WarriorSTR · Melee fighters with the highest HP
MagicianINT · Spellcasters
BowmanDEX · Ranged attackers
ThiefLUK · Fast and evasiveFire/Poison vs Ice/Lightning in MapleStory Classic World: Which Wizard to Pick
Fire/Poison if you want the most damage, Ice/Lightning if you want the cheapest casting. F/P leads on both single-target and mobbing damage in community level 70 benchmarks, thanks mostly to Poison Breath's explosion. I/L's Cold Beam is the cheapest 2nd job attack in the branch at 22 MP, it gets the most damage per MP, and its slows and stuns make fights safer.
Quick answer: Solo grinder who wants levels fast → F/P. Solo on a tight potion budget, or you like control → I/L. The mobbing gap is big (about 615K vs 373K damage per minute on 6 mobs at level 70); the single-target gap is small (about 160K vs 151K).
Our assumptions
This is an opinion piece. It rests on these assumptions:
- Classic World with no 3rd job. Fire/Poison and Ice/Lightning Mage and Arch Mage aren't in the game, so we compare 2nd job kits only.
- Damage numbers are a community level 70 benchmark: every hit lands, no defense, MP never runs out. Real numbers are lower, but the ranking is what we use.
- Mesos are tight, so MP per cast counts.
Side by side
| Fire/Poison | Ice/Lightning | |
|---|---|---|
| Single target | Fire Arrow | Cold Beam (briefly slows what it hits) |
| Mobbing | Poison Breath, explosion on up to 6 nearby mobs | Thunder Bolt, up to 6 around you, 25% stun chance at max |
| Party buff | Meditation, +25 party Magic Attack | Meditation, +25 party Magic Attack |
| Main attack MP at max | Fire Arrow 28, Poison Breath 40 | Cold Beam 22, Thunder Bolt 40 |
| Lv 70 single target (damage/min) | 159,952 | 151,062 |
| Lv 70 on 6 mobs (damage/min) | 615,199 | 373,233 |
| Single-target damage per MP | 78.1 | 92.8 |
Elements: what you can hit hard
Element matchups decide how good each feels on a given map. From the launch monster data:
- Fire-weak monsters include Ligators, Jr. Wraiths and Crocos, which is why Fire Arrow feels great on Victoria Island. Fire Boars and Drakes resist fire.
- Poison has few good targets: three poison-weak monsters (the fairy variants), six that resist it, and three immune (
Green Mushroom, 
Commander Skeleton, 
Jr. Balrog). - Ice-weak:
Fire Boar, 
Copper Drake, 
Red Drake and both Tauros. Six monsters resist ice. - Lightning-weak:
Slime, 
Octopus, 
Bubbling, 
Lorang, 
Clang and 
Iron Hog. Six resist lightning.
So I/L has the edge on the Burnt Land, Dangerous Valley and the Sanctuary Entrance Tauros, and F/P everywhere else.
Who should pick which
- You want levels fast and play solo: F/P. Poison Breath makes it the best Magician mobber by a wide margin.
- Potions are your bottleneck: I/L. Cold Beam at 22 MP and the best damage per MP.
- You like safer fights and bossing: I/L for cheap sustained casting, slows and stuns.
- Thinking about Cleric too? All three Magician paths are compared in Cleric vs F/P vs I/L.
Full builds: F/P guide and I/L guide. Where to level: F/P training spots and I/L training spots.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fire/Poison or Ice/Lightning better in MapleStory Classic World?
Which Wizard is better for mobbing?
Which Wizard uses less MP?
Can I change from F/P to I/L later?
Sources: Game data v1.0.0 · NiaMeowDB [1] [2] [3]. Names and game content © Nexon, used for informational purposes. The explanations on this page are our own.