The three branches at a glance
Fighter DPS
Sword or Axe. The pure damage branch. Rage is a party-wide weapon-attack buff that shows up in every attacker's numbers - Fighters make good party members even before their own damage matters. Becomes Crusader at 70, Hero at 120.
Page TANK/DEBUFF
Sword or Blunt Weapon. The oddball branch - lower damage than Fighter, but Threaten lowers enemy damage and Power Guard reflects hits. Historically the least-picked; genuinely shines against high-attack bosses. Becomes White Knight at 70, Paladin at 120.
Spearman SUPPORT
Spear or Polearm. The party-support branch. Hyper Body multiplies party max HP/MP - single most desired buff in the game post-70. Damage is competitive with Fighter; Polearm gets AoE swings. Becomes Dragon Knight at 70, Dark Knight at 120.
The decision, in one paragraph
If you want the highest personal damage and don't want to think about it: Fighter. If you want to be the party's buff-bot and don't mind lower solo damage until Hyper Body: Spearman. If you specifically love tanking bosses and want a rarer identity: Page. Every branch is viable at endgame - none is "wrong" - but Spearman is the most-invited to parties because Hyper Body is that good.
Branch 1: Fighter
The Sword-or-Axe branch. Pure attacker identity. If you played any physical class in any MMO ever, this feels like home.
Weapon choice: Sword vs Axe
Both branches of Fighter (Sword and Axe) share the same skills with weapon-specific masteries and boosters. The real difference is attack speed vs base damage:
- Sword: faster (Normal-4 speed on 1-handed, Normal-5 on 2-handed). Smoother DPS, more Final Attack proc chances per fight, better feel for grinding.
- Axe: slower (Slow-5 on 1-handed, Slow-6 on 2-handed) but higher base weapon damage and higher mastery damage variance ceiling. Bigger crit swings.
Sword is the safe pick. Axe has flashier numbers but the slower speed makes it harder to weave with Final Attack procs, and 1-handed Sword + Shield (or Cape) is the "classic Fighter" silhouette everyone recognizes. Pick Axe if you specifically want the slow-crit playstyle.
Fighter skill kit (traditional MapleStory baseline, 7 skills)
| Skill | Type | Max Lv | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sword Mastery | Passive | 20 | +Sword mastery %, +accuracy. Damage floor gets closer to damage ceiling. Max this if you're going Sword. |
| Axe Mastery | Passive | 20 | Same as Sword Mastery but for Axes. Max this if you're going Axe. |
| Sword Booster | Buff | 20 | +2 attack speed while active. Consumes MP. Uptime maintenance. |
| Axe Booster | Buff | 20 | +2 attack speed for Axes. |
| Final Attack (Sword/Axe) | Passive proc | 30 | Chance to trigger a bonus swing after a basic attack. Damage% scales with skill level. One of the biggest DPS multipliers in the kit. |
| Rage | Party buff | 20 | +Weapon Attack to party for a duration. Best 2nd-job attacker buff in the game. Every party wants it. |
| Power Guard | Buff | 30 | Reflects a % of physical damage taken back at the attacker. Deprioritized until utility maxing. |
Fighter recommended build order
- Levels 30-35: 1 point in Sword Booster (or Axe Booster) - immediate DPS uptime. Then dump into your chosen Mastery.
- Levels 35-45: Max your Mastery (20 points). Max your Booster next (~5-8 points is fine for 2 attack speed at low level; full 20 for uptime).
- Levels 45-55: Max Final Attack (30 points). This is where your DPS actually spikes - proc chance + damage% both scale.
- Levels 55-65: Max Rage (20 points). Now you're a party attacker AND a party buffer.
- Levels 65-70: Power Guard filler until 70. Not a priority; feel free to save points for 3rd job if you'd rather.
Branch 2: Page
The Sword-or-Blunt-Weapon branch. Same weapon options as Fighter for Sword, but swaps Axe for BW (Blunt Weapon = maces, wands with attack). Lower damage than Fighter; makes up for it with debuff + reflection utility.
Weapon choice: Sword vs Blunt Weapon
Same speed profile as Fighter's Sword choice. BW is the replacement for Axe: slower base speed, higher base damage, same 1-handed/2-handed tradeoff. BW mastery caps slightly differently traditionally (both around 60% mastery ceiling at Lv 20).
Sword is still the safe pick for Page. BW shines on specific weapons like the Deputy Star (1H) or Fusion Mace / Tobi (2H). If you're not chasing a specific end-of-2nd-job weapon, go Sword.
Page skill kit (traditional MapleStory baseline, 8 skills)
| Skill | Type | Max Lv | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sword Mastery | Passive | 20 | Same as Fighter's version. Max if Sword. |
| BW Mastery | Passive | 20 | Blunt Weapon mastery + accuracy. Max if BW. |
| Sword Booster | Buff | 20 | +2 attack speed for Swords. |
| BW Booster | Buff | 20 | +2 attack speed for Blunt Weapons. |
| Final Attack (Sword/BW) | Passive proc | 30 | Same bonus-swing mechanic as Fighter's Final Attack. Core DPS skill. |
| Threaten | Debuff | 20 | Lowers Weapon Attack + Weapon Defense of nearby enemies for a duration. Boss-fight utility. Signature Page skill. |
| Power Guard | Buff | 30 | Same as Fighter's version. On Page it's slightly more valuable because Page usually tanks in party comps. |
Page recommended build order
- Levels 30-35: 1 point in Booster. Dump into your Mastery.
