Attack speed explained to all classes Except Mages
I was inspired to write this after my Shadower friend spent $100 on Miracle Circulators to get the +1 Attack Speed IA, when in fact it does absolutely nothing for his class.
Plus, people ask time to time on this forum on what the attack speed cap is--or if it even exists--and whether they reached the speed cap.
Why does this happen? Because Nexon made the attack speed system in this game confusing as heck.
For those wondering if there is a speed cap, yes there [b]are[/b]. Two speed caps, in fact.
This is a bit of a text wall, but for those not clear on speed caps, hopefully I can make you understand this overly-confusing topic.
[b]NOTE: THE FOLLOWING DOES NOT APPLY TO ANY MAGE CLASSES. THEY USE A DIFFERENT ATTACK SPEED SYSTEM.[/b]
[b]Attack Speed Value Description & Explanation:[/b]
Before we start, here's the values for the attack speed description that's on your weapon:
Fastest (0), Fastest (1)
Faster (2), Faster (3)
Fast (4), Fast (5)
Normal (6)
Slow (7), Slow (8)
Slower (9)
Why is the same word used to describe two speeds, like Slow (7) and Slow (8)? Cuz Nexon.
For example, most lower leveled polearms have their attack speed described as Slow, with one big exception to the Lv80 Eclipse polearm. The Lv80 Eclipse polearm is also described as Slow--just like other polearms--but it is noticeably faster in attacking than other Slow-labeled polearms. Thus, the Eclipse polearm is designated as Slow (7) while the rest of the slow polearms are Slow (8).
These exceptions are also present in other weapons like 1h/2h swords, daggers, etc. I don't remember each and every one so don't ask me for that. However, the exceptions mainly reside in warrior weapons and thief daggers that's been in the game data for a LONG TIME (stuff released before Empress equips), so for the most part you don't have to worry.
[b]Speed Boosting Skills from you Class Skills:[/b]
Most classes have skill(s) that make you attack faster, the most common one being some sort of a booster skill.
Most booster skills give you +2 attack speed, but some classes like Angelic Buster only give you +1 attack speed, some classes like Arans give you +3 attack speed, and some classes have more than one skill that increase your attack speed (i.e. Cannon Shooter's Reinforced Cannon gives an additional +1 attack speed, Buccaneer's Speed Infusion gives an additional +2 speed).
So Cannon Shooters for instance, since all of their Cannons are Slow (8) speed, they would be attacking at Fast (5) using the speed boosting skills that came with their class (+2 from booster and +1 from Reinforced Cannon).
[b]Explanation of the Speed Caps and Examples:[/b]
[b][i]1) Soft speed cap, which is Faster (2). All weapon speed boosting skills and potions can be applied to reach the soft speed cap.[/b][/i]
[b][i]2) Hard speed cap, which is Fastest (0). Most attack speed boosting skills cannot be used to reach the hard speed cap.[/b][/i]
Example 1: Let's take a Dark Knight for example since it's a relatively popular class.
Dark Knights will use either the Fafnir Polearm (Fast (5) speed) or the Fafnir Spear (Normal (6) speed) as their end-game weapons.
They have just one attack speed boosting skill: weapon booster, which gives +2 attack speed. So they'll be attacking at Faster (3) speed with the Polearm, or Fast (4) speed with the Spear, using only their booster skill.
Let's say the Dark Knight partied with a Buccaneer and he/she buffed them with their Speed Infusion (referred as SI from onward) which gives another +2 attack speed. [b]You might think the Dark Knight would still attack faster with the Polearm, but actually the Dark Knight would be attacking at the same speed regardless of the weapon.[/b] [b]WHAT? But isn't the Polearm [Fast (5)] faster than the Spear [Normal (6)]?[/b]
[b]It's because SI--like many attack speed boosting skills--cannot be used to reach the hard speed cap.[/b]
SI coupled with the Dark Knight's own weapon booster gives +4 attack speed to the Dark Knight. With the Spear [Normal (6)], the Dark Knight would've just barely reached the Faster (2) soft speed cap since [Normal (6)] - [+4 attack speed from SI and weapon booster] = Faster (2). So in that case, the Dark Knight utilizes the full benefit of SI.
However, a Dark Knight using a Fafnir Polearm would still be attacking at Faster (2) and not Fastest (1), because SI cannot be used to break the soft speed cap of Faster (2).
