Kain is a Bowman from the Nova faction who uses a new type of weapon, a Whispershot, to dish out powerful skills while moving with high mobility.
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His high damage potential is proven by his rankings on DPM Charts, where the class is usually ranked above half of all classes in the game.
In this class guide, we give you all the information you need on the Bowman class, Kain, in Maplestory.
Table of contents
Job information
Kain is a Bowman in Maplestory of the Nova faction.
The class uses a new type of weapon, a Whispershot, as his primary weapon, and another new weapon, Weapon Belt, as his secondary weapon.
Kain’s link skill is Time to Prepare, which has the following description: After completing Time to Prepare at least 1 time, then upon either defeating 8 enemies or attacking a boss 5 times, damage increases by 9% (17%) for 20 sec, for every 5 times you’ve stacked Time to Prepare.
The maximum level of this link skill is level 2, and at both levels 1 and 2, it has a cooldown of 40 seconds.
Kain’s legion bonus effect, like most other Bowman classes, is +X Dex (+10, +20, +40, +80. +100)
If you’re looking for a class with lots of damage, AoE for mobbing, and great mobility, then give Kain a try.
Chances are that you’re gonna have a blast training him with his flashy skills.
Be sure to check out our Maplestory training guide to ensure a smooth and fast leveling experience.
Skill build
Upon leveling up and attaining the next job advancement, you get three skill points.
Kain has quite a lot of skills, so what is the best way to build your skills?
In the following, we give you our take on the best skill build for Kain.
Like many of the newer classes in Maplestory, Kain gets enough skill points to max out his skills every single job advancement.
Therefore, you cannot do something wrong in terms of using skill points.
The only thing you can do is slow down your leveling a bit by putting skill points into the wrong skills.
However, once you reach the next job advancement, you’ll have maxed out every single skill, at which point it won’t matter what skill you maxed out first.
In the following skill builds for each job, we give you the number of skill points you should put into skills and then what skills you should max in order.
For example, in the 1st job skill build for Kain, you should put 1 skill point in Strike Arrow, Shadow Swiftness, and Grappling Wire at level 10 (when you get your three skill points from the job advancement).
At level 11, you should put 1 skill point in Shadow Step, Assassin, and Ghost walk.
From then on, you should put all your skill points in the skills listed with Max next to them in order (in the first job, you should max Shadow Swiftness first, then Assassin, and so on.
If we’ve listed two skills in the same priority for maxing, like we’ve done with Shadow Step and Grappling Wire in the 1st job skill build, it doesn’t matter which of the two you max first or whether or not you choose to put points in both at the same time.
1st job skill build
In the first job, you unlock your main attack skill, Strike Arrow, which you’ll use for the rest of the game, with upgrades later on, though.
You also unlock your main mobility skills, Shadow Swiftness and Grappling Wire.
The rest of your skills are passive buffs and one other mobility skill.
- 1 Strike Arrow, 1 Shadow Swiftness, 1 Grappling Wire
- 1 Shadow Step, 1 Assassin, 1 Ghost Walk
- Max Shadow Swiftness
- Max Assassin
- Max Ghost Walk
- Max Strike Arrow
- Max Shadow Step/Grappling Wire
2nd job skill build
In the second job, you unlock an upgrade to Strike Arrow as well as a passive (toggle-on) skill, Dragon Fang, that helps you farm faster by summoning small fangs that automatically target and attack enemies.
You also unlock Whispershot Booster after putting 5 points into Whispershot Mastery, which increases your attack speed, significantly increasing your damage output.
Kain’s gauge system is also unlocked at 2nd job, which enables you to enter possessed state where you can use Posses versions of some of your skills, making them stronger.
The gauge system is unlocked through the skill Possession, which automatically is maxed out for you upon getting the second job.
- 1 Strike Arrow II, 1 Dragon Fang, 1 Scattering Shot
- 3 Whispershot Mastery
- 2 Whispershot Mastery, 1 Whispershot Booster
- 2 Whispershot Booster, 1 Whispershot Mastery
- Max Whispershot mastery
- Max Physical Training
- Max Dragon Fang
- Max Strike Arrow II
- Max Scattering Shot
- Max Whispershot Booster
3rd job skill build
In the third job, you once again unlock an upgrade to Strike Arrow.
You also unlock the next major skill system for Kain, execute skills.
When using skills on enemies, you start placing marks on them because of the Death’s Blessing skill.
Enemies and bosses marked by this skill can be attacked with the new type of skills you unlock in the third job, Execute skills.
