Morgana's Guide to LUK for Magicians

[Morgana]

Hiya, I'm Morgana, or... whatever else you want to call me. xD I play Misthim, a 16x Reverse Enreal Tear-wearing Bera bishop with 41 base LUK. Way back in my cleric days, I got to doodling out plans of my LUK on scrap pieces of paper, and at the same time, I saw a lot of questions about LUK and equips in forums. So here's what I know. Hope it helps in some way. =)

Guide under (re)construction as of 12/27/09. I will be adding bits and pieces and splitting the weapons section into archmages and bishops first, then rewriting the equips guide and possibly reorganizing the structure and adding a LUKless guide. Bear with me, as my regular computer is out of commission and this will have to be done piecemeal online, rather than securely in Notepad or the like as I would wish. =)

Preface

This guide is mostly NOT about being LUKless, so if know you are going to be LUKless, turn back now. I'm pretty much only going to mention LUKless mages as far as how they relate to LUK mages and as far as they can wear LUK equips. I recommend these guides for more information about the LUKless route:
ANTX's LUKless guide (old, but still has good stuff)
Celesti's Update to ANTX's Guide (MSEA)
(let me know if you find more LUKless guides)

Also, a word of caution. If you are just starting out, I recommend being LUKless. At the moment, LUKless is stronger, and it appears that Nexon will keep it so (probably to encourage LUK mages to buy AP resets :rolleyes:). However, if you already have LUK or are just curious, then read on!

Morgana's Guide to LUK for Magicians

Table of Contents.

1. LUK builds

a. About
b. Pros/Cons

2. What Does LUK Do, Anyway?
3. How to Use LUK to Equip Weapons (in Three Easy Steps)
4. Sources of LUK (non-AP)

a. "Free"
b. "Cheap"
c. "Expensive"
d. "Free"/"Cheap" INT

5. Base LUK

a. When to Add It
b. How it Helps
c. How it Doesn't Help

6. Capping LUK
7. LUK for the LUKless
8. LUK FAQ
9. Credits

1. LUK builds

a. About
Pretty much anybody will make an analogy to DEX for warriors or thieves when talking about mage builds. Since we mages use LUK mostly to wear our armor, the thief analogy is more appropriate. There are some big differences, though.

There are three major types of builds:

• NORMAL LUK. This is the build they told you to do in that beginner's guide: make LUK equal your level +3 forever and ever. However, I also consider some... well, smarter builds, such as capping at the amount of LUK to wear your weapon, to be normal LUK. Essentially, being normal LUK means using only base LUK to equip your weapon and wearing all-INT equips.
• LOW LUK. This is the broadest category. I would define a low-LUK mage to be one that uses LUK from equipment to be able to use their weapon. Unfortunately, that definition makes this a rather broad category. Here are some examples that differ widely in their equips and strategies:
  
  • Z-Helm low-LUK mage. This mage caps at or resets down to the amount of base LUK that will let them equip their weapon with their Zakum Helm, and that's pretty much it. They still use INT equips. They may or may not use the extra few points of LUK their overall and gloves give.
  • Maximizer low-LUK mage. This is my build. Mages like this will use LUK equips when they are stronger or cheaper, and INT equips when they are stronger or cheaper. They cap at or reset to exactly the amount of base LUK they need to wear their equips (possibly to the amount to wear only one of their equips, then build up from there -- more on this in part 3), and their equips then allow them to wear their weapon.
  • Extreme low-LUK mage. This build is just fun for a lot of people. Essentially the idea is to lower your base LUK, even if it costs more than using INT. Extreme low-LUK mages will scroll overalls and capes for LUK, and typically will have a base LUK cap below 30. However, they still wear LUK equips and weapons.
• LUKLESS. "LUKless" is the commonly accepted term for such a mage, but perhaps more accurate is the other term, "pure INT". These mages completely ignore the LUK stat... They roll as much INT as possible to begin their character, and never add to LUK at all. They use weapons and equips that do not require LUK. There is a bit of a gray area here (see the "LUK for the LUKless" section), but I'm going to call LUKless that build that has less than 10 base LUK and uses a weapon that requires 6 or less LUK.

b. Pros/Cons
All right, now that we know what each build is, let's compare them. Shall we?

Notes/Definitions: What I mean when I say that "a build is stronger" is that, when both builds have the absolute best equipment possible, one is stronger than the other. What I mean when I say that "a build is stronger for the cost" is that given the same amount of funding, one build will be able to surpass the other, if both spend the funding wisely. This does not mean that a character with one build is always stronger than the other; in MapleStory, funding is everything.

Normal LUK. If you really just don't want to worry about things, this may be the build to take. But beware... You will be much weaker than low-LUK and LUKless mages, especially if you "waste" a Zakum Helm's free +15 LUK.

Pros:

• Easy.
• Looks spiffy, and you can always wear the most updated equips as soon as you reach the right level. You get to use shiny high-level weapons.
• Has better defense than LUKless, and slightly better defense than low-LUK.
• Mainly, it's just easy.

Cons:

• Weaker than a low-LUK mage, other equips equal, when both have Zhelms or other free LUK equips.
• Weaker than a LUKless because of the magic attack with no LUK requirement on Maple weapons.
• Most expensive build to reach equivalent strength, except extreme low-LUK mages.
• Much weaker than other builds if LUK is not capped properly; that is, if LUK is more than what is required to wear the highest-LUK-requirement equip.
• Has less MP than low-LUK or LUKless.

