Choosing the Right Class

I am not going to update this any further due to lack of interest in the game and thread. Sorry.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT CLASS
A COMMUNITY GUIDE


CHOOSING THE CLASS
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Step 1: Find out what class describes you.
What class do you like? You don't know? Well, what type of combat do you like? Not sure? Well, find something that describes yourself. Are you the type to gather big trains of monsters? Do you like sniping enemies from afar? Are you the leader type? Do you like the idea of being agile? How about slow but painful hits? Do you enjoy helping your party by using buffs? Think about what you enjoy doing in a game for not just your party members, but for yourself as well.

Step 2: Research.
Now that you have an idea of what you'd like to play, do the research on that class. Look up videos on YouTube. Look at the skill descriptions in HiddenStreet. Ask your friends if they had experience with the class.

Step 3: Test the class out.
Make your character and test it out. There's one thing about games like MapleStory, and that's the grinding pace. Sometimes it can truly feel dreadful, especially with a class you don't even enjoy. If you don't like the class, but it does big damage, drop it. Don't worry about being poor or weak. Any class can gain money and strength. Find out what you enjoy and have fun in this server. MapleStory isn't about the grind, it's about the community. Without that, it'd be a terrible game to play. Why else do you think small servers shut down so quick?
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WARRIOR
Warriors deliver attacks with raw strength. Warriors have the highest base HP and the lowest base MP of any class in MapleLegends. Warriors are a class that can wield the widest variety of weapons in the game; swords, shields, axes, and spears, pole arms, and maces. The Warrior class branches off into 3 directions, depending on what weapon categories they choose to specialize in.
Requirements: 35 STR, Level 10. Job NPC located on top of Perion.

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HERO
The Hero is the first Warrior subclass. They are amazing speed, HP, and damage. They use Combo Attack to increase their damage, and Brandish as the bread and butter. People will always like a Hero in their party due to the damage they give. The Hero uses the sword, axe and/or shield.
Notable Skills: Advanced Combo Attack, Brandish, Rush, Power Stance
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Pros

• Capable of reaching high damage with ease
• Does not require HP washing
  
• The fastest and strongest Warrior branch
• Amazing attack range from their 4th job skill Brandish

Cons

• Wastes many potions in first job
• Lack of a class kit
  
• The only Warrior class that doesn't have an area of effect skill like Sacrifice/Heaven's Hammer

PALADIN
Paladins are the second choice to a Warrior's second job. They have great defense and health. One thing that makes Pallies stand out is their elemental buffs. They use four elements to buff themsleves with; Fire, Ice, Thunder, and Holy. None of which stack as of v62. Paladins use swords, maces, and/or shields.
Notable Skills: Fire/Ice/Thunder/Holy Charge, Advanced Charge Blow, Blast, Rush, Power Stance
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Pros

• High defense
• One of, if not, the best Bigfoot killers
  
• Does not rely on washing
• Elemental damage
• Can compete with Hero in DPM
  
• Blunt weapons and scrolls are very cheap

Cons

• Damage cap
  
• Wastes many potions in first job
  
• Relies on elemental damage for best damage
• Very short ranged attacks
• Only truly shine at 4th job

DARK KNIGHT
Dark Knights are the third job choice as a Warrior. They are a tanky class that uses HP to use specific skills. They are well known due to their buff Hyper Body. Dark Knights have the most HP out of all classes when buffed with Hyper Body. Another thing great about Dark Knight is Berserk, a skill that gives you a huge attack increase when at a specific percentage of HP. The Dark Knight uses a spear and/or polearm.
Notable Skills: Berserk, Hyber Body, Rush, Spear/Pole Arm Crusher, Dragon Roar, Beholder
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Pros

• Is needed in parties all the time due to their buff Hyper Body
• Decent damage
  
• Gets an AoE skill earlier than Paladin
• AoE has no cooldown(?)
• High survivability

Cons

• Slow/sluggish until 4th job (Rush + Mount)
  
• Wastes many potions in first job
  
• Relies on HP washing to use Berserk efficiently

MAGICIAN
A Mage is a spellcaster that has high burst damage, with or without fundings. Mages have the highest MP in MapleStory, and are the only ones who use ranged spells in the game. This class is beginner friendly and requires little to no funds to be useful. Mages split into three different classes, two of which hold 2 elements, while the other holds one element: Fire/Poison, Ice/Lightning, and Bishop.
Requirements: 20 INT, level 8. Job NPC located on top of Ellinia.

