* GLOBAL MAPLESTORY (GMS): ASSASSIN GUIDE

/*******************************************************************************
*
* GLOBAL MAPLESTORY (GMS): ASSASSIN GUIDE
*
* @AUTHOR: xChrome/ChaosXLegion
* @TOPIC: Assassin line of Thief class, accurate to GMS ~2007
*
* @DISCLAIMER: MapleStory and all therein belong Nexon.
* xChrome takes credit for authoring and ownership of this guide.
* This material is non-profit and does not intend to infringe
* on any copyright material. Game data figures and metrics are
* taken from [https://bbb.hidden-street.net].
*
******************************************************************************/

_For Reverie, Southperry, and Forum 57_

/*******************************************************************************
## TABLE OF CONTENTS
*******************************************************************************/

### I. Changelog

### II. Introduction
A. Introduction to MapleStory
B. Getting Started
C. About the Author

### III. Gameplay Basics
A. Controls
B. Customization

### IV. About Thieves
A. Pros and Cons
B. Why Choose an Assassin?
C. Assassin/Bandit Line Comparison

### V. Lol, Noob: Levels 1 - 10
A. Character Creation and Growth
B. Welcome to Maple Island
C. Now, Leave

### VI. Victoria Island: The Adventure Begins
A. Becoming a Rogue
B. Skill Breakdown
C. Rogue Character Growth
D. Equipment Breakdown
E. Power Curve
F. Training
G. Financing Your Character

### VII. An Assassin Is You: 2nd Job Advancement
A. Becoming an Assassin
B. Skill Breakdown
C. Assassin Character Growth
D. Power Curve
E. Course Correction
F. Training

### VIII. Go West: 3rd Job Advancement
A. You've Come A Long Way
B. Becoming a Hermit
C. Skill Breakdown
D. Hermit Character Growth
E. Training

### IX. Full Speed Ahead!

### X. Special Thanks

/*******************************************************************************
## I. CHANGELOG
*******************************************************************************/

### [ SUPER FINAL ]
- 07 MAR 2019 \\
Formatting and style change (again). This guide grows with me.

### [ FINAL ]
- 23 FEB 2016 \\
Final revision. Formatting and style change only, no major content revisions.
(I wanted to update a 10-year old guide so I wasn't embarrassed for myself when
I read it over occasionally.)

### [ 3.0 ]
- 20 AUG 2007 \\
Guide updated to current patch. Modified Rogue builds. Modified training
locations.

### [ 2.0 ]
* 30 SEP 2006 \\
Guide updated to fully include Hermits.

*## [ 1.3 ]
* 26 AUG 2006 \\
Updated for clarity. Included information on Hermits.

### [ 1.2 ]
* 02 JUN 2006 \\
Added more skill builds for all classes. Updated training information.
Simplified explanation of AP/SP distribution.

### [ 1.1 ]
* 19 MAR 2006 \\
Modified information on all job classes. Fixed major typo which gave an
incorrect `DEX` requirement for first job advancement.

### [ 1.0 ]
* <= MAR 2006 \\
Initial release

/*******************************************************************************
## II. INTRODUCTION
*******************************************************************************/

### A. Introduction to MapleStory

__MapleStory__ is a 2D side-scrolling MMORPG originally developed by Wizet, and
operated worldwide by Nexon. Born in South Korea, MapleStory has since become
one of the world's most popular MMORPGs since its release in 2003. The game
quickly gained a cult following in the East Asian market following its local
success, which led to a worldwide publication by Nexon.

This game features most of what you'd expect out of an MMORPG: A leveling
system, character stat growth, a class tree system, dungeons, boss fights,
party quests/instances, a player driven economy, and more. There are two
standout features that make MapleStory what it is: A highly social user
experience, and a familiar and intuitive, yet deep character control system.

MapleStory's user controls are extremely simple to grasp, yet deep enough to
satisfy the depths of its playerbase. Different classes introduce unique
mechanics, some heavily micro-intensive, others more laid back. The dynamism of
platformers and the depth of MMORPG combat are combined in MapleStory, leading
to an engaging gameplay experience overall.

Whether by innovation or by accident, MapleStory introduced one of the online
gaming industry's most well-built social user experiences, geared towards
not just playing the game with your friends, but enjoying it with _all of them_,
_together_. It is among the first MMORPGs to feature separate chatrooms for an
entire buddy list, guild, and so on, rather than forcing private communication
between friends. Towns and training hotspots alike are havens for players to
spend quality time spinning up conversation with all of your friends, whether
you're busy grinding up to level 200, or playing minigames, sitting in a chair
under a mushroom-shaped roof.

+==============================================================================+
| (!) Info Boxes |
+==============================================================================+
| |
| Throughout this guide, I often stress critical points about the game via |
| these info boxes. I take no responsibility if you choose to skip over them; |
| please be wary of the repercussions. |
| |
+==============================================================================+

MapleStory can be downloaded from [maplestory.nexon.net]. The game isn't too
taxing on the system--as of 2007, the minimum hardware requirements are:

* CPU :: Single core, 500MHz
* RAM :: 64MB DDR
* Disk Space :: 300MB
* OS :: Windows 98
* GPU :: Integrated Graphics, 3D Acceleration
* Network :: Any internet connection

As of 2019, these specs can almost certainly be found in the first wifi-enabled
toaster you can find nearby.

### C. About the Author

Hi again. I'm Reuben, and xChrome is one of my oldest aliases. I'm also known
as Chrome, Ben, ChaosXLegion, Boneface, Dropship, and BFCE.

This guide was last updated in 2016, and before that, in 2007. I've now
convinced myself that I will continue to update this guide for the rest of my
life, if for no other reason than to re-live my childhood or whatever.

As far as MapleStory, here are my credentials:

* Began playing :: May 2005
* First Assassin :: Oct 2005
* Level 50 :: Feb 2006
* Level 70 :: Oct 2006
* Highest leveled Thief :: ChaosXLegion, L85 Hermit, Scania (retired 2007)
* Highest leveled character :: Hybe, L102 Sniper, Scania (retired 2009)

With that timeline in mind, I thought it'd be cool (and slightly appropriate)
to give everyone a life update at the end of this guide.

(TL;DR - it's 2019 and I'm too old to be writing guides about video games.)

/*******************************************************************************
## III. GAMEPLAY BASICS
*******************************************************************************/

### A. Controls

The game throws you a default configuration for your starting controls. This
configuration is really uncomfortable and I don't know who thought of it, so
the next section will go over customization. The core default controls are
below.

* UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT :: Move
* ALT :: Jump
* CTRL :: Basic Attack
* 1/2/3/4/ :: Chat (All / Party / Friends / Guild)
* R/P/G :: Groups (Friends / Party / Guild)
* H :: Whisper
* Z :: Loot
* X :: Sit
* M :: Minimap (Current Location)
* W :: World Map
* E :: Current Equipment
* I :: Inventory
* S :: Character Sheet (Stats, damage, defense, etc.)
* K :: Skills (Unique to class)
* F1 - F7 :: Facial Expressions

### B. Customization

It's also possible customize your keyboard layout should you so please. I
highly recommend doing so, so I've included it here.

Customize your controls using the __Key Settings__ button on the bottom-right
of the HUD.

My personal controls across all my characters (not just my Hermit) follows a
grid scheme so my left hand doesn't have to change position much, if at all,
when I'm endlessly killing Gobis. Here it is:

* Q :: Basic Attack
* W :: Crowd-Control or Utility Skill
* R :: Inventory
* T :: Crowd-Control
* A :: Booster
* S :: Hasting Skill/Speedup (ex. Haste, Speed Pill)
* D :: Steroid (ex. Warrior Elixir, Dragon Blood, Rage)
* F :: Loot
* G :: Primary Skill or Mobility Skill (for Hermit)
* B :: Character Sheet
* Ctrl :: Utility Skill
* Shift :: Mobility or Utility Skill (for Hermit)
* PUp :: HP Potion
* PDn :: MP Potion
* Home :: Status Potion
* Ins :: Summoning Skill (ex. Shadow Partner, Eagle/Hawk)
* Del :: Friends
* End :: Guild

As you can see, most active skills can be assigned to the keyboard, as well as
potions and most usable items. The Quick Slot hotbar on the bottom-right of the
HUD can be edited similarly, so keybinds and item displays can be changed on
the fly.

/*******************************************************************************
## IV. ABOUT THIEVES
*******************************************************************************/

### A. Pros and Cons

The Assassin branch of the Thief class is _by far_ the most popular class in
the game. Players enjoy the benefits of a long-range, fast-paced character
without suffering much in terms of durability, all while being among the best
single-target damage dealers in the game.

However, this branch comes with several cons as well. Here's a brief summary:

#### PROS:
* Most popular class means more equipment and scrolls to buy and sell
* Becomes self-funding mid-2nd job advancement
* Ranged attacker with high dodge, so you take less damage overall
* Very high single-target damage with high critical rate
* Fun, dynamic skillset
* Mobility, especially past 3rd job advnacement

#### CONS:
* Huge demand for equipment can mean high prices
* Hard to self-fund for new players
* Relatively weak until late-1st job advancement
* May carry a bad reputation as "KSers"
* Subpar multi-target/crowd control until 3rd/4th job advancement
* No defensive buffs, only a single self-healing skill
* Only one party supporting skill

### B. Why Choose Assassins?

The Assassin line is a pure DPS class line. When it comes to boss runs, Hermits
and Night Lords often carry the highest single-target DPS in the party. This is
due to the line's emphasis on single-target, multi-hitting skills, high crit
rate, and the highest base attack speed in the game.

However, damage is often the only thing the Assassin line has to brag about.
Their only party buff is Haste, so they bring no offensive/defensive buffs,
heals, statuses, or really anything else to parties. Arguably, this is all made
up for by the Assassin line's DPS--it really is the highest in the game,
probably to compensate for their lack of everything else.

### C. Assassin/Bandit Line Comparison

TL;DR - Both are mobile DPSers. The Assassin line is immediately rewarding,
while the Bandit line needs you to wait a bit. The Assassin line sticks to a
formula that definitely works. The Bandit line takes a little more effort to
shine, and they become more dynamic as you progress. Assassins use claws, while
Bandits use daggers. Both are fun!

The popularity of Assassins is due to their relatively intuitive power
curve--it goes in a straight, increasing line. As Rogues, they're relatively
weak. They get steadily stronger as they level up and advance through jobs.
This trend never really changes, so you can really "feel" the progress you make
with your character as you level up.

Compare this with their counterparts, the Bandit line. While they start weak as
Rogues, they stay weak as Bandits until about 12-13 levels in, when Savage
Blow, their primary attack, gets maxed out. Still, the fact that they're
close-ranged, don't have a self-heal, and generally are not as mobile as
Assassins during this time extends their power trough until about 10 levels
into 3rd job, where they suddenly gain a huge spike in in-combat mobility and
crowd control/mobbing power. From there, their power curve starts to look more
linear.

Where the Assassin line has a linear power curve all throughout, the Bandit
line has a two-part curve: A really shallow parabola for the first 80 levels,
then a steep line from level 80 onwards.

Finally, their skillsets start to diverge from 3rd job onwards. Hermits
generally remain the same, hoppity-hoppity DPSers they were in 2nd job, while
Bandits become a high-DPS mobbing and cleanup class as Chief Bandits. After the
4th job advancement, Night Lords, again, remain the same. Shadowers add even
more different tools to their attack patterns and become a more micro-intensive
class.

/*******************************************************************************
## V. LOL, NOOB: LEVELS 1 - 10
*******************************************************************************/

### A. Character Creation and Growth

Upon creation, you have the option to customize your character's cosmetics,
such as their facial expression, hair, etc. Most of this is preference, but
among your choices is your choice of a starting weapon. I recommend that you
choose the __Sword__, as it generally is the most reliable starting weapon in
terms of damage (Axe and Club both have negative multipliers on stab attacks,
albeit positive ones on slash attacks). You'll notice you can't actually pick
"Thief" as your class--by default, you start as a Beginner, and you get to be
one all the way until level 10! ;)

After naming your character, it's time for the stat roll. Prepare thineselves.

Clicking on the red dice randomly generates your stats. As Assassins, we want to
focus on maximizing `LUK` and adding `DEX` as needed, while forgoing `STR` and
`INT` altogether. To do this, we want to minimize STR and INT by rolling a 4,
the minimum value, in both. Go ahead and do that.

..

Which takes a length of time great enough that it is now appropriate to start
speaking in a French accent while reading directly from whimsical time cards.

That being said, it's perfectly acceptable to roll anywhere between 4 and 6 for
your "minor" stats, `STR` and `INT`. Try to aim for the following:

* `STR` :: 4 - 6
* `DEX` :: ???
* `INT` :: 4 - 6
* `LUK` :: ???

Don't worry about maximizing `LUK` or `DEX` upon creation. We'll be allocating
our AP in a specific manner, so they'll end up how they should be in the long
run.