Low LUK. Low LUK mages are usually stronger (or the same strength for cheaper) than normal LUK mages. However, they are more expensive than a LUKless, and also generally weaker, especially in the lower levels. There is a whole argument I don't have time to go into about LUKless vs. low LUK, and which is stronger at level 200. Essentially, it boils down to what kind of weapons and scrolls are released, while ignoring the cost of scrolling and the sheer difficulty of obtaining certain items. I'm going to focus on the more practical, the type of gear the average magician would have access to for their level.

Pros:

• Stronger for the cost than normal LUK.
• Has better defense than LUKless. Useful in going to high-level training places where damage taken is significant. Low-LUK priests can turn off MG (which saves untold amounts of money) a few levels earlier because of this, although most LUKless weapons add HP to compensate.
• Still looks relatively cool.
• Can be fun to plan out equips for. Well, at least for me. Your mileage may vary.
• Is a useful way of salvaging a character you added LUK to before you knew that LUKless was stronger (i.e., my bishop).
• Saves you money on AP resets if you plan ahead, rather than resetting your normal LUK build to account for new equips.

Cons:

• Weaker for the cost than a LUKless, and possibly weaker anyway, depending on the scrolls and equips released at any given time. (Currently weaker, likely to remain so.)
• Requires strategy to plan out. If you just like to grind and hate worrying about equips, low-LUK is not for you.
• Does not usually get to change equips exactly when the level requirement is reached. For instance, I was still wearing a level 48 Red Calaf at level 64. Because of this, you can sometimes get called a noob or not get into parties. (Just tell them your base LUK and watch 'em stare.)

LUKless. This build emerged years ago as a more powerful, cheaper alternative to the traditional mage build. Many LUKless advocates believe that there is no reason to make any other build anymore, or that even current LUK mages should reset down to LUKless at the cost of hundreds in real life money. The former is probably true after the release of Shield MATK scrolls and level 64 Maple weapons, and especially level 130 Elemental Wands for archmages, though in the past, LUK mages have had a slight edge (when only shield LUK was out, but in recent times Maker has evened the playing field). Whether to AP Reset an existing character down to LUKless is up to you, however.

Pros:

• Easy to outfit. Only requires change of gear a few times in all your Maple career. (Less hassle of buying and reselling gear as you level.)
• Strong, especially at lower levels.
• Cheap, since most of a LUKless's strength comes from free AP instead of from scrolling. Usually more than compensates for the higher HP pot cost.
• Higher MP because of higher base INT, which means cheaper MP pots once you begin to use percent-based pots.

Cons:

• Has the lowest defense, so may not be able to turn off MG as soon as a LUK mage (+HP from a Maple weapon counteracts this, however), and costs slightly more in HP potions during MG-less training in first and second jobs.
• Looks boring, due to lack of equip changes. Past level 64 for bishops or 130 for archmages, it is usually impossible to tell the level of a LUKless mage from their equips, so people will not be instantly impressed with you.
• Has slightly lower avoidability than LUK mages, though this is somewhat made up for by a Sauna's +10 avoid.
• Does not usually utilize the +15 LUK from a Zhelm or the +22 LUK from a HT Pendant, so these are not as big upgrades as for low-LUK mages. However, see "LUK for the LUKless" below.

2. What Does LUK Do, Anyway?

A lot of misconceptions are floating around still about what, exactly, LUK does for a mage. So, here it is, organized into an easy chart for your viewing pleasure!

Obviously, LUK does not add directly to DEF or physical attack range or anything, so I'm only going to include common misconceptions.

Things LUK does:

• Allow you to wear magician class armor and weapons.
• Add to magical accuracy, as much as INT does.
• Add to avoidability. (Usually, this difference is slight with the amount of LUK a mage will have.)
• Add to physical/whacking accuracy, at a ratio of 0.5 accuracy per 1 LUK. (Not that you should need it, anyway.)
• Reduce your EXP loss when you die. The formula has changed somewhat as of the 4th job patch, but ~10 LUK (base, not from equips) will mean that you lose 5% on death, while 4 LUK will mean 10%. The exact formula isn't known yet.

Things LUK does not do:

• Increase your damage (check http://www.sleepywood.net/forum/show....php?t=1330357 for the best approximation to the formula.)
• Add to MDEF.
• Give you better luck for scrolling/drops/etc. LUK =/= luck. That's why it's spelled differently. ;D

And, though I know that it's not in the title of this section, here's a quick overview of what INT does:

Things INT does:

• Increase your MAGIC multiplier by one, which in turn increases your damage.
• Increase your MP. The more INT you have when you level (base + equips), the more MP you will gain. Even though MP gain is random, higher INT shifts the range of values you could get, meaning a higher average MP gain in the long run.
• Add to magical accuracy, as much as LUK does.
• Add +1 to MDEF.
• Allow you to wear your armor... Although the required amounts are so low that if you have any trouble meeting them, either you are a STR mage or some other kind of special build, or you need to restart your character because you'll be too weak to train normally.

Things INT does not do:

• Add to avoidability.
• Add to any physical attack stat whatsoever.
• Make you smarter. (lol)

Finally, MATK:

Things MATK does:

• Increase your MAGIC multiplier by one, which in turn increases your damage.

Things MATK does not do:

• Increase your MP.
• Add to magical accuracy.
• Add to MDEF or avoidability.

3. How to Use LUK to Equip Weapons (In Three Easy Steps)

All right, just got that brand new weapon? Well, whether it's a Dragon Staff or a Wizard Wand, you could just add those AP into LUK and slap it on. But wait!

What's that from your equips? Is it +LUK? Don't let it just sit there.

Step One! Plan. Figure out what you're going to do. This includes your build, your equips (now and in the future), your budget, and smaller things like whether you want to wear snowshoes in El Nath. This will influence where you cap your LUK. More on planning later.

