WarriorSTR · Melee fighters with the highest HP
MagicianINT · Spellcasters
BowmanDEX · Ranged attackers
ThiefLUK · Fast and evasiveHunter vs Crossbowman in MapleStory Classic World: Which Bowman 2nd Job to Pick
Pick Hunter if you want the stronger mobber and faster shooting: in a community DPS benchmark at level 70 it beats the Crossbowman on both single-target and AoE damage per minute. Pick Crossbowman if you like heavy single hits, a little less STR to worry about, and maps where mobs walk at you in a straight line. The gap is real but not huge. Neither choice will ruin your character.
Quick answer: Hunter for raw damage and grouped mobs (Arrow Bomb). Crossbowman for bigger hits per arrow and flat lanes (Iron Arrow). If you're on high ping, there are player reports of Arrow Bomb misbehaving, so that's a point for Crossbowman.
Our assumptions
This is a recommendation, not a measurement. It rests on:
- Version: Classic World v1.0.0 at Grand Launch. Both jobs are 2nd job from Athena Pierce in Henesys at level 30, and there's no 3rd job yet, so we only compare what you can play now.
- Benchmark: a community DPS benchmark at level 70, using "realistic" community builds with Lesser scrolls. That model assumes every hit lands, the target has no defense and never moves, MP never runs out, and AoE skills hit their full target cap.
- Play style: mostly solo grinding, with both builds following their community build guides.
- Not counted: party play, bossing, prices in your server's Free Market, and how crowded each job's favourite maps get.
Change any of those and the answer can flip.
Side by side
| Hunter | Crossbowman | |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Bow | Crossbow |
| Mobbing skill | Arrow Bomb: blast around one target, up to 6 mobs, 130% at max | Iron Arrow: pierces a line of up to 6 mobs, 180% at max, falling off per mob |
| Final Attack | 120% follow-up on up to 3 mobs | One 360% hit, single target |
| Mastery bonus | +10% Critical Rate, +10 Speed | +20% Critical Damage |
| Weapon speed | Normal (bows from 30 up; Red Viper at 35 is Fast) | Slow (except Heckler at 40, Normal) |
| STR by level 70 | 70 (Golden Hinkel) | 60 (Gross Jaeger) |
| Best maps | Grouped mobs, wide platforms | Long flat lanes |
The skill and weapon numbers in that table are from the Classic World skill and item data. Older community skill tables listed different Iron Arrow targets and had no Arrow Bomb figures, which is why some guides declined to rank the two; the launch data fills that gap.
Damage: a community level 70 benchmark
| Measure | Hunter | Crossbowman |
|---|---|---|
| Single-target DPM (Double Shot) | 245,268 (#4 of 10) | 232,722 (#6 of 10) |
| Damage per cast, single target | 2,627 | 2,786 |
| Casts per minute, single target | 68.1 | 61.0 |
| Single-target damage per MP | 164.2 | 174.2 |
| AoE DPM (full 6 targets) | 708,681 (#2) | 585,949 (#6) |
| AoE damage per MP | 304.9 | 275.4 |
How to read it:
- Hunter wins on volume. Faster shooting means more casts a minute. That beats the Crossbowman's bigger hits on total damage, both single-target and in groups.
- Crossbowman wins per arrow. Each cast hits harder, and single-target damage per MP is a bit better.
- The AoE gap is the big one, about 21% in the Hunter's favour. It assumes Arrow Bomb catches six mobs and Iron Arrow pierces six. Iron Arrow loses damage on each mob it passes through, and Arrow Bomb loses value when mobs spread out.
At level 30, before either skill set matters, a community Arrow Blow comparison is nearly a wash. The bow does about 3.6% more DPS, and the crossbow about 4.9% more per cast and 5.3% more per MP.
How they feel to play
Hunter: you shoot fast, and Arrow Bomb can stun the pack. Later, Amazon's Judgement slows anything you crit. Community guides list the downsides plainly: Arrow Bomb is MP-hungry at 28 a cast, and one calls the Hunter "probably the squishiest class" in Classic. There are also player reports of delayed explosions for some players outside North America (unconfirmed, possibly ping).
Crossbowman: slower, chunkier shots, with crits that hit hard thanks to Crossbow Mastery. Iron Arrow is great when mobs line up on flat ground and wasteful on stacked platforms. Your STR target is 10 points lower, which leaves a little more for DEX.
Both: no movement skill in 2nd job, whack range inside about 65 px, Soul Arrow to stop buying arrows, and so much Accuracy that misses only happen against mobs well above your level.
Where each one trains
They overlap a lot, mostly the Kerning subway and the Ant Tunnels, but the timing differs. In a community training calculator, a level 40 Hunter still farms Stirges in Transfer Area. A level 40 Crossbowman has already moved to Ant Tunnel IV or Dark Cave. Full tables: Hunter training spots and Crossbowman training spots.
Our pick
- Default: Hunter. On the benchmark it's ahead in the two numbers that matter most for grinding (single-target and AoE damage per minute), and fast shooting is forgiving.
- Choose Crossbowman if your ping is high, you enjoy big crits, or you'd rather farm flat subway lanes than chase groups.
- Already holding a great bow or crossbow at 30? Let the drop decide. The common community advice before 2nd job is to use whichever weapon you get for free, and at level 30 the two are within a few percent.
Guides: Hunter · Crossbowman · Bowman 1–30