Execute skills are more powerful than regular skills and are great for bossing.
Using an execute skill on a marked enemy causes the mark to materialize, dealing extra damage and giving you a short-duration buff.
- 1 Death’s Blessing, 1 [Execute] Tearing Knife, 1 Strike Arrow III
- 1 [Execute] Phantom Blade, 1 Shaft Break, 1 Lasting Grudge
- Max Natural Born Instinct
- Max Grinding
- Max Lasting Grudge
- Max Strike Arrow III
- Max Death’s Blessing
- Max [Execute] Tearing Knife
- Max Shaft Break
- Max [Execute] Phantom Blade
4th job skill build
In the fourth job, you’re given access to upgrades to previous skills and both the Malice gauge system and Death’s Blessing.
You’re also given a couple of new skills, of which the Execute skills are the more interesting.
Dragon Scale, which gives you invincibility for up to 3.4 seconds, is also given at the 4th job, which is a useful skill against bosses.
If you see that you can’t make it out of a lethal attack from a boss, you can use Dragon Scale to keep yourself alive.
Other than that, you’re mostly just given more passive buffs in the fourth job advancement.
- 1, Advanced Death’s Blessing, 1 Falling Dust, 1 [Execute] Poison Needle
- 1 [Execute] Chain Sickle, 1 Dragon Scale, 1 Whispershot Expert
- 1 Grinding II, 1 Nova Temperance, 1 Whispershot Expert
- Max Whispershot Expert
- Max Grinding II
- Max Dogma
- Max Adapt to Death
- Max Advanced Death’s Blessing
- Max Nova Warrior
- Max [Execute] Poison Needle
- Max [Execute] Chain Sickle
- Max Falling Dust
- Max Dragon Scale
- Max Nova Temperance
Hyper skill build
Like with any other job in Maplestory, you should put the hyper skill point you get at each level you unlock an active skill into that one.
The active hyper skills do not share the same skill points as hyper passive skills.
Therefore, we are only listing the hyper passive skills that you should put your skill points into (in the passive tab of hyper skills).
Because some of the hyper passive skills that you want to put a skill point into aren’t unlocked at level 140 (the level that you unlock hyper skills and stats), we’re listing the hyper passive skills in the order of the levels at which you gain a new hyper passive skill point and what skill you should use it on at that level.
- 1 Whispershot Guardbreak (Level 140)
- 1 Whispershot Reinforce (Level 160)
- 1 Whispershot Boss Rush (Level 180)
- 1 Execute Guardbreak (Level 190)
- 1 Execute Reinforce (Level 200)
5th job (Nodes) skill build
In the fifth job, Kain gets access to a range of passive skills that improve the damage of skills unlocked in earlier job advancement.
However, Kain also gets access to four powerful active skills exclusive to Kain.
Like every other job in Maplestory, Kain also gets access to skills and buffs available for other jobs of the Bowman class.
It’s difficult to give an exact best skill build for the 5th job of Kain, as it depends on the situation.
Also, the higher level you reach, the more node slots you’ll unlock, making it easier for you to gain all the skills and buffs you want to use.
You want to focus on the following skills in no particular order:
- Strike Arrow/Chasing Shot Boost (Passive)
- Dragon Fang/Lasting Grudge Boost (Passive)
- Death’s Blessing/Unseen Sniper Boost (Passive)
- Chain Sickle/Poison Needle Boost (Passive)
- [Possess] Dragon Burst (Active)
- Thanatos Descent (Active)
- Grip of Agony (Active)
- [Execute] Fatal Blitz (Active)
Other great skills not exclusive to Kain that you also want to focus on include:
- Decent Holy Symbol (Buff)
- Decent Speed Infusion (Buff)
- Decent Combat Orders (Buff)
- Decent Sharp Eyes (Buff)
- Vicious Shot (Buff)
- Erda Nova (Bind)
- Rope Lift (Mobility)
- Guided Arrow (Active)
According to the Kain discord, the three perfect trio nodes you should aim for are:
- Death’s Blessing/Unseen Sniper Boost, Strike Arrow/Chasing Shot Boost, Dragon Fang/Lasting Grudge Boost (Primary)
- Scattering Shot Boost, Falling Dust Boost, Shaft Break Boost (Mobbing)
- Chain Sickle/Poison Needle Boost, Phantom Blade/Tearing Knife Boost, Any useful node (Bossing)
How to spend ability points
Kain is a job that belongs to the bowman class, which means that Kain’s primary stat is DEX (Dexterity).
