gameplay of a thief

[Derian]

hi everyone,

im thinking of starting a thief in ffxi and so i read a bit along this forum.
what i notice was, that i dont really know how to play a thief.
i saw posts like:

thiefs do that sneak/hit attack fusion super boom boom boom combo hehe and stuff like that.

so all i need is a little introduction in how thiefs work.

thx very much :)

[Chisum]

Well, the life of a thief goes something like this--

For the first fiteen levels, expect to spent most of your time returning to your home point. Yes, its that bad. Most people think of a thief as a weak warrior. Uhh uhh. We die more then mages at early levels.

At level 15, you get sneak attack. Now sneak attack used to be the shiznit of all FFXI teens. Heck, Id get 90+ damage easily, while the warriors were doing maybe 13 on mobs in Shakrami. Its that good. But youre still not going to be much of a soloer. Work with parties until 18, and finish up the subjob quest. For your sub, most people go with monk. I went with warrior to take advantage of Sneak Attack, and to be able to provoke.

At level 21-23 not much changes except your setting. Go to Jeuno, and spend hours waiting for some party to pick you up in Qufim. Be extremely grateful if you get one. Show some people what you can do, use sneak liberally.

Now, somewhere in the hours spent in game, and the toils of getting to level 24 and 25, people begin to realise that, hey, thieves are worth something. You actually start getting invites without asking. Stay in Qufim, shop around, and kill stuff to your hearts content. Flee is wonderful, what can I say? Ive saved many a party with a quick Flee-Provoke combo.

At level 27, when you get to the point of no more invites in Qufim, start going key hunting. Id recommend a party, because hey, youre a thief, not a solo player. Go to Kazham and join parties there.

Now at 30. Ohh glorious 30, enjoy Trick Attack. Enjoy it with every thread of your thief. Trick+Sneak will decimate an enemy. If you can get a weapon skill in there (I was never good at timing all three) you will be the envy of every nuker, tanker, and player in, at, and around your level.

So you see. It will be a long tough road of deaths and rejection. But it will be so much worth it. Ohh so worth it.

[Kafeen]

90+ with sneak? You should sub monk and combine it with boost you can easily increase it by another 20-30 damage alot more on easier mobs, I think my record is 191 damage from a boost/sneak combo so far.

A sneak attack / fast blade combo works well aswell. I've hit Qufim mobs for around 150 with that.

[Nameless]

WAR is better than MNK.

You get more agi and more useful bonuses. If you're ever in Jueno check a THF in AF. They will most likely be subbing WAR.

And yes, Provoke-Flee > boost

[ClydeArrowny]

It depends on tjhe situation. Till 33 sub war or mnk and use fgrapples. Once you jhit 33 switcjh to dagger for viper bite and sub war or nin(IMO, nin is better if you jhave decent weapons). After 33, if you fgo to lv off bones(AND ONLY IF YOU LV OFF BONES) sub mnk and fgo witjh fgrapples for tjhe rangeki(random blow) ownafge....if you dont jhave tjhis WS yet you can fget decent results off war sub for berserk and just use combo or backjhand blow.

I'd type more but my keyboard is messed up, wjhicjh accounts for my bad spelling.

[Spider-Dan]

At <lv30, /MNK owns /WAR.

Sneak+Combo is much better than Sneak+Fast Blade, especially when you take into account that almost any party can do Fusion skillchain at any time.

@lv25, vs. VT

Sneak+Combo for 224
Fusion for 123