FAQ and common misconceptions about bandits
MapleStory Forums : Bandit, Chief Bandit, Shadower : Talk about the Bandit, Chief Bandit and Shadower classes
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 By Kazegiri Here’s to answer most of the frequently asked questions about bandits I’ve seen lately on these boards. This FAQ is *not* meant to guide you in the game from A to Z, it is meant to answer any question you might have. If you do not find the answer to your question in here, either PM it to me or check the guides under the Useful Links section. Please note that this guide is mostly intended for GMS, since I have no experience at all in other versions of Maple Story. For more info on Shadowers read my FAQ and common misconceptions about Shadowers TABLE OF CONTENTS: Notice Updates Useful links Glossary Before starting a bandit 1) Is a bandit right for me? What are the pros and cons? 2) Are chief bandits weak? 3) How am I supposed to add STR, DEX and LUK when I level and when I begin? 4) DEXless bandits, fandits, lowDEX bandits… what am I supposed to do to deal the very best damage I can? 5) What about STR Chief Bandits? (AKA what’s better, STR or LUK?) First Job - Rogue Recommended build 6) Disorder or Dark Sight? 7) Where can I train as a Rogue? Second Job - Bandit Recommended build 8) Savage Blow or Mastery first? 9) Endure? Steal? What do I do with the last 2nd job SP? 10) Where can I train as a Bandit? Third Job – Chief Bandit Recommended build 11) Where can I train as a low level Chief Bandit? 12) All you need to know about Assaulter and BoT, AKA Assaulter or BoT first? 13) Where can I train with Assaulter? 14) Where can I train with BoT? 15) Meso Explosion: How do you drop mesos so fast for ME? How much do I have to drop? 16) Does Meso Guard drain your mesos? 17) Should I max BoT or leave it at 18? 18) Pickpocket or Chakra? Other questions along the way 19) How much LUK equals 1 ATK? 20) Capping DEX and STR 21) Which pots should I use? 22) Buying a LUK/DEX sauna, yes or no? 23) Is defence totally useless? 24) Does booster work with the Shinkita? What about the Kebob? 25) Making more money and losing less 26) Should I change my stat build? 27) Keyboard skills Notice Check out my FAQ on Shadowers since that’s what I’m going to be updating most often Updates: September 1st 2009 Updated with Mu Lung dojo Changed all EXP rates to include the +25% Some other small edits July 17th 2009 Structure changed :x Links were corrupted due to some change in Basil :p June 1st 2009 Long time no see! Major updates in: STR vs LUK and AP builds MEing Typhons And some other small changes January 27th 2009 Edited MEing, thanks Mejust and inemnitable for the info January 11th Added a money making trick Edited SB in light of the new defence formula Other minor edits December 20th Updated SB vs Mastery December 18th Added Recommended builds for all jobs Removed the build in BoT build December 13th Made a few changes now that I made a Shadower FAQ o_o November 12th Added quests and monsters under how to make money Re-added 4th job skills link Added Windraiders in BoT training grounds Added vid for directions to Typhons Edited “Are Chief Bandits weak” New BoT training ground indepth analysis Removed Gobies from BoT training ground (who’d train there anyway o_o) Other minor edits October 29th Edited the STR dit HT necklace paragraph Added Windraiders for training as a low level CB Added a rating to BoT training grounds Edited Keyboard skills Added a SG map for BoT training grounds October 5th Updated Wolfspiders Added Keyboard skills Edited 4th job book section (link dead) October 2nd Changed a few things about Typhons September 15th Added some info on LUK vs STR dits Added Typhons September 5th Added the Deputy Star and other new stuff where applicable June 28th Added a link to another training guide and edited the capping DEX part because of the new scrolls June 5th Re-edited Himes, reorganized the guide, added pros and cons of bandits June 4th Edited Himes May 12th Added something about stat builds May 5th Edited a few typos and added some things about STR/LUK/DEXless May 2nd Added a link section Apr 29th Added a build comparison and a “how much should I drop for ME” section Apr 23rd STR dits rejoice, new updated calculations with level 100 daggers and new sections about STR vs LUK! New glossary, updated Mastery vs SB, how to make money with quests. Since the FAQ is now too long, I had to start another thread 9_6 I never thought I would go this far lol :p Don’t worry, the links should still work between both threads, so you shouldn’t have to worry about where to look. Just click on the links in the Table of Contents. Apr 14th Defined lowDEX, DEXless, fandit; Few minor edits; Added section on max BoT or level 18 Apr 13th Compared lowDEX, DEXless, fandit Apr 3rd New rogue, bandit and 7X CB training grounds Mar 5th Two new BoT training grounds; Edited a few typos Feb 28th Added links to training guides for bandits; Added section about how to drop cash; Added section about last SP of a bandit Feb 22nd Added more tips for BoT training at Kentaurus; Divided the BoT or Assaulter section to make a BoT training grounds section; Added tips to avoid losing money; Added links to the ToC :x Feb 14th or so Updated STR CB/LUK CB section; Updated the BoT training grounds; Added a section about the LUK/ATK ratio Useful links: Credits go to the respective authors of these guides/sites Guides Smartguy's Comprehensive Bandit Training Guide A pretty up-to-date and extensive training guide. The Chief Bandit Guide A new guide mostly about Chief Bandit skills. If you’re looking for more details on skills, go there! MPQ Guide A guide to Ludi Maze PQ Others Compilation of Chief Bandit techniques and strategies A collaborative thread from all of Basil’s supah dit stars that’ll give you tips on how to play (including tips on bossing!) Hidden-Street Gives info on items, quests, monsters, jobs, etc. Thief Damage Ranges Here you can compare your damage range to the damage range of other thieves. Don’t be surprised if you don’t fare so well, it’s mostly for very very funded people. Damage Calculator A very useful damage calculator Maple Global Maple Story’s main page (in case you forgot where to find it >_>) Glossary: If there’s a word or acronym you don’t understand, look here. If there’s some more words you don’t understand, just post or PM me so I can add them. Most of these probably won’t be useful to you though, but who knows. For more info on the skills, see this page. For more info on other concepts, check