Example 2: Let's look Shadowers next, another popular class.
Some daggers are Fast (4), some are Faster (3). But since Shadower's booster gives +2 attack speed, it doesn't matter what dagger they use since they'll reach the soft speed cap with booster alone.
Therefore, investing in Decent Speed Infusion gloves or spending time rolling a +1 attack speed IA is a complete waste as a Shadower since it'll have no effect.
[b]There are only a handful of attack speed boost sources that can ignore the soft speed cap of Faster (2) in order to reach the hard speed cap of Fastest (0). These are the following:[/b]
a) Rune of Decay/Rune of Destruction (+1 attack speed each)
b) Rune of Swiftness (+3 attack speed)
c) Green Monster Park Extreme Potion (+1 attack speed)
d) Crimson Queen soul's attack speed buff (+1 attack speed)
e) BaM's Yellow Aura (+2 attack speed)
f) Zero's Divine Speed (+1 attack speed)
[b]TL/DR: Getting more attack speed buffs will not necessarily make you attack faster. It all depends on your class, the attack speed on your weapon, and the attack speed buffs you already have.[/b]
Is the weapon speed system in this game more confusing that it needs to be? Totally, but this is just how it's been since the release of this game. 10 years in and Nexon has made no efforts to make it easier to understand, so I doubt they will anytime soon.
Granted, it was simpler before as there was only one speed cap before (the soft speed cap), but the introduction of green MPE potions and runes that allowed a player to break that speed cap made it imperative to create distinctive terms to describe the different speed caps--and with it made this attack speed debacle a whole lot more confusing.
26 Comments • Newest first
A+ thread very useful.
With a bit of formatting this should be a stickied guide
Welp I guess I don't need dsi on my gloves after all...
[quote=oakmontowls]So if I hit the speed soft cap of 2 with booster and I use a mpe potion and dsi, would I be at the hard cap of 0 or at 1 meaning dsi would have no effect?[/quote]
You would be at 1. DSI has no effect beyond soft speed cap.
@aznanimality: Normal SI gives +2 speed, DSI gives +1.
Note neither can be used to break the soft speed cap.
@icefrappe: https://www.reddit.com/r/Maplestory/comments/3huds8/new_runes/
Scroll to the bottom of that thread with 3 links.
Notice how for decay and destruction, the "indlebooster" value is -1, while for swiftness it's -3.
Bucc's Speed Infusion gives +2 right?
How about Decent Speed Invfusion
[quote=hyperfire7]
a) Rune of Decay/Rune of Destruction (+1 attack speed each)
b) Rune of Swiftness (+3 attack speed)[/quote]
I knew rune of swiftness always increased attack speed and always assumed it was just +1 or somehting but now I'm also wondering where and how you found out that decay & destruction runes give +1 attacks speed each o.o
very nice guide man
as another question, does anyone know the attack speed of zeores(alpha and beta)? and at which attack speed do they combo faster than their 3 second tag timer?
So if I hit the speed soft cap of 2 with booster and I use a mpe potion and dsi, would I be at the hard cap of 0 or at 1 meaning dsi would have no effect?
Oh my gawd. Back when i was playing MapleStory regularly, I mained a bucc and was trying to aim for AI attack speed +1 because i thought it'd make me break the cap.
So glad that i didn't waste any money on miracle circulators. I never got AI attack speed since i was rolling at legendary and it dropped to unique. I didn't bother locking since i couldn't afford so. T_T
Not like it was a big loss to begin with since legendary AI is only good for attack speed, buff duration and boss damage.
Could anybody shed some light on Kaiser attack speed mechanics?
How does Majesty and final form factor in? Is IA speed even needed?
[quote=hyperfire7]
b) Rune of Swiftness (+2 attack speed)
d) Crimson Queen soul's attack speed buff (not sure by how much)[/quote]
- Rune of Swiftness: +3 attack speed
- Crimson Queen soul's attack speed buff: +1 attack speed
[quote=haqua]how can i know if h2o dagger is Fastest (0), Fastest (1)?
can i reach cap (0) with only mpe pot if i'm using a h2o dagger?
btw,excellent thread ,thanks for sharing this info[/quote]
SW daggers are Faster (3) speed, so you'll reach the Faster (2) soft speed cap.
