All classes review (MapleLegends 2021)

- All Classes Review 2021 -

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As you probably know MapleLegends is vastly different from GMS after conscious efforts the staff put into making sure the game is balanced and properly fitting the meta.

I get this asked a lot, so I feel like too many people have no idea what they should put their time and effort into (especially when they're washing). I hope this post will help the confused ones more or less find their direction.

*Note:
If you're new to MapleLegends and unfamiliar with the Washing concept, there are plenty of guides all over the forums about it.

*Disclaimers:
#1 This is updated to September 2021, balance changes may always change the meta and the way certain classes are being played.
#2 I don't have a personal experience with ALL of the classes listed below, so if you feel like I missed something or got anything wrong please let me know.

Warriors​

Spoiler: Dark Knight

Dark Knight:
Dark Knights are the warriors with the highest HP/MP, they are both solid attackers and utility providers to their team.

Damage:
Dark Knights are "cleavers", which means they're supposed to hit multiple targets in order to deal the maximum damage. On 1 VS 1 they are not the greatest, but on bosses such as Horntail, Zakum arms, and Jiaoceng they can really show their potential.

Utility:
After 2nd job advancement Dark Knights (or Spearmen) get a skill called Hyper Body, this skill gives them and their party members 60% more HP and MP. This is incredibly useful in certain bosses such as Horntail, Pinkbean, Neo Tokyo bosses, and so on, making them very valuable to their party.

Washings:
After 4th job advancement Dark Knights get a skill called Berserk, the skill makes the warrior go into a Super-Sayan mode (double damage) when their HP is below 55%. Due to that any Dark Knight should have at least 18,750 HP, which makes them hit the cap HP (30,000) with their Hyper Body buff. That means that you should wash to at least 18,750 HP (which isn't hard at all as a warrior) if you want people to respect you and take you to their runs.

Pros:
- Easy to wash
- Utility providers
- Solid damage
- Great mobbers

Cons:
The fact that you got to stay under 55% HP in order to deal good damage makes you very vulnerable to bosses that can deal over 15k damage, which means you cannot allow yourself to go into a Berserk mode and risk it. So you're giving away damage for the safety of yourself and your party... which essentially makes you an HB mule.
These bosses are: Castellan Toad, Pinkbean, and Nameless (partially).

Summary:
If you're looking for a solid well-rounded class that is easy to wash and can provide their party with both damage and utility, this class is the one for you.

Spoiler: Hero

Hero:
Heroes are the heavy damage dealers of the warriors.

Damage:
Heroes are "cleavers", which means they're supposed to hit multiple targets in order to deal the maximum damage. On 1 VS 1 they are not the greatest, but on bosses such as Horntail, Zakum arms, and Jiaoceng they can really show their potential. Their damage is higher than their fellow Dark Knight brethren, but the utility they provide is very little in comparison.

Utility:
After 2nd job advancement Heroes (or Fighters) get a skill called Rage, this skill gives them and their party members +20 Weapon ATT. While this buff is great, it can easily be replaced with a Cider, so it is essentially useless for their party members.

Washings:
Technically all you need to get is 13,000 HP in order to be able to complete Neo Tokyo bosses without HB, or 15,000 HP to be able to complete Castellan Toad without HB... But you'll be a joke if those are your standards. Most Heroes wash to 30,000 HP since it isn't that hard as a warrior.

Pros:
- Considerably easy to wash
- High damage
- Great mobbers

Cons:
Heroes provide their team with little to no utility, they used to be popular on Horntail before the Weapon Cancel changes, but now they can barely hit both heads at the same time due to the changes, and since they provide no utility to their team they're not as wanted as they used to be in Horntail anymore.

Summary:
If you're looking for a solid well-rounded class that is easy to wash, yet not the greatest on the current meta... Hero is the class for you.

Spoiler: Paladin

Paladin:
Paladins are the elemental warriors who specialize in single target.

Damage:
Paladins are "single-targeters", which means they're the best when they are on a 1 VS 1. Since Paladins rely on elements their damage is depending on the mob they're fighting against. They are very strong against mobs/bosses who are weak to certain elements, which they can abuse by switching to that element. Yet they are not as great on bosses that aren't weak to elements.

Utility:
After 2nd job advancement Paladins (or Pages) get a skill called Threaten, this skill was buffed on MapleLegends and decreases monsters/bosses Weapon ATT + Weapon DEF by 200 for a certain amount of time. This is nice, but usually not worth the time casting the skill as a whole and not really something people pay attention to.

