1. Rate This Guide
      5/5
      3 votes
      [​IMG]

      (Oct 23, 2023): This guide is now totally out of date. I will no longer be updating this since there are better, more up-to-date guides available. Please consult the Blaster Discord for the most up-to-date information: Join Blaster Academy!

      Important: Blaster's high-APM gameplay can be rough on the hands, so good playing habits are important if you wish to avoid pain or potential long-term injury. Before reading the rest of this guide, be sure to look at the FAQ tab above for some tips on how to make Blaster gameplay a comfortable experience (under Q: "Is Blaster painful to play?").

      Blaster has a reputation for being a difficult class to play, but I prefer to describe them as being difficult to learn. The learning curve is rough, but with enough practice their high-APM combos can become so easy you can pull them off without thinking about it.

      The purpose of this guide is to help you reach that point.

      Here you will find information explaining the mechanics behind Blaster’s skills, their combos, how to do them and common mistakes that players make while learning the class. The focus here is on helping new players with the fundamentals of Blaster gameplay. If you’re a player who has been struggling with the combos or just someone who might be interested in playing a Blaster, this is for you. This guide won’t turn you into a pro overnight, but if it can help you understand the basics enough to make you comfortable with the class, then this guide will have served its purpose.

      The body of this guide will focus on combos and how to use them, but there is additional information within the tabs above. Don’t forget to look through them!

      [​IMG]

      I highly recommend focusing on one section at a time. Do not, for example, try to learn Hammer Smash cancels while you are still struggling with No-Reload. Learning this class can be overwhelming, so focus on getting comfortable with one thing before moving on to the next.

      That doesn't necessarily mean you should follow the exact order as listed in the Table of Contents. You can jump from learning one random thing to another, just make sure you're focusing on one thing at a time.

      Table of Contents
      1. Blaster Basics I
      2. Blaster Basics II
      3. Blaster Basics - Completion
      4. Further Techniques
      5. Afterword & Credits
      Build
      1st-4th job & Hyper Skill Point Allocation, V Matrix, Inner ability & Link Skills​
      Skill Info
      Information on Beginner, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, Hyper, and 5th Job Skills​
      FAQ
      Class Summary, Pros/Cons, Frequently Asked Questions​


      1. Blaster Basics I

      1.1 - Charge Skills and Animation Canceling

      [​IMG]

      Like any combo class, Blaster relies on animation cancels to maximize their damage. However, their animation cancels are done a bit differently. Rather than use one attack after another like a traditional combo class, Blaster relies on charge skills to cancel the animation of their attacks. Their gameplay revolves around two of these skills - Bobbing and Weaving.

      From this point on in the guide, only Bobbing will be mentioned for convenience’s sake, but both skills are functionally identical, so anything that is said about Bobbing can apply to Weaving as well. There are some parts in this guide where I will refer to Bobbing or Weaving specifically, so for clarity this icon will be used to indicate when both are applicable:
      [​IMG]


      This icon means "use one or the other", not “hold them both at the same time”, so please don’t do that. You only need to charge one, but you'll frequently be switching between them, so make sure you have enough keybind space for both skills!

      When Bobbing is held down, it begins charging, and after a short amount of time it enters a fully charged state. When a fully charged Bobbing is released during another skill, it cancels that skill’s animation and immediately sends your character moving forward. That forward motion can then be canceled by pressing jump, stopping your character in its tracks and allowing you to take another action instantly.

      While not exactly straightforward, Blaster's combos follow a common pattern, and can be simplified into:
      begin charging Bobbing -> attack -> release Bobbing -> jump -> repeat


      There are some rules behind this that will be explained throughout the guide, but the most important things to note:
      • There’s a limit on how fast skills can be canceled.
        • Animation cancels won’t work if Bobbing is released at the exact same time a skill is used. Even if Bobbing is fully charged beforehand, there’s a very small window after every skill where its animation can’t be canceled, so if your Bobbing cancels aren’t working it is very likely you're releasing too fast.
      • Shotgun Punch works a little differently, since it is the only skill that can be canceled without a fully charged Bobbing. Everything else requires Bobbing to be fully charged in order to cancel their animations.
      • You don’t need to wait until Bobbing has fully charged to attack. Bobbing will charge during a skill’s animation and it charges fast enough that it’s safe to attack right after your finger lands on Bobbing.

      1.2 - Magnum Punch + Double Blast (No-Reload)

      [​IMG]

      No-Reload is the first combo you are introduced to in 2nd job. This combo involves powering both Magnum Punch and Double Blast with Revolving Cannon, then using a charged Bobbing to cancel Double Blast’s animation and reload the ammo lost from using Revolving Cannon. When done correctly, you can continuously attack without delay and use Revolving Cannon without ever running out of ammo, hence its name “No-Reload”.

      The combo in its entirety looks like this:

      [​IMG]
      (hold Bobbing -> Magnum Punch + Revolving Cannon -> Double Blast + Revolving Cannon -> release Bobbing -> jump -> repeat)

      [​IMG]
      No-Reload seems overwhelming with the amount of skills that need to be used in such a short window of time, but thankfully the game simplifies the process somewhat and gives you the choice between two different (easier) ways of doing this combo, so No-Reload is more manageable than it appears.

      Method 1: Using In-Game Macros

      In-game macros can be used to automate Revolving Cannon so that it fires off after every Magnum Punch and Double Blast. To perform No-Reload this way, you need two macros:

      [​IMG]

      Macro 1: Magnum Punch -> Revolving Cannon
      Macro 2: Double Blast -> Revolving Cannon


      [​IMG]
      (hold Bobbing -> Macro 1 -> Macro 2 -> release Bobbing -> jump -> repeat)


      1. Hold on to Bobbing.
      2. Use Macro 1 and then Macro 2 (not at the same time, but one after the other).
      3. Release Bobbing after using Macro 2. This will cancel Double Blast's animation.
      4. Cancel Bobbing's animation by pressing Jump.
      5. Immediately repeat from #1.

      This is a good pace to start out with:
      [​IMG]

      Assuming you've learned Advanced Charge Mastery in 4th job, you should also notice yourself constantly losing and gaining exactly 2 charges of ammo - this is a sign you're performing the combo correctly. If you're not 4th job yet and have only learned Charge Mastery, then a perfectly executed "No-Reload" (should really call it Half-Reload at this point) should result in 1 ammo being reloaded per cancel.

      [​IMG]

      If you haven't advanced to 4th job, you will need to slow down since you haven't yet learned the passives that allow you to combo faster. This video by KMS Blaster is a very good example of what comboing looks like at 2nd job. Don't be discouraged if you can't get it right away. If you're struggling, read on and I'll explain some of the common mistakes you might be making.

      Method 2: Using Magnum Punch+Double Blast with one key

      To prevent button bloat from becoming a serious issue for this class, Nexon merged some of Blaster’s skills into one key. Attacking with Magnum Punch on its own (without macros) will allow you to follow up with Double Blast using the very same button. This is how No-Reload is executed without Revolving Cannon macros:

      [​IMG]
      (hold Bobbing -> [Magnum Punch + Revolving Cannon] x 2 -> release Bobbing -> jump -> repeat)


      1. Hold on to Bobbing.
      2. Tap Magnum Punch and Revolving Cannon simultaneously, then quickly tap both keys again (tapping a second time will release Double Blast+Revolving Cannon)
      3. Release Bobbing to cancel Double Blast’s animation.
      4. Jump to cancel Bobbing’s animation.
      5. Immediately repeat from #1.

      [​IMG]

      It’s important to note that if you’re using a keyboard that can’t handle more than two simultaneous keypresses, you will need to place Magnum Punch and Revolving Cannon on modifier keys (Ctrl, Shift or Alt). The Magnum Punch -> Double Blast combo may not be responsive if you have under 10 stacks of Combo Training, so if Magnum Punch isn’t transitioning to Double Blast properly, you have the choice of continuously mashing Magnum Punch+Revolving Cannon until Double Blast comes out, or switching to Method 1 instead.

      Otherwise, there is no difference between the two methods above - both of them use the same number of buttons. In the end, whether you’re using Revolving Cannon macros or Magnum Punch as a standalone key, No-Reload should look exactly the same. Choose whichever one plays most comfortably for you. Though if you’re not using macros, I would recommend having a Double Blast+Revolving Cannon macro on your keyboard anyway since there are some situations where you’ll want to use Double Blast on its own.

      FAQ and Common Mistakes
      Q: Do I need to charge both Bobbing and Weaving at the same time while doing No-Reload?
      A: No, you only need to charge one at a time. Chances are you’ve seen videos that tell you to charge both Bobbing and Weaving at the same time. Do not do this. You will be making things harder on yourself for no reason.
      Originally it was thought that charging both Bobbing and Weaving allowed you to animation-cancel with one while the other was charging and therefore perform the combo faster, but one alone charges fast enough that there is no benefit in doing this. It is possible to perform the combo at full speed without using both and you will often want to reserve the second charge for Hammer Smash anyway, so charging Bobbing and Weaving at the same time will be more of a hindrance to you than anything.
      Instead, it is better to charge one, but also switch between them depending on whether the situation requires forward or backward movement. This is especially helpful if your jump cancels are imperfect and are causing you to move a lot with No-Reload – you can alternate between Bobbing and Weaving to stabilize your character’s position. But again, do not charge Bobbing and Weaving at the same time.
      Q: This combo isn’t working. What do I do?
      A: There are many reasons why No-Reload might not be working, but generally it is because the combo is being done too fast, in the wrong order, or both. New players often get the idea that Blaster requires crazy high APM, so what happens is they try to perform the entire No-Reload combo in less than one fifth of a second (Blaster is high APM, but not that high). There’s a limit on how fast Blaster can combo; some inputs will not register if you do everything too fast and animation cancels will not work if you release Bobbing at the exact same time you use a skill.
      Other times, players will perform the combo in the wrong order and not realize. If you’re having trouble, slow down, repeat the steps in your head and make sure each attack is going off before moving on to the next step in the combo.
      Q: Why aren’t my jump cancels working?
      A: Failed jump cancels are a sign that you're inadvertently hitting jump before releasing Bobbing. This can easily happen without you noticing, so try not to hit jump too fast. If you're having trouble, a good tip is to wait until the Bobbing key has gone all the way up on your keyboard before hitting jump. Keep in mind jump cancels will not work if Bobbing sends you towards the edge of a platform or a wall - something to watch out for when you’re comboing on the very small platforms in Horntail.
      Q: Why is Muzzle Flash being triggered?
      A: Muzzle Flash is triggered when you begin charging Weaving again before jump canceling. Always charge your skills after a jump cancel.
      Q: Why isn't Bobbing canceling Double Blast?
      A: If Bobbing isn’t canceling the animation of Double Blast, it is because you are releasing Bobbing too fast. The cancel will not work if you release Bobbing at the exact same time you use Double Blast. Reacting to visual cues in Double Blast’s animation is a good way to determine when to release Bobbing. When you see this vertical line, let go of the key.
      [​IMG]
      (This line is present from the beginning of the animation, but it takes around a quarter of a second to react to visual stimuli, making it a good indicator of when to release)
      Q: Why is it that sometimes my combo doesn’t work even when I’m doing everything right?
      A: Your Combo Training stacks affect how fast you’re allowed to combo. Some of your inputs may not register if you’re comboing at your usual (fast) pace without 10 stacks of Combo Training. If this is happening to you, try to slow down until your Combo Training stacks are maxed.
      Q: Why doesn’t Double Blast work when I hit the key?
      A: This is a sign you’re hitting Double Blast too soon after Magnum Punch. Make sure to slow down if you have below 10 stacks of Combo Training.
      Q: Why doesn’t Magnum Punch work?
      A: Magnum Punch may not go off if you use it at the exact same time you begin charging Bobbing. Always use your attacks slightly after you begin charging Bobbing, not at the same time.
      In general, many of the problems you’ll encounter with No-Reload can be resolved by taking it slowly. Focus on consistency rather than speed.
      Q: How quickly should I be doing No-Reload?
      A: Blaster’s No-Reload speed is measured in terms of the amount of hits they can do in 9.5 seconds. The faster you cancel Double Blast and Bobbing, the more hits you put out. Ideally you want to combo at a speed that allows you to get 17 hits of Magnum Punch+Double Blast (plus one use of Hammer Smash and Bunker Buster) off in 9.5 sec. A new player will likely only be able to manage 14 or 15 hits in 9.5 sec, which is around 82-88% of No-Reload's damage potential.
      Blaster still performs solidly even when their combos aren’t done perfectly, so don’t stress yourself over trying to be 100% perfect. It’s better to focus on learning how to do the combo consistently without errors rather than doing it quickly. Speed is important, but you’ll naturally get faster the more you play, so don't overexert yourself trying to combo at a pace you’re not comfortable with.


