Lara, an Anima mage, is a unique addition to MapleStory, wielding the power of land spirits and magic. She interacts with Dragon Veins, which spawn periodically, using a variety of elemental skills to control the battlefield and deal damage. This makes her a dynamic and engaging class.
Lara’s Class and Lore
Lara is an INT-based mage belonging to the Anima class group, originating from Grandis. She awakens her powers through a mysterious bell, bonding with land spirits. Driven by legend, Lara’s skills revolve around manipulating Dragon Veins with elemental attributes like River, Wind, and Sun. These veins are crucial for activating her abilities, making her a very unique class within MapleStory, with its own lore.
Lara’s Core Mechanics
Lara’s gameplay centers around Dragon Veins, which spawn around her, and her skills that interact with them. These skills are divided into Eruption and Manifestation types, each with unique effects.
Dragon Vein System
Lara’s unique mechanic revolves around Dragon Veins, which periodically appear in her surroundings. These veins possess different attributes⁚ River, Wind, or Sun. Activating a Dragon Vein using Lara’s skills triggers varied effects based on its attribute. This system requires players to be aware of their surroundings and use their skills strategically to maximize damage and control the battlefield. Mastering the Dragon Vein system is key to effectively playing Lara.
Eruption and Manifestation Skills
Lara’s skills are divided into Eruption and Manifestation categories. Eruption skills draw out the power of Dragon Veins, increasing damage output and providing additional effects. Manifestation skills, like Sunlight-Filled Ground or Where the River Courses, create specific effects based on the Dragon Vein attributes. Understanding how to combine Eruption and Manifestation skills is crucial for unleashing Lara’s full potential in combat scenarios, making her a formidable force.
Lara’s Skills Overview
Lara’s skill set is diverse, encompassing both offensive and supportive abilities. Her skills revolve around Dragon Veins, with a variety of options for both mobbing and single target damage, making her a flexible character.
First Job Skills
In her first job, Lara gains access to fundamental abilities like Essence Sprinkle, her primary attacking skill that can hit multiple enemies. She also acquires skills such as Jump for Joy! and Peerless Mountain, which add to her mobility and utility. These starting skills establish the foundation for her playstyle, focusing on summoning and elemental magic. All first job skills can be maxed, allowing for a fully optimized start to her adventure.
Key Skills for Combat
Lara’s combat prowess is heavily reliant on her Dragon Vein skills, divided into Eruption and Manifestation categories. Eruption skills draw power from the veins, while Manifestation skills create terrain effects, such as Sunlight-Filled Ground, River Courses, and Wind Swing, each offering unique benefits. Managing these skills and their interactions with the veins is crucial for maximizing her damage output and battlefield control. Mastering this system is key to unlocking her full potential.
Lara’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Lara excels in fast-paced combat, agility, and dealing both single target and group damage. However, her effectiveness relies on active management of summons and Dragon Veins. This can be demanding for some players.
Advantages in Combat
Lara’s combat prowess stems from her ability to swiftly move around and unleash a diverse array of attacks. She can effectively target single enemies while also being able to clear groups of mobs with ease, making her adaptable to different combat scenarios. Her reliance on Dragon Veins adds an additional layer of tactical depth, allowing her to amplify her skills by drawing power from the earth. This makes her a great choice for players who enjoy classes with high mobility and fast-paced gameplay.
Mobbing and Bossing Capabilities
Lara demonstrates strong potential in both mobbing and bossing scenarios, although she requires active management of her summons to achieve her peak performance. Her ability to control the battlefield and deal substantial damage makes her a formidable opponent against both large groups of enemies and single, powerful bosses. While she can be a great mobber, players will need to be engaged and manage her summons and skills actively for optimal results. This makes her a versatile class.
Lara’s Skill Build Guide
When building Lara, prioritize skills like Nature Master and Best Friend. In-Depth Geomancy and Insight are also crucial. Max all first job skills. Focus on skills enhancing damage and those that support her playstyle.
