MapleStory Pathfinder Skill Build Guide

Pathfinder is an Explorer class of the Archer job branch. It's actually one of the newest Explorer classes in MapleStory, releasing in July 2019 with patch 206. Pathfinder's have great mobbing skills compared to other Explorer classes and can deal decent damage at bosses. They have to juggle two types of skills, but it's made incredibly easy using MapleStory's Macro skills.

• Pathfinder Overview
• Pathfinder First Job Skill Build
• Pathfinder Second Job Skill Build
• Pathfinder Third Job Skill Build
• Pathfinder Fourth Job Skill Build
• Pathfinder Hyper Skill Build
• Pathfinder Fifth Job Skill Build
• Changelog

Pathfinder Overview

Despite belonging to the Explorer class group, Pathfinder doesn't really feel like an Explorer. This is probably due to the fact that the Explorer jobs all came out in 2004, almost 15 years behind Pathfinder! Pathfinder has its own unique gameplay style, allowing you to chain different attacks together to create explosive mobbing skills. Pathfinder doesn't use consumable arrows either, instead it relies on Cardinal Force to deal damage.

As a mobbing class, Pathfinder is up there as one of the best. Once it reaches fourth job, they have a huge range of attack, able to hit multiple platforms and a skill that heat-seeks other mobs like Nightlord's Assassin's Mark. Newer players may be confused about how to juggle the skills, but in reality it's quite simple. Players have to combine two skills, Cardinal Deluge and Cardinal Burst, to boost their Relic gauge to activate bonus damage. There are plenty of cool-down type skills to micro-manage also.

As a bosses, Pathfinder tends to be lower down on the DPS range. For mid-game, Pathfinder is great at bossing and damage dealt is on-par with other classes. When it gets to end-game, Pathfinder tends to slow down, and needs more damage-boosting gear than other classes. That being said, it has a lot of utility skills to help it maneuver boss mechanics, including a useful iframe for dodging 1-hit KO attacks.

• Weapon: Ancient Bow
• Job: Archer
• Class: Explorer
• Shared Cash Shop Inventory: Explorer Jobs
• Legion Block: +DEX (10/20/40/80/100)
• Link Skill: Adventurer's Curiosity (+10% Critical Rate, +35% Chance to add monsters to your Monster Collection)
• Primary Stat: DEX
• Inner Ability: 20% Boss Damage

Pathfinder First Job Skill Build

You can max all skills in first job. Follow this build:

• Cardinal Deluge (1), Double Jump (2)
• Double Jump (MAX)
• Cardinal Deluge (MAX)
• Archery Mastery (MAX)
• Forceful Shot (MAX)

At this point, Pathfinder is pretty simple class (as are most first job classes). Cardinal Deluge is your main attack skill. This skill will be used throughout your journey; it gets stronger with each job advancement so don't worry too much about it's low damage and mob hit just yet. Get double jump as soon as possible to make getting around easier.

Skill Description & Overview

Pathfinder Second Job Skill Build

You can max all skills in second job. Follow this build:

• Cardinal Deluge Amplification (1), Cardinal Burst (1), Ancient Bow Mastery (1)
• Ancient Bow Mastery (5)
• Ancient Bow Booster (6)
• Cardinal Deluge Amplification (MAX)
• Cardinal Burst (MAX)
• Swarm Shot (MAX)
• Bountiful Deluge (MAX)
• Ancient Bow Mastery (MAX)
• Physical Training (MAX)
• Ancient Bow Booster (MAX)
•  

Finally, Pathfinder starts to get a bit interesting. When you obtain Cardinal Burst, you'll want to create a macro skill (from the skill UI tab) and combine Cardinal Deluge + Cardinal Burst into the macro then assign the key to your keyboard layout as your main attacking key. This will allow you to properly charge your Relic Gauge and reduce the cooldown on Ancient Force skills, such as your Swam Shot.

