Back to Guides

I/L Arch Mage

Magician I/L Arch Mage

Ice/Lightning Arch Mages command the forces of frost and electricity, freezing enemies in place before shattering them with Chain Lightning. Their Blizzard ultimate freezes entire maps, and Chain Lightning chains between targets for efficient mobbing. With Infinity and Element Amplification, I/L Arch Mages are the premier mob-clearing mage class in v83.

Pros
  • Chain Lightning chains between 6 targets for incredible mobbing efficiency
  • Blizzard freezes all mobs on screen — best crowd control AoE in the game
  • Ice skills freeze enemies, providing built-in crowd control while training
  • Infinity gives unlimited MP and boosted magic attack
  • Excellent at every level range — strong progression from 1st to 4th job
Cons
  • Very squishy — mages have the lowest HP in the game
  • Many boss monsters are ice-resistant, reducing Blizzard's bossing value
  • Chain Lightning can miss targets with low accuracy
  • Ice freeze effect doesn't work on bosses
  • Requires significant investment in HP washing for endgame bossing

AP Distribution

Lv. 1-8 All AP into INT. Complete Maple Island quests quickly to reach level 8.
Lv. 8-30 LUK at level + 3 for equipment. Everything else into INT.
Lv. 30-70 Continue with LUK = Level + 3. If you acquire LUK gear, reduce base LUK accordingly.
Lv. 70-120 Freeze base LUK around 60-70 with Zakum Helmet. All AP into INT from here.
Lv. 120-200 Minimize LUK with scrolled gear. Maximize INT. HP washing is recommended for bossing survival.

SP Allocation (Level by Level)

2nd Job I/L Wizard Lv. 30-70

Lv 30: +1 Teleport, +4 Cold Beam
Lv 31-35: Teleport to 15 (good distance), Cold Beam to 10
Lv 36-40: Thunder Bolt to 20 (multi-target lightning for mobbing)
Lv 41-46: Meditation to 20 (max, party magic buff)
Lv 47-50: Teleport to 20 (max)
Lv 51-56: MP Eater to 20 (max)
Lv 57-63: Cold Beam to 30 (max, freezing single-target)
Lv 64-70: Slow to 20 (max, utility)

3rd Job I/L Mage Lv. 70-120

Lv 70: +1 Ice Strike, +1 Spell Booster, +1 Element Amplification
Lv 71-79: Ice Strike to 30 (max, main AoE with freeze)
Lv 80-89: Element Amplification to 30 (max, 50% damage boost)
Lv 90-95: Spell Booster to 20 (max, cast speed)
Lv 96-105: Thunder Spear to 30 (max, single-target lightning)
Lv 106-112: Element Composition to 20 (boss utility)
Lv 113-118: Seal to 20 (max)

4th Job I/L Arch Mage Lv. 120-200

Lv 120: +1 Chain Lightning, +1 Blizzard, +1 Infinity
Lv 121-130: Chain Lightning to 30 (max, primary mobbing skill)
Lv 131-140: Blizzard to 30 (max, ultimate AoE freeze)
Lv 141-150: Infinity to 30 (max, unlimited MP)
Lv 151-160: Maple Warrior to 30 (max, party buff)
Lv 161-170: Big Bang to 30 (max, filler AoE)
Lv 171-180: Mana Reflection to 30 (max, defense)
Lv 181: Hero's Will to 5 (max, anti-seduce)

Training Spots

Lv. 1-8
Maple Island
Quick tutorial levels to reach mage advancement.
Lv. 8-21
Henesys Hunting Ground I
Cold Beam one-shots and freezes. Very safe.
Lv. 21-30
Kerning City Subway
Good EXP. Thunder Bolt hits multiple targets.
Lv. 30-40
Ant Tunnel I
Dense spawns for AoE magic training.
Lv. 40-55
Toy Factory Process 1 Zone 3
Flat maps, excellent EXP per hour.
Lv. 55-70
Forest of Dead Trees III
Good spawn. Ice Strike freezes everything.
Lv. 70-85
Wolf Spider Cavern
Incredible EXP. Ice Strike + freeze = safe farming.
Lv. 85-100
The Nightmarish Last Days
High EXP mobs. Freeze keeps you safe.
Lv. 100-120
Ghost Ship 5
Dense spawns, Ice Strike freezes the whole platform.
Lv. 120-200
Forgotten Twilight
Endgame. Chain Lightning + Blizzard rotation is devastating.

Equipment Progression

Level Weapon Armor Notes
1-8 Beginner Wand Beginner clothing Rush to level 8 for mage advancement.
8-30 Metal Wand (Lv 8) / Sapphire Staff (Lv 18) Blue Wizard Robe, Wizard Hat INT gear is everything. Get Sauna Robe if possible.
30-60 Wizard Staff (Lv 28) / Arc Staff (Lv 38) Dark Wizard Robe, INT scrolled earrings Focus on magic attack.
60-90 Elemental Staff 3 (Lv 58) / Heart Staff (Lv 68) INT bathrobe or Sauna Robe Zakum Helmet saves LUK points.
90-120 Elemental Staff 5 (Lv 78) or Nocturnal Staff Scrolled overall, Zakum Helm, HTP Prepare endgame gear.
120-200 Elemental Staff 8 (Lv 108) or scrolled endgame Full INT scrolled set Maximize magic attack. Aim for 2000+ with buffs.
  • Chain Lightning is your bread and butter — it hits up to 6 targets and chains automatically, making it the best mobbing skill.
  • Use Blizzard when entering a new platform or room to freeze everything, then clean up with Chain Lightning.
  • Ice skills freeze enemies which effectively doubles as crowd control — you rarely take damage while training.
  • Many bosses resist ice — for bossing, Chain Lightning (lightning element) is often better than Blizzard.
  • Infinity should be used off cooldown during training — it saves millions in MP potions over time.