Hello friends! 
Clerics have a different grinding experience than any other class in the game. You are limited to undead maps until 3rd job once Shining Ray is maxed, but even then you will most likely be grinding at undead mobs indefinitely. Having access to Shining Ray does open up some spots later on! You will be solo most of the time because other classes can get better EXP elsewhere without us.
Cleric is easy in terms of relying on Heal and requiring less MP pots once MP Eater is maxed, but that doesn't mean its easy to play unless you enjoy doing the same boring rotation over and over again, by yourself, in the same map for 300+ hours. I'm not joking.
I did quest here and there, but I didn't start properly questing until 3rd job and max Shining Ray. 90% of the time I was leveling solo between level 50-100, after that I had a reliable duo for smaller maps and a nice guild for party groups!
This is what I did so some spots might be different compared to others, but I prioritized being closer to towns so I could npc quicker and smaller maps because I was mostly solo.
I also prioritized maxing out etc slots with the NX leaves so I could gather more etcs and npc them for more mesos. Every bit counts!
Luk vs Lukless:
I went Luk so I could wear new gear and get upgrades. I plan to put in 113 base Luk so I can use dragon weapons and then I'll adjust from there. You don't lose out on extra MP by putting everything into int because they removed that feature. I would recommend doing the same for a casual player, and if you regret it later on good thing APR is only 500 NX!
We are still in the process of figuring out what's different between Luk vs Lukless so that will be updated soon. The only confirmation we received about it was apparently Luk mages become better towards end game, so we will see!
As of the end of December 2025, Atlas mentioned little bits of information about how the formula works over in Discord:
Since I've reached 120+ now I haven't noticed any damage difference yet, but having the extra mdef and def from higher leveled equips is noticeable, and helps our squishy health bar. It makes incoming attacks hit us for less, and when paired with skills like Heal, Invincible, Bless, and Elemental Resistance it allows us to grind somewhat comfortably (depending on where you are) without using Magic Guard.
You can do 4 Int 1 Luk per level, and you should be able to keep that up until 113 Luk or whatever your end goal is for Luk comfortably. I just looked at the next 10 levels of new gear and aimed for having the base Luk around then. Sometimes I put all 5 ap into Int, sometimes it was all 5 into Luk.
List of minimum Luk requirements per equipment slot based on level:
1st Job Advancement:
Get to level 8 and have 20 Int. You can leave around level 10 or so if you want to finish maple island quests.
Your points do NOT reset when you leave Maple Island. Make sure they are in Int/Luk.
You can do your 1st job sp however you like, this is how I did mine for reference.
1st Job Skill Points:
1 point in Lightning Bolt
5 points in Improved MP Recovery
10 points in Improved MaxMP Increase
20 points in Magic Claw
11 points in Improved MP Recovery
20 points in Magic Guard
You do weaker damage in the beginning, but you can recover MP quicker and get the most out of your levels with Max MP maxed out asap. Improved MP Recovery can get maxed after you max out one of your main attacking skills. Lightning Bolt did get buffed, however I didn't bother testing out Lightning Bolt vs Magic Claw because it was day 1 and I had nowhere near enough NX to swap back and forth for testing just in case.
Here are two level 21 Magicians with the same stats 95 int and 23 luk with both Lightning Bolt and Magic Claw maxed:
tenor.com
tenor.com
Conclusion:
I think overall Magic Claw is better mainly because of the double hit. Sometimes 1 line is a low number but the other number is higher, whereas with Lightning Bolt if you roll a lower number you don't have that chance to get a higher roll on the second hit. I think overall the buff makes it slightly competitive, but I think Magic Claw having that double hit makes it difficult to beat.
Lightning Bolt feels like its only a few points below in terms of damage, so if you want to try using Lightning Bolt to get a feel for it yourself by all means go for it.
My IL will have Lightning Bolt maxed, and my FP will have Magic Claw; and I suspect with those two classes their 1st job main attack will get replaced by Cold Beam and Fire Arrow anyways, which are both 2nd job skills so they are fairly early on compared to Clerics.
We're stuck using our 1st job main attack for single target damage up until 4th job (Angel Ray) because Holy Arrow can't compete against all of our utility 2nd job skills, so it would be better to get Magic Claw and use it for single target niche encounters until you can get Angel Ray.
2nd Job Advancement:
Head on over to Grendel and talk to him to begin.
Walk to The Forest North of Ellinia and climb all the way to the top where the magician job instructor is.
Gather 30 dark marbles from the monsters within the tree tunnel, talk to the job instructor once you are finished and he will send you back to Ellinia.
You can do your 2nd job sp however you like, this is how I did mine for reference.
2nd Job Skill Points:
1 point in Teleport
30 points in Heal
29 points in Teleport
30 points in MP Eater
30 points in Invincible
30 points in Bless
11 points in Holy Arrow
The only thing I did different here was I maxed MP Eater right after Heal, and I regretted it because at 51+ you're in Ghost Ship for a long time and Teleport is better for rounding up mobs. Either or is okay, but level 1 Teleport drains your MP very quickly.
I wouldn't bother putting points into Bless unless you have a reliable group you are with at all times, because once LPQ is over you are on your own for 30+ levels.
Holy Arrow has been buffed; however, there's no room to allocate points into it due to everything else being extremely useful.
Invincible halves the touch damage you take, Bless is useful for Warriors and saves them accuracy pots, MP Eater allows you to regain some MP, Heal is your main AoE and major pot saver, and Teleport is needed for travelling because its the second best movement skill in the entire game.
3rd Job Advancement:
Head on over to El Nath and talk to Robeira.
Go back to Ellinia and talk to Grendel.
Find the Door of Dimension located in Forest of Evil II and defeat the evil Grendel.
Make sure you have some holy water to clear up the skill seals, and kite Grendel around with teleport and Magic Claw (or Lightning Bolt if you chose that instead) until he dies.
Head back to Grendel, and afterwards he will send you back to El Nath.
Make sure you have a refined dark crystal. you can refine ores in El Nath so don't panic if you only have the 10 ores!
Climb up to Sharp Cliff II and press up on the wooden door at the top right.
Once you talk to the rock that's it, if you make a mistake with answering questions you will need to get another one and repeat this process until its complete.
3rd Job Questions:
royals.ms
Set #1
1. What NPC will you NOT see in Ellinia? – Roel
2. What monster will you NOT see in Ossyria? – Croco
3. Octopus, Ribbon Pig, Green Mushroom, Axe Stump, Bubbling. Which monster has the highest level? – Axe Stump
4. Which Potion <--> Effect is NOT correct? – Sunrise Dew: Recover 3000 MP
5. Which NPC has nothing to do with pets? – Vicious
Set #2
1. Which NPC cannot be seen in Henesys? – Teo
2. Which of the following monsters will not be seen in Maple Island? – Evil Eye/Dark Stump
3. Which item do you give Maya in Henesys in order to cure her sickness? – Weird Medicine
4. Which town is not in Victoria Island? – Amherst or Southperry
5. Which of these monsters will you NOT see at Ant Tunnel and Center Dungeon of Victoria Island? – Sentinel
Set #3
1. Which NPC does not belong to Alpha Platoon’s Network of Communication? – Peter
2. Which material is not required to awaken Hero’s Gladius? – Fairy Wing
3. Which NPC cannot be seen in Kerning City? – Luke
4. Which of following monsters has the WRONG item? – Nependeath – Nependeath’s Leaf
5. Which of the following monsters can fly? – Malady
Set #4
1. When attacked by a monster, which is incorrect? – Weakened: Slower movements
2. Which of the following NPCs will you NOT see in Orbis? – Sophia
3. Which of the following quests requires the highest level to begin? – Alcaster and the Dark Crystal
4. Which NPC has NOTHING to do with refinement or item creation? – Shane
5. Which Potion <--> Effect is correct? – Pizza: Recover 400 HP
Set #5
1. Which is the first NPC you will see in MapleStory? – Sera
2. What EXP is needed to level up from Level 1 to Level 2? – 15 EXP
3. What NPC will you NOT see in El Nath? – Elma the Housekeeper
4. Which is not a 2nd job advancement? – Mage/Outlaw or select any except 2nd Job
5. Which quest can be repeated? – Arwen and the Glass Shoes
Set #6
1. Which monster <--> Drop is correct? – Stirge: Stirge Wing
2. Which NPC cannot be seen in Perion? – Francis
3. In Kerning City, who is the father of Alex, the runaway kid? – Chief Stan
4. What do you receive in return for giving 30 Dark Marbles to the 2nd job advancement NPC? Proof of Hero
5. For the 1st job advancement, which job fully states the job advancement requirement? – Bowman 25 DEX
Character related
You can do your 3rd job sp however you like, this is how I did mine for reference.