+==============================================================================+
| (!) A Super Duper Extremely Important Point |
+==============================================================================+
| |
| Between levels 1 - 10, you want to ___spend all your points in `DEX` until |
| you have 25 `DEX`___. This is very important. Once you have 25 `DEX`, put |
| the rest in `LUK`. You need at least 25 `DEX` by level 10 to make the 1st |
| job advancement to Rogue! |
| |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

### B. Welcome to Maple Island

Maple Island is MapleStory's version of a tutorial. The area features low-level
monsters, quests which teach you the basics of how to play the game, and some
*~quite decent~* low-level items as rewards for those quests.

I recommend doing those quests as long as it's convenient and reliable. Some
quests will just take too long, or will be a difficult task all their own--if
that's the case, just don't do the quest.

To make quick work of your time here, you should spend the rest of it hunting
mobs. Your main targets should be those with high XP rewards and low defenses.
Those include:

* __Training Mobs__ :: 3 XP, 15 HP
* __Snails__ :: 3 XP, 8 HP
* __Blue Snails__ :: 4 XP, 15 HP
* __Shrooms__ :: 5 XP, 20 HP

Try to avoid Red Snails, Stumps, Pigs, Slimes, and Orange Mushrooms; they either
have high defenses with low XP reward, or are simply too strong for you at
this stage.

### C. Now, Leave

I don't actually recommend that you leave Maple Island until you're either
level 10 or very close to it, since training at low-level spots in Victoria
will have you traveling extensively and dealing with competition from way more
people than you'd have to deal with on Maple Island.

Whether or not you decide to leave early, you can do so by either:

* Buying a ticket from Shanks at the eastern corner of Southperry ::
- This will cost you 5000 mesos, and you need to be at least level 8.

* Receiving a letter of recommendation from Lucas in Amherst ::
- This requires that you complete Sara's questline, which can be started
outside the fork before Amherst and Southperry. You don't have to pay for
a ticket this way, plus you gain quite a bit of experience and a chance at
a decent helmet as this questline's reward.

+==============================================================================+
| (!) A Super Duper Extremely Important Point, Again |
+==============================================================================+
| |
| Between levels 1 - 10, you want to ___spend all your points in `DEX` until |
| you have 25 `DEX`___. This is very important. Once you have 25 `DEX`, put |
| the rest in `LUK`. You need at least 25 `DEX` by level 10 to make the 1st |
| job advancement to Rogue! |
| |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

/*******************************************************************************
## VI. VICTORIA ISLAND: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
*******************************************************************************/

### A. Becoming a Rogue

Nice, you did it! To complete your magnificent transformation from Beginner to
Thief, travel to Kerning City and talk to Dark Lord, located in the basement of
the Fusion Bar. As long as you've met the 25 `DEX`/level 10 requirement, he'll
promote you to Rogue and give you your first SP.

### B. Skill Breakdown

Rogues are the common class between Assassins and Bandits, so their skillbook
features elements of both classes. The skills are broken down as follows:

* __Nimble Body__ (MAX 20) \\
- PASSIVE :: Permanently increases `ACC/AVD`.

* __Keen Eyes__ (MAX 8) \\
- PASSIVE :: Permanently increases attack range for throwing stars.

* __Disorder__ (MAX 20) \\
- ACTIVE :: Briefly stuns a target and reduces its `WATT/WDEF`. Melee only.

* __Dark Sight__ (MAX 20) \\
- ACTIVE :: You stealth and are able to phase through monsters, but attacking
breaks stealth. Your `SPD/JMP` are also reduced.

* __Double Stab__ (MAX 20) \\
- ACTIVE :: Exactly what it sounds like. Dagger only.

* __Lucky Seven__ (MAX 20) \\
- ACTIVE :: Quickly throw two stars to strike a single target. Claw only. Ranged
equivalent to Double Stab.

### C. Rogue Character Growth

Throughout your MapleStory career, you'll find that there are certain skills
which you _must_ (or should if you want to be any decent) max, some which are
simply prerequisites to other skills, and some that are just terrible
altogether.

For Rogues, we're going to pick the same skills to max every time, but the
order in which you do this depends on how you want to play and whatever funds
you may or may not have. The two builds below are really simple, but don't
worry, you'll end up with more freedom with what skills you want as you advance
through jobs.

+==============================================================================+
| (!) Skill Prerequisites |
+==============================================================================+
| |
| Note that if the guide tells you to level or max a skill, it's also telling |
| you to get that skill's prerequisite. I do not mention any skill prereqs |
| throughout this guide, as you will simply be unable to level up those skills |
| without having met the requirements. |
| |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

#### Build: Crit First

Less MP intensive, safer training, better for low funds.

* Build \\
- Keen Eyes (MAX)
- Lucky Seven (MAX)
- Dark Sight (MAX)

#### Build: Lucky Seven First

More damage, more MP intensive, short ranged at first.

* Build \\
- Lucky Seven (MAX)
- Keen Eyes (MAX)
- Dark Sight (MAX)

### D. Equipment Breakdown

As a Rogue, you want to maximize your `LUK` stat. However, you'll soon find that
Thief equipment often carries a `DEX` requirement. This means that even though
Assassins gain power from `LUK`, we should periodically increase our `DEX` in
order to use new equipment. Equipment also has `LUK` requirements, but we're
always going to have enough, so that doesn't matter.

Note that `DEX` can be supplemented by other items whose requirements you
already meet and that you are able to use. This might reduce the amount of `DEX`
you have to invest in the future and allow you to maximize `LUK`.

`DEX` requirements increase with every new equipment set. During your time as a
Rogue, you'll find that the level 10 armor and weapon requires nothing, but the
level 15 set requires 30 `DEX`. The trend with these `DEX` requirements is as
follows:

* Levels 15 - 40 :: Required equipment `DEX` = Required level * 2
* Levels 50+ :: Required equipment `DEX` increases from previous by 10

It's up to you to decide how you want to allocate your points then, as long as
you meet the stat requirements for your next set of equipment by the time you
get to the required level.

Alternatively, you can opt to skip some equipment sets altogether and just dump
your points into `LUK`. These can turn into alternative stat builds called
"Low-`DEX`" or "`DEX`less"--these require significant funds.

+==============================================================================+
| (!) A Point about `DEX`less Builds |
+==============================================================================+
| |
| If you do plan to build a `DEX`less Assassin, the time to decide on that is |
| right now. Going `DEX`less is a decision that requires a lot of planning. |
| I go over `DEX`less builds in more detail in the 2nd job section of |
| this guide. |
| |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

### E. Power Curve

In these "power curve" sections, we briefly go over what you can expect as you
progress through particular stages of the Assassin lifecycle. The goal is to
help us establish context as to how _your_ progression in the game is coming
along as compared to others'.

