MapleStory Classic AP Build Guide: Stat Plans for Every Job

Quick summary

• You get 5 AP per level and 25 at creation (each stat starts at 4, plus 9 to place). At level L you've had 25 + 5 × (L − 1) points in total.
• Put everything into your main stat except what your next weapon needs. Warriors add DEX, Magicians LUK, Bowmen STR, and Thieves DEX (or STR for some daggers), only up to the requirement.
• Item data beats rules of thumb. maplestoryguide.wiki's shortcut for Thieves is "DEX = weapon level − 5," but the level 50 Slain claws need 50 DEX. Check the item.
• Gear counts toward requirements. DEX or LUK from your hat, gloves, or shoes lowers how much base stat you need. A weapon's own stats don't count toward its own requirement (NiaMeowDB).
• Mistakes are hard to undo. AP is permanent without a reset item, and sources disagree on what the reset item does.

Checked against the Founder's Access build on October 13, 2026. Grand Launch is October 21, 2026; see the end of the guide for what may change.

Learn how AP works

• 5 AP per level, which you spend in the Stats window. Spent AP is permanent unless you use a reset item (wiki Stats page).
• 25 at creation. Every stat starts at 4, and you place 9 more (wiki Differences page). NiaMeowDB's tables start from 12 in the main stat and 5 in a second stat. Both add up to 25.
• Auto-allocation before level 11? The wiki's Stats page says AP is placed automatically until level 11. NiaMeowDB's tables assume "all main stat through level 10" and reach 57 at level 10. In practice, the result is the same: everything goes into your main stat until 10.
• HP and MP aren't stats you raise with AP in normal play. Your job sets them per level. See our HP washing guide for why washing doesn't work here.

Stat	Main stat for	Also does
STR	Warrior	A requirement for bows and some daggers
DEX	Bowman	Accuracy for everyone, and a requirement for warrior weapons and claws
INT	Magician	Magic damage
LUK	Thief	Avoidability, and a requirement for wands and staves

Follow the one rule: secondary stat to the requirement

maplestoryguide.wiki puts it simply: secondary stat above the gear requirement is "wasted damage." Its shortcuts are below, next to what the wiki's item data shows at level 50.

Job	maplestoryguide.wiki shortcut	Level 50 item check (wiki)	Use
Warrior	DEX = equipment level	Lion's Fang needs 50 DEX. Jeweled Katar and Buck need 45	Shortcut holds for two-handed weapons
Magician	LUK = gear level − 5 (armor − 10)	Cromi wand needs 40 LUK	Item data is lower than the shortcut
Bowman	STR = bow requirement only	Olympus needs 50 STR. Rower (crossbow) needs 40	Crossbows need less STR
Thief	DEX = weapon level − 5	Slain claws need 50 DEX. Shinkita dagger needs 45	Shortcut holds for daggers, not claws

Example: you're a level 48 Assassin aiming for a Slain claw at 50. It needs 50 DEX and 105 LUK. If your gloves and shoes add 4 DEX, you need 46 base DEX. Every other point goes into LUK.

Plan a Warrior (STR, with DEX to the requirement)

NiaMeowDB's level 10 to 30 plan:

Level	Base STR	Base DEX	Notes
10	57	5	All STR
15	75	12	4 STR and 1 DEX most levels
20	94	18	Reaches 20 DEX with the Iron Viking Helm
25	114	23	4 STR and 1 DEX
30	135	27	Reaches 30 DEX with the Jousting Helmet for the Blue Axe

• One-handed or two-handed? The wiki's level 50 one-handed swords and axes need 45 DEX, and the two-handed weapons, spears, and polearms need 50. At 70 it's 65 against 70. A shield user saves 5 DEX each tier.
• Spearman: spears and polearms share the same requirements in the wiki tables (105 STR and 50 DEX at 50), so you don't need to pick before you plan AP.
• Accuracy: warriors get accuracy from DEX. If you miss a lot, our accuracy guide has the targets.

Plan a Magician (INT, with LUK to the requirement)

Level	Base INT	Base LUK	Next wand (NiaMeowDB)
10	57	5	Wooden Wand: 20 INT
15	82	5	Hardwood Wand: 30 INT
20	102	10	Metal Wand: 40 INT, 10 LUK
25	122	15	Ice Wand: 50 INT, 15 LUK
30	142	20	Mithril Wand: 60 INT, 20 LUK

• Later wands and staves: Arc Staff (45) needs 40 LUK, Cromi (50) 40, Thorns (55) 50, Evil Tale (60) 55, Evil Wings (65) 60, and Angel Wings (70) 65 (wiki item tables).
• Gear LUK counts. NiaMeowDB says LUK from gear can replace base LUK.
• All three second jobs use the same AP plan. Fire/Poison, Ice/Lightning, and Cleric differ in skills, not stats.

Plan a Bowman (DEX, with STR to the requirement)

Level	Bow STR / DEX	Crossbow STR / DEX
10	5 / 57	5 / 57
15	15 / 72	5 / 82
20	20 / 92	10 / 102
25	25 / 112	15 / 122
30	30 / 132	20 / 142

• Crossbows need about 10 less STR at every tier: Rower 40 against Olympus 50 at level 50, Golden Crow 50 against Asianic Bow 60 at 60, and Gross Jaeger 60 against the Hinkel bows' 70 at 70.
• Don't follow bow STR on a crossbow build. NiaMeowDB lists it as a common mistake.
• maplestoryguide.wiki notes STR "adds almost no damage" for Bowmen, so stop at the requirement.

Plan a Thief (LUK, with DEX or STR to the requirement)

Level	Base DEX	Base LUK	For (NiaMeowDB)
10	5	57	No DEX needed yet
15	15	72	Steel Titans claw
20	20	92	Steel Igor claw
25	25	112	Meba claw
30	30	132	Level 30 claw

NiaMeowDB's level 10 to 15 order: put levels 11 to 13 into LUK and 14 to 15 into DEX.