3rd Job Skill Points:
1 point in Mystic Door
3 points in Dispel
30 points in Holy Symbol
30 points in Shining Ray
20 points in Elemental Resistance
17 points in Dispel
30 points in Summon Dragon
19 points in Mystic Door
1 point in Doom
I prioritized farming or buying the 20x each crystal ore requirement for the Alcaster rock quest and made sure I had it finished before level 70 so I could use door for quicker access to quests, npc/repot, etc. Level 1 door only has 30 seconds so make sure you are quick to make it back.
You can skip this if you are not interested in doing Alcaster's questline right away.
I don't think Doom is useful, I'm sure there might be some niche uses but I can't really think of any specific one. Doom requires a summoning rock and it has a chance to fail even at max level so I personally wouldn't bother. You can max out Shining Ray first if you are bored of the current grinding locations, but you most likely wont get invited to grinding parties until you have max Holy Symbol.
4th Job Advancement:
Once you reach level 120 head on over to El Nath and talk to Robeira.
After that, travel to Leafre Forest of the Priest and talk to Gritto. It's a hidden portal near the top of Valley of the Antelope.
You will be asked to retrieve the Heroic Pentagon and Heroic Star which drops from Manon and Griffey. They are not a 100% drop so it's not guaranteed you will get one if you manage to kill them.
You can purchase a Secret Spell Scroll to give to Chief Tatamo in exchange for the Star and Pentagon, by jumping down Eos Tower and talking to Vega on the 44th floor. It will cost 10 million mesos.
Once you've obtained the two items from each area boss, or the Secret Spell Scroll head on back to Leafre and hand them in.
If you are using the Secret Spell Scroll just drop a door down by Gritto and then click on Chief Tatamo.
And there you have it! Congratulations on advancing to Bishop.
4th Job Skill Quests:
Resurrection
Items required: [Storybook] Black Book
To begin the quest make sure you have a Black Book, then head towards Leafre Forest of the Priest and talk to Gritto.
Gritto then sends you towards Carta over in Deep Sea Gorge I. There's a hidden cave and that will bring you to her home.
Carta will then ask you to get 5 Charms of the Undead, 50 Firebomb Flames, and 100 Ice pieces.
Head on over to Dangerous Sea Gorge II and find the hidden cave.
Once you're inside the cave drop the Cold Flame and the Black Book on top of the cauldron. A little blue flame animation will play and then another book will be dropped. Loot it and then head back to Carta.
Afterwards Carta will send you all the way back to Victoria Island, specifically Sleepywood to talk to The Rememberer.
The Rememberer will then send you over to Ludibrium, jump down to Forgotten Passage and find the blue door in the middle of the map.
The next part is the invisible map. Place coins down to remember where you've been, and you can kill the fly-eye lookalikes.
Once you're finished head on back to Sleepywood and talk to The Rememberer and you will receive the Resurrection Skill.
When using Ressurection your character will be unable to do anything for about 3 to 4 seconds.
Bahamut
The drop rate is low you will be here for hours.
Head over to Leafre Wyvern Canyon and talk to Raul the Knight.
Raul will want you to collect 20 Dragon Hearts from the nearby Wyverns, increasing the level cap to 10.
Head back to Raul and hand it in.
Collect another 25 Dragon Hearts from the nearby Wyverns, increasing the level cap to 15.
Head back to Raul and hand it in.
Collect 30 Dragon Hearts from the nearby Wyverns, increasing the level cap to 20.
Head back to Raul and hand it in.
Collect 35 Dragon Hearts from the nearby Wyverns, increasing the level cap to 25.
Head back to Raul and hand it in.
Collect 40 Dragon Hearts from the nearby Wyverns, increasing the cap finally to level 30.
Head back to Raul and hand it in.
Genesis
Talk to Robeira in El Nath to begin the quest.
After that, she will send you to Wiz the Librarian over in Ludibrium.
Wiz will ask you to travel back to Ellinia to talk to Grendel.
After that, Grendel will send you to Shammos back in El Nath.
Shammos will then ask you to go back to Grendel over in Ellinia once again.
Grendel will then send you back to Shammos for the final time.
Shammos will then ask you to talk to Roberia, and in return she'll ask you to talk to Shammos again.
Shammos will then ask for an item called Life Roots, that drops from the the Skelegons in HTPQ.
Complete the HTPQ pre quest and then travel to The Cave of Life in Leafre with a party of 6.
Once you hand in your HTPQ pre quest you will be automatically transformed into the Cornian so don't accept it until everybody is ready.
HTPQ Requirements:
Moira's Whereabouts
Making the Secret Medicine
1 Cornian's Marrow
1 Manon’s Cry
1 Skull Shoulder Pad
10 Dragon Skins
1 Cornian's Dagger
To make Cornian's Dagger, loot the Busted Dagger etc item when gathering Cornian's Marrow.
Have 1 Steel Plate and 1 Mithril Plate on hand to fix the dagger by talking to Mos in Leafre.
Once you loot Life Roots head back to El Nath.
4th Job Skill Points:
1 point in Resurrection (57min cooldown)
1 point in Genesis
1 point in Bahamut
Save your level 120 job SP for these three skills if you want a super easy time grinding.
Max Bahamut first and whenever you find Angel Ray (Zakum Skill Book) add 1 point there, then continue maxing Bahamut.
1 point in Angel Ray
29 points in Bahamut
29 points in Angel Ray
If you have a regular bossing group, you can either get Resurrection maxed or put 10 points into Maple Warrior. It just depends on how often people die in your Zakum runs and if there's a dedicated Buccaneer for Time Leap to refresh your cooldown. A standard Zakum run can be anywhere from 40min to an hour and a half. Level 1 Resurrection is 57 minutes and the cooldown goes down the more points are added into it. Buccaneers can use Time Leap to remove the cooldown on Resurrect so if you have a Buccaneer in your party you basically have 2 Resurrections.
10 points in Maple Warrior
9 points into Genesis (19 points if you manage to get a Genesis 20 book by then)
9 points in Resurrection (30 minute cooldown)
To Be Continued:
(Big Bang. Big Bang got buffed here, and in order to use it you have to hold down the button to charge it up and then release. It's a bit slow, using Shining Ray hits faster so I'm not sure where this could be used just yet but eventually we'll figure that out.)
(Mana Reflection. Mana Reflection is a skill where at max level you will have a chance to reflect magic damage back to the mob. It says it has a 60% chance according to pre bb Hiddenstreet. Not sure if it was changed here.)
(Holy Shield. Holy Shield protects the party from status effects like seal, darkness, etc. It does not protect you from stuns or seduce.)
(Heroes Will. Heroes Will is a skill where you can break free from Seduce during Horntail, for example.)
(Infinity. If Infinity works how I think it works: you take zero MP damage with Magic Guard on top of being able to use skills without MP, this could be a really good skill. I don't have it yet, and I probably won't have it for another 15-20 levels so I'm unable to test it currently.)
