[Guide] Archers

I (Qwubble) spent several hours on this, if you copy and paste this to another website, please don't leave this out. If anyone else claims to have made this, they are wrong

So with archers, there are lots of choices to make. Each one will have a different build. So for each choice, I'll show the usual build for it. I recommend reading at least through 2nd job before creating a character

Choice 1: Hunter or Crossbowmen?
Most people have this in Mind before even creating their character. But here's my pro/con/Qwubble's choice list.

Bows
Pros:
Speed
Bomb Arrow (Great mobbing for 2nd job)
Hurricane (VERY powerful 4th job boss killing skill)
More damage per minute then Crossbows (on average)

Cons:
Less powerful then crossbowmen during 3rd job
Normal Archer Disadvantages

Crossbows
Pros:
Good for STRless
Snipe (Best mobbing skill in Maplestory, breaks 100K dmg cap)
More powerful then bows

Cons:
Not as good as Bows for Boss hunting 4th job
Not as good as bows for mobbing 2nd job

Qwubble's choice
This one is probably my hardest choice of all, on one hand, you could be@t the crap out of Newts, on the other hand, you can plow through Zakum like there's no tomorrow. If you train solo, go Crossbow, if you train in teams or on bosses, go bow.
Choice: Bow, because I love bossing

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Choice 2:STRless, STRless with Transition, or Regular

So First I need to explain each of the 3 choices.
STRless is where your STR never goes over 4. You NEVER increase it.
STRless Transition is where at level 43 or 64/65 you go to regular. I'll show the advantages later.
Regular is obviously regular (This includes minimal STR using STR buffing equips)

STRless
Build:
All Dex

Pros:
AMAZING for Crossbowmen (their level 64 xbow is as fast as a Hunter)
More power during the hard 1st/2nd jobs

Cons:
For Hunters, their benefits of STRless stop at about 130 due to their power equalizing.
More Expensive

Transition
Transitioning is getting more and more popular, it basiclly is to eliminate the VERY weak first job for archers
Build:
5 Dex each level
at Level 43 or 64/65 you increase STR until it matches Your level +5
Then at that point, 1 STR and 4 DEX

Pros:
1st/2nd job power for Hunters, and less expensive 3rd/4th job
Helps a TON for the hard 1st/2nd jobs

Cons:
the 10 levels or so where you only increase STR, your DMG will not increase (unless you get a new bow/xbow)
You need to pay for Bow ATT scrolls for your bows (60%/30% recommended)

Regular
Build: Your STR should be your level +5

Pros:
Cost is low
Your power will be equal to STRless at 4th job (Hunters)

Cons:
1st/2nd job power is VERY low

Qwubble's Recommendation
Each of the 3 has it's own value.
STRless: Funded Crossbowmen
Transition: Funded Hunters
Regular: Unfunded Archers

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Note: this is where Skill builds come into play.
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Bowmen 1st Job Skill Build
1-7: Skills really make no difference
10: 1 on Arrow Blow (increases your DMG for a bit)
11-16: 3 on Critical shot (Your most important skill)
17: 2 On Critical (MAXED), 1 on Double Shot
18-23: 3 On Double Shot
24: 1 On DS (MAXED) 2 on Blessing of the Amazon
25: 2 On Blessing OTA, 1 On Eye Of The Amazon
26 and 27: 3 on Eye Of the Amazon (MAXED)
28: 1 On Eye OTA (MAXED) 2 On Focus
29 and 30: 3 On Focus

Your Final Skills should be
Arrow Blow (1)
Double Shot (20 MAXED)
Critical Shot (20 MAXED)
Focus ( 8 )
Blessing of The Amazon (3)
Eye Of the Amazon (8 MAXED)

Okay, my reasoning behind this build is that
1) You NEED Critical shot
2) Double shot is more powerful then Arrow Blow
3) You already have ACC, Blessing OTA is un-needed
4) Focus is also un-needed
5) Eye OTA increases ATT Range which is needed

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The Grand Debate as far as archers is this next section
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Choice 3: Final Attack
Final Attack for Archers is VERY disputable. Many people think it is necessary, some think it's the worst skill ever.
Final Attack is a skill that adds an extra, very powerful shot to the end of your attacks. But there's definitely a catch (read below)

Pros:
You get that extra 250% Dmg powerful Attack

Cons:
It only works in 2nd Job skills (useless after it)
If you're mobbing, it disrupts your mobbing to attack 1 enemy
If you MPQ, you will regret not having enough SP to increase Power Knock Back

I Recommend having No Final Attack, but you decide

*Please not that in the fallowing skill builds, you only want 19 mastery, the 20th only increases Acc, un-needed for archers