• Assassin (claws): Slain claws need 50 DEX at level 50, Gigantic claws 60 at 60, and Scarab claws 70 at 70.
• Bandit (daggers): daggers come in DEX and STR versions. At 50, the Shinkita needs 45 DEX and the Sai needs 45 STR. At 60 it's the Deadly Fin (55 DEX) or Serpent's Coil (55 STR). At 70 it's the Kandine (65 DEX) or Golden River (65 STR). Choose one secondary stat and stay with it. DEX also adds accuracy.

Set your level 50, 60, and 70 targets

These are our calculations. Total AP = 25 + 5 × (level − 1): 270 at level 50, 320 at 60, and 370 at 70. Each row puts the secondary stat at the weapon's requirement, leaves the two unused stats at their starting 4, and puts the rest into the main stat. The weapon requirements come from the wiki's item tables. Gear that adds your secondary stat lets you move points back into your main stat.

Build	Level 50	Level 60	Level 70
Warrior, two-handed / spear / polearm	212 STR / 50 DEX	252 / 60	292 / 70
Warrior, one-handed + shield	217 STR / 45 DEX	257 / 55	297 / 65
Magician (wand)	222 INT / 40 LUK	257 / 55	297 / 65
Bowman (bow)	212 DEX / 50 STR	252 / 60	292 / 70
Crossbowman	222 DEX / 40 STR	262 / 50	302 / 60
Assassin (claw)	212 LUK / 50 DEX	252 / 60	292 / 70
Bandit (DEX or STR dagger)	217 LUK / 45	257 / 55	297 / 65

Every main-stat figure is above the weapon's main-stat requirement. For example, Doombringer needs 145 STR, and Angel Wings needs 140 INT. So the secondary stat is your only real constraint.

Example: a level 60 Crossbowman with 4 STR from gear needs 46 base STR for the Golden Crow, not 50. That frees 4 more points for DEX, so 266 DEX instead of 262.

Use Henesys.gg's tool to check a level

Henesys.gg's AP & SP by Level page shows, for any level from 1 to 100 and for each job, where that level's AP goes, your stats so far, and the gear to wear. It says its path is worked out for the most damage while meeting gear requirements, without taking points back. Use it to check a specific level against the plans above.

Fix a mistake with an AP Reset

Sources disagree on how the reset works:

• NiaMeowDB lists it as usable from level 10.
• The wiki's Stats page describes reset items as moving one AP from one stat to another, with limited daily use. Our HP washing guide found that the wiki's AP Reset Scroll page still shows older item text.

Check the item description in the Cash Shop before you buy one. Don't plan a build that depends on resetting later.

Avoid five common AP mistakes

1. Putting extra points into the secondary stat "just in case." Anything above the requirement is lost damage.
2. Using a shortcut instead of the item. The Thief and Magician shortcuts are off by 5 at level 50 in different directions.
3. Forgetting gear stats. A pair of DEX gloves can save a Warrior several points.
4. Following the wrong weapon branch. A crossbow build doesn't need bow STR.
5. Planning around 3rd job. It isn't in the launch build.

If you're returning, boosted, or making an alt

• Returning from pre-Big Bang MapleStory? The rule hasn't changed: secondary stat to the requirement. What's new is that you place your starting stats yourself (4 each plus 9), so there's no re-rolling.
• Powerleveled or boosted? Check the Stats window first. If AP was auto-placed or spent by someone else, compare it with the table for your level before you put in more. Our powerleveling page describes that service category.
• Making an alt? Use storage to give the alt gear with your secondary stat, such as DEX gloves for a Warrior. That lets it put more AP into its main stat from the start.

Want a hand with this?

If you would rather skip the grind that goes with this, MapleStory Classic powerleveling services are listed on FullBoosts. Read Nexon's Terms of Service before you buy any service from anyone, FullBoosts included — a marketplace listing isn't publisher permission.

What may change at Grand Launch

This guide describes the Founder's Access build as it was on October 13, 2026. Re-check these against Nexon's Grand Launch notes on October 21: whether crafting still stops at craft level 8, whether Forgotten Hollow, Orbis and third jobs stay closed, KPQ channel limits, NPC shop stock, and any Founder's Access-only events or packages mentioned here. Nothing here assumes a closed area or feature will open.

FAQ

How many AP do you get per level in MapleStory Classic?

Five. You start with 25 (4 in each stat plus 9 to place), so at level L you've had 25 + 5 × (L − 1) in total.

How much DEX should a Warrior have?

Only what your next weapon needs. NiaMeowDB's plan has 27 base DEX at level 30. At level 50, the wiki's two-handed weapons need 50 DEX, and one-handed weapons need 45.

How much LUK does a Magician need?

Enough for your wand: 20 at level 30 for the Mithril Wand, 40 at 50 for Cromi, 55 at 60 for Evil Tale, and 65 at 70 for Angel Wings. LUK from gear counts.

Should a Bowman put AP into STR?

Only up to the bow's requirement. Crossbows need about 10 less STR than bows at each tier.

Do Thieves need DEX or STR?

Assassins need DEX for claws. Bandits can use DEX or STR daggers, since the wiki lists both at each tier. Pick one and stay with it.

Can you reset AP in MapleStory Classic World?

Yes, with an AP Reset Scroll from the Cash Shop. Nexon's Founder's Access text says it resets all stats, but the wiki describes moving one point at a time. Check the item description before buying.

Does gear count toward stat requirements?

Yes. Stats from other gear you're wearing count. A weapon's own stats don't count toward its own requirement, according to NiaMeowDB.