Damage Rotation(s):
If you are barely surviving 1-2 hits per mob its better to spam Heal. Its not worth the risk of dying to get that extra bit of damage.
If you are easily tanking around 2-3 hits per mob you can weave in Shining Ray to the rotation for extra damage.
Using Heal > Shining Ray > Heal will help kill mobs quicker, if you don't need to be healed to full HP after every hit.
Shining Ray will do more damage than Heal to undead mobs, though it has a slower cast animation compared to Heal.
If you are taking really low hits from a mob nuke them with Shining Ray to kill them quicker, and only use Heal when you get too low.
Once you reach level 120+ weave in Genesis every 20 seconds whenever you get it. You will be unable to heal yourself for around 4 seconds so be careful of where you are, and be prepared to use a HP pot. I like to round up a bunch of mobs and wait for them to group up before I use Genesis. Don't forget to use Bahamut too it hits 3 mobs even at level 1 and it's much better than maxed Summon Dragon even at level 1.
Macros:
Where your buff is placed inside the Macro will determine the order of your buffs. I usually leave 1 open because I will slot Magic Guard there for bossing, but since I don't need Magic Guard for basic rotations I leave it out for now.
Holy Symbol shouldn't be placed inside a Macro because there is a 3 second casting delay after its used. If you have to spam Holy Symbol multiple times on party members its better to just press the button itself. Its better for the entire party to fall back towards the Priest before the buff expires so everybody can get rebuffed in one go.
Where to Level Up:
All of the maps have been rebalanced so anywhere is good to train, especially during the early levels.
Here's a quick list on what I did and where I went.
lv 10-20:
1st job advancement quests
Any quests you can find that require you to stay in Victoria Island
Bartol's Request (quicker access to Ludi)
HPQ
Tree That Grew
Dungeon Southern Forest I
Henesys Hunting Ground I
Zipangu: Mushroom Forest
lv 20-30:
Any quests you can find that require you to stay in Victoria Island
Manji's Ariant quest (useful lv 30+)
Ant Tunnel I
East Rocky Mountain V
KPQ
lv 30-35:
Ariant quests
Zipangu: The Mountain of Cloud Fox
Zipangu: Forest of Animals
Sahel 1
Terrace Hall
Eos Tower <100th Floor>
lv 35-51:
LPQ
Ludi, Korean Folk Town, and Omega Sector quests when LPQ isn't available
Helios Tower <99th Floor>
The Path of Time <1>
The Path of Time <4>
Solo:
lv 51-??:
Zipangu: Cemetery Full of Ghosts - Nightghost map, This map has a decent rotation but the mobs fly around. Save the etcs to exchange over at Showa.
Ghost Ship 1, 2, 5 - Pac Pinky, Selkie Jr and Slimy maps, even though the spawn is adjusted its still a really solid place to grind solo. I was here from lv 51-65.
Camp 1 - Skeleton Soldier and Officer Skeleton map, this map can be duo but after 3rd job its better to just solo. I stayed here from lv 65-85.
Unit 202 - Homunculus map, a popular spot and if you have max or close to max Shining Ray, its really good spot to solo or duo grind at. I was here from lv 85-95.
Lost Time - Master Death Teddy map, if you are 10-15+ levels higher than the mob level its okay to grind solo here. Ideally you would solo grind here lv 95+
The Area of the Black Kentaurus - They are undead and weak to Heal, the map is small so its easy to solo or duo. You can start here around lv 95+
Forbidden Time - Grim Phantom Watch map, this map is pretty solid for us and it used to be a hotspot before Cornian parties took off. Its still really good, once you are 120+ soloing is much smoother especially with Bahamut, and level 1 Genesis nearly 1 hits them making rounding up bottom super easy. I'm still grinding here at 132 solo/duo.
Optional:
OPQ - I never did this because I heard it wasn't worth it at the time. I think OPQ is alright I just don't have personal experience with it on this server.
Forest of Dead Trees III, IV - Personally I don't recommend it. Its too long of a walk just to npc, and you would be spending 1k NX per teleport rock every time to get back quicker.
Ghost Ship 6 - It's not terrible, but the lack of a safe spot requires you to pay attention a bit more than the other Ghost Ship maps.
Party:
lv 62-??:
Forgotten Path of Time <1> - lv 62+ Soul Teddy map, it's too big to solo but maybe you might find some people around Ludi to grind here.
Forgotten Path of Time <2> - lv 71+ Klocks map, most parties would rather wait until Priest has max HS to party up, so you might be solo for a very long time.
Forgotten Path of Time <3> - lv 80+ Death Teddy map, these things hit like a truck so be prepared.
Battlefield of Fire and Darkness - lv 83+ Red and Black Kents map, another solid map big enough for a good trio/duo.
Battlefield of Water and Darkness - lv 83+ Blue and Black Kents map, a really good duo map.
Lost Time - lv 84+ Master Death Teddy map, its a nice nostalgic spot to grind.
Forbidden Time - lv 94+ Grim Phantom Watch map, this map is extremely good. I stayed here from lv 100-120+ even at 129 with a duo, its still insane pretty good EXP and probably will be up until mid 130s or 140.
Grinding Tips:
1. Grind at spots that are 10-20 levels lower. Lower level = less damage being taken, and more kills = more chances at getting NX leaves, and drops. The EXP isn't that much different it's around 1 to 1.50% on average because the maps are balanced with every other map or area to grind at. If you are unsure about a spot, record your EXP and time yourself for about 5-10min before deciding on if its worth grinding there or vs another location.
2. Grind at locations that don't 1 hit you without Magic Guard. Only use Magic Guard to survive bosses. Rely on your Heal to save even more on MP pots.
3. Have emergency HP pots on hand. Always rely on your Heal, but sometimes you might get stuck in a situation where you can't use it and need to get HP quickly.
4. Always carry safety charms, especially if you are tanking hits without Magic Guard to grind. Always click on your Cash tab in your inventory and keep track on how many safety charms you have too, losing 10% EXP will really suck if you are 70+.
5. HS cast time has a 3 second delay if you are not on a rope. Try to always cast HS on a rope. Sometimes its not always possible to buff on a rope, for example at MDTs they spit out missiles at you and can knock you down from the rope. It is mildly annoying because you are stuck standing there for a few seconds, and if you are tanking hits to grind you can easily die if you are not paying attention. This is where I usually use my emergency HP pots.
6. If you are in a grinding party its ideal to make others come to you for HS because of the delay mentioned above. Its up to the party themselves to meet up with you so you can HS everybody in one go, instead of being softlocked for 10+ seconds HSing everyone one by one. This also eats into the bonus EXP gain because you will be down a party member and won't get credit for bonus EXP if you are stuck continuously HSing everybody one at a time without attacking.
Everybody should be heading towards the Priest when HS is about to expire.
7. Some Warriors will want you to follow them around to heal. Its not really expected of you to do so, but do keep in mind to discuss looting rules beforehand if you choose to do this method. Mainly because the person who does the most damage will loot the NX leaves, and usually everybody has a pet around level 80+ so they will end up looting everything else too. Make sure to communicate with your party if you are going to attack, or be a portable HP pot.
Bossing:
Clerics have a different grinding experience than any other class in the game. You are limited to undead maps until 3rd job once Shining Ray is maxed, but even then you will most likely be grinding at undead mobs indefinitely. Having access to Shining Ray does open up some spots later on! You will be solo most of the time because other classes can get better EXP elsewhere without us.
Cleric is easy in terms of relying on Heal and requiring less MP pots once MP Eater is maxed, but that doesn't mean its easy to play unless you enjoy doing the same boring rotation over and over again, by yourself, in the same map for 300+ hours. I'm not joking.