the Table of Contents of the FAQ. 2S = Double Stab. Angelic Betrayal = Level 80 weapon for STR dits AP = ability points, you get 5 of those per level to put in STR, DEX, LUK or INT APQ = Amoria Party Quest AP Reset = Cash shop item used to reset one point from one stat to another Assaulter = 3rd job skill Assassinate = 4th job skill Band of Thieves = 3rd job skill Base DEX = The AP you have in DEX, not counting bonuses from item. Base STR = The AP you have in STR, not counting bonuses from item. Blood Dagger = Level 100 weapon for LUK dits Boomerang Step = 4th job skill Booster = Dagger Booster, 2nd job skill BoT = Band of Thieves Bushido = Level 55 weapon (requires STR but no DEX) BS = Boomerang Step CB = Chief Bandit, 3rd job of a bandit Capping = Not putting AP anymore in DEX and STR, and putting them all in LUK Chakra = 3rd job skill Cursayer = Level 90 weapon for STR dits Dark Sight = 1st job skill Deadly Fin = Level 60 weapon for LUK dits DEXless bandit = Bandit with 25 base DEX Diamond Dagger = Level 50 weapon (requires STR but no DEX) Disorder = 1st job skill Dit = abbreviation of “Bandit” Double Stab = 1st job skill. Some people call it 2S, others x2S, others DS. DS = Dark Sight. Can sometimes refer to Double Stab. DT = Dragon Tail, level 80 weapon for LUK dits Endure = 2nd job skill Fake = Other name of Shadow Shifter Fan = Level 65 weapon (requires STR and no DEX) Fandit = Bandit with 25 base DEX and 35 total STR in order to wear the Fan as last weapon FoG = The Forest of Golem (map) Gold Double Knife = Level 100 weapon for STR dits Golden River = Level 70 weapon for STR dits Haste = 2nd job skill Horntail Necklace = Necklace dropped by Horntail, hardest boss (lvl 120, +22 to all stats once scrolled) Kandine = Level 70 weapon for LUK dits Kebob = Level 75 weapon (does not require DEX) Keen Eyes = 1st job skill (used mostly by assassins) LMPQ = Ludibrium Maze Party Quest Low DEX bandit = A bandit who capped his DEX Lucky Seven = 1st job skill (used mostly by assassins) LUK dit = Bandit that did not add AP in STR Maple Wagner = Level 43 weapon (does not require DEX) Maple Warrior = 4th job skill Mastery = Dagger Mastery, 2nd job skill ME = Mesos Explosion Mesos Explosion = 3rd job skill Meso Guard = 3rd job skill MG = Meso Guard MoN = Mark of Naricain, a pendant gotten from the Crimsonwood Keep Party Quest (level 110, +10 ATK +5 all stats) Nimble body = 1st job skill Ninja Ambush = 4th job skill OHKO = One hit KO, killing monsters in one hit Onyx Apple = Pot that gives +100 ATK for 10 minutes (available from APQ) Pickpocket = 3rd job skill Pot = Potions, recovery items used to recover HP or MP PP = Pickpocket PQ = Party Quest Sai = Level 50 weapon for STR dits Savage Blow = Savage Blow: Dagger, 2nd job skill Shadow Shifter = 4th job skill (other name = Fake) Shield Mastery = 3rd job skill Shinkita = Level 50 weapon for LUK dits Showdown = Other name of Taunt SB = Savage Blow Serpent’s Coil = Level 60 weapon for STR dits Sindit = Bandit that learned Assassin 1st job skills (Lucky Seven and Keen Eyes) Smokescreen = 4th job skill (other name = Smoke Shell) Smoke Shell = Other name of Smokescreen SP = Skill point, you get 3 of those per level to boost your skills Steal = 2nd job skill STR dit = Bandit that added AP in STR in order to wear equips that require STR Taunt = 4th job skill (other name = Showdown) Varkit = Level 90 weapon for LUK dits Venom = 4th job skill (other name = Venomous Stab) Venomous Stab = other name of Venom Warrior Elixirs = Pot that gives +12 ATK for 8 minutes (available in NLC) Zakum Helmet = Helm dropped by Zakum, one of the main bosses (level 50, +15 to all stats) Back to the table of contents No 1: Is a bandit right for me? What are the pros and cons? The easiest way to know if a bandit is right for you is to start by reading the list of cons of the job. If you don’t mind most of them, or if you think that the list of pros compensate for the cons, then go ahead and make a bandit! CONS -Since bandits are a melee class, there’s VERY few “safe” platforms where you can snipe the monsters without getting hit. Expect to use a lot of pots and to always stay alert. -After 4th job, bandits deal lower damage than most other jobs against a single, non-moving target (a boss for instance). For that reason, they are not easily accepted in boss runs. -During 3rd job, bandits can deal more damage than all other jobs against a single, non-moving target, but the only way they can do it is by blowing up tons of mesos for that. Otherwise, they deal rather low damage. -In order to train effectively from 3rd job on (and even more after 4th job), a bandit has to use a lot of different skills rather than spam a single one. In other words, a bandit’s gameplay is slightly more complicated than the gameplay of “spamming” jobs. -Equipment is rather expensive. PROS -From 2nd job on, you will always have max speed and jump. Combined with fast attack weapons and skills, your gameplay will always be fast and active. -Despite the lower damage of Chief Bandits and Shadowers, the speed and versatile attack skills lets you train very fast as long as you know how to use them. Getting 20% an hour at level 110 solo without double EXP is very possible. It also seems that Shadower is the fastest training 4th job after Mages. -The Savage Blow 2nd job skill lets you train very fast during 2nd job. -While most other jobs suffer hell from level 70 to 80, with enough cash to spare, a Chief bandit can zip through those levels in very little time, thanks to Meso Explosion. -Before level 75, a Chief bandit can solo most minor bosses (Crimson Balrogs, Geist Balrog, Jr. Balrog, Blue Mushmom, Manon, Griffey, Headless Horseman, Ergoth) in an instant with Meso Explosion. It’s also very possible (though quite longer) without Meso Explosion. -Bandits have the most avoidability of all jobs (tied with Assassins from 1st to 3rd job, but a LOT better than Assassins during 4th job). It’s pretty nice seeing monsters miss you 15 times in a row. Back to the table of contents No 2: Are Chief Bandits weak? CBs do not deal the highest numbers (except with Meso Explosion, which I do not include for obvious reasons). However, the jobs cannot be compared only in terms of raw damage. If you want to compare jobs, you can do so in terms of EXP earned. At level 85, CBs can earn around 50% an hour solo without double EXP (and without Onyx Apples) and without wasting any cash (22% at level 11X but with cash loss). I’m pretty sure that all other jobs would not get a lot more EXP solo. In other words, what