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 Introduction So, you’re level 29, and you’ve got a choice to make. The large, power hungry Crossbow, or the slim and speedy Bow. Crossbowman or Hunter; Power or Speed is all it really boils down too, simple as that... but just in case you can't decide, this guide is here to use both mathematics AND personal experiences to meld together one, giant unbiased –be all, end all– guide/reference for the Bow vs. Crossbow decision. Of course, as you'll soon find out, Nexon/Wizet made the two classes quite balanced, and its natural after this guide to still be neutral on which class. In this situation, the best thing to do is flip a coin! That's actually how I picked xbow. But, as we all know, there are so many things that can go wrong with a real life coin flip (oo, I got heads... um... best 2/3), so Sapphire8 has provided you with a GREAT tool, the archer class chooser. This will randomly pick a class for you. If you're still uncertain after it picks a class for you, it means that you have to keep reading! BUT REMEMBER the almighty class choicer only works if you are a 1st job archer, and it only works the first time! This guide is intended to be read from top to bottom. Now yes, I know it’s long, and yes, it’s also confusing, but the decision of Hunter or Crossbowman will stick with you throughout the rest of your Maple career. You can read certain sections of this guide for reference, but for choosing a class, I highly recommend you clear 15 minutes out of your busy schedule, and read the guide that will help you make a decision that you will spend hundreds of hours on. Of course, there is a summary, but I advise you to read the whole thing. This guide was NOT written by me, or to say, me alone. This is a composition of ideas from overly-obsessed Archers at the Archer Guide Forum, which is a fan-made (that fan being me =P) place for the over-analyzation of the Archer class. Now, without further ado, the long winded and mathematically deduced guide to your choice as to using a Bow, or Crossbow. Table of Contents Raw Math Proofs: Single Attacks Mob Attacks Mob Attack Comparisons: IA VS Bomb (2nd job) Bomb VS Blizzard (stun) IA VS Inferno (non status mobs) Inferno VS Blizzard (3rd job) Playing styles: Stereotypical Styles Other Comparisons: Money Comparison Other Pro/Cons End Notes: Summary Appendix Credits Raw Math Proofs This section uses math (*gasp*) to evaluate which class is better. For those of you who doubt anything in this section, most work is shown and sourced. For anyone who doesn’t want to see the math, you can skip way down to the single attack comparison results. Now, onto the proofs: Single Attack Math Proofs Xbows have more power; Bows have more speed. In this section, we are going to attempt to merge the two. To put them both on the same playing field and see which comes out more, power, or speed. All numbers used in the section are BASE STATS, and AVERAGE, UNSCROLLED. No armor is used, just the Bow/Crossbow. Let's begin. Formulas and Resources Average Skill Percents Shots per Minute Damage Formulas W. Atks used Level to stat formula All of these are used to find the various numbers found in this section, and all can be calculated by you to incorporate things such as scrolled equips. Math Time So, first thinks first, lets get the average damage for each level bracket for the Crossbowman and the Hunter. Then, we'll find the damage per minute for each skill by factoring in the attacking speed, not including pickup speed (which is currently impossible to calculate). This section is for single attacks, mob attacks can be found here. Because showing my work for each one would probably go over the 50,000 character limit, the actual (really long) formulas can be found in the appendix under average damage formulas, so you can go solve them if you so wish, but here's the general idea of them: (Max damage + Min damage)/2. This yields average damage. Dex and Str are determined by level via the level to stat formula Now, for the results (because why should you guys have to do the math too?) .............30........38.........42.........50.........60.........70.........80.........90.........100........110 Bow ..121.65 | 229.63 | 277.83 | 388.01 | 533.73 | 671.56 | 811.05 | 962.01 | 1124.44 | 1298.34 Xbow 127.15 | 266.01 | 319.17 | 433.61 | 576.49 | 732.49 | 902.61 | 1055.6 | 1230.81 | 1418.11 Anyways, as you can see, without scrolled equips, the damages are really weak, but they are comparative, and precise! So this is the average damage that they will have at the specified levels (with no armor and an average, unscrolled weapon). This does not include pick-up speed. This is just the average damage in their ability window. Now, for the damage per minute table. This will take into account both the Crossbowman's power, and the Hunter's speed, thus creating an accurate comparison basis. Here's how Mastery and Booster are put into effect: Mastery is considered 10% at lvl 30, and 60% at lvl 38+ Booster is used from lvl 38+ Fast Bows and Xbows are used at level 38 comparison (normal everywhere else) The formula for damage per minute is: Average Damage * Shots per Minute * Skill Average % ST is an abbreviation for Strafe. Level 1 Strafe is used at level 70, maxed Strafe at 80+. Oh, and your shooting something with 0 def. Single Monster Attacks ............|.....30.....|.....38....|....42.....|.....50.....|.....60....|.....70.....|.....80....|.....90....|....100...|....110...| Bow AB | 28465.8 .| 63378.2 | 73347.8 | 102433. | 140906. | 177293. .| 214117. | 253970. | 296851. | 342761. | Xbow AB| 26702.1 | 67832.1 | 78514.9 | 106668. | 141817. | 180193. .| 222041. | 259675. | 302778. | 348855. | Bow DS | 32261.3 .