      1.3 - Shotgun Punch (SGP)

      [​IMG]

      [​IMG]

      Shotgun Punch is the second primary combo you learn in 4th job. Between the two Blaster combos, this one is easier to learn, but it is also the hardest to perfect due to the immense speed required to maximize its potential. Shotgun Punch is unique in that it doesn’t require a fully charged Bobbing to cancel its animation, so performing the combo is as simple as:

      Method 1
      [​IMG]
      (Shotgun Punch -> Bobbing -> jump -> repeat)


      This pace is good to start with:
      [​IMG]

      This is the normal way of doing it, however, because of Bobbing's nature as a charge skill, it doesn’t actually register until you let go of the key, so the full combo ends up looking like:
      It is all too easy to mess up the combo by hitting jump before Bobbing has had a chance to go off. If you find yourself doing this, you’ll need to re-order the combo like so:

      Method 2
      [​IMG]
      (press Bobbing -> Shotgun Punch -> release Bobbing -> jump -> repeat)


      [​IMG]

      Note that you’re not holding Bobbing for a full charge here; you need to transition through each step as fast as possible. By pressing Bobbing at the beginning you remove the downtime between Shotgun Punch and Bobbing, reducing the potential for error. Think of it like you’re doing No-Reload, except you’re not fully charging Bobbing and you’re only using one attack.

      There should be no difference in performance between the two methods, so choose whichever one works best for you.

      There is another method not mentioned here known as Jumping Shotgun Punch. This involves jumping continuously while using & canceling Shotgun Punch in air, and this supposedly allows you to do more damage since you don't need to jump-cancel when performing animation cancels in air. Some say this is the superior way of doing the Shotgun Punch combo, however I find these claims to be very questionable, and I'll temporarily be leaving it out of the guide until I can get my hands on data comparing Shotgun Punch with and without jumps, and how much of a damage increase jumping is (if at all).

      FAQ and Common Mistakes
      Q: How do I stop myself from jumping while using Shotgun Punch?
      A: Shotgun Punch requires you to be quick in order to pull off the combo effectively, but you are more likely to jump by accident the faster you go. This has no effect on your damage since the combo functions normally in air, but the unintentional movement can easily get you killed while bossing so it’s important to stay in control of your character at all times. To prevent accidental jumps from happening, hold the Up and Down arrow keys while performing the combo. This will keep your character planted on the ground, but be mindful you will also jump down if you do this while standing on a floating platform. Other than that, slowing down slightly will decrease the likelihood of unintentional jumping.
      Q: Why don’t my jump cancels work?
      A: If your jumps fail to cancel Bobbing, that’s a sign you’re hitting jump before releasing Bobbing. As explained above, Bobbing only goes off when you let go of the key and not when you press it. Rather than following Method 1, perform Method 2 instead, and you should have an easier time landing your jump cancels.
      Q: How fast do I need to go when using Shotgun Punch?
      A: Shotgun Punch is only limited by how quickly you can press the keys, so the obvious answer would be to go as fast as you can manage. However, Shotgun Punch has many varying levels of speed so it can be hard to tell whether or not you’re going fast enough. This video by KMS Blaster shows the combo in different beats per minute and is a good way to measure how quickly (or slowly) you’re going. Ideally you want to aim for that sweet spot where you can combo fast, but not so fast that it will strain your hands.
      Once again, speed is important, but don’t force yourself to go quickly - let speed develop naturally through practice.


      2. Blaster Basics II

      2.1 - Performing Other Actions Mid-Combo

      Often you will need to break out of your combos to jump, move around, or use your other skills.

      Blasters can weave other actions into their combos but are only able to do so after jump-canceling Bobbing. This is important to remember, because simply using a skill at a random point mid-combo won’t work; you’ll need to plan ahead and wait until the next jump-cancel to make your move. Any action performed after a jump-cancel is done instantly, so you can seamlessly transition from one move into another when needed. Here are some examples:

      [​IMG]
      (Shotgun Punch -> Bobbing -> jump -> turn around)

      [​IMG]
      (hold Bobbing -> Magnum Punch -> Double Blast -> release Bobbing -> jump -> Revolving Blast)

      [​IMG]
      (hold Bobbing -> Magnum Punch -> Double Blast -> release Bobbing -> jump -> Detonate)

      [​IMG]
      (Shotgun Punch -> Bobbing -> jump -> down+jump)

      2.2 - Bunker Buster Explosion

      [​IMG]

      Bunker Buster Explosion is Blaster’s most powerful attack before 5th job, becoming even more powerful with each bar in your Dynamo Gauge. Each use of Revolving Cannon adds 1 bar, capping at a maximum of 6. You’ll want to use Bunker Buster Explosion as soon as you max your Dynamo Gauge. Bunker Buster Explosion can be used after any jump-cancel, like so:

      [​IMG]
      (after a jump-cancel: hold Bobbing -> Bunker Buster Explosion -> release Bobbing -> jump)

      [​IMG]

      In bossing situations Bunker Buster Explosion should be used the instant you max your Dynamo Gauge; the sooner it’s used, the sooner you can refill your Dynamo Gauge resulting in more Bunker Buster uses overall. While mobbing, you generally want to save it for when it will hit as many mobs as possible - ideally when they’re spread throughout multiple platforms.

      Bunker Buster Explosion moves you forward during its animation. In some situations (usually bossing) this can cause inconvenience or even accidental death, so you can cancel the unnecessary movement in two ways:

      Weaving with Bunker Buster Explosion

      By using Weaving to cancel Bunker Buster’s animation, you can negate its forward movement and move back to where you started. Release Weaving after Bunker Buster Explosion, then delay your jump-cancel to move backward.

      [​IMG]
      (after a jump-cancel: hold Weaving -> Bunker Buster Explosion -> release Weaving -> jump)

      [​IMG]

      Alternatively, you can charge & release Weaving on the attack used before Bunker Buster Explosion to send you backwards, then use Bunker Buster’s forward motion to return to your original position.

      Jumping Bunker Buster Explosion

      In situations where any movement can get you killed, you have the option of releasing Bunker Buster Explosion mid-air, preventing its forward movement entirely. After jump-canceling, jump again and release Bunker Buster Explosion.

      [​IMG]
      (after a jump-cancel: jump -> hold Bobbing -> Bunker Buster Explosion -> land -> release Bobbing)

      [​IMG]

      2.3 - Hammer Smash

      [​IMG]

      Hammer Smash is a charge skill that makes enemies receive 10% more final damage from your attacks. Every now and then you’ll want to use it to keep up its debuff on bosses. Hammer Smash can cancel skill animations the same way Bobbing can, but the animation from Hammer Smash can only be canceled with Bobbing and not a jump. You’ll need to charge the two skills together, release Hammer Smash to cancel an attack’s animation, then release Bobbing to cancel Hammer Smash’s animation.

      [​IMG]
      (after a jump-cancel: hold Hammer Smash + Bobbing -> attack -> release Hammer Smash -> release Bobbing -> jump)


      Hammer Smash + Bunker Buster Explosion

      Hammer Smash is generally used in combination with Bunker Buster Explosion - this guarantees 100% uptime on the debuff. After coming out of a jump-cancel:

      1. Hold Hammer Smash and Bobbing at the same time.
      2. Use Bunker Buster Explosion.
      3. Release Hammer Smash slightly after to cancel Bunker Buster Explosion.
      4. Release Bobbing slightly after to cancel Hammer Smash.
      5. Jump to cancel Bobbing's animation.

      [​IMG]

      [​IMG]
      (after a jump-cancel: hold Hammer Smash + Bobbing -> Bunker Buster Explosion -> release Hammer Smash -> release Bobbing -> jump)

      [​IMG]

      Hammer Smash + Double Blast

      You can also weave Hammer Smash into your No-Reload combo and occasionally use it to Double Blast’s animation. After coming out of a jump-cancel:

      1. Hold Hammer Smash and Bobbing at the same time.
      2. Use Magnum Punch, and then Double Blast.
      3. Release Hammer Smash slightly after to cancel Double Blast.
      4. Release Bobbing slightly after to cancel Hammer Smash.
      5. Jump to cancel Bobbing's animation.

      [​IMG]

      [​IMG]
      (after a jump-cancel: hold Hammer Smash + Bobbing -> Magnum Punch -> Double Blast -> release Hammer Smash -> release Bobbing -> jump)

      [​IMG]

      By doing this you can maintain 100% uptime on the shockwave, though you’ll need to charge Hammer Smash again every time the shockwave expires/a boss walks out of it.

      Uncharged Hammer Smash

      It’s important to note the shockwave left behind by a fully charged Hammer Smash is affected by ping. At high levels of latency there is a noticeable delay between the release of a fully charged Hammer Smash and the shockwave appearing - you can't take action during this time, so for players experiencing constant lag, charging Hammer Smash may not be a viable option.

      Above 300ms ping you may find it easier to use an uncharged Hammer Smash instead. You lose its animation canceling properties plus the additional damage from the shockwave, but you can still maintain 100% uptime on its debuff. An uncharged Hammer Smash is treated the same way as any other Blaster skill; begin charging Bobbing beforehand, use Hammer Smash, then release Bobbing.

      [​IMG]
      (after a jump-cancel: hold Bobbing -> Hammer Smash -> release Bobbing -> jump -> hold Bobbing -> Bunker Buster Explosion -> release Bobbing -> jump)

      [​IMG]

      Here, Hammer Smash is used before Bunker Buster Explosion rather than after. The debuff loses some uptime since it’s not being constantly refreshed by the shockwave. The extra explosions from Bunker Buster Explosion also come out a bit later due to lag. Because of this, using an uncharged Hammer Smash after Bunker Buster Explosion will result in the debuff falling off right as Bunker Buster’s explosions come out, so it’s better to use Hammer Smash before Bunker Buster to ensure the explosions properly benefit from the extra damage.

      FAQ and Common Mistakes
      Q: Why doesn’t Hammer Smash cancel animations when I release the key?
      A: Hammer Smash follows the same rules as Bobbing when it comes to animation cancels; canceling too early may result in the cancel not working at all. It is very easy to release the key early by accident and not realize, especially if you're new to using Hammer Smash. Double check and make sure you have a firm hold on the key when practicing your animation cancels.
      Q: Why doesn’t Bobbing cancel Hammer Smash?
      A: Same answer as above - you may be releasing Bobbing too early. This can also happen by accident when you release your finger from Hammer Smash, so once again make sure you have a firm hold on the keys.
      Q: When should I begin charging Hammer Smash?
      A: Hammer Smash charges just as fast as Bobbing - you can charge it right before using an attack and it’ll charge fast enough that you’ll be able to cancel the animation on time.


      3. Blaster Basics - Completion

      [​IMG]

      By now you’ve familiarized yourself with Blaster’s combos and how they work, which leaves the question, “which one should I be using for bossing/training, No-Reload or Shotgun Punch?”

      The answer is both.

      Each combo brings different strengths so ideally you want to switch between them depending on the situation.

      3.1 - Mobbing as a Blaster

      No-Reload and Shotgun Punch are extremely close in terms of performance. You could get away with using your favorite combo to mob while ignoring the other if you really wanted (for beginners, I recommend doing this), but you will get more of an advantage by knowing both combos and when to use them.

      Shotgun Punch has longer horizontal reach, but No-Reload gives you access to Bunker Buster Explosion. When training on mobs that can't be killed in one hit, you can get the best of both combos by using No-Reload to fill your Dynamo Gauge for Bunker Buster Explosion, then using Shotgun Punch while your Dynamo Gauge is overheated.

