MapleStory Before Big Bang - Archer, Crossbowman, Sniper, Marksman Skill Build Guide

Marksman is the second job branch of an Archer in MapleStory and excels in single-target damage with it's sniping skills. The class was mildly popular in Before The Big Bang update due to having more complicated skills than Bowmaster, but if used correctly, it can hit the damage cap faster than any other class in old-school MapleStory.

• Archer, Crossbowman, Sniper and Marksman Highlights
• Overview
• Assigning AP
• Archer - First Job Skill Build Guide
• Crossbowman - Second Job Skill Build
• Sniper - Third Job Skill Build Guide
• Marksman - Fourth Job Skill Build Guide

Marksman were not very popular in 3rd job as a Sniper due to the fact that Rangers had better mobbing skills, however, with the release of 4th job and the party buff Sharp Eyes, Marksman became formiddable bossing classes with the ability to output high-damage single target attacks.

With the release of MapleStory Worlds, many players can now play old school MapleStory on servers like Artale.

If you're looking for the Modern version of this class, check out the Marksman Skill Build Guide.

Archer, Crossbowman, Sniper and Marksman Highlights

Bowman were never the most popular class in MapleStory, often being overlooked for Hermits in 3rd Job due to their better DPS. But that changed in 4th job when Sharp Eyes became a must-have skill for bossing.

Here are some highlights of choosing a Sniper / Marksman:

• Decent Horizontal Mobbing - Several of Marksman's mobbing skills allow arrows to pierce through enemies, making the class great on horizontal maps
• Freeze Enemies - Frostprey summon can freeze multiple enemies at once
• Decent DPS - not the strongest attackers in MapleStory, but they do not need Summoning Rocks to use their main attacking skill (like Hermits / Night Lords)
• Sharp Eyes - one of the best party-buff skills for bossing parties, adding significant damage to all who have it
• Long Range - Like thieves, Bowman can stay out of harms way to deal damage

These are the disadvantages to playing Ranger:

• Low mobility - They have no flash jump or haste skill to help with traversing the world
• Low HP - They have the same HP as Thieves
• Arrow Management - Arrows are one-use and you need to buy them from Potion shops in order to attack in first job. Second job gives you a skill to ignore this.

Overview

Main Stat: DEX

Secondary Stat: STR

Weapon: Bow

Job Branch:

• Archer (Level 10)
• Crossbowman (Level 30)
• Sniper (Level 70)
• Marksman (Level 120)

Assigning AP

A Bowman's main stat is DEX that boosts damage. But you'll also need STR for wearing equipment.

When rolling your stats for character creation, you want to aim for:

• STR: 4
• DEX: 13
• LUK: 4
• INT: 4

You get 5 AP per level in MapleStory. A regular AP build for Bowman is:

• +4 DEX every Level
• +1 STR every Level

You need at least 25 DEX in order to job advance as a Bowman.

You'll want to cap your STR at around 50 and then gain STR from Equipments in order to equip high-level equipment.

Archer - First Job Skill Build Guide

When you reach Level 10, you can job advance to an Archer by speaking to Athena in Henesys. You can choose between Bow and Crossbow as your weapon type, but Bows are more suited for the Ranger/Bowmaster job branch, whereas Crossbow are better for Sniper/Marksman

Each level up gives you 3 SP and your Job Advancement gives +1 SP.

• Level 10: Arrow Blow +1
• Level 11: Double Shot +1, Blessing of Amazon +2
• Level 12: Blessing of Amazon +1, Eye of Amazon +2
• Level 13: Eye of Amazon +3
• Level 14: Eye of Amazon +3
• Level 15: Double Shot +3
• Level 16: Double Shot +3
• Level 17: Double Shot +3
• Level 18: Double Shot +3
• Level 19: Double Shot +3
• Level 20: Double Shot +3
• Level 21: Double Shot +1, Critical Shot +2
• Level 22: Critical Shot +3
• Level 23: Critical Shot +3
• Level 24: Critical Shot +3
• Level 25: Critical Shot +3
• Level 26: Critical Shot +3
• Level 27: Critical Shot +3
• Level 28: Focus +3
• Level 29: Focus +3
• Level 30: Focus +3

Your main attacking skill as an Archer is Double Shot, which out performs Arrow Blow. You need to add 1 point into Arrow Blow to unlock Double Shot.

Then you should increase your range with Eye of Amazon in order to hit enemies further away.

Once you max Double Shot, then max Critical Shot to increase your Critical Hit Chance.

The last 9 SP can be put into either Focus or Blessing of Amazon; neither skills offer much benefit to Archers going forward.