Washings:
Technically all you need to get is 13,000 HP in order to be able to complete Neo Tokyo bosses without HB, or 15,000 HP to be able to complete Castellan Toad without HB... But you'll be a joke if those are your standards. Most Paladins wash to 30,000 HP since it isn't that hard as a warrior.

Pros:
- Considerably easy to wash
- Very high damage on certain bosses
- Great mobbers

Cons:
- As stated earlier, they aren't as great on bosses that aren't weak to elements.
- Their main attack is also super boring.

Summary:
If you're looking for a unique underrated class that can easily break element-weak bosses, this is the class for you.

Magicians​

Spoiler: Bishop

Bishop:
The ultimate support class, the healers, revivers, and blessers of the party... pretty much Sage if you're playing Valorant.

Damage:
Bishops are INSANE mobbers, they can kill up to 16 mobs with 1 hit. But they are extremely weak against single target mobs/bosses.

Utility:
Bishops can heal their teammates, dispel their curses, shield them from future curses, revive them when they're dead, bless them with Holy Symbol (which gives u +50% more EXP) and so much more.

Washings:
Mages in general don't really need to wash, but you REALLY want to MP wash them and hit 30k MP, because it's SUPER EASY and SUPER EFFICIENT. After hitting 30,000 MP you can also start HP washing them for extra survivability.

Pros:
- EXTREMELY EASY to wash
- EXTREMELY good mobbers
- EXTREMELY valueable on all bosses, sometimes just for the Holy Symbol (and can be brought as mules)
- INSANE money making machines (by selling leech, or farming)
- SOLID start for any new player
- Very fast (Teleportation)

Cons:
- Not desired on certain bosses (because they can be brought as mules).
- You have to pay close attention to everything in bosses.

Summary:
If you're looking to be the backbone of any party, provide them with utility, have an easy life by leveling SUPER QUICKLY, and introducing yourself quickly to the end-game, this is your class.
(It's everybody's class, you need a Bishop mule regardless)

Spoiler: Ice/Lightning Archmage

Ice/Lightning Archmage:
Great leechers, mobbers, and sometimes even bossers (!)

Damage:
I/L Archmages are dealing A LOT of damage to mobs and has a chance of freezing them in case they didn't 1-shot them. They're also great against Lightning-weak bosses, such as the ones at Neo Tokyo... making them great bossers as well there!

Utility:
After 2nd job advancement I/L Archmages (or I/L Wizards) get a skill called Meditation which gives them and their party +20 Magic ATT... It's a nice buff to have for your fellow Bishops, but it can be easily replaced with a Wizard Elixir...

Washings:
Mages in general don't really need to wash, but you REALLY want to MP wash them and hit 30k MP, because it's SUPER EASY and SUPER EFFICIENT. After hitting 30,000 MP you can also start HP washing them for extra survivability.

Pros:
- EXTREMELY EASY to wash
- EXTREMELY good mobbers
- Valueable on Neo Tokyo bosses
- INSANE money making machines (by selling leech, or farming)
- Great class for new players
- Very fast (Teleportation)

Cons:
- Not desired on bosses that aren't weak to Lightning and Pinkbean.
- You have to pay close attention to everything in bosses.

Summary:
If you're looking for a fun class that is easy to wash and beginner-friendly, this one can be a nice choice!

Spoiler: Fire/Poison Archmage

Fire/Poison Archmage:
The best leechers, and the strongest mage class.
*Note: I'm not gonna lie, I don't know much about this class, if you do and are willing to contribute please let me know.

Damage:
F/P Archmages are the strongest mage class, they are able to 1-shot every mob the earliest, and usually the best leechers for 5-6F on Shaolin.

Utility:
After 2nd job advancement F/P Archmages (or F/P Wizards) get a skill called Meditation which gives them and their party +20 Magic ATT... It's a nice buff to have for your fellow Bishops, but it can be easily replaced with a Wizard Elixir...

Washings:
Mages in general don't really need to wash, but you REALLY want to MP wash them and hit 30k MP, because it's SUPER EASY and SUPER EFFICIENT. After hitting 30,000 MP you can also start HP washing them for extra survivability.

Pros:
- EXTREMELY EASY to wash
- The best mobbers in the game
- INSANE money making machines (by selling leech, or farming)
- The best class for leech maniacs who sold their soul to the devil (which is why they have hellish powers)
- Very fast (Teleportation)
- Extremely easy to level on 3rd job.

Cons:
- Not desired on bosses
- You have to pay close attention to everything in bosses.

Summary:
If you're looking for a fun class that can easily get you money from selling leech, I guess this is the one. Again, I'm unfamiliar with this class, there might be hidden value in it I'm not aware of.