- Levels 35-45: Max Mastery (20 points). Max Booster (20 points) if you want full uptime, or ~5-8 as filler.
- Levels 45-55: Max Final Attack (30 points). Same DPS reason as Fighter.
- Levels 55-60: Max Threaten (20 points). This is your signature utility - use it on every boss.
- Levels 60-70: Max Power Guard (30 points). Now you're the party's damage sponge. Note: Power Guard is more useful on Page than on Fighter/Spearman because Page routinely tanks Bosses.
Branch 3: Spearman
The Spear-or-Polearm branch. Party-support identity. Lower solo damage than Fighter, but Hyper Body at Lv 45 turns you into the most-invited attacker in the game.
Weapon choice: Spear vs Polearm
The Spearman weapon choice is the most consequential in the Warrior tree because it changes your attack animation pattern:
- Spear: single-target thrust. Higher per-hit damage. Better for boss fights where you're facing one target.
- Polearm: horizontal AoE swing that can hit 2+ mobs at once with basic attacks. Better for grinding. Slightly lower per-hit damage than Spear.
Polearm is the standard pick. The AoE swing just outpaces Spear at every grinding spot for the whole 2nd-job window. Save Spear for niche builds or boss-only specialists.
Spearman skill kit (traditional MapleStory baseline, 8 skills)
| Skill | Type | Max Lv | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spear Mastery | Passive | 20 | Spear mastery % + accuracy. |
| Polearm Mastery | Passive | 20 | Polearm mastery % + accuracy. |
| Spear Booster | Buff | 20 | +2 attack speed for Spears. |
| Polearm Booster | Buff | 20 | +2 attack speed for Polearms. |
| Final Attack (Spear/Polearm) | Passive proc | 30 | Same bonus-swing mechanic. Core DPS. |
| Iron Wall | Party buff | 20 | +Weapon Def + Magic Def to party. Support buff, priority scales with party density. |
| Hyper Body | Party buff | 30 | Multiplies party members' Max HP and Max MP for a duration. THE Spearman skill. Every party wants it. Every boss run needs it. |
Spearman recommended build order
- Levels 30-35: 1 point in Booster. Dump Mastery.
- Levels 35-45: Max Mastery (20), then rush toward Hyper Body prereqs. Booster to ~5-8 for uptime.
- Level 45: Immediately start Hyper Body. This is where party invites open up. Even 1 point is life-changing for your party.
- Levels 45-55: Max Hyper Body (30 points). Nothing else in the game gives you this much party value at this level.
- Levels 55-65: Max Final Attack (30 points). Now your damage catches up.
- Levels 65-70: Max Iron Wall (20 points). Filler with real party value.
Note on Hyper Body: This is the single most valuable 2nd-job party buff in the game. If you're playing solo, Fighter/Page might feel stronger - but the moment you start partying, you become irreplaceable. Nobody kicks the Hyper Body user.
Common 2nd-job progression (30 to 70)
Where to grind
- Lv 30-40: Ligators + Cursed Eyes at Kerning Swamp. Zombie Mushrooms + Wild Boars at Sleepywood Ant Tunnels. Party quests: Kerning PQ (21-30) tail end, then Ludi PQ (35+).
- Lv 40-55: Copper Drakes + Drakes at Sleepywood. Wraiths at Kerning subway. Ludi PQ full window.
- Lv 55-70: Fire Boars at Burning Land. Death Teddies at Ludi. Ludi Maze PQ (55-70). Orbis PQ if it ships.
Gear buys at Lv 30
The single biggest damage jump for a fresh Warrior 2nd-job is buying a level-appropriate weapon. Sword users target the Zamadar (Lv 30 Sword) or Doombringer (Lv 43 Sword). Axe users target Fusion Axe (Lv 40) or Steel Battle Axe (Lv 32). Polearm users target Fusion Halberd (Lv 40) or the classic Sky Ski (Lv 43). Prices fluctuate; always check the FM before committing.
Armor priority: overall (armor covering top + bottom) over separates for the level bracket, then scrolls (10% white scrolls are the cheap sweet spot for 2nd job gear). Cape and shoulder are luxury; skip until Lv 50+.
What to expect at 3rd job (70)
- Fighter -> Crusader: Combo Attack stacking mechanic, big AoE Panic/Coma finishers.
- Page -> White Knight: Elemental charge attacks (Fire/Ice/Lightning) that inflict status effects. Highly technical, extremely rewarding.
- Spearman -> Dragon Knight: Dragon Roar (huge AoE at HP cost), Sacrifice (self-buff damage bomb). Hyper Body still your calling card.
Related reading
- Warrior 1st Job Guide - if you're not there yet
- Skill Changes: traditional MapleStory vs CoT 2 - Warrior gained Precise Strikes at 1st job
- Party EXP & Grinding - your PQ/party progression from 30 to 70
- EXP: Then vs Now - datamine-verified mob EXP for grinding spots