Crossbowman - Second Job Skill Build

At Level 30, you can do the second job advancement. You have the choice between either Hunter or Crossbowman. For this build choose Crossbowman.

Follow this skill build:

• Level 30: Iron Arrow +1
• Level 31: Crossbow Mastery +3
• Level 32: Crossbow Mastery +2, Crossbow Booster +1
• Level 33: Crossbow Booster +3
• Level 34: Crossbow Booster +3
• Level 35: Crossbow Mastery +3
• Level 36: Crossbow Mastery +3
• Level 37: Crossbow Mastery +3
• Level 38: Crossbow Mastery +3
• Level 39: Crossbow Mastery +3
• Level 40: Soul Arrow +3
• Level 41: Iron Arrow +3
• Level 42: Iron Arrow +3
• Level 43: Iron Arrow +3
• Level 44: Iron Arrow +3
• Level 45: Iron Arrow +3
• Level 46: Iron Arrow +3
• Level 47: Iron Arrow +3
• Level 48: Iron Arrow +3
• Level 49: Iron Arrow +3
• Level 50: Iron Arrow +2, Crossbow Booster +1
• Level 51: Crossbow Booster +3
• Level 52: Crossbow Booster +3
• Level 53: Crossbow Booster +3
• Level 54: Crossbow Booster +3
• Level 55: Power Knockback +3
• Level 56: Power Knockback +3
• Level 57: Power Knockback +3
• Level 58: Power Knockback +3
• Level 59: Power Knockback +3
• Level 60: Power Knockback +3
• Level 61: Power Knockback +2, Soul Arrow +1
• Level 62: Soul Arrow +3
• Level 63: Soul Arrow +3
• Level 64: Soul Arrow +3
• Level 65: Soul Arrow +3
• Level 66: Soul Arrow +3
• Level 67: Soul Arrow +2, Focus +1
• Level 68: Focus +3
• Level 69: Focus +3
• Level 70: Focus +3

As a Crossbowman you'll be using Iron Arrow for mobbing so add one point into it first. Then you'll want to add 5 points in Crossbow Mastery to unlock the Crossbow Booster to speed up your attacks.

Crossbow Mastery adds more damage than leveling up Iron Arrow, so max that first.

Power Knockback allows you to push monsters away from you if they get too close to do range attacks.

Soul Arrow allows you to use Arrow attacks without needing Arrows in your Inventory.

We ignore Final Attack: Crossbow due to it being useless.

Sniper - Third Job Skill Build Guide

At Level 70, you can complete the third job advancement quest and become a Sniper.

Follow this build:

• Level 70: Blizzard +1
• Level 71: Strafe +3
• Level 72: Strafe +3
• Level 73: Strafe +3
• Level 74: Strafe +3
• Level 75: Strafe +3
• Level 76: Strafe +3
• Level 77: Strafe +3
• Level 78: Strafe +3
• Level 79: Strafe +3
• Level 80: Strafe +3,
• Level 81: Mortal Blow +3
• Level 82: Mortal Blow +2, Arrow Eruption +1
• Level 83: Arrow Eruption +3
• Level 84: Arrow Eruption +3
• Level 85: Arrow Eruption +3
• Level 86: Arrow Eruption +3
• Level 87: Arrow Eruption +3
• Level 88: Arrow Eruption +3
• Level 89: Arrow Eruption +3
• Level 90: Arrow Eruption +3
• Level 91: Arrow Eruption +3
• Level 92: Arrow Rain +2, Blizzard +1
• Level 93: Blizzard +3
• Level 94: Blizzard +3
• Level 95: Blizzard +3
• Level 96: Blizzard +3
• Level 97: Blizzard +3
• Level 98: Blizzard +3
• Level 99: Blizzard +1, Puppet +2
• Level 100: Puppet +3
• Level 101: Puppet +3
• Level 102: Puppet +3
• Level 103: Puppet +3
• Level 104: Golden Eagle +3
• Level 105: Golden Eagle +3
• Level 106: Golden Eagle +3
• Level 107: Golden Eagle +3
• Level 108: Golden Eagle +3
• Level 109: Golden Eagle +3
• Level 110: Golden Eagle +3
• Level 111: Golden Eagle +3
• Level 112: Golden Eagle +3
• Level 113: Golden Eagle +3
• Level 114: Puppet +3
• Level 115: Puppet +2, Thrust +1
• Level 116: Thrust +3
• Level 117: Thrust +3
• Level 118: Thrust +3
• Level 119: Thrust +3
• Level 120: Thrust +3

Your main attacking skill is Strafe, which out damages Double Shot even with just 1 point put into the skill.

