MapleStory Before Big Bang - Spearman, Dragon Knight, Dark Knight Skill Build Guide

One of the most popular classes in MapleStory Before The Big Bang update is the Dragon Knight class. This skill build guide will show you the best build for Spearman, Dragon Knight and 4th Job Dark Knight for classic MapleStory.

Some of the most popular players like Tiger used the Dragon Knight class in old-school MapleStory and with the release of MapleStory Worlds, players can now experience these classes once again in their original form.

Dragon Knight is one of the best mobbers and damage dealers in MapleStory. They wield the Polearm and Spear weapon type, provide the Hyper Body support skill to double HP and are a must in any bossing party.

If you're looking to play the modern MapleStory class, check out our Dark Knight Skill Build Guide.

Spearman, Dragon Knight, Dark Knight Highlights

Dragon Knight was one of the most popular classes in old-school MapleStory and they slowly slipped down the rankings in popularity after 4th job advancement came out. They excel in 3rd job, with the Dragon Knight class able to hit 3 mobs at a time and deal very high damage to them.

Spearman struggles in 2nd Job, due to not having any new attacking skills and relying on the Slash Blast first job skill.

If you're planning on playing Dragon Knight, here are some things to be aware of:

• Hyper Body - A vital support skill that gives everyone in the party 40% more HP.
• Mobbing - Some of the best mobbing skills in third job with Crusher
• High HP - All warriors have high hp, allowing them to solo train in end-game areas without support
• Polearm / Spear - Dragon Knights can switch easily between Polearm or Spear weapon types that benefit flat maps

Some of the disadvantages:

• Low mobility - They have no skills that help with mobility, so you'll be doing a lot of walking around to get to your training maps
• 4th Job Disadvantage - When you get to 4th job, you have to manage your HP in order to maximize damage.
• Low Accuracy - You need to have DEX in order to hit mobs at certain levels

Overview

Main Stat: STR

Secondary Stat: DEX

Weapon: Polearm / Spear

Job Branch:

• Warrior (Level 10)
• Spearman (Level 30)
• Dragon Knight (Level 70)
• Dark Knight (Level 120)

Assigning AP

A Warrior's main stat is STR that boosts damage. But you'll also need DEX for wearing equipment and hitting mobs due to Warrior's low accuracy.

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

• STR: 13
• DEX: 4
• LUK: 4
• INT: 4

However, rolling this is called a "perfect roll", and so you should accept anything with low DEX and high STR to get going.

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

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

In order to job advance at Level 10 to Warrior, you need 35 STR.

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

Warrior First Job Skill Build

At Level 10 you can job advance to Warrior in Perion by speaking to Dances With Balrog. You need at least 35 STR in order to job advance.

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

• Level 10: Improving HP Recovery + 1
• Level 11: Improving HP Recovery + 3
• Level 12: Improving HP Recovery + 1, Improving Max HP Increase +2,
• Level 13: Improving Max HP Increase +3
• Level 14: Improving Max HP Increase +3
• Level 15: Improving Max HP Increase +2, Power Strike +1
• Level 16: Slash Blast +3
• Level 17: Slash Blast +3
• Level 18: Slash Blast +3
• Level 19: Slash Blast +3
• Level 20: Slash Blast +3
• Level 21: Slash Blast +3
• Level 22: Slash Blast +2, Power Strike +1
• Level 23: Power Strike +3
• Level 24: Power Strike +3
• Level 25: Power Strike +3
• Level 26: Power Strike +3
• Level 27:Power Strike +3
• Level 28: Power Strike +3
• Level 29: Improving HP Recovery + 3
• Level 30: Improving HP Recovery + 3

Warriors should put 5 points into Improving HP Recovery as soon as possible to unlock the skill Improving Max HP Increase and then max that.

Improving Max HP Increase adds additional HP to your character on level up, so the earlier you do this the more HP your character will have going forward.

Once maxed, add one point into Power Strike to start dealing more damage. Then you'll want to max Slash Blast for mobbing and then max Power Strike. You can play around with these skills if you find your damage is too low with Slash Blast and prefer 1-hitting single mobs.

Spearman Second Job Skill Build

Once you reach Level 30, you can then job advance to Spearman. Warriors can choose between Fighter, Page or Spearman.

Spearman doesn't gain any new attacking skills, so you'll be using Power Strike and Slash Blast all the way to 3rd job.