| 71828.6 | 83127.5 | 116090. | 159693. | 200932. .| 242666. | 287832. | 336431. | 388462. | Xbow DS| 30262.4 | 76876.4 | 88983.6 | 120891. | 160726. | 204219. .| 251647. | 294299. | 343149. | 395369. | Bow.ST..|..............|.............|..............|.............|..............| 172845. .| 399685. | 474077. | 554122. | 639820. | Xbow.ST|..............|.............|..............|..............|..............| 173963. | 414477. | 484727. | 565186. | 651195. | So, there you have it. At whatever level, there's how much damage you will be doing with that skill in one minute, sitting there spamming it. We can see some fluctuations, but generally, it appears that Xbows do more damage per minute than Hunters but this does not takepickup Speeds into consideration which brings the damage done between the two closer together. For those of you who don't want to click that link, the pickup speed is at the start of the first shot. If you hold down a button, you only get 1 pickup speed, but if you tap it, the pickup speed is applied to every shot, thus slowing down your shots per minute. We know that Xbows have a slower pickup speed than Hunters, therefore, the data above is only valid when you are sitting there, spamming the skill. One by one attacks, as exhibited in normal training, slows down the Xbowman considerably, brining the two to near equality, depending on the training spot. So pretty much, that entire long, fancy math that took me over 2 hours to compute and post basically said: The two classes are pretty much equal. Under the conditions that the data shows, there is more potential that the more successive hits an Archer does without stopping, the higher damage per minute the Xbowman will have (more shots in a row without stopping or switching skills). Although, because pickup speed is currently untested, and unknown, we do not know how much it will actually affect the skills. Also, exhibited in normal training, skills are often switched; potions must be used, and other things to break the chain of a skill. Therefore, the classes (as usual) are essentially equal. Speed = Power, Nexon/Wizet did a great job balancing this aspect of the archer class. Mob Attacks Raw Math Ok, now that we have the table for attacks on each level, we can find the average damage per minutes of mob skills. First, the average percents. We Archers have 5 different mob skills, with the levels I took their damage at:. Arrow Bomb (30), Iron Arrow (30), Inferno(30), Blizzard (21), and Arrow Rain/Eruption (30) (they are the same, see its section). So here are some quick figures: Arrow Bombs first hit (Impact Damage) is 40% base damage while the rest is 130%. All of Bomb's criticals are x2, not +100% which is known as Splash Damage. Iron Arrow decreases by 18% each time it passes through a monster. Iron Arrow's critical starts at 100%, than decreases by 18% per monster. Blizzard does not receive critical. Blizzard is never put past level 21, so that's what the damage was taken at. In order to get average damages, the average critical is added to the base damage. All percents are CUMULATIVE, this means that monster 3 on the chart is monster 1 + monster 2 + monster 3 damage. This is so it can easily be compared to other skills. So, without further ado, the mob skill average percentages: #| Bomb | Iron | Infer | Bliz | Ar/Ae | Infer (fire weak) 1| .56% | 220% | 190% | 130% | 200% .| 285% 2| 238% | 400% | 380% .| 260% | 400% .| 570% 3| 420% | 549% | 570% .| 390% | 600% .| 855% 4| 602% | 670% | 760% .| 420% | 800% .| 1140% 5| 784% | 767% | 950%. | 550% | 1000% | 1425% 6| 966% | 850% | 1140% | 680% | 1200% | 1710% This percentages are all you really need to know. We know that Crossbowmen and Hunters end up doing the same damage over time *looks back at individual test*, so a damage over time chart is practically worthless. In terms of damage, with 2nd job skills, Xbows outdamage Bows on mobs of 4 and under, they just about tie at 5, and Bows outdamage on 6. This means that a Crossbow will have more success mobbing, because they can reach their peak damage with less monsters. Bow's on the other hand have to gather larger mobs to reach a peak damage, 5 or 6 optimal, but if they do, they'll have the mobbing upper hand. 3rd job: Rangers obviously kill Snipers because Inferno is the strongest mob skill in the Archer class (2nd strongest on a neutral monster). On mobs 3+, Inferno outdamages IA, and on mobs of 2, you usually only Strafe anyways. Blizzard isn't really even worth mentioning, I just stuck it in there for the kicks. Blizzard is really only used in playing styles. Lastly, we see that Rain and Eruption have the same effect as the single skills that it balances out between Bow and Crossbow. Also noting that it is the strongest mob skill until Pierce in 4th job, next to an elementally charged Inferno. So gratz Nexon/Wizet, you just made me waste another 3 hours of my life proving that Bows = Xbows Mob Attack Comparisons Now, onto mob analysis, this will take into account more than just damage, it brings play style, status effects, maps, and other factors into play. This section was mostly written by bluebomber24 (a ranger), but we collaborated (me being a sniper), so it is completely unbiased. Note: All the damages of the mob attacks are located in the mob attack section and will not be discussed in detail below. Iron Arrow versus Arrow Bomb The first effective mob skill an Archer receives is in Second Job. If an Archer chose the path of the Crossbow, their mob skill would be Iron Arrow. If the path were that of the Bow, it would be Arrow Bomb. Below is a comparison of the two skills mainly focusing on their uses in the second job. First, some straight up analyzation: Iron Arrow is a Linear Mob Attack that delivers immediate