MapleStory/Maple Union

Maple Union is an account growth system that allows all characters to grow upon one another (just like link skills but affects all characters). The stats that are obtained depends on the level of the supplying character as well as the sum of levels of all characters in that account for that world.

Union Ranks
There are a total of 20 ranks. To increase your rank, you need a certain number of Union Coins and to have a minimum level sum. Increased ranks will let you place more Attackers inside the Union Board as well as to let you place the attackers at the outer areas (provided the pieces are connected to the middle)

You must have at least 500 level sum with at least 3 characters to start a Union, or 1 character who completed 5th Job Advancement. Union is started for free.

Level Sum is denoted as the sum of all characters in that account in that world. However, in some cases, that character will not be counted:
 * Non-Zeroes level 59 or less (Minimum level 60 to be used as a union attacker)
 * Zeroes level 129 or less (Minimum level 130 to be used as a union attacker)
 * Duplicate Zeroes (only the highest levelled Zero will be counted towards the sum. Duplicated zeroes Level 130 or above can be used as union attackers however.)
 * Characters that are not within the highest 40 levelled characters that can be counted based on criteria above (see note, you can still use these characters as union attacker even though they are not counted to the level sum)

Although you can expand more than 40 character slots, only the highest 40 leveled characters that are eligible to be counted (excluding duplicate Zeroes), will be counted, so for maximum benefits, you need to have 40 Level 250 characters (with up to 1 Zero) for Grand Master Union 5.
 * Note:

Attackers
Based on the union rank, you can place a certain number of attackers inside the Union Board.

Ranks
Each character is assigned a rank based on their level and job.
 * Non-Zeroes
 * B rank: Level 60~99
 * A rank: Level 100~139
 * S rank: Level 140~199
 * SS rank: Level 200~249
 * SSS rank: Level 250 or higher


 * Zeroes
 * B rank: Level 130~159
 * A rank: Level 160~179
 * S rank: Level 180~199
 * SS rank: Level 200~249
 * SSS rank: Level 250 or higher

Number of Attackers
Based on Union Rank, you can place a set number of attackers.

Bonus Stats
You can only get each specific job's effect once. Multiple of the same jobs can be placed as attackers but only the highest rank effect will be applied. If different jobs give the same effects, it is fine and it will stack.

Bonus Stats are applied to all characters in the account in that world only if that corresponding character is placed as an attacker. Factions are also added for convenience in planning the grinding order to maximise EXP boosts from cash shop, it has no bearing on your Union.

Attacker Union Power
Attackers are rated based on level and equipped Star Force (see below for definition). This power value refers to the union damage dealt by that character every 1 second. This power will never run out and will always be active regardless of situation, even if the server is offline.

The resultant union power of the attacker is expressed as such: $$LevelPower + StarForcePower + 12,500$$

The total union power will be the sum of all applied union attackers' union power.

(Level 100~139 has a lower constant than level 60~99, and it is intentional, though for unknown reasons)
 * Level Power

Equipped Star Force refers to: An item is considered equipped only if its stats are applied to the character.
 * Star Force Power
 * Every 1 star on all equipped equipment items except overall and medal = 1 equipped star force
 * Every 1 star on equipped overall = 2 equipped star force
 * Medal, overhead title and other effects = 0 equipped star force (technically overhead titles and other effects are not considered as equipped equipment items)
 * 1 superior item star force = 1 normal item star force
 * For 2nd pendant, as its validity is only determined when logging in to or online on that character, it is assumed to be equipped so long as it remains valid, even if it expired but the character was never online after expiry
 * For Zero weapons, only 1 of the weapon is applied (same logic as other equipped items as only 1 weapon's stat are applied, though some stats are applied twice). However, if the Zero character is not accessed after some time, both weapons will be counted as equipped star force. The cause is unknown, but it appears that when this happens, there might be a mismatch of appearances on Alpha and Beta even though all equipped items are unisex.

Union Board
The Union Board is where the attackers are placed.

Board Size
The size of your board is dependent of your Union Rank. Board size is centralised towards the middle grids.

Attacker Pieces
Based on the job and attacker's rank, the pieces will be shaped differently.

Pieces can be rotated. Pieces must be connected to each other and must touch 1 of the 4 middle grids. Pieces can be overlapped but during Board Stats calculation, any layers of overlaps are all treated as 1 grid.