Unlike at the beginning of Maplestory, you now no longer need to put ability points into any other stat than your primary one.
Because of this, you should put all of your ability points into DEX when playing as a Kain.
If you use the auto-assign feature, you’ll also notice that it recommends putting all your ability points into DEX.
No equipment that you’ll be using throughout the game requires you to have a specific value in another stat.
Therefore, using all your ability points on the stat that increases your damage the most is the best and only viable way to spend your ability points.
Skills
Kain has a bunch of flashy and powerful skills for you to explore.
Here is a complete overview of every single skill Kain possesses.
Beginner skills
| Skill | Description | Damage/Stats/Active | Skill use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facing the Past | Return to Toolen City. | Use to teleport back to Toolen City, 600 seconds cooldown. | Teleport to Toolen City |
| Time to Prepare | Make the necessary preparations to assassinate your target. | Link skill. After completing Time to Prepare at least 1 time, then upon either defeating 8 enemies or attacking a boss 5 times, damage increases by 9% (17%) for 20 sec, for every 5 times you've stacked Time to Prepare. | Passive damage buff |
1st job skills
| Skill | Description | Damage/Stats/Active | Skill use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strike Arrow | Lay down multi-arrow suppression fire. The arrows scatter fragments around enemies they hit, dealing additional damage to surrounding targets. Occasionally results in the manifestation of uncontrolled, wild Malice. | 70% Damage, Number of attacks 5 (350% total), Max enemies hit 4. Additional arrow fragment: 55% Damage, Number of attacks 5 (275%), Max enemies hit 2. (MAX) | Main attack |
| Shadow Step | Flit unseen through the shadows. Use the arrow keys to move in any direction. This skill can be used while using other skills. You are Stealthed while using this skill, and cannot be hit. When using this skill on the ground, use it again to make a sudden stop. | Quickly slide in current direction. +10 Speed passive. 10 second cooldown. (MAX) | Mobility |
| Grappling Wire | Shoot a special Drakas-made wire mechanism, hooking it to an overhead platform, then use this skill again to move along the wire. Press the key skill again, while on the move, to cancel the skill. Use the skill in conjunction with an arrow key to fire at a 45-degree angle. If you use this skill in the air, you will hover briefly. If you don't use the wire after hooking it to a platform, it will disappear. | Shoot a wire onto a platform, use again to move along wire. +10 Jump passive. (MAX) | Mobility |
| Shadow Swiftness | Allows you to double-jump. | Click jump key twice to double jump. | Mobility |
| Assassin | Power up to take care of the company's enemies. | +40 Attack Power, +35% Critical Rate, +50% Knockback Resistance, +15% Max HP, +200 Defense, -15% Damage Taken, all passives. (MAX) | Passive |
| Ghost Walk | Move more quickly and covertly. | +25% Avoidability, +20 Speed, +20 Max Speed, +10 Jump, all passives. (MAX) | Passive |
2nd job skills
| Skill | Description | Damage/Stats/Active | Skill use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Possession | Manifest your intrinsic ability to control an aspect of Satiras the Devil Dragon's power. Create Malice periodically, and/or when a Whispershot skill hits, and gain one Malice Stone each time it exceeds a certain amount. You can then use Malice Stones to enter a Possessed state that manifests the Malice of Satiras. When in a Possessed state, most Whispershot skills are enhanced as Possess skills. Using any Possess skill once will cancel the Possessed state. Possess skills ignore both cooldown and ammunition limit, though a Possess skill will go into cooldown after use. Possession can't be used while in a Possessed state. If you use this skill while in the middle of using an attack skill, you can be in a Possessed state without the casting action of Possession. While Possessed, you can control the Malice that results from a Strike Arrow. | Allows you to generate Malice, the gauge value of Kain, passively and by using Whispershot skills (13 per hit). Use this skill to consume 100 Malice or 1 Malice Stone (You can carry up to two Malice Stones obtained by collecting 100 Malice). Upon use, you enter Possession mode, which boosts most of your skills for 15 seconds. (MAX) | Gauge generation and mode activation |