high damage and decreases the more monsters it passes through. This gives a Crossbowman a higher chance to knock back monsters that are close to them. Although Iron Arrow can only go straight and not bend it can go through walls, which in some maps can be advantageous. Arrow Bomb is a Splash Mob Attack, in which it’s the first monster it hits or the initial impact is weak, while the other monsters receive normal damage. To compensate for this Arrow Bomb has the highest critical damage percentage in the game (times 2 instead of +100%) and can stun at a 60% rate. Unlike Iron Arrow, Arrow Bomb can bend, but it can't go through walls. Now, for the comparisons. Iron Arrow's damage and critical decreases by 18% each time it passes through a monster. This actually is good control on the skill's part while still making it fair compared to other skills in the game. This can be said because Iron Arrow will Knock Back the monsters that are closer to the Crossbowmen more than the monsters in the back, in mobbing this is one of the many ways that damage can be spread evenly. For example, if Monster Number 1 gets hit by Iron Arrow it will take high damage and potentially get knocked behind Monster Number 2. If Number 2 does not Knock Back, it will pass up Number 1 and be first in line to take the full power of Iron Arrow instead of a weaker attack. The positions of Monsters Number 1 and 2 can continuously switch until they are both dead, thus Number 1 at times will take a lot of damage and then 18% less damage and the same for Number 2. This causes the damage to be spread pretty evenly, making it an effective skill. Because of Iron Arrow’s rigidity to travel only one path, it will hit every monster that is within the Crossbowman’s range. This gives Crossbowmen more flexibility when mobbing as they have the ability to mob monsters that are Spread Mobs where monsters are more spread apart. Arrow Bomb is different because it has a Blast Radius or Area of Effect Circle. Although Arrow Bomb does have the ability to hit every monster within a Hunter’s range, when Bomb is past 15 skill points, Arrow Bomb acts on variables that can cause a Hunter to not hit every monster within his or her range. The best way to explain this is to talk about Blast Radius or the Area of Effect (AoE) Circle. The first monster that takes the impact hit creates the AoE Circle and is usually on the left or right of the circle. Everything in the circle, whether horizontal on top or below will take damage. However the size of the AoE Circle greatly depends on how far the monsters are spread apart. For example if Monster A is three or more characters away from Monster B getting hit by Arrow Bomb, then Monster A will not get hit and the Blast Radius will not go past Monster B, even if Monster B is within the Hunters shooting range. Because of this it is much more effective for Hunters to attack Clustered Mobs where monsters are closer together rather than spread apart. In maps, like The Entrance to Golem Temple, where the Blast Radius easily affects monsters, Arrow Bomb is better to have than Iron Arrow. In maps where mobs are more spread apart like Straw Target Dummies, Iron Arrow is better to have than Arrow Bomb. Arrow Bomb is also an early immobilizer that can stun a monster at a 60% rate. Seeing as Hunters deal more with clustered mobs, which are more dangerous than spread monsters, it seems suitable that Arrow Bomb can do this. Iron Arrow, although it doesn’t immobilize, it has a high knock back rate, due to the immediacy of damage, which makes it a useful skill without the need of a status effect in Second Job, since Knock Back reduces the chances of a Crossbowman taking damage. Iron Arrow continues to act as a knockbacker well into 3rd job (if the Crossbowman didn't get Arrow Blow). For these two skills, Arrow Bomb is better on 5+ monsters, which is often seen in 2nd job at maps such as FoG, and Coolies. Therefore, as usual, each skill balances each other out. The AoE effect, and the linear effect can be considered both pros and cons for each skill, totally dependent on the human's play style.. Arrow Bomb versus Blizzard In Third Job, both of these skills have the ability to immobilize a monster. Rangers have the skill Arrow Bomb. While Snipers use Blizzard. Below is a comparison of the two skills with slight emphasis on their uses in Third Job. A quick description of Arrow Bomb can be found here, as it would be repetitive to reiterate a skill when its capabilities were already discussed. Blizzard is an ice elemental mob skill for Snipers, which allows them to completely immobilize a monster with ice. It is the only elemental skill a Sniper will receive before getting the 4th job skill, Freezer. However, it is not this job class’ last effective mobbing skill. Blizzard is usually not maxed by Snipers because unlike Inferno, Blizzard is not used for damage purposes, but for strategic measures. Although Blizzard has a status effect that Inferno does not have, Blizzard does not critical. (Cited Archer Skill Build Guide) Blizzard is the only active mob skill that has a Blast Radius or AoE Circle, which I prefer to call a Frost Shell. To understand Blizzards effect on monsters in its Frost Shell, simply read about AoE as it is discussed with Arrow Bomb (it is the same exact concept). Now for the comparison. Blizzard immobilizes at a 100% rate, unless the monster is a boss or resistant to ice. Because it has the ability to immobilize 100% on most monsters it easily gives Snipers an advantage over many monsters, BUT to compensate for this immobilization, Blizzard does not have the ability to perform critical hits. This makes it the best Bowman immobilizing mob skill in the game. Arrow Bomb only works 60% of the time and