The two branches at a glance
Hunter SPEED
Bow. Faster attack speed (Normal-5), lower per-hit damage. More Final Attack proc chances per fight. Smoother combat feel. Arrow Bomb (AoE stun explosion) is the star of the kit. Becomes Ranger at 70, Bowmaster at 120.
Crossbowman CRITS
Crossbow. Slower attack speed (Slow-6), higher per-hit damage and higher crit multiplier ceiling. Iron Arrow pierces through mobs in a line - AoE via geometry instead of explosion. Becomes Sniper at 70, Marksman at 120.
The decision, in one paragraph
Hunter for grinding, Crossbowman for bossing. Hunter's higher speed = more Final Attack triggers per minute + smoother DPS; Arrow Bomb's stun AoE dominates mob packs. Crossbowman's per-hit ceiling + Iron Arrow line-AoE is better vs single tough targets and dense corridors. Both branches feel great; pick the weapon aesthetic you like more, because at endgame Bowmasters and Marksmen are both top-tier.
Branch 1: Hunter
The bow branch. Faster attacks, AoE stun via Arrow Bomb. If you liked how Bowman 1st-job felt with the CoT 2 addition of Power Knockback, Hunter doubles down on that control identity.
Hunter skill kit (traditional MapleStory baseline minus Power Knockback, ~5 skills)
| Skill | Type | Max Lv | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bow Mastery | Passive | 20 | +Bow mastery %, +accuracy. Damage floor climbs closer to ceiling. Priority max. |
| Bow Booster | Buff | 20 | +2 attack speed for Bows. Consumes MP. Uptime maintenance. |
| Final Attack: Bow | Passive proc | 30 | Chance to trigger a bonus shot after basic attacks. Damage% scales with level. Bowman's biggest DPS multiplier. |
| Soul Arrow: Bow | Buff | 20 | Removes arrow consumption for a duration. Signature Bowman utility - eliminates ammo economy forever. |
| Arrow Bomb | Attack (AoE stun) | 30 | Single-target shot that EXPLODES on hit, dealing AoE damage + a stun proc chance to nearby mobs. Signature Hunter skill. Core grinding button. |
Note: traditional MapleStory also had Power Knockback in this slot at 2nd job. In CoT 2 it's already yours from 1st job, so you're starting Hunter with one skill already "banked". If Nexon introduces a replacement 2nd-job skill in the vacated slot, we'll update this page.
Hunter recommended build order
- Levels 30-35: 1 point in Bow Booster. Dump into Bow Mastery.
- Levels 35-45: Max Bow Mastery (20 points). Max Bow Booster (20 for full uptime) or ~8-10 as filler.
- Levels 45-55: Max Arrow Bomb (30 points). This is your grinding identity - the AoE stun is why you picked Hunter.
- Levels 55-60: Max Soul Arrow: Bow (20 points). Frees you from ammo forever.
- Levels 60-70: Max Final Attack: Bow (30 points). Late but the biggest DPS spike in the kit.
Branch 2: Crossbowman
The crossbow branch. Slower attacks, higher per-hit damage, line-piercing AoE via Iron Arrow. Better boss identity than Hunter but requires more patience with individual shots.
Crossbowman skill kit (traditional MapleStory baseline minus Power Knockback, ~5 skills)
| Skill | Type | Max Lv | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crossbow Mastery | Passive | 20 | +Crossbow mastery %, +accuracy. Same math as Bow Mastery. |
| Crossbow Booster | Buff | 20 | +2 attack speed for Crossbows. |
| Final Attack: Crossbow | Passive proc | 30 | Same bonus-shot mechanic. Core DPS. |
| Soul Arrow: Crossbow | Buff | 20 | Removes arrow consumption for Crossbows. |
| Iron Arrow | Attack (piercing) | 30 | Shot that PIERCES through multiple mobs in a straight line. Signature Crossbowman skill. AoE via geometry - line up mobs, hit them all. |
Crossbowman recommended build order
- Levels 30-35: 1 point in Crossbow Booster. Dump into Crossbow Mastery.
- Levels 35-45: Max Crossbow Mastery (20 points). Max Booster (20 for full uptime) or ~8-10 filler.
- Levels 45-55: Max Iron Arrow (30 points). Line-clearing on packed maps becomes trivial.
- Levels 55-60: Max Soul Arrow: Crossbow (20 points).
- Levels 60-70: Max Final Attack: Crossbow (30 points).
Piercing tip: Iron Arrow's damage doesn't drop per pierce - each mob in the line takes full damage. Positioning is your DPS multiplier: fight in narrow corridors, line mobs up before firing.
Common 2nd-job progression (30 to 70)
Where to grind
- Lv 30-40: Copper Drakes at Sleepywood. Fire Boars at Burning Land (for Hunter Arrow Bomb crowds). Ligators still viable at 30-35.
- Lv 40-55: Wraiths at Kerning subway (Hunter Arrow Bomb crowd-stun heaven). Fire Boars stay great. Ludi PQ full window (35-51).
- Lv 55-70: Death Teddies at Ludi. Coolie Zombies (Crossbowman Iron Arrow line-clearing). Ludi Maze PQ (55-70).
Gear buys at Lv 30
Hunter target: Ryden (Lv 35 Bow, cheap starter) or Bow of Magical Destruction (Lv 43, higher tier). Crossbowman target: Steel Crossbow (Lv 30) or Nisrock (Lv 43).
Armor priority: DEX overall or top+bottom with 10% white DEX scrolls. Every point of DEX is bow accuracy AND damage (via mastery secondary scaling). LUK provides no benefit - ignore anything with LUK on it.
What to expect at 3rd job (70)
- Hunter -> Ranger: Strafe (4-hit single target shot burst), Mortal Blow (execute passive), Puppet (decoy summon that tanks mob aggro).
- Crossbowman -> Sniper: Strafe (4-hit variant), Mortal Blow, Puppet. Sniper's Strafe has higher per-hit but lower speed. Same skill philosophy, mirrored math.
Related reading
- Bowman 1st Job Guide
- Skill Changes: traditional MapleStory vs CoT 2 - Bowman is the class with the biggest 1st-job kit change
- Party EXP & Grinding
- EXP: Then vs Now