If your ambition in Ragnarok: The New World is to show up at a boss spawn, delete a chunk of its health bar during the damage window, and dance away before it can answer, the Gunslinger was built for you. It is the game's headline ranged burst class, firing from a distance with firearms and shurikens, and switching between the two on the fly to keep its damage flowing. That combination of reach, speed and swappable weapons is exactly why it sits at the top of the early-game MVP-race pecking order without ever asking you to stand still. This guide walks through stats, the order you should learn skills, how the two weapon sets fit together, and where the class lands once you start using Job Freedom.
Go DEX-first, AGI-second and treat VIT as a survival tax you only pay for MVPs. Keep two refined weapons (one gun, one shuriken) and swap them to beat element resistances. Its power comes from weapon refine plus a few core burst skills, not a maxed-out skill tree, which is why budget players compete early. It rates S-tier for MVP racing.
The burst-and-move gunfighter
The Gunslinger's whole identity is winning short, decisive damage windows. It arrives at a boss ahead of the crowd, unloads while the target is vulnerable, and leans on its mobility to survive the aggro pull that follows. Because everything happens at maximum range, it plays a fundamentally safer game than a melee bruiser. You read the boss's teleport pattern, hold your distance, and only edge in when the reward is there. Against dense trash it clears a little slower than a Wizard, but it more than makes that back against elite mobs and mini-bosses, where its burst simply lands faster.
Spending your stat points
Two stats carry the class. DEX is your foundation. It raises damage and hit rate and speeds up the animations on your ranged skills, so a shot fired is a shot that connects. AGI is the partner, feeding attack speed and the fluid movement that makes kiting possible. From there, VIT is situational insurance for when a boss turns aggressive, and STR only earns points when you commit to shuriken skills that scale off it.
| Stage | Priority | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Levels 1–40 | DEX → AGI | Pump DEX for damage and hit, then feed AGI so you can outrun packs |
| Levels 40–70 | DEX + AGI, VIT in tens | Balance your two mains and add VIT in 10-point steps for boss content |
| Endgame MVP | High DEX/AGI, minimal VIT | Just enough bulk to survive one combo; tune per boss like Baphomet or Orc Hero |
Notice how little the plan changes shape as you climb: DEX and AGI stay dominant from level one to endgame, and VIT is the only lever you meaningfully tune. Top MVP hunters run high DEX and AGI with just enough Vitality to eat a single boss combo, then adjust boss by boss after seeing what actually threatens them.
Learning skills in the right order
Put your early points into single-target burst skills. They clear regular mobs efficiently and, more importantly, they are the same tools that win you MVP damage, so every point does double duty. Lock in your main firearm damage skill first, then pick up the mobility and dodge tools that let you reposition mid-fight. Survival is damage when it keeps you in the window. Level your shuriken skills as a genuine second set, enough to swap to when your ammunition skills are on cooldown or when an element mismatch is dragging your gun damage down.
What you should not do is drown early points in utility. The Gunslinger's spikes come from weapon refinement plus a handful of core damage skills, and the biggest jump waits at the second job skill tree, where the burst combos that define serious MVP racing unlock, so bank points toward it. And if you already plan to move on through Job Freedom later, stop at a clean farming baseline instead of maxing every cosmetic skill you will never miss.
Two weapons, one kit
Weapon swapping is the signature move, so gear around it. Keep at least two refined weapons in play: one firearm for sustained ranged output, one shuriken to cover elemental gaps and pop burst windows. Slot cards by target: size-modifier or race-damage cards depending on what you farm. On armor, chase DEX, AGI or flat damage-percent enchants, and swap in damage-reduction or HP enchants for dedicated MVP sets. Accessories carrying DEX or critical damage pay off during burst phases.
The happy news for newer players: the Gunslinger needs far less deep refinement than a melee job to feel strong, so it competes early without demanding a wall of +7 and +8 gear. That said, refinement is still where your power lives. Read our Safe Refine guide before you spend stones, since the no-destruction rules to +15 apply to guns and shurikens exactly as they do to everything else.
Winning MVP races (and leveling to reach them)
An MVP race is won on timing and position. Get to the spawn early, dump your burst during the vulnerable window, and use your movement skills to ride out the aggro that follows. Stay at maximum range, watch how the boss teleports, and swap to your other weapon the moment element resistance starts eating your primary skill's damage. Your Vitality investment is lower than a frontline job's would be, so on the truly dangerous bosses, bring a Priest and let them keep you upright while you focus on the damage crown.
Before you are ready for that, level on ranged-friendly maps where you can pull mobs into a circle and kite. It is a slightly slower grind than a Wizard on packed screens, but the class kills elites and mini-bosses quickly enough to keep the pace competitive. Bosses like Baphomet and Orc Hero make good early benchmarks. Tune your VIT against whichever one keeps punishing you.
Gunslinger and Job Freedom
Plenty of players simply main the Gunslinger forever, because permanent MVP-hunting content never runs out. But Job Freedom gives you an exit that costs you nothing: once you have hit your goals, you can bank your gear and swap into an A-tier GvG job like the Swordsman without surrendering any character progress. That makes the class an excellent front half of a plan: race MVPs early where its burst and weapon-swap flexibility dominate, then pivot into a support or guild-war role when your roster needs it. Both paths are valid precisely because the switch is free.
Its S-tier standing reflects launch-window play and will shift as balance patches land, so read the placements on our tier list as a snapshot rather than a settled verdict.
Common questions
Is the Gunslinger a good class to start with?
Yes. You deal damage from range, so mistakes are rarely fatal, and the class already rates S-tier with strong free-to-play value. Players who never enjoyed casting spells tend to prefer it to the Mage.
Do I level DEX or AGI first?
DEX first. It drives your hit rate, your damage, and how quickly your ranged skills animate. Bring AGI up next for attack speed and cleaner kiting, and only start adding VIT once you step into MVP fights that can one-shot you.
Should I commit to guns or shurikens?
Neither, permanently. Firearms are your sustained damage; shurikens patch elemental gaps and open burst windows. The best Gunslingers swap between the two mid-fight rather than maining one.
Can a Gunslinger solo MVPs?
A handful of the earliest bosses fall to patient kiting and potions, but most endgame MVPs expect a party. Where the class truly shines is winning the damage crown in crowded public races, not soloing everything on the board.