Ice/Lightning guide: build, breakpoints and where to train
How many casts each monster takes at your INT and Magic, what it costs you in MP, and which maps give the most EXP per cast. Worked out from the game's own damage, accuracy and element formulas, so you can check every answer against your own character.
Your breakpoints copy INT, Magic and Accuracy from your stat window
Casts per kill: 1 · 2 · 3+. "2–3" means it's 2 on a good roll and 3 on a bad one, if every cast hits. "Hit" is your chance to hit that monster: in this version spells can miss too, more often against monsters above your level. MP and EXP per cast include the misses. Counted: magic defence, ice weakness and resistance, the penalty against higher-level monsters. Maps are ranked by EXP per cast with each map's monster mix; spawn speed, walking and other players aren't counted, so treat close ones as a tie. Leave Accuracy empty to estimate it from your INT and level.
Magic you need for the usual spots maxed Cold Beam, no Meditation
"Every time" means even your lowest roll does it. This table assumes your INT is about 1.3 × your Magic, like a mostly-INT mage; use the calculator for your exact numbers. With Meditation on you need 25 less Magic. Only monsters that are in Classic World right now are listed.
| Monster | Lv | HP | EXP | 2 casts every time | 1 cast every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jr. Wraith | 34 | 982 | 66 | 138 | 214 |
| Wraith | 48 | 2,350 | 122 | 238 | 358 |
| Skeledog | 44 | 2,134 | 102 | 245 | 367 |
| Mummydog | 47 | 2,513 | 117 | 270 | 403 |
| Copper Drake ice-weak | 45 | 2,379 | 107 | 228 | 344 |
| Drake ice-resistant | 50 | 2,950 | 133 | 350 | 518 |
| Croco ice-resistant | 52 | 3,136 | 146 | 335 | 496 |
| Skeleton Soldier | 57 | 3,872 | 183 | 347 | 513 |
| Red Drake ice-weak | 60 | 5,184 | 211 | 361 | 533 |
| Wild Kargo | 62 | 5,057 | 231 | 374 | 551 |
| Officer Skeleton | 63 | 5,976 | 242 | 444 | 651 |
| Tauromacis ice-weak | 70 | 9,328 | 337 | 478 | 699 |
| Commander Skeleton ice-resistant | 73 | 11,915 | 390 | 760 | 1098 |
Skill build, Lv 30 to 70
You get 1 SP at the job change and 3 per level, about 121 by level 70. The 2nd job skills take 140, so something waits; here's the order.
- Cold Beam to 30 (around level 40)Your attack for all of 2nd job. Basic Attack goes from 110 to 170, and its mastery climbs so your low rolls get closer to your high ones (14% → 77% of INT counts toward the low roll), which is what moves breakpoints.
- MP Eater 3, then Meditation to 20 (around level 48)MP Eater 3 unlocks Meditation. +25 Magic for the whole party, 5 minutes per cast.
- Teleport to 20 (around level 55)Cheaper and farther each point (55 MP at level 1, 15 MP at 20). Put 5 in earlier if you move between maps a lot; 5 points also unlock Slow.
- Thunder Bolt to 30 (around level 65)For packed maps later, and for your 3rd job. See below for when it's worth casting.
- MP Eater to 20, then SlowMP Eater gives MP back from monsters that have MP. Slow mostly helps when monsters chase you.
Some experienced Ice/Lightning players on r/MSClassicWorld put points in Meditation first while Cold Beam is still low, and use an SP reset later to move them into Cold Beam. It works if you'll buy the reset anyway, for example to fix 1st job points.
Is Thunder Bolt worth it?
At max, one Thunder Bolt does 47% of a Cold Beam to each monster it hits and costs 40 MP (Cold Beam: 22). So it only beats Cold Beam on damage when it hits 3 or more monsters, and on MP when it hits 4 or more, and it still kills them in the same number of casts. On most maps it needs twice as many casts per kill, so you spend more and gain little.
When it does pay: a map where monsters bunch up and stay in range, once you can 2-shot them with Thunder Bolt. Set "Thunder Bolt hits" in the calculator to how many you really hit per cast, and the "every monster" tab shows its casts and MP per kill next to Cold Beam's.
Keeping your MP up
Your MP per kill is casts × MP per cast: a 2-shot with maxed Cold Beam is 44 MP, a 3-shot 66. One extra cast per kill costs you 50% more potions, which is why breakpoints matter so much for mages. Track a session with the EXP tracker on two maps and compare EXP per hour before you settle.
Does a number look wrong?
These numbers are calculated, and the formulas aren't confirmed for this version yet. If the game shows you something else, tell us. Your calculator settings are sent along, so we can find what's off. Nothing else about you is.
Questions
How much Magic do I need to 2-shot Wraiths?
238 Magic with maxed Cold Beam, every time (213 with Meditation on). 358 Magic 1-shots them.
Should I max Cold Beam or Meditation first?
Cold Beam, unless you plan to buy an SP reset anyway. Cold Beam's mastery is what raises your low rolls, and a breakpoint only counts when even your low roll reaches it.
When should I use Thunder Bolt?
Only when it hits 3–4 or more monsters per cast and still kills them in as many casts as Cold Beam would. For most of 2nd job that's rare, so Cold Beam is the better use of your MP.
Where should an Ice/Lightning Wizard train at level 50?
Wherever your INT and Magic give the most EXP per cast, so it depends on your stats more than your level. Wraiths are a common pick because they have no magic defence: about 238 Magic 2-shots them every time and 358 1-shots them. Put your own numbers in the calculator above for your list.
Are these numbers exact?
They use the formulas OSMS Data Explorer read from the game client: damage, magic defence, elements, the level penalty and accuracy. What isn't counted: spawn speed, other players, and buffs other than Meditation. If the game shows you something else, tell us with the form above.
Data and damage formulas from OSMS Data Explorer, CC BY 4.0 (reshaped for this calculator). Skill descriptions: Magician skills. Build notes: players on r/MSClassicWorld.