If you use the attack speed boost sources that ignore the soft speed cap as I've listed, you can reach Fastest (1) or (0).
how can i know if h2o dagger is Fastest (0), Fastest (1)?
can i reach cap (0) with only mpe pot if i'm using a h2o dagger?
btw,excellent thread ,thanks for sharing this info
[quote=who8myrice32]As a 2H Fafnir sword user, when I user booster, DSI and +1Atk speed I am at the soft cap of Fast(2)?[/quote]
If the 2H Fafnir sword is Normal (6), which most 2h swords are, then yes.
Mods should add this thread to be part of the guide forums.
[quote=piana]@dr4g0ns1ay3r: Just double checked, sorry about that.
No wonder there was some fella asked me for SI when he has dSI, I thought it was because my SI last longer so he doesn't need to re-equip the stuff.[/quote]
All good, so long as you weren't taking a shot at me.
@hyperfire7 @dr4g0ns1ay3r Thanks for clearing it up. 8D
@hyperfire7 I think that you should also add in a part to explain adventurer mages, since their weapon speeds don't affect their casting speeds (except for one particular F/P skill), while the buffs do.
As a 2H Fafnir sword user, when I user booster, DSI and +1Atk speed I am at the soft cap of Fast(2)?
[quote=piana]@belzier, SI is -1 only.[/quote]
he's a bucceeneer he has normal si not decent
^incorrect, DSI is -1 attack speed. Normal SI is -2.
[quote=mrpirate]wait so buccs are pretty much already at the soft speed cap with booster and si? would ia attack speed +1 even help with buccs?[/quote]
We get -2 speed from our booster, and -2 from SI. Given that a fafnir perry talon is fast(5), that brings us to a theoretical speed of 1 (5-4 = 1, ignoring the soft speed cap). With a green MPE potion, we reach the hard cap speed of 0.
So it's more than what you said. The attack speed +1 is totally useless for buccaneers, unless you're into trying to make your buffs pointless.
[quote=mrpirate]wait so buccs are pretty much already at the soft speed cap with booster and si? would ia attack speed +1 even help with buccs?[/quote]
Yes, Booster and SI would make you reach the soft speed cap since knuckles are Fast (5), so the +1 IA attack speed would do nothing unless you use a Green MPE potion, in which case you'll reach the hard speed cap because with a Green MPE potion, the +1 IA attack speed buff can break the soft speed cap.
[quote=hyperfire7]It's because when using an attack speed source that can break the soft speed cap (the green MPE potion in your case), some attack speed sources that couldn't break the soft speed cap on its own (like the +1 IA attack speed) can be used to break the soft speed cap, while some can't.
There's exceptions to quite a lot of attack speed skills in this game and it being so volatile is the reason why many people are confused about this. It's really Nexon's fault for making this so hard to understand.
@kamikazedes: As far as I know, the casting time of buffs is not affected from attack speed buffs.[/quote]
I see what you meant by this now. I first thought you were claiming that only green mpe and other sources as that affect going passed the soft cap. And yeah when you get about 6 or 7 different attack speed sources things can get very confusing.
wait so buccs are pretty much already at the soft speed cap with booster and si? would ia attack speed +1 even help with buccs?
[quote=star909]I'd like the video and numerical evidence for this as I've noticed a drastic change in training upon getting +1 att speed while using a green mpe potion. Yes I am aware can's attack speed is fast (5), but I can still pull evidence from other characters with fast (4) weapons with green mpe and si being considerably faster hitting the hard cap of 0 than it normally would be just hitting fastest (1).[/quote]
It's because when using an attack speed source that can break the soft speed cap (the green MPE potion in your case), some attack speed sources that couldn't break the soft speed cap on its own (like the +1 IA attack speed) can be used to break the soft speed cap, while some can't.
There's exceptions to quite a lot of attack speed skills in this game and them being so volatile is the reason why many people are confused about this. It's really Nexon's fault for making this so hard to understand.
@kamikazedes: As far as I know, the casting time of buffs is not affected from attack speed buffs.
Do you know how the speed tiers affect casting time? Cause that's something I've never really been able to figure out.
I'd like the video and numerical evidence for this as I've noticed a drastic change in training upon getting +1 att speed while using a green mpe potion. Yes I am aware can's attack speed is fast (5), but I can still pull evidence from other characters with fast (4) weapons with green mpe and si being considerably faster hitting the hard cap of 0 than it normally would be just hitting fastest (1).
^woops fixed. Knew I forgot something.