I did quest here and there, but I didn't start properly questing until 3rd job and max Shining Ray. 90% of the time I was leveling solo between level 50-100, after that I had a reliable duo for smaller maps and a nice guild for party groups!
This is what I did so some spots might be different compared to others, but I prioritized being closer to towns so I could npc quicker and smaller maps because I was mostly solo.
I also prioritized maxing out etc slots with the NX leaves so I could gather more etcs and npc them for more mesos. Every bit counts!
Luk vs Lukless:
I went Luk so I could wear new gear and get upgrades. I plan to put in 113 base Luk so I can use dragon weapons and then I'll adjust from there. You don't lose out on extra MP by putting everything into int because they removed that feature. I would recommend doing the same for a casual player, and if you regret it later on good thing APR is only 500 NX!
We are still in the process of figuring out what's different between Luk vs Lukless so that will be updated soon. The only confirmation we received about it was apparently Luk mages become better towards end game, so we will see!
As of the end of December 2025, Atlas mentioned little bits of information about how the formula works over in Discord:
TL;DR:
-Magic Attack isn't 1:1 with Int like we previously thought. Magic attack is better than Int.
-Magic attack gained from high level equipment (Dragon weapons, magic attack shoes, etc.) is where they can potentially pull ahead.
It's possible the formula still needs to be touched up a little, however I don't have enough conclusive information to determine that myself. Based on what has been discussed both in Discord and on the Forum, I agree there might be some adjustments needed to truly make it feel more impactful.
-Magic Attack isn't 1:1 with Int like we previously thought. Magic attack is better than Int.
-Magic attack gained from high level equipment (Dragon weapons, magic attack shoes, etc.) is where they can potentially pull ahead.
It's possible the formula still needs to be touched up a little, however I don't have enough conclusive information to determine that myself. Based on what has been discussed both in Discord and on the Forum, I agree there might be some adjustments needed to truly make it feel more impactful.
Since I've reached 120+ now I haven't noticed any damage difference yet, but having the extra mdef and def from higher leveled equips is noticeable, and helps our squishy health bar. It makes incoming attacks hit us for less, and when paired with skills like Heal, Invincible, Bless, and Elemental Resistance it allows us to grind somewhat comfortably (depending on where you are) without using Magic Guard.
You can do 4 Int 1 Luk per level, and you should be able to keep that up until 113 Luk or whatever your end goal is for Luk comfortably. I just looked at the next 10 levels of new gear and aimed for having the base Luk around then. Sometimes I put all 5 ap into Int, sometimes it was all 5 into Luk.
List of minimum Luk requirements per equipment slot based on level:
| hat: lv 10 - 13 luk lv 15 - 18 luk lv 20 - 23 luk lv 30 - 33 luk lv 35 - 38 luk lv 40 - 43 luk lv 50 - 53 luk lv 60 - 63 luk lv 70 - 73 luk lv 80 - 83 luk lv 90 - 93 luk lv 100 - 103 luk | overall: lv 13 - luk 15 lv 23 - luk 25 lv 28 - luk 30 lv 33 - luk 35 lv 38 - luk 40 lv 48 - luk 50 lv 58 - luk 60 lv 68 - luk 70 lv 78 - luk 80 lv 88 - luk 90 lv 98 - luk 100 | gloves: lv 15 - luk 18 lv 20 - luk 23 lv 25 - luk 28 lv 30 - luk 33 lv 35 - luk 38 lv 40 - luk 43 lv 50 - luk 50 lv 60 - luk 63 lv 70 - luk 73 lv 80 - luk 83 lv 90 - luk 93 lv 100 - luk 103 | shoes: lv 15 - luk 18 lv 20 - luk 23 lv 25 - luk 28 lv 30 - luk 30 lv 35 - luk 38 lv 40 - luk 43 lv 50 - luk 53 lv 60 - luk 63 lv 70 - luk 73 lv 80 - luk 83 lv 90 - luk 93 lv 100 - luk 103 | wand: lv 13 - luk 15 lv 18 - luk 20 lv 23 - luk 25 lv 33 - luk 35 lv 38 - luk 40 lv 48 - luk 50 lv 58 - luk 60 lv 68 - luk 70 lv 78 - luk 80 lv 88 - luk 90 lv 98 - luk 100 lv 108 - luk 110 | staff: lv 10 - luk 13 lv 15 - luk 18 lv 20 - luk 23 lv 30 - luk 33 lv 35 - luk 38 lv 40 - luk 43 lv 45 - luk 48 lv 55 - luk 58 lv 65 - luk 68 lv 75 - luk 78 lv 85 - luk 88 lv 95 - luk 98 lv 110 - luk 113 |
1st Job Advancement:
Get to level 8 and have 20 Int. You can leave around level 10 or so if you want to finish maple island quests.
Your points do NOT reset when you leave Maple Island. Make sure they are in Int/Luk.
You can do your 1st job sp however you like, this is how I did mine for reference.
1st Job Skill Points:
You do weaker damage in the beginning, but you can recover MP quicker and get the most out of your levels with Max MP maxed out asap. Improved MP Recovery can get maxed after you max out one of your main attacking skills. Lightning Bolt did get buffed, however I didn't bother testing out Lightning Bolt vs Magic Claw because it was day 1 and I had nowhere near enough NX to swap back and forth for testing just in case.
Here are two level 21 Magicians with the same stats 95 int and 23 luk with both Lightning Bolt and Magic Claw maxed:
Magic Claw Fantasiams GIF – Magic Claw FantasiaMS – discover and share GIFs
Click to view the GIF
tenor.com
Lightning Bolt Fantasiams GIF – Lightning Bolt FantasiaMS – discover and share GIFs
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I think overall Magic Claw is better mainly because of the double hit. Sometimes 1 line is a low number but the other number is higher, whereas with Lightning Bolt if you roll a lower number you don't have that chance to get a higher roll on the second hit. I think overall the buff makes it slightly competitive, but I think Magic Claw having that double hit makes it difficult to beat.
Lightning Bolt feels like its only a few points below in terms of damage, so if you want to try using Lightning Bolt to get a feel for it yourself by all means go for it.
My IL will have Lightning Bolt maxed, and my FP will have Magic Claw; and I suspect with those two classes their 1st job main attack will get replaced by Cold Beam and Fire Arrow anyways, which are both 2nd job skills so they are fairly early on compared to Clerics.
We're stuck using our 1st job main attack for single target damage up until 4th job (Angel Ray) because Holy Arrow can't compete against all of our utility 2nd job skills, so it would be better to get Magic Claw and use it for single target niche encounters until you can get Angel Ray.
2nd Job Advancement:
Head on over to Grendel and talk to him to begin.
Walk to The Forest North of Ellinia and climb all the way to the top where the magician job instructor is.
Gather 30 dark marbles from the monsters within the tree tunnel, talk to the job instructor once you are finished and he will send you back to Ellinia.
You can do your 2nd job sp however you like, this is how I did mine for reference.
2nd Job Skill Points:
The only thing I did different here was I maxed MP Eater right after Heal, and I regretted it because at 51+ you're in Ghost Ship for a long time and Teleport is better for rounding up mobs. Either or is okay, but level 1 Teleport drains your MP very quickly.
I wouldn't bother putting points into Bless unless you have a reliable group you are with at all times, because once LPQ is over you are on your own for 30+ levels.
Holy Arrow has been buffed; however, there's no room to allocate points into it due to everything else being extremely useful.
Invincible halves the touch damage you take, Bless is useful for Warriors and saves them accuracy pots, MP Eater allows you to regain some MP, Heal is your main AoE and major pot saver, and Teleport is needed for travelling because its the second best movement skill in the entire game.
3rd Job Advancement:
Head on over to El Nath and talk to Robeira.
Go back to Ellinia and talk to Grendel.
Find the Door of Dimension located in Forest of Evil II and defeat the evil Grendel.