Follow this skill build:

• Level 30: Spear Mastery +1
• Level 31: Spear Mastery +3
• Level 32: Spear Mastery +3
• Level 33: Spear Mastery +3
• Level 34: Spear Mastery +3
• Level 35: Spear Mastery +3
• Level 36: Spear Mastery +3
• Level 37: Spear Mastery +1, Spear Booster+2
• Level 38: Spear Booster +3
• Level 39: Spear Booster +3
• Level 40: Hyper Body +3
• Level 41: Hyper Body +3
• Level 42: Hyper Body +3
• Level 43: Hyper Body +3
• Level 44: Hyper Body +3
• Level 45: Hyper Body +3
• Level 46: Hyper Body +3
• Level 47: Hyper Body +3
• Level 48: Hyper Body +3
• Level 49: Hyper Body +3
• Level 50: Spear Booster +3
• Level 51: Spear Booster +3
• Level 52: Spear Booster +3
• Level 53: Spear Booster +3
• Level 54: Polearm Mastery +3
• Level 55: Polearm Mastery +3
• Level 56: Polearm Mastery +3
• Level 57: Polearm Mastery +3
• Level 58: Polearm Mastery +3
• Level 59: Polearm Mastery +3
• Level 60: Polearm Mastery +3
• Level 61: Polearm Mastery +3
• Level 62: Polearm Mastery +3
• Level 63: Polearm Mastery +3
• Level 64: Polearm Booster +3
• Level 65: Polearm Booster +3
• Level 66: Polearm Booster +3
• Level 67: Polearm Booster +3
• Level 68: Polearm Booster +3
• Level 69: Polearm Booster +3
• Level 70: Polearm Booster +2, Improving HP Recovery + 1 (first job)

For Spearman you'll want to sacrifice the Final Attack skill in favor of maxing both Mastery and Booster Skills. The reason is Final Attack plays no part in 3rd or 4th job, so it's a wasted skill. This way, you can make use of using both Polearms and Spears in 3rd Job.

Hyper Body is a party buff skill that gives +40% more HP. It is useful during Ludibrium Party Quest, so you can decide to max that first instead of Final Attack.

Final Attack will add an extra strike to your damage skills, allowing you to wipe out mobs faster, but we're not using it in this build.

Dragon Knight - Third Job Skill Build

At Level 70, you can do the third job advancement and become a Dragon Knight. Finally, you get some new powerful attacking skills and your class really starts to shine.

Follow this skill build guide:

• Level 70: Spear Crusher +1
• Level 71: Spear Crusher +3
• Level 72: Spear Crusher +3
• Level 73: Spear Crusher +3
• Level 74: Spear Crusher +3
• Level 75: Spear Crusher +3
• Level 76: Spear Crusher +3
• Level 77: Spear Crusher +3
• Level 78: Spear Crusher +3
• Level 79: Spear Crusher +3
• Level 80: Spear Crusher +2, Dragon Blood +1
• Level 81: Dragon Blood +3
• Level 82: Dragon Blood +3
• Level 83: Dragon Blood +3
• Level 84: Dragon Blood +3
• Level 85: Dragon Blood +3
• Level 86: Dragon Blood +3
• Level 87: Dragon Blood +1, Dragon Fury: Polearm +2
• Level 88: Dragon Fury: Polearm +3
• Level 89: Dragon Fury: Polearm +3
• Level 90: Dragon Fury: Polearm +3
• Level 91: Dragon Fury: Polearm +3
• Level 92: Dragon Fury: Polearm +3
• Level 93: Dragon Fury: Polearm +3
• Level 94: Dragon Fury: Polearm +3
• Level 95: Dragon Fury: Polearm +3
• Level 96: Dragon Fury: Polearm +3
• Level 97: Dragon Fury: Polearm +1, Elemental Resistance +2
• Level 98: Elemental Resistance +3
• Level 99: Elemental Resistance +3
• Level 100: Elemental Resistance +3
• Level 101: Elemental Resistance +3
• Level 102: Elemental Resistance +3
• Level 103: Elemental Resistance +3
• Level 104: Sacrifice +3
• Level 105: Dragon Roar +3
• Level 106: Dragon Roar +3
• Level 107: Dragon Roar +3
• Level 108: Dragon Roar +3
• Level 109: Dragon Roar +3
• Level 110: Dragon Roar +3
• Level 111: Dragon Roar +3
• Level 112: Dragon Roar +3
• Level 113: Dragon Roar +3
• Level 114: Dragon Roar +3
• Level 115: Power Crash +3
• Level 116: Power Crash +3
• Level 117: Power Crash +3
• Level 118: Power Crash +3
• Level 119: Power Crash +3
• Level 120: Power Crash +3

With this Dragon Knight build, you get the best of both worlds for Spear Crusher and Dragon Fury: Polearm. You'll use Spear Crusher when bossing and attacking high-HP targets on large maps. You'll use Dragon Fury when on flat horizontal maps with lots of mobs.