| Dragon Fang | Enticed by the scent of death, the fangs of the Devil Dragon materialize on the physical plane. Dragon Fang is summoned when Kain's direct skill attacks hit beyond a certain number, is unaffected by attack reflection, and targets the enemy with the highest max HP. It follows Kain, but disappears when changing maps. If it disappears in this manner while it still has time on the clock, that time will translate into fewer hits required to activate the skill again. Can be toggled On/Off. Level 20 required to learn Grip of Agony. | Summon small dragon fang that hovers around your character and attacks enemies. 100% damage 4 times (400% total) (+50% damage against normal monsters), Summon duration 40 seconds, Max summons 3, Attack mode cooldown 3 seconds. (MAX) | Attacking summon |
| Strike Arrow II | Follow up a Strike Arrow with additional suppression fire. After using Strike Arrow, you'll have a certain window to use this skill. Activates Arrow Fragments in the same way Strike Arrow does. Required Skill: Strike Arrow Lv. 20 Level 20 required to learn Strike Arrow III. | 160% Damage, Number of attacks 5 times (800% total), Max enemies hit 4, +89%p Strike Arrow damage passive, +85%p Arrow Fragment damage passive. (MAX) | Follow-up attack when using Strike Arrow from first job |
| [Possess] Strike Arrow | [Possess Skill] Malice transforms your arrow to increase range and power. | Damage 200%, Number of attacks 8 (1600% total), Max enemies hit 6. (MAX) | Possess version of Strike Arrow |
| Scattering Shot | Scatter arrows across a wide arc. | Damage 120%, Number of attacks 4 (480% total), Arrows shot 5, Each arrow can hit up to two enemies, +30% Damage against normal monsters, Final damage decreases by 50% starting with the second arrow if a monster is hit by several arrows, costs one Scattering Shot cartridge to use, which are generated every 6 seconds (you can hold up to 3). (MAX) | Additional AoE damage, use whenever ready |
| Possess] Scattering Shot | [Possess Skill] A malice-filled arrow pursues the target. Automatically targets the enemy with the highest max HP, and is unaffected by attack reflection. | 135% Damage, Number of attacks 4 (540% total), Arrows shot 6, +30% damage against normal monsters. | Possess version of Scattering Shot |
| Whispershot Booster | Consume MP to increase the attack speed of your Whispershot by 2 levels for a short time. Required Skill: Whispershot Mastery Lv. 5 | Increase attack speed for 200 seconds. (MAX) | Attack speed booster |
| Whispershot Mastery | Increase Whispershot Mastery and Attack Power. Level 19 required to learn Whispershot Mastery. | +50% Whispershot Mastery, +40 Attack power. (MAX) | Passive |
| Physical Training | Your physical training grants you a permanent bonus to DEX. | +60 DEX. (MAX) | Passive |
3rd job skills
| Skill | Description | Damage/Stats/Active | Skill use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strike Arrow III | Follow up a Strike Arrow II with additional suppression fire. After using Strike Arrow II, you'll have a certain window to use this skill. Activates Arrow Fragments in the same way Strike Arrow does. Required Skill: Strike Arrow II Lv. 20 | 240% Damage, Number of attacks 5 (1200% total), +79%p Strike Arrow damage passive, +79%p Strike Arrow II damage passive, +80%p [Possess] Strike Arrow damage, +60%p Arrow Fragment damage passive. (MAX) | Third follow-up attack when using Strike Arrow from first job |
| Death's Blessing | Gives the blessing of death to enemies exposed to malice. Blessing is given to enemies hit by the death domain from Thanatos Descent and with certain attacks from among Possess Skills. When these enemies are attacked with Execute Skills, the blessing materializes to destroy the enemies from within. The merit from materializing the blessing temporarily enhances blessing of death and Execute Skills, and resets cooldown of Shadow Step. This skill negates attack ignore and attack reflection effects, and [Possess/Execute] Unseen Sniper isn't affected by the merit buff. Level 20 required to learn Advanced Death Blessing. | Places execute mark on enemies when attacking that will explode (materialize) upon using any execute skill on them. 90 Seconds maximum duration, 15 Stacks maximum. 140% materialization damage, Number of attacks 10 (1400% total), gives merit buff for 5 seconds. Merit buff increases final damage of Death's Blessing/Execute Skills by 10% and creates 10 Malice. (MAX) | Marks enemies that upon using execute skills deals damage and buffs you |