Step Two! Begin with your lowest-LUK requirement equip. Yes, 0 LUK counts as the lowest. Build up each equip one by one, making sure that each equip gives you enough LUK to equip the next.

Step Three! When you reach the LUK requirement of your weapon, stop! Any more LUK doesn't give you any advantage, besides a bit more freedom to switch out equips for HP/speed equips and still use your weapon. Don't plan on having more LUK than you need if it's at the expense of INT (in other words, it's only okay to go over if it's "free" LUK, explained in section 4).


Here's a planning tool that actually helps take care of all three steps. Begin with your base LUK. Write it down on the left. I'll use my current build as an example.

50

Now write your first equip to build with to the right, making sure that the requirement of this equip is less than or equal to the number on the left. Include the LUK bonus of this equip as well.

50    Maple Hat lvl 70 (req 0, LUK +3)

To the right of that, write the left number plus the bonus from the equip. This is the total LUK that will be in your stats window after you put on this equip.

50    Maple Hat lvl 70 (req 0, LUK +3)       53

You may be saying, "Okay, Morgana, that's really easy, and I don't see how it helps." Ah, but copy the number on the right down to the next line, and begin again!

50    Maple Hat lvl 70 (req 0, LUK +3)       53
53    Maple Shield (req 0, LUK +6)           59

And keep going...

50    Maple Hat lvl 70 (req 0, LUK +3)       53
53    Maple Shield (req 0, LUK +6)           59
59    Spiegelmann Necklace (req 0, LUK +1)   60
60    Pink Goldwind Shoes (req 53, LUK +4)   64
64    Red Anakarune (req 60, LUK +6)         70
70    Dark Manute (req 63, LUK +1)           71
71    Angel Wings (req 70)

As you can probably see, I planned this scheme out before the release of the Spiegelmann Necklace, but now I use the extra +1 LUK to allow me to wear a HP glove while still using my Angel Wings. =)

You might think that copying the numbers is redundant. Feel free to call me crazy... I just think it helps with the book-keeping, so that you don't spend all your mesos on something just to find out you added the numbers wrong, and you can't actually equip it!

4. Sources of LUK (besides just AP)

There are many ways to use equips to get the LUK you need to wear those shiny new equips and weapons. I've divided them into three easy sections: "free", "cheap", and "expensive", plus a bonus section at the end! :D

"Free" LUK

Well, it isn't exactly free, since you'll usually have to shell out a pretty penny for it. But this LUK is free in the sense that you don't have to sacrifice any INT to get it, so be sure that you make it count whatever your LUK build is!

THE ZAKUM HELM
Sure, it's expensive and/or a huge hassle to fight Zakum and get it... But it's definitely worth it. Any mage benefits from the average of +15 INT it gives, but if you plan for its +15 LUK as well, you'll essentially double your Zhelm's worth. I would recommend buying a Zhelm when you can afford it. Though some people prefer to "earn" theirs, I see it as one of the cheapest and best upgrades in the entire game. The side benefits of a Zhelm include the extra DEF to help priests survive without Magic Guard sooner and the security of already having your endgame helm. Besides, you can still wait until you can "earn" it to scroll it for INT, since you're very likely to break your first one.

OTHER FREE LUK HELMS
Lots of hats give LUK without having stat requirements. There are Maple Hats, which were an untradeable drop from the May 2007 anniversary event, and were obtainable through a quest during the May 2008 anniversary. If you were lucky enough to get one, they have no required stats and give more total stats than normal armor around the same level. There are level 0, 8, 30, and 70 versions. All but the level 0 one give free LUK stats. Then there are pirate hats, which are available by doing the Herb Town PQ many times. They have several versions, levels 60, 70, 80, and 90, which give +2, +3, +4 and +5 to all stats, respectively. Purple Bandanas give +0-3 LUK, although they are usually too rare and expensive to be more than a curiousity. Finally, there are Maple Bandanas, given as random rewards during the May anniversary event in 2006 and 2007. White ones give no stats, but Yellow gives +1 to all stats, Red +2, and Blue +3. Blue Maple Bandanas are so rare, though, that usually, less than 10 per server are found in one event.

PENDANTS
The Spiegelmann Necklace, a tradeable pendant obtainable through Monster Carnival, gives +1-3 LUK. You aren't going to let it go to waste, are you?

Then there are Horntail Pendants. On the other hand, the road to at least level 170 to be able to fight Horntail and get one is so long that few will have planned out their LUK ahead of time. At the moment, I don't think anyone should really plan ahead for the HT Pendant. It's hard enough to get there, so you might as well have the best equips you can in the meantime!

However, if you are crazy enough to have fully or partially planned out your LUK to accomodate a HT Pendant, or you don't mind spending the bucks on AP resets, enjoy. =)

"Cheap" LUK

This is LUK that you are technically trading for INT, because it is possible to get the same bonus to both stats. However, in this case, the LUK is cheaper in mesos than the INT.

ARMOR BASE STATS
One reason why Misthim is stronger than most LUK mages her level is that I am always on the hunt for equips with above-average +LUK. Above-average and even perfect LUK equips tend to be much cheaper than equips with INT that's above-average by the same amount.

In many cases, even average LUK equips will be cheaper than average INT equips. If you play your cards right, this is a very good reason to be low-LUK. The only con is that people will NPC LUK equips more often, so they're harder to find. BasilMarket is an excellent place for getting them at just-above NPC price, however.