      When you're strong enough to one-hit with both Shotgun Punch and Double Blast, the skill you use will be determined by the kind of hitbox you need. Shotgun Punch is best used in situations that require horizontal range, while Double Blast's vertical range allows it to hit platforms that Shotgun Punch can't reach (you may even decide to ignore Magnum Punch entirely so that Double Blast can be used at flash jump's peak, giving it increased vertical range).

      To be an effective mobber, you'll need to be able to use both skills while flash jumping through the air. This is done by charging Bobbing after flash jump, attacking in air, then releasing Bobbing once you land. Blaster can be very mobile, so don't waste the class' potential by keeping your feet planted on the ground the whole time!

      Here is an example with Double Blast:

      [​IMG]
      (Double Jump -> hold Bobbing -> Double Blast -> release Bobbing -> jump 3x [jump cancel -> jump -> Double Jump] -> repeat)

      [​IMG]

      3.2 - Bossing: The Optimal Rotation

      According to this video by KMS Blaster, the optimal bossing rotation combines both No-Reload and Shotgun Punch. The combo you use depends on the state of your Dynamo Gauge:

      • When your Dynamo Gauge is not full, use No-Reload until it is filled.
      • When your Dynamo Gauge is full, use Bunker Buster Explosion+Hammer Smash.
      • While your Dynamo Gauge is overheated, use Shotgun Punch until it is ready to be filled again.


      In theory, using both No-Reload and Shotgun Punch allows you to do more damage than you would with one combo alone, but this is under the assumption both combos are executed near-perfectly. The gain from doing this is very minimal - if you’re slow with Shotgun Punch, then using it during overheat will result in a damage loss over just using No-Reload on its own.

      Both No-Reload and Shotgun Punch come close in damage so you’re more likely to find more consistent results performing the combo you’re most comfortable with. That’s not to say you should ignore the other entirely; some situations favor certain combos over others. No-Reload gives frequent access to Advanced Charge Mastery which is helpful for tanking super knockbacks while Shotgun Punch provides superior horizontal range allowing you to stay out of potential danger while attacking.

      As a general rule, use the combo you’re most comfortable with, but also practice the one you’re weakest at since being good at both will be better for you in the long run.

      4. Further Techniques

      4.1 - Quick Reload

      [​IMG]

      Occasionally you will lose ammo from flying around with Detonate, especially while training. To quickly restore lost ammo, you can substitute No-Reload with one Shotgun Punch and then cancel its animation with a fully charged Bobbing. Since Shotgun Punch doesn't cost ammo, you will regain 2 charges by doing this.

      The best way to perform a Quick Reload would be to charge Bobbing mid-air (usually after a Double Jump/Detonate), use Shotgun Punch to mob when you are close the ground then release Bobbing upon landing to reload. This way you can keep your ammo topped up without having to interrupt your usual movement/attack patterns.
      [​IMG]

      4.2 - Movement Control with Bobbing and Weaving

      [​IMG]

      One of Blaster's unique traits is that their mobility is built into their combos, allowing you to attack and dodge in one fluid motion.

      By delaying your jump-cancels, you can use Bobbing and Weaving to move a short distance and dodge attacks on the fly. What's more is that Blasters have the unique ability to control precisely how far they want to move - the longer you delay your jump-cancels, the further you will dash.
      [​IMG]

      This is one of the most important skills you’ll need to learn as a Blaster, and it takes a ton of practice to pull off perfectly. The timing is extremely strict; delaying your jump-cancel for too long will result in Bobbing or Weaving’s end-animation to come out and lock you in place, while jump-canceling too soon can get you killed because you didn't move far enough.

      The only way you can develop this skill is through constant practice. By practicing you get a better sense of when to land your jump-cancels and the timing will eventually become second nature to you. A good place to practice dodging is on Easy Cygnus and her purple geysers (requirement: lvl 140). With unlimited entries and no cooldown, you can practice for as long as you need to. There are a few different things you can also do to help control your movement:

      Backstep Detonate

      If you fall short of your destination or jump-cancel Weaving earlier than intended, you can use Detonate right away to move yourself further back.
      [​IMG]

      Retreating Shotgun Punch

      Shotgun Punch uses Bobbing and Weaving more frequently than No-Reload, allowing you to slide more often. Both Shotgun Punch and Weaving work well together - you can quickly move away from the boss while using Shotgun Punch’s long horizontal hitbox to keep the boss within range.

      [​IMG]

      This helps while mobbing too - you can cancel Shotgun Punch with Weaving to move yourself closer to a pack of mobs behind you.

      Advancing Bunker Buster Explosion

      Remember earlier how I mentioned different ways to cancel Bunker Buster Explosion's forced movement? Well, here I’ll flip that around. You can use the movement to your advantage and combine it with Bobbing to send yourself forward and out of harm’s way.
      [​IMG]

      4.3 - Guarding with Charge Skills

      [​IMG]

      By timing their charge skills, Blasters are able to tank incoming attacks, most notably one-hit KOs and super knockbacks. This is done by releasing a charge skill right before an attack lands on you.

      After releasing a fully charged skill, you will gain super stance and any attack that hits you during the animation of that charge skill (note: the animation of the skill itself, not the charging) will be reduced by 35%. The enhanced guard window lasts as long as the skill’s animation, but it is cut off the instant its animation is canceled (e.g. you lose Bobbing’s guard window the moment you press jump). Also note there are some OHKOs that cannot be tanked, such as Magnus meteors or Lotus lasers.

      To proc an enhanced guard, you'll need to delay releasing or canceling a charge skill to ensure its animation lasts long enough for you to get hit. A successful guard is indicated by an orange hexagon surrounding your character, so you don't want to cancel until you see that visual pop up.

      Bobbing/Weaving

      Guarding with Bobbing works the same way as described in 4.2 - Movement Control with Bobbing and Weaving. To land a guard, combo with No-Reload but don’t jump-cancel Bobbing right away - instead, wait for the enemy’s attack to land during Bobbing’s animation then hit jump after you see the orange hexagon pop up.

      [​IMG]
      (hold Bobbing -> Magnum Punch -> Double Blast -> Release Bobbing -> guard -> jump)

      [​IMG]

      It’s important pay close attention to the boss’ attack animation and have an idea of the exact frame the damage goes out. You don’t want to set up your guard too early, slide all the way across with Bobbing and get hit right as the guard window wears off.

      Hammer Smash

      Guarding with Hammer Smash is fairly straightforward - hold the charge while attacking, then release right before the enemy’s attack goes out. Ideally you want to release Hammer Smash while Bobbing is already charging so you can cancel its animation afterwards. Hammer Smash works best in situations where you need to stay still or guard an attack mid-air.
      [​IMG]

      Hyper Magnum Punch

      Advanced Charge Mastery’s bonus applies while charging Hyper Magnum Punch, so you can use its wind-up animation to guard attacks. Keep in mind, however, that you’ll need to hold Bobbing before charging Hyper Magnum Punch since its wind-up animation can only be canceled with a charge skill. Not doing this will result in the actual Hyper Magnum Punch coming out, forcing the skill on cooldown.

      Hyper Magnum Punch has a longer guard window than Bobbing and Hammer Smash, making it effective against attacks where you're unsure exactly when the damage will go out.

      [​IMG]
      (hold Bobbing -> hold Hyper Magnum Punch -> Advanced Charge Mastery -> Release Bobbing -> jump)

      [​IMG]

      This isn’t something you should rely upon too much since you won’t be able to guard while the skill is on cooldown. Above all else, Hyper Magnum Punch should be used when its i-frame is needed.

      Bunker Buster Explosion - Guard

      See: Hyper Passives - Using Bunker Buster Explosion - Guard in the "Build" tab for more information.

      4.4 - Aerial Canceling

      [​IMG]

      Bobbing's dash isn’t usable in air, but the skill retains all its animation canceling properties, so you can use it to cancel skills while airborne.

      Aerial Cancel - Double Blast

      When using an aerial Double Blast, you can cancel its delay with a charged Bobbing mid-air and immediately follow it up with Detonate to keep you on the move. This makes you more efficient at training; you can, for example, use an Aerial Cancel to kill mobs and move to the platform above you in one go, rather than waiting until you hit the ground to cancel Double Blast's animation.

      [​IMG]
      (hold Bobbing + jump -> Double Blast -> release Bobbing -> Detonate)

      [​IMG]

      Bobbing should be pressed at the same time you jump to give it enough time to fully charge. Each step needs to be performed quickly; Detonate becomes less powerful as you begin falling, so you should aim to use Detonate the instant you release Bobbing.

      FAQ and Common Mistakes
      Q: Why doesn’t Bobbing cancel Double Blast when I release it mid-air?
      A: This is a sign Bobbing isn’t charging fast enough - this usually happens if you begin charging right before using Double Blast. Begin charging Bobbing before/at the same time you jump off the ground to give it enough time to fully charge. It's also possible that you're releasing too early.


      Aerial Cancel - Shotgun Punch

      Aerial Cancels with Shotgun Punch work the same way as Double Blast, except it doesn’t require a fully charged Bobbing to cancel its animation, so you can press Bobbing right after Shotgun Punch to cancel it instantly.

      [​IMG]
      (jump -> Shotgun Punch -> Bobbing -> Detonate)

      [​IMG]

      5. Afterword & Credits

      And that just about covers it. This isn’t the end of the guide, though. Look through the extra tabs above if you haven’t already - plenty more information including stuff on skills and habits that should be avoided when playing Blaster (very important!)

      If you have any questions, I hang around the Reddit and Official MapleStory servers, so ping me any time @Josh#4411 (keep in mind the capital J, messages won't work if it's lowercase) and I’ll get back to you when I can.

      Current status: Mostly inactive on Discord, inactive on MapleStory

      Credits

      - Big thanks to the creators of the videos used in this guide:

      - Big thanks to MapleWiki & PirateIzzy for extracting the icons and skill info.

      - Big thanks to Zelkova and everyone who worked on Dexless to make it possible.

      - And a big shoutout to my friends I love you all :carryme:

      [​IMG]
      And a big thank you too for making it all the way to the end <3

      Return to Top
  • Build

    Using Bunker Buster Explosion - Guard

    Skill Point Allocation

    First, I should mention that Blaster maxes every skill from 1st to 4th job, so you have the freedom to deviate from the builds provided here and allocate your points in whatever order you like. It'll end up the same as every other Blaster in the end, so there's no way you can mess up your build.

    This section is a general guideline of the order in which your skills should be maxed and assumes you are leveling with combos.

    1st Job
    1. [​IMG] Magnum Punch (1)
    2. [​IMG] Double Jump (1)
    3. [​IMG] Detonate (1)
    4. [​IMG] Revolving Cannon Mastery (MAX)
    5. [​IMG] Bunker Buster Explosion (1)
    6. [​IMG] Double Jump (MAX)
    7. Here, you can change the order depending on your personal preference. It doesn't matter which one of these you max first:​
    • [​IMG] Magnum Punch (MAX)
    • [​IMG] Bunker Buster Explosion (MAX)
    • [​IMG] Blast Shield (MAX)
    10.[​IMG] Detonate (MAX)​


    Blaster advances to 1st job with 1 SP already placed into Revolving Cannon. Start off with placing 1 SP into each of your active skills, then work on maxing Revolving Cannon Mastery to unlock Bunker Buster Explosion. Double Jump is maxed to improve mobility and leveling speed (you may choose to max this earlier if you want).

    Between Magnum Punch, Bunker Buster Explosion and Blast Shield, it doesn't matter which one is maxed first or last; the extra damage from Magnum Punch and Bunker Buster is unnecessary since you're most likely already one-shotting with both of them, and the extra protection from Blast Shield isn't needed at this stage of the game. Detonate is maxed last since extra levels do nothing for its mobility.

    Now, some Blasters recommend leaving points out of Double Jump entirely so that the Jumping Shotgun Punch combo can be performed more easily, but I don't believe this is a good idea. You would be left with Detonate as your sole means of travel, and that has a more noticeable delay compared to Double Jump, making it harder to mob while moving through the air.

