WarriorSTR · Melee fighters with the highest HP
MagicianINT · Spellcasters
BowmanDEX · Ranged attackers
ThiefLUK · Fast and evasiveBest Early Weapons by Class in MapleStory Classic World (Levels 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30)
Our short version: buy the NPC shop weapon for your level at 10, 15, 20 and 25, then craft or trade for a level 30 weapon. Warriors: two-handers from River in Perion. Bowmen: whatever Karl in Henesys sells at your level. Magicians: always the wand, never the staff. Assassins: claws from Cutthroat Manny, with Meba at 25 good enough to keep through 30.
This is a recommendation page. It's our opinion, built on sourced numbers. The facts (levels, prices, attack values) are in the equipment guide by level.
Our assumptions
- You're buying from NPC shops, not the Free Market. Free Market prices move every day and we can't verify them.
- You're short on mesos, like most players before 30. "Affordable" means a shop weapon, not a scrolled one.
- Damage first. We weigh weapon attack (or magic attack) together with attack speed, and lean on the picks in community class guides where they exist. Price breaks ties.
- Classic World values only. Where community sources disagree on a weapon's attack, we say so. We don't use old GMS numbers.
- You meet the weapon's stat requirements. If you don't, step down one weapon rather than pulling AP out of your main stat.
Warrior
| Level | Our pick | W.ATK | Price | Budget alternative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Wooden Sword or Metal Axe (two-handed) | 30 | 5,000 | Long Sword (27, 3,000) |
| 15 | Sabre or Battle Axe | 32 | 5,000 | keep your level 10 weapon |
| 20 | Two-Handed Sword | 40 | 13,500 | Viking Sword (37, 10,500) |
| 25 | Broadsword or Two-Handed Axe | 45 | 16,500 | Mithril Axe (one-handed; 42 or 45 depending on source, 13,500) |
| 30 | Aluminum Baseball Bat (two-handed sword, Weaponcrafting 6) | 50 | not sold in shops; about 9,020 mesos to craft from ores | Blue Axe (50) or Gladius (47) from players, or keep your level 25 weapon |
Why: these are the sword and axe options a community Warrior guide lists at each level. The two-handed swords and axes hit as hard or harder than the one-handers at 10, 20 and 25; the one-handers swing faster (speed 4 against 5 or 6, depending on source) and leave room for a shield. At 15, the Sabre or Battle Axe is a cheap step up.
What about the big hammers? River also sells slow two-handed blunt weapons with more raw attack: Wooden Mallet (level 10, 32 W.ATK, 5,000) and Square Hammer (level 20, 42 W.ATK, 13,500), plus the Heavy Mace at 15 for 16,500 (37 or 40 W.ATK depending on source). They're slow (speed 7), and the community Warrior guide doesn't pick them. If you try one, compare kills per minute on your map, not the tooltip.
Future Spearman? Spear (32, level 10, 5,000) then Fork on a Stick (37, level 15, 7,000). Both sources agree on those two.
All Warrior weapons through 25 come from River in Perion.
Bowman
| Level | Bow pick | Crossbow pick | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | War Bow (30) | Crossbow (32) | 5,000 |
| 15 | Composite Bow (35) | Battle Crossbow (37) | 7,000 |
| 20 | Hunter's Bow (42) | Balanche (39) | 13,500 |
| 25 | Battle Bow (44) | Mountain Crossbow (47) | 16,500 |
| 30 | Ryden (50) | Eagle Crow (52) | Woodcrafting 6 craft |
Why: Karl in Henesys sells exactly one bow and one crossbow per tier, and both sources agree on all of them, so there's no trick here. Buy the one for the job you're heading toward at 30 (Hunter uses bows, Crossbowman crossbows). The common community advice fits the budget: shop gear is enough through 25, so don't chase tiny upgrades in the Free Market. At 30, find a Woodcrafter or level the craft yourself.
Magician
| Level | Our pick | M.ATK | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Wooden Wand | 27 | 3,000 |
| 15 | Hardwood Wand | 34 | 5,000 |
| 20 | Metal Wand | 41 | 10,500 |
| 25 | Ice Wand | 48 | 13,500 |
| 30 | Mithril Wand | 55 | Arcforge 6 craft |
Why: at every level the wand has 3 more magic attack than the staff Flora the Fairy sells, at the same price, and the wand's LUK requirement is reportedly equal or lower. Staves only add 1–2% crit damage. If a staff drops for you for free, use it; otherwise buy wands.
Spell damage runs on magic attack, so a wand's weapon attack doesn't matter for Energy Bolt or Magic Claw. Grab a shield while you're at it: the Pan Lid (level 10, 44 weapon DEF) is a strong early pick in community guides.
Thief: claws (Assassin path)
| Level | Our pick | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Garnier (or the Beginner's Garnier a community sample build uses) | 5,000 | Pair with Subi stars |
| 15 | Steel Titans | 7,000 | Needs 15 DEX |
| 20 | Steel Igor | 14,100 | Needs 20 DEX |
| 25 | Meba | 16,500 | Only speed-3 claw before 30 |
| 30 | Keep Meba, or Adamantium Guards | Weaponcrafting 6 craft | See below |
Why: it's the only claw upgrade path in the shops (Cutthroat Manny, Kerning City). At 30, one community DPS model has a clean Adamantium Guards only about 2.7% ahead of a clean Meba on DPS, thanks to Meba's speed. So if you already own Meba, it's fine to keep it at 30 and spend your mesos on stars instead.
Claw attack values differ between sources by about 10 W.ATK per claw (one lists Meba at 19, another at 29). The order and prices don't change, so our picks hold either way. Remember stars add their own W.ATK: Wolbis (+17) over Subis (+15) is a cheap boost once you're a Kerning City citizen at Helpful Stranger.
Thief: daggers (Bandit path)
| Level | Our pick | W.ATK | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Triangular Zamadar | 28 | 3,000 |
| 15 | Field Dagger | 30 | 5,000 |
| 20 | Coconut Knife | 35 or 38 | 10,500 |
| 25 | Iron Dagger | 40 | 13,500 |
| 27 | Forked Dagger | 45 | 14,700 |
| 30 | Reef Claw | 48 | no shop recorded |
Why: each is the strongest dagger Manny sells at that level. A community Bandit guide calls Reef Claw the strongest clean level 30 dagger and notes it has no STR requirement. It also points out many Bandits level as "Sindits" with a claw and Lucky Seven in 1st job, then switch to daggers after 2nd job. If that's you, follow the claw table until 30.
When to skip an upgrade
- You're 2 levels from the next tier. Buying the level 20 weapon at 23 is often worse value than waiting for 25.
- Your stats don't qualify. Pulling AP out of your main stat to wear a slightly better weapon usually costs more damage than it gains.
- You have a decent drop. The community line for Magicians applies to everyone: weapons are expensive, so use the lucky drop.
Never buy weapons, mesos or scrolled gear for real money. Everything on this page is a shop purchase or a craft.