Current class read
Ice/Lightning is about setting Frost before the lightning payoff.
The current ILM baseline keeps Chain Lightning as the final basic attack and does not keep Ice Strike in the finished 4th Job tabs. The practical build uses both Nimble Feet and Elquines, then treats boss and Stage Breakthrough as the same starting preset until cooldown timing proves otherwise.
Chain Lightning replaces the older basic attacks
After 4th Job, Chain Lightning is the default basic-attack effect. Energy Bolt, Cold Beam, and Ice Strike should not sit in the final auto tabs.
Frost stacks make lightning skills pay off
Freezing Effect and Frozen Break reward Frost uptime, while Frost Clutch turns those Frost stacks into lightning skill damage.
Freezing Breath is the cooldown-sensitive slot
Move the frost-wave slot only when the boss timing needs it. The goal is to hit the boss with it once or twice, not to keep a pretty fixed order.
Elquines stays in the 4th Job setup
The current sheet correction keeps the level 115 summon in the build. Do not drop it just to preserve older 3rd Job habits.
Nimble Feet is still part of the page
Keep Nimble Feet when MP and cooldown order support it. In PvP, place it after the better attack buffs so buff removal is less punishing.
Skills and job data
Use MSI Jobs for exact skill data, then use this page for content setup.
The guide uses official skill names from the local Jobs data. If you call the cooldown-sensitive skill a frost wave in Discord, this page places that note on Freezing Breath because that is the 4th Job frost-breath active skill in the current reference.
Final basic-attack effect. Keep it over Ice Strike after the 4th Job setup is online.
Final Damage window. Put it before the part of the fight that survives.
Ice setup and random-target damage. Important because ice hits support the Frost-stack engine.
Cooldown-sensitive frost-wave slot. Move it when boss timing needs the hit to land later.
Moving ice damage. Stronger when it touches the real target instead of empty map space.
Level 115 summon. Keep it in current 4th Job pages unless your test proves a shorter fight cannot use it.
Applies Frost from ice skills. This is why ice skills are not just filler before lightning damage.
Converts Frost stacks into lightning skill damage. It is the reason the boss order starts with ice setup.
Current checks
Check these before rerolling the whole page.
Most ILM failures are not solved by copying a prettier order. Check whether Crit Rate is solved, whether Freezing Breath actually hits the boss, whether MP stays above useful thresholds, and whether the content wants normal-mob damage or boss damage.
Book stays high until Crit Rate is solved
If the account does not have reliable Crit Rate without it, Book of Ancient stays above greedier damage swaps.
Hexagon is strongest in longer fights
Use Hexagon Necklace when the fight lasts long enough to stack. Short walls may need opener or immediate-damage tests instead.
Bottle is the broad damage comparison
Bottle of Emotion is a clean test in many content types before moving into more specialized boss-window artifacts.
Buccaneer and Corsair are companion tests
Recent source-channel discussion had players testing Buccaneer and Corsair pages. Treat them as account checks, not automatic replacements for the content baseline.
Buff order matters most in PvP
The sheet places Nimble Feet after stronger attack buffs in PvP so buff removal does not take away the best buff first.
Content setups
Open the content you are building for.
Each content setup follows the same guide order: skill tabs, main and alt companion, six sub companions, ability priority, artifact order, then notes. Start from the listed row, then change only the piece that matches the failed result.
Manual timing
Manual only when timing changes the boss hit.
Full auto is the default for farming. Manual play is worth testing when Stage Breakthrough or boss walls fail because Freezing Breath, Frozen Orb, Elquines, or companion timing misses the target that survives.
For Stage Breakthrough, use the boss page first. Change it only after seeing which wave or boss timing fails.
If the frost-wave hit lands before the boss appears, move it later. If it only hits once and the fight is long, test an earlier slot.
Older manual Frost-stack tricks are not the current default. Chain Lightning stays as the final basic attack.
Meditation, Infinity, and Nimble Feet should be active before the target that survives takes the big hits.
If the loss is Crit Rate, MP, misses, or raw boss damage, fix that stat page instead of forcing more manual casts.
Cubing priority
Prioritise the stat that explains the failed content.
ILM can look worse than it is when min/max lines are high but Crit Rate, normal damage, boss damage, or MP sustain are lagging. Use the failed result as the tie-breaker.
