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Shadower

Thief Shadower
Path Beginner → Thief → Bandit → Chief Bandit → Shadower
Primary LUK
Secondary DEX/STR

Shadowers are the dagger-wielding rogues of MapleStory, masters of close-range combat and meso manipulation. Unlike Night Lords who attack from afar, Shadowers fight up close and personal with devastating combo attacks. Assassinate delivers massive single-hit damage, while Boomerang Step provides wide AoE clearing. Meso Explosion turns your dropped mesos into bombs, creating one of the most unique and satisfying playstyles in the game. With Meso Guard for survivability and Smokescreen for party protection, Shadowers bring both damage and utility.

Key Skills
Assassinate Boomerang Step Meso Explosion Shadow Shifter Maple Warrior
Pros
  • Assassinate deals enormous single-hit damage, making Shadowers strong burst-damage dealers against bosses
  • Meso Explosion is one of the most unique skills in the game, turning mesos into AoE bombs for massive damage
  • Meso Guard absorbs damage using mesos instead of HP, giving Shadowers excellent survivability for a thief class
  • Smokescreen protects the entire party from damage inside its area, providing valuable party utility during boss fights
  • Boomerang Step hits a wide area around you, making it a very effective mobbing skill for training
Cons
  • Close-range combat means you take more hits than ranged classes, requiring good potion management and positioning
  • Meso Explosion is meso-intensive. Effective use requires dropping large amounts of mesos, which adds up over time
  • Lower overall DPS than Night Lord in most bossing scenarios due to Assassinate's slower attack rhythm
  • Gear progression is expensive since you need both a good dagger and a shield, plus scrolled LUK equipment
  • Dark Sight mechanic can feel clunky for Assassinate timing, requiring practice to optimize damage rotation

AP Distribution

Lv. 1-10 Complete Maple Island quests. Put AP into DEX until you have enough for early daggers (around 25), then switch to LUK. STR can stay at base.
Lv. 10-30 As a Bandit, go primarily LUK. Check dagger requirements and add minimal DEX/STR as needed. Savage Blow damage scales with LUK.
Lv. 30-70 All AP into LUK. Steal and Band of Thieves both benefit from high LUK. Keep secondary stats at bare minimum for equipment.
Lv. 70-120 Continue pure LUK as a Chief Bandit. Meso Explosion damage benefits from high LUK. Assaulter and Band of Thieves scale well.
Lv. 120-200 As a Shadower, all AP into LUK. Assassinate's massive single hits scale heavily with LUK. Boomerang Step also benefits from high LUK.

SP Allocation (Level by Level)

2nd Job Bandit Lv. 30-70

Level 30: Put 1 point into Savage Blow for immediate multi-hit damage
Level 30-37: Max Dagger Mastery (20) for stable damage output
Level 37-46: Max Dagger Booster (20) for attack speed increase
Level 46-55: Max Haste (20) for movement speed and party utility
Level 55-70: Max Savage Blow (30) for maximum single-target training damage
Remaining: Put points into Steal for item-stealing utility, then Endure

3rd Job Chief Bandit Lv. 70-120

Level 70: Put 1 point into Band of Thieves, Meso Explosion, Assaulter, and Meso Guard
Level 70-79: Max Band of Thieves (30) for AoE mobbing capability
Level 79-89: Max Meso Explosion (30) for your unique AoE nuke
Level 89-99: Max Assaulter (30) for mobility and stun damage
Level 99-109: Max Meso Guard (30) for essential damage mitigation
Level 109-115: Max Pickpocket (20) to fuel Meso Explosion with automatic meso drops
Level 115-120: Put remaining points into Chakra for HP sustain
Tip: Drop mesos manually then use Meso Explosion for massive AoE bursts while training

4th Job Shadower Lv. 120-200

Level 120: Max Assassinate (30) first for your defining boss-killing skill
Level 120-130: Max Boomerang Step (30) for wide AoE mobbing
Level 130-140: Max Shadow Shifter (30) for dodge-based survivability
Level 140-150: Max Maple Warrior (30) for percentage LUK boost
Level 150-160: Max Venomous Stab (30) for poison DoT on all attacks
Level 160-170: Max Smokescreen (30) for party invincibility utility
Level 170-180: Max Taunt (30) for training EXP and drop boost
Level 180+: Max Ninja Ambush and Hero's Will with remaining points

1st Job Bandit

# Skill Max Notes
1 Dagger Mastery 20 Max first for stable dagger damage and accuracy. Essential foundation for all dagger attacks. 2 Dagger Booster 20 Max second for faster attack speed. Speed is critical for Savage Blow's multi-hit combo. 3 Haste 20 Movement speed and jump boost. Great for training mobility and helps party members too. 4 Savage Blow 30 Your main damage skill throughout 2nd job. Six rapid hits make it strong for single targets. Max for training. 5 Steal 30 Steals items from monsters with a chance for bonus drops. Fun utility and occasional profit. 6 Endure 20 HP and DEF boost. Low priority but adds some survivability for close-range combat.