The power discrepancy between classes at early levels is severe, and by the
game's early design, continues to diverge until around the 4th job advancement.
As a Rogue, your starting point, in terms of overall combat effectiveness, is
_quite good_, given you stick with using claws for the entirety of your 1st job
advancement.

The only class that arguably performs better than (claw) Rogues in
the first ~30 levels is the Magician class--they have more stable damage,
usually faster attack speed, and because Magician skills are effective at both
short and long range, Magicians are able to position themselves better than
Rogues when attacking.

Compared to Warriors and Bowmen, you have a clear advantage. Warriors simply
take too much damage for most of their first 30 levels, and are very
limited by their overall sluggishness and lack of range. Bowmen, while able to
outdamage and outrange you per-attack, cannot attack as quickly, are slower,
cannot easily jump-attack to reposition themselves in melee situations, and also
take more damage than you due to having less `AVD` than you.

As a Rogue, your biggest advantages at this point are your mobility and high
`AVD`. Being able to jump-attack to reposition increases your DPS greatly when
compared to Bowmen, but your weakness at melee range makes you a bit less
versatile than Magicians.

In the first 30 levels, you can expect a linear growth curve, which is much
better than Magicians, who tend to taper off towards the end of the 1st job
advancement. Bowmen and Warriors tend to grow faster than you in the first 30
levels, but overall you still hold a significant advantage.

### F. Training

These training spots maximize the HP/XP ratio with monsters that we talked
about earlier, while also considering maps which are nice and easy to maneuver.
Note that this is optimized for unfunded newcomers. If you're funded, I'm sure
you can find the correct training spot appropriate for your strength level.

Note that below, we only list the _optimal_ training mobs at this level. There
may be other monsters at these locations, and it's perfectly fine to hunt them
too, but you should focus on what we've explicitly listed below.

#### Levels 10 - 20

* __Dungeon, Southern Forest II__ (Slime Tree) \\
- Slimes (L6) ::
+ 50 HP
+ 10 XP
+ 12 - 18 Mesos

* __Henesys Hunting Ground I__ (HHG) \\
- Slimes (L6) ::
+ 50 HP
+ 10 XP
+ 12 - 18 Mesos
- Orange Mushrooms (L8) ::
+ 80 HP
+ 15 XP
+ 16 - 24 Mesos

#### Levels 21 - 24:
* __Pig Beach__ \\
- Pigs (L7) ::
+ 75 HP
+ 15 XP
+ 14 - 21 Mesos
- Ribbon Pigs (L10) ::
+ 120 HP
+ 20 XP
+ 20 - 30 Mesos

* __The Rainforest East of Henesys__ (Pig Forest) \\
- Slimes (L6) ::
+ 50 HP
+ 10 XP
+ 12 - 18 Mesos
- Ribbon Pigs (L10) ::
+ 120 HP
+ 20 XP
+ 20 - 30 Mesos

* __Kerning City Party Quest__ (KPQ) \\
- Grab three other friends, talk to Lakelis in Kerning City, git mad XP brah.

#### Levels 25 - 30:
* __Dungeon, Southern Forest III__ (Mushroom Tree) \\
- Green Mushrooms (L15) ::
+ 250 HP
+ 26 XP
+ 28 - 42 Mesos
- Horny Mushrooms (L22) ::
+ 300 HP
+ 35 XP
+ 36 - 54 Mesos

* __Ant Tunnel I, II__ \\
- Horny Mushrooms (L22) ::
+ 300 HP
+ 35 XP
+ 36 - 54 Mesos
- Zombie Mushrooms (L24) ::
+ 500 HP
+ 42 XP
+ 44 - 66 Mesos

* __Land of Wild Boar I__ (LOWB) \\
- Wild Boar (L25) ::
+ 550 HP
+ 42 XP
+ 44 - 66 Mesos

* __Kerning City Party Quest__ (KPQ) \\
- Grab three other friends, talk to Lakelis in Kerning City, git mad XP brah.

### G. Financing Your Character

Nobody told you? This is actually an economics textbook.

If you're not concerned with your money (in game--hah!), feel free to skip over
this section.

As cute and welcoming as MapleStory is, the economy in this game is actually
quite cutthroat. To the extent that an MMORPG can be, it is nearly one-hundred
percent player driven without regulation (other than game mechanics acting as a
currency/goods source/sink), meaning guilds can hold monopolies over entire
item markets, day/night trading is a thing, and everyone who knows someone has
more money than you.

Snark aside, being an unfunded Assassin can be hard. As you level up past 30,
it becomes increasingly expensive to maintain good equipment and damage. Since
Assassins are the most popular class in the game, there is a very high demand
for equipment and scrolls competing against a short supply.

During your first 30 levels, this shouldn't affect you too much. At low levels,
you do not have to worry at all about maintaining equipment, because the power
discrepancy between funded and unfunded characters is very small compared to
after level 30. Given that, now is the perfect time for us to build good saving
habits!

(No, this is actually an economics textbook.)

Some things you can do to minimize your overhead:

#### Don't max Lucky Seven first

This may seem counter-intuitive, but eventually you save money by not having to
buy MP potions until later, and because you max Keen Eyes instead, you'll be
able to hit things from a safer distance, reducing your HP potion usage.
Obviously you'll train slower, but it may be worth the trade-off if you are
absolutely new to the game and need a way to reduce your costs.

#### Don't buy early equipment sets

The level 10 claw and your level 0 Beginner equipment is actually all you need
for your first 25 levels. The cost of upgrading equipment as an unfunded newbie
is not insignificant, and the resulting power gain won't make up for the cost.
While you will end up taking more damage, you end up saving close to 100k mesos
if you skip most of the early equipment sets until after level 30.

#### Get your hands on a Meba

The single exception to that rule is the level 25 claw, the __Meba__. This
weapon is probably the most broken early-game weapon in the game, outside of
Maple Weapons: It has a "faster" (+2) attack speed, vs. your level 10 Garnier's
"normal" (+0) and most other claws' "fast" (+1) attack speed. This weapon is so
good that you're best off keeping it until at _least_ level 35, where you have
the opportunity to switch it out for a Maple Claw, another "faster" weapon.

Unlike other low-level weapons, Mebas can only be obtained through NPCs if you
craft them. This can be time-consuming and quite expensive. Fortunately, since
Mebas are literally the best Thief weapon in the early game _and_ they
deprecate in value quickly by virtue of being an early-game weapon, chances
are you will be able to buy one off somebody for cheap.