Here's a breakdown by type of armor:

• Hats. Typically, these don't come in all-LUK varieties, so they'll have at least 1 INT. This can be an advantage, though... a +3 LUK, +2 INT Flame Golden Circlet is often the same price as a +3 LUK, +1 INT one, whereas a Dark Golden Circlet that was +5 INT would run you millions more than a +4 INT one.
• Overalls. These come in only two varieties, which I'll call LUK and INT. Each give both stats, but they give much more of one or the other. The total stats you get from average ones is the same. Wearing a LUK overall can be great, since above-average ones are very cheap, whereas above-average INT ones are expensive. However, the sexy Dark versions that everyone wants are INT.
  
  The arguments above only apply to clean overalls. If you're scrolling for INT, see the section on scrolled overalls below.
• Gloves. Gloves, unlike other armor, don't come in LUK and INT versions that give the same total stats. Dark gloves are just better than the other colors, and all gloves give INT. However, beginning at level 60, gloves also give a small amount of LUK, so make sure you use it. And feel smart when you snag some gloves with above-average LUK, since so many people overlook those points, yet spend millions on a slightly better weapon. ^.~
• Shoes. There is one good reason to not use LUK shoes: El Nath. This actually happened to me and is one reason why I never trained at Zombies. Without snowshoes, you'll be slip-sliding all over Nath, but if you use LUK shoes to equip your weapon, then you'll suddenly be unarmed when you slip on those snowshoes.
  
  You have a couple of options: a) don't use the LUK from your shoes (in other words, have enough base LUK and/or LUK from your other equips to still use your weapon), so you can switch at will, b) have a few LUK on something like a cape that you can wear in Nath to replace your shoes (this only works as a sort of tradeoff; for example, if you normally wear a clean Icarus Cape, you can trade for a 2-LUK Napoleon while in Nath so you can wear snowshoes. But if you already wear a good INT cape, you don't really benefit by doing this.), c) just get used to sliding and ignore the snowshoes, or d) don't train in Nath. The last option is getting easier since the introduction of Hoodoos/Voodoos as essentially an alternative to Zombies for clerics. It's pretty much up to you as far as this goes... It all depends on whether you're willing to trade a few stat points for easy manueverability.
  
  Outside of Nath, shoes are a decent and cheap (like hats) source of LUK. If you're going for a low LUK or very low LUK build, you should probably use them. However, the same problem that applies to snowshoes also applies to speed shoes such as whitebottom boots or scrolled snowshoes, so if you like to have those, you'll have to deal with only wearing them when you're not fighting anything.

"Expensive" LUK

This is also LUK that you get as a tradeoff for INT, but unlike the above, it's actually more expensive than just getting the INT. Only use these sources if you really want an extreme low-LUK character and don't mind paying a premium for it.

SCROLLED OVERALLS
Let's face it, as previously mentioned, everything thieves touch gets expensive. So overall LUK scrolls? Ouch. Plus, the resale value for a well-scrolled LUK mage overall is nothing compared to the comparable INT one. Very few other mages have the low LUK to take advantage of it. This means that every time you upgrade your overall, you'll be losing large amounts of money, because not only do you probably have to scroll a new one yourself, but the one you used to wear is worth peanuts compared to what you paid to scroll it.
I really don't recommend scrolling overalls for LUK. It's a waste of money, pure and simple.

SCROLLED CAPES
Cape LUK scrolls are also more expensive than cape INT scrolls. But unlike your LUK overall, at least you can sell your old LUK cape to a thief, and you can buy a godly one from thieves, too. There are probably more godly-scrolled LUK capes on the market than INT capes, so if you're the type that doesn't like to scroll but wants godly stuff, it would be easier for you to use a LUK cape.

There are a few other pros to using a LUK cape, particularly if you're poor and can only afford "failed" scrollings. Since more LUK capes are scrolled than INT ones, there will be many more failures as well as more godliness. I recommend a 2-3 LUK cape around level 40 if you cannot afford an INT one, but you should switch to INT as soon as you can, since you won't be able to afford to upgrade the LUK one as often.

Finally, once you reach level 50, a Purple Adventurer Cape (averaging +7 MATK clean) is going to be a better stat option than almost any other cape. LUK-scrolled Purple Adventurers have nearly zero resale value, while INT ones are both expensive and worthwhile. After level 50, I don't recommend a LUK cape at all, because even a failed scrolling of a Purple Adventurer is much better for the price.

LUK SHIELDS
This time you'll have to compete with bandits to get the best ones. And you know those thieves, they make anything they touch expensive. (I guess if they then steal it, that makes them really good thieves...?) Anyway, a godly LUK shield will be hard to find. Pretty much any +LUK is a good thing, though, so don't hesitate to work your way up... Start buying "failed" ones with 2 or 3 LUK, then buy a better one along with your other weapon upgrades when you get the mesos. This way, you can ease yourself into depending on it. Assuming the economy doesn't crash in the meantime, it'll cost about the same as saving up for a godly one and suddenly switching to a much higher weapon.

Shield MATK scrolls are still fairly new, so they are rare and expensive. However, they should continue to drop in price. Since they give so many more stats per scroll than LUK shields, scrolling for MATK will soon be much cheaper per stat point. Therefore, once things stabilize, LUK shields will be "expensive" LUK. However, they could still be very useful if you are planning to eventually get more LUK on another equip (like a Zhelm), but want to use a better weapon in the meantime, and want to avoid using AP resets. I currently use a LUK shield for this purpose.

"Free" and "Cheap" INT and MATK

Well, this is a guide about LUK, but since I'm nice, here are a few chances to get extra INT that you shouldn't overlook. After all, being low LUK is about maximizing stat gains, and sometimes it's better to focus on INT.