Make sure you have some holy water to clear up the skill seals, and kite Grendel around with teleport and Magic Claw (or Lightning Bolt if you chose that instead) until he dies.
Head back to Grendel, and afterwards he will send you back to El Nath.
Make sure you have a refined dark crystal. you can refine ores in El Nath so don't panic if you only have the 10 ores!
Climb up to Sharp Cliff II and press up on the wooden door at the top right.
Once you talk to the rock that's it, if you make a mistake with answering questions you will need to get another one and repeat this process until its complete.
3rd Job Questions:
[New Source] Job Advancement Guide
TOP [IMG] Hi, welcome to my guide! With New Source, there are changes to job advancing so this guide will encompass all the new details. I'm always...
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Set #1
1. What NPC will you NOT see in Ellinia? – Roel
2. What monster will you NOT see in Ossyria? – Croco
3. Octopus, Ribbon Pig, Green Mushroom, Axe Stump, Bubbling. Which monster has the highest level? – Axe Stump
4. Which Potion <--> Effect is NOT correct? – Sunrise Dew: Recover 3000 MP
5. Which NPC has nothing to do with pets? – Vicious
Set #2
1. Which NPC cannot be seen in Henesys? – Teo
2. Which of the following monsters will not be seen in Maple Island? – Evil Eye/Dark Stump
3. Which item do you give Maya in Henesys in order to cure her sickness? – Weird Medicine
4. Which town is not in Victoria Island? – Amherst or Southperry
5. Which of these monsters will you NOT see at Ant Tunnel and Center Dungeon of Victoria Island? – Sentinel
Set #3
1. Which NPC does not belong to Alpha Platoon’s Network of Communication? – Peter
2. Which material is not required to awaken Hero’s Gladius? – Fairy Wing
3. Which NPC cannot be seen in Kerning City? – Luke
4. Which of following monsters has the WRONG item? – Nependeath – Nependeath’s Leaf
5. Which of the following monsters can fly? – Malady
Set #4
1. When attacked by a monster, which is incorrect? – Weakened: Slower movements
2. Which of the following NPCs will you NOT see in Orbis? – Sophia
3. Which of the following quests requires the highest level to begin? – Alcaster and the Dark Crystal
4. Which NPC has NOTHING to do with refinement or item creation? – Shane
5. Which Potion <--> Effect is correct? – Pizza: Recover 400 HP
Set #5
1. Which is the first NPC you will see in MapleStory? – Sera
2. What EXP is needed to level up from Level 1 to Level 2? – 15 EXP
3. What NPC will you NOT see in El Nath? – Elma the Housekeeper
4. Which is not a 2nd job advancement? – Mage/Outlaw or select any except 2nd Job
5. Which quest can be repeated? – Arwen and the Glass Shoes
Set #6
1. Which monster <--> Drop is correct? – Stirge: Stirge Wing
2. Which NPC cannot be seen in Perion? – Francis
3. In Kerning City, who is the father of Alex, the runaway kid? – Chief Stan
4. What do you receive in return for giving 30 Dark Marbles to the 2nd job advancement NPC? Proof of Hero
5. For the 1st job advancement, which job fully states the job advancement requirement? – Bowman 25 DEX
Character related
- Which is not a 2nd job advancement? – Mage/Outlaw or select any except 2nd Job
- What EXP is needed to level up from Level 1 to Level 2? – 15 EXP
- For the 1st job advancement, which of the following is the WRONG requirement? – Thief 20 LUK or more
- For the 1st job advancement, which job fully states the job advancement requirement? – Bowman 25 DEX
- What color are Athena’s eyes? – Green for DEX
- Who is in the monitor in the navigation room, where Kyrin is? – Dr. Kim
- Where does Dark Lord stay in Kerning City? – Thieves’ Hideout
- Which of the following NPCs will you NOT see in Orbis? – Sophia
- Which town is not in Victoria Island? – Amherst or Southperry
- Which is the first NPC you will see in MapleStory? – Sera
- Which NPC cannot be seen in El Nath? – Sophia
- What NPC will you NOT see in El Nath? – Elma the Housekeeper
- Which NPC cannot be seen in Perion? – Francis
- Which NPC cannot be seen in Henesys? – Teo
- Which NPC cannot be seen in Ellinia? / What NPC will you NOT see in Ellinia? – Roel
- Which NPC cannot be seen in Kerning City? – Luke
- Which NPC has nothing to do with pets? – Vicious
- In Kerning City, who is the father of Alex, the runaway kid? – Chief Stan
- Which NPC does not belong to Alpha Platoon’s Network of Communication? – Peter
- What do you receive in return for giving 30 Dark Marbles to the 2nd job advancement NPC? Proof of Hero
- Which item do you give Maya in Henesys in order to cure her sickness? – Weird Medicine
- Which NPC has NOTHING to do with refinement or item creation? – Shane
- Which NPC cannot be seen in Maple Island? – Teo
- How many feathers are on the hat of Dances with Balrog? – 13
- What colour is the crystal ball/orb that Grendel the Really Old carries with him? – Blue
- When attacked by a monster, which is incorrect? – Weakened: Slower movements
- Which monster <--> Drop is correct? – Stirge: Stirge Wing
- Which of following monsters has the WRONG item? – Nependeath – Nependeath’s Leaf
- Octopus, Ribbon Pig, Green Mushroom, Axe Stump, Bubbling. Which monster has the highest level? – Axe Stump
- Which monster will be seen during the ship trip to Orbis/Ellinia? – Crimson Balrog
- Which monster is not in Victoria Island and Sleepywood? – Sentinel
- Which of the following monsters will not be seen in El Nath? – Dark Ligator
- Which of the following monsters can fly? – Malady
- Which of these monsters will you NOT be facing in Ossyria? / What monster will you NOT see in Ossyria? – Croco
- Which of the following monsters will not be seen in Maple Island? – Evil Eye or Jr Balrog or Dark Stump
- Which of these monsters will you NOT see at Ant Tunnel and Center Dungeon of Victoria Island? – Sentinel
- Which of the following quests requires the highest level to begin? – Alcaster and the Dark Crystal
- Which material is not required to awaken Hero’s Gladius? – Fairy Wing
- Which quest can be repeated? – Arwen and the Glass Shoes
- In GM Event, how many fruitcakes can you get as a reward? – 5
- Which Potion <--> Effect is correct? – Pizza: Recover 400 HP
- Which of following potions has the WRONG information? / Which Potion <--> Effect is NOT correct? – Sunrise Dew: Recover 3000 MP
You can do your 3rd job sp however you like, this is how I did mine for reference.
3rd Job Skill Points:
I prioritized farming or buying the 20x each crystal ore requirement for the Alcaster rock quest and made sure I had it finished before level 70 so I could use door for quicker access to quests, npc/repot, etc. Level 1 door only has 30 seconds so make sure you are quick to make it back.
You can skip this if you are not interested in doing Alcaster's questline right away.
I don't think Doom is useful, I'm sure there might be some niche uses but I can't really think of any specific one. Doom requires a summoning rock and it has a chance to fail even at max level so I personally wouldn't bother. You can max out Shining Ray first if you are bored of the current grinding locations, but you most likely wont get invited to grinding parties until you have max Holy Symbol.
4th Job Advancement:
Once you reach level 120 head on over to El Nath and talk to Robeira.
After that, travel to Leafre Forest of the Priest and talk to Gritto. It's a hidden portal near the top of Valley of the Antelope.
You will be asked to retrieve the Heroic Pentagon and Heroic Star which drops from Manon and Griffey. They are not a 100% drop so it's not guaranteed you will get one if you manage to kill them.
You can purchase a Secret Spell Scroll to give to Chief Tatamo in exchange for the Star and Pentagon, by jumping down Eos Tower and talking to Vega on the 44th floor. It will cost 10 million mesos.
