dagger or sword???

[mhammer11]

ive been training in swords but wat should i train in if im ganna be a ninja???

[Murphie]

You should use the weapon that is best for the job you are leveling at that time. When you get to NIN, you can level Katana.

If you are on Thief, you should be using Sword or Dagger. If you were on WAR, you would use Great Axe or Axe. If you were on something else, you should be using something else (Hand to Hand, Club, etc.)

What level are you? Sword is going to do more damage pre-30 (except maybe in Yhutunga and Yhoator against Mandies), but you'll also want to keep your dagger skill up to date if you ever intend to level THF past 30. But if you don't, just stick with sword.

[Mog]

Sword is the dominant weapon until you get Viper bite for your thief. Though you'll want to keep your dagger skill up to date as Murphie already said.

[Lunaryn]

Ninja use the "Katana" weapon. While they have the ability to use a few other things, it's really not worthwhile to do so except for rare cases (e.g. things like Charm/Miracle Wand, and then only long enough to activate the enchantment; some possible argument for Platoon Dagger in crab BCNM20 but I've come to prefer Suzume instead). Moreover, no other job can use "Katana" at all. Therefore you don't have any chance of skilling up your NIN weapon ahead of getting NIN.

OTOH, if you mean before you start *subbing* NIN, your choices are Hand-to-hand (THF/MNK only) or Sword. Of the two, Sword is generally recommended. Sneak Attack + Fast Blade will serve you quite well from 15-33. Once you reach 33, you can get your Dagger skill high enough for Viper Bite, which when paired with SA is quite effective and eliminates the need to use a D weapon.

How you get Dagger skill to 100 is another matter. You can practice taking mobs solo (careful, THF isn't the most soloable job) or in a small group while wielding a dagger at various levels to keep your skill up, or just try to work your skill up all at once. One favored method is to sub NIN as soon as you hit 20, and put a dagger in your sub slot, so that you can still use Fast Blade, but skill Dagger with offhand hits. Obviously, if THF is your first job to 30, this won't work for you (though a combination may, using easily-killed mobs at 30 to get it high enough to skill the rest offhand on 30-33). Personally, I switched to dagger on occasion when parties didn't mind, and got a friend to help me skill Dagger the rest of the way when I hit 33.

Once you've learned Viper Bite, you'll rarely ever want to use Sword or H2H for anything (you might consider it if you're fighting piercing-strong mobs like skeletons in sub levels).

[Lmnop]

I can't believe all these responses are friendly.

Since I'm normally the one who tries to be friendly despite anything else and Murphie of all people gave you an honest, helpful answer, I suppose I'll step up...

First off: spell check. Second:

http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/thief/68423-im-new-thf-plz-answer-my-question.html

http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/thief/65620-what-weapon-best-thief.html

and for more random starting thf info (since I'm so nice):

http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/thief/65261-starting-thief-need-some-answers-plz.html

All 3 of these links were found on the first page of the THF boards.

[Mog]

Wait a second....he said he wants to be a ninja.

Why's everyone treating him like a thief? <.>

[Murphie]

I can't believe all these responses are friendly.

Since I'm normally the one who tries to be friendly despite anything else and Murphie of all people gave you an honest, helpful answer, I suppose I'll step up...What do you mean "of all people?" I think you have me mistaken for someone else.

[Ellipses]

Wait a second....he said he wants to be a ninja.

Why's everyone treating him like a thief? <.>
Haven't you ever played the original Final Fantasy?

It just might be the forum he posted in, though.

[Silent Howler]

Wait a second....he said he wants to be a ninja.

Why's everyone treating him like a thief? <.>
I don't know... He's asking if he should use a dagger or a sword for Thief, but wants to become a ninja and they specialize in katanas. I'm assuming he's taking Thief up to 30 to unlock ninja, and if so you could probably get by with swords the whole time.

[Murphie]

Not probably, definitely.

[Lunaryn]

Agreed, if you never intend to take THF past 30, you need never touch a dagger the whole time. Sword all the way, unless you really like the idea of going THF/MNK and using SA+Combo. Seeing as SCs have fallen out of fashion, I don't think you'll get that much out of having Combo instead of Fast Blade.

I think somewhere in typing my reply I mixed up part of the OP with part of some response to it, looking back it doesn't look like he's expressed any interest in THF/NIN.

[Silent Howler]

Actually SCs and even MBs are still alive in early parties. Maybe not as common but not extinct yet. In fact in my latest party in the dunes I was Thief and was SCing with a Dancer who was using hand-to-hand, and we had a Black Mage that knew how to MB too. (Combo > Burning Blade > Fire)

[IfritnoItazura]

In fact in my latest party in the dunes I was Thief and was SCing with a Dancer who was using hand-to-hand, and we had a Black Mage that knew how to MB too. (Combo > Burning Blade > Fire)
This is before Sneak Attack, right? With SA, Fast Blade is quite strong.

Also, I'd go with Burning Blade -> Combo, instead, for Fusion. What you really want is a DRG or SAM with their two-hit WSs to open Distortion for your THF. (RNGs are too unreliable on WS at those levels.)

[Lmnop]

What do you mean "of all people?" I think you have me mistaken for someone else.

If I could slap you across the internet, I would.

Ok, so actually, you're a nice guy and I only cited you for my own entertainment.

Btw, I'm considering adding my own thanks to that post w/out regards to the rest of the thread.

[Silent Howler]

This is before Sneak Attack, right? With SA, Fast Blade is quite strong.

Also, I'd go with Burning Blade -> Combo, instead, for Fusion. What you really want is a DRG or SAM with their two-hit WSs to open Distortion for your THF. (RNGs are too unreliable on WS at those levels.)
Yeah, unfortunently the party disband while I was at level 14 so I didn't get to try. But to be honest my mind was so set on getting Treasure Hunter that I totally forgot about Sneak Attack.

[Murphie]

Ok, so actually, you're a nice guy and I only cited you for my own entertainment.

Btw, I'm considering adding my own thanks to that post w/out regards to the rest of the thread.

So, your example of what a bad guy I am (and what terrible advice I usually give, or mockery in lieu of advice, even) is a joke post you're taking out of context?

[Lmnop]

You need to stretch pretty far to find something irritating in my random comments. Is this because you were so nice to the OP?

Trust me, there's no hidden motive, Murphie. I found a post that made me chuckle and quoted it. If I sig'd it, would it change from "taking out of context" to "a way to honor Murphie"?

[Murphie]

I don't know you well enough to have any idea of your relative level of seriousness about this. Forgive me for taking it outside of the spirit in which it was intended.