| Shaft Break | Fires piercing arrows, which then collapse together, pulling the enemies with them, and explode. The explosion is unaffected by attack reflection. | 180% Damage, Number of piercing attacks 3 (540% total), max enemies hit 3. Upon explosion, pulls in up to 7 enemies, 140% Damage, Number of attacks 10 (1400% total), Max enemies hit 7. Costs 1 Shaft Break cartridge to use, which are prepared every 8 seconds (you can carry up to 3). (MAX) | Shoots piercing arrow that explodes after a short distance |
| [Possess] Shaft Break | [Possess Skill] After the arrow explodes, a whirlwind of malice remains, tormenting enemies. The explosion (and only the explosion) triggers Death's Blessing. Both the explosion and whirlwind are unaffected by attack reflection. | 180% Damage, Number of piercing attacks 3 (540% total), max enemies hit 3. Upon explosion, pulls in up to 7 enemies, 220% Damage, Number of attacks 10 (2200% total), Max enemies hit 7. Whirlwind effect: 40% Damage continously, Number of attacks 3 (120% total), Max enemies hit 10. 11 Seconds cooldown. (MAX) | Possess version of Shaft Break. Shoots piercing arrow that explodes after a short distance, then puts up continously damage dealing whirlwind |
| [Execute] Phantom Blade | [Execute Skill] Deploy the Whispershot's hidden blade to shank enemies in front of you. | 155% Damage, Number of attacks 6 (930% total), Max enemies hit 4. (MAX) | Spammable execute skill |
| [Execute] Tearing Knife | [Execute Skill] Stab the enemy with a sharp dagger, then rip it out for fatal damage. Defeating an enemy with [Execute] Tearing Knife resets the cooldown of Shadow Step. Level 20 required to learn Fatal Blitz. | 210% Damage, Number of attacks 7 (1470% total), Max enemies hit 4, 4.5 seconds cooldown. (MAX) | Stronger execute skill with short cooldown |
| Lasting Grudge | Materialized malice gathers and crystallizes. When Kain's direct skill attacks hit around the created crystal, it activates to attack enemies nearby, unaffected by attack reflection. Can be toggled On/Off | Creates a crystal upon using a Possess skill or activating the death domain from Thanatos Descent that remains for 10 seconds. 90% Damage, Number of attacks 4 (360% total), Max enemies hit 1, +100% Damage against normal monsters, 0.3 second cooldown. (MAX) | Additional damage when using Possess skills |
| Natural Born Instinct | Awaken the innate, primal instinct of the Black Nova. | +20% Final Damage, +40 Attack Power, +20% Critical Rate, +10% Enemy DEF Ignore, +30 Status Resistance, +30% All Elemental Resistance. (MAX) | Passive |
| Grinding | Sharpen and hone yourself. Level 9 required to learn Grinding II. | +20% Max MP, +20% Defense, +75%p Scattering Shot damage, +80%p [Possess] Scattering Shot damage, +60%p Dragon Fang damage. (MAX) | Passive |
4th job skills
| Skill | Description | Damage/Stats/Active | Skill use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Possession II | Gain a deeper, more profound control over Malice. | Increase malice created periodically by 20, from Whispershot skills hit by 18, and increases max Malice stones you can carry by 4. (Max) | Passive |
| Advanced Death's Blessing | Enhance Death's Blessing through deeper malice, and turn the enemy's pain and fear into your strength. Required Skill: Death's Blessing Lv. 20 Level 10 required to learn Dragon Burst. | +5% max HP upon defeating 50 enemies, recover 3% of max HP when Death's Blessing materializes on a boss, +135%p Death's Blessing damage, +5%p Death's Blessing/Execute Skills final damage from Merit Buff, increase Malice created by 2 when Execute Skill that can materialize blessing hits. (MAX) | Passive |
| Falling Dust | Leap up high and shoot shock arrows downward. The shock arrows travel a certain distance, then create shockwaves to attack enemies nearby. Can be used without leaping when used in the air. | 420% Damage, Number of attacks 8 (3360% total), Max enemies hit 12, costs one Falling Dust cartridge to use, which are generated every 10 seconds (you can carry up to two). (MAX) | AoE skill that brings you into the air |