Bowmen​

Spoiler: Bowmaster

Bowmasters:
The backbone of the attackers squad, and independent solid damage dealers.

Damage:
Bowmasters are "single-targeters" who deals solid damage to any boss on their way. They're very good and independent when it's 1 VS 1, but not the greatest against mobs.

Utility:
After 4th job advancement, Bowmasters get a skill called Sharp Eyes, which increases the Critical Damage rates to them and their party members. This buff is INCREDIBLY powerful, especially for Night Lords. A combination of a Night Lord and an Archers is pretty much the perfect match.

Washings:
Bowmasters got to wash A LOT if you want to be able to participate in content properly.
The minimum HP to be able to participate in everything is 12,000, yet it is recommended to go for at least 13,000 so you can also go for Neo Tokyo bosses without Hyper Body buff.
Washing 13,000 HP as a Bowmaster is about ~1,500,000 NX.

Pros:
- EXTREMELY desired in ANY boss (no exceptions)
- 100% Independent by all means
- Solid damage dealers
- INSANE utility providers

Cons:
- Can't mob properly
- High washing requirements
- Hard to handle against Damage Reflection (only on Dunas/Pinkbean).

Summary:
Bowmasters are one of if not the most solid class in this game, if you're looking for an independent class that can deal VERY good damage and bring utility along, this is your class by all means.

Spoiler: Marksman

Marksman:
The backbone of the attackers squad, extremely powerful late-game, and solid end-game.

Damage:
Marksmen are "single-targeters" who deals solid damage to any boss on their way. They're very great on 1 VS 1, but not the greatest against mobs. They are extremely powerful after they maximize their Snipe skill on the 4th job, but in the end-game, they're slightly weaker than their fellow Bowmasters brethren.

Utility:
- After 4th job advancement, Marksmen get a skill called Sharp Eyes, which increases the Critical Damage rates to them and their party members. This buff is INCREDIBLY powerful, especially for Night Lords. A combination of a Night Lord and an Archers is pretty much the perfect match.
- After 4th job advancement, Marksmen get a skill called Blind, which decreases the accuracy of mobs (and bosses in MapleLegends) by 30%, which is VERY useful on bosses like Horntail.


Washings:
Marksmen got to wash A LOT if you want to be able to participate in content properly.
The minimum HP to be able to participate in everything is 12,000, yet it is recommended to go for at least 13,000 so you can also go for Neo Tokyo bosses without Hyper Body buff.
Washing 13,000 HP as a Marksman is about ~1,500,000 NX.

Pros:
- EXTREMELY desired in ANY boss (no exceptions)
- EXTREMELY strong on late-game
- Solid damage dealers on end-game
- INSANE utility providers

Cons:
- Can't mob properly
- High washing requirements
- Speed Infusion buff is required in order to reach their full potential.

Summary:
Marksmen are a great option, they bring a lot of value to the table and they have a very unique playstyle.

Thieves​

Spoiler: Night Lord

Night Lords:
Needy Lor...*cough* I mean Night Lords... the ultimate bossers, the strongest class in the game... that can't do shit without depending on others...

Damage:
Night Lords are the 1 VS 1 kings, they are dealing the most damage on the field (rather on paper)... but that is true only if they have Sharp Eyes buff active, without the buff they're just useless. Now their mobbing ability is even WORSE, they simply can't mob.

Utility:
- After 2nd job advancement, Night Lords (or Assassins) get a skill called Haste which increases the Speed and Jump to everyone in their party, which is nice and actually useful for bossing.
- After 3rd job advancement, Night Lords (or Hermits) get a skill called Meso Up which increases the mesos drop rate to everyone in their party by +50%, which is very valuable for mages... if you're a pure Meso Up mule...

Washings:
Night Lords got to wash A LOT if you want to be able to participate in content properly.
The minimum HP to be able to participate in everything is 12,000, yet it is recommended to go for at least 13,000 so you can also go for Neo Tokyo bosses without Hyper Body buff.
Washing 13,000 HP as a Night Lord is about ~1,500,000 NX.

Pros:
- EXTREMELY desired in ANY boss (no exceptions)
- The strongest class in the game (in most bosses)... as long as they have Sharp Eyes buff active...
- The fastest class in the game (Flashjump)
- Barely gets touched due to high avoidability + Shadow Shifter skill.

Cons:
- Can't mob AT ALL
- High washing requirements
- Sharp Eyes buff is required in order to NOT be absolutely useless
- Arguably the hardest class to level in this game

Summary:
This class is good for people who want to carry their party and white everything... in exchange for having a hard life.