2nd Job Chief Bandit

# Skill Max Notes
1 Band of Thieves 30 Summons bandits for a powerful AoE attack. Your primary mobbing skill in 3rd job. Max first for training. 2 Meso Explosion 30 Detonates mesos on the ground as AoE bombs. Unique and powerful but meso-intensive. Max second for its incredible damage potential. 3 Assaulter 30 Dash attack that closes distance and stuns. Great for mobility and initiating combat. Max for damage and stun duration. 4 Meso Guard 30 Uses mesos to absorb incoming damage instead of HP. Essential survivability skill for a melee thief. Max for reduced meso cost. 5 Pickpocket 20 Attacks drop meso bags that Meso Explosion can detonate. Synergizes perfectly with Meso Explosion. Max for drop rate. 6 Chakra 30 Converts MP to HP healing. Useful for sustain during training. Add points as needed.

3rd Job Shadower

# Skill Max Notes
1 Assassinate 30 Massive single-hit damage when used from Dark Sight. Your signature bossing skill. Max immediately. 2 Boomerang Step 30 Wide AoE attack hitting enemies around you. Replaces Band of Thieves as your primary mobbing skill. Max second. 3 Shadow Shifter 30 Chance to completely dodge attacks. Critical survivability for a melee class. Max third. 4 Maple Warrior 30 Percentage stat boost for you and the party. More LUK means more damage. Max for endgame. 5 Venomous Stab 30 Adds poison damage over time to dagger attacks. Passive DPS boost that works on bosses. 6 Smokescreen 30 Creates an area where party members cannot be hit. Incredible party utility for boss fights. 7 Taunt 30 Increases EXP and drop rate from monsters. Great for training efficiency. 8 Ninja Ambush 30 AoE damage over time. Situational utility skill for extra damage. 9 Hero's Will 5 Removes seduce and similar debuffs. 1 point early for Horntail, max later.

Training Spots

Lv. 1-10
Maple Island
Snails Blue Snails Shrooms
Complete Maple Island quests quickly. Melee range is fine here with weak mobs.
Lv. 10-20
Henesys Hunting Ground I
Green Mushrooms Horned Mushrooms
Close to town. Savage Blow makes quick work of mushrooms once you get it.
Lv. 20-30
Land of Wild Boar
Wild Boars Iron Boars
Dense flat spawns. Savage Blow's multi-hit combo clears boars efficiently.
Lv. 30-45
Kerning City Subway
Stirges Jr. Wraiths
Great EXP density. Haste helps navigate the platforms quickly.
Lv. 45-55
Toy Factory Process 2 Zone 3
Robos Master Robos
Consistent spawns and good EXP. Savage Blow handles Robos well.
Lv. 55-70
Wolf Spider Cavern
Wolf Spiders
Outstanding EXP. Savage Blow takes them down. Use potions generously since you are melee range.
Lv. 70-85
The Nightmarish Last Days
Dreamy Ghost
Good EXP with Band of Thieves for AoE clearing. Meso Guard keeps you alive in melee range.
Lv. 85-100
Cemetery Full of Ghosts
Ghost Pirates Dual Ghost Pirates
Great EXP and meso. Band of Thieves and Meso Explosion devastate grouped Ghost Pirates.
Lv. 100-120
Area of Red Kentaurus
Red Kentaurus
Solid EXP for pre-4th job. Assaulter gap-closes and Band of Thieves clears groups.
Lv. 120-200
Road to Oblivion 3
Oblivion Monks Qualm Monks
Top-tier EXP. Boomerang Step clears wide areas. Assassinate for tanky singles. Also try Forgotten Twilight.

Equipment Progression

Level Weapon Armor Notes
10-30 Coconut Knife or Field Dagger Dark/Brown Fitted Mail or quest gear Any dagger with decent attack works. Pick up a shield for the offhand slot.
30-50 Sai or Serpent's Coil LUK Dark Fitted set or Thief armor Start scrolling daggers with 60% Dagger ATT scrolls. Get a Pan Lid or better shield.
50-70 Dragon Kanzir or Kebob LUK scrolled Thief set, decent shield Invest in a well-scrolled dagger for noticeable damage improvement.
70-100 Cursayer or Gold Double Knife Zakum Helmet, LUK scrolled armor, Maple Shield Get Zakum Helmet for stats. Maple Shield is a good option for the offhand.
100-130 Dragon Kanzir (high ATT) or Angelic Betrayal Zakum Helm, HTP, LUK scrolled set Transition to endgame daggers. Shield slot becomes important for scrolled stats.
130-200 Dragon Kreda or Timeless Lampion Full endgame: Zakum Helm, HTP, PAC, scrolled Thief gear + shield Dragon Kreda is best-in-slot for funded Shadowers.
  • Assassinate deals maximum damage when used from Dark Sight. Enter Dark Sight, walk up to the target, then Assassinate for the biggest hit. Practice this rhythm for boss fights.
  • Meso Explosion synergy: Pickpocket automatically drops meso bags when you attack. Let them accumulate, then detonate with Meso Explosion for massive AoE bursts.
  • Meso Guard is your key survivability tool. It uses mesos to reduce damage taken. Keep it active at all times, especially during bossing where you are in melee range.
  • Smokescreen makes your entire party invincible inside its area. Use it during dangerous boss phases like Horntail's 1/1 attacks to protect your party.
  • For training efficiency, alternate between Boomerang Step for mob clearing and Assassinate for any tanky monsters or mini-bosses you encounter.