Each 'X' or space represents 1 grid.

Board Bonus Stats
Based on the spots covered (observed from top view), additional stats are given.
 * Inner Board (12 by 10), stats location can be changed, 15 grid per stat type, stats are affected by % increases.
 * STR (+5 per grid)
 * DEX (+5 per grid)
 * INT (+5 per grid)
 * LUK (+5 per grid)
 * HP (+250 per grid)
 * MP (+250 per grid)
 * Weapon ATT (+1 per grid)
 * Magic ATT (+1 per grid)


 * Outer Board (22 by 20, exclude inner board so total 40 grid per stat type), stats location cannot be changed, list starts from top left, clockwise
 * Abnormal Status Resistance (+1 per grid)
 * Monster EXP (+0.25% per grid)
 * Critical Rate (+1% per grid)
 * Damage to Boss Monsters (+1% per grid)
 * Stance (+1% per grid)
 * Buff Duration (+1% per grid)
 * Ignore DEF (+1% per grid)
 * Critical Damage (+0.50% per grid)

Note that assuming you have reached Grand Master Union 1 with 40 Level 200 characters, you will have 36 attackers, each attacker taking 4 grids, so total you will have 144 grids of stats.

Presets
You can use presets to set the board layout so that the board can be changed into that layout in a few clicks. Presets 1~2 are unlocked for free and are permanent, while 3~5 requires a Union Preset Ticket from the Union Coin Shop, and only lasts 30 days from the time of usage of the ticket.

To toggle between 2 layouts easily, 2 presets are needed as the preset only turns the board into the stored layout of the preset rather than swapping the current layout with the stored layout. Stored layout can be set by clicking on the preset while on viewing mode (not edit mode) and click on "Edit Preset".

Union Coins
Using the Attacker Union Power, your attackers are always fighting for you. While doing so, you get Union Coins.

Union Coins can be obtained by the following methods. Coins are stored similarly to event coins and is shared across your account in the same world.
 * Daily Quest (2 quest: 10 + 20 coins, go into the battlefield to kill monsters to finish the quest)
 * Waiting (Every 100,000,000,000 / 100 Billion damage dealt = 1 coin, rounded down every 24 hours at 12am
 * Every 1,157,407.41 combat power = 1 coin every 24 hours, or basically every 1,000,000 combat power = 0.864 coins. Resulting coins are rounded down as the partial damage is reset at 12am.
 * Attacking (Same rates as Waiting but you can enter and damage part of the Union Boss' Health, denoted by green HP bar, purple HP bar can only be depleted using the Waiting method)

To transfer the coins earned from Waiting and Attacking into the coin storage, enter the Union raid map and exit, then talk to the NPC at the exit map. There is a limit to how many coins can be left unclaimed at any time based on your rank, any excess coins after the limit will be forfeited. There will also be a notification at the bottom right of the screen when the limit is reached, once per login.
 * Novice Union: 200 coins
 * Veteran Union: 300 coins
 * Master Union: 500 coins
 * Grand Master Union: 700 coins

Union Coins can be used to either increase your Union Rank (assuming level sum requirement is met), or purchase useful items from the Union Coin Shop.

