MapleStory Classic Skill Changes: Closed Test to Launch, by Job

Quick summary

• 50 named skills changed between the second Closed Online Test (COT2) and the launch build, per NiaMeowDB's datamined comparison. Most are text-only. By our count of each skill's change history, 26 moved a number or a bonus.
• Final Attack was reworked on every weapon line. It now triggers at a flat 25% at every level, costs MP (and HP on the Fighter), and hits much harder. In COT2 it ran from 20% at level 1 to 50% at max (NiaMeowDB, Metaroad).
• Slash Blast, Rush, Iron Arrow and Arrow Bomb now hit up to 6 targets instead of 4. Holy Arrow went the other way: 1 target instead of 3, at Basic Attack 160 instead of 60 (NiaMeowDB).
• Several masteries and Bless swapped their side bonus. Sword Mastery traded Weapon Def. for Accuracy, Bow Mastery traded Evasion for Critical Rate and Speed, and Bless now cuts damage taken instead of giving Accuracy and Evasion.
• Don't plan from the wiki's skill pages yet. The MapleClassic Wiki pages we checked were last edited Aug 28 and still show test-era numbers.

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.

See what changed at a glance

Job	Skills changed	Changes that move a number or bonus
Warrior (1st job)	2	Slash Blast
Fighter	6	Final Attack: Sword and Axe, Rush, Sword Mastery bonus
Page	7	Final Attack: Sword and Blunt Weapon, Rush, Sword and Blunt Weapon Mastery bonuses
Spearman	6	Final Attack: Spear and Polearm, Rush, Spear Mastery bonus
Magician (1st job)	4	None (text only)
Fire/Poison Wizard	2	None (text only)
Ice/Lightning Wizard	2	Cold Beam
Cleric	3	Holy Arrow, Invincible, Bless
Bowman (1st job)	3	Power Knockback
Hunter	4	Final Attack: Bow, Bow Mastery bonus, Arrow Bomb
Crossbowman	4	Final Attack: Crossbow, Iron Arrow, Crossbow Mastery bonus
Thief (1st job)	3	None (text only)
Assassin	2	None (text only)
Bandit	2	Steal

Totals and the job split come from NiaMeowDB's change list. The "moves a number or bonus" column comes from each skill's own NiaMeowDB change history. The list page shows some side-bonus swaps as text-only changes, so the history is where they show up.

Metaroad's patch notes post (Oct 8) counts more broadly across every category: 3,209 new entries, 724 changed and 1 removed. Skills are only one of 13 categories.

Relearn Final Attack

This is the biggest change at launch. NiaMeowDB's skill pages describe the same rework for all eight Final Attack skills. The COT2 tooltip said Final Attack fired on its own while toggled on. The launch tooltip says your attack skills have a chance to enable Final Attack, and you then use it.

Skill (job)	COT2 trigger	Launch trigger	COT2 damage (Lv 1 / max)	Launch damage (Lv 1 / max)	Launch cost (Lv 1 / max)
Sword, Axe (Fighter)	20% / 50%	25% at every level	110% / 140%	140% / 200%	HP 12 + MP 10 / HP 20 + MP 18
Sword, Blunt Weapon (Page)	20% / 50%	25%	240% / 270%	270% / 360%	MP 8 / MP 16
Spear, Polearm (Spearman)	20% / 50%	25%	230% / 260%	260% / 350%	MP 8 / MP 16
Bow (Hunter)	20% / 50%	25%	60% / 90%	90% / 120%	MP 12 / MP 20
Crossbow (Crossbowman)	20% / 50%	25%	220% / 250%	270% / 360%	MP 12 / MP 20

All figures are from the individual NiaMeowDB skill pages. Metaroad's post agrees on the 50%-to-25% drop, the new MP cost and the Polearm figure (260% to 350%).

Here's how we read it. This is our interpretation of the data, not a tested result:

• Level 1 is now a real investment. In COT2, one point gave a 20% trigger. At launch, one point gives the same 25% that max level gives. Extra points only add damage.
• At max, the trigger is half as frequent, but each hit is bigger. Spear goes from 260% at 50% to 350% at 25%. Neither source gives a damage-per-minute figure, so we won't call it a net buff or nerf.
• Budget MP for it. Every launch version costs MP per use, and the Fighter's also costs HP. Neither source says how often a typical rotation triggers it.
• The Fighter and Hunter versions hit up to 3 targets. NiaMeowDB's launch tables list "up to 3 enemies" for Final Attack: Sword (Fighter) and Final Attack: Bow. Spear and Polearm list HP absorb (10% at max) instead.

Our class guides cover SP order: Fighter, Page, Spearman, Hunter and Crossbowman.