Recommended Skill Priorities
For Lara, prioritize maxing her first job skills, especially Essence Sprinkle, as it’s her main attack. Focus on skills that enhance her Dragon Vein interactions, like those related to Eruption and Manifestation. In later jobs, skills that boost damage and mobility should take precedence. Prioritize skills that offer the highest damage output or provide essential utility for your chosen playstyle. Don’t neglect passive skills that offer permanent stat boosts or enhance your damage output. Ensure you have a balanced skill set for both mobbing and bossing.
Link Skill and its Effect
Lara’s link skill, “Nature’s Friend,” activates after defeating 20 monsters. This grants an 11% damage increase against normal monsters for 30 seconds, with a 30-second cooldown. This link skill is beneficial for leveling and grinding, as it significantly boosts damage output when clearing mob-heavy areas. It encourages active play and ensures a consistent damage buff when actively engaged in combat with regular monsters, making it a reliable part of her combat kit.
Lara’s Survivability
Lara boasts several survival tools, including a damage reduction iframe, a teleport, and Anima Lotus, which provides an extra life in late-game boss battles. These tools enhance her survivability.
Defensive Tools and Skills
Lara’s defensive capabilities are bolstered by several key tools and skills. She possesses a damage reduction iframe, a standard mage node iframe providing temporary invulnerability, and a teleport skill for quick repositioning. Furthermore, the ‘Mountain Embrace’ skill adds an extra shield, enhancing her ability to withstand incoming damage. These defensive options make Lara a resilient character in combat situations, allowing her to mitigate damage and maintain her position effectively.
I-Frames and Extra Lives
Lara has access to valuable invincibility frames (i-frames) through skills like the normal mage node iframe, which is essential for avoiding dangerous boss attacks. In addition, she can utilize ‘Anima Lotus’ which provides an extra life in late-game boss encounters, offering a significant safety net. These mechanics combine to make her surprisingly durable, enhancing her survivability and allowing for more aggressive play styles.
Lara’s Enhancement Nodes
Lara’s enhancement nodes can be leveled up to 50 (or 60 with Matrix Points), boosting the effectiveness of her skills. Final damage bonuses from enhancements increase linearly, with notable jumps at levels 10, 20, and 30.
Node Leveling and Bonuses
Enhancement nodes for Lara can be leveled up to a maximum of 50, and with Matrix Points, this can reach level 60. These nodes provide significant boosts to her skills, enhancing their damage and overall effectiveness. Leveling the nodes is crucial for maximizing Lara’s combat potential, particularly in late-game content. Each level of a node grants a linear increase in final damage, with substantial jumps at levels 10, 20, and 30, making those milestones important for progression.
Final Damage Increase
Lara’s final damage is significantly boosted through her enhancement nodes. The final damage bonuses from these enhancements increase linearly with each level, providing a consistent progression in power. However, there are notable jumps in the final damage increase at levels 10, 20, and 30, making these levels particularly impactful for optimizing her damage output. This system encourages players to invest in leveling up her nodes to achieve maximum damage potential in combat.
Community and Resources
Players can engage on the official MapleStory forums to discuss Lara. Also, there are community-created guides and videos which provide valuable insights, tips, and strategies to master the class.
Official MapleStory Forums
The official MapleStory forums serve as a central hub for players to connect, share experiences, and seek assistance regarding Lara. Here, you can engage in discussions about her gameplay, skill builds, and strategies. The forums provide a platform to interact with fellow MapleStory enthusiasts, ask questions, and find valuable information about Lara’s mechanics and optimal playstyles. It’s a great place to stay updated on any changes or adjustments to the class.
Community Guides and Videos
Numerous community-created guides and videos offer in-depth analyses of Lara’s gameplay. These resources, often found on platforms like YouTube and fan sites, provide visual demonstrations of her skills, combat tactics, and mobbing strategies. Content creators share their personal experiences and tips, showcasing various skill builds and gear setups. This wealth of community knowledge allows players to learn from experienced users and enhance their understanding of Lara.