Yes Final Attack Build
Note: this leaves your mobbing very weak, if you do chose FA, you can also do FA after Iron Arrow/Bomb Arrow

30: 1 Bomb Arrow/Iron Arrow
31-36: 3 (X)Bow Mastery
37: 1 (X)Bow Mastery (19*) 2 FA
38-47: 3 FA (MAXED)
48-57: 3 IA/BA (MAXED)
58-63: 3 Bow Booster
64: 2 Bow Booster (MAXED) 1 Soul Arrow
65-70: 3 Soul Arrow (19)

Final Build:
Bomb Arrow/Iron Arrow (30 MAXED)
(X)Bow Mastery (19)
Final Attack (30 MAXED)
Bow Booster (20 MAXED)
Soul Arrow (19)
Power Knock Back (0)

Non Final Attack (recommended)
30: 1 Bomb Arrow/Iron Arrow
31-36: 3 (X)Bow Mastery
37: 1 Mastery (19) 2 BA/IA
38-47: 3 BA/IA
48: 1 BA/IA (MAXED) 2 Booster
49-54: 3 Booster (MAXED)
55-60: 3 Soul Arrow
61: 2 Soul Arrow (MAXED) 1 Knockback
62-67: 3 Knockback
68: 1 Knockback (MAXED) 2 Focus (1st Job)
69-70: 3 Focus (16)

Final Results:
Bomb Arrow/Iron Arrow (30 MAXED)
(X)Bow Mastery (19)
(X)Bow Booster (20 MAXED)
Soul Arrow (20 MAXED)
Power Knockback (20 MAXED) (used for MPQ)
(1st Job) Focus (Raised to 16)
Final Attack (0)
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Now for 3rd job
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3rd Job Test

Needed:
A few potions for a boss.
a black crystal or 2
a guide for 3rd job questions

Begin By talking to your job instructor in El Nath. Then talk to the 1st Job instructor in Henesys. After this, head to Sleepywood. Now once at sleepywood, one of the houses in town is a portal to a map called Sleepywood Dungeon 1. Go down until you get to Sleepywood Dungeon 5 and talk to the Door of Dimension. Defeat the boss here, and talk to Athena again (in Henesys).

Now go back to El Nath and talk to the 3rd Job instructor once again. Go to Sharp Cliff 2, and there should be a little side room near the top of the room. Go in there and talk to the Holy Rock. Now go talk to your 3rd job instructor 1 more time, and you are now a sniper/ranger.

3rd job Skill build
There's really only a few good skill build.

Level 70-94 Options:
70: 1 Strafe
71-74: 3 Strafe
75: 1 Puppet 2 Strafe
76-80:3 Strafe (MAXED)
81:3 Mortal Blow
82:2 Mortal Blow 1 Arrow Rain/Eruption
83-86: 3 AR/AE
87-88: 3 Puppet
89: 1 Puppet, 2 Hawk/Eagle
90-94: 3 AR/AE (MAXED)
~~~~OR~~~~
70:1 Strafe
71:3 Mortal Blow
72:2 Mortal Blow 1 Puppet
73-83: 3 AE/AR (MAXED)
84-86: 3 Strafe
87-88: 3 Puppet
89: 2 Puppet, 1 Hawk/Eagle
90-94: 3 Strafe (MAXED)

The first one gives Strafe early (for high dmg), the other gives Arrow Rain/Erruption for amazing mobbing early.

95-103: 3 Eagle/Hawk
104: 2 Eagle/Hawk (MAXED), 1 Inferno/Blizzard
105-114: 3 Infern/Bliz
115: 2 Infern/Bliz (MAXED) 1 Puppet
116-117: 3 Puppet
118: 2 Puppet (MAXED), 1 Motal Blow
119-120: 3 Mortal Blow

Final Resault:
Strafe: MAXED
Arrow Rain/Erruption: MAXED
Eagle/Hawk: MAXED
Puppet: MAXED
Inferno/Blizzard: MAXED
Mortal Blow: 12
Thrust: 0

I would take the first build over the second, you already have good ranged skills without it, besides, if you have power knockback, you can train just fine without it for a while.
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4th Job: I've never gotten there, it's your time to figure things from here. What I do know is this:

120: 1 Hurricane/Snipe
121-131: 3 Sharp Eye (MAXED)
132-141: 3 Hurricane/Snipe
142: 2 Hurricane/Snipe (MAXED) 1 (Choice)
143-200: 3 (Choice)

Hope this guide was good

Thank You, but I typed this up a few hours ago and put it on my alliance's website, I'll send in my Zakum Quest/ZHelm Buying guide, LPQ and my HP warrior guide

But I don't want to swarm the forums lol, ill do it gradually later

That link didn't work, but I did PM you