- Solve Crit Rate first.Book and F/P companion value drop only after Crit Rate is reliable.
- Use Normal Monster Damage for farming walls.Chapter Hunt, EXP, and equipment farming should be judged by KPM and EXP per minute.
- Use Boss Damage for boss walls.Chapter Boss, World Boss, Boss Raid, and single durable dungeon targets need the boss page.
- Add Skill Damage and Critical Damage after the basics.These scale the actual payoff once the hits are critting and landing.
- Keep MP sustain when the page dries out.Attack Speed and high-cost skills lose value if MP drops before the target that matters.
Star Force priority
Spend Star Force where it changes the next clear.
Use Star Force for gates, damage walls, and survival checks. Stop spending when the next failed result is Crit Rate, Freezing Breath timing, companion value, or hit rate.
- Unlock the next content gate.Prioritise requirements that open the next map, dungeon, or boss attempt.
- Push weapon when damage is the wall.Boss and Stage Breakthrough walls usually care about weapon-side pressure first.
- Raise armor when the run dies.PvP, Guild War, and boss mechanics can require survival before more damage matters.
- Re-test after 4th Job breakpoints.Chain Lightning, Infinity, and Elquines can change which upgrade feels best.
Tips and FAQ
Checks that explain most failed Ice/Lightning pages.
- Boss preset works for Stage Breakthrough.Use it first, then move Freezing Breath if it misses the boss timing.
- Do not keep 3rd Job basic in the final page.Ice Strike can explain older Frost-stack discussion, but Chain Lightning is the current 4th Job basic.
- Use both Nimble Feet and Elquines.The current sheet correction keeps both in the 4th Job setup.
- Hunt order is less strict after the buffs.For Chapter Hunt, keep Teleport and buffs early, then judge by KPM and EXP per minute.
- Ice skills first is a passive decision.Frost stacks feed Frozen Break and Frost Clutch, so the order is not just cosmetic.
- Freezing Breath is not always the same slot.Move it by cooldown so it lands on the boss one or two times.
- Source-channel stat advice is practical.If min/max is huge but other lines are weak, move value into Crit Rate, Boss Damage, Normal Monster Damage, or Main Stat.
- Compare Buccaneer and Corsair only when close.They showed up in companion testing, but the baseline still starts from the content effect you need.
- Do not read this as a tier list.Main-channel discussion compares ILM, Bishop, Marksman, Hero, and Dark Knight by account state. Use the page to build ILM cleanly, not to claim a settled rank.
FAQ
Common Ice/Lightning questions
Does Ice Strike stay in my 4th Job tabs?
No for the current baseline. Ice Strike is the 3rd Job basic-attack effect. The current guide keeps Chain Lightning as the 4th Job basic and does not keep Ice Strike in the finished active tabs.
Does the boss preset work for Stage Breakthrough?
Yes as the starting point. Move Freezing Breath if the boss spawns before or after the frost-wave hit. The goal is for the boss to be hit one or two times.
What is the frost-wave slot?
This page uses the official skill name Freezing Breath. If your Discord note says frost wave, treat that as the cooldown-sensitive Freezing Breath timing note unless a future source proves a different skill.
Why is Nimble Feet not first in PvP?
The source sheet places Nimble Feet after stronger attack buffs for PvP. If an enemy removes a buff, losing Nimble Feet is better than losing Meditation first.
Is Ice/Lightning better than Bishop or Marksman?
This page does not claim a settled tier list. The class-channel scan had mixed account-dependent discussion: ILM can feel strong in its own setup, while Bishop, Marksman, Hero, and Dark Knight comparisons change by content and investment.
Guide changelog
Updates
- - Added the Ice/Lightning class guide with Mochichiz / seonoo skill baseline, current ILM corrections, 16 content setup rows including Remnant of the Goddess, compact sources, and Shadower-style companion and artifact sections.
- Mochichiz / seonoo Ice/Lightning reference sheet in MSI Discord source, checked May 29, 2026.
- Main MapleStory Idle RPG Discord Ice/Lightning channel, checked May 29, 2026.
- MapleStory Idle Wiki Arch Mage (Ice Lightning) skills, checked May 29, 2026.
- MSI Companion Setup and Priority Guide and MSI Artifact Priority Guide, used for cross-content companion and artifact baselines.