Update your Warrior plan

Skill	What changed (NiaMeowDB)	Launch value at max
Slash Blast (1st job)	Target cap 4 → 6. HP cost 3 → 8 at Lv 1, 8 → 16 at max. MP cost 4 → 6 at Lv 1, 12 → 14 at max.	HP 16, MP 14, Damage 130%, Range +150
Rush (Fighter, Page, Spearman)	Target cap 4 → 6. Cooldown 1 sec → 2 sec. MP cost 40 → 35 at Lv 1, 20 → 15 at max.	MP 15, distance 150, Damage 80%
Sword Mastery (Fighter, Page)	Side bonus: Weapon Def. +90 at max → Accuracy +20 at max	Accuracy +20
Spear Mastery (Spearman)	Side bonus: Critical Rate +20% → 20% chance to ignore enemy Weapon Def.	20% ignore Weapon Def.
Blunt Weapon Mastery (Page)	Side bonus: 20% chance to ignore enemy Weapon Def. → Critical Damage +20%	Critical Damage +20%
Power Strike, Boosters	Text only	—

Rush has moved twice. NiaMeowDB's history shows an Aug 11 test change, with cooldown 3 sec to 1 sec and max MP cost 10 to 20. Then launch went to 2 sec and 15 MP. Rush is new in COT2: in COT1, the Fighter slot held Power Guard, which moved to the 3rd job Crusader.

What this means for you:

• Slash Blast mobs better. 6 targets at 130%, but it now costs 16 HP per cast at max, double the COT2 cost. Watch your HP pots on long pulls.
• Rush hits more targets but can't be chained as fast. If you used it to move, the 2 sec cooldown is the number to test.
• Fighters and Pages lost Weapon Def. from Sword Mastery. If you counted on it to tank, plan for more potions.

Update your Magician plan

Skill	What changed (NiaMeowDB)	Launch value at max
Holy Arrow (Cleric)	3 arrows at up to 3 enemies → 1 arrow at 1 enemy. Basic Attack 30 → 100 at Lv 1, 60 → 160 at max.	MP 28, Basic Attack 160
Bless (Cleric)	Accuracy and Evasion bonus (+1 to +20) removed. Now cuts all damage taken by 5% at Lv 1, 15% at max. Heal bonus stays.	Damage taken −15%, Heal recovery +10%, 300 sec
Invincible (Cleric)	Physical damage reduction 10% → 1% at Lv 1, 30% → 20% at max	Physical damage −20%, 300 sec
Cold Beam (I/L Wizard)	Slow lasts 3 sec instead of 2 sec at Levels 1 to 29 (skill page). The change list shows "Speed 50 → 65".	MP 22, Basic Attack 170, slow 3 sec
Magic Guard, Magic Armor, Energy Bolt, Magic Claw, Slow, Poison Breath	Text only	—

The Cleric took the most change on the Magician side:

• Holy Arrow is a single-target spell now. It's stronger per cast and better for bosses and undead, but it no longer clears packs. Our Cleric guide already plans around 1 target.
• Bless is now a defensive party buff. It used to fix Accuracy problems for a party. It doesn't anymore. Players who relied on it to hit higher-level monsters need Accuracy from gear or level instead.
• Invincible is weaker, going from 30% to 20% physical reduction at max.

Fire/Poison Wizards have only text changes. Ice/Lightning Wizards get a longer slow on Cold Beam below max level. Our Ice/Lightning guide covers the build.

Update your Bowman plan

Skill	What changed (NiaMeowDB)	Launch value at max
Power Knockback (1st job)	Knockback distance 130 → 140 at Lv 1, 150 → 200 at max. Tooltip now lists Range +30 at Lv 1, +90 at max.	MP 8, Damage 180%, knocks back up to 4 by 200, Range +90
Bow Mastery (Hunter)	Side bonus: Evasion +20 → Critical Rate +10% and Speed +10 at max	Crit Rate +10%, Speed +10
Arrow Bomb (Hunter)	Renamed from "Arrow Bomb: Bow." Explosion target cap 4 → 6. Explosion damage 80% → 70% at Lv 1, 140% → 130% at max. Stun 3 sec → 2 sec at Levels 16 to 30.	Explosion 130% to up to 6
Iron Arrow (Crossbowman)	Renamed from "Iron Arrow: Crossbow." Target cap 4 → 6.	Damage 180%, up to 6
Crossbow Mastery (Crossbowman)	Side bonus: 20% chance to ignore Weapon Def. → Critical Damage +20%	Critical Damage +20%
Arrow Blow, Double Shot, Boosters	Text only	—

Both Bowman second jobs gained targets: Arrow Bomb and Iron Arrow went from 4 to 6. Hunters also get +10 Speed from Bow Mastery, which counts toward the 140 Speed cap. Power Knockback pushes monsters farther. Its tooltip range figure (+90) is new, and two sources read it differently.

Update your Thief plan

Skill	What changed (NiaMeowDB)	Launch value at max
Steal (Bandit)	Attack Power buff lasts 60 sec instead of 30 sec	MP 24, 90% steal chance, 180% damage, +35 Attack Power for 60 sec
Dark Sight, Double Stab, Lucky Seven, Claw Booster, Drain, Dagger Booster	Text only	—

Thieves got the smallest list of changes. Steal's buff now lasts twice as long, so one success covers more of a fight. NiaMeowDB's history also shows an Aug 4 test change: damage 200% to 180%, targets 1 to 2. Our Bandit guide has the SP order.

