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Corsair

Pirate Corsair

Corsairs are the gun-toting pirates of MapleStory, blasting enemies from range with an arsenal of firearms and explosive attacks. They command a Battleship that serves as both a mount and a weapon platform, firing cannons and torpedoes at massive groups of enemies. Rapid Fire delivers blistering single-target damage rivaling Hurricane, while Aerial Strike calls down a devastating airstrike. With Bullseye for critical damage buffing and a diverse toolkit of elemental attacks, Corsairs bring explosive firepower and unique mechanics to every battle.

Pros
  • Rapid Fire rivals Hurricane for single-target DPS, making Corsairs excellent boss killers from range
  • Battleship provides a unique mount with its own HP pool, effectively giving Corsairs extra survivability and powerful AoE attacks
  • Bullseye massively increases critical damage for a duration, enabling huge burst damage windows on bosses
  • Diverse elemental attacks (Flamethrower, Ice Splitter) provide options against elementally weak enemies
  • Aerial Strike is one of the most powerful AoE attacks in the game, devastating large groups of enemies
Cons
  • Battleship can be destroyed by bosses, disabling it for a cooldown period and leaving you without your mount platform
  • Guns have relatively low base weapon attack, requiring heavy scrolling investment to compete with other ranged classes
  • Ammunition costs money unless using specific skills. Bullets must be purchased unlike bowmen who get Soul Arrow early
  • Class is relatively unpopular, making it harder to find equipment and guides compared to mainstream classes
  • No universally desired party buffs like Sharp Eyes or Holy Symbol, making Corsairs less sought-after for party play

AP Distribution

Lv. 1-10 Complete Maple Island quests. Put all AP into DEX. STR should remain at base (4) unless needed for very early gun equip requirements.
Lv. 10-30 As a Gunslinger, go pure DEX. Your bullet damage scales directly with DEX. Keep STR at minimum for gun requirements.
Lv. 30-70 All AP into DEX. Invisible Shot and Grenade damage both scale with DEX. Do not waste points on STR unless absolutely needed for a weapon.
Lv. 70-120 Continue pure DEX as an Outlaw. Burst Fire and all elemental shots scale with DEX. Get any needed STR from equipment scrolls.
Lv. 120-200 As a Corsair, all AP into DEX. Rapid Fire and Battleship attacks all benefit from maximum DEX. Aim for highest possible DEX with gear.

SP Allocation (Level by Level)

2nd Job Gunslinger Lv. 30-70

Level 30: Put 1 point into Invisible Shot and Grenade for immediate attacking options
Level 30-37: Max Gun Mastery (20) for stable damage and accuracy
Level 37-46: Max Gun Booster (20) for critical attack speed improvement
Level 46-55: Max Invisible Shot (20) for your main single-target attack
Level 55-64: Max Grenade (20) for AoE mobbing capability
Level 64-70: Put points into Wings and Blank Shot for mobility and utility
Remaining: Distribute leftover points into Recoil Shot

3rd Job Outlaw Lv. 70-120

Level 70: Put 1 point into Burst Fire, Homing Beacon, Flamethrower, and Octopus
Level 70-79: Max Burst Fire (30) for your strongest single-target skill
Level 79-88: Max Homing Beacon (20) for marked-target damage boost
Level 88-98: Max Flamethrower (30) for fire AoE mobbing
Level 98-108: Max Ice Splitter (30) for ice AoE with freeze
Level 108-114: Max Octopus (20) for passive summon DPS
Level 114-120: Max Gaviota (20) for bombing summon support
Tip: Use Flamethrower on fire-weak mobs and Ice Splitter on ice-weak mobs for optimal training

4th Job Corsair Lv. 120-200

Level 120: Max Rapid Fire (30) immediately for continuous gunfire DPS rivaling Hurricane
Level 120-130: Max Battleship (30) for your mounted combat platform with AoE attacks
Level 130-140: Max Bullseye (30) for massive critical damage boost windows
Level 140-150: Max Maple Warrior (30) for percentage stat boost
Level 150-160: Max Aerial Strike (30) for devastating AoE damage
Level 160-170: Max Battleship Cannon (30) and Battleship Torpedo (30) for mounted combat
Level 170-180: Max Elemental Boost (20) and Wrath of the Octopi (30)
Level 180+: Max Hypnotize and remaining skills

Training Spots

Lv. 1-10
Maple Island
Complete Maple Island quests for fast leveling. Get to Gunslinger advancement quickly.
Lv. 10-20
Henesys Hunting Ground II
Decent EXP near town. Gun range lets you shoot safely from platforms.
Lv. 20-30
Land of Wild Boar
Dense spawns on flat terrain. Grenade hits groups effectively.
Lv. 30-45
Kerning City Subway
Great EXP density. Invisible Shot picks off individual mobs while Grenade handles groups.
Lv. 45-55
Toy Factory Process 2 Zone 3
Consistent EXP with good spawn rate. Gun range keeps you safe.
Lv. 55-70
Wolf Spider Cavern
Top-tier EXP. Range advantage lets you shoot Wolf Spiders from safe positions.
Lv. 70-85
The Nightmarish Last Days
Excellent EXP. Flamethrower and Ice Splitter are perfect AoE skills for this flat map.
Lv. 85-100
Cemetery Full of Ghosts
Great EXP and meso drops. Burst Fire handles singles while Flamethrower clears groups.
Lv. 100-120
Dragon Forest I
Solid EXP for pre-4th job. Elemental attacks work well against Cornians.
Lv. 120-200
Road of Regrets 3
Top-tier EXP. Rapid Fire melts single targets. Battleship AoE clears groups. Also try Forgotten Twilight at higher levels.

Equipment Progression

Level Weapon Armor Notes
10-30 Pistol or Dellinger Special Basic Pirate gear or quest rewards Any gun works early. Pirates get decent starting equipment from advancement.
30-50 Cold Mind or Shooting Star Blue/Red Pirate set or DEX scrolled armor Start scrolling guns with 60% Gun ATT scrolls. Bullet costs add up so buy in bulk.
50-70 Mr. Rasfelt or Blackstar DEX scrolled pirate set A well-scrolled gun makes a noticeable difference. Check Free Market for options.
70-100 Grape Juice Bottle or Lunar Shooter Zakum Helmet, DEX scrolled armor set Get Zakum Helmet for stats. These guns carry you through 3rd job content.
100-130 Dragon Fire Revolver or Neva Pistol Zakum Helm, HTP, DEX scrolled pirate gear Transition to endgame guns. Look for high-ATT scrolled options.
130-200 Timeless Killic or best available gun Full endgame: Zakum Helm, HTP, PAC, scrolled Pirate DEX gear Perfectly scrolled Timeless Killic is best-in-slot for Corsairs.
  • Battleship has its own HP bar. When it breaks, you are dismounted and cannot use it for a cooldown period. Dismount before it breaks if possible to avoid the cooldown penalty.
  • Activate Bullseye before using Rapid Fire on a boss for a huge burst damage window. Time it with party buffs for maximum effect.
  • Battleship Cannon is excellent for mobbing while mounted. Use it for training, then dismount and Rapid Fire for boss encounters.
  • Flamethrower and Ice Splitter hit different elements. Use the one that the enemy is weak to for bonus damage. Many maps have elemental weaknesses.
  • Aerial Strike has a long cooldown but massive AoE damage. Save it for large mob groupings or use it as an opener before switching to Rapid Fire on bosses.