Union Coin Shop
Shop purchase limits reset every Monday 12am. All items are untradeable but the Union Coin is shared by the world in the account. Limit is by character.
 * Union’s Strength Stage 1 (10 coins, Weapon and Magic ATT +30 for 10 minutes, limit: 10)
 * Union’s Strength Stage 2 (20 coins, Weapon and Magic ATT +30 for 20 minutes, limit: 10)
 * Union’s Strength Stage 3 (30 coins, Weapon and Magic ATT +30 for 30 minutes, limit: 10)
 * Union’s EXP Stage 1 (30 coins, Monster EXP x2 for 10 minutes, works like a normal 2x EXP Use Buff, limit: 10)
 * Union’s EXP Stage 2 (50 coins, Monster EXP x2 for 20 minutes, works like a normal 2x EXP Use Buff, limit: 10)
 * Union’s EXP Stage 3 (70 coins, Monster EXP x2 for 30 minutes, works like a normal 2x EXP Use Buff, limit: 10)
 * Union’s Luck Stage 1 (30 coins, Item Drop Rate +50% for 10 minutes, limit: 10)
 * Union’s Luck Stage 2 (50 coins, Item Drop Rate +50% for 20 minutes, limit: 10)
 * Union’s Luck Stage 3 (70 coins, Item Drop Rate +50% for 30 minutes, limit: 10)
 * Union’s Wealth Stage 1 (30 coins, Monster mesos drop +50% for 10 minutes, limit: 10)
 * Union’s Wealth Stage 2 (50 coins, Monster mesos drop +50% for 20 minutes, limit: 10)
 * Union’s Wealth Stage 3 (70 coins, Monster mesos drop +50% for 30 minutes, limit: 10)
 * Clean Slate Scroll 10% (60 coins, limit: 3)
 * Epic Potential Scroll 100% (300 coins, limit: 2)
 * Carved Golden Stamp (40 coins, limit: 3)
 * Karma Master Craftsman’s Cube / Karma Yellow Cube (100 coins, limit: 30 per world)
 * Crimson Resurrection Flame (100 coins, limit: 3)
 * Karma Crimson Resurrection Flame (50 coins, limit: 20 per world)
 * Karma Rainbow Resurrection Flame (150 coins, limit: 20 per world)
 * Karma Black Resurrection Flame (250 coins, limit: 20 per world)
 * Basic Union Meso Box (30 coins, gains a random amount of mesos of at least 100,000 / 100 thousand, limit: 50. The possible values are as follows, may not be exhaustive:)
 * 100,000 mesos
 * 500,000 mesos
 * 1,000,000 mesos
 * 5,000,000 mesos
 * Intermediate Union Meso Box (50 coins, gains a random amount of mesos of at least 500,000 / 500 thousand, limit: 30. The possible values are as follows, may not be exhaustive:)
 * 500,000 mesos
 * 1,000,000 mesos
 * 1,500,000 mesos
 * 5,000,000 mesos
 * 10,000,000 mesos
 * Advanced Union Meso Box (70 coins, gains a random amount of mesos of at least 1,000,000 / 1 millon, limit: 20. The possible values are as follows, may not be exhaustive:)
 * 1,000,000 mesos (note: about 95% chance of obtaining this amount, other boxes rate seems to have a normal distribution)
 * 2,000,000 mesos
 * 5,000,000 mesos
 * 10,000,000 mesos
 * 50,000,000 mesos
 * Basic Union Growth Potion (75 coins, gains 49% EXP and activates 2x EXP buff for 30 minutes, for characters level 100~129 only, limit: 5)
 * Intermediate Union Growth Potion (110 coins, gains 49% EXP and activates 2x EXP buff for 30 minutes, for characters level 130~159 only, limit: 5)
 * Advanced Union Growth Potion (150 coins, gains 49% EXP and activates 2x EXP buff for 30 minutes, for characters level 160~179 only, limit: 5)
 * Union Preset (150 coins, unlocks 1 preset slot for 30 days to allow you to save the current setup so that you can revert to that setup within 1 click. To toggle between 2 setups quickly, 2 presets are needed. Limit: 3)
 * Additional Potential Scroll 100% (200 coins, limit: 2)
 * Arcane Symbol Catalyst (300 coins, non-reboot only, limit: 3)
 * Use it on an Arcane Symbol to destabilise it to allow transfer using storage by dropping it to Symbol Level 1 and losing 20% symbol EXP (so you will have to pay the mesos again)
 * The target receiving the destabilised symbol must have completed the respective Arcane River town quests (Example: The target must have done Esfera prequests to receive an unstable Esfera symbol.)
 * The target must also throw away the duplicate symbol on hand/equipped to receive the destabilised symbol. Double click the destabiised symbol to stabilise it so that it can be equipped (also becomes untradeable and primary stats will adjust to the target's job)
 * Tip: Dream Coins and Spirit Coins are not considered as Arcane Symbols, so you can stockpile them on your to-be-new main before actually transferring the symbol over. Then you can further feed more duplicates from exchanging the coins to speed up the process of regaining the lost EXP.

Union Coins Ranking
Based on the number of Union Coins obtained from Waiting and Attacking, you are ranked with other players (ranking period: Sunday 11.30pm to Monday 12.30am, based on your server's time zone). Top 100 will receive prizes that expire in 7 days (168 hours) upon receiving them.
 * 1st: World's Strongst Union Power chair and Union Ranking mount
 * 2nd~100th: Union Ranking mount