MapleStory Will Boss Mechanics Strategy Guide

Preparation Before Entering

• Level 235+ and complete the "[Esfera] Mirrors in Mirrors" quest.
• ARC targets: Easy min 560 (higher for damage multi), Normal/Hard min 760 (1140 for 1.5x).
• 300% PDR on Will: Stack IED. You get 10 death counts total.
• Turn on skill transparency if available. Practice positioning behind Will.

Phase 1: Two Dimensions (Blue/Purple)

Players are randomly split. Will has dual HP bars, one per dimension. Damage both roughly evenly.

1. Use Interact to Switch Dimensions

   Use the Interact key (NPC chat/Harvest) to switch dimensions and help the other side. Taking hits increases the switch cooldown, so avoid unnecessary damage before switching.

2. Stay Behind Will

   Stay behind Will as much as possible to avoid most damage. Positioning is your primary defense in this phase.

3. Dodge the Tornado Attack

   Watch Will's glasses animation. He fires a tornado that hits for ~90% max HP. Dodge by high jump over it, teleport through it, or Interact-switch dimensions.

4. Survive the Eye / Map Break Test

   First test at ~28:50 / 28:45, then every 2 minutes. A message appears (look for "Safety"). A giant eye spawns in only one dimension. Everyone must switch to the side with the eye. The empty side gets instakill. Nobody alive can die during the whole test or it fails and HP freezes for ~2 minutes. If you die before it starts, stay dead.

   Stay Dead If Already Dead

   If you are dead before a test begins, do not revive. Dying during the test fails it for the entire party and locks HP progress for ~2 minutes.

5. Complete the Orb Minigame

   After the eye test: turn off auto-attacks, summons, and passives immediately. Lightly hit Will a few times to spawn yellow orbs. Grab only 1 yellow orb, run to center, and stand in the resulting shield. Purple orbs hit hard (~51% HP). Screen flash ends the minigame, then Will stuns for ~10s. Burst hard. You can bind after the stun ends to extend the window. Repeat successfully 3 times to clear the barriers.

Phase 2: Mirror Chaos and Heal Lock

Healing potions and skills are blocked by default. Interact now opens a short heal window (~2-5s depending on version). Hits reduce your Moonlight/Interact gauge and add cooldown.

1. Watch the Floor Reflection, Not the Top Will

   Look at the purple/floor reflection, not the top Will. The reflection shows the real attack animations. This is the most important visual adjustment in Phase 2.

2. Dodge Spider-Leg Knock-Up

   Watch the reflection for the leg attack tell, then dodge. Getting hit throws you into other patterns and reduces your Interact gauge.

3. Avoid Side Webs

   Side webs spawn at the edges after a tell and hit for ~90% HP. Do not get knocked into them. Position toward center when webs are about to spawn.

4. Survive the Leg / Floor Test

   Triggers near 50% HP barrier, then every ~2 min. Watch the floor:

   • Cracked/broken floor: You must take the leg hits on the safe spots (sequence of 3 safe points per round, 5 rounds). Miss = heavy damage.
   • Intact floor: Do not get hit. Safe spots are usually far left or the 3 middle platforms. Avoid webs.

   No deaths among living players or the test fails and locks progress. Stay dead if already dead.

Phase 3: Spider Form (Final Bar)

Chaos increases. The map fills with webs that block skills on contact. Interact/Moonlight now lets you clear webs (typically up to 2 safely per use). Use it whenever available and keep the center and movement lanes clean.

1. React to Spider-Eye Attack

   Watch eye color:

   • Yellow/orange: Stay close and stand still. Safe near the boss, other areas explode.
   • White: Move immediately. Stalactite/one-shot on the previous spot. Flash-jump just before Will lands or teleport right after for mages.

2. Isolate When Poisoned

   Poison targets a random player. That player must isolate immediately. It spreads and stacks if you stay near others. The infected player gets a damage buff, so use the isolation time to burn the boss.

3. Clean Webs Proactively

   Will pulls and pushes constantly. Clean webs so a knockback does not throw you into a web (skill lock at the worst moment). Keep Moonlight ready and clear webs before they cover movement space.

4. Reposition During Knockbacks

   Stay behind Will or use rush/teleport to reposition during knockbacks. Pause damage for a second to clear 1-2 webs instead of risking a skill lock when webs are dense.

Key Decision Points

• Stay Dead vs Revive Before Tests

  Better to stay dead before a test than revive and risk failing it. A single death during any test locks HP progress for the entire party for ~2 minutes. Coordinate death counts with your party.

• Burst Window Timing

  Burst windows after successful tests are your best DPS opportunities. Save big skills for them when possible. After the orb minigame stun (~10s), you can bind to extend the window further.

• Poison Isolation vs Group Play

  When poisoned, isolate and DPS hard rather than trying to stay in the group. The damage buff on the poisoned player makes isolation time valuable for burning the boss.

• Web Clearing vs Damage

  When webs are dense, pause damage for a second to clear 1-2 webs instead of risking a skill lock. A skill-locked player contributes zero DPS and risks dying to the next attack.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Leaving auto-attacks on during the orb minigame. This turns the other side into a meteor rain and wipes the party.
• Dying during any eye or leg test. This fails the test and locks HP progress for ~2 minutes for the entire party.
• Ignoring the glasses tell for the tornado. It hits for ~90% max HP and can one-shot squishy classes.
• Watching the top Will in Phase 2 instead of the floor reflection. The reflection shows the real attack animations.
• Getting knocked into side webs in Phase 2. They hit for ~90% HP and can chain into other patterns.
• Standing still on white spider eyes in Phase 3. The stalactite is a one-shot on the previous position.
• Clustering when poisoned in Phase 3. Poison spreads and stacks, turning a single debuff into a party wipe.
• Ignoring webs until they cover movement space. A knockback into a web means skill lock at the worst moment.