    2nd Job
    1. [​IMG] Double Blast (1)
    2. [​IMG] Bobbing (1)
    3. [​IMG] Charge Mastery (1)
    4. [​IMG] Revolving Cannon Plus (1)
    5. [​IMG] Arm Cannon Mastery (5)
    6. [​IMG] Arm Cannon Boost (3)
    7. All of these skills are good, you can change the order here depending on personal preference:​
    • [​IMG] Charge Mastery (MAX)
    • [​IMG] Arm Cannon Mastery (MAX)
    • [​IMG] Double Blast (MAX)
    • [​IMG] Bobbing (MAX)
    11.[​IMG] Physical Training (MAX)​
    12.[​IMG] Arm Cannon Boost (MAX)​
    13.[​IMG] Revolving Cannon Plus (MAX)​


    First points go into Double Blast, Bobbing and Charge Mastery - these are all essential for performing the No-Reload combo, which is what you will be training with from 2nd job onward.

    One point goes into Revolving Cannon Plus to upgrade your ammo and Dynamo Gauge, then Arm Cannon Mastery is leveled to 5 to unlock Booster. Level Booster so that it lasts long enough without needing to be refreshed all the time. I prefer 3 SP for a 60 sec duration. Keep this buff up at all times, since it has a noticeable effect on your combos.

    Next, you have the choice between maxing Charge Mastery, Arm Cannon Mastery, Double Blast or Bobbing. These are all good choices for training, so it doesn't matter which order they're maxed in. You could choose Charge Mastery first for the increased charge speed, or Bobbing to reduce its mana cost and lighten pot burn - it's all personal preference, so go with whatever you like. Finish off by maxing Physical Training, Booster and Revolving Cannon Plus.

    3rd Job
    1. [​IMG] Weaving (1)
    2. [​IMG] Revolving Cannon Plus II (1)
    3. [​IMG] Combo Training (1)
    4. [​IMG] Hammer Smash (1)
    5. [​IMG] Rocket Rush (1)
    Optional one-pointer for fun:​
    • [​IMG] Magnum Launch (1)
    6. [​IMG] Combo Training (MAX)​
    7. [​IMG] Hammer Smash (MAX)​
    8. [​IMG] Weaving (MAX)​
    9. [​IMG] Revolving Cannon Plus II (MAX)​
    10.[​IMG] Rocket Rush (MAX)​
    11.[​IMG] Magnum Launch (MAX)​
    12.[​IMG] Shield Training (0) (maxed at 4th job)​


    First points go into Combo Training for increased comboing speed, Revolving Cannon Plus II for another upgrade to your ammo and Dynamo Gauge, and Weaving - find a nice spot on your keyboard for Weaving, because you'll be using this a lot later on (especially while bossing) so the sooner you get acquainted with it, the better.

    You'll still be using No-Reload for training, but 1 SP is put into Hammer Smash anyway for its Double Blast damage boost. 1 point for Rocket Rush helps for gathering mobs (Sahel 2), especially if you can't one-hit. Magnum Launch isn't needed, but 1 point can provide some short-lived entertainment, if you value that sort of thing.

    Combo Training is maxed first for the damage increase it gives to all your attacks - it only requires 9 SP to max, so you may as well get it out of the way early. Hammer Smash and Weaving are maxed next for the boosts they give to Double Blast and Magnum Punch respectively, then Revolving Cannon Plus II follows. Finish off by maxing Rocket Rush and Magnum Launch.

    You might wonder why I left Shield Training at 0 SP. This skill brings Blast Shield's absorption down from 40% to 30%, so putting points into it will slightly nerf your defenses. Don't panic if you have put points into Shield Training, since it gets fixed once you max Shield Training II in 4th job. You'll need to max this skill as a pre-requisite anyway, but it's better to do it later on. Doesn't really matter in the end - Blaster is so naturally tanky you most likely won't notice the difference.

    4th Job
    1. [​IMG] Shotgun Punch (1)
    2. [​IMG] Advanced Charge Mastery (1)
    3. [​IMG] Combo Training II (1)
    4. [​IMG] Revolving Cannon Plus III (1)
    5. [​IMG] Muzzle Flash (1)
    Optional: these skills won’t be used for training, but you can put one point in them for fun:​
    • [​IMG] Revolving Blast (1)
    • [​IMG] Ballistic Hurricane (1)
    6. [​IMG] Shotgun Punch (MAX)​
    7. [​IMG] Combo Training II (MAX)​
    8. [​IMG] Advanced Charge Mastery (MAX)​
    9. [​IMG] Gauntlet Expert (MAX)​
    10.[​IMG] Revolving Cannon Plus III (MAX)​
    11.[​IMG] Muzzle Flash (MAX)​
    12.[​IMG] Maple Warrior (MAX)​
    13. At this point, you've got all the important training skills out of the way, so (barring obvious prerequisites) it doesn't matter which of these you max first/last:​
    • [​IMG] Shield Training (from 3rd job) (MAX)
    • [​IMG] Shield Training II (MAX)
    • [​IMG] Vitality Shield (MAX)
    • [​IMG] Hero’s Will (MAX)
    • [​IMG] Revolving Blast (MAX)
    • [​IMG] Ballistic Hurricane (MAX)


    First point goes into Shotgun Punch - this will be your main training skill especially while your Dynamo Gauge is overheated (though No-Reload on its own is still a good option if you prefer that). Next point goes into Advanced Charge Mastery which allows you to use the Magnum Punch+Double Blast combo without losing ammo. 1 SP into Combo Training II makes your combos faster, then a point is added into Revolving Cannon Plus III and Muzzle Flash to upgrade your attacks.

    Shotgun Punch is maxed right away for the giant damage boost it gives to itself and Double Blast, then the rest of your passives+Maple Warrior follow. Your remaining skills don't matter too much for training, so you're free to max them in whatever order you like.

    Hyper Passives
    Order Icon
    Hyper Passive​
    Effect Affected Skills
    1.​
    [​IMG]
    Aftershock Punch​
    +2 attacks on shockwaves Hammer Smash
    Shotgun Punch
    2.​
    [​IMG]
    Power Punch​
    +10% damage Magnum Punch
    Double Blast
    Hammer Smash
    Shotgun Punch
    Muzzle Flash
    Ballistic Hurricane
    3.​
    [​IMG]
    Improved Bunker Shockwave​
    +15% damage on shockwaves Bunker Buster Explosion
    4.​
    [​IMG]
    Piercing Punch​
    +20% Ignore Enemy Defense Magnum Punch
    Double Blast
    Hammer Smash
    Shotgun Punch
    Muzzle Flash
    Ballistic Hurricane
    5.​
    [​IMG]
    OR​
    [​IMG]
    Bunker Explosion Guard Bonus​
    OR​
    Speedy Vitality Shield​
    Adds a guard bonus during animation
    OR​
    -20% cooldown
    Bunker Buster Explosion
    OR
    Vitality Shield

    Every class gets 9 passive hyper upgrades to their skills, but only 5 points to choose with. Between all of Blaster's damage-boosting hypers, the first four on this list are the most impactful.

    Why Improved Bunker Explosion is ignored

    There is another damage-boosting hyper not listed here - Improved Bunker Explosion (+20% damage to Bunker Buster Explosion). At first glance, it might seem odd to skip a hyper that increases damage, but this one is ignored because most of Bunker Buster's damage comes from its shockwaves, and Improved Bunker Explosion only applies to its initial hit, meaning the overall damage increase is extremely minimal (around 2% - a number that only gets smaller as you get stronger, since the 20% boost is additive with %boss).

    This leaves us with Bunker Explosion Guard Bonus or Speedy Vitality Shield. The reason we take these over Improved Bunker Explosion is simple - if you can use them to prevent a super knockback or one-hit KO just once, then that is already a bigger contribution to your damage than Improved Bunker Explosion, since it stopped you from losing combo uptime from getting knocked out of melee range, or worse, dying.

    Bunker Explosion Guard Bonus is generally the better choice, but Speedy Vitality Shield is a decent alternative if you don't use Bunker Buster Explosion to guard and find yourself relying on Vitality Shield often.

    Using Bunker Buster Explosion - Guard

    The guard bonus from Bunker Explosion Guard is the same as the one found in Advanced Charge Mastery; during Bunker Buster Explosion's animation, damage taken (including those from one-hit KOs) will be reduced by 35% and you will resist super knockbacks. Activating the hyper is as simple as using Bunker Buster Explosion right before you get hit, but there are a few important things to keep in mind:

    First, the guard window is cut off as soon as you cancel Bunker Buster Explosion with a charge skill+jump, so be mindful of the timing of your inputs if you intend on using it to guard.

    Second, it might seem tempting to hold Bunker Buster Explosion and save it for when you need to block attacks, but doing so is a major damage loss. Whether or not you take Bunker Explosion Guard Bonus, you should always use Bunker Buster Explosion as soon as you cap your Dynamo Gauge when bossing.

    A good way to use Bunker Explosion Guard is to play more aggressively as soon as you notice your Dynamo Gauge approaching maximum capacity - you can confidently enter zones where you are in danger of being super KB'd or OHKO'd knowing you have Bunker Guard to back you up in a pinch.

    V Matrix/5th Job

    Boost Nodes
    Trio 1​
    Trio 2​
    Magnum Punch [​IMG]
    Double Blast [​IMG]
    Revolving Cannon [​IMG]
    [​IMG] Shotgun Punch
    [​IMG] Bunker Buster Explosion
    [​IMG] Hammer Smash​


    Blaster's boost nodes are very straightforward. No need to worry about having different trios for training/bossing - these are the boost nodes you'll be using in every situation.

    Your trios don't necessarily need to look exactly like the ones above. You'll need four level 25 nodes (two of each trio) to boost each skill to the maximum of 50. As long as you can get the above skills to appear twice across four nodes, then you will be able to max them all.

    Now, for players who experience a lot of lag, a Hammer Smash boost probably won't be too helpful, so you can choose to ignore it entirely. But I highly recommend boosting Hammer Smash anyway on the off-chance Nexon fixes it in future.

    Since Hammer Smash is near-unusable with my lag, I'm personally working on boosting Muzzle Flash in place of Hammer Smash to see if I can get it to OHKO in Spirit Savior :V

    V Matrix Slot Priority

    With a limited number of V Matrix Slots available, this section will outline the most important nodes to take in each situation, sorted by highest to lowest priority.

    Bossing
    Priority​
    Icon​
    Node​
    1-4​
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Boost Nodes​
    Mandatory. Your trios give you the largest and most consistent damage boost, so have them equipped wherever you go.
    5​
    [​IMG]
    Bullet Blast​
    High priority. Out of all of Blaster's active skills, Bullet Blast is hands down the best for bossing thanks to its deadly burst potential combined with the i-frames the skill gives you on a (relatively) short cooldown.
    6​
    [​IMG]
    Rocket Punch​
    High priority. A potent damage buff that's very easy to use, and available quite often.
    7-9​
    [​IMG]
    Resistance Infantry​
    High priority. Though not as powerful as the skills above, it's still free damage for hitting a button every 25 seconds. Very short delay, meaning you can incorporate it into your combos with little trouble.
    7-9​
    [​IMG]
    Gatling Punch​
    High priority, though situational. Capable of putting out a lot of damage, but loses value if you're forced to move and cancel the keydown early. Ranks above Resistance Infantry on fights where you can consistently use the entire skill without being interrupted.
    7-9​
    [​IMG]
    Erda Nova​
    Medium-high priority, depending on the boss. Blaster's only actual bind--very important for setting up burst while soloing. Don't use this right after you've used Revolving Blast, since they both share a bind cooldown.
    10​
    [​IMG]
    Decent Combat Orders​
    Medium priority. Very nice since Blasters get an extra 10% Final Damage from this buff.
    11​
    [​IMG]
    Weapon Aura​
    Medium priority. Nice buff with decent uptime once you invest enough levels into this skill.
    12​
    [​IMG]
    Decent Sharp Eyes​
    Medium priority. Not the best idea to rely on this buff to cap crit rate, since the node has a cooldown and you will be below 100% crit if you die midway through its duration. But 8% crit damage is still really good.
    13​
    [​IMG]
    Decent Advanced Blessing​
    Low priority. Not too important, but nice if you have the spare slots.