we lack in raw numbers, we make up with moving speed, attacking speed and attack versatility, which help speed up training in their own way. Oh and we can deal around 10k with Assaulter at level 8x, so we're not that weak even in numbers  Back to the table of contents No 3: How am I supposed to add STR, DEX and LUK when I level and when I begin? When you first create your character and you intend him to be a LUK bandit, you should aim for the following stats: STR: 4 DEX: any INT: 4 LUK: any If you intend to be a STR bandit, you should aim for the following stats: STR: any (preferably as low as possible) DEX: any INT: 4 LUK: any You may not be able to get a 4 in STR and INT on the first try, it may take you quite a long while… but don’t sweat it, even if you can get only 4 and 5. A lot of people don’t have the patience to get a 4/4 (myself included, I have 5 in STR). Between STR, DEX and LUK, DEX is your highest priority when you start, even if you’re a STR bandit. Why? - Because DEX improves your damage as a beginner (unlike LUK). - Because even as a STR bandit, you will not need STR before level 20, and even at level 20, you only need 10 STR. - Because anyway you need 25 DEX in order to become a Rogue. As a Beginner, your priority is to get your DEX at 25 as soon as possible. As soon as your DEX reaches 25, put all your points in LUK, even if you’re going to be a STR bandit. Make sure you do not put any AP in ANYTHING ELSE than LUK and DEX or it’ll be a waste. If you’re going the STR bandit way, points in STR are not wasted eternally, but they’re still a waste until level 20. Keep in mind that as soon as you become a Rogue, LUK is going to be the stat that increases your damage the most (and DEX and STR both increases it a little, while INT doesn’t do anything). Now when you become a Rogue, you might want to think about A) Capping your DEX – and STR if you’re gonna be a STR dit (see 20) Capping DEX and STR). Though it might be a bit early to think about capping your DEX already, it’s always good to plan ahead. B) Becoming DEXless (see 4) DEXless bandits, fandits, lowDEX bandits… what am I supposed to do to deal the very best damage I can?) If you’re not going to be DEXless, your aim is to get DEX roughly equal to twice your level in order to wear the new clothes. What I suggest is to always wait until the last moment before you add DEX. For example: You are level 15. You have 30 DEX. Your next weapon (at level 17) requires 35 DEX. Make you sure that when you reach level 16, you add 5 LUK. When you reach level 17, add 5 DEX to wear the weapon. Since LUK increases your damage more than DEX, it’s better to get the damage increase earlier, and boost your DEX at the last moment. As soon as you reach level 40, you will now need only 40 DEX more than your level in order to wear equips. In other words, for level 50 equips, you need 90 DEX. For level 60 equips, you need 100 DEX, etc. Once again, make sure you add the DEX at the last moment. From level 41 to 48, add 5 LUK. Then, at level 49 and 50, add 5 DEX. Always keep on eye on the requirements of your next equips! If you are a STR bandit, you will need a STR equal to your level minus 10, up to level 60. After level 50, you will only need to add 5 STR per 10 levels (55 STR at level 70, 60 STR at level 80, 65 STR at level 90, etc.). Same thing than for DEX: keep your STR as low as possible until you really need to boost it. Back to the table of contents No 4: DEXless bandits, fandits, lowDEX bandits… what am I supposed to do to deal the very best damage I can? Let’s start with a few definitions to clarify it all. A DEXless bandit is a bandit with 25 base DEX and 4 base STR (or more STR if your character didn’t start with 4 in STR). DEXless bandits can only equip items that do not require DEX. Typical DEXless equips: Weapon: Korean Fan, Maple Wagner, Kebob, Maple Dark Mate, Maple Asura Dagger Armor: Sauna Robe, Bathrobe Hat: Bamboo Hat, Zakum Helm Gloves: Work Gloves, Stormcaster gloves Shoes: Black Snowshoes (also called BSS), Facestompers A fandit is a bandit with 25 DEX and 35 total STR (equips + base STR). Fandits cannot wear items that require DEX either, but they can wear some more weapons than DEXless bandits (they can wear the fan, hence the name “fandit”). Fandits aren’t really popular nowadays, with the level 64 Maple weapons. Typical fandit equips: Weapon: Korean Fan, Maple Wagner, Bushido, Diamond Dagger, Fan Armor: Sauna Robe, Bathrobe Hat: Bamboo Hat, Zakum Helm Gloves: Work Gloves, Stormcaster gloves Shoes: Black Snowshoes (also called BSS), Facestompers A lowDEX bandit is a regular bandit who uses the DEX from equips in order to wear the highest level clothes and weapons possible. Bandits should always cap their DEX in order to get as much LUK as possible (see 20) Capping DEX and STR). Both STR bandits and LUK bandits can be low DEX. STR bandits can also be low STR (and they thus cap their DEX and their STR). Typical lowDEX equips: Weapon: Any dagger, usually level 80+ Armor: Any clothes, usually level 80+ Hat: Any hat, Zakum helm Gloves: Work Gloves, Stormcaster gloves or thief gloves Shoes: Black Snowshoes (also called BSS), Facestompers or thief shoes Let’s continue with some pros and cons for different kinds of bandits. DEXless/fandit Pros: -Highest damage of all builds from level 11 to level 95 or so (varies depending on funding) -Around level 65, deals quite a lot more damage than other builds. -Very simple to make, very few stats to play with (all AP in LUK) -Can easily switch builds (just add AP in DEX/STR) -Horntail Necklace and Maple Warrior helps this build the most in case you want to change build -Build that gets the biggest damage bonus from ATK pots Cons: -Lowest damage of all builds after 4th job, sometimes even after level 110 -As levels go after 4th job, the damage gap between DEXless and other builds becomes wider and wider -Lowest defence of all, gets hit for quite a lot more and consequently wastes more pots -Least choice of equips STR bandit (low STR low DEX) Pros: -Deals more damage than all other builds after 4th job. -Only build able to wear the great Khanjar and Dragon Khanjar shields -Widest choice of equips, can wear the equips of all other builds -The damage difference between a STR bandit and a LUK bandit is never very large (the LUK dit will never deal a lot more than a STR dit, and the STR dit will never deal a lot more than the LUK dit) Cons: -Deals less damage than all other builds before 4th job -Changing build is impossible without AP resets -Horntail necklace and Maple Warrior not as effective unless you use AP resets -Has to deal with three different stats (might be bothersome for some) -Build that gets the smallest damage bonus from ATK pots More info on STR bandits: 5) What about STR Chief Bandits? (AKA what’s better, STR or LUK?) LUK bandit (low DEX) Pros: -Deals more damage than all other builds from level 95 to 120 or so. -Never deals the least damage of all builds (from level 1 to 120, STR is weakest, from level 120 on, DEXless is weakest) -Can change to STR build easily (just add AP in STR) -Horntail Necklace and Maple Warrior help a lot if you want to change to the STR build Cons: -Nothing really As you can see, in order to deal the best damage you can with your funds, you will have to start as a DEXless bandit. 