its Impact stun rate is at a currently unknown lower percentage. But to compensate for a lower level of immobilization, Arrow Bomb has the highest critical percentage in the game. Blizzard can be used in combination with other skills and can also be used effectively on one monster. Arrow Bomb on the other hand is usually spammed and will mostly not be used effectively on one monster due to the lower percentage of Impact damage. Also, Blizzard tends to be more of a potion saving move than a actual fighting necessity. Often, it is used to freeze while Puppet is setup, to allow for a longer spam of IA. Despite its 100% freeze rate, Blizzard is never spammed on a mob, because it simply wouldn't kill it. Unlike spamming Bomb, which avoids multiple pickups, a sniper has to freeze, then use 2-6 attacks (depending on duration of freeze), THEN refreeze, thus causing a new chain of pickups to activate, slowing down the Sniper's speed. Blizzard also has a side effect known as 'Ice lag', which I/L Mages also receive. Ice lag is when you freeze a monster, it turns into a frozen state, but it still moves towards you, then, it unfreezes. After unfreezing, it won’t move, but it will attack. This happens often in large parties, or if you have a low amount of RAM. Bomb also has its 'Explosion lag', which other people actually experience as well. It has the same side effects as Ice lag, so both classes must be wary of this. These two skills are hard to compare. Blizzard is used as an immobilizer, while Arrow Bomb is used for damage, while keeping the monster in place. Bomb will never be used solely for stun, and Blizzard will never be used solely for damage. And with that, we move onto the damaging skills, IA and Inferno. Iron Arrow versus Inferno In Third Job, the two skills that are used for pure damage are Inferno and Iron Arrow. Rangers have the skill Inferno, while Snipers use Iron Arrow. Below is a comparison of the two skills with slight emphasis on their uses in Third Job. A quick description of Iron Arrow can be found here, as it would be repetitive to reiterate a skill when its capabilities were already discussed. Inferno has a Blast Radius, just like Arrow Bomb and Blizzard, that effects what monsters that it will hit. Against monsters that are weak to fire, Inferno gets a damage bonus multiplier of 1.25, which is a lot when critical (which are also times 1.25) are taken into account, and is the strongest mob skill of 3rd job and below, when elemental damage is applied, and a close second on a neutral mob. Monsters that are resistant to fire reduce Inferno's potential damage. However, some Rangers argue that the effects of critical minimize this weakness. Maxed Inferno on a neutral mob always outdamages Bomb, and on a fire weak mob, it decimates Bomb. Now for the comparisons. Like Arrow Bomb, Inferno is more effective on clustered mobs, while Iron Arrow has more flexibility in mob spacing. One of the notable differences is that Inferno is the best Bowman luring skill. It has a blast radius, doesn’t immobilize, can bend, and does high damage. Because Iron Arrow does not bend it doesn’t make it that great of a lure. While Inferno gets weaker on fire monsters overall, Iron Arrow remains the same overall on every monster. It is debatable that Pierce will replace Iron Arrow for Crossbowman (as IA maybe better in certain situations); like it is debatable that Hurricane will replace Strafe for Bow-users (as Hurricane maybe better in certain situations). Yet, Iron Arrow is still a mob skill that can potentially be used in Fourth Job depending on the situation. Inferno IS the last effective mob skill for Bow-users and thus Crossbowman have more mob skill options than Rangers. Inferno outdamages IA on neutral mobs of 3+, and from the get go on fire weak mobs. With such raw damage, even with the Crossbow:Bow ratio of attack, Rangers will outdamage Xbowmen over time when using Inferno, especially on mobs of 3+, and this makes sense, because IA is a 2nd job skill, while Inferno is a 3rd job skill, and as aforementioned, also makes sense because Snipers will get Pierce. In addition, this also makes sense with current 3rd job. Inferno can be used in combination with Puppet to gather a large mob, then utterly destroy it. Meanwhile, Blizzard can be used in conjunction with IA to create a large mob that cannot harm you, without having to setup Puppet (by using Blizzard, 6 IAs, and then refreezing method). So, in terms of damage, IA gets up there, but Inferno goes over the top, especially when used on a fire weak mob, where it becomes the strongest skill known to GMS Archers. Inferno versus Blizzard In Third Job, Rangers have the skill Inferno, while Snipers get the skill Blizzard. Below is a comparison of the two skills with slight emphasis on their uses in Third Job. A quick description of Inferno can be found here, as it would be repetitive to reiterate a skill when its capabilities were already discussed. A quick description of Blizzard can be found here, as it would be repetitive to reiterate a skill when its capabilities were already discussed. Now for the comparisons. Inferno, next to Pierce, is the strongest long-ranged mob skill in the Archer Class. To add onto this, it is one of the two cleanest mob KBers in the Bowman class, Rain/Eruption being the other. On the other hand, Blizzard is the best long-ranged immobilizer in the Bowman class. So the question is, why are these skills so different from each other, when every other skill is practically identical? Well, there is no real answer to this, only speculations, as the people that helped write this guide are not Nexon Engineers (or GMs, no mes0rz 4 j00) and were not there when they made the decisions. But one can speculate... Blizzard is