Now you don't actually have to focus on charging your Relic Gauge at this point in time as you only have one Ancient Force skill which isn't all that useful. But you'll want to practice using this setup as when you get to 4th job you'll have more skills to manage. For now, enjoy mobbing with Cardinal Deluge and Cardinal Burst macro.

Skill Description & Overview

Pathfinder Third Job Skill Build

You can max all skills in third job. Follow this build:

• Cardinal Burst Amplification (MAX)
• Bountiful Burst (MAX)
• Archer's Essence (MAX)
• Shadow Raven (MAX)
• Guidance Of The Ancients (MAX)
• Cardinal Torrent (MAX)
• Triple Impact (MAX)
• Evasion Boost (MAX)
• Cursebound Endurance (MAX)

In third job you get lots of damage boosts to your existing attacking skills. You now also get some new mechanics; when you fully charge your Relic Gauge, you can activate Guidance Of The Ancients, which provides a final damage boost. Cardinal Torrent is movement and damage skill that regenerates every 7 seconds, with up to 5 max uses stored at any one time. You get a new Ancient Force skill in Triple Impact, that has a 10 second cooldown. You also get a summon in Shadow Raven, which can deal decent damage to mobs around you.

Skill Description & Overview

Pathfinder Fourth Job Skill Build

You can max all skills in fourth job. Follow this build:

• Advanced Cardinal Force (1), Combo Assault (Deluge) (1), Glyph Of Impalement (1)
• Advanced Cardinal Force (MAX)
• Ancient Archery (MAX)
• Ancient Bow Expertise (MAX)
• Glyph Of Impalement (MAX)
• Combo Assault (Deluge) (MAX)
• Bountiful Torrent (MAX)
• Sharp Eyes (MAX)
• Maple Warrior (MAX)
• Illusion Step (MAX)
• Hero's Will (MAX)

Fourth job updates all your Cardinal damage skills with Advanced Cardinal Force with more damage and more mob attacks. You get a new cooldown Ancient Force skill in Glyph Of Impalement, which will deal more damage to targets that have stacked Curse debuffs on them (the little icon that appears above a mob when you normal attack them). Combo Assault is a new type of skill called Enchant Skill. It has a 20 second cooldown, but it can be shortened when using your macro skill. Combo Assault will deal damage depending on what mode is activated in the Rune Gauge.

Skill Description & Overview

Pathfinder Hyper Skill Build

Hyper skills are available at level 140. You get Hyper Skill Points as you level towards 200, but not enough to max all the skills, so choose wisely. These skills mostly help increase the damage of your current skills.

• Cardinal Force - Reinforce
• Cardinal Force - Bountiful Enhance
• Cardinal Force - Extra Strike
• Ancient Force - Boss Rush
• Ancient Force - Enchant Enhance
• Ancient Astra
• Awakened Relic
• Epic Adventure

Pathfinder Fifth Job Skill Build

Upon reaching level 200, you will now have access to the V Matrix, which acts as your new fifth job skills. Each class gets their own skills to use, along with boosting nodes to increase the damage of existing skills. To obtain new skills, you open up items called Nodestones, which drop from every mob in Arcane River. You have limited number of slots in your V Matrix, so you want to obtain perfect nodes for maximize your character's damage.

Pathfinder's Nodes should include:

• Nova Blast
• Raven Tempest
• Obsidian Barrier
• Relic Unbound
• Trinode: Cardinal Deluge, Cardinal Burst, Cardinal Torrent
• Trinode: Glyph Of Impalement, Ancient Astra, Triple Impact
• Trinode: Combo Assault, Swarm Shot, Shadow Raven

All 5th Job classes should try to also obtain these:

• Decent Holy Symbol
• Decent Sharp Eyes
• Decent Speed Infusion
• Erda Nova
• Rope Lift
• Vicious Shot
• Guided Arrow

Skill Description & Overview

Changelog

26/03/2021 - Added new 5th Job Skill from the Awake update.

First update - 10/11/2020