Last Updated on by Samuel Franklin
This guide details the best MapleStory shoulders available and how to get them for smooth character progression and increase your damage potential. While a relatively simple equipment slot in terms of options the shoulder slot is a key contributor to your overall damage through set bonuses, Star Force and potential % stat from cubing.
Below I detail how to obtain each shoulder, the equipment stats and other considerations in deciding when to use a particular shoulder which are listed in my recommended progression order for Reboot and non-Reboot players.
Table of Contents:
– MapleStory Best Shoulders Overview
– Royal Black Metal Shoulder (Level 120)
– Hayato’s Treasure (Level 140)
– AbsoLab Shoulder (Level 160)
– Arcane Umbra Shoulder (Level 200)
– Eternal Shoulder (Level 250)
MapleStory Best Shoulders Overview
These are the best shoulders currently obtainable in MapleStory in my recommended progression order.
| Shoulder | Required Level | Source | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
 Royal Black Metal Shoulder |
120 | Any Magnus difficulty |
|
 Hayato’s Treasure |
140 | Princess No Quest |
|
 AbsoLab |
160 | Lotus and Damien |
|
 Arcane Umbra |
200 | Lucid and Will |
|
 Eternal |
250 | Kaling |
|
Royal Black Metal Shoulder (Level 120)
- +10 All Stat (STR, DEX, INT, LUK)
- +6 Weapon Attack
- +6 Magic Attack
- +100 Defence
The first notable shoulder I recommend players obtain is at level 120. While there are other shoulders before this the effort involved for the small stats gain is not worth it as items at this stage of the game are quickly replaced. This shoulder is obtained from any Magnus difficulty (easy/normal/hard) and given this is a regular boss fight you will eventually obtain one.
This shoulder has reasonable base stats and also contributes to the powerful Boss Accessory Set that makes it the best MapleStory shoulder for progression and can even be used until the AbsoLab shoulder at level 160. Other shoulders that players may find around this level include the Golden Flower Shoulder (obtainable in Yu Garden) and the level 130 Antique Leaf Shoulder (available from Oko in Root Abyss) although there are better ways to spend the applicable currencies from these locations.
Hayato’s Treasure (Level 140)
- +11 All Stat (STR, DEX, INT, LUK)
- +7 Weapon Attack
- +7 Magic Attack
- +100 Defence
A potential shoulder upgrade at level 140 with the powerful Sengoku Treasure Set bonus when paired with the Kanna’s Treasure ring and Ayame’s Treasure belt. This shoulder is obtained by completing the Princess No quest line which also rewards other useful equipment slot items.
Players need to judge their own equipment at this stage to determine when (or if) to use this shoulder as you need to maintain the 7 set IED bonus from the Boss Accessory Set which the Royal Black Metal Shoulder counts towards for bossing requirements. This 7 set bonus can be achieved without the shoulder using face, eye, earrings, ring, pendant, pocket and badge slots instead provided you have them available which allows you to switch to all of the Hayato items for more overall damage. I recommend players keep the Royal Black Metal Shoulder in their inventory as you may need it later to maintain the 7 set bonus for future item changes.
AbsoLab Shoulder (Level 160)
- +14 All Stat (STR, DEX, INT, LUK)
- +10 Weapon Attack
- +10 Magic Attack
- +100 Defence
The shoulder players will use for a long time and accordingly I recommend investing Star Force and Potential Cubes into upgrading the stats. Available at level 160 players will need to defeat Lotus and Damien alongside weekly tasks to acquire this gear which offers improved stats and a new powerful set bonus.
Players may need to start shuffling other equipment pieces to optimise available set bonuses and initially the AbsoLab Shoulder itself may not be stronger until players have at least another item from the AbsoLab set equipped.
Arcane Umbra Shoulder (Level 200)
- +35 All Stat (STR, DEX, INT, LUK)
- +20 Weapon Attack
- +20 Magic Attack
- +300 Defence
Obtained from the Lucid and Will boss fights in combination with enemy monsters from the late game areas of Lachelein, Arcana, Esfera, Sellas and Tenebris players will accumulate droplets to trade for this level 200 shoulder over a series of months.
The base stats, Arcane Umbra Set bonus and Star Force potential stat growth provide a large power boost that make this shoulder an important late game goal and rewards players for the significant time investment. Players will only start using this shoulder once it is stronger than their AbsoLab set which requires several Arcane equipment pieces with high Star Force levels.
Eternal Shoulder (Level 250)
- +51 All Stat (STR, DEX, INT, LUK)
- +28 Weapon Attack
- +28 Magic Attack
- +450 Defence
The ultimate end game equipment set is currently the Eternal that includes helm, top, bottom, shoulder and Genesis weapon which are shared between Kalos and Kaling bosses. The shoulder is exclusively available from Kaling and will require players to defeat Normal mode over at least 10 weeks with harder versions of the boss (Hard and Extreme) reducing the number of weeks required. For most players this equipment set is currently out of reach as it requires a level 280-290 character.