a skill that will be used VERY frequently by a Sniper. While Inferno is usually used when a situation calls for it or when it needs to be a catalyst for Puppet. Snipers switches between their mob skill Blizzard and other attacking skills more than a Ranger does with his or her mob skills. Rangers, tend to use Puppet far more often than Snipers, and Inferno is usually accompanied by it. Puppet is used in conjunction with a Ranger’s Inferno more often than it is with Sniper's IA. A good example, to show how this is plausible, is at Himes. A simple method of training for a Ranger would be to lure with Arrow Rain across the map, place Puppet, and spam Inferno. When the Puppet dies, Inferno will hit the unpuppetized monsters allowing them to quickly be re-aggrovated and giving the Ranger a swift opportunity to place Puppet again. Technolink and bluebomber24 are the original authors. Snipers would lure with Arrow Eruption across the map, place Puppet, and then use Iron Arrow. When Puppet dies, a Sniper would use Blizzard and Strafe to get rid of the remaining monsters. Notice how Rangers used Inferno and Puppet after the general mob was dead to finish stragglers, and how Snipers used Blizzard and Strafe. And that is ONLY considering one method of how a Bowman could train at Himes. Most methods usually result in a Ranger using Puppet or Inferno and Snipers using Blizzard with IA or Eruption (as Eruption does more damage on large mobs). Now, let’s talk about a couple of misconceptions. One misconception that many people believe is that Blizzard allows a Sniper to train faster or go to earlier maps. This can not be proven... ever. Training speed is up to the person using the Archer, not the character itself. One can argue that Blizzard allows for a constant flow of attacks, as the Sniper doesn't have to use Puppet as often, but then again, every 6 attacks is a low damage Blizzard, while with Ranger's, that 6th attack is another high damage attack, so often, a Ranger will finish off a mob before a Sniper due to Inferno's high damage, but the time it took for the Ranger to setup Puppet will equal it all out. Another misconception is that Inferno is used as a lure and is worthless as anything else. Contrary to this belief, Inferno outdamages all other Bowman mob skills when not including Fourth Job. As stated before Inferno has a cleaner and even KB rate since its damage does not alter per monster. It outdamages Bomb on neutral mobs no matter what the number of monsters is. To summarize, Inferno practically molds a Ranger's play style, like Blizzard practically molds a Sniper's play style. Inferno basically sends this message to monsters for a Ranger: "Hey, I just burned you, now you have so many seconds to get over here and try to kill me before I kill you, and try not to get puppetized." That’s what Inferno is, a lure and damager, that makes monsters come towards you. NO OTHER Bowman skill beats Inferno in luring and damaging, except for its 4th Job reincarnation Phoenix, which is basically an auto lure/damager. Blizzard for a Sniper sends the message: "Aw, you got caught in my Blizzard, and now you can't move out the way, better luck next time. Oh wait, there isn't one for you because imma IA your arse" Blizzard is the Sniper's immobilizing play style. NO OTHER Bowman skill beats Blizzard at immobilizing, except its 4th Job reincarnation Freezer, which is basically an auto immobilizer. Playing Styles Even with the fancy skills an Archer gets, it all boils down to how they are used, which should affect the class you should choose. This section is targeted at explaining the types of training styles each class uses, by picking the type you like (along with other pros and cons) you can get an idea of which class suits you best! Stereotypical Styles Being stereotypical is not always a bad thing! It’s just how it turns out. These play styles are general styles that the respective classes often observe because of their given skills. Ultimately, it’s up to a player to choose the style, and both Rangers and Snipers can easily imitate each other’s styles, but the stereotypical ones are the kinds that optimize training in most maps. This section is split into the 4 subclasses, Hunter, Crossbowman, Ranger, and Sniper, because 2nd and 3rd job styles also differ slightly. Hunter Style Hunters get the early gift of Arrow Bomb. Most of the time they will be using their primary attack from First Job, however anytime a clustered mob of 3+ monsters appear, whether it’s right in front of them or diagonally above or below them, Bomb will usually take priority over the main attack. This is easily shown on maps like Coolies, on top platforms and maps like Squids on the bottom floors, where the monsters usually cluster together. On smaller mobs, a single attack skill is traditionally used to compensate for Bomb's low impact damage. Crossbowman Style A Crossbowman is gifted with high damage early on, and a high damaging skill to boot. Unlike a Hunter, a Crossbowman's mob skill maximizes its damage over time at 3-4 enemies, thus smaller mobs are typically made. Instead of killing every monster but a few, to create a large mob, a Crossbowman may kill 6/10 platforms, so a small mob gathers on each of the remaining. Also, Crossbowmen tend to shy away from freeform mobs, ones that are difficult to knock back. If a mob isn't knocked back enough, the enemies will begin to advance towards the Crossbowman, giving little room to shoot. Things like Golems are a prime example of this. Without a proper knockback, FoG becomes almost impossible because the Crossbowman will constantly be PKBing, trying to get out of the mobs that are aggrovated towards them. Smaller mobs, like in Cloud Park, are highly inviting towards