4 STR, 25 DEX, 4 INT, the rest in LUK. When you get to level 35 (where you can get a Korean fan) and then to level 43 (where you can get a Maple Wagner), you should outdamage your lowDEX and normal DEX counterparts by a LOT. As levels increase, however, the difference will start to get lower. Your next weapon will either be a fan (level 65, 35 STR required) or a level 64 Maple Dagger (preferably a Maple Asura Dagger, no stats required). Whatever your choice is, this weapon will last you until you come out of DEXlessness. If you choose a fan, make sure you add enough AP in STR to be able to wear them (see following example). You can also wear a Diamond Dagger (level 50, 8 STR required) and a Bushido (level 55, 30 STR required) while waiting for the fan, if you can find a good one. Why am I not talking about wearing a Kebob? Well even with its nice attack boost, it’s not recommended, simply because it is slower than other daggers (see 24) Does booster work with the Shinkita? What about the Kebob?). Now, when exactly will you have to become lowDEX in order to deal your very best damage? To say the truth, it depends a lot on funding. If you can get incredible DEXless equips, you may stay DEXless for quite a while. However, let’s make an example with a well funded fandit (calculations confirmed by sefen, thanks) PLEASE NOTE that I am not fully aware of all the prices on the market, and that prices may differ from one world to the best. This is an approximate comparison at best. Let’s say a level 90 fandit has the following equips and stats: 10 STR (+25 from equips), 25 DEX (+24 from equips), 4 INT, 432 LUK (+70 from equips) 10 ATK 5 STR Maple Shield 13 ATK Stormcaster Gloves 15/15/15/15 Zakum helm 99 ATK 9 LUK Fan 5/5/5/5 Deputy Star 23 LUK Sauna 2 ATK 3 DEX Facestompers 2 ATK 8 LUK cape 10 LUK earrings A DEXless with a Maple Asura Dagger would be slightly better than the above fandit (1 ATK less, 10 LUK more), but the difference isn’t big enough to make more calculations A level 90 lowDEX LUK bandit with the same funding should have the following equips and stats : 4 STR (+25 from equips), 83 DEX (+47 from equips), 4 INT, 384 LUK (+54 from equips) 10 ATK 5 STR Maple Shield 13 ATK Stormcaster Gloves 15/15/15/15 Zakum helm 108 ATK 9 LUK Varkit 5/5/5/5 Pendant 17 LUK 1 DEX top 13 DEX 3 LUK bottom 2 ATK 3 DEX Facestompers 2 ATK 8 LUK cape 10 DEX earrings At level 90, the fandit would have a damage range of: 1335-2382 (avg. 1858.5) At level 90, the lowDEX LUK bandit would have a damage range of: 1364-2343 (avg. 1853.5) At level 90, the Fandit still outdamages the lowDEX LUK bandit, but only slightly. Let’s see what happens at level 100 (so both with 50 LUK more, providing the lowDEX LUK doesn’t get a blood dagger). At level 100, the fandit would have a damage range of: 1457-2609 (avg. 2033) At level 100, the lowDEX LUK bandit would have a damage range of: 1495-2586 (avg. 2040.5) From this you can see that at level 100, a lowDEX LUK bandit as already passed a fandit in terms of damage. If you are not as well funded as the example provided, equally funded lowDEX bandits may start to outdamage you at level 90 or so. If you are better funded, you may still beat them until level 105 or so. If you are MUCH better funded, maybe even up until level 120. You might also want to note that I didn’t take ATK pots into account. A DEXless bandit or Fandit gets a bigger damage bonus from ATK pots than a lowDEX bandit. If you’re training with Apples, you might want to stick to DEXless for a while still. Even if you’re training with Warrior elixirs, you might want to wait 5 more levels before changing. Once you get to the point where you do not outdamage lowDEX anymore, you will have to switch to lowDEX if you want to keep dealing the best damage possible. Since you need 83 base DEX for the above example, expect to deal less damage than the equally funded lowDEX bandits for the next 10 levels. Once you get the DEX you need though, you will be back on top. Do NOT reset the AP you could’ve put in STR! Sure, it’s going to be a liability for the next few levels, but you’ll need them back shortly. Indeed, your trip into lowDEXness will be of short duration if you have enough cash for a Dragon Khanjar… which you should, since they’re so cheap nowadays. From roughly level 95 to level 120, lowDEX LUK are the strongest type of bandits. However, with level 120 and the Dragon Khanjar comes a new king: the lowDEX lowSTR bandit. The Dragon Khanjar needs 75 STR and 150 DEX, but since it gives 15 ATK when it’s clean and since it’s dirt cheap, converting your dit is worth it. To tell you the truth, at level 120, both STR and LUK bandits are pretty much just as strong, like the DEXless and lowDEX were equal at around level 95. However, as levels go, STR will steadily be gaining the advantage… so you might as well switch as soon as it’s worth it. So now you have to start adding some AP in STR and DEX when you level. Don’t forget that STR equips can also help you, so keep an eye on the market to see if you can find a good deal. Once you’re able to wear your Dragon Khanjar and a good STR dagger, you’re set. You will deal the most damage you can with your funding. It might not look very tempting to change builds as often as you’ve read in the last few paragraphs, but it IS the only way to be strong as much in the beginning than in the middle and in the end. Nothing stops you from starting as a STR dit and continuing as a STR dit, but if your objective is dealing more damage than everyone, be aware that you’ll deal less damage than your equally funded counterparts until you reach level 120. Back to the table of contents No 5: What about STR Chief Bandits? (AKA what’s better, STR or LUK?) PLEASE NOTE that this section has radically changed now that Dragon Khanjars