Dragon Blood gives you an attack boost (but it does drain some HP, so be careful using it in bossing). Dragon Roar isn't very useful, but it is a flashy skill and many like to use it when grinding low level mobs.

Add in Elemental Resistance to lower the amount of damage you take and Power Crash can be used in bossing.

Dark Knight - Fourth Job Skill Build

At Level 120, you can start your 4th job advancement and become a Dark Knight. Dark Knight gets an upgraded Crusher skill called Berserk that deals lots more damage but you have to have less than 40% Max HP in order to maximise it at all times.

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: Rush +1
• Level 121: Beserk +3
• Level 122: Beserk +3
• Level 123: Beserk +3
• Level 124: Beserk +1, Maple Warrior +2
• Level 125: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 126: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 127: Maple Warrior +2, Beholder +1
• Level 128: Beholder +3
• Level 129: Beholder +3
• Level 130: Beholder +3
• Level 131: Beserk +3
• Level 132: Beserk +3
• Level 133: Beserk +3
• Level 134: Beserk +1, Aura of the Beholder +2
• Level 135: Aura of the Beholder +3
• Level 136: Aura of the Beholder +3
• Level 137: Aura of the Beholder +2, Power Stance +1
• Level 138: Power Stance +3
• Level 139: Power Stance +3
• Level 140: Power Stance +3
• Level 141: Power Stance +3
• Level 142: Power Stance +3
• Level 143: Power Stance +3
• Level 144: Power Stance +3
• Level 145: Power Stance +3
• Level 146: Power Stance +3
• Level 147: Power Stance +2, Achilles +1
• Level 148: Achilles +3
• Level 149: Achilles +3
• Level 150: Achilles +3
• Level 151: Achilles +3
• Level 152: Achilles +3
• Level 153: Achilles +3
• Level 154: Achilles +3
• Level 155: Achilles +3
• Level 156: Achilles +3
• Level 157: Achilles +2, Maple Warrior +1
• Level 158: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 159: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 160: Maple Warrior +3,
• Level 161: Berserk +3
• Level 162: Berserk +3
• Level 163: Berserk +3
• Level 164: Berserk +1, Aura of the Beholder +2
• Level 165: Aura of the Beholder +3
• Level 166: Aura of the Beholder +3
• Level 167: Aura of the Beholder +3
• Level 168: Aura of the Beholder +3
• Level 169: Aura of the Beholder +3
• Level 170: Aura of the Beholder +3
• Level 171: Hex of the Beholder +3
• Level 172: Hex of the Beholder +3
• Level 173: Hex of the Beholder +3
• Level 174: Hex of the Beholder +3
• Level 175: Hex of the Beholder +3
• Level 176: Hex of the Beholder +3
• Level 177: Hex of the Beholder +2, Maple Warrior +1
• Level 178: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 179: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 180: Maple Warrior +3
• Level 181: Monster Magnet +3
• Level 182: Monster Magnet +3
• Level 183: Monster Magnet +3
• Level 184: Monster Magnet +3
• Level 185: Monster Magnet +3
• Level 186: Monster Magnet +3
• Level 187: Monster Magnet +3
• Level 188: Monster Magnet +3
• Level 189: Monster Magnet +3
• Level 190: Monster Magnet +3
• Level 191: Rush +3
• Level 192: Rush +3
• Level 193: Rush +3
• Level 194: Rush +3
• Level 195: Rush +3
• Level 196: Rush +3
• Level 197: Rush +3
• Level 198: Rush +3
• Level 199: Rush +3
• Level 200: Rush +3

Since you might not have all the best 4th job books available when you job advance, this skill build gives you a balanced build that slowly increases your main skills.

You should aim to max Berserk and Maple Warrior as soon as possible, but in the mean time, adding points into Power Stance and your Beholder will help with bossing and damage dealing.

Berserk is a tricky skill; it requires you to have non-full HP to deal more damage. If you go over the required amount of HP, Berserk is not activated. At max level, you will have to maintain your HP at 40% maximum to activate Berserk dealing an additional +200% damage.

Power Stance will prevent you from getting knock-backed, which is vital in bossing and training. Add one point into Rush early on to help with mobility issues.