+==============================================================================+
| (!) Another Point about `DEX`less Builds |
+==============================================================================+
| |
| The above advice need not apply if you do plan to go `DEX`less. You will not |
| not be able to wield a Meba if you plan to go `DEX`less, as there is no way |
| to spec the amount of `DEX` required to wield a Meba while still only having |
| 25 base-`DEX`. |
| |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

#### Sell every common equipment drop you find to an NPC...

As you go about your training, you'll be able to gauge about how much you spend
on potions per-session, as well as how much you gain from "NPCing" your drops.
It's helpful to think of this as your "budget"--it's common to have a budget of
anywhere between 10k to 50k mesos for every training session you go through.

#### ...and get familiar with your Korean uncles

A bank NPC lives in every major town. Many of them have Korean last names,
and many of them look the same. They are your Korean uncles, and they will make
you rich.

Being able to utilize your bank as a "savings account" will go a long way in
helping you to keep your spending in check. If you're keeping track of how much
you spend per training session, you should be able to put away some amount of
money every time you need to stop and restock.

While this doesn't necessarily save you any money, it does make you aware of
spending unnecessary amounts on potions that you can't afford, and you will be
more tempted to train more conservatively should you go "over-budget".

/*******************************************************************************
## VII. AN ASSASSIN IS YOU: 2ND JOB ADVANCEMENT
*******************************************************************************/

### A. Becoming an Assassin

At level 30, you're granted the opportunity to become an Assassin. Look at you!

Unlike the 1st job advancement, there aren't any stat requirements for the 2nd
job advancement besides being level 30. However, you must have allocated every
SP you gained between the levels of 11 and 30 in order to be able to advance.

The second job advancement involves a pretty tedious combat test, so you should
stock up on potions and whatever you need beforehand. Once you've done that,
speak with Dark Lord and he'll send you to the Construction Site North of
Kernign City to speak with the advancement NPC.

The test involves gathering 30 Dark Marble drops from a bunch of overpowered
Cold Eyes and Blue Mushrooms which grant no experience. It sucks. But whatever.
Just do it.

Ten grueling years later, you're an Assassin! Again, you've got 1 SP to spend on
whatever you want. Enjoy it. Savor it. Become it. You are that 1 SP.

### B. Skill Breakdown

But not really. Read below before you decide what to spend that point on.

* __Claw Mastery__ (MAX 20) \\
- PASSIVE :: Stabilizes damage range with claws, increases `ACC`, and increases
maximum throwing star capacity. Claw only.

* __Critical Throw__ (MAX 30) \\
- PASSIVE :: Increases critical strike chance.

* __Endure__ (MAX 20) \\
- PASSIVE :: Idling recovers more HP/MP. Allows ladder recovery.

* __Claw Booster__ (MAX 20) \\
- ACTIVE: Increases attack speed. Claw only.

* __Haste__ (MAX 20) \\
- ACTIVE: Increases your `SPD/JMP`, as well as that of nearby party members.

* __Drain__ (MAX 30) \\
- ACTIVE: Throw a draining star to steal some HP from a single target,
proportional to how much damage was dealt. Can only steal half of a monster's
max HP per attack.

### C. Assassin Character Growth

Now, you've got several options when building your Assassin, but you've
probably realized just by reading that list that Endure sucks, so don't build
it except as a pre-requisite to Drain. Also, it's important to note that Claw
Booster is a static buff--the only thaing that increass with its level is the
duration of the buff.

Here are some sample builds you can follow. Note that I only level up Claw
Booster to 5 in all of these builds; that's just personal preference for the
buff duration, you can add or deduct points as you wish.

#### Core Build: Critical Throw First

This is the most popular Assassin build, and for good reason: Maxing out
Critical Throw as soon as possible gives you a huge increase in damage. At max
level, you have a 50% chance to do _double damage_. This equates to an overall
average DPS of 150% of your normal damage output for no cost, which is quite a
large buff. Afterwards, we allocate some points into Claw Booster, which
increases our DPS even more.

Haste is one of the best utility skills in the game due to the `SPD` _and_ `JMP`
it provides. At max level, your `SPD/JMP` get buffed to 140%/120%, respectively.
Whatever this sounds like to you on paper, in practice it gives you __much__
greater mobility than any other 2nd job class in the game, save for Wizards and
Clerics, and it makes you a valuable party member for training because you can
also buff your teammates.

You have the option to take points in Booster before Critical Throw, but if you
keep your Meba until level 40 or so, there's not really a point to doing that,
since you can't attack any faster than +2. If you plan to switch out your claw
earlier than that, then it may be a good option to put some points into Booster
first.

* Core Build \\
- Critical Throw (MAX)
- Claw Booster (5)
- Haste (MAX)

#### Late Build: Drain First

After you've completed your core build, you have the option to choose between
Drain and Mastery. More often than not you'll want to go with Drain, because
the survavibility it gives you is invaluable--you will end up spending almost
nothing on HP potions once you're about halfway through with maxing Drain.

* Late Build \\
- Drain (MAX)
- Claw Mastery (MAX)
- (Remaining points in Booster or Endure)

#### Late Build: Mastery Before Drain

Alternatively, you can opt for Claw Mastery first. This stabilizes your damage
output sooner, giving you a slight edge in DPS. It also saves you some headache
by increasing your throwing star capacity sooner. Do this if you're really
concerned about your DPS, but otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much, as the
effect is minor compared to the funds lost by not maxing Drain first.

* Late Build \\
- Claw Mastery (MAX)
- Drain (MAX)
- (Remaining points in Booster or Endure)

#### Core Build: Mini-Haste First

If you're training almost exclusively in parties, this might be a worthwhile
core build path for you to take. The early points in Haste will help benefit
your party's overall training speed quite a bit, mitigating your loss in
individual DPS. You can then opt for one of the late build paths above.

* Core Build \\
- Claw Booster (5)
- Haste (10)
- Critical Throw (MAX)

### D. Power Curve

I'm gonna be honest here, Assassins are overpowered as heck in 2nd job. While
Bowmen and Warriors do grow faster than you in 1st job, that growth tapers off
hard as you get deep into 2nd job. Magicians have it even worse, with the
exception of Clerics, whose Heal skill gives them ridiculous DPS against undead
mobs.

Like I mentioned early in the guide, Assassins continue to grow linearly, all
the way to level 200. Until about your mid 50s to early 60s, you will notice
that you can outperform all other classes who have similar funds as you, and
you can actually do better than most classes even if they're richer than you.