are around 5-10 million mesos. It makes quite a change, compared to when they were 500 mil each. OK, here we go. STR Chief Bandits are unequivocally weaker than their LUK counterparts up to level 79. The main reason why they usually deal less damage than LUK CBs is because they have to spend AP in STR in order to wear their daggers. Sure, their daggers have slightly higher ATK (2 more than LUK daggers), but those 2 points in ATK do not compensate for the STR they need. Even if STR daggers are cheaper, since LUK is equal to 3.6 STR, for each 10 points of STR you have, you’re basically losing 6.4 LUK which, according to your level, could be worth 1 or 2 ATK (see 19) How much LUK equals 1 ATK?). Now, at level 80, STR Chief Bandits get a new ATK shield, the Khanjar, which gives 7 ATK clean. Some people say that 7 ATK is enough to compensate, and that STR CBs with Khanjars are as strong as LUK CBs. Some other people don’t think so. I’m not going to dwelve in on this, but let’s make a compromise: STR CBs with Khanjars are mostly equal to LUK CBs, perhaps a tiny bit weaker. At level 120, STR CBs get the Dragon Khanjar and its whopping 15 ATK. Dragon Khanjars used to be VERY expensive because they were very rare (and very good). Now, thanks to the Gacha Boxes event, they’re one of a CB’s cheapest equips. Let’s say a STR CB and a LUK CB have all their equips but a shield (the other STR and LUK equips are roughly the same price). Give them a few hundred mils and: -The LUK bandit will spend it all to get a good shield -The STR bandit can get an ok shield for 5 mil, spend part of the rest to scroll the shield with ATK to improve it and spend the rest into even better equips. Despite their obvious advantage in terms of equipment cost, STR bandits will not deal much better damage than LUK bandits until later in 4th job. Around level 120-130, both types of bandits will be about as strong, then the STR dit will progressively become stronger. Now let’s go back to some other issues about STR vs LUK The “STR daggers are cheaper” issue Yes, STR daggers are cheaper. However, all STR dits (lower than level 120) that want to deal the same damage or more than a LUK dit will have to spend MORE than a LUK CB. Further example: a lot of STR CBs say “a 100 ATK Angelic Betrayal is a lot cheaper than a 100 ATK Dragon Tail, so STR CBs will have more cash to buy better other equips”. However, you have to consider that a 95 ATK DT will be stronger than a 100 ATK Angelic Betrayal, and probably just as cheap (or cheaper). Going low STR Of course, going low DEX or low STR is always a good idea. However, except for a Zakum Helm and Deputy Star/Spiegelmann Necklace (which I've included in my calculations), which give respectively 15/5/1 stats to STR, LUK and DEX, there are NO equips that benefit only a STR CB. All the equips you could scroll for STR you can scroll for LUK. The only exception is your shield: if you scroll it with ATK, you will get a small STR boost. But then again, if you intend on scrolling a Dragon Khanjar with ATK, you will not be able to benefit from the small STR boost, since the shield itself is the equip that needs the most STR you will have to wear. Dagger speed It has been proven that except for the Shinkita and the Kebob, all daggers, whether STR or LUK, have exactly the same speed with Booster. Those marked as “faster” are not any faster than the daggers marked as “fast”. The Shinkita and Kebob are slower for some unknown reason. The Horntail Necklace Nowadays, the Horntail Necklace gives 22 to all stats. Some other versions of Maple have it give up to 52 in all stats… whether GMS will have this new and improved Horntail Necklace, no one can know yet. Probably not, though, since they removed the glitched pendants we used to have when Vicious Hammers were released. Of course, 22 to all stats is a very nice boost, especially for STR dits (or wannabe STR dits), since it lets you cap your DEX and STR lower. However, the Horntail Necklace is NOT recommended. Why? Because it’s way too expensive, especially compared to the Mark of Naricain, a pendant that is much easier to get, that you can wear earlier and that gives better stats: 5 to all stats and 10 to ATK. Maple Warrior It is possible for Shadowers to use the skill Maple Warrior (4th job, adds 10% to STR, DEX and LUK when maxed) in order to boost their stats to wear higher level equips. STR Shadowers benefit of this more than LUK Shadowers, since they have 3 active stats (STR, DEX and LUK) rather than 2 (DEX and LUK). If they use Maple Warrior to wear a Dragon Khanjar for instance, they can get free STR and DEX and, consequently, more LUK. If it’s not for a Dragon Khanjar, they might need to use AP resets to lower STR and DEX in order to benefit from Maple Warrior as much as possible (like LUK bandits would for their DEX). Note that using Maple Warrior in order to wear equips is not always a good idea, especially if you boss often. A single dispel and your weapon is gone (until you recast it of course). Attack pots and skills As you may have seen in the comparison above, when you get an ATK bonus, the damage increase will depend on your LUK total. Since LUK bandits have more LUK than STR bandits, when they take pots that increase ATK (Onyx apples, Warrior elixirs, Warrior pills…) or when they’re affected by ATK increasing skills (Rage), LUK bandits get a bigger damage bonus than STR bandits. Note that the damage difference really isn’t that big (probably only very noticeable with Onyx Apples), but still enough for LUK dits to have a better range than STR bandits at the first 4th job levels. Stable damage? Even though people think that STR CBs have "stable damage", that's not exactly true. For both types of dits, the minimum damage will be roughly equal to 60%. For STR bandits, it’s usually 2% more stable than for LUK dits. In the above example for instance : The LUK Shadower had a range of 1843-3219. His min is equal to 57.2% of his max. The STR Shadower had a range of 1885-3189. His min is equal to 59.1% of his max. Why isn’t the minimum damage always equal to 60% of the maximum, even if mastery is 60%? Why is the minimum of STR bandits higher? Because there’s another factor in the equation that gives them slightly higher min damage (thanks Azuresting for the details): Formulas for thief damage: Maximum Damage = [(LUK * 3.6 + STR + DEX) / 100] * Weapon Attack Minimum Damage = [(LUK * 0.9 * 3.6 * Skill Mastery + STR + DEX) / 100] * Weapon Attack As you can see in the formula, only LUK is multiplied by Mastery. In other words, STR and