Class Choosing Guide
Introduction
There is no best class. This is because game creators go through a process called class balancing. If there was a best class, everyone would be playing that class and there would be no need for a variety of classes. That is why game creators create an array of balanced classes: to make sure that varied playing experiences are available. Each class has its own pros and cons.
Therefore, the hard part is deciding which class fits you the best. It might be because of the massive damage, looks, or just for fun, but your class should fit your playing style. Otherwise, you'll probably become bored quickly and Maplestory won't be very much fun for you.
Class Division
Begginner | First Job Level 10 | Second Job Level 30 | Third Job Level 70 | Fourth Job Level 120 |
---|---|---|---|---|
" " | Swordman | Fighter
Page Spearman |
Crusader
White Knight Dragon Knight |
Hero
Paladin Dark Knight |
" " | Magician
(Level 8) |
Wizard (Fire/Poison)
Wizard (Ice/Lightning) Cleric |
Mage (Fire/Poison)
Mage (Ice/Lightning) Priest |
Arch Mage (Fire/Poison)
Arch Mage (Ice/Lightning) Bishop |
" " | Archer | Hunter
Crossbow Man |
Ranger
Sniper |
Bow Master
Marksman |
" " | Rogue | Assassin
Bandit |
Hermit
Chief Bandit |
Night Lord
Shadower |
" " | Pirate | Brawler
Gunslinger |
Marauder
Outlaw |
Buccaneer
Corsair Warrior
Warriors are like tanks: they can take a lot of damage, and can deal it right back. As they are melee fighters, they cannot use ranged attacks, so they are given much more health and defense to compensate. While they can later prove to be quite powerful, warriors are generally eclipsed by some classes in 1st and 2nd job (you probably aren't playing for purely that, anyway, right?). The life of a warrior requires much patience, but to those willing to tough it out, it can be a rewarding experience. There are five different types of weapons available to the warrior class: Polearms, Spears, One Handed Blunt Weapons, Two Handed Blunt Weapons,One-handed axes, Two handed Axes, One Handed Swords, and Two Handed Swords. Except in the case of Spearmen and D(r)Ks, it is highly recommended to choose one weapon type and stick with it, as the second job advancement will only offer mastery skills for two or three weapons. With one weapon skill mastered, one can maximize the amount of damage they can potentially dish out. Pros
FighterFighters are all-around Maplers, with average damage for single and multiple targets. They get effective attack skills such as Final Attack and Rage. Weapons available are fierce swords and cool-looking axes. Their damage-dealing capability is further enhanced by their advancement to Crusader, and even further to Heroes. Pros:
Cons:
PagePages focus on swords and blunt weapons, and also receive higher HP and MP than Fighters and Spearmen. With the advancement to White Knight, Pages become capable of dealing with any enemy weak to elemental attacks. Pros:
Very good at Monster Carnival PQ (as all warriors). Cons:
SpearmanSpearmen use Pole Arms and Spears. Generally, their attacking is quite slow. However, they are very good at mob control and have good party skills such as Hyper Body, which puts them in high demand for parties. They can advance towards Dragon Knighthood and further towards Dark Knighthood. Pros:
Also are good at Monster Carnival PQ (as all warriors) Cons:
Magicians
Magicians are very abundant in the MS community. You can't get very close to enemies, or stay out forever in the field, but spells like Energy Bolt and Magic Claw, as well as the protection of Magic Guard more than make up for it. They are preferred in many party quests (PQ) for the damage they are able to do. Pros:
Cons:
Notes: Magicians can "jump attack" by pressing the spell's assigned key and jump at the exact the same time. 2nd job+ mages can also "telecast", which is similar, replacing the jump key with the Teleport key. Ice strike can be used while jumping if done at the same frame. Note: Although other classes overpower in 3rd class, magicians have strong mob attacks and party skills that are liked among parties. Fire/PoisonFire/Poison wizards deal a lot of damage and can drain away at the monster's HP using poison spells. Pros:
Cons:
Ice/LightningIce/Lightning wizards can freeze their opponents and bombard them with spells that hit multiple enemies at once. Pros:
Cons:
ClericWhile Clerics don't deal as much damage as the other magicians, they do possess the unique ability to heal, which tends to have the opposite effect on the undead, and can affect up to six monsters of this type at a time. Dark creatures are also vulnerable to Holy Arrow. Although clerics are perfectly capable of soloing, they are widely acknowledged as a party class. This is especially true once they reach the third job advancement, as priests receive excellent supportive skills. Pros:
Cons:
Thief
Thieves are a very unique class in MapleStory. They can jump-attack with throwing stars and attack up close with daggers. Thieves don't have much defense, but they have high avoidability, so enemies tend to miss. They get fast attacks instead of few strong blows. Pros:
(pure luck thiefs have super high damage) Cons:
(pure luck thiefs are dexless which means that they can't use the normarl thief armors instade they use overalls like bath robes or sauna robes.) Because of the noticeable difference between the two, more cons will be placed in their respective jobs. AssassinAn Assassin (often abbreviated 'sin) is the ranged thief using throwing stars and claws. They have more stable damage than bowmen but do less damage in general than Bandits because unstable damage. With Haste, they are very fast. Pros:
Cons:
BanditA Bandits (abbreviated 'dit) is the melee dagger thief. Although they have less HP and defense than Warriors, they have high avoidability and generally fast attacking. They get a high-damage skill during the 2nd class advancement called Savage Blow. Pros:
Cons:
Bowman
Bowmen can use ranged attacks and hit VERY hard with them. Although useless at close range combat until the 3rd job with Arrow Rain or Arrow Eruption, their high ranged damage capability makes up for it. They have unstable damage at first, and jump-attacking with a bowman requires precision timing. Pros:
HunterHunters are Bowmen who use bows. Hunters attack faster, but they do less damage than Crossbowmen. They can move onward towards becoming a Ranger, and further towards to Bow Master. Pros:
Cons:
CrossbowmanCrossbowmen are Bowmen who use crossbows. Crossbowmen do higher damage at a slower attack rate. They can move on towards becoming a Sniper, and further towards Marksmanship. Pros:
Cons:
Pirates
Pirates are the newest class in MS. They have the unique ability to be range or melee players. They have the option of two types of weapons: guns (ranged) and knuckles (melee). Like with warriors, it is highly recommended to pick a weapon type and stick with it. Pirates also have a highly unique skill set. Level Power of Classes (In the Author's Opinion)Beginner: levels 1-10 (8 for magician) First Class Advancement: levels 10-20 First Class Advancement: levels 20-30 Second Class Advancement: levels 30-50 Second Class Advancement: levels 50-70
Third Class Advancement: levels 70-120
In summary, the power level rotates between classes and all classes get to be the "most powerful" at one time. Magicians tend to be early gamers, followed by assassins, then bandits, then finally warriors and bowmen. ConclusionHopefully, you have realized that there is no best class to Maple Story. All classes have their good points and bad points. Remember class-balancing and keep in mind that although one class might dominate at a certain level, at later levels your class may be stronger than they are. Do not forget that you should also allow your personality to dominate the decision on which class to choose, rather than choosing a class because many people choose it, or because it is recommended by your friends. |