PURPLE ADVENTURER CAPES
It's amazing how cheap a +7 MATK, 0 slot Purple Adventurer Cape is compared to a +7 INT Napoleon. Just because it's a failed scrolling for them doesn't mean it's not a bargain for you. Snap it up. =)

EARRINGS
Currently, earrings can't be scrolled for LUK, so you shouldn't pass on getting and upgrading MATK/INT earrings. 5x100% Earring INT scrolls (+5 MATK total) are pretty much the cheapest and best upgrade you'll ever make, so do it early, before you even buy a scrolled weapon. Don't forget to buy better-scrolled ones later on, as you have the mesos.

SCROLLED WEAPONS
Well... this is obvious. Just remember that 1 INT = 1 MATK, so make sure to judge scrolled weapons by their total stats. (Unless you are a cleric; INT has more value than MATK in the heal formula.)

INT-SCROLLED HELMS
If you have some extra money just lying around, you might want to scroll your helm for INT. Of course, if you have that much extra money, you should probably already have a Zhelm. And making your Zhelm explode? Ouch. Still, if you're rich and/or you're in a Zakum group and it's your turn to loot, you might as well try it. It's best to scroll just after Zakum is killed, and only if there's a replacement bobbing up and down in front of you. This is the most cost-efficient way, considering you will probably have to reloot. Even using all 70% scrolls means a (1 - (.85)^10) = 80% chance the helm will break. Booming a Zhelm sounds crazy, but if you successfully scroll one, it can be GODLY. Scrolling anything with 10 slots and a +15 INT base is the stuff billionaire mages dream of*.
* Well... It's what I'd dream of, if I were a billionaire. No actual billionaire mages were consulted in the making of this guide.

Scrolling a helm definitely isn't cheap in mesos, but it's actually free in terms of LUK, so go for it if you've got the dough. It can only make you stronger! (Well, unless you boom your Zhelm and then loot a below-average one, but you can always try again if you can get that many helms...)

MATK SHIELDS
Shield for MATK scrolls are still a recent release, so they are somewhat expensive because they're still rare. However, they give a lot more stats per scroll than almost any other scroll in the game.

PENDANTS
Spiegelmann Necklaces and Horntail Pendants also give free INT, of course. Don't forget to buy a better pendant when it's cheaper than an equivalent weapon or other equip upgrade. Because Spiegelmann Necklaces are a common equip, you'll have to compete for an above-average LUK ones with thieves, so a 2 LUK or higher necklace will probably cost more than a 2 INT or higher one. So in this sense, above average INT necklaces are cheap INT as well.

SCROLLED GLOVES
Glove for MATK scrolls are rare and expensive, so a scrolled glove is often one of a mage's last upgrades. It is, however, free in terms of LUK.

6. Capping LUK

When do you cap your LUK? Well, it's a question that most of this guide has been moving toward answering. =)

First of all, "capping" is when you decide on a number to leave a stat at for the rest of your Maple career, and never add to it again. Unless, of course, you change your mind about where to cap. ^.~

For example, my priest is currently capped at 50 base LUK. This will give her more than enough, with Zhelm and equips, to use a Phoenix Wand or Doomsday Staff as an endgame (or final) weapon, until I get an INT/MATK shield to replace my current 6 LUK one. Then, I will decide how much base LUK to add in order to continue using my endgame weapon, taking into account the equips I'm going to have. (Or, if Horntail Pendants become easy enough to get by then, I'll leave my base LUK alone and use the stats from my pendant.)

The key point to retain from this story is not that I look way too far ahead, considering the time I'm spending writing this guide and not leveling. (Although that is a theme, I have to admit!) The key point is that caps aren't for forever. They change depending on your budget and what kind of equips are released at the time.

Some tidbits about capping your LUK:

• When in doubt, cap as low as you can, considering the real money cost of AP resets. Unless you're willing to spend that real money, that is.
• When in doubt, cap rather than not capping.
• If you are using the highest-LUK-requirement equip that is possible for your level and/or the highest-LUK-requirement equip that is currently released, the general rule is: DO NOT ADD ANY MORE LUK. That is, until you have a new, better (not just higher-LUK-requirement) equip IN YOUR INVENTORY. Or if you decide to ignore me.
• In general, it's not worth it to raise your base LUK to wear a new equip, only for a new weapon. Actually calculating your magic stat before and after the switch will tell you whether this general rule applies to your own situation, of course. Obviously, if you are wearing a clean glove and you only need to add 3 more LUK to equip a 22-stat scrolled one, then it's better to add LUK... On the other hand, if you later lose that glove or find a lower-LUK-requirement one that is better, those 3 LUK will no longer be to your advantage. However, if you were planning to switch to a higher LUK requirement weapon later, adding the 3 base LUK wouldn't hurt you later on.

7. LUK for the LUKless

All right, so you're LUKless. (I'm going to assume you either are or know what a LUKless is; check the guides mentioned at the top if you aren't/don't.)

You're wearing a Sauna/Bathrobe for the rest of your Maple career, right?

Well... not necessarily. There are some ways for LUKless magicians to wear LUK armor without adding to any AP to LUK.

ZHELMS
A Zhelm adds, on average, +15 LUK. Now, of course, you are wondering... If a low-LUK mage can use this LUK, then why can't I? Fortunately, there is a way! If you have a male character, you can certainly wear a Beige Plain Robe, a level 13 male mage overall which requires only 15 LUK. Why, you ask? Well, Beige Plain Robes come with +1 INT clean, cost marginally less than bathrobes and much less than saunas, and are easier to buy than saunas, because an NPC sells them. All this together means the possibility of a cheaper, better scrolled INT overall.

