This post was created as part of my activities with Nexon PEAK.

Hello, I’m 이호, an adventurer living in Erinn!
Who’s getting back into RPGs after 10 years away?

“That would be me.”

When you start a mobile RPG, choosing a class can be tricky. You might like how one looks in combat but worry about the controls, or find a class description interesting only to discover that it feels different to play. If that sounds familiar, I’d like to recommend 2 classes in Mabinogi Mobile.

• If RPGs are completely new to you, I recommend the Monk, which can rely on auto-battle for most fights.

• If you’d like to learn how a damage rotation works as you play, I’d suggest the Crossbowman.

I play both classes: the Monk on my alt and the Crossbowman on my main. I’ll share how I ended up playing each one and what I looked at when choosing them.

Mabinogi Mobile has a Class-Specific Assist feature to help with auto-battle. It lets you manage fairly well in combat without understanding every skill right away, so it’s worth getting familiar with as you consider these classes.

Once you reach class level 30, I’m told the basic assist becomes “Class-Specific Assist,” removing the delay between the assist’s skill uses.

You can adjust it under [Menu (≡)] → [Settings] → [Game] →[Assist Mode], where you can turn individual skills on or off to suit your preferences.

Auto-battle using Class-Specific Assist

If you only play on mobile or are new to RPGs, you may still be getting used to damage rotations and skills. If so, keep this feature in mind and give it a try.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the 2 classes I recommend.

My recommendations depend on how you want to play: whether you’d prefer to rely entirely on auto-battle or use skills yourself to work toward a more efficient damage rotation.

My first recommendation is the Monk!
This is the class I play on my alt. It has strong healing, plenty of durability, and, above all, attacks that feel satisfying to land. Its efficient auto-battle performance is the main reason I’m introducing it first, but the flashy moves and enjoyable combat are worth mentioning too.

The Monk is an advanced class in the Healer line. The name might make you expect a class that only heals, but watch the video on the official YouTube channel and you’ll see how good its quarterstaff combat looks too.

The Monk’s skill 1, Rush, and skill 4, Heal, both provide healing, while skill 3, Guardian Circle, and skill 6, Fortress of Faith, provide shields. This makes it hard to take down in most situations, as well as a great help to allies.

It’s considered one of the easiest classes to play with auto-battle, and I’d happily recommend it for either your first character or an alt. (I even convinced someone I know to try it, and they’ve told me they’re happy with it.)

With the class-recommended settings, auto-battle can get you through the currently available normal dungeons, Depths, and even Abyss without much trouble. That’s why I recommend it not just to mobile RPG newcomers, but to anyone new to RPGs in general or still getting used to combat controls.

My second recommendation is the Crossbowman. It’s been my main class since Season 0. While the Monk is my suggestion for an easy introduction through auto-battle, I’d recommend the Crossbowman to anyone who wants to learn a damage rotation. (That’s the order in which you chain your attack skills.)

From my time playing the Crossbowman since Season 0, its main strength is its simple damage rotation. Unlike the Lightning Mage or Dual Blader, which need to adjust their attack order as the situation changes, the Crossbowman has often let me stick to a familiar sequence.

So I recommend it if you want to try manual controls but find constant split-second combat decisions a little daunting. It’s also a damage dealer that consistently delivers at least average performance, which should make it satisfying to play.

The Crossbowman’s default skill 4 becomes Piercing with [Accessory Rune: Penetration]

For me, the standout skill in the Crossbowman’s kit is skill 4, Gusting Bolt. In Seasons 0~1, I used it as my main damage skill with [Accessory Rune: Chain]. Now, in Season 2, I use [Accessory Rune: Penetration] to turn it into Piercing.

Piercing’s defining feature is its area attack in a straight line. That means it can hit multiple enemies rather than just one, making it particularly useful in rooms and dungeons full of mobs.

From left: descriptions of the Crossbowman’s passive skill “Fortune Bolt,” seasonal skill “Shadow Bolt,” and skill “Buster Shot”

In Season 2, the Crossbowman’s newly added passive, damage-over-time skill, and seasonal skill are also worth a look. Fortune Bolt, the new Season 2 passive, and the seasonal skill Shadow Bolt provide extra damage, while equipping [Accessory Rune: Gunpowder] adds 30% fire damage to skill 1, Buster Shot.

In other words, you get extra attacks from Spreading Bolt’s bonus Fortune Bolt and the seasonal skill Shadow Bolt, along with fire damage over time from skill 1, Buster Shot.

That covers how the Crossbowman works in combat.
To sum up, its damage comes in three main parts:

1. Attacks with your main damage skill, skill 4

2. Extra damage from the seasonal skill Shadow Bolt and skill 1, Buster Shot

3. Powerful bonus attacks from additional Fortune Bolt procs complete the picture.

The result is a class with a simple damage rotation that deals steady damage and hits multiple enemies with area attacks. You can expect at least average performance from the Crossbowman wherever you go, including dungeons, Depths, and Abyss. In Season 2, with the Penetration, Gunpowder, and Buckshot accessories, the rotation is "5-1-444-(5)-3-2-1-444-repeat" . If you want a damage dealer that keeps attacking steadily with a straightforward rotation, I recommend starting with the Crossbowman.

If you’re torn between these two classes, think about how you’d like to learn combat.

• If RPGs are unfamiliar and you want to make full use of auto-battle, choose the Monk. I play my alt on full auto (100% auto-battle), and it’s very dependable.
  

• If you want to learn the attack order yourself, choose the Crossbowman. After playing it for 1 year, I don’t expect its rotation to become difficult. Getting the most out of it can be challenging, but it consistently performs above average.

One thing I haven’t quite conveyed is how much more satisfying the Monk’s attacks feel than you might expect. That responsive, hands-on feel is a big part of its appeal too. Meanwhile, even when the Crossbowman’s rotation changes between seasons, it stays simple, making it a good starting class. I recommend them for different reasons, but I’m happy playing both.

Q. Do I have to commit to a class when I first choose one?

A. No, you don’t have to stick with your first class all the way through! Mabinogi Mobile makes it easy to switch classes.

You can buy Weapon Equipment Conversion Scrolls and Emblem Equipment Conversion Scrolls under [Cash Shop]-[Item Shop]-[Deca]. These let you move to another class while keeping your current weapon and emblem enhancement levels.

Also, accessories and armor have Memory Imprinting, so switching classes is straightforward once you’ve collected the accessories for your new class. For gem modifications, you can change skill tags by visiting the NPC Jocelin in Emain Macha or the NPC Austeyn in Dunbarton.

So if you’ve already leveled a class and it doesn’t suit you as well as you’d hoped, don’t worry about having to start over from scratch. You can get started without overthinking your choice.

As someone who came back to RPGs after 10 years away, it feels a little special to be sharing class recommendations of my own.

I hope this post helps anyone returning to RPGs after a long break, like me, or trying them for the first time. Next time, I’ll share some of the minigames you can enjoy within the game!