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BISHOP
Bishop is the first choice as a Magician. Their choice on element is Holy. This class has an easy time with grinding, as most popular grinding maps are filled with Undead-type enemies. Bishops are also always needed in parties due to your buff Holy Symbol, which increases EXP gain.
Notable Skills: Heal, Holy Symbol, Resurrection, Mystic Door, Dispell, Genesis

Pros

• An absolute must have in parties due to their buffs (unless it's a one-class boss run)
• Has Holy Symbol, a buff that increases EXP gain
• Huge spammable AoEs
• Makes easy money by selling leech
• Easy to farm with

Cons

• Ridiculously boring for most players
• Hold one button in one spot for grinding endgame
• Can cost a fortune just to one-hit monsters

ICE/LIGHTNING
Ice/Lightning Mage is the second Mage branch who choose the elemental paths Ice and Lightning. Ice/Lightning is known well for its mobbing ability. They are also well known for their special debuff Freeze. This class is a great choice if you enjoy doing big numbers by using mobbing/AoE spells.
Notable Skills: Chain Lightning, Blizzard, Ifrit

Pros

• The strongest 2-elemental Mage
• Huge spammable AoEs
  
• Has an easy time finding grinding spots
• Easy to farm with
• Has a summon to help with nearby enemies

Cons

• Has a hard time bossing
• Very limited at grinding in areas end-game
• Best EXP requires you to sit and hold one button

FIRE/POISON
Fire/Poison Mage is the last choice as a Magician. They choose two other elements; Fire and Poison. A Fire/Poison Mage may struggle at first, but have a great big payoff during 3rd job due to their DoT skill Poison Mist and flashy skill Explosion.
Notable Skills: Meteor, Paralyze, Elquines, Poison Mist

Pros

• Has the easiest time during 3rd job due to Poison Mist
• Very flexible grinding spots with Poison Mist
• Huge spammable AoE
  
• The only Mage who can do DoT (damage overtime)
• Has a decent time trying to find training spots end-game

Cons

• Has a hard time bossing
• Has the hardest time during 2nd job compared to all classes
• Best EXP requires you to sit and hold one button

ARCHER
Shooting from the sky and the earth comes the Archer. They use long-range attacks and are capable dealing splash damage to a mob. They also have the highest accuracy, granting them the advantage to fight almost anything early on in the game. The Archer splits up into two weapon categories, Bow and Crossbow. Bowmaster is the master of the bow, while the Marksman uses the crossbow.
Requirements: 25 DEX, level 10. Job NPC is at the Henesys Park inside the tree hut on the far right.
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BOWMASTER
The Bowmaster is the Archer branch who masters the way of the bow and arrow. Using straw puppets as a distraction and birds as a fighting partner, they are great for doing great amounts of DPM due to their speed. Hurricane allows you to spam an infinite amount of arrows for a period of time. Not only that, people are always looking for Bowmasters in parties due to their buff Sharp Eyes, which increases critical chance and critical damage.
Notable Skills: Hurricane, Sharp Eyes, Bow Expert, Phoenix, Puppet

Pros

• One of the top three in damage
• Highest accuracy in the game
• Faster than Marksman overall
• Has the most stable damage during 4th job
• Has an easy time finding parties due to their damage and buff, Sharp Eyes
• Has a high advantage in 2nd job due to Stun, high splash and mob rate
• Can knock back enemies far away, unlike Assassins and Gunslingers

Cons

• Weaker than MM until 4th job(?)
  
• Forced to stay on the ground
• Does not benefit from SI
• Holds one button; can lose DPM potential when hit

MARKSMAN
The Marksman is the Archer who chooses the Crossbow route. Marksmen are known to deal big numbers while sacrificing attack speed. Not only do Bowmasters have Sharp Eyes, but Marksmen do as well. While Bowmaster and Marskman have very similar skills, the Marksman has Snipe, which does an insane amount of damage with a cooldown. They are also known to be stuck with their 3rd job attack Strafe for 4th job.
Notable Skills: Sharp Eyes, Snipe, Strafe, Puppet, Piercing Arrow, Marksman Boost, Frost Prey

Pros

• Bigger damage burst due to Snipe
• Highest accuracy in the game
  
• Very stable DPS
  
• Sharp Eyes makes it easy to find a party
  
• High ranged attacks
• Can Freeze enemies during 3rd and 4th job
• Better damage than Bowman during 2nd job, but less mob rate
• Can knock back enemies far away, unlike Assassins and Gunslingers

Cons

• Slow
• Hard to grind endgame
• Bad vertical range until 3rd
  
• Forced to stay on the ground for skills

THIEF
The Thief is a speedy character. You often find the Thief hiding around Kerning City and Ludi PQ. They are almost always needed due to their skill Dark Sight and Haste. They suffer from low HP, but a decent sized MP pool. By 2nd job, you're forced to use two type of weapons: Daggers and Claws. Dagger is used by a Shadower, while a Claw is used to throw throwing stars at a high range.
Requirements: 25 DEX, level 10. Job NPC is located inside the Jazz Bar under the floorboard inside the bathroom.
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SHADOWER
The Shadower is the master of the shadows. Using a dagger and shield, they provide move speed for parties (Haste) and Smokescreen for safety purposes. Their well-known skill, Meso Explosion, is an amazing skill to use for huge damage. When the Shadower runs out of meso, (s)he hides in the shadows and uses Assassinate. Shadowers is one of the two classes that can abuse invincibility frames with Boomerang Step.
Notable Skills: Smokescreen, Assassinate, Boomerang Step, Haste, Shadow Shifter, Meso Explosion, Meso Guard

Pros

• Very flashy and fun to use
• Can have an easy time at 3rd job if they have meso
• One of the only classes that can boss early on
• Has the ability to abuse i-frames
• Wanted in boss parties (smokescreen, haste)
• Has the highest avoid in the game