    Other situationally useful nodes:
    • [​IMG] Impenetrable Skin - Helpful against bosses that like to spam super knockback attacks; you can go all out and unload Cannon Overdrive+Rocket Punch without needing to guard with your charge skills. Also comes with a nice passive STR bonus.
    • [​IMG] Will of Erda - A good choice against bosses with deadly status effects if you remember to use it proactively.

    Training
    Priority​
    Icon​
    Node​
    1-4​
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Boost Nodes​
    Mandatory. Though if, for whatever reason you need another slot, you can afford to go without your boost nodes if you can one-shot without them.
    5​
    [​IMG]
    Decent Holy Symbol​
    High-priority. An EXP & drop buff with 100% uptime - there is no reason you should not have this equipped while training.
    6​
    [​IMG]
    Resistance Infantry​
    High-priority. A low-CD summon with long enough range to hit two platforms at once - this is a fantastic skill for mobbing, especially if it can one-shot.
    7​
    [​IMG]
    Erda Shower​
    Medium-high priority.
    Works best on crowded maps where you can one-shot.
    8​
    [​IMG]
    Rocket Punch​
    Medium-priority. Allows Shotgun Punch to build up your Dynamo Gauge for Bunker Buster Explosion and very slightly extends the range of your attacks through the explosions. Not something to rely on too much, but it can be helpful.


    Inner Ability & Link Skills

    Inner Ability

    Blaster doesn't have many options for Inner Ability since +1 ATT speed and buff duration do nothing for them, but fortunately that makes building their optimal Inner Ability very straightforward.

    The most optimal setup is 20% Boss Damage on the first line, followed by +21 W.ATK on the second line.

    The third line doesn't matter too much, you can go with Item Drop Rate or Crit Rate (which isn't needed to cap crit, but it could save you a few hyper stat points/legion squares, or potentially an entire link skill slot). There isn't much of a need to optimize this line, so I would stick with whichever one of these you land on first.

    Link Skills

    These links aren't necessarily ordered by priority. Your General links are ones you will most likely be using in every situation, but there are some links better suited for bossing or training. With only 12 slots available, you should choose your links based on what you find more important.

    General Links
    Class Effect Extra notes
    Phantom +10/15/20% Critical Rate You get 30% crit from Combo Training II, so you only need 70% from other sources to cap.
    Beast Tamer +4/7/10% Critical Rate
    +4/7/10% Boss Damage
    -
    Ark Up to +6/11/16% damage while in combat -
    Illium Up to +6/12% damage while moving -
    Demon Avenger +5/10/15% Damage -
    Kanna +5/10% Damage -
    Xenon +5/10% All Stats -
    Kinesis +2/4% Critical Damage -
    Hayato +15/25 All Stats
    +10/15 M/W.ATK
    -
    Mihile 100% stance for 90/110/130 sec
    Cooldown: 180 sec
    Not mandatory, but highly recommended if you are learning the combos for the first time. That way you won't have to deal with your rhythm being broken by badly-timed knockbacks.

    Jett's link can potentially give +30 to 35 STR/W.ATK, but you need to roll for those stats and remember to keep them locked. Inconvenient, but an excellent pick if you're bothered to go through the trouble.

    Bossing
    Class Effect Extra notes
    Resistance Invincible for 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8 sec after reviving Blaster gets this for free. This skill is tremendously helpful, so level up your other Resistance characters and link their skills to increase its duration.
    Luminous +10/15/20% Ignore Enemy Defense -
    Zero +2/4/6/8/10% Ignore Enemy Defense Unavailable on Reboot.
    Demon Slayer +10/15/20% Boss Damage -
    Cadena +3/6% Damage on lower-leveled enemies, and an additional +3/6% Damage on enemies afflicted by Abnormal Statuses. Hammer Smash is counted as an Abnormal Status for this link.
    Angelic Buster +30/45/60% Damage for 10 sec
    Cooldown: 90 sec
    A good choice on fights where you often use your burst skills. If you don't experience too much buff lag, you can use this right before Bullet Blast's explosion goes off.
    Shade 5/10% chance of surviving a fatal hit Can be helpful on bosses you are trying to kill for the first time, where one life can make all the difference. Though it goes without saying that you shouldn't rely on this too much, since the proc rate is unpredictable.
    To give an idea of how unpredictable it can be, I once had this proc 4 times in a row at Lotus, and that was after multiple runs of not seeing it at all.


    Training
    Class Effect Extra Notes
    Mercedes +10/15/20% EXP gained when defeating enemies -
    Evan +30/50/70% Rune Duration -
    Aran +400/650/900% EXP gained from combo orbs A very good pick early on, but loses effectiveness as you reach higher levels.
  • Skill Info

    [Beginner Skills]
    [​IMG] [Crystal Throw]
    Throw a piece of Rue at the enemy, dealing 40 fixed damage.
    The Resistance version of Three Snails. Your basic attacks are much stronger as a Beginner, so this is mostly a "for fun" kind of skill.
    [​IMG] [Infiltrate]
    Temporarily hide and move with increased speed. Lasts for 30 sec or until you attack.
    Cooldown: 1 min
    Dark Sight for Resistance beginners. It doesn’t make you immune to map hazards like the real thing, but it does stop bosses from targeting you. Infiltrate will prevent Magnus from initiating a knockback attack or dashing towards you, allowing you some breathing room while you wait for the potion cooldown. It will also stop Chaos Vellum from resurfacing until the buff’s end. Depending on the boss you’re fighting, it’s either kind-of-helpful or so useless it borders on detrimental. Overall, it’s a very niche skill with some clever applications if you’re creative enough, so it helps to remember its existence. I personally like using this skill when I need to reconfigure my V Matrix while training on maps where it's impossible to catch a breather.
    [​IMG] [Secret Assembly]
    Moves you to the Resistance hideout.
    Cooldown: 30 min
    Very helpful for job advancements.
    [​IMG] [Potion Mastery]
    Increases recovery rate from potions by 15%.
    Nothing much to note here.
    [​IMG] [Spirit of Freedom]
    Temporarily prevents damage after being revived. Multiple Resistance characters can stack the link skill effect and increase the duration up to a max of 8 sec.
    Prevents you from instantly getting killed after respawning. A must have for bossing.


    [Blaster Resource Mechanics]
    [​IMG]
    Your ammo is a resource shared between Revolving Cannon (an extra attack) and Detonate (a mobility skill). Both skills use up one charge, and when your ammo is fully depleted, Revolving Cannon and Detonate become temporarily unavailable for 1 sec, after which your ammo is fully reloaded.
    At first glance, it may seem like you have to make the choice between extra damage and mobility while sacrificing the other in the process, but at 2nd Job you learn Charge Mastery (and Advanced Charge Mastery in 4th Job), which gives you ammo every time you release a fully charged skill. As a consequence, resource management becomes a non-issue as you reach higher levels and you will rarely ever run into a situation where you are starved for ammo.
    [​IMG]
    Your Dynamo Gauge is a resource used exclusively for Bunker Buster Explosion, one of your strongest attacks.
    The Dynamo Gauge gains one charge whenever you use Revolving Cannon, and when it reaches at least 3 bars, Bunker Buster Explosion can be used, depleting the entire Dynamo Gauge and sending it into a state of overheat for 7 sec. While overheated, the bar cannot be filled up - this functions as a psuedo-cooldown for Bunker Buster Explosion. Bunker Buster Explosion becomes significantly stronger with each bar in your Dynamo Gauge, so you'll want to use it as soon as and only when you max it out.
    Make a habit of paying attention to your Dynamo Gauge; it's a common mistake for players ignore the gauge and lose out on potential Bunker Buster uses because they haven't noticed it capping out.


    [1st Job]
    [​IMG] [Magnum Punch]
    Unleash a straight punch in front of you, dealing 75% x 3 damage to 6 enemies.
    When used with Revolving Cannon, deals an additional 40% x 3 to the same number of enemies.
    One of your main attack skills, forming one half of the Magnum Punch+Double Blast combo. Its animation is automatically canceled with Double Blast, so you will often be using the two together.
    [​IMG] [Revolving Cannon]
    Uses 1 Ammo to deal extra damage and increase your Dynamo Gauge by 1. Can only be used during Magnum Punch and Double Blast.
    Reloads your ammo when skill key is held down.
    A final attack on demand. At 4th job, you learn a passive that essentially gives you infinite ammo while comboing, so you’ll always be using this with Magnum Punch and Double Blast.
    [​IMG] [Bunker Buster Explosion]
    Depletes the Dynamo Gauge to release a massive explosion dealing 100% x 8 on 10 enemies. Additional shockwaves are released based on how much of the Dynamo Gauge is used, and enemies caught in melee range have 80% of their defense ignored.
    When Bunker Buster Explosion is used with at least 3 Dynamo Gauge bars, releases Shockwave 1 which deals an additional 50% x 6 on 10 enemies.
    After using Bunker Buster Explosion, your Dynamo Gauge will Overheat for 7 seconds - during this time it cannot be refilled. Dynamo Gauge resets to 0 when Overheat ends.
    Requires at least 3 Dynamo Gauge bars to use.
    The single most powerful attack you get before 5th job. Wide area, tons of damage and available very often. Release it as soon as you max your Dynamo Gauge while bossing and use it to wipe out large packs of mobs while training. Keep in mind this skill also lunges you forward during its animation.
    [​IMG] [Double Jump]
    Leaps a short distance forward in air.
    Your generic flash jump skill. Some Blasters take points out of this so they can easily perform the Jumping Shotgun Punch combo and use Detonate to move around instead. I wouldn’t recommend doing that since Double Jump has less end-delay, making it much easier to mob with Double Blast while flash jumping through the air.
    [​IMG] [Detonate]
    Uses 1 Ammo to fire yourself backwards. Using the skill while holding the up arrow key will propel you upward. Can be used multiple times in air.
    Consecutive uses of backward Detonate will increase your speed, using it upwards will increase your altitude. Alternate between both, and you can fly from one end of the map to the other without hitting the ground. Detonate can also be used to push yourself to the top of the map and avoid hazards like Chaos Vellum's rocks or Empress' tornadoes.
    [​IMG] [Blast Shield]
    Permanently grants +40% Knockback Resistance, +200 DEF, and +20% Max HP. Grants 100% Knockback Resistance while using Blaster Skills.
    When hit by an attack, a protective shield forms around you, absorbing an amount equal to 40% of the damage taken. A portion of incoming damage will be redirected to the shield while it is active. 40%+50 of the shield dissipates every 1 sec, and it will disappear completely when your HP is healed to full.
    Makes you pretty tanky during the early stages of the game, but its usefulness wanes as you progress towards bosses with %HP attacks. At that point, the main use of this skill will be to proc Vitality Shield in 4th job.
    100% stance while using Blaster skills seems nice, but in practice it’s not reliable as it sounds. If you need stance, get the Mihile link.
    [​IMG] [Revolving Cannon Mastery]
    Permanently grants +30 speed, +15 jump, and increases your movement speed cap by 20.
    Deals an additional 75% x 1 damage when attacking with your Arm Cannon. The damage from this effect increases by 10% for each bar in your Dynamo Gauge.
    Your generic final attack skill. Nothing much to say. The full damage bonus applies when your Dynamo Gauge is overheated.