DEX both add just as much to your maximum and minimum damage, while LUK will add more damage to the maximum than to the minimum. However, because of the 3.6 factor, LUK STILL adds more to minimum damage than either STR or DEX. In other words, the higher your STR and the higher your DEX, the more stable your damage will be. However, the higher your STR and the higher your DEX, the lower your overall damage will be (if these STR and DEX points replace LUK points). If you made a LUKless bandit (as has been done before), your damage range would be incredibly stable (and incredibly low)… even if you had 0 points in Mastery. However, with the little points we have in STR and DEX compared to LUK, the stability difference isn’t even noticeable. Back to the table of contents Recommended build: Rogue 1) Max Double Stab 2) Get 18 in Nimble Body 3) Get 3 in Disorder 4) Max Dark Sight Explanation: It’s all pretty straightforward. Max your attack first, then boost your avoid and accuracy to reduce pot cost and attack higher level monsters (you’ll max Nimble Body in 2nd job). Finish it with max Dark Sight so you can combine it with Haste during 2nd job. For more info, check the other Rogue parts of the FAQ or PM me :p Back to the table of contents No 6: Disorder or Dark Sight? Dark Sight is much, much, much more useful. When it’s maxed, it does not lower your speed and it can thus be combined with haste. It's also quite useful for dropping mesos during boss runs and for Assassinate in 4th job (which requires of you to stay in Dark Sight in order to charge the skill). On the other hand, Disorder is only useful to get monsters to stop attacking you – the defence and attack penalty doesn’t change much. However, Disorder can stop monsters attacking you even when it is only level 1. There’s no point in boosting it. If you’ve chosen Disorder already, don’t despair, you get a few absolutely worthless SP in 3rd job you’ll be able to use for Dark Sight (instead of Chakra or Shield Mastery), even though it kinda sucks to use 3rd job SP on a first job skill. If you want (thanks iamfunny for reminding me), you can also take some 2nd job SP to max Dark Sight. Steal and Endure can be fun/slightly useful, but you’re better off with Dark Sight than either of those. Back to the table of contents No 7: Where should I be training as a Rogue? So many new places have appeared and so much time has passed since I was a Rogue that I cannot really tell you ALL of the best training spots. You should check Smartguy's Comprehensive Bandit Training Guide What I would personally do: Go to Pig Beach (map) first, then go to the secret Octopus map left of Kerning (map) once Pig Beach gets slow. Great spawn, weak monsters, great EXP. Back to the table of contents Recommended build: Bandit If you did not follow the Recommended build for Rogues, your build might be a little different, but you should get the picture. 1) Get 19 in Mastery 2) Get 11 in Savage Blow 3) Get 3 in Booster 4) Max Savage Blow 5) Max Haste 6) Max Booster 7) Max Endure 8) Max Nimble Body (1st job) 9) Get 1 in Steal 10) Get 8 in Keen Eyes (1st job) 11) Max Mastery Explanation: Start with Mastery to improve your damage and accuracy without increasing pot costs. Continue with your new main attack and add some Booster in the middle (when SB reaches 5 hits) for added speed. Finish your attack, then boost your speed with Haste, max Booster so you don’t need to recast it. Then max Endure to recover more MP, finish Nimble Body in first job for the avoid and accuracy boost, get a tiny bit of Steal and finish with Keen Eyes, which will let you take the place of ranged character in GPQ (or any other PQ that could require it). Finish with one last point in Mastery to get more accuracy in order to go earlier to the best training grounds. For more info, check the other Bandit parts of the FAQ or PM me :p Back to the table of contents No 8: Savage Blow or Mastery first? Here’s a few facts about Savage Blow (SB), Double Stab (2S) and Mastery that may help you decide. If you want my opinion, see “What I recommend” below. NB: This is up to date with SB’s new damage changes (4 hits at level 1, 5 hits at level 11) and DS’s new damage changes (2x 140% rather than 130%) Effect You might be tired of 2S for now, and SB is a whole new skill, much better looking than the old 2S. Mastery is a passive skill, in other words you do not have to activate it for it to work. Mastery increases your minimum damage by 5% every 2 level of Mastery, up to 60% when it is level 19 or maxed. If you learn Mastery first, though, you will have to keep on using 2S for quite a few more levels. Oh and just in case you’re wondering, the Chinese letters that appear when you use Savage Blow are supposed to mean “Strike the sky until it bleeds, KILL”. Damage Maxed SB without Mastery deals around 115% of the damage of 2S with Mastery (and level 21 SB deals around 105% of the damage of 2S with Mastery). SB is NOT a great damage improvement until you get Mastery. Also note that despite what used to be said, SB is NOT more affected by defence than any other skill. Range SB’s range is much better than 2S. While 2S can only strike monsters directly in front of you, SB has a good chance of hitting monsters above and below you. If you jump and attack with SB, you have a much better chance of hitting the monster than if you jump and attack with 2S. However, 2S can strike a tiny bit further in front of you than SB. Speed 2S is quite faster than SB, especially without Dagger Booster. Even with Dagger Booster, 2S is about 20% faster than SB. Knock Back Most lower level monsters are knocked back whenever they’re hit. These monsters will be knocked back 6 times if you hit them with SB, rather than twice if you hit them with 2S. At this level usually, the more a monster is knocked back, the least he’s likely to hit you. However, the least you’re likely to chain attacks on him. Note that when you fight monsters that need a certain amount of damage to be knocked back, since each hit of 2S is stronger than each hit of SB, you’re more likely to knock back the enemy with 2S than with SB. MP cost SB costs about twice more MP than 2S. Effect at lower skill levels Mastery is progressively useful. In other words, even with 3 SP in it, it still improves your damage. SB, on the other hand, is absolutely useless before it is level 15 or so (it will still deal less damage than Double Stab if you do not have Mastery), and it will only deal visibly higher damage than Double Stab when it’s level 27 or so. Time needed to max