Once you've obtained the two items from each area boss, or the Secret Spell Scroll head on back to Leafre and hand them in.
If you are using the Secret Spell Scroll just drop a door down by Gritto and then click on Chief Tatamo.
And there you have it! Congratulations on advancing to Bishop.
4th Job Skill Quests:
Resurrection
Items required: [Storybook] Black Book
To begin the quest make sure you have a Black Book, then head towards Leafre Forest of the Priest and talk to Gritto.
Gritto then sends you towards Carta over in Deep Sea Gorge I. There's a hidden cave and that will bring you to her home.
Carta will then ask you to get 5 Charms of the Undead, 50 Firebomb Flames, and 100 Ice pieces.
Head on over to Dangerous Sea Gorge II and find the hidden cave.
Once you're inside the cave drop the Cold Flame and the Black Book on top of the cauldron. A little blue flame animation will play and then another book will be dropped. Loot it and then head back to Carta.
Afterwards Carta will send you all the way back to Victoria Island, specifically Sleepywood to talk to The Rememberer.
The Rememberer will then send you over to Ludibrium, jump down to Forgotten Passage and find the blue door in the middle of the map.
The next part is the invisible map. Place coins down to remember where you've been, and you can kill the fly-eye lookalikes.
Once you're finished head on back to Sleepywood and talk to The Rememberer and you will receive the Resurrection Skill.
When using Ressurection your character will be unable to do anything for about 3 to 4 seconds.
Bahamut
The drop rate is low you will be here for hours.
Head over to Leafre Wyvern Canyon and talk to Raul the Knight.
Raul will want you to collect 20 Dragon Hearts from the nearby Wyverns, increasing the level cap to 10.
Head back to Raul and hand it in.
Collect another 25 Dragon Hearts from the nearby Wyverns, increasing the level cap to 15.
Head back to Raul and hand it in.
Collect 30 Dragon Hearts from the nearby Wyverns, increasing the level cap to 20.
Head back to Raul and hand it in.
Collect 35 Dragon Hearts from the nearby Wyverns, increasing the level cap to 25.
Head back to Raul and hand it in.
Collect 40 Dragon Hearts from the nearby Wyverns, increasing the cap finally to level 30.
Head back to Raul and hand it in.
Genesis
Talk to Robeira in El Nath to begin the quest.
After that, she will send you to Wiz the Librarian over in Ludibrium.
Wiz will ask you to travel back to Ellinia to talk to Grendel.
After that, Grendel will send you to Shammos back in El Nath.
Shammos will then ask you to go back to Grendel over in Ellinia once again.
Grendel will then send you back to Shammos for the final time.
Shammos will then ask you to talk to Roberia, and in return she'll ask you to talk to Shammos again.
Shammos will then ask for an item called Life Roots, that drops from the the Skelegons in HTPQ.
Complete the HTPQ pre quest and then travel to The Cave of Life in Leafre with a party of 6.
Once you hand in your HTPQ pre quest you will be automatically transformed into the Cornian so don't accept it until everybody is ready.
HTPQ Requirements:
Moira's Whereabouts
Making the Secret Medicine
1 Cornian's Marrow
1 Manon’s Cry
1 Skull Shoulder Pad
10 Dragon Skins
1 Cornian's Dagger
To make Cornian's Dagger, loot the Busted Dagger etc item when gathering Cornian's Marrow.
Have 1 Steel Plate and 1 Mithril Plate on hand to fix the dagger by talking to Mos in Leafre.
Once you loot Life Roots head back to El Nath.
4th Job Skill Points:
Save your level 120 job SP for these three skills if you want a super easy time grinding.
This is where it starts to get a little bit tricky when it comes to prioritizing skills, because there's numerous factors at play such as: getting lucky enough to get Angel Ray to drop (mine took over 13 Zakum runs...), having a dedicated Zakum team and how often Resurrection might be used, deciding on when to get Maple Warrior 10 because usually an attacker already has it for bossing, etc.
My plan is to max out Bahamut because it hits 3 mobs and deals more damage than Shining Ray, so it's like having an extra powerful Shining Ray go off every second. If you do Zakum runs, eventually you might get lucky enough to grab Angel Ray but since it's a boss skill book the drop chance isn't 100%. If you still didn't find Angel Ray by the time Bahamut is maxed, you can either get Maple Warrior to level 10, or save up your SP for Angel Ray. If you do find Angel Ray before Bahamut is maxed, put 1 point into it because it does a lot of damage and it can replace Magic Claw even at level 1 and continue maxing Bahamut.
Level 1 Genesis does about 20-25k to Holy weak enemies, only costs 2100 MP, and because of the 20 second cooldown it can sit at level 1 for a little bit while we work on the other skills. I don't see Genesis having a cooldown being a negative thing, I thought I would at first but then I realized Genesis having a cooldown gives a chance for the other skills to be actually useful.
My plan is to max out Bahamut because it hits 3 mobs and deals more damage than Shining Ray, so it's like having an extra powerful Shining Ray go off every second. If you do Zakum runs, eventually you might get lucky enough to grab Angel Ray but since it's a boss skill book the drop chance isn't 100%. If you still didn't find Angel Ray by the time Bahamut is maxed, you can either get Maple Warrior to level 10, or save up your SP for Angel Ray. If you do find Angel Ray before Bahamut is maxed, put 1 point into it because it does a lot of damage and it can replace Magic Claw even at level 1 and continue maxing Bahamut.
Level 1 Genesis does about 20-25k to Holy weak enemies, only costs 2100 MP, and because of the 20 second cooldown it can sit at level 1 for a little bit while we work on the other skills. I don't see Genesis having a cooldown being a negative thing, I thought I would at first but then I realized Genesis having a cooldown gives a chance for the other skills to be actually useful.
Max Bahamut first and whenever you find Angel Ray (Zakum Skill Book) add 1 point there, then continue maxing Bahamut.
If you have a regular bossing group, you can either get Resurrection maxed or put 10 points into Maple Warrior. It just depends on how often people die in your Zakum runs and if there's a dedicated Buccaneer for Time Leap to refresh your cooldown. A standard Zakum run can be anywhere from 40min to an hour and a half. Level 1 Resurrection is 57 minutes and the cooldown goes down the more points are added into it. Buccaneers can use Time Leap to remove the cooldown on Resurrect so if you have a Buccaneer in your party you basically have 2 Resurrections.
To Be Continued:
Damage Rotation(s):
If you are barely surviving 1-2 hits per mob its better to spam Heal. Its not worth the risk of dying to get that extra bit of damage.
If you are easily tanking around 2-3 hits per mob you can weave in Shining Ray to the rotation for extra damage.
Using Heal > Shining Ray > Heal will help kill mobs quicker, if you don't need to be healed to full HP after every hit.
Shining Ray will do more damage than Heal to undead mobs, though it has a slower cast animation compared to Heal.
If you are taking really low hits from a mob nuke them with Shining Ray to kill them quicker, and only use Heal when you get too low.
Once you reach level 120+ weave in Genesis every 20 seconds whenever you get it. You will be unable to heal yourself for around 4 seconds so be careful of where you are, and be prepared to use a HP pot. I like to round up a bunch of mobs and wait for them to group up before I use Genesis. Don't forget to use Bahamut too it hits 3 mobs even at level 1 and it's much better than maxed Summon Dragon even at level 1.
Macros:
Where your buff is placed inside the Macro will determine the order of your buffs. I usually leave 1 open because I will slot Magic Guard there for bossing, but since I don't need Magic Guard for basic rotations I leave it out for now.
Holy Symbol shouldn't be placed inside a Macro because there is a 3 second casting delay after its used. If you have to spam Holy Symbol multiple times on party members its better to just press the button itself. Its better for the entire party to fall back towards the Priest before the buff expires so everybody can get rebuffed in one go.
