to temporarily increase accuracy and avoidability.
| 20 | The Blessing Of Amazon level 3. |
 | Arrow Blow: Fires an arrow with authority. Applies more damage than usual.
| 20 | — |
 | Double Shot: Fires two arrows at once to attack an enemy twice.
| 20 | Arrow Blow level 1. |
Skills Critical Shot and The Eye Of Amazon should generally be maxed and doing so is recommended for Double Shot too. Although some users may recommend Arrow Blow for crossbows, it is very advisable to max Double Shot instead for either the bow or the crossbow, as Double Shot has twice the chances of achieving a critical hit.
Distributing SP
The following are some SP distribution guides, which should be followed considering the own preferences and financial situation.
Standard Build
This build maxes fundamental skills in an order that shall not demand too much expenditure.
Level 10: +1 to Arrow Blow
Level 11: +3 to The Blessing Of Amazon
Levels 12 and 13: +3 to The Eye Of Amazon per level
Level 14: +2 The Eye Of Amazon (now it is maxed), +1 Critical Shot
Levels 15-20: +3 Critical Shot per level
Level 21: +1 Critical Shot (maxed), +2 Double Shot
Levels 22-27: +3 Double Shot per level (maxed at lv. 27)
Levels 28-30: +3 Focus per level OR Levels 28-30: +3 The Blessing Of Amazon per level
Where to put last SP is under user's discretion.
By level 30, your skill list should be this way:
- 3 (12) The Blessing Of Amazon
- 20 Critical Shot (maxed)
- 8 The Eye Of Amazon (maxed)
- 0 (9) Focus
- 1 Arrow Blow
- 20 Double Shot (maxed)
Funded Archer's Build
This build aims to max the same skills, but in an order that shall require quite many MP potions for faster levelling.
Level 10: +1 to Arrow Blow
Level 11: +3 to The Blessing Of Amazon
Levels 12 and 13: +3 to The Eye Of Amazon per level
Level 14: +2 The Eye Of Amazon (now it is maxed), +1 Double Shot
Levels 15-20: +3 Double Shot per level
Level 21: +1 Double Shot (maxed), +2 Critical Shot
Levels 22-27: +3 Critical Shot per level (maxed at lv. 27)
Levels 28-30: +3 Focus per level OR Levels 28-30: +3 The Blessing Of Amazon per level (Edited^^)
The final results of following this build are exactly the same as following the above one.
Equipment Tips
- Further reading: Bow Progression Guide.
Most of the time there is confusion regarding acquirance of items. This section is intended to clear doubts about equipment that is worth to get.
In early levels, you shall not need to wear much armor. It is better to just remain with low level clothing that you could find whilst hunting. It is generally not necessary to buy new armour until approximately level twenty.
Once you reach Lvl 15, get the green or white leather hood, keep the pants or get archer pants and get a feather hat.
Once you reach level 20, you might buy the equipment of which you think that it looks best on you. The DEX increase of these items is minimal, so do not expect to get a great damage boost out of it — so it is OK to buy STR-increasing clothing. It is suggested to synthesize potential-Hunter's Hunter's Bow rather than buying it. For potential-Crossbowmen, it is generally not recommended to synthesize crossbows, since necessity of Screws and Steel Plates can make it costlier than buying them.
When you reach level 25, it is advisable to buy clothing only if you have quite much money and if so, to buy DEX-increasing one. Nevertheless, given weapon defence does not make a great difference. For potential-Hunters, Battle Bow can be very useful due to its faster attacking speed. Potential-Crossbowmen should buy crossbows right on level 22 and 28.
From the first time you pick up a ranged weapon till you obtain the Second Job skill Soul Arrow, do not buy arrows if possible. Instead, talk to Vicious in Henesys Market and ask him to make them for you. You can get a thousand arrows for one Processed Wood and one Stiff Feather — that means that two hours or less of hunting Stumps and Pigs can yield you a full Use inventory.
Training Areas
Those are suggestions regarding which monsters are recommended to hunt to level-up while being an Bowman.
Level 1-10
Maple Island is, for now, the best place at which it is recommended to train. Keep on hunting the huge supply of Snails, Blue Snails, Shrooms and, occasionally, Red Snails until you are level 10. Doing Maple Island quests is very recommended. Avoid fighting the Orange Mushroom until you are, approximately, level 7.
In Victoria Island, Right Around Lith Harbor also has a nice Snail spawn rate. However, there is the occasional Slime that bring you some difficulties every once in a while.
Level 10-15
Henesys Hunting Ground I and II are good places to train. Use a mêlée-weapon and take advantage of the fast Snail spawn rate on the bottom. It is a good idea to kill Orange Mushrooms and the Slimes there because they can yield you some good exp, and if your lucky you should be able to one shot them so you don't waste a lot of arrows, but if you can't then just stick with the snails down on the bottom.
The famous Slime Trees may also be a good choice. You might have a harder time killing those than you would with Snails, which could result in less experience points earned. It would be better to try a different area other than this because you can't really shoot the slimes, but if you use melee wepons more often then the bow this could be a good place for exp.