the skills Mastery is maxed (well, not maxed, it reaches level 19 rather, since you don’t need to put it at level 20) at level 36 if you put your first SP in it, that’s four levels before you would’ve maxed SB if you had started with SB instead (level 40). In other words, you could have 19 mastery AND 12 SB by the time the other build has maxed SB. What I recommend If you’re not funded, i.e. if you do not have good equips and lots of cash for pots, there’s no doubt that you should go Mastery first. The little damage less that you deal will be compensated by the speed and by the reduced pot use. If you’re funded, I’d still recommend that you go with Mastery first, UNLESS you really can’t stand using Double Stab longer. In that case, go with Savage Blow up to level 21, then get Mastery to level 19 before maxing SB. If you’re going the sindit way, you should start with 21 SB, then 19 Mastery. Back to the table of contents No 9: Endure? Steal? What do I do with the last 2nd job SP? Before adding SP in either Endure or Steal, make sure that Savage Blow, Booster, Haste and Dark Sight are maxed, and that Mastery is at at least 19. Those are all the essential skills. Having maxed Nimble Body (1st job) might also be a good idea. With the SP you have left, you can really do whatever you want, it will not affect you much. I would recommend adding at least 1 in Steal and the rest in Endure: it’s always nice to have a little bit of all skills, and the MP regeneration of Endure can save you some pots (it is ALWAYS active, not only on a ladder). Don’t forget that whenever you sit on a chair or bench, your MP regeneration is multiplied by 150%: if you have Endure, you’ll recover 37 mp while sitting, compared to 4 mp if you don’t have the skill. You could also have fun learning Lucky Seven and Keen Eyes if you want – it could always be useful if you need long range in a PQ. However, as I first said, those SP are not really that useful in any way. Do what you wish with them! If you’re wondering why you shouldn’t bother with Steal, here’s a few reasons: 1) Even when maxed (with a whopping 30 SP), Steal only has 40% chance to work 2) If you get a drop with Steal, once you kill the monster, it will not drop the same thing again (so you’re better off killing the monster) 3) Steal doesn't work against bosses 4) More than 60% of the time, if Steal works, it will only make the monster drop a few mesos (usually less than 100). And since Steal can only work once against a particular monster, you can’t expect better. I did get a few good drops with Steal, but I don’t think they were worth the time spent. Back to the table of contents No 10: Where should I be training as a Bandit? So many new places have appeared and so much time has passed since I was a Bandit that I cannot really tell you ALL of the best training spots. You should check Smartguy's Comprehensive Bandit Training Guide What I would personally do: Try Monster Carnival with friends so you can keep your coins, avoid losing too often and having great fun (with the very best EXP possible) up to level 50 (which would get you possibly a few necklaces which you could keep/sell). Then, after level 50 try Ludi Maze PQ up to level 70 (great EXP, great stable cash). Whenever you get tired of PQing, you could also try training at STDs (map), Coolies (map), Samihos (make sure you learn the shortcuts on the map, they’re very useful - map), FoG (map), Gryphons (map), Voodoos (map or map), Windraiders (map) and Selkie Jr. (map). Back to the table of contents Recommended build: Chief Bandit If you did not follow the Recommended build for Rogues and Bandits, your build might be a little different, but you should get the picture. 0) ONLY if you intend to train with Meso Explosion: Get 1 in Meso Explosion 1) Get 1 in Assaulter 2) Get 18 in BoT 3) Get 3 in Chakra 4) Get 1 in Meso Guard 5) Max BoT 6) Max Meso Guard 7) Max Assaulter 8) Max Meso Explosion 9) Get 11 in Pickpocket 10) Max Chakra Explanation: Start with 1 in Meso Explosion if you intend to train with it, otherwise start with 1 in Assaulter for mobility. Start maxing BoT, your main EXP maker, and learn Chakra for Meso Guard when it’s time to move to stronger monsters. Finish maxing your BoT, then max Meso Guard so you save more cash and recast it less often. Max Assaulter to deal more damage during your move, then max Meso Explosion for bosses or other situations where you might need it. Get some SP in Pickpocket in order to mark your territory and play around, and finish with Chakra in case you run out of pots at 99.95% and you really don’t want to go back to town before levelling. For more info, check the other Chief Bandit parts of the FAQ or PM me :p Back to the table of contents No 11: Where can I train as a low level Chief Bandit? So you finally made it to CB, but your new skills aren’t powerful yet. Where are you supposed to train now? If you’re funded and you’re in a hurry to level, put your first SP in Meso Explosion so you can go train at Elder Wraiths (map). Why Elder Wraiths? Because they follow you, so you barely have to move to kill them, and because you can sell their drops if you have a shop to compensate a bit for all the cash you’ve wasted when training. Be aware, though, that Elder Wraiths deal a LOT of damage, so you should wait until you have at least 1 in Meso Guard. There’s also the good old Gobies (map). Bomb the houses with ME using the fast-money-drop trick to get the fastest EXP available to you right now. You might want to check out this table to see just how much cash you’ll have to explode to get to whatever level you want to be (credits goes to the table’s author, whoever s/he is). If you’re wondering how you’re supposed to train effectively with ME, I suggest you check this part of my guide: 15) Meso Explosion: How do you drop mesos so fast for ME? How much do I have to drop? If you’re not into that whole waste-your-money-so-you-get-more-EXP kind of thing, I’d suggest you stick to the same spots you were training at before level 70. Depending on your equips and playing style, you might want to try STDs (map), Coolies (map), Samihos (make sure you learn the shortcuts on the map, they’re very useful - map), FoG (map), Gryphons (map), Voodoos (map or map), Windraiders (map) and Selkie Jr. (map). As usual, you can also take a look at Smartguy's Comprehensive Bandit Training Guide Back to the table of contents No 12: All you need to know about Assaulter and BoT, AKA Assaulter or BoT first? I personally went Assaulter first, and I now realize why going BoT first is