Bandits are a slight exception to this rule. They do fall off very hard in early
2nd job, but once they max out Savage Blow and Haste, their DPS starts to pick
up very quickly again, around the mid 40s to early 50s. Still, you will
generally do more DPS and train faster than Bandits until your 3rd job
advancement.

#### Alternative Spec Paths: `DEX`less and Low-`DEX`

The interesting part is when we start comparing ourselves to other Assassins.
It is during 2nd job that you start to see the results of different spec paths
(how you allocate AP): `DEX`less and low-`DEX` builds skyrocket in power during
early- to mid-2nd job, solely because of the existence of Maple Weapons. These
things are unassuming, but their value is immeasurable because of the way
Assassins scale.

Assassins have it especially good because our primary attacking skill,
Lucky Seven, scales extremely hard with `LUK`. Any class wlil benefit if their
primary stat is maximized, but Assassins benefit even more because of how
Lucky Seven behaves. Combine this with the fact that Maple Weapons are all +2
attack speed, meaning we do not need to take a single point in Claw Booster?
_And_ with the fact that Assassins already have the highest DPS in the game?

The benefit of going `DEX`less is huge--you are ridiculously overpowered during
2nd job, given that there are `DEX`less Maple Weapons for you to use all the
way up to level 64. The power spike you get from the level 64 __Maple Skanda__
is similar in effect to what we observed with the Meba at level 25. You can
often keep the Skanda until super late into 3rd job and still be ahead of
normal-`DEX` and low-`DEX` builds.

Low-`DEX` builds enjoy a similar benefit as `DEX`less builds, but the magnitude
is not as great, at least during 2nd job and early-mid 3rd job, as in
`DEX`less builds. However, `DEX`less builds _do_ taper off as you approach
4th job, and the most common way to pivot from that is to simply go low-`DEX`
and start using regular claws again. Therefore low-`DEX` builds do go further
than `DEX`less, and they remain the best option all the way up to level 200.

### E. Course Correction

All of that discussion on spec pathing might have been a lot, but I put it here
because 2nd job is the perfect time to decide what you'll do. If you did not
intend to go `DEX`less at the beginning of this guide, you probably aren't
`DEX`less by the time you're at 2nd job, but you are still in prime position
to go low-`DEX` if you want to.

If you choose to do this, you'll want to start buying lots and lots of `DEX`
equipment scrolls, specifically for Overalls. 30%, 60%, and 70% Overall `DEX`
scrolls will be your primary way of building `DEX`, as you can get up to +50
on a single Overall!

This path is expensive, and you should only venture down it if you're
comfortable spending millions of mesos. This will give you the opportunity to
buy a __Zakum Helmet__ for some ridiculous amount, which will give you around
+15 `LUK` and +15 `DEX`. __Spiegelmann's Necklace__ from Monster Carnival PQ
can also give you an early stat boost of around +2 `DEX` on average. In general
you want to look out for boss equipment, PQ equipment, and common equipment
with no stat requirements in order to spec up as quickly as possible.

### G. Training

A quick note about training from this point on: It is absolutely optimal to
join parties with others around your level/damage output, especially with non-
-Thief classes, as their party support skills provide benefits that you can't
get anywhere else.

#### Levels 30 - 36:

* __Ant Tunnel (various maps)__ \\
- Zombie Mushrooms (L24) ::
+ 500 HP
+ 42 XP
+ 44 - 66 Mesos
- Evil Eye (L27) ::
+ 720 HP
+ 50 XP
+ 48 - 72 Mesos

* __Terrace Hall__ \\
- Brown Teddies (L30) ::
+ 950 HP
+ 60 XP
+ 72 - 112 Mesos
- Pink Teddies (L32) ::
+ 1050 HP
+ 65 XP
+ 80 - 120 Mesos

* __Forked Road: East Sea__ \\
- Mask Fish (L32) ::
+ 1000 HP
+ 65 XP
+ 56 - 84 Mesos

* __Purple Plains 1__ \\
- Sakura Cellions (L33) ::
+ 1100 HP
+ 65 XP
+ 232 - 348 Mesos

Sakura Cellions are a very good source of money, since their meso drop rate is
roughly 2-3x that of comparable mobs!

* __The Path of Time II & III__ \\
- Chronos (L37) ::
+ 1750 HP
+ 82 XP
+ 96 - 144 Mesos

#### Levels 37 - 49:

* __Purple Plains 1__ \\
- Sakura Cellions (L33) ::
+ 1100 HP
+ 65 XP
+ 232 - 348 Mesos

* __The Path of Time I__ \\
- Platoon Chronos (L41) ::
+ 2050 HP
+ 99 XP
+ 116 - 174 Mesos

* __Cloud Park (various maps)__ \\
- Lunar Pixies (L45) ::
+ 2500 HP
+ 105 XP
+ 144 - 216 Mesos

* __Dungeon: The Tunnel that Lost Light I__ \\
- Copper Drakes (L45) ::
+ 2700 HP
+ 105 XP
+ 160 - 240 Mesos

### Levels 50 - 55:
* __Cloud Park (various maps)__ \\
- Lunar Pixies (L45) ::
+ 2500 HP
+ 105 XP
+ 144 - 216 Mesos
- Luster Pixies (L45) ::
+ 4000 HP
+ 155 XP
+ 224 - 336 Mesos

* __Watch Out for Icy Path I__ \\
- Jr. Yeti (L50) ::
+ 3700 HP
+ 135 XP
+ 200 - 300 Mesos

* __The Forest of Dead Trees I - IV__ (Z1 - Z4) \\
- Coolie Zombie (L57) ::
+ 4500 HP
+ 190 XP
+ 273 - 408 Mesos

### Levels 56 - 70:

Many of the training spots from levels 50 - 55 will work fine here, in addition
to the following:

* __The Forest of Golems__ (FoG) \\
- Dark Stone Golem (L58) ::
+ 4800 HP
+ 200 XP
+ 280 - 420 Mesos
- Mixed Golem (L59) ::
+ 6000 HP
+ 210 XP
+ 296 - 447 Mesos

* __Haunted House: Study Room [3], Sophilia's Bedroom [3]__ (Haunted House) \\
- Hoodoo (L60) and Voodoo (L60) ::
+ 6800 HP
+ 335 XP
+ 304 - 454 Mesos

/*******************************************************************************
## VIII. GO WEST: 3RD JOB ADVANCEMENT
*******************************************************************************/

### A. You've Come A Long Way

Through 40 painful levels, you'll come to realize the exact strengths and
weaknesses of the Assassin line. Hopefully you've become comfortable enough
with your character to have learned essential techniques such as jump
attacks/reverses, aggro pulling, and some map-specific maneuvering tricks.