Female? Male, but want more? Well, the next overall available (ignoring top/bottom pairs, since they cannot be scrolled for INT at the moment) is the level 23 Doros/Doroness Robe. On the plus side, the White and Brown male versions and the Brown female version give +3 INT, a far better reward, considering that most high level LUK overalls give 7 to 9 stats in total. However, they do require 25 LUK. The ideal helmed LUKless would have 4 LUK and about 15 LUK from the helm, only 19 LUK in total. So, aiming for a Doros/Doroness means more creative scrolling on other items, or adding a few points to LUK. Some of the difference could be made up by a 1-3 LUK Spiegelmann Necklace, which does not require any stats. Speaking of the Spiegelmann Necklace...

PENDANTS
...It's not really going to do anything that amazing for you. =P But the other pendant currently released will, and that's the Horntail Pendant. If you can manage to get a fully-upgraded one (+53 to all stats), you could even be able to use a Doomsday Staff. Good luck achieving that goal now, with few servers having good enough pendant availability. However, in the months to come, this could be a more common build. Watch out for LUKlesses-turned-low-LUK - It's the build of the future. ^.~

8. LUK FAQ

-Where should I cap?
That's a question that no one can answer for you. Section 6 (Capping LUK) is about all the help I can give, though if you post on this thread with your specific situation, I'll do my best to help. =)

-Where do LUK mages normally cap?
Well, the exact LUK is difficult to know, because the LUK each mage gets from equips is different. However, I can give a list of the most common weapons to cap at, and the reasoning behind each.

Spoiler!

For F/P and I/L Mages
Elemental Wands 5 and 7, level 130, LUK req. 0
Stats: MATK 145, INT +2 (for wand 5), LUK +2 (for wand 7)
Special Effect:

• Wand 5 (Fire): +25% damage with fire skills, +10% damage with poison skills
• Wand 7 (Ice): +25% damage with ice skills, +10% damage with lightning skills
• All elemental weapons give a damage penalty to the elements they do not buff; this includes Holy.

Pros: Almost all archmages will want one of these if they can afford it at level 130. The % multiplier that elemental weapons give forms a large part of the potential strength of an archmage and is the number one priority upgrade. For archmages under level 163, or those who cannot obtain 165 total LUK with their equips (whether they are LUKless or not), a level 130 Elemental Wand is their best endgame weapon, regardless of scrolling. A badly-scrolled E-Wand beats a well-scrolled normal weapon, and even a well-scrolled level 103 E-Staff in most cases. Wands 5 and 7 are preferred over 6 and 8 for a primary weapon because they give their higher multiplier to Meteor and Blizzard, an archmage's main training skills.
Cons: Price. They are Gacha-only as with all elemental weapons, and are much in demand among archmages as well. Wands 5-8 are the most in-demand because they are the only real choice for LUKless archmages, and nearly all low-LUK archmages will opt for one as well rather than gather the 165 LUK for a level 163 E-Staff. However, for those who already have base LUK, this choice does not make use of that base, turning it into, in a sense, "dead weight".

Elemental Wands 6 and 8, level 130, LUK req. 0
Stats: MATK 145, INT +2 (for wand 6), LUK +2 (for wand 8)
Special Effect:

• Wand 6 (Poison): +25% damage with poison skills, +10% damage with fire skills
• Wand 8 (Lightning): +25% damage with lightning skills, +10% damage with ice skills
• All elemental weapons give a damage penalty to the elements they do not buff; this includes Holy.

Pros: Similar to wand 5/7, but not as good due to the lower multiplier on the main element, which makes them a cheaper alternative. Wands 6 and 8 still give a 10% boost to Meteor and Blizzard, more than worthy for the archmage who cannot afford a wand 5/7 yet. Some archmages keep a wand 6/8 to use when bossing, because Paralyze and Chain Lightning are of its main element.
Cons: The difference between a 10% multiplier and a 25% one is quite large, and for this reason it's recommended to upgrade to a wand 5/7 as soon as you can afford to. If you use the wand 6/8 as a secondary weapon, bear in mind the extra cost involved will leave a good chunk of your mesos invested in something you may not use much, depending on how much you boss.



----Under Construction----






Magicodar, level 88, LUK req. 90
Stats: MATK 103 (98-110), INT +1 (0-3)
Pros: People cap for the Codar because it looks very smexy for a wand, because it comes with extra INT clean (the lowest level non-Gachapon weapon to do so), or because it was the highest level weapon in the game for a long time. It is still far easier to find than the weapons above it in level.
Cons: Codars are very expensive because they only drop from difficult bosses (and a very-rarely-trained-on Leafre monster). Because they are so expensive clean, it is difficult to buy enough to scroll a good one. On the other hand, prescrolled ones are insanely expensive, both because of the high cost of scrolling one, and because there is such high demand and so few people are selling (since most of the people who make a good Codar plan to keep it for the rest of their Maple careers).

Evil Wings, level 65, LUK req. 68
Stats: MATK 80 (75-86)
Pros: The EW is the only non-Gacha mage weapon to have a "Fast" weapon speed, which has been proven to improve the cast speed of the Fire/Poison mage skill Explosion (although usually, weapon speed is not noticeable for mages). The EW is also very easy to wear with an Anakamoon/Anakarune plus a level 60 set. This set occurs right at the point where mage sets (especially overalls) begin to give much better stats, yet is still fairly cheap and easy to find, a good combination when scrolling your overall for INT.
Cons: The EW is fairly low-leveled for a cap weapon, so it looks less "pro". Also, because the EW is so popular due to its speed and devilish good looks, prescrolled and above-average ones are more expensive than other weapons near its level, like the Angel Wings.