Crossbowmen. Ranger Style Early in Rangers’ careers, they use Inferno as a lure, mainly as a set up for Puppet, or in some maps to gather a mob. Because Rangers lack Blizzard, they have pickup on their side. Rangers use Puppet more often to train conservatively or speed up killing when soloing. As Inferno becomes a more reliable damager, Arrow Bomb is used less and less, as the clean KB rate is, in most cases, more effective in protecting the Ranger than Arrow Bomb. However, on monsters that cast defensive buffs, Arrow Bomb is preferred, as it negates the casting of buffs and still deals high damage. Hawk is used for the ability to kill one or two monsters quickly without having to setup Puppet. Hawk can also used as an auto immobilizer as it possesses the ability to stun. Sniper Style Unlike Rangers, a Sniper’s play style is drastically changed with the introduction of Blizzard and Puppet. Because of the risk factor of spamming IA on a mob of monsters that now almost always have magic attacks (or just do a lot of touch damage), Blizzard is often used as a potion saver, rather than a damage dealer. Blizzard is usually kept at level 21 (3 second freeze) because Blizzard is mainly used to keep a monster still, while Puppet is then setup, and IA deals the damage (similar to Ranger's style). After getting 3 seconds of freeze, 6 attacks can be used between the freeze and successive re-thawing. This allows a Sniper to completely skip the Puppet step. Also, because a Sniper is still using IA as their main mob skill, a Sniper will still tend to do mobs below 4, as IA's damage becomes lower than it has the potential to be. A Sniper's Eagle is also used in the same way as Ranger's Hawk (to kill just one or two monsters and automatically stun), but Snipers typically get Eagle later because they are maxing Blizzard and Arrow Eruption before it. Money Comparison Money/Mesos are always a problem for us that are unfunded. But unfunded or not, this section is to analyze how money is effected in each class. This will not touch much on equips, but more on training techniques. To start, I'll do equips. From server to server, version to version, for some reason, there are more Bow users than Crossbow users! We have no idea why it turned out this way, and probably never will, but because of the principles of supply and demand, less demand, more supply, cheaper equips. Generally speaking, Crossbowmen spend less money on their weapons, but of course, this can vary over time, over servers, over weapons, and over sellers. I wouldn't use this as a basis to select your character on though. Now here's the over analytical analysis that you’re used to by now! Here's the breakdown: Bows shoot faster, therefore, a Bow would spend more MP because it is shooting more shots. If a Bow user is using Inferno, that's 30 MP as opposed to the 28 MP of Iron Arrow. Also to note, Bow users don't have a 100% immobilizer like Xbows do in 3rd Job, so they would take more damage in that retrospect. This is maybe why Wizet added the skill Concentrate, which halves MP use for 6 minutes (with a 5 minute cool down afterward). Of course, the MP and HP usage is so minimal, it would hardly make a difference, and again, it’s not something you should solely base your decision on. Other Pro/Cons This section consists of mostly user submitted questions that we at the AGF over analyze to the extent that it becomes scary O_o. But either way, you've got a question, we've got an answer (oh, and your name will appear normally, I just don't remember who proposed this, because it was before the guide was published): Which class looks cooler? Well, this actually used to be a full section, but we all decided it was totally worthless. Maplestory is as much of a social interaction game, as it is a level up MMORPG, and I guess your avatar can make or break other people's first impressions of you. Bows are held by your side with one hand, out of the way leaving your face and equips nicely displayed. Crossbows are held with two hands up close on your body, blocking most of the face and the overall. Some people say the Crossbowman look is manlier, some people say it’s stupid. If you have Nexon Cash, both classes will look almost the same, there are enough options for the Crossbow not to cover the face, and the Bow to change its appearance. Play around in Bannedstory a bit in this case. While on the topic, it should be noted that there are usually more NX Bows than NX Crossbows. This means that Bow users will have more options to change their appearance. Which class is more stable? This is an interesting question. At first glance, we all thought “Well, they both have 60% Mastery, so what a stupid question.” But looking further into it, a few factors come into play: speed, strength, and number of monsters hit. The more attacks (speed), the more chances a skill has to stabilize itself, just like how Strafe is more stable than Arrow Blow, or Savage Blow is more stable than Double Stab. This lends itself to Bow users, because they do more shots to kill the same enemy, thus more chances to balance themselves out. Next up was simple, because in the Bowman minimum damage formula Str is unaffected by Mastery, Str stabilizes damage. Because Bows have 5 more Str than Xbows, they are technically more stable. Last up is the number of monsters hit. Because of the tendency for Bows to mob higher, they again have more chances to stabilize their damage. So this means that however slightly, Bows are technically more stable then Xbows. Although I don't think it would be enough to actually make a difference. Perhaps we could run some numbers up on this one =P Summary Well, whether you actually read past the 5000+ some odd words, or you just skipped to this comprehensive