Cons

• Meso Explosion, your best damage dealing skill, relies on meso
• Assassination requires you to be hidden
• No mobbing until 3rd job

NIGHT LORD
The Night Lord is the Thief who chooses the life of throwing stars. This class is ridiculously fast and strong, but suffers from low HP and defense. But that does not stop them from being wanted in parties all the time. Their buff Shadow Partner has the Night Lord to have their shadow mimic them, doing another line of damage. Night Lords are also the only class who can double jump (besides Corsair somewhat due to Recoil Shot).
Notable Skills: Flash Jump, Haste, Triple Throw, Shadow Shift, Drain, Shadow Star, Alchemist, Shadow Partner, Avenger

Pros

• Has potential to be the best DPM in MapleStory
• High range
• Very agile/flexible
• Can save potions by using Drain
• Attack potions last longer with Alchemy skill
• Very high avoid and accuracy

Cons

• Relies on Sharp Eyes and HB (w/o HP wash)
  
• A lot of funding
  
• Can be a slow grind until 3rd/4th job
• Low HP

PIRATE
Pirates are the punchers and gunners of MapleStory who can either be one of the best party buffers with decent damage or the best damage output in the whole game. This specific class stands out to them all due to their mechanics and fluid play-style. The Pirate splits into two classes depending on your weapon: Buccaneer or Corsair.
Requirements: 20 DEX, level 10. Job NPC is located at the top floor of Nautilus Base in the far left portal.
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BUCCANEER
Buccaneers are the masters of the fist. Buccaneer is a fast and agile class that uses their fists and bare legs as weapons. Buccaneers also have a decent HP pool. Using energy as an advantage, they throw energy orbs and blast their enemies with a huge ball of aura. Buccaneers have three great buffs; Speed Infusion, Time Leap, and Super Transformation. Speed Infusion makes the party's attack speed go up. Time Leap restarts all cool downs in parties. Super Transformation allows Buccaneer to go Super Saiyan mode, throwing all types of new movesets at the user.
Notable Skills: Corkscrew Blow, Backspin Blow, Barrage, Demolition, Energy Orb, Energy Blast, Dragon Strike, Super Transformation, Speed Infusion, Time Leap

Pros

• One of the only two classes that has invincibility frames
• Big damage burst
• Has Speed Infusion and Time Leap, making party finding very easy
• Hadokens + Super Saiyan
• Amazing attack range with Dragon Strike
• The earliest class to get a Rush skill (2nd job)

Cons

• Suffers in DPM output due to cooldowns and skill chaining
• Can only crit (without SE) when a mob is stunned
• Can be hard to land your i-frames for bosses such as Bigfoot
• Relies on having DEX for gear

CORSAIR
Corsairs are the legit Pirates who have guns. They shoot at good speed with damage on their side. Like Night Lord, they sacrifice HP for damage. Corsair has the ability to use a Battleship and shoot canons, which is their best way of DPM. Corsairs also have the ability to Flash Jump by using Recoil Shot, and can even glide by using Wings.
Notable Skills: Wrath of the Octopi, Rapid Fire, Battleship, Battleship Cannon, Battleship Torpedo, Hypnotize, Gaviota, Bullseye

Pros

• High range
• Has an AoE skill, unlike Buccaneer
• Has a boat, what more can I say?
• Best damage output when inside the Battleship
• Can tank well when inside Battleship

Cons

• Does not have a skill that nullifies bullet usage
• Hard to level 1st to 3rd job

BEGINNER/ISLANDER
no

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VOCABULARY AND TERMINOLOGY

HP Washing: Gaining more HP by gaining more MP by having INT. Here is a guide based on it.
DPM/DPS: Damage per minute/damage per second
AoE: Area of Effect. Covers most of the screen and does a specific type of effect, that effect being damage or a damage over-time debuff.
I-frames: Invincibility frames. You use a skill and you are invincible in specific frames for that skill before/during/after.
DoT: Damage Over-Time. Damages the enemy over a specific amount of time. Think of Poison.
Rush: A skill that pushes enemies into a corner along with yourself. Very useful for grouping up enemies.
Bigfoot: Endgame boss. Gives good loot and EXP.
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VIDEOS
*note: some videos will be past v62 but before big bang​

Warrior

Spoiler

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD4Ta8W7rdU
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBL9Xjrt-Xk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFyOHURk_Z0

Mage

Spoiler

lol

Thief

Spoiler

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d_SxIN7VU0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2Eo7YAu4H0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2jUXCcFtds
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf1WYtiyQhA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA88a199Nxo

Archer

Spoiler

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojbzz9u74Lc
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JktndWBL8Mk

Pirate

Spoiler

www.youtube.com/watch?v=21UFM58j2fA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8m1AiUOTF0

Beginner/Islander

Spoiler

lol

Special Thanks To
MapleTip
HiddenStreet
Bishop
QueenBee
NSFW
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EDIT Log:
4/11/2015: Draft made
4/13/2015: Editing errors, put in descriptions, fixing grammar errors, less biased opinions
8/6/2017: Removing useless info i.e higher avoid on bowman​