Phoenix Wand, level 78, LUK req. 80
Stats: MATK 93 (89-98)
Pros: PWs are higher leveled, but much easier to find than Codars because they drop from much easier monsters, meaning more mesos left over for scrolling. They also are easy to reach from the Requiem/Requierre overall and the level 70 set, which is considered very sexy by many, including yours truly. ^.~ The Brown Requierre is extremely common because it drops from H/Voodoos, a crowded training spot for levels 5x-8x, making scrolling an overall cheaper for the female mage. They have one final advantage, which is that they have the same LUK requirement as a Doomsday Staff, so they can be a temporary cap until you reach level 102, or until you can afford a good Doomsday.
Cons: The PW is very small and not that good-looking. It is rarer to drop than an Evil Wings, and fewer prescrolled ones are available, as it is not quite as popular as the other weapons on this list. However, I've seen it rising in price (probably as more mages plan to cap at the Doomsday Staff), so expect scrolled ones to be both rare and relatively expensive. x_x

Doomsday Staff, level 102, LUK req. 80
Stats: MATK 118 (118-120)
Pros: Doomsdays are a goal for most maximizer low LUK mages because they have a far lower LUK requirement for their magic attack than any other LUK weapon. A good Doomsday can close a large gap in other equips (or builds, when comparing to a LUKless). Because of this advantage, even a decently-scrolled Doomsday can beat out godly scrollings of other weapons. For the priest, they add +80 HP on average. They're also huge, pointy, and made of metal... if you happen to be into that sort of thing.
Cons: Mesos. Doomsdays are only Gachapon for now, so the supply is low. Demand is high, since they are so good. Hence, they're very rare and expensive. Expect to shell out a pretty penny for a well-scrolled one.

-How do I calculate how strong I am, damage-wise?
It all depends on your Magic stat, which is equal to your INT plus your MATK. However, as you are getting 5 AP every level, it's a little more difficult to compare how strong you are by your level. Here's the formulas:

Spoiler!

If you are 2nd Job: Multiply 5 by your level, add 8, then subtract from your Magic. ( mattk - ( level * 5 + 8 ) )
If you are 3rd Job: Multiply 5 by your level, add 13, then subtract from your Magic. ( mattk - ( level * 5 + 13 ) )
If you are 4th Job: Multiply 5 by your level, add 18, then subtract from your Magic. ( mattk - ( level * 5 + 18 ) )

If you require Maple Warrior to equip your weapon, we have a method to figure it out so that you can compete without Maple Warrior giving you an unfair advantage. If you're good with math, I'll explain it for you, or if you're having trouble, just post or PM your stats and I can help you with it. Also note, however, that if you're using Maple Warrior, it MUST be your own Maple Warrior.

That said, here is how Maple Warrior calculates in:

Figure out what percent your level of Maple Warrior adds. Multiply your base int and base luk by that percent (in decimal form). Then truncate (round off the decimal) what you got and add them together. This is how many total APs your MW gives you. From there all you do is calculate your score normally, and subtract the total of APs MW gives you.

-Capped LUK is weaker in the long run if higher level weapons are released.

Though it may just be an opinion... I do believe that ultimately the capped Luk build is the weakest mage build. "Ultimately" is determined by Nexon releasing mage gear of the highest levels [or] statless gear released beyond the best luk-staff/wand that the capped luk person uses.

Essentially... if Nexon put out a level 120 statless wand/staff... most mages with a luck capped at around 80 or below would definitely gain a decent boost in power by using it. The downside is that beyond the gear they may wear, the luck they have is now pointless.

Truly there is only two builds, and the notion of a capped luck is derived out of an immediate power gain from Nexon's slow release of higher level weapons. Anyway, this issue has been something that has bugged me about my own mage and whether I'll continue adding luck or cut my losses at where I'm at and suffer the power difference.

This is a tough point, because it touches on so much speculation. The truth is, even though we at GMS have information about versions of MapleStory that are ahead of us in updates, we don't really know what will or will not be released. If higher level LUK weapons are released, then low-LUK mages should scramble to add LUK to equip them. If higher level LUKless weapons are released, then low-LUK mages will be stuck with up to 80 or 90 useless points of LUK.

Remember though, that you can always add LUK for higher-leveled armor, and that this armor is usually released slowly. When I began playing in the fall of 2006, the highest-leveled weapon released was the level 88 Magicodar. As I update this guide in July of 2008, the highest weapon is the level 110 Dragon Staff. The highest LUK weapons for priests in any version are the level 120 weapons in testing in KMS, while the highest both of LUKless and LUK weapons for mages are the elemental weapons in JMS, levels 130 and 163, respectively.

As for the high-leveled LUKless weapons, well... That's one reason why I recommend new players to be LUKless.

-This whole guide is useless. LUK is so simple.
Well, it may be to the experienced player. When I started out, though, I did have some trouble understanding how to equip things. I also wanted to share what I've gained through many hours of experience and strategizing. Better to have it out there, right? ^.~ Also, it'd be a lot more helpful if you told me exactly what you think is silly or should be cut, and what should stay, and why. =)

9. Credits

A huge thanks to everyone at Hidden-Street for taking me in when I was a MapleStory nub! <3 I've learned so much just by lurking, debating, and sharing experiences with you guys. Special thanks to NegiWarrior for giving me the idea to make this guide with his warrior DEX one, and some discussions in the Magician section for convincing me that it was needed.

Resources I used:
The Hidden-Street database (for item stats, images, etc.)
Introducing the magic damage formula
gMS Top 20 Magicians With the Greatest Magic Attack for Their Level Rankings v4
An Experiment: LUK vs INT for magical accuracy
Basilmarket (helped me learn prices [and buy stuff cheap, whoo])
A year and a half of being a forum rat
In-game experience on my priest and first-job LUKless
Notepad ftw!