summary, it doesn't much matter, because even if you read it all, I'm sure you've forgotten like the first half already, lol. So, here's a quick recap, which could sort of substitute the guide (but not really). The first thing that was proven was that over time, Bows and Xbows do similar damage to each other, at almost every level. This means that skills of the same percentage (such as Strafe or Rain/Eruption) are going to be the same damage over time. So, in this aspect, Bow = Crossbow. Next, we analyzed the raw percents behind the mob skill. We found that with the major attacks (IA for Xbows, Bomb and Inferno for Bows), Bow's Bomb is better than IA in mobs of 5+, and Inferno is better in mobs of 3+ (which you really don't have a mob of 2- because Strafe is more damage). Inferno with fire advantage is the most powerful mob attack known to Archers (without 4th job). Now, all the mob skills were compared, I at least suggest you read this part if any, it had a lot of revelations about the class. Start of the mob comparisons Also, I suggest you read the playing styles through as well, because the playing style is really how you should choose your job. Next up was a quick (and probably biased) section on looks comparison. Nothing much to say there, pretty much, Xbows cover your face and overall, Bows have more cash shop options. Money comparison came out like all the other ones, slight differences that don't do much in the long run! Bows ended up using more MP and HP than Xbows, which is why they are given Concentrate in 4th job (a skill that halves mp cost for 6 minutes). So now that you've read the whole guide (if you haven’t, then go read it now!), you should be more confused than when you started! That's the goal here, make you so confused that you end up blacking out, and when you wake up in the hospital, you'll shout “(X)BOW!”, and the nurse will put you in the psychiatric ward (I've been there twice, its not that bad). No, seriously, I really hope that this guide helped to edumakate you in the fine art of a Maplestory classes. Maybe you even learned something about your own class! Wow, its over. Wait, that can't be right... oh yea, there's still an appendix. HA, you thought the torture was done! Nah, the Appendix can but skipped, there's only useless formulas in there ;-) Appendix Attack Averages Mob attacks are in a different section because of their complexity. Normal Shot: 140% Arrow Blow: 300% Double Shot: 340% Level 1 Strafe : 368% (only used for level 70/71 calculations) Strafe: 560% Firing Rates Bow: Normal: 78/min Norm + Booster: 88/min Fast + Booster: 92/min Crossbow: Normal: 70/min Norm + Booster: 82/min Fast + Booster: 85/min Damage Formulas Bow: Max- [(DEX * 3.4 + STR) / 100] * Weapon Attack Min - (DEX * 0.9 * 3.4 * Skill Mastery + STR) / 100 * Weapon Attack Crossbow: Max - [(DEX * 3.6 + STR) / 100] * Weapon Attack Min - (DEX * 0.9 * 3.6 * Skill Mastery + STR) / 100 * Weapon Attack Bow/Crossbow average unscrolled attacks Lvl | 30 | 38 | 42 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | 110 | Bow | 45 | 50 | 55 | 65 | 75 | 80 | 85 | 90 | 95 .| 100 | Xbow| 44 | 54 | 59 | 68 | 76 | 82 | 89 | 93 | 98 .| 103 | Level to stat formula (this transfers your level into Dex and Attack with 4/4 stats) Hunter below 70: Str = level +5 Dex = (((level-1)*5)-(level-4+5))+13 Hunter above 70: Str = level +5 Dex = ((level*5)-(level-4+5))+13 Crossbowman below 70: Str = level Dex = (((level-1)*5)-(level-4))+13 Xbowman above 70: Str = level +5 Dex = ((level*5)-(level-4))+13 How the Str and Dex formulas were made: For their respective classes, the Str needs to be the level, or the level +5. Now, below lvl 70, because you don't get AP at level 1, your total expendable AP is (level - 1) *5, 5 AP per level except the first. Then, you subtract how much you spend on Str. Because you start with 4 Str, the amount you added to Str is level -4 for Crossbows, and level + 5 - 4 for Bows. So now, all other AP goes into Dex, which you started with 13, so it’s +13. (this considers 4/4 in Int and Luk, and is only 100% accurate after level 13). Average Damage Formulas Simplified: Crossbow: ((((DEX * 3.6 + STR) / 100) * Weapon Attack)+((DEX * 0.9 * 3.6 * Skill Mastery + STR) / 100 * Weapon Attack])/2 Bow: ((((DEX * 3.4 + STR) / 100) * Weapon Attack)+((DEX * 0.9 * 3.4 * Skill Mastery + STR) / 100 * Weapon Attack))/2 Now, the long formulas use my level to AP point conversions to get everything down to 2 variables (Mastery isn't really a variable): Crossbow under 70: ((((((((level-1)*5)-(level-4))+13) * 3.6 + level) / 100) * Weapon Attack)+((((((level-1)*5)-(level-4))+13) * 0.9 * 3.6 * Skill Mastery + level) / 100 * Weapon Attack))/2 Xbow over 70: (((((((level*5)-(level-4))+13) * 3.6 + level) / 100) * Weapon Attack)+(((((level*5)-(level-4))+13) * 0.9 * 3.6 * Skill Mastery + level) / 100 * Weapon Attack))/2 Bows under 70: ((((((((level-1)*5)-(level+1))+13) * 3.4 + (level+5)) / 100) * Weapon Attack)+((((((level-1)*5)-(level+1))+13) * 0.9 * 3.4 * Skill Mastery + (level+5)) / 100 * Weapon Attack))/2 Bow over 70: (((((((level*5)-(level+1))+13) * 3.6 + (level+5)) / 100) * Weapon Attack)+(((((level*5)-(level+1))+13) * 0.9 * 3.6 * Skill Mastery + (level+5)) / 100 * Weapon Attack))/2 Pickup Speeds: ~ By bluebomber The firing rates do not take into consideration the first initial movements before firing, because it is almost impossible to test accurately, and the data given above in no way or form dictates 100% the actual damage done over time. These initial movements are what are known as "Pickup-Speed." After the first shot, there is no pickup, only attack speed. Hunters have faster pickup than Crossbows. So, in stop and go training, the Hunter's speed would be even more. So when you add math and the