Fix your SP plan by job

Use this table to check a build you planned during COT2. It's our reading of the NiaMeowDB data above, not a tested build.

Job	Check this	Why
Fighter	Final Attack level vs Rage and Mastery	1 point now gives the full 25% trigger. More points add damage but cost HP and MP.
Page	Weapon Def. plan	Sword Mastery's Weapon Def. is gone. Blunt Weapon Mastery now gives Critical Damage.
Spearman	Crit plan	Spear Mastery lost Critical Rate +20%. It now gives a chance to ignore Weapon Def.
Hunter	Evasion plan	Bow Mastery lost Evasion +20 and gained Crit Rate and Speed.
Crossbowman	Iron Arrow priority	6 targets now. Crossbow Mastery gives Critical Damage.
Cleric	Party role	Holy Arrow is single-target. Bless no longer gives Accuracy.
I/L Wizard	No change needed	Cold Beam's slow is longer below max.
Bandit	Steal timing	A 60 sec buff means you recast less often.
F/P Wizard, Assassin	No change needed	Text-only changes

Compare the sources before you trust a number

Three public sources cover these changes, and they don't agree on everything.

Source	Date	What it does well	Watch out for
NiaMeowDB change list and skill pages	Updated at launch (Oct 6 entries)	Full per-level tables and change history for each skill	The list page shows some side-bonus swaps as text only. Open the skill page.
Metaroad patch notes post	Oct 8	Every category, not just skills	Says its own skill pages still showed test values when it posted
maplestory-classic.com by-class guide	Oct 8	Clear per-branch notes	Misreads three side-bonus changes
MapleClassic Wiki skill pages	Last edited Aug 28	Good for skill descriptions	Numbers are from the test, not launch

Know the other launch changes that touch builds

Metaroad's Oct 8 post lists changes outside skills that affect how you gear and level. These are also datamined:

Change	COT2	Launch
Greater 10% weapon attack scrolls	+3 attack	+4 attack
Chaos weapon attack scrolls	+4 attack	+5 attack
Staff and Wand magic attack scrolls (Greater / Chaos)	+6 / +8	+8 / +10
Quest rewards	—	246 EXP rewards and 218 meso rewards changed, mostly up (Lucas's Reply: 50 → 120 EXP)
Deep Forest of Patience quests	Lv 45	Lv 65
Pets	3 to 90 days by pet	30 days for all six test pets
Lesser cape, earring and glove scroll recipe fee	10,000 mesos	20,000 mesos

The scroll change matters if you're working from our scrolling guide. Its tier table uses the wiki's +3 for Greater weapon attack. Metaroad's datamined launch figure is +4. Check the scroll tooltip before you buy.

Plan alts and returning players

• Returning from old GMS? Final Attack used to be a passive. Now it's a triggered skill with an MP cost. Power Knockback is a 1st job Bowman skill (NiaMeowDB says it moved there in COT2). Power Guard isn't a Fighter skill at launch.
• Tested in COT2? Recheck every Final Attack, mastery and Cleric plan from that test. The Fighter, Page, Spearman, Hunter and Crossbowman all changed at least two of their 2nd job numbers.
• Making an alt? Thieves and Fire/Poison Wizards changed least, so a COT2 build mostly still works. Warriors and Bowmen changed most.
• Using a planner? Metaroad said its planner still showed test values on Oct 8. Check a planner's "last updated" date against Oct 6.
• Leveling a second character fast? Our MapleStory Classic hub and powerleveling page cover the options.

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 skills changed between COT2 and launch? 50 named skills, per NiaMeowDB, out of 163 in its catalog. Most are text-only changes. By our count, 26 changed a number or a bonus.

Did Nexon publish the skill changes? Not per skill. The Founder's Access release notes, as NiaMeowDB summarized them on Oct 3, cover the level cap, job levels and events. The skill numbers come from datamined client comparisons by NiaMeowDB and Metaroad.

Is Final Attack worse at launch? It triggers less often at max (25% instead of 50%) but hits harder, and it now costs MP. At level 1 it triggers more often than before (25% instead of 20%). Neither source gives a damage-per-minute figure, so we can't call it a net nerf.

Does Holy Arrow still hit 3 monsters? No. At launch it fires 1 arrow at 1 enemy, at Basic Attack 160 at max (NiaMeowDB).

What does Bless do now? It cuts all damage taken by 15% at max and still boosts Heal recovery by 10%. It no longer gives Accuracy or Evasion (NiaMeowDB, Metaroad).

Which skills now hit 6 targets? Slash Blast, Rush, Iron Arrow and Arrow Bomb's explosion all went from 4 to 6 targets.

Can I trust the wiki's skill numbers? Not yet for numbers. The wiki skill pages we checked were last edited Aug 28, 2026, and show test values. Use NiaMeowDB's launch tables or your in-game tooltip.