You probably started to realize just how good your DPS and killing efficiency
is towards level 50. That's going to stick, and it's going to get better. I
hope you haven't become too comfortable with your style, because everything is
going to get a lot easier from here.

### B. Becoming a Hermit

At level 70, you're able to become a Hermit, this time through Arec in El
Nath. This job advancement requires a lot more work than the first two--here's
the rundown.

#### There's a Boss Fight

You're going to be fighting a rather difficult, hostile version of Dark Lord,
so make sure to stock up on potions, elixirs, etc. and upgrade your gear if
necessary. There's nothing particularly special about this boss fight, if not
that it's kind of long and slightly annoying because of all of the monsters
Dark Lord's Clone will summon.

- Dark Lord's Clone (L80) ::
+ 120,000 HP
+ 2400 XP
+ _Abilities_ ::
- Invulnerability :: Dark Lord's Clone will become invincible for
some period of time.
- Summon Tauromacis :: Yeah, he summons them a lot.

#### There's a Scavenger Hunt

Keep in mind that 10 __Dark Crystal Ores__ will be needed to create one refined
Dark Crystal for later in the test. These are quite hard to come by, and
their only real use is for the 3rd job advancement test, so if you choose to
shop around for some, be ready to both pay a hefty amount and to not be able to
find any for sale in the first place.

#### There's a Pop Quiz

Pull up [Hidden Street](https://bbb.hidden-street.net), since this test involves
a pop quiz on MapleStory trivia! Once you get to this stage of the test, be very
careful not to answer incorrectly--else you'll need to refine another Dark
Crystal.

If you've managed to do all of that and not pass out from excitement,
congratulations, you're a heckin' Hermit!

### C. Skill Breakdown

The Hermit skillbook involves a much more dynamic and versatile kit compared to
that of the Assassin skillbook. Most of your mobility, DPS, and all of your
multi-hit capabilities come from this skill tree.

The skills of a Hermit are as follows.

* __Shadow Partner__ (MAX 30) \\
- SUMMON :: Consume a Summoning Rock to summon a copy of you which mimics your
attacks--e.g. Lucky Seven's two throwing stars becomes four.

* __Avenger__ (MAX 30) \\
- ACTIVE :: Throw a huge shuriken which damages multiple enemies. You can hit
more enemies the higher level this skill is, starting at 4, and ending at 6.

* __Flash Jump__ (MAX 30) \\
- ACTIVE :: While mid-air, use to quickly propel yourself forward in an arc.
Leveling up this skill causes you to go fly further.

* __Meso Up__ (MAX 20) \\
- ACTIVE :: You and your party pick up an increased amount of money from monster
drops.

* __Shadow Meso__ (MAX 20) \\
- ACTIVE :: Consume some mesos to throw a projectile capable of critically
striking for huge damage.

* __Alchemist__ (MAX 20) \\
- ACTIVE :: Increase the effect and duration of potions, elixirs, and status
items.

* __Shadow Web__ (MAX 20) \\
- ACTIVE :: Consume your Shadow Partner to root an enemy in place for a hefty
duration.

### D. Hermit Character Growth

The first big choice you'll face in your Hermit build is deciding when you want
to max Shadow Partner early or save the points for increased mobility through
Flash Jump or increased mobbing through Avenger. This trio of skills forms your
core build as a Hermit, and afterwards Alchemist becomes quite convenient as a
passive buff. The order in which you build these skills will have a significant
effect on your fighting capability, and it will come down to what area of
fighting you want to be most proficient in.

The other skills, while slightly useful, aren't really important, and should
be saved for last. These remaining skills can realistically be built in any
order, and it will have no real effect on your experience as a Hermit.

That being said, we will only be discussing core builds in this section!

#### Core Build: Shadow Partner First

This is what we can consider the "standard" Hermit build. As an Assassin, you
were already good at single-target DPS--by maxing Shadow Partner first, you
double down on that strength and become a monster single-target hunter.

We choose to take a point in Avenger at level 70 because Shadow Parner's early
damage output is actually pretty laughable--at level 1, you only actually gain
an additional 20% damage output. Avenger is far more useful as a one-pointer,
since we previously had no way to hit multiple targets at once.

Additionally, we choose to max Flash Jump over Avenger for the same reason we
chose to max Shadow Partner first: More DPS. By increasing our mobility
significantly, we increase the rate at which we can cover the map, and thus
how much damage we can deal. Flash Jump is also a really good defensive tool,
in that it allows you to evade projectiles and get out of sticky melee
situations. Around this time, mobs suddenly start doing a lot more damage,
so this property of Flash Jump is more useful in the scope of level 80+
than it was before then.

* Core Build \\
- Avenger (1)
- Shadow Partner (MAX)
- Flash Jump (MAX)
- Avenger (MAX)
- Alchemist (MAX)

#### Core Build: Avenger Early

Alternatively, we can choose to take Avenger all the way to level 11. This is
more of an early-3rd job-focused build, as Avenger is an overall better tool
for killing mobs around level 70 to level 80, where mobs are more easily
made to flinch and have lower HP than higher-leveled monsters.

Level 70 through 80 is around the range where training becomes weird. We're not
yet strong enough to start fighting high-HP, high-XP mobs, so we tend to stick
to similar training spots as during our 2nd job advancement. Because these mobs
have lower HP, our single-target DPS slowly becomes negligible as we get closer
and closer to being able to one-shot these mobs.

* Core Build \\
- Avenger (11)
- Shadow Partner (MAX)
- Flash Jump (11)
- Avenger (MAX)
- Flash Jump (MAX)
- Alchemist (MAX)

#### Core Build: Flash Jump Early

In order to get to our mobility skill a bit earlier, we can choose to hold on
maxing out Shadow Partner and instead leave it at level 21 in favor of</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
acquiring Flash Jump three levels earlier. The reason for this is that
most of Shadow Partner's damage scaling happens between levels 1 - 21; there is
a whopping 3.5x damage increase in that range (20% -> 70% damage), compared to
only a 1.1x damage increase from levels 21 - 30 (70% - 80% damage).
Therefore it might be worthwhile for us to make this tradeoff.

* Core Build \\
- Avenger (1)
- Shadow Partner (21)
- Flash Jump (MAX)
- Shadow Partner (MAX)
- Avenger (MAX)
- Alchemist (MAX)

### E. Training

As I mentioned earlier, between levels 70 - 80, we will most likely be training
at some of the same areas that we discussed in the 2nd job advancement section
of this guide.