    [2nd Job]
    [​IMG] [Double Blast]
    Uses the momentum of your Arm Cannon to hit 6 enemies in front of you for 130% x 4. Can be used after Magnum Punch without delay*.
    When used with Revolving Cannon, deals an additional 80% x 3 on the same number of enemies.
    Optional command to activate: use Magnum Punch twice.
    The second half of the Magnum Punch+Double Blast combo. Double Blast is notable for its vertical range, so you can occasionally use it on its own to hit two platforms at once.
    *Double Blast is meant to be used after Magnum Punch, but keep in mind the combo is kind of slow until you get Combo Training, so you’ll have to put up with a bit of a delay until then.
    [​IMG] [Bobbing]
    Permanently increases Magnum Punch damage by +90% points.
    Moves you forward. This movement can be canceled by pressing jump.
    When Bobbing is held down, it begins charging, and when a fully charged Bobbing is released during the animation of another skill, it cancels that skill’s animation and immediately moves you forward.
    The skill that makes animation canceling possible as a Blaster. Your entire playstyle will revolve around Bobbing - more information on how to use this skill in the main body of this guide. A few things to keep in mind:
    • You can hold up to 2 Charge skills at once.
    • The charging animation is invisible. An orange glow surrounding your character indicates that it’s fully charged and ready for release.
    • Bobbing cannot cancel all skills (e.g. Ballistic Hurricane uppercut, Bullet Blast rush, Decent buffs)
    • The end of Bobbing’s animation locks you in place and prevents you from doing anything for a few seconds, so you’ll want to hit jump to cancel the animation before then.
    [​IMG] [Arm Cannon Boost]
    Increases attack speed by 2 stages for 200 sec.
    Your generic booster skill.
    [​IMG] [Arm Cannon Mastery]
    Permanently grants +50% Mastery, +30% Critical Rate and +20 W. ATK.
    Your generic weapon mastery skill.
    [​IMG] [Physical Training]
    Permanently increases STR and DEX by 30.
    Your generic stat booster skill.
    [​IMG] [Charge Mastery]
    Permanently grants +20% Damage.
    Charge time for all charge skills is decreased by 15%. After releasing a charge skill, you will gain 1 Ammo and all damage taken will be briefly reduced by 20%.
    A passive that rewards animation canceling. The damage reduction from this skill works on %HP attacks, so you can use your charge skills to partially guard one-hit KOs. More info about this in the main body of the guide. At 4th job, you get a stronger version of this passive that restores 2 ammo, so you’ll be able use Magnum Punch+Double Blast & Revolving Cannon without ever needing to reload.
    [​IMG] [Revolving Cannon Plus]
    Permanently increases the capacity of your Dynamo Gauge and Ammo to 4. Enhances the effect of the following skills:
    • Revolving Cannon Mastery: +20% points
    • Revolving Cannon during Magnum Punch: +40% points
    • Bunker Buster Explosion:
      • Initial Explosion: +20% points
      • Shockwave 1: +40% points
    When Bunker Buster Explosion is used with at least 4 Dynamo Gauge bars, damage increases by 40% points and Shockwave 2 is released, dealing an additional 100% x 6 on 10 enemies.​
    Upgrades your Dynamo Gauge+Ammo, a few of your 1st job skills, and makes Bunker Buster Explosion bigger and stronger. Nothing much to note.


    [3rd Job]
    [​IMG] [Hammer Smash]
    Permanently increases Double Blast damage by +90% points.
    Strike the ground, dealing 200% x 6 to 8 enemies around you. Enemies hit by Hammer Smash will receive 10% more Final Damage from your attacks for the next 10 seconds.
    When Hammer Smash is held down, it begins charging. When a full charge is released, it cancels the animation of any skill that is being used, and the attack will create a shockwave that persists on the ground for 5 sec, periodically dealing 150% x 2 on up to 8 enemies while it is active.
    An attack you’ll occasionally want to use to keep up its debuff. More info on how to use this skill in the main body of this guide. The shockwave will constantly refresh the debuff, but the generation of the shockwave is server-sided. With high ping, Hammer Smash becomes clunky to use fully charged, so if you lag a lot you’ll need to use the uncharged version to keep up the debuff.
    As a charge skill, Hammer Smash has all the same animation canceling properties as Bobbing, but the attack itself can only be canceled with Bobbing (or Weaving), so you’ll need to charge Hammer Smash and Bobbing (or Weaving) together to cancel Hammer Smash’s animation.
    [​IMG] [Weaving]
    Permanently increases Magnum Punch damage by +105% points.
    Moves you backward. This movement can be canceled by pressing jump.
    When Weaving is held down, it begins charging, and when a fully charged Weaving is released during the animation of another skill, it cancels that skill’s animation and immediately moves you backward.
    Basically Bobbing that moves you backwards. Everything that’s been said about Bobbing applies to Weaving too (except Weaving’s full charge is indicated by a yellow glow rather than orange). Your combos will occasionally displace you, so you can alternate between Bobbing and Weaving to stabilize your position.
    [​IMG] [Rocket Rush]
    Grabs one enemy for 140% x 2 damage and rushes forward, pushing up to 15 enemies in your path for 140% x 1.
    Your generic rush skill. Helpful for gathering mobs if your main attack skills can’t one-hit--can also be used to reposition them so your Bunker Buster Explosion hits more targets. Very useful in Mu Lung Dojo on floors where you're fighting more than one boss.
    [​IMG] [Magnum Launch]
    Delivers a powerful punch to the enemy you are holding with Rocket Rush and launches them a short distance forward, dealing 180% x 6 on up to 15 enemies.
    Command to activate: Press Rocket Rush again during Rocket Rush.
    I’ll update this section once I figure out a useful way to use this skill, but as it stands Magnum Launch is completely outclassed by your combos so there is no reason you’ll ever need to use it (though there is some entertainment value in launching mobs at your AFK friends). Magnum Launch won’t trigger on mobs that are above your level range, so if you’re training on higher leveled mobs and have developed a habit of button-mashing Rocket Rush, you’d best undo that before you level up.
    [​IMG] [Revolving Cannon Plus II]
    Permanently increases the capacity of your Dynamo Gauge and Ammo to 5. Enhances the effect of the following skills, overwriting the bonuses from Revolving Cannon Plus:
    • Revolving Cannon Mastery: +60% points
    • Revolving Cannon during Magnum Punch: +60% points
    • Revolving Cannon during Double Blast: +20% points
    • Bunker Buster Explosion:
      • Initial Explosion: +60% points
      • Shockwave 1: +80% points
      • Shockwave 2: +80% points
    When Bunker Buster Explosion is used with at least 5 Dynamo Gauge bars, damage increases by 80% points and Shockwave 3 is released, dealing an additional 180% x 6 on 10 enemies.​
    Further upgrades your Dynamo Gauge+Ammo+skills, and makes Bunker Buster Explosion even bigger and stronger.
    [​IMG] [Shield Training]
    Permanently increases Abnormal Status Resistance and Elemental Resistance by 20%.
    Overwrites the shielding effect of Blast Shield. When hit by an attack, a protective shield forms around you, absorbing an amount equal to 30% of the damage taken. A portion of incoming damage will be redirected to the shield while it is active. 40%+50 of the shield dissipates every 1 sec, and it will disappear completely when your HP is healed to full.
    Yeah, you read that right. This skill is a straight up 10% nerf to Blast Shield. Why? I have no clue, but you get Shield Training II at 4th job and its level 1 point starts at 31% (with 1% per level, ending at 50%), so I guess they wanted that skill to logically follow on from this one. That’s one heck of an oversight.
    [​IMG] [Combo Training]
    Permanently increases Attack Power by 15%.
    Grants 1 stack of Combo Training when you release a full charge or chain two combo skills. Final Damage increases by 3% per stack, Attack Speed by 1 per 6 stacks, Combo Speed by 1 per 10 stacks. Max 10 stacks.
    Another passive that incentivises comboing - you’ll have this up 100% of the time. The buff you get from 10 stacks allows you to combo faster, so you’ll need to adjust your pace depending how many stacks you have (slower below 10, faster at 10).
    Combo skills that proc Combo Training:
    • Magnum Punch+Double Blast
    • Shotgun Punch+Bobbing/ Weaving


    [4th Job]
    [​IMG] [Shotgun Punch]
    Permanently increases Double Blast by 140% points.
    Fire a hard-hitting shot that damages up to 6 enemies for 265% x 6. A shockwave is generated a short time after, dealing an additional 140% x 4 to the same number of enemies. Shotgun Punch can be canceled by Bobbing or Weaving without a full charge.
    Another one of Blaster’s main attacks, and the final one you learn at 4th job. This skill is notable for having slightly longer horizontal range and being slightly quicker than Magnum Punch+Double Blast, since it doesn't a require a full charge of Bobbing to cancel its animation. The shockwave also has a larger hitbox than the initial hit, making it very effective for mobbing once you are able to OHKO with it. More information on how to use this skill can be found in the main body of this guide.
    [​IMG] [Muzzle Flash]
    Permanently increases Magnum Punch by +160% points.
    Instantly teleports to a nearby enemy to perform an attack dealing 500% x 3.
    Command to activate: Press Weaving again during Weaving.
    A teleport that moves you to the target and ignores all obstacles in the way. Muzzle Flash is a skill that’s easy to forget, but it’s very helpful when you need to move to the boss and avoid potential danger on the way (e.g. using Muzzle Flash to move back into Magnus' barrier).
    Note that Muzzle Flash can only be triggered on mobs whose hitboxes are on the same elevation or below your character - the skill will not go off if the target is just a few pixels higher than you (looking at you, bouncy mobs). Muzzle Flash can only be activated by pressing Weaving again during Weaving, so try not to accidentally slide back into something bad while using this skill.
    [​IMG] [Ballistic Hurricane]
    Permanently increases Hammer Smash by +195% points.
    Unleash a cyclone of punches, pulling up to 12 enemies and damaging them for 1250% while the skill key is held down. When Ballistic Hurricane ends, finish with a jumping uppercut that deals 1250% x 5 damage and grants 10 stacks of Combo Training. Can be held down for up to 6 sec.
    Cooldown: 45 sec
    This skill is mainly used to buff yourself with 10 stacks of Combo Training (only applies if the uppercut hits an enemy) and skip that awkward ramp-up time after respawning. As an attack, it isn't worth much. I could see this being useful if the map was small enough to catch a majority of the spawn and OHKO every tick, but the odds of running into a situation like that are so unlikely the keydown part of this skill might as well not exist.
    Ballistic Hurricane leaves you mostly immobile and doesn’t do enough damage to make it worth using over your combos, but the vacuum effect does have some niche uses (e.g. rounding up mobs spread out between platforms with awkward placement, like the enemy NPCs in that Discovery Arena event from a while back).
    [​IMG] [Revolving Blast]
    Fully reloads your ammo, then teleports to the highest Max HP target in range, grabbing and stunning them. While holding the enemy, you are invincible, and you may use Revolving Cannon up to 6 times to deal damage and extend the duration of the grab. When ammo has been fully used up, releases a final explosion that deals 350% x 8 and ignores 80% defense. Dynamo Gauge resets to 0 when Revolving Blast ends.
    Cooldown: 150 sec
    Your first emergency button - use it when you’re in a sticky situation and about to die. Revolving Blast also makes you immune to status effects, so you can also use it to prevent things like Hard Hilla’s cage or Chaos Queen’s zombify. The invincibility can be extended by pressing Revolving Cannon (make sure you have this button keybound somewhere), but it will end automatically if you wait too long to press the key, so aim to use Revolving Cannon every 2 seconds or so if you want to drag out the immunity window as long as possible.
    A useful skill, but it comes with a few downsides that you need to keep in mind when using it. First, you’re immobile while invincible, but you can charge Bobbing, Weaving or Hammer Smash to end it early. Second, Revolving Blast will trigger a bind cooldown, so you--or even worse, the party--won't be able to bind the boss for the next 60 sec. Take care not to use it before important burst windows. Third, Revolving Blast depletes your Dynamo Gauge when it ends, so if you're holding 6 bars try to use Bunker Buster Explosion beforehand (of course, Revolving Blast is designed to be used in emergencies so that might not always be possible). Finally, the skill requires a target in order to activate, so make sure you’re actually facing the boss when using it.
    [​IMG] [Vitality Shield]
    Permanently increases Magnum Launch by +150% points.
    Consumes your Blast Shield to recover a portion of your Max HP. For the next 15 sec, the damage of all incoming attacks will be reduced by the guard bonus from Advanced Charge Mastery. This effect cannot be increased by buff duration.
    Cooldown: 200 sec. Can only be used while Blast Shield is active.
    Can be used as a self-heal in bosses with a pot cooldown, or in combination with Cannon Overdrive to ensure you won’t die from a OHKO right after using it. This skill requires Blast Shield to be active - if you’re on 100% HP you can force it to proc by using a 5th job skill such as Decent Sharp Eyes (if it's off cooldown) to take away some of your own HP.
    [​IMG] [Maple Warrior]
    Increases the stats of party members by 15% for 15 min.
    Nothing much to note. Every class gets this.
    [​IMG] [Hero’s Will]
    Removes minor status effects from your character and grants immunity to all Abnormal Statuses for the next 3 sec.
    Cooldown: 360 sec
    Minor status effects are things like Seduce and Seal - usually most common in early-game bosses such as Horntail. There are some status effects Hero's Will cannot dispel if they’re already active (such as Hilla's Cage or Pierre’s falling hats), but when used preemptively, it will prevent the affliction of any status effect for 3 sec, making this skill a powerful defensive tool when used correctly.
    [​IMG] [Revolving Cannon Plus III]
    Permanently increases the capacity of your Dynamo Gauge and Ammo to 6. Enhances the effect of the following skills, overwriting the bonuses from Revolving Cannon Plus II:
    • Revolving Cannon Mastery: +140% points
    • Revolving Cannon during Magnum Punch: +140% points
    • Revolving Cannon during Double Blast: +100% points
    • Bunker Buster Explosion:
      • Initial Explosion: +120% points
      • Shockwave 1: +170% points
      • Shockwave 2: +170% points
      • Shockwave 3: +170% points
    When Bunker Buster Explosion is used with 6 Dynamo Gauge bars, damage increases by 150% points and Shockwave 4 is released, dealing an additional 320% x 6 on 10 enemies.​
    This skill adds the final upgrades to your Dynamo Gauge+Ammo and makes Bunker Buster Explosion the biggest and strongest it can be. In case it isn’t obvious already, using Bunker Buster Explosion with 6 bars in your Dynamo Gauge will release every shockwave there is.
    [​IMG] [Shield Training II]
    Permanently increases Rocket Rush by +80% points.
    Overwrites the shielding effect of Shield Training. When hit by an attack, a protective shield forms around you, absorbing an amount equal to 50% of the damage taken. A portion of incoming damage will be redirected to the shield while it is active. 40%+50 of the shield dissipates every 1 sec, and it will disappear completely when your HP is healed to full.
    A buff to Blast Shield. Nothing much to note here.
    [​IMG] [Gauntlet Expert]
    Permanently grants +70% Mastery, +15% Critical Damage and +15% Boss Damage.
    Your generic 4th job mastery passive.
    [​IMG] [Advanced Charge Mastery]
    Permanently grants +35% Defense Ignore and reduces damage taken by 15%.
    Overwrites the charge bonuses from Charge Mastery, reducing charge time for all charge skills by 25%. After releasing a charge skill, you will gain 2 Ammo and all damage taken will be briefly reduced by 35%, including attacks that deal damage based on your Max HP.
    An upgraded version of Charge Mastery. A very important skill, as this is what makes it possible to perform No-Reload without running out of ammo.
    [​IMG] [Combo Training II]
    Permanently grants +40 W.ATK.
    Overwrites the combo bonus from Combo Training, granting one stack of Combo Training II when you release a full charge or chain two combo skills. Final Damage and Critical Rate increases by 5% and 3% respectively per stack, Attack Speed by 1 per 6 stacks, Combo Speed by 1 per 5 stacks. Max 10 stacks.
    An upgraded version of Combo Training that gives you more Final Damage and one extra stage of Combo Speed. As usual, slow down the pace of your combos when your stacks aren’t maxed, then go faster when you’ve maxed them.