| [Possess] Falling Dust | [Possess Skill] Creates a shockwave, then calls forth a blast of Malice for a second strike. The shockwave inflicts the effect of Death's Blessing on enemies. The Malice is unaffected by attack reflection. | 420% Damage, Number of attacks 8 (3360% total), Max enemies hit 12. Malice Follow-Up attack: 240% Damage, Number of attacks 15 (3600% total), Max enemies hit 15. 14 Seconds cooldown. (MAX) | Possess version of Falling Dust, extra follow-up attack |
| [Execute] Chain Sickle | [Execute Skill] Throw a chain sickle, which swings wide in front of you. Then grab the chain and swing it downward. The swinging attack manifest the effect of Death's Blessing. Defeating an enemy with [Execute] Chain Sickle will reset the cooldown of Shadow Step. | 200% Damage, Number of attacks 6 (1200% total), Max enemies hit 5. Finishing blow: 200% Damage, Number of attacks 12 (2400% total), Max enemies hit 5, 7 Seconds cooldown. (MAX) | Strong execute attack |
| [Execute] Poison Needle | [Execute Skill] Slash the enemy to the front with a wide spin. Then somersault and shoot poison needles in all directions. When used in the air, you can float while shooting the poison needles. Not affected by Attack Speed increase buffs. The slashing attack will manifest the effect of Death's Blessing. Defeating an enemy with [Execute] Poison Needle will reset the cooldown of Shadow Step | 235% Damage, Number of attacks 8 (1880% total), Max enemies hit 6. Afterwards, 190% damage, Number of consecutive attacks 8 (1520% total), Max enemies hit 6. Continous attacks deal 290% damage for 12 seconds, 15 Seconds cooldown. (MAX) | Strong execute attack |
| Dragon Scale | Gather Malice into a shield, nullifying all attacks. Become invincible upon use. Hold the key down to maintain that state and move. Not affected by cooldown reset. | Hold use key to become invincible for up to 3.4 seconds, costs 8% Max MP per second, 38 seconds cooldown. +30% Avoidability passive. (MAX) | Invincibility |
| Nova Warrior | Temporarily increase the stats of all party members. Does not stack with Maple Warrior, Call of Cygnus, Nova Warrior, Hero of the Flora, President's Orders, Anima Warrior, or Rhinne's Protection. | +15% all stats assigned for 900 seconds. (MAX) | Buff |
| Nova Temperance | Hones your resolve to ignore certain abnormal status effects. Immune to Abnormal Status for 3 sec after use. | Removes abnormal status effects and makes you immune to Abnormal Status for 3 seconds, 360 Seconds cooldown. (MAX) | Abnormal status remove and immunity buff |
| Grinding II | Sharpen and hone yourself even more, pushing perfection to its limits. Required Skill: Grinding Lv. 9 | +30 Attack Power, +100%p Strike Arrow, Strike Arrow II, Strike Arrow III, and Arrow Fragment damage, +85%p [Possess] Strike Arrow damage, +75%p Scattering Shot damage, +80%p [Possess] Scattering Shot damage, +70%p Dragon Fang damage, +60%p Shaft Break Arrow and Explosion damage, +90%p [Possess] Shaft Break Arrow and Explosion damage, +15%p Whirlwind Attack damage, +75%p [Execute] Phantom Blade damage, +95%p [Execute] Tearing Knife damage, +60%p Lasting Grudge damage. (MAX) | Passive |
| Dogma | Formulate your own creed and overcome your limitations. | +20% Final Damage, +20% Critical Damage, +30% Enemy DEF Ignore. (MAX) | Passive |
| Whispershot Expert | Increases Whispershot Mastery and Attack Power. Required Skill: Whispershot Mastery Lv. 19 | +70% Whispershot Mastery, +30% Final Damage, +30 Attack Power, 20% Critical Damage. (MAX) | Passive |
| Adapt to Death | Adapt to death and fear. | +10% Damage, +10% Boss Damage, +20% Max HP, -15% Damage Taken. (MAX) | Passive |
Hyper skills
| Skill | Description | Damage/Stats/Active | Skill use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whispershot - Guardbreak | Whispershot skills, among Hyper Skills, 4th Job Skills, and other lower Job Skills, ignore more enemy DEF. | Level 140 required. Whispershot +15% Ignore Defense. | Passive |
| Whispershot - Reinforce | Whispershot skills, among Hyper Skills, 4th Job Skills, and other lower Job Skills, deal more damage. | Level 150 required. Whispershot +10% Damage. | Passive |
| Whispershot - Boss Rush | Whispershot skills, among Hyper Skills, 4th Job Skills, and other lower Job Skills, deal more damage to Bosses. | Level 150 required. Whispershot skills +15% Boss Damage. | Passive |