Where to Level Up:
All of the maps have been rebalanced so anywhere is good to train, especially during the early levels.
Here's a quick list on what I did and where I went.
lv 10-20:
1st job advancement quests
Any quests you can find that require you to stay in Victoria Island
Bartol's Request (quicker access to Ludi)
HPQ
Tree That Grew
Dungeon Southern Forest I
Henesys Hunting Ground I
Zipangu: Mushroom Forest
lv 20-30:
Any quests you can find that require you to stay in Victoria Island
Manji's Ariant quest (useful lv 30+)
Ant Tunnel I
East Rocky Mountain V
KPQ
lv 30-35:
Ariant quests
Zipangu: The Mountain of Cloud Fox
Zipangu: Forest of Animals
Sahel 1
Terrace Hall
Eos Tower <100th Floor>
lv 35-51:
LPQ
Ludi, Korean Folk Town, and Omega Sector quests when LPQ isn't available
Helios Tower <99th Floor>
The Path of Time <1>
The Path of Time <4>
Solo:
lv 51-??:
Zipangu: Cemetery Full of Ghosts - Nightghost map, This map has a decent rotation but the mobs fly around. Save the etcs to exchange over at Showa.
Ghost Ship 1, 2, 5 - Pac Pinky, Selkie Jr and Slimy maps, even though the spawn is adjusted its still a really solid place to grind solo. I was here from lv 51-65.
Camp 1 - Skeleton Soldier and Officer Skeleton map, this map can be duo but after 3rd job its better to just solo. I stayed here from lv 65-85.
Unit 202 - Homunculus map, a popular spot and if you have max or close to max Shining Ray, its really good spot to solo or duo grind at. I was here from lv 85-95.
Lost Time - Master Death Teddy map, if you are 10-15+ levels higher than the mob level its okay to grind solo here. Ideally you would solo grind here lv 95+
The Area of the Black Kentaurus - They are undead and weak to Heal, the map is small so its easy to solo or duo. You can start here around lv 95+
Forbidden Time - Grim Phantom Watch map, this map is pretty solid for us and it used to be a hotspot before Cornian parties took off. Its still really good, once you are 120+ soloing is much smoother especially with Bahamut, and level 1 Genesis nearly 1 hits them making rounding up bottom super easy. I'm still grinding here at 132 solo/duo.
Optional:
OPQ - I never did this because I heard it wasn't worth it at the time. I think OPQ is alright I just don't have personal experience with it on this server.
Forest of Dead Trees III, IV - Personally I don't recommend it. Its too long of a walk just to npc, and you would be spending 1k NX per teleport rock every time to get back quicker.
Ghost Ship 6 - It's not terrible, but the lack of a safe spot requires you to pay attention a bit more than the other Ghost Ship maps.
Party:
lv 62-??:
Forgotten Path of Time <1> - lv 62+ Soul Teddy map, it's too big to solo but maybe you might find some people around Ludi to grind here.
Forgotten Path of Time <2> - lv 71+ Klocks map, most parties would rather wait until Priest has max HS to party up, so you might be solo for a very long time.
Forgotten Path of Time <3> - lv 80+ Death Teddy map, these things hit like a truck so be prepared.
Battlefield of Fire and Darkness - lv 83+ Red and Black Kents map, another solid map big enough for a good trio/duo.
Battlefield of Water and Darkness - lv 83+ Blue and Black Kents map, a really good duo map.
Lost Time - lv 84+ Master Death Teddy map, its a nice nostalgic spot to grind.
Forbidden Time - lv 94+ Grim Phantom Watch map, this map is extremely good. I stayed here from lv 100-120+ even at 129 with a duo, its still insane pretty good EXP and probably will be up until mid 130s or 140.
Grinding Tips:
1. Grind at spots that are 10-20 levels lower. Lower level = less damage being taken, and more kills = more chances at getting NX leaves, and drops. The EXP isn't that much different it's around 1 to 1.50% on average because the maps are balanced with every other map or area to grind at. If you are unsure about a spot, record your EXP and time yourself for about 5-10min before deciding on if its worth grinding there or vs another location.
2. Grind at locations that don't 1 hit you without Magic Guard. Only use Magic Guard to survive bosses. Rely on your Heal to save even more on MP pots.
3. Have emergency HP pots on hand. Always rely on your Heal, but sometimes you might get stuck in a situation where you can't use it and need to get HP quickly.
4. Always carry safety charms, especially if you are tanking hits without Magic Guard to grind. Always click on your Cash tab in your inventory and keep track on how many safety charms you have too, losing 10% EXP will really suck if you are 70+.
5. HS cast time has a 3 second delay if you are not on a rope. Try to always cast HS on a rope. Sometimes its not always possible to buff on a rope, for example at MDTs they spit out missiles at you and can knock you down from the rope. It is mildly annoying because you are stuck standing there for a few seconds, and if you are tanking hits to grind you can easily die if you are not paying attention. This is where I usually use my emergency HP pots.
6. If you are in a grinding party its ideal to make others come to you for HS because of the delay mentioned above. Its up to the party themselves to meet up with you so you can HS everybody in one go, instead of being softlocked for 10+ seconds HSing everyone one by one. This also eats into the bonus EXP gain because you will be down a party member and won't get credit for bonus EXP if you are stuck continuously HSing everybody one at a time without attacking.
Everybody should be heading towards the Priest when HS is about to expire.
7. Some Warriors will want you to follow them around to heal. Its not really expected of you to do so, but do keep in mind to discuss looting rules beforehand if you choose to do this method. Mainly because the person who does the most damage will loot the NX leaves, and usually everybody has a pet around level 80+ so they will end up looting everything else too. Make sure to communicate with your party if you are going to attack, or be a portable HP pot.
Bossing:
Zakum
We can join Zakum earlier than other classes because we are a utility class so we don’t have to wait until 4th job like the others. As long as you have max Dispel you can start whenever. We don’t do damage to the boss, we are there solely to heal and dispel. Our job is to make it easy for the attackers.
If you are a Bishop please make sure you have at least level 1 Resurrection, it would be worth it to do the quest asap at 120. Keep in mind that casting Ressurection will give you the same attacking delay Genesis does, so you will be unable to heal or dispel for about 4 seconds after casting it. Whoever you are rezzing should be prepared to spam pots.
We only gain 3% per Zakum kill because we aren't doing damage.
Attackers usually get 15-20% so its up to your discretion if you think its still worth running after you get Zakum Helm, Angel Ray 10, and Genesis 20.
Spam Heal and Dispel whenever you can, I would also advise you to always keep your eyes on the screen and watch Zakum’s body. This boss needs your full attention especially because we are the rezzers and we have to manually pot every 1/1, so we need to live otherwise the run could be bricked. Looking away for a quick second can and will kill you.
Angel Ray is really good on this server for single target damage, but we don't put points into it until Bahamut is maxed because Bahamut hits 3 mobs so it's not really the end of the world if it doesn't drop right away. Genesis is somewhat last on the list and what I'll be putting points into once I have mostly everything else sorted out.
You can also teleport directly into Zakum body to dodge pillars if you get a nasty 4+ line. Zakum's 3rd body does 3.3k to us with Invincible and Bless active so make sure you have around 4 to 5k MP if you plan on touching it. Try to stand behind the Warriors so that way you don't get lost in the crowd and you're close enough to teleport straight into the body.
Danger Level: 3
Zakum does a big white circle animation that deals 1/1 damage to everybody on the map.
It’s best to use an Elixir right after and then spam heal everybody. When Zakum 1/1’s it's on the others to save themselves if we get stunned or while we repot quickly to recover from the 1/1. Zakum can sometimes spam 1/1s in a row, the most I’ve seen was 5 times so be prepared for that.