    [Hyper Skills]
    [​IMG] [Cannon Overdrive]
    Charge your Arm Cannon to its limit, increasing the damage of ammo-using skills by 50% and reducing the overheat period of your Dynamo Gauge to 1 sec. Automatic reload time is also decreased by 70%. Lasts 30 sec.
    Cooldown: 210 sec
    This is Blaster's prime burst cooldown. While active, your Dynamo Gauge will not go into overheat, allowing you to build up and use Bunker Buster Explosion repeatedly with little downtime. This means you'll primarily be using No-Reload while the buff is active. To maximize the effect, Bunker Buster Explosion needs to be released the instant you max out your Dynamo Gauge.
    Any Revolving Cannon attacks used while capped are Dynamo charges gone to waste, and that reduces the amount of Bunker Busters you put out overall. You don't want to be in that situation since it's a big waste of this skill's burst potential, so be sure to pay extra close attention to your Dynamo Gauge and use Bunker Buster Explosion when it's full.
    Amusingly, you can also maintain infinite airtime with Detonate while this buff is active.
    [​IMG] [Hyper Magnum Punch]
    Permanently increases damage dealt by Shotgun Punch's shockwave on normal mobs by 30%.
    Charge forward and unleash colossal explosions that damage up to 15 enemies for 500% x 15. Upon landing, you gain temporary invincibility and release an additional shockwave that attacks for 250% x 8.
    When Hyper Magnum Punch is held down, it begins charging. While charging, the guard bonus from Advanced Charge Mastery is applied and the damage & number of shockwaves will be increased depending on how long it is charged for. While charging you cannot perform any other actions, and each hit you take while charging will increase the skill’s final damage by 5%. Can be charged for up to 5 sec.
    Cooldown: 150 sec
    Your second emergency button. Despite looking like a charge skill, it doesn't cancel animations or benefit from the charge speed bonus from Advanced Charge Mastery.
    The shockwaves from a fully charged Hyper Magnum Punch are large enough to cover the entire screen, but it takes so long to build up, it's not worth using as an attack.
    Instead, the true value of this skill lies in its i-frames. When you reach the target, you become completely immune to all status effects and attacks (the numbers still show up as though you did take damage, but this is just a visual bug). Much like Revolving Blast, Hyper Magnum Punch is used to save yourself from certain death, so use it when the other is unavailable, or vice versa.
    Once you begin charging Hyper Magnum Punch, there is no way to cancel it normally, but you can hold Bobbing beforehand and release it mid-charge, interrupting the skill and preventing it from going on cooldown.
    [​IMG] [For Liberty]
    Increases the damage of all Resistance, Demon & Xenon members in your party by 10% for 60 sec.
    Cooldown: 120 sec
    Your generic damage boosting hyper. Use when available, or in combination with your burst cooldown to further increase their effectiveness.


    [5th Job]
    [​IMG] [Rocket Punch]
    Loads up your Arm Cannon with armor-piercing ammo. For the next 45 sec, your attacks will deliver an earth-shattering punch that uses 1 ammo and damages 10 enemies for 355% x 8, ignoring 100% of their DEF. Affected skills:
    • Magnum Punch
    • Double Blast
    • Hammer Smash
    • Shotgun Punch
    • Ballistic Hurricane
    • Muzzle Flash
    • Hyper Magnum Punch
    Cooldown: 120 sec
    A very potent damage cooldown that should be used whenever available, or in combination with Cannon Overdrive during important burst windows. For the duration of this skill, Revolving Cannon is replaced, but Shotgun Punch will consume ammo, allowing it to build up your Dynamo Gauge and use Bunker Buster Explosion.
    [​IMG] [Gatling Punch]
    Grants 10 stacks of Combo Training. Throws a rapid barrage of punches to 10 enemies in front of you, damaging them for 2000% x 6, then continuously deals 900% x 5 while the skill key is held down. Can be held for up to 8 sec. Final Damage of this skill is increased by 10% each time you take a direct hit, and you are protected by Advanced Charge Mastery’s guard bonus while attacking.
    Cooldown: 60 sec
    Packs a serious punch if you manage to land all hits on a boss, but loses effectiveness on fights where you can’t stand still without dying. You can charge Bobbing beforehand and release it during Gatling Punch to quickly end its animation.
    [​IMG] [Bullet Blast]
    Grants 10 stacks of Combo Training, and prepares an explosive attack in your Arm Cannon for up to 5 sec. While the key is held down, you may use Revolving Cannon up to 5 times to increase its final damage. When the key is released, you rush forward dealing 3000% x 15 on 12 enemies, and release a powerful explosion that deals 2400% x 15, becoming even more powerful depending on how much ammo was used. Grants invincibility while preparing, rushing and releasing the explosion.
    Cooldown: 100 sec
    At full charge, Bullet Blast bites off a huge chunk of a boss’ HP. Well worth the time it takes to charge, until it starts capping - then it becomes less spectacular. This skill also acts as Blaster’s third i-frame, giving it quite a bit of versatility in its uses. Keep in mind the Revolving Cannon part of this skill is affected by ping, which can throw off the timing of its release and somewhat dampen its burst capabilities (especially if you're like me and lag so hard the skill releases before you can fully charge it).
    [​IMG] [Weapon Aura]
    Empower your weapon, increasing your Final Damage by 5% and Ignore Enemy Defense stat by 15% for 130 sec. Every 4 sec, your offensive skills will shoot forth an Aura Wave that deals 100% of that skill’s damage on 10 enemies.
    Cooldown: 180 sec
    The aura wave is nothing too special for Blaster since their damage is split between so many different sources (it doesn't copy the lines from Revolving Cannon or shockwaves from Shotgun Punch) but at max level it gives a nice Final Damage buff with high uptime, making it all around a good skill to have.
    [​IMG] [Resistance Infantry]
    Summons a squad of Resistance infantry to continuously blast 12 enemies with long-ranged attacks dealing 415% x 9. Lasts 10 sec.
    Cooldown: 25 sec
    Short cooldown and little-to-no casting delay - this skill is basically free damage. Use it whenever available, or in combination with your burst cooldown. The summons have decent vertical range too, making it an effective mobbing skill when placed close to other platforms.
    [​IMG] [Impenetrable Skin]
    Permanently increases STR by 25 and Max HP by 1250.
    Increases Status Resistance by 75 and grants immunity to all super knockback effects for 35 sec. Each hit you take while the buff is active will increase your Damage by 3%, stacking up to 10 times.
    Cooldown: 240 sec
    A largely situational effect. Best used during Cannon Overdrive and Rocket Punch, where you can unload your burst on bosses such as Magnus or Lotus without worrying about getting interrupted by a knockback.
  • FAQ

    Frequently Asked Questions


    Class Summary

    Damage

    + High, consistent damage throughout every stage of the game - starts strong early-game and scales well into endgame​
    + Decent burst capability​
    + Stable performance since class’ release​
    - Requires good character control in order to maximize potential​
    - Unaffected by Green Pot bug, meaning they are outperformed by several other classes​


    With solid performance at every level of funding and decent enough burst to hold their own in endgame bosses, Blaster is a strong class in its own right. However, in GMS the class falls behind since their attacks are unaffected by the Green Potion bug (more detailed explanation below), meaning in the current meta they're outperformed by several other classes, particularly Hero and Angelic Buster.

    However, perhaps one of the most notable things about this class is that even though it has consistently held the top spot in KMS’ DPM charts*, Blaster has received very few nerfs (the nerfs they did receive were minor and often had nothing to do with their damage), and the class continues to perform excellently while others receive an endless rollercoaster of buffs and nerfs. The developers themselves appear to be fine with the way Blaster is balanced, so fine in fact that at one point they even reverted what could have been a huge damage nerf to the class.

    The tradeoff, however, is that the class takes a considerable amount of effort and practice to play. High damage requires high effort - this is the intent behind Blaster's balancing, but due to GMS' Green Pot bug, there are a handful of classes who can match, or in some cases, exceed Blaster's damage output with a fraction of the effort.

    Despite this, Blaster can still be considered a strong class, and they are capable of doing high damage with little investment in their gear. A big draw of the class is their stable performance; they will rarely be targeted by nerfs as long as their high-effort playstyle remains the same (and if GMS were to fix the Green Pot bug in future, Blaster's safety would be guaranteed, though Nexon has said they have no current plans to fix this).

    As of 23 May 2020, these charts no longer exist.

    Mobbing

    + Has frequent access to a full-screen attack that is guaranteed to wipe everything in one hit​
    + High damage; more likely to one-hit mobs with attacks​
    + Does not suffer from animation lock on their skills - can consistently stay on the move thanks to their animation cancels​
    - Small range on main attack skills​
    - High MP consumption​
    - Long grinding sessions may not be realistic​


    Blaster is all around a solid class, but if there’s one area they fall behind in, it would be mobbing. Blasters are let down by the small range on their attack skills, and although they’re by no means the worst mobber out there, Blaster falls short of today’s standards where the best mobbers have huge mobbing skills or a spammable full map attack to clear entire spawns.