Spoiler: Shadower

Shadowers:
The independent thief, the jack of all trades that is harder to get rid of than cockroaches.

Damage:
Shadowers can both Cleave and Single target, that means they're prepared for any situation. Their single target damage is mediocre while their multi-target is weak against 3 mobs, but strong against 4 mobs. That means they're great against bosses where they can hit 4 parts (aka Horntail, and Zakum Arms).

Utility:
- After 2nd job advancement, Shadowers (or Bandits) get a skill called Haste which increases the Speed and Jump to everyone in their party, which is nice and actually useful for bossing.
- After 4rd job advancement, Shadowers get a skill called Smokescreen which makes everyone in their party invulnerable while standing in it, one of the best utility skills in the game.

Washings:
Shadowers don't need to wash as much as they have a skill called Meso Guard which halves the damage they recieve. That means they only need 6,500 HP in order to tank Hyper Body less Neo Tokyo, or 7,500 HP in order to Toad without Hyper Body. My suggestion is to go for at least 9,000 HP on this character if you want to be truly solid.

Pros:
- EXTREMELY desired in Horntail
- Independent, can do anything on its own
- Very fast (Haste + Assault)
- Barely gets touched due to high avoidability + Shadow Shifter skill + Boomerang Step iFrames.
- Super easy to level on grinding
- Amazing at farming items, especially from low level mobs due to their Taunt skill which increases the EXP/Drop rate by +40%.
- Easy to wash
- Pickpocket (3rd job skill) can get you a lot of money in the long run.
- Extremely easy to level on 3rd job.

Cons:
- Jack of all trades, it's good at everything, but never the best.

Summary:
This class is amazing for everyone, it's fun and kind of beginner-friendly.

Pirates​

Spoiler: Corsair

Corsairs:
The overpowered maniacs on certain bosses while crappy on others

Damage:
Corsairs have the highest damage on paper, yes even more than Night Lords. But that's only true when they're on their ship. Now their ship can break after taking enough damage, that means that they're incredibly strong on bosses that don't deal a lot of damage, such as CWKPQ, Krexel, BGA, Anego, Bigfoot, Kacchuu, etc... But on bosses that deal 1/1 more frequently or generally deal more damage, such as Horntail, Zakum, Pinkbean, etc... they aren't as great.

Utility:
Ugh... no utility...

Washings:
Corsairs got to wash A LOT if you want to be able to participate in content properly.
The minimum HP to be able to participate in everything is 12,000, yet it is recommended to go for at least 13,000 so you can also go for Neo Tokyo bosses without Hyper Body buff.
Washing 13,000 HP as a Corsairs is about ~2,000,000 NX.

Pros:
- EXTREMELY strong on odd bosses, such as CWKPQ, Krexel, BGA, Nameless
- Desired in most bosses
- 2nd fastest class in this game (Recoil Shot + Wings)

Cons:
- Not desired on Horntail and other hard-hitting bosses unless the player is really skilled at playing the class.
- Hard to wash
- Providing no utility at all

Summary:
This class is kind of unbalanced due to the fact that it's extremely overpowered in certain places while extremely opposite on others. It fits people who wanna focus on small-groups bosses such as BGA, Krexel, Bigfoot, Anego, Kacchuu etc...

Spoiler: Buccaneer

Buccaneer:
Solid attackers; great as a single-targeter, okay as cleavers. Amazing utility providers.

Damage:
Buccaneers damage is not as high as other single target focused classes, but it is still very solid. This class can both deal with Single target, and multitarget, which makes them flexible.

Utility:
- After 4th job advancement Buccaneers get a skill called Speed Infusion, which increases the attack speed to their party by +2, which is actually very useful for all Warriors, Marksmen, and Corsairs.
- After 4th job advancement, Buccaneers get a skill called Time Leap, which resets the cooldown of all of the skills for them and their party members, this is useful especially for Resurrection cooldown (Bishop skill), and Echo cooldown (Level 200 buff).

Washings:
The minimum HP to be able to participate in everything is 12,000, yet it is recommended to go for at least 13,000 so you can also go for Neo Tokyo bosses without Hyper Body buff.
15,000 HP will allow you to go for Castellan Toad without Hyper Body buff. But since it's fairly easy to wash Buccaneers, the standard is somewhere around 19,000 HP, so you can have 30,000 HP with Hyper Body, and tank most bosses without Hyper Body.

Pros:
- Flexible, can both Single and Cleave
- Desired in most bosses
- Fairly easy to wash

Cons:
Honestly, I can't find notable ones.