Danger Level: 2
Zakum does a red fiery ring animation that summons the pillars. You can teleport to dodge pillars, the hitbox of the pillar is a little bit bigger than the pillar itself so just be mindful about that. Others will rely on you to heal and dispel so try to do the best you can at dodging pillars. It's on the rest of your party to survive without you if you get stunned.
Danger Level: 1
Zakum also does a yellow skill animation followed by a blue lightning attack that seals up the party.
Sometimes I accidentally pot this thinking it’s the 1/1, but overtime you’ll get used to watching his attacks and reacting appropriately. A quick dispel clears this right up.
Zakum also summons mobs periodically, and Weapon/Magic cancel. Usually when Weapon cancel is up the party will start to drag down the mobs so we can wipe them out. I wouldn't use Genesis when the Body phase starts because of the psudo stun we get after using Genesis. Zakum could follow up with a 1/1 or a seal and if you're locked out of movement and healing it could be end poorly for everybody else in the group. Body touching the mobs can also help negate 1/1s and stuns too, but I find its better to eat the 1/1s as much as I can so that way I remember to heal spam everyone else.
Bossing Tips:
1. I’ve used anywhere between ~250 to 900 Elixirs per run. It depends on how smooth the run goes. I would make sure you have around 1k Elixirs just to be safe.
2. Use an Elixir for the 1/1s. It's good to have around 5k MP as a buffer just in case something happens to you, and the extra HP is a nice bonus too. Cherry Pie from NLC is another alternative although in this server it is 5k per pie. 1 pie heals you for 2000 HP and MP combined so you'll need to remember to use at least 2 per 1/1.
3. Be proactive and dodge the pillars as best as you can. The hitbox is bigger than the actual pillar so try to keep that in mind. I use teleport to dodge some of the pillars, and if there’s a huge line of pillars I make sure I have around 5k MP and teleport directly into the body. Sometimes you get a line of pillars and you can’t really do anything about that.
4. Try to call out whenever you get stunned so the rest of your party knows they’re on their own if they get 1/1ed.
5. Bring a couple of safety charms in case you die repeatedly and need to be rezzed.
6. Make sure you have the party HP bar on and always be paying attention 6. Arrive 5-10 minutes earlier than the time agreed upon so that way you can start heading towards Zakum's entrance to start dooring the rest of the party.
We can join Zakum earlier than other classes because we are a utility class so we don’t have to wait until 4th job like the others. As long as you have max Dispel you can start whenever. We don’t do damage to the boss, we are there solely to heal and dispel. Our job is to make it easy for the attackers.
If you are a Bishop please make sure you have at least level 1 Resurrection, it would be worth it to do the quest asap at 120. Keep in mind that casting Ressurection will give you the same attacking delay Genesis does, so you will be unable to heal or dispel for about 4 seconds after casting it. Whoever you are rezzing should be prepared to spam pots.
We only gain 3% per Zakum kill because we aren't doing damage.
Attackers usually get 15-20% so its up to your discretion if you think its still worth running after you get Zakum Helm, Angel Ray 10, and Genesis 20.
Spam Heal and Dispel whenever you can, I would also advise you to always keep your eyes on the screen and watch Zakum’s body. This boss needs your full attention especially because we are the rezzers and we have to manually pot every 1/1, so we need to live otherwise the run could be bricked. Looking away for a quick second can and will kill you.
Angel Ray is really good on this server for single target damage, but we don't put points into it until Bahamut is maxed because Bahamut hits 3 mobs so it's not really the end of the world if it doesn't drop right away. Genesis is somewhat last on the list and what I'll be putting points into once I have mostly everything else sorted out.
You can also teleport directly into Zakum body to dodge pillars if you get a nasty 4+ line. Zakum's 3rd body does 3.3k to us with Invincible and Bless active so make sure you have around 4 to 5k MP if you plan on touching it. Try to stand behind the Warriors so that way you don't get lost in the crowd and you're close enough to teleport straight into the body.
Green Box - There's two positions where you can be: directly on top of the Warriors, or you can stand behind them circled in blue.
You want to position yourself close enough to the body to be able to teleport into it to avoid the pillars if you need to. Keep an eye on your party HP bar to make sure everybody's getting healed and adjust your position accordingly if you need to in order to reach everyone.
Notes:
If you stand directly on top of the Warriors you will not be able to heal whoever is standing behind the rocks on the far left.
I prefer standing directly behind the Warriors in this scenario, so that way I can heal everybody and teleport directly into the body to dodge pillars if I need to.
Bahamut will not target the flying mobs up above, unless somebody else brought them down. Position yourself close to the boss so that way Bahamut can attack Zakum.
If you don't have Angel Ray use Magic Claw or Lightning Bolt as a main attack in between downtime to deal some extra damage.
If your party members climb up to the platforms you will not be able to heal them from the ground. You can jump and heal to reach them, but I would let them know they are on their own if they choose to go up to the platforms.
You want to position yourself close enough to the body to be able to teleport into it to avoid the pillars if you need to. Keep an eye on your party HP bar to make sure everybody's getting healed and adjust your position accordingly if you need to in order to reach everyone.
Notes:
If you stand directly on top of the Warriors you will not be able to heal whoever is standing behind the rocks on the far left.
I prefer standing directly behind the Warriors in this scenario, so that way I can heal everybody and teleport directly into the body to dodge pillars if I need to.
Bahamut will not target the flying mobs up above, unless somebody else brought them down. Position yourself close to the boss so that way Bahamut can attack Zakum.
If you don't have Angel Ray use Magic Claw or Lightning Bolt as a main attack in between downtime to deal some extra damage.
If your party members climb up to the platforms you will not be able to heal them from the ground. You can jump and heal to reach them, but I would let them know they are on their own if they choose to go up to the platforms.
Danger Level: 3
Zakum does a big white circle animation that deals 1/1 damage to everybody on the map.
It’s best to use an Elixir right after and then spam heal everybody. When Zakum 1/1’s it's on the others to save themselves if we get stunned or while we repot quickly to recover from the 1/1. Zakum can sometimes spam 1/1s in a row, the most I’ve seen was 5 times so be prepared for that.
Danger Level: 2
Zakum does a red fiery ring animation that summons the pillars. You can teleport to dodge pillars, the hitbox of the pillar is a little bit bigger than the pillar itself so just be mindful about that. Others will rely on you to heal and dispel so try to do the best you can at dodging pillars. It's on the rest of your party to survive without you if you get stunned.
Zakum also does a yellow skill animation followed by a blue lightning attack that seals up the party.
Sometimes I accidentally pot this thinking it’s the 1/1, but overtime you’ll get used to watching his attacks and reacting appropriately. A quick dispel clears this right up.
Bossing Tips:
1. I’ve used anywhere between ~250 to 900 Elixirs per run. It depends on how smooth the run goes. I would make sure you have around 1k Elixirs just to be safe.
2. Use an Elixir for the 1/1s. It's good to have around 5k MP as a buffer just in case something happens to you, and the extra HP is a nice bonus too. Cherry Pie from NLC is another alternative although in this server it is 5k per pie. 1 pie heals you for 2000 HP and MP combined so you'll need to remember to use at least 2 per 1/1.
3. Be proactive and dodge the pillars as best as you can. The hitbox is bigger than the actual pillar so try to keep that in mind. I use teleport to dodge some of the pillars, and if there’s a huge line of pillars I make sure I have around 5k MP and teleport directly into the body. Sometimes you get a line of pillars and you can’t really do anything about that.
4. Try to call out whenever you get stunned so the rest of your party knows they’re on their own if they get 1/1ed.
5. Bring a couple of safety charms in case you die repeatedly and need to be rezzed.
6. Make sure you have the party HP bar on and always be paying attention 6. Arrive 5-10 minutes earlier than the time agreed upon so that way you can start heading towards Zakum's entrance to start dooring the rest of the party.
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but it is faster than Shining Ray.