    However, this weakness is offset by their high damage and mobility, and under the right conditions, they can be an effective mobber. Blaster shines in large map layouts where they can use their movement to traverse the map quickly and kill mobs as they fly past them. And, assuming they are played properly, they are also excellent at earlygame leveling thanks to their high damage with no funds.

    Mobility

    + Can perform six consecutive jumps upwards/backwards​
    + Can quickly traverse large maps with ease​
    + Able to reposition/dodge boss attacks with precise movements​
    - Prone to slight accidental movement while attacking​


    Blaster has some of the most unique mobility in the game. With the ability to jump upwards or backwards up to six times, Blasters can easily maneuver through large maps without being hindered by ropes or awkward platform placement. Their effectiveness is only further enhanced by their animation cancels, which allow them to stay on the move without being slowed down by animation locks from their skills.

    Blaster can also be very agile while bossing. Mobility is built into their combos, allowing them to easily dodge attacks while keeping up their rotation. However, they are also prone to accidental movement while attacking, and without proper control it is very to get yourself killed by sliding forward/back too much.

    Defense

    + Capable of tanking one-hit KOs and super knockbacks​
    + Has three i-frame skills​
    + High early-game HP and defense​
    - Lacks reliable stance​
    - Lacks life steal​


    Blaster’s defensive capabilities are on par with that of a Paladin, but rather than tanking OHKOs passively, Blaster relies on timing their guard windows to protect themselves from attacks, and instead of one long invincibility buff like Sacrosanctity, Blaster’s invincibility is split up into three short i-frames. Blaster is up there as one of the tankiest classes in the game, but their defenses require active input and good control in order to be used properly.

    One notable weakness is their lack of 100% stance, which can be troublesome if you’re learning the combos. For first-time players, I would recommend Mihile’s link skill.

    Gameplay

    • Hard to learn, even harder to play perfectly
    • Very rotational based - combos stay the same in every situation
    • High APM, fast-paced gameplay


    These are things that are not necessarily pros or cons, but are important points to take into consideration when deciding if Blaster is the right class for you. Overall, I can only recommend Blaster to those who know exactly what they’re getting into, and don’t mind the high-APM madness of this class.





    Q: Is Blaster painful to play? [Top]

    A: This is something that will vary from person to person, so the only way to get an answer is by trying the class out for yourself. Generally any pain you'll experience will disappear once you get used to the combos--and I don't mean that in the "my hands are so numb I can't feel anything" way. When you get the combos down to muscle memory, it'll feel as natural as typing.

    This is all assuming, of course, that you're playing without any bad habits. Often Maplers pay no attention to the way they're playing Blaster, and this makes gameplay more painful than it should be. These are some of the most common mistakes:

    1. Hitting the keys too hard

    Out of all the bad habits, this is by far the worst one to have. You can probably get away with doing this on most other classes, but as a Blaster, just a few minutes of button-bashing is enough to make the class unplayable.

    You would be surprised how much of a difference this can make - for example, I can spend 3 hours grinding and not feel a thing because I'm relaxed & mindlessly comboing around the map, but I can also spend 15 minutes fighting a boss I've never killed before and start feeling wrist pain because I'm stressed and hitting the keys harder than I should be.

    Be gentle with your keystrokes - unnecessary force will just cause unnecessary discomfort, and this discomfort will add up over time, so it's imperative you undo any bad habits if you wish to play Blaster for the long term. It's also important to make sure you're using a good keyboard with keys that don't require too much pressure to press, because if the keys are hard to use, then just imagine how much of a bad time you'll have pressing 4 of those every second.

    2. Shoving all your skills on one side of the keyboard

    This is something you're likely to do on any other class, but as a Blaster, this is a very bad idea. Using one hand to attack and hold on to your charge skills at the same time is going to cause a lot of strain.

    Don't have one hand do all the work. Instead, use one for holding+releasing charge skills, and the other for attacking. When you split the load between both hands, Blaster gameplay becomes so much more manageable.

    This video by KMS Blaster shows an example of a good keyboard layout. Ultimately you should adjust your keybinds based on what you find comfortable, but what’s important is that you have skills on both sides of the keyboard so that you’re not putting so much stress on one hand.

    [​IMG]

    Now, depending on what kind of keyboard you use, laying out your skills like this might not always be possible, so if you absolutely must have everything on one side of the keyboard, be sure to pay extra heed to this next warning:

    3. Not taking breaks

    This is important, because even if you're able to grind for hours everyday without feeling any pain, you are still at risk of developing carpal tunnel or RSI. If you are concerned about your wrist health, I would avoid this class altogether. But if you are determined to play Blaster, it's extremely important to moderate your gameplay, as well as make sure you're taking the steps needed to care for your wrists (things like wrist exercises or making sure you have proper wrist positioning/overall posture).



    Q: Are Blaster combos affected by ping/lag/latency? [Top]

    A: Yes and no.

    Blasters are not affected by lag the same way Dawn Warrior, Battle Mage and Blaze Wizard are affected. With high enough ping, the gameplay flow of these three classes can be completely interrupted by lag.

    Blaster is not like any of these classes - you are able to combo at full speed no matter how far you are from the servers, so the gameplay will feel the same whether you are playing at 30ms or 300ms. With the exception of two skills (Hammer Smash and Bullet Blast - explained in the spoiler below), lag does not create abnormal delays in Blaster's combos--this is important to point out since it's a common mistake for new players to execute the combos incorrectly and blame it on lag. If you are experiencing any such delays, be sure to look back at the main body of the guide for common mistakes you might be making.

    The appearance of Hammer Smash's shockwave is delayed by lag, and this normally wouldn't be a problem, except you're also locked out of using your skills until the shockwave appears, making a fully charged Hammer Smash clunky to downright unusable depending on how hard you're lagging. Bullet Blast requires you to hit Revolving Cannon to charge up the skill, but any lag you experience will cause delays in your inputs. With enough lag, the skill may release before you're able to fully charge the skill.

    However, their ammo and Dynamo Gauge resources are severely affected by lag, which has a notable effect on the damage they can put out during burst windows. Ammo consumption is dependent on server response - changes in ammo are not immediately registered. With enough lag, this can lead to Blaster's Dynamo Gauge taking longer to build up. A Blaster player who lives far from the servers can lose out on potential Bunker Buster Explosion uses in Cannon Overdrive, which results in a significant damage loss over time.

    tl;dr, Blaster's overall feel and gameplay remains the same even at high levels of latency, but with enough lag, they lose a sizable portion of their damage, since they cannot use as many Bunker Buster Explosions due to the Dynamo Gauge being server-sided.



    Q: Is Blaster a good first class for a new player? [Top]

    A: Some veterans recommend against mechanically complex classes for first-time players, but if you don't mind the learning curve, there is nothing wrong with choosing Blaster as a first class. Their high damage with no funds makes them a fantastic pick for new players (though keep in mind their attacks will burn through your mana fast).

    Anyone can learn Blaster--in fact I'd argue new players are in a better position to learn the class than anyone else. For veterans who are used to the majority of Maple's classes, transitioning from a class that requires one button to a class that requires a lot of buttons is a major reason why Blaster is hard to learn. But a new player won't run into that problem; they'll likely have an easier time adjusting to Blaster's gameplay since they haven't yet experienced Maple's one-button classes.

    In the end, you should play what you like, even if you are a new player. If Blaster interests you, go for it.



    Q: Should I still play Blaster even if I'm not good at the combos? [Top]

    A: Absolutely. Blaster can still do plenty of damage even if their combos aren't performed 100% perfectly, and you'll naturally get better the more you play, so just keep going at your own pace and have fun.



    Q: What does "macro" mean for Blaster? [Top]

    A: You've probably seen that word thrown around a lot, but "macro" has two meanings for Blaster:

    First, third-party macros. These are programs used to automate entire combos so that they're usable in a single keypress. Nexon's official stance is that third-party macros are bannable.

    Second, skill tab macros. These macros are an in-game feature that allow you to use Revolving Cannon automatically after every Magnum Punch and Double Blast. Nexon has intentionally designed skill tab macros to work with these skills, so they are legal.

    So how can you tell the difference between the two when the word "macro" is mentioned? Skill tab macros are almost never brought up in conversation unless it's about No-Reload and how to set it up for the first time, so it's safe to assume that when people say things like "a macroing Blaster", they mean third-party macros.



    Q: Does Green Pot affect Blaster? [Top]

    A: Some background information - Green Potion is a consumable from Monster Park that increases your Attack Speed by 1 stage. On GMS, this item has the unintended effect of exceeding the speed cap, which allows many classes to attack faster than what is normally possible. Since Maple's classes aren't balanced around this fact, those who benefit from this bug gain a substantial damage advantage, while others (most notably Hurricane classes such as Wind Archer or Wild Hunter) are left behind. Blaster, unfortunately falls under the latter category.

    The full explanation behind how Green Pot affects Blaster is a little complicated (be warned: lots of "buts" and "howevers"), but basically, Green Pots do speed up the animations of Blaster's attacks, but since their animations get canceled by Bobbing, this effect is largely meaningless. Green Pots don't automatically make you faster; the amount of hits you do is ultimately determined by how quickly you can combo.

    However, it was discovered that Green Pots allow you to cancel animations slightly faster than normal, and that it's possible to break the 17 hits/9.5 sec limit of No-Reload and achieve 19 hits of Magnum Punch & Double Blast+one use of Hammer Smash+Bunker Buster Explosion in 8.61 sec at 1 AS.

    These are the conditions given by the creator of Global MapleStory's DPM chart, and he has shown a video of 19 hits in 8610ms being possible.

    HOWEVER, the only way you're going to achieve this is if your cancels are frame-perfect 100% of the time. Realistically, the increased ani-cancel speed is going to be near impossible to take advantage of since you're performing the combos manually, so a Green Pot won't do anything for you in the end.

    But it's worth noting Green Pots do have an effect on skills that aren't usually animation-canceled. The most notable of these is Detonate - with a Green Pot+DSI, you can use back-to-back Detonates faster and improve your mobility.

    So, tl;dr "should I carry green pots?" You can if you want, but in any situation where you're performing the combos manually, don't expect them to provide any sort of meaningful damage increase.



    Q: Do I need a mechanical keyboard to play Blaster? [Top]

    A: No. Blaster is playable on any keyboard--laptop, mechanical, whatever--the only requirement is that you're 100% comfortable with the keyboard you use.
  • Guide Version

    1.08

    Game Version

    205

    Changelog

    v.1.08 - Feb 5, 2021
    - Directing new readers to the Blaster Discord until this guide can be fully updated.

    v.1.07 - May 23, 2020
    - Updated FAQ section with new information on how lag interacts with certain Blaster mechanics (big thanks to the Blasters at Maple Central for this one).
    - Minor adjustments to skill descriptions in Skill Info tab to keep it up-to-date.

    v.1.06 - June 27, 2019
    - Removed invalid invite links to Discord server.
    - Fixed incorrect "Combo Training" description, where its attack bonus was incorrectly written as 7% rather than 15%. Skill Info and Build tabs have been changed to reflect this.
    - Added carpal tunnel warning to the beginning of guide.

    v.1.05 - June 13, 2019
    - Changed "Class Summary" section of FAQ page to include more information on how Blaster compares to other classes in the current GMS meta where 0 ATK speed is possible.

    v.1.04 - June 12, 2019
    - Updated 'Skill Info' tab to reflect the changes from v.205 - Pathfinder:
    • [​IMG] Hyper Magnum Punch: Now permanently increases damage dealt by Shotgun Punch's shockwave on normal mobs by 30%.
    • [​IMG] Cannon Overdrive: Damage boost now correctly applies to Rocket Punch and Bullet Blast.

    v1.03 - March 31, 2019
    - Reworded some parts of the intro for better flow.

    v1.02 - March 13, 2019
    - Added a few minor corrections to FAQ page, and included a new helpful tip in the No-Reload section:
    - "A good tip is to wait until the Bobbing key has gone all the way up on your keyboard before hitting jump" (credits to Andyy for this one)​

    v1.01 - March 9, 2019
    - Initial release!
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