| Execute - Guardbreak | Execute skills, among Hyper Skills, 4th Job Skills, and other lower Job Skills, ignore more enemy DEF. | Level 150 required. Execute skills +25% Ignore Defense. | Passive |
| Execute - Reinforce | Execute skills, among Hyper Skills, 4th Job Skills, and other lower Job Skills, deal more damage. | Level 165 required. Execute skills +20% Damage. | Passive |
| Execute - Enhance | Adds a special ability to Death's Blessing's Final Damage increase. | Level 190 required. If you use Execute Skills during Death's Blessing's Final Damage increase, no attack will push you back until the effect ends. | Passive |
| Lasting Grudge - Reinforce | Increases Damage of Lasting Grudge. | Level 150 required. +50% Lasting Grudge damage. | Passive |
| Dragon Fang - Range | Increases Dragon Fang's range. | Level 165 required. +10% Dragon Fang enemy search range. | Passive |
| Dragon Scale - Efficiency | Recover HP while using Dragon Scale. | Level 190 required. Recover 7% of max HP per second while using Dragon Scale. | Passive |
| Chasing Shot | Shoot an arrow that chases the enemy. Not affected by Attack Speed increase buffs. If there are no enemies, no arrow will appear. | Level 140 required. 320% Damage, Number of attacks 6 (1920% total), Max enemies chased 7, number of arrows shot 3, +30% Damage against normal monsters, 30 Seconds cooldown. | Powerful active attack |
| Unseen Sniper | Focus your intentions toward a distant enemy, then fire before they see you. Hold the key down to increase your range. When you release the key, an invisible shot will shock the enemy. Not affected by Attack Speed increase buffs. | Level 160 required. 175% Damage, Number of attacks 10 (1750% total), Max enemies hit 12, Number of Shocks 5, costs one Unseen Sniper Cartridge to use, which are generated every 40 seconds (you can hold only one). | Powerful active attack |
| [Possess/Execute] Unseen Sniper | [Possess/Execute Skill] Shoot the enemy with an arrow concentrated with malice. The attack range increases as you continue aiming by holding the key down, and a huge arrow pierces when the key-down ends to deal a fatal blow. When an enemy is defeated with [Possess/Execute] Unseen Sniper, resets cooldown of Shadow Step. | Level 160 required. 200% Damage, Number of attacks 12 (2400% total), Max enemies hit 12, Number of Shocks 5, costs one Unseen Sniper Cartridge to use, which are generated every 40 seconds (you can hold only one). | Possess version of Unseen Sniper |
| Incarnation | Become Malice incarnate and grant others the ability to use Death's Blessing. Not affected by cooldown resets. Death's Blessing effects activated by other party member's attacks are unaffected by attack reflection. Level 1 required to learn Thanatos Descent. | Level 190 required. Duration: 40 sec., Damage: +15%, Attack Power: +15%, Knockback Resistance: +50% Increases Death's Blessing effect on Death's Blessing-related attacks by 13. When other party members within Kain's aura attack, the aura causes 6 Death's Blessing attacks, dealing 150% damage. Blessing of Death Cooldown: 3 sec. 180 Seconds cooldown. | Buff |
5th job (V) skills
| Skill | Description | Damage/Stats/Active | Skill use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strike Arrow/Chasing Shot Boost | Boosts Strike Arrow and Chasing Shot. | Lv. 20 - Damage on Normal monsters +10% Lv. 40 - Monster DEF Ignored: +20% Final Damage: +2% per level, Max Level: 50 (60 with Matrix Points) | Passive |
| Scattering Shot Boost | Boosts Scattering Shot. | Lv. 20 - Damage on Normal monsters +10% Lv. 40 - Monster DEF Ignored: +20% Final Damage: +2% per level, Max Level: 50 (60 with Matrix Points) | Passive |
| Dragon Fang/Lasting Grudge Boost | Boosts Dragon Fang and Lasting Grudge. | v. 20 - Damage on Normal monsters +10% Lv. 40 - Monster DEF Ignored: +20% Final Damage: +2% per level, Max Level: 50 (60 with Matrix Points) | Passive |
| Shaft Break Boost | Boosts Shaft Break. | Lv. 20 - Max Targets: +1 Lv. 40 - Monster DEF Ignored: +20% Final Damage: +2% per level, Max Level: 50 (60 with Matrix Points) | Passive |
| Phantom Blade/Tearing Knife Boost | Boosts Phantom Blade and Tearing Knife. | Lv. 20 - Max Targets: +1 Lv. 40 - Monster DEF Ignored: +20% Final Damage: +2% per level, Max Level: 50 (60 with Matrix Points) | Passive |