untestable firing speed known as Pick-up Speed, the damages over time are bought closer together. Basically, both classes are more or less EQUAL along with the fact that Pick-Up Speed could not be applied with the results that were obtained. ~CFFR Credits Alright, well, first of all I AM NOT THE SOLE WRITER OF THIS GUIDE. This guide was written by the overly addicted members of the Archer Guide Forum. Although many people browsed and critiqued our work, there was only a two actual writers; myself (Technolink), and bluebomber24 wrote all of the material in this guide. Spiritrival, Sapphire8, Kevvl14, robinhood, KennethJay, gfreak002, tzkbowman, zedex, and sum41 reviewed, commented, and criticized our work to the point I was editing their posts =]. Also, special thanks to sum41 for helping me format all of the charts into Basil-readable format, and Slyferz and Spiritrival for helping me with grammar. Of course, this guide is always open for criticism, and new topics! If you have any ideas, criticism, or spelling errors that I made (hey, English isn't my first language, gimme a break), just PM me, or post on the Archer Guide Forums with your plans. Thanks for reading (or skimming through...) this extremely in-depth and comprehensive guide on your 2nd Job decision. Hope you had as much fun reading it as we had writing it (that is to say, none at all!). And yes, its a lot to read, believe me, I know (I had to read it 5 some odd times to edit it you know!) End Notes and Legal Crap This FAQ falls under Article 6 Subsection E of the Archer Guide Forum copyright policy: [QUOTE=Article 6 Subsection E]This FAQ was written collectively by the members of the Archer Guide Forum and is Copyright © 2008 Archer Guide Forums. You may not take it in whole or in part and claim it as your own. You may not alter it in any way, even if you ask first, and that includes putting it in HTML format or plain text. Please don’t post this on your site or any other site unless you have expressed consent by the head creators of the guides. Currently, the only sites with permission to host this guide are The Forest or Wisdom" target="_blank" class="sprite basilLink">, [URL=http://sapphire8.webs.com/]The Forest or Wisdom, and of course [URL=http://209.85.12.229/Archer_Guide]Archer Guide Forums. The only users with permission to post these guides are Technolink, Sapphire8, bluebomber24, and spirtrival they are the only people with permission to post the guide on any of the aforementioned websites. [/QUOTE] And despite the funny name, the above statement does indeed grant Technolink and bluebomber24 the legal rights to this document, as long as it was written after April 1, 1989, and we can provide a first draft of the document (which we can), and a digital signature (which is here). So, don't copy it, you'll be in trouble. Replies
only difference is how much bows and xbows are
Don't flip a coin, that's so 20th century. Try the universal decision maker! http://www.beventure.com/
If you refer to this sticky, at least make the sticky correct: normal bow speed + booster = normal xbow speed + booster. Has been proven.
New Video: Level 120 - 4th job advancement!
i pick bowmen bc crossbow ruin your outfit. not gonna lie o.o
i feel that xbow would be more intresting to play
I would pick bow but if you were xbow the scrolls would be way cheaper.
lol all these are really pointless. No one make archer job for 2nd or 3rd job. I guess thats pretty much same for any job, but to make it simple, BM>MM at boss, MM>BM at training. And apple is more efficient with BM since BM hits more times within given time (and having apple have no effect on snipe dmg). BUT DO NOT FORGET, IT IS YOUR EQUIPS THAT MAKES DIFFERENCE.
Well funding could make a big difference to i guess... o_o
dudejustdoit: lol all these are really pointless. No one make archer job for 2nd or 3rd job. I guess thats pretty much same for any job, but to make it simple, BM>MM at boss, MM>BM at training. And apple is more efficient with BM since BM hits more times within given time (and having apple have no effect on snipe dmg). BUT DO NOT FORGET, IT IS YOUR EQUIPS THAT MAKES DIFFERENCE. Too bad 2nd and 3rd job is where the majority of people spend their time.I just want either Xbox or Hunter, whichever that could keep me having fun.
I prefer strong but doesn't have to be the strongest and fast but doesn't have to be the fastest. I can fund like 20milish right now. I'm already level 20 and almost level 21. So any suggestions? Any that can keep me playing and having fun. Just pick one. They're both balanced pretty evenly. There's only one or two skills in each job level that set the two apart.
Lol, I know they have their goods and bads.
But I want one to keep me going and having fun with nice damage. I played for over a month and I delete and create accounts nonstop. I have a 36 Cleric and a 36 I/L. I've recreated over like 50 classes. ( I don't even reach like 25ish with most of them) If any of you have experienced with both and tell me how you feel over the other one. Lol, I know they have their goods and bads.
But I want one to keep me going and having fun with nice damage. I played for over a month and I delete and create accounts nonstop. I have a 36 Cleric and a 36 I/L. I've recreated over like 50 classes. ( I don't even reach like 25ish with most of them) If any of you have experienced with both and tell me how you feel over the other one. Sorry for the double post. I accedently logged in to my old account. I clicked the class chooser for fun and got hunter.
:D All this for a game?
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Use of any BasilMarket.com content without permission is strictly forbidden.
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