Also, you're at a pretty high level now! There's most definitely going to be a
mismatch with what I advise you to do from now on, and what you are actually
capable of doing. If you feel that you're stronger than what's I am
recommending here, then go ahead and choose to train at a higher-level map
than what's listed below. Now's the time to take the reins.

#### Levels 70 - 84

Many of the training spots from levels 60 - 70 will work fine here, in addition
to:

* __Wolf Spider Cavern__ \\
- Wolf Spiders (L80) ::
+ 28,000 HP
+ 1200 XP
+ ??? Mesos

* __Forgotten Path of Time <3>__ \\
- Death Teddies (L85) ::
+ 32,000 HP
+ 1300 XP
+ 364 - 545 Mesos

* __Deep Sea Gorge I & II__ \\
- Bombing Fish Houses (L90) ::
+ 40,500 HP
+ 0 XP
+ 0 Mesos
+ Spawns a mob of six Gobies after it is destroyed
- Gobies (L85) ::
+ 17,000 HP
+ 1400 XP
+ 365 - 545 Mesos

#### Levels 84 - 99

* __Deep Sea Gorge I & II__ \\
- Bombing Fish Houses (L90) ::
+ 40,500 HP
+ 0 XP
+ 0 Mesos
+ Spawns a mob of six Gobies after it is destroyed
- Gobies (L85) ::
+ 17,000 HP
+ 1400 XP
+ 365 - 545 Mesos

* __Warped Path of Time <4>__ \\
- Spirit Viking (L93) ::
+ 50,000 HP
+ 2100 XP
+ 625 - 926 Mesos

* __Dangerous Sea Gorge I & II__ \\
- Squid (L94) ::
+ 46,000 HP
+ 2200 XP
+ 625 - 926 Mesos
- Risell Squid (L97) ::
+ 49,000 HP
+ 2500 XP
+ 638 - 944 Mesos

* __Forbidden Time__ \\
- Grim Phantom Watch (L99) ::
+ 60,000 HP
+ 2800 XP
+ 416 - 623 Mesos

* __Destroyed Dragon Nest__ \\
- Jr. Newtie (L105) ::
+ 68,000 HP
+ 3800 XP
+ ??? Mesos
+ Transforms into a walking mob occasionally

#### Levels 100 - 120

Most training spots from levels 84 - 99 should be fine, as well as:

* __Dragon Nest Left Behind & Nest of a Dead Dragon__ \\
- Skelegon (L110) ::
+ 80,000 HP
+ 4500 XP
+ ??? Mesos
- Skelosaurus (L113) ::
+ 85,000 HP
+ 4750 XP
+ ??? Mesos

/*******************************************************************************
## IX. FULL SPEED AHEAD!
*******************************************************************************/

That's a wrap for the next three years, I guess.

In the present, it's 3AM on a Thursday morning and I seriously need sleep.
But in all seriousness, I do still enjoy reading over this guide every now and
again, and I highly enjoyed rewriting it for a second time. At this point, I
embrace that MapleStory was once my entire life--for an entire _decade_ to have
passed and for me to still hold such enthusiasm for an online game is novel.

Today, the reality is that video games aren't a big part of my life anymore.

Over the three years that have passed since my initial rewrite, my life has
taken a turn. I've realized in those three years that MapleStory, and my life
on the internet as a child growing up, instilled a tremendous passion and
curiosity for software and web programming in me. I can whole-heartedly credit
this game for opening me up to this world, where my job only feels natural
because of how I tore away at this game's workings and exploits as a kid.
It's 2019, I'm 24 years old, and I'm a software engineer. Thank Mr. Nexon.

I want to give a heartfelt thanks to everyone who I had ever spent time with in
playing this game. Thank you for sharing such a great experience with me,
as well as everyone else we knew together. Thank you for growing up with us.
We don't talk anymore--regardless, I'm spiritually incapable of letting go of
all of you. Let's play again sometime?

/*******************************************************************************
## X. SPECIAL THANKS
*******************************************************************************/

Reverie
The Wild Mongooses
Manifest
Aqueous
Avenir
Literacy
Skittles
Southperry
Sleepywood
OnRPG
Throes
Providence
FiveSecondPose/Rayquaza2233
Fiel
Jon
Zaotsu
Russt
Kreaps/wiL1l
Soraian/Alaphant/Tremulants/HellzShadow
Lefos/Porphion
Jim
Septher
Fatalize
SqueakySun
Tyndra
Xirati
Yin
Vaii
SciCkmot
OmegaDragon
TangerineTEN
MiSsxJeSs
Lifeline
Cass
Ceejus
CoolToolFool
Mish
Julie
IceyLights17
Korneh
ExAtlas
DRCsyntax
AppleMage
Harrosho
truebuck
KamillaX
Pyrus
Adam
..and many, many more

### See ya later!

~ xChrome/ChaosXLegion, 2006

Well, this is it. We part here. I'll never forget you, old friend,
with your practical jokes..and beating me to a pulp, burning my
house to a pile of ashes..

No wait, that was my 5th birthday party. Whoops!

A. A Special thanks to..

I'd like to thank..

GameFAQs for hosting my guide.

The Reverie guild for helping me through my emocidal period
(Level 74).

Reverie again for being awesome.

DRCsyntax, the founder of TWM, the guild I'm in, for giving me some
or most of the information of how to be a good Assassin.

ExAtlas, another TWM member, helped me get to 50, and motivated me
to get as far as I am now. Being a 5x Assassin made me want to write
a guide about Assassins, as I'm pretty experienced..had one in Beta
too.

Myself, for powerleveling me (Being a Hermit is oh-so sweet.)

The community of onRPG's former Forum 57, the Maple Story forum, for
helping me, giving me tips on how to be an Assassin, leading to this
guide.

And you, the readers, especially, for taking the time to read this
guide. I hope all this information doesn't go to waste. >_O

DISCLAIMER:

This guide may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except
for personal, private use without my permission. It may NOT be hosted
on ANY website other than the ones listed below without my consent.
If you print out a copy for your friend, that's fine, but I don't
want you telling random people about this guide, or even advertising
it. Also, I don't want you using this guide for any profit
whatsoever, in real life or in-game. All of the above are copyright
infringement.

I authorize this guide to be hosted only by the following sites:

GameFAQs [http://www.gamefaqs.com/]
NeoSeeker [http://www.neoseeker.com/]
CheatCodes [http://www.cheatcodes.com/]
And any other sites that request my permission.

Thanks again for reading my guide.

- Reuben