Feel free to PM me or post here with any questions, concerns, typos, praise, flames, death threats, marriage proposals, et cetera. xD

[Morgana]

Reserving this space just in case.


Also...

Planning on adding a screenshot guide to equipping gear one on top of the other with regards to LUK.

Needs more pictures.

Probably going to move the "what do most mages cap at?" FAQ to the Capping LUK section.

What, if anything, should I spoiler?


I need feedback... I never even start topics, let alone post a guide. I feel so naked. :eek:

[Thorr]

A thought...

Even though Normal LUK is not recommended by the guide here, I think it would be most helpful to see where a Normal LUK build should cap out. I gather from this that a cap of 90 is sufficient for weapons (Codar..), but what about the armor portion?

[whendoom]

A thought...

Even though Normal LUK is not recommended by the guide here, I think it would be most helpful to see where a Normal LUK build should cap out. I gather from this that a cap of 90 is sufficient for weapons (Codar..), but what about the armor portion?

Since the assumption in the normal luk section stated to add +3 luk their level forever, I don't think this guide has any intention of capping ever for the normal luk. That being said, I believe the normal luk should cap at the highest available armor or weapon. Given the rate of Nexon's update to equip, there's plenty of time to level and equip the next piece of equip.


Going through the guide, there's a lot of good points. The equips are a nice touch. Nice way of incorporating the FAQ on luk and int. As a side note, the experiment in sleepy points slightly in favor of luk having more of an impact on accurately (1st post updated as of may 8 2008). In regards to the pros and cons section, it gets a little dicey with the comments between which is stronger. There's a huge difference between a funded character and an unfunded character. It could swing the damage factor one way or the other. If you revise the statement a little it'll be fine. There's one major piece that's missing in this guide. Luk has a major affects on the percentage exp loss when you die.

Again, good job on the guide.

[TheChibiTEM]

my ideas are make your own lukless guide cause i believe your low luk i could help with info if you need cause that lukless guide was really well made so is this guide nice job and keep up the good work

P.S you could easily turn this into a complete luk low luk lukless mages guide

[Morgana]

A thought...

Even though Normal LUK is not recommended by the guide here, I think it would be most helpful to see where a Normal LUK build should cap out. I gather from this that a cap of 90 is sufficient for weapons (Codar..), but what about the armor portion?

Well, most people believe that it is best to cap for your weapon and wear armors that are below the weapon in level. This way, the most significant power boost is from the highest LUK. Also, this way you can use the +LUK on your armor to help equip your weapon. I know that I alluded to this a few times in the guide, but I should probably be more clear about it.

Since the assumption in the normal luk section stated to add +3 luk their level forever, I don't think this guide has any intention of capping ever for the normal luk. That being said, I believe the normal luk should cap at the highest available armor or weapon. Given the rate of Nexon's update to equip, there's plenty of time to level and equip the next piece of equip.


Going through the guide, there's a lot of good points. The equips are a nice touch. Nice way of incorporating the FAQ on luk and int. As a side note, the experiment in sleepy points slightly in favor of luk having more of an impact on accurately (1st post updated as of may 8 2008). In regards to the pros and cons section, it gets a little dicey with the comments between which is stronger. There's a huge difference between a funded character and an unfunded character. It could swing the damage factor one way or the other. If you revise the statement a little it'll be fine. There's one major piece that's missing in this guide. Luk has a major affects on the percentage exp loss when you die.

Again, good job on the guide.

Perhaps I should talk a bit more about what I mean by normal LUK... Essentially I mean that you already have either exactly as much, or more, LUK than you need to equip your weapon as base LUK. (And obviously, you use a weapon that actually requires a significant amount of LUK... i.e, not a Black Umbrella.) So if someone caps at exactly 90 LUK to wear a Codar and doesn't add any more, I call them normal LUK. To me, whether or not you're capped is independent of being normal/low LUK. A low LUK mage could not be capped... They could have 15 LUK below their level + 3, for example, to account for a Zhelm, yet they could still be adding LUK to equip higher level weapons.

I didn't know that the magical accuracy formula had gone back to being LUK > INT... I'll update that. Thanks. =)

What I mean when I say that "a build is stronger" is that, when both builds have the absolute best equipment possible, one is stronger than the other. What I mean when I say that "a build is stronger for the cost" is that given the same amount of funding, one build will be able to surpass the other, if both spend the funding wisely. I'll go through the guide and try to state more carefully. =)

Percentage loss! Oy. I always forget about it because I went ~20 levels without dying on my cleric when I was writing the bulk of this guide. I'll definitely add that in.

my ideas are make your own lukless guide cause i believe your low luk i could help with info if you need cause that lukless guide was really well made so is this guide nice job and keep up the good work

P.S you could easily turn this into a complete luk low luk lukless mages guide

Yes, I'm low LUK. I do have a 2x unfunded LUKless in Kradia, so I have some experience with the power difference and cost ratio when the build first starts. That char is on hiatus at the moment, however.

That's an idea on adding a LUKless guide... Well, the thing is, it's not really my area of expertise. Since my LUKless was unfunded, I didn't have Yellow WGs or a Purple Old Wisconsin or any of that fancy stuff. I could do some more research into it and compile it all in one place, but I probably wouldn't have any "new" material per se...



I think I need to add a definitions section. I sort of... Invent my own terms that I think should be obvious as to the meaning, but I mean them a lot more strictly than it seems from my writing. ^^;

Maybe have three sections, like "Path of the LUK/low-LUK/LUKless Mage" to talk about general equips to use, and stat distributions? Hrm.

Anyway. Yep. Real life calls, so I can't update tonight. Might have time tomorrow, though. =)