Also when you are level 13-15 you can train on hogs and ribbon hogs for when you need quick experience I suggest training in The Rain-Forest east of Henesys. That is because there are NO iron hogs that come by.
Another great spot to hunt is Mushroom Garden. Here, you can sacrifice not having a bow by using melee weapons to kill Orange Mushrooms, Shrooms, and Red Snails.
Level 15-18
Slime Trees is now probably the best place to hunt for experience. You should now equip a (cross)bow and kill Slimes with it. You can also try The Tree That Grew II.
Henesys Hunting Ground I, on the second platform. There is a nice Slime spawn here — you can stand on the hay stacks and hunt them down with great ease!
Henesys Hunting Ground II and III also have nice spawns of Slimes, Snails, Orange and Green Mushrooms, and Stumps. There are some platforms on the sides of the map on which you can stay safe and shoot the monsters from there.
Mushroom Garden is still a good spot to train, whether you have a ranged weapon or not. If there are not any hackers, you can usually have the whole map to yourself, allowing you to control better the spawn rate. Very few potions should be needed.
Level 18-20
Kerning City Construction Site has a great Orange Mushroom spawn. Travel around this map killing them as you go. If you get a few people on the map killing different monsters, the spawn rate shall be great.
Slime Trees still provide okay exp. gains. By now, you should be using your new (cross)bow and killing the Slimes in one to two hits. The Tree That Grew II and III are also good. Like the Slime Tree, they generate only Slimes or Stumps.
Henesys Hunting Grounds and Mushroom Garden are still reasonable, if not very good, places to train.
Level 20-25
Pig Beach and The Rain-Forest East of Henesys are now the best places to hunt. With your new weapon equipped and your new armour, you should be able to take down Pigs and Ribbon Pigs with ease.
Kerning City Construction Site has a nice Octopi spawn on the top of the map. You can stand on the platform by going up to it and then snipe them down, trying not to get hit.
Over the Wall near Perion is a fair option. This may not be the best choice experience-wise, but you have a chance of getting your level 35 equipment here. There are also quite a few snipe-platforms on this map. Bring a friend with you to have this map spawn at its greatest potential.
Dungeon, Southern Forest II is a good option for fighting Green Mushrooms and Slimes. There are several snipe-platforms here.
Level 25-30
Doing Party Quests in Kerning City (PQing) is a good option, now that you are level 25. You have just got your new items and you are ready to join a party! If you manage to get a good leader who gets almost always into the Party Quest most of the time, this is a must, then. If your party "misses" constantly, you can go to nearby maps and kill monsters to gain exp. for 15 to 20 minutes. It is recommended to ask your party before going ahead, because leaving without informing will make it easier to miss later. However, if on your world people do not want to invite Archers to their parties, it is more recommended to leave and hunt monsters for exp. than to lose time insisting.
Ant Tunnel I has nice Horned Mushroom spawn at the top of the map. It is not advisable to hunt Zombie Mushrooms yet, since you have little chance of one-hit-killing them. Over The Wall is still a good option.
Orbis Tower is also a very good place to train. Jr. Sentinels give great drops and money. Be sure to bring an enough amount of MP and HP potions before coming! It is advisable to go with a Cleric, but do not be afraid — Jr. Sentinels do not have much weapon attack, but they have got a lot of weapon defence and HP.
Dungeon, Southern Forest II may also still be a good option as by now you should be able to kill the Green Mushrooms quite rapidly.
Hunter Versus Crossbowman: The Second Job Advancement
This is a crucial time for your character. Choosing your second job advancement will determine the general path that your character will follow for the rest of his/her travel. Please take a look at the Pros and Cons of each advancement: the Hunter and the Crossbowman. They will help you with this staggering decision. Remember to choose wisely!
The decision is ultimately yours; however, it has been proven,by Sleepywood.net, that, eventually, the Hunter (using bows) has a better dps (damage per second) than the Sniper.
Hunter
- Main article: Hunter
Pros
- Higher attack speed than snipers and thus more mobility, useful to avoid monsters.
- Arrow Bomb has a circle-shaped blast impact range, meaning wider vertical range.
- Rangers' ability, Inferno, deals elemental damage up to six monsters at once and can deal critical damage.
Cons
- Slightly lower DEX than Crossbowmen due to higher bows' STR requirement.
- Weapons can be more expensive due to popularity (varies by server).
- Less damage than Crossbowmen.
- Arrow bomb's initial target get hit for 40%
Sniper
- Main article: Crossbowman
Pros
- Iron Arrow does more initial damage.
- Their weapons are sometimes cheaper than Hunters' ones.
- Crossbows have higher attack power.
- Sniper's ability, Blizzard, can freeze up to six monsters at once for three seconds.
Cons
- Slower attack speed than Hunters and thus less mobility.
- Sometimes and/or for some people, difficult training due to reduced mobility.
- Iron arrow cannot stun and its force is diminished as it hits monsters.
- For some people, crossbows intervening between character's body and/or face is a problem and do not like it.
Now that you have looked at the Pros and Cons, it is time to make up your mind, and to continue on your travel through MapleStory as a Bowman.