Add one point into Blizzard early on to help with freezing enemies, then add up to 21 points into it later on as the damage increase after Level 21 is not worth it.

Golden Eagle is your summon that does some extra damage once in a while. Puppet can be used to keep enemies away from you.

Thrust adds some extra speed and Mortal Blow is fairly useless but you have left over SP so add the rest into it.

Marksman - Fourth Job Skill Build Guide

At Level 120, you can make the fourth job advancement and become a Marksman!

Fourth job is slightly different to other jobs in that you need to obtain Skill Books to increase the max level of a skill and also take on a few quests to unlock others. This guide assumes you have everything maxed out, but whilst waiting for skill books you can improve other skills.

Follow this skill build:

• Level 120: Marksman Boost +1
• Level 121: Dragon's Breath +1, Piercing Arrow +1, Frostprey +1
• Level 122: Sharp Eyes +3
• Level 123: Sharp Eyes +3
• Level 124: Sharp Eyes +3
• Level 125: Sharp Eyes +1, Piercing Arrow +2
• Level 126: Piercing Arrow +3
• Level 127: Piercing Arrow +3
• Level 128: Piercing Arrow +3
• Level 129: Piercing Arrow +3
• Level 130: Piercing Arrow +3
• Level 131: Piercing Arrow +3
• Level 132: Piercing Arrow +3
• Level 133: Piercing Arrow +3
• Level 134: Piercing Arrow +3
• Level 135: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 136: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 137: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 138: Maple Warrior +1, Marksman Boost +2
• Level 139: Marksman Boost +3
• Level 140: Marksman Boost +3
• Level 141: Marksman Boost +3
• Level 142: Marksman Boost +3
• Level 143: Marksman Boost +3
• Level 144: Marksman Boost +3
• Level 145: Marksman Boost +3
• Level 146: Marksman Boost +3
• Level 147: Marksman Boost +3
• Level 148: Sharp Eyes +3
• Level 149: Sharp Eyes +3
• Level 150: Sharp Eyes +3
• Level 151: Sharp Eyes +1
• Level 152: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 153: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 154: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 155: Maple Warrior +1, Snipe +2
• Level 156: Snipe +3
• Level 157: Snipe +3
• Level 158: Snipe +3
• Level 159: Snipe +3
• Level 160: Snipe +3
• Level 161: Snipe +3
• Level 162: Snipe +3
• Level 163: Snipe +3
• Level 164: Snipe +3
• Level 165: Snipe +1, Sharp Eyes +2
• Level 166: Sharp Eyes +3
• Level 167: Sharp Eyes +3
• Level 168: Sharp Eyes +2, Frostprey +1
• Level 169: Frostprey +3
• Level 170: Frostprey +3
• Level 171: Frostprey +3
• Level 172: Frostprey +3
• Level 173: Frostprey +3
• Level 174: Frostprey +3
• Level 175: Frostprey +3
• Level 176: Frostprey +3
• Level 177: Frostprey +3
• Level 178: Frostprey +1, Maple Warrior +2
• Level 179: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 180: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 181: Maple Warrior +2, Dragon's Breath +1
• Level 182: Dragon's Breath +3
• Level 183: Dragon's Breath +3
• Level 184: Dragon's Breath +3
• Level 185: Dragon's Breath +3
• Level 186: Dragon's Breath +3
• Level 187: Dragon's Breath +3
• Level 188: Dragon's Breath +3
• Level 189: Dragon's Breath +3
• Level 190: Dragon's Breath +3
• Level 191: Dragon's Breath +1, Blind +2
• Level 192: Blind +3
• Level 193: Blind +3
• Level 194: Blind +3
• Level 195: Blind +3
• Level 196: Blind +3
• Level 197: Blind +3
• Level 198: Blind +3
• Level 199: Blind +3
• Level 200: Blind +2, Hero's Will +1

This build aims to start off strong with mobbing skills and then add in your main bossing skills later on as you get higher level.

Your main party skill is Sharp Eyes, which will get you into bossing parties early if you max it out, so you might want to level this sooner.

First you add points into all your new training skills: Marksman Boost for damage, Dragon's Breath for grouping up mobs, Frostprey for the freeze and Piercing Arrow as your main attacking skill.

Once you max Piercing Arrow, then max Marksman Boost for extra damage. Then it's about maxing Sharp Eyes, Maple Warrior and Snipe to turn your class into a bossing powerhouse.

Snipe is your main single-target dps skill but it's only useful once maxed out so you may want to max out Sharp Eyes and Maple Warrior first.