much better. I have yet to see a good training place where you can get better EXP with Assaulter than with BoT. Maple is a game where you get the most of your EXP by either mobbing, or one hit KOing the monsters. After level 80 or so, there are NO monsters you can one hit KO that give decent EXP. Mobbing is the way to go. But you have to know how to do it. How to train with Assaulter and BoT BoT is relatively trickier to use than Assaulter. Assaulter is simple enough: There’s a monster in front of you. You press the button. Attack. Turn around and repeat until the monster dies. You can play with Assaulter’s range in order to get hit less, getting close to the monster at first, then zooming from side to side. In all cases, the monster dies and you get the EXP. Now with BoT, if you do that, you won’t get decent EXP since you have to hit multiple monsters to use the skill to its maximum potential. With BoT, you cannot just “attack away” and hope the monsters come close to you. You have to GO AND GET THEM. This is VERY important. Move around the floor of a map. Hit all monsters ONCE and bring them all in a corner. Once they’re all there, your BoT will CONSTANTLY deal its maximum of 1260% (6 times 210 %). That’s almost three times as much as Assaulter. And you know what? It’s also a lot faster than Assaulter. Expect dealing around five times as much damage over time as you’d deal with Assaulter. Another thing. If you haven’t noticed it by yourself, when you use BoT, the monsters are knocked back IN THE DIRECTION YOU FACE. Yes, even those behind you. This is very important since your objective with BoT is to make the mob tight enough so you always have 6 targets in the limited range. By hitting the monsters left of the mob while facing right, you’ll make your mob more compact. Same thing if you hit the monsters right of the mob while facing left. The good and the bad of Assaulter and BoT Pros of Assaulter: -Easy to train with -Helps to move around -Ignores the monster’s defence (ONLY if your level is higher than the level of the monster you attack) -Can hit monsters on a ledge slightly above you, helping you avoid attacks and save pots -Will not activate unless there’s a monster in range (making sure you won’t use the skill for nothing) -Can stun monsters very frequently (80% of the time) when maxed, helping you avoid attacks and save pots -Very flashy animation :p Cons of Assaulter: -Lower damage than SB against monsters higher level than you -Slower than SB, thus might take you more time to defeat most monsters than if you use SB (though using SB will make you waste quite a lot more pots) -Assaulter launches you forward, which might not be a good idea against bosses and very large/strong monsters -Not very useful for training before it’s level 20+ (except for the teleport effect) Pros of BoT: -If you can get 3 monsters or more in range, deals more damage in a single attack than all of your other skills -Very fast – by the time you use Assaulter, you could’ve used BoT twice -Your only skill able to hit more than one monster up to level 120, and still a very useful mob move after 4th job -Lets you get better EXP than all other skills except ME if you use it well – for much cheaper than ME Cons of BoT: -Might take some getting used to -Requires you to jump head on in the mobs in order to be efficient (lets you get hit quite a lot) -If you’re not using supreme pizzas, can cost you quite a lot of MP. -Not very useful before it’s level 12 -First hit has to strike an enemy next to you (just like a normal attack) -Range is not very large Back to the table of contents No 13: Where can I train with Assaulter? Once you’re past level 80, if you went with the Assaulter build, you’ll start thinking that OHKO isn’t really good EXP anymore. With the Assaulter build, you can pretty much kill any monster, but since it’s one on one, it’s hard to get good EXP. Gobies is always a good place: Assaulter the house, ME the gobies. DTs are supposed to be good, but I always thought it very slow, and the perspective of getting 0 good drops isn’t really appealing. A very good alternative is Vikings. The EXP isn’t as good as gobies, but you barely have to use any pots AND you could get Ilbis! And it might provide you a break from your dozens of levels at Gobies too. Follow the following guide to know how to train at Vikings: HQ LQ Back to the table of contents Next sections in the other thread, go back to the Table of Contents and it will direct you there. Replies
I might sound like a noob but.... what does OKHO stand for?(its not in the word list)
Plz dont just post for saying 1st or second..... Oh right, I guess I should add it.
OHKO = One hit KO, it means when you kill monsters in one hit. Thanks :D Might wanna change the goby exploding table to match with the new exp change.
i know this is stupid and ull think IM stupid for asking this but wat is BoT?
cloud365: i know this is stupid and ull think IM stupid for asking this but wat is BoT? That's exactly the reason why I made a glossary Hey, Sorry if i missed it or anything, but where should i train once i'm like 80/90+ because i don't really have the money to bomb at wraiths and selkies are getting and im already CB.
Thanks Nice Guide BTW =) kieran2000: Hey, Sorry if i missed it or anything, but where should i train once i'm like 80/90+ because i don't really have the money to bomb at wraiths and selkies are getting and im already CB. Thanks Nice Guide BTW =) If you're going max BoT, train at one of the training grounds for BoT. If you're going max Assaulter, train at one of the training grounds for Assaulter :p UPDATE! Updated with Mu Lung dojo Changed all EXP rates to include the +25% Some other small edits Erm,if i wanna make a low dex dit now,wht should i get?,i already have a dex23 robe,can you plz tell me wht else i need? Tyvm
Wow so complicated but its like so awesome :D Keep it up :D
I was considering making a bandit, but now that I hear that they aint very good at bosses, Im starting to back off... :
Can you help me cuz i dun really understand what to do for the luk bandit(low dex) like when do i stop dexlessness?
Really nice guide !.......by far the best bandit guide that I have seem so far, keep up the good work .
Btw, can you add a Shadower section. Page: 1 | 2
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BasilMarket is Copyright 2004-2010 BasilMarket.com. All rights reserved.
Use of any BasilMarket.com content without permission is strictly forbidden.
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made a new bandit today (;