Summary:
Solid class for everyone who wishes to both be very useful and deal a fair amount of damage. Fairly easy to wash and perhaps one of the more solid classes in this game.

Special Thanks:
Special thanks to kalash Gurk Selquin for providing additional information and helping to deliver you the most accurate information.

 

Sounds good, thanks I missed the paladin thingy lol!
I mean yeah they are wanted, but not as much as they used to be, maybe I should reword it.

 

Thank you for your notes, added it up.

 

It is ideal for ranged, not for melee classes, though.

 

As a Night Lord level 182, I totally disagree with your hierarchy.
Every class has its own upsides and downsides, yes Night Lords are dealing the most damage on the mainstream bosses, but they suffer from great drawbacks such as being unable to mob and being the hardest class in the game to level. Not to mention dependency on Sharp Eyes.

Each class in this game has its own specific role. Now yes, if damage is the only factor you're considering when you're rating the classes, then yes Night Lords will usually take the cake. But not all classes are meant to deal heavy damage, some of them are meant to fulfill other purposes which don't necessarily make them bad.

Now if you really want me to shout my opinion of which classes are the best, here it is:
#1 Bowmaster: Their damage isn't falling too far from NLs and they're 100% independent, and usually the top wanted class in all bosses.

#2 Buccaneer: A well-rounded class that can deal solid single-target damage and cleave to some extent when necessary. Easy to wash and providing a lot of utility to their party with absolutely no drawbacks.

#3 Night Lord: Yeah, they're needy and always depending on others, but they are fun to play, easy, fast, forgiving when you fuck up on bosses (avoid+shifter), low pot costs.

#4 Marksman: Extremely high damage on late-game, and solid damage on the end game (while still staying better than their Bowmaster brethren on Pinkbean). They provide their party with Sharp Eyes which makes them extremely wanted, and overall in a very healthy spot at the moment.

 

1. The numbers are actually fairly accurate, I know the approximate numbers because I'm past halfway to wash every single class (and sub-class) in this game to over than 30k HP. Though the costs may vary depending on the way you're washing and your gear. Regarding the Corsair NX costs, yes, I have methodically copy-pasted the sections and simply changed the information, so yes, it's my bad that I forgot to change the numbers on the Corsair.

2. The post is organized in a way where you can simply open the tab of the class you want to read about and read it separately without having to go through other stuff that isn't directly related to that specific class.

3. This isn't a guide, the title clearly states it's an overview. This overview is supposed to get you interested in the class that will more or less fit your needs (which means you'll have to search guides on that class if you actually go for it).

4. There's a set template that I follow, some classes share the exact same attributes as others, so I see no reason to reword it. Also removing the spoilers and simply writing things somewhere just once and stating it applies for classes X and Y will force people to read through the whole overview rather than simply picking the specific classes they want to read about.

This overview is simply meant to give people a fairly accurate picture of what they're getting into once they pick a certain class.
I chose to build the thread in the structure it is because I appreciate my time while still trying to contribute to the community, so I don't really appreciate it when you say it's bad.

Thank you for your notes. Specifying how fast you can level on 3rd job is actually quite important because it's a part of how fast you'll become 4th job (as some people are less patient than others).
Some of the cons/pros you're stating are actually in the overview already, but emphasizing some of them the way you did wouldn't harm.

I also disagree with some of your statements, but I'm still happy that you brought it up...
1. your statement about Bishops and bossing, it is a con. Because you will NOT get to such bosses as CWKPQ/Krexel/Toad/BGA etc.. nobody will take you there on your Bishop. People simply take them as mules, so technically it is a con, but a pro (that you have this class as a tool) if it isn't your main character.
But on the other hand, I have stated on the pros that you'll be very desired in the mainstream bosses (Zak/HT/PB)

2. I agree the Night Lords tend to be a lot more expensive than other jobs, but 25 base dex isn't a realistic goal for most people (when they don't have the event rings), especially when you're planning on getting an NT Claw or a Lampion. Now the base DEX actually isn't THAT harmful as long as you keep it below 50. Every 1 LUK equals to 5~6 on your range. That means having a base DEX of 40 is a loss of ~83 range, which is equal to ~2 attack or less on the end-game. A loss of 83 range isn't what makes the whole difference to be frank.
- Also, MTKs aren't really solving the inventory space issue, but it's making things better! especially now when SC is buffed.

3. Shadowers having a third stat is actually giving them a BIG advantage! they benefit A LOT more from All-Stats equips! HTP, Tier10, Event Rings, Ravana Helmets, Elemental Pierce etc...