| Death's Blessing/Unseen Sniper Boost | Boosts Death's Blessing and Unseen Sniper. | Lv. 20 - Damage Against Normal Monsters: +10% Lv. 40 - Monster DEF Ignored: +20% Final Damage: +2% per level, Max Level: 50 (60 with Matrix Points) | Passive |
| Falling Dust Boost | Boosts Falling Dust. | Lv. 20 - Max Targets: +1 Lv. 40 - Monster DEF Ignored: +20% Final Damage: +2% per level, Max Level: 50 (60 with Matrix Points) | Passive |
| Chain Sickle/Poison Needle Boost | Boosts Chain Sickle and Poison Needle. | Lv. 20 - Max Targets: +1 Lv. 40 - Monster DEF Ignored: +20% Final Damage: +2% per level, Max Level: 50 (60 with Matrix Points) | Passive |
| [Possess] Dragon Burst | [Possess Skill] Channel your intrinsic power through the Whispershot, then blast it forward. Can be used when not in a Possessed state, and doesn't cancel the Possessed state. Every attack of Dragon Burst can grant the Death's Blessing effect. Required Skill: Advanced Death's Blessing Lv. 10 | Hold down use key to fire this skill. 800% Damage, Number of attacks 15 (12,000% total), Max key down duration 5 seconds, Max enemies hit 12 Max attacks during duration 15 (180,000% total damage per mob over duration). 90 Seconds cooldown. (MAX) | Massive active Possess burst skill |
| [Execute] Fatal Blitz | [Execute Skill] Move rapidly, dealing fatal consecutive blows to the front. If you defeat an enemy with [Execute] Fatal Blitz, it will reset the cooldown of Shadow Step. Required Skill: Tearing Knife Lv. 20 | Hold down use key to fire this skill. 600% Damage, Number of attacks 12 (7,200% total), Maximum key down duration 2 seconds, Max enemies hit 8, Maximum number of attack during duration 14 (100,800% total damage per mob over duration). | Massive active Execution skill |
| Thanatos Descent | Malice and death descend to the ground as you unite in spirit with Satiras the Devil Dragon. Use the skill again to launch a huge burst of Malice that floods your surroundings with unavoidable death. Among the enemies hit, the Arrow of Death will prioritize the enemy with the highest max HP. All attacks activated by Thanatos Descent are unaffected by attack reflection. Required Skill: Incarnation Lv. 1 | Duration: 35, Damage: +40%, Knockback Resistance: +50%, 40 Malice generated at a certain time, Breath Shooter skills generate 25 Malice when hit, Remain Incense cooldown is reduced to 1.5 sec [Arrows of Death] Damage: 1000%, Number of Attacks: 12, Cooldown: 3 sec When the skill ends or is re-used, become invincible and attack up to 15 enemies 15 time(s) for 1300% damage Cooldown: 180 sec | Huge full-screen attack and buff |
| Grip of Agony | Use the enemy's death throes as an offering to summon Satiras the Devil Dragon's Hand of Agony, which ignores attack reflection. Required Skill: Dragon Fang Lv. 20 | Passive Effect: Defeating 30 enemies or attacking boss monsters 25 times will harvest 1 Agony (up to 15 max) Active Effect: MP Cost: 1000, Duration: 6 sec, Requires at least 1 Agony. Consumes all Agony to summon a Hand of Suffering that deals 950% damage 6 time(s), up to 12 enemies. For every Agony, duration increases for 1 sec Cooldown: 180 sec | Passive buff and active continous damage-dealing summon |
Skill descriptions and values are gathered from the game itself, Maplestory Fandom, and Grandis Library.
Best inner ability
Kain can reach the attack speed cap in GMS without the need for an attack speed inner ability line.
Furthermore, Kain’s kit doesn’t benefit a lot from cooldown reduction, so don’t go for that either.
Instead, the best inner ability for Kain is:
- 20% Boss Damage
- 20% Critical Rate
- 8% Abnormal Damage
Other inner abilities that are great for Kain if you don’t have the resources to keep resetting your inner ability include % Attack, flat Attack, Mesos Obtained (Reboot only for farming while training), and Drop Rate, also for farming.
Cash Shop sharing
Being a Bowman of the Nova faction, Kain shares his Cash Shop inventory with the other Jobs from the Nova faction.
Specifically, Kain shares his Cash Shop inventory with:
- Kaiser
- Cadena
- Angelic Buster
You can transfer any Cash Item you can put into the Cash Shop between the characters of these jobs.
That’s everything you need to know about the Kain job in Maplestory!
Have any input or suggestions for this guide? Let us know in the comment section below.
