For The Shinies! A Guide For Thief

Is the Ungur boomerang not a viable option?

It does have +8 evasion, but I don't really see many people using it.

Can anyone tell me why?

Evasion isn't used much these days. Even if you wanted to use it, you'd use the Aliyat Chakram.

Only use Evasion set for soloing higher level reives for capes, gotta collect them all. Then again, solo on pup/NPCs and call it a day.

Gotca, thanks for that.

I keep seeing sets go back and forth between Set DW earrings and Brutal/Suppa. Is it a "your mileage may vary depending on buffs" that causes one to win in on situation and lose another?

From what I understood, DW is supperior in no-buff situations. When you get marches and haste, your delay reduction is already caped so Double Attack becomes more useful.

Sorry for the late reply, I got a new job and have been super busy.

Yup!

I would encourage you to see what the other guides have gravitated towards. Personally, I just want to know the best sets possible for a handful of circumstances. I think this guide (like the other DD guides) should at least have QQ sets for different scenarios. The rest is nice but the arguably the only other important one(s) for THF are for farming. Anything in between where folks are on their path to good gear is nearly impossible to document authoritatively since you can't optimize for every piece of missing gear that every player has so I don't think those justify as much effort on the part of guide authors.

The Oneiros Ring thing has been debated ad nauseam for every job that can use it. Here's a summary of the two arguments:

Pro: You do 0.5% more damage and -100hp is barely ever consequential.

Con: You can't swap out merits with a macro like you can with defensive gear swaps (rancorous mantle response), -100hp is actually -200 effective HP when you are wearing capped PDT, people survive from big moves with <200HP pretty often.

About 1.5 years ago when this last came up on the WAR forums, I actually screenshotted every time I survived a potential 1-shot with 100~200hp just because I have a chip on my shoulder about that ring. I'm pretty sure that anyone who says they never get 1-shot because of Oneiros ring MP merits is in denial. :p If Oneiros is worn against mobs that really have no big damage moves, I have no argument against it except that I don't fight those mobs enough to justify carrying around one more piece of gear.

As for the Atheling Mantle thing, I probably just overlooked Canny in that set, I don't see how it could be worse.

Thanks for the reply Suji :) I can totally emphasize with the "super busy because of job" thing, because that's been my default state for a long while.

Also thanks for the super quick summary about Oneiros Ring. I happen to have the MP merits because I play mage jobs, but lately it's not like I ever run out of MP on a mage job... so maybe I should give up on the whole thing. I don't think I even use Oneiros on THF anymore.

I think I'm going to stick with only making best-in-slot sets for low accuracy and high buff situations. Those sets have obvious utility, while if you're not at that level then the 0Q-HQ sets that are optimized for solo usage should at least give you an idea of how to upgrade to the QQ level. I do look at other guides... but mostly I get disappointed at the lack of table usage and the lack of updates.

Speaking of updates:
* new items. Iuitl +1 is ilvl 119, relic can go up to ilvl 119 (except body and legs).
* Prothescar and Kincard outlined the process for relic upgrades. 109 either takes a lot of time or a lot of money; 119 takes both.
* Skirmish v3 also includes ilvl 119 weapons, so it should be very possible to dual wield ilvl 119s if you can beat a skirmish v3.
* My RDM is super happy to have another source for a ilvl 119 staff :p
* It's pretty clear how to obtain everything with this update, so I'll try to start updating gear sets ASAP. The only unknown is the difficulty of the new Skirmish, but a) it's Skirmish, so it's easy and b) it's ilvl 119 gear, so it's probably not that easy so I'll put it at the HQ level.

Does the new Plunderer's feet beat Manibozho for TP?
Rather underwhelmed by the hands, they don't have much use at all besides Treasure Hunter which is exactly the same as AA+2. Head for Sneak Attack only?

Even the Relic 109 feet will be better than Manibozho unless you desperately need the attack and the accuracy. And unless you need accuracy, Relic 119 will also be best WS feet for Exen and Mercy (edit: vs. AF119 that is).

Hands are simply nice for the instances you actually tag something with TH.

Head is worthless, unless I am missing something. 4 more DEX and 1 more STR will hardly make up for critical hit damage +3%.

Thanks a lot. I saw the feet and thought.. do I want? :)

I got hands and feet both augmented a long time ago. Glad none of the other pieces are useful at this point.

The body has real potential I feel like, especially once it get 119d

Does Leisilonu +2 have the potential of becoming the best off-hand dagger?

Potential? Depends on your mainhand, I guess.

IF it can hit about same augment lv as +1 (+10 damage lets say), it would become ~3278 DPS which would make it the best off hand(?) if using Izhiikoh main hand, yes? I am thinking if using Vanir Knife main hand and Izhiikoh off would be ok? I am using 119 Mandau, which I do not think Leisilonu +2 will beat Izhiikoh as an off hand.

all depends as Davorin stated.

sorry i forgot to mention I use 119 mandau as main hand and izhik as offhand at the moment.

I can't see Izhiikoh losing unless they buffed the augments a lot hard to beat

I'm curious. With THF Relic body now released, and it being pretty decent, I can imagine the 119 will be better. The augment on the body adds +1% Tripe attack per ambush level, for a total of +5 Triple attack.

I'm curious, Aura Steal really only needs 1 merit, same with Feint now... And Assassin's Charge 2/3/4/5 bonuses aren't to smashing but still out best bet.

If one was to assume a fight like, say Ark Angel or low-man delve where the mob isn't spinny mc spinner, how would a 5/5 Ambush+Relic109 Body hold up to a standard Skadi Cuirass+1 build?

I'm no good with math and I'd like to think Dual Wield+7 will probably beat 3% Crit Rate, 3% Crit damage, stat vomit and 5% triple attack, but I'm not sure on this.

I know the idea of Ambush merits make any real THF struggle for their sanity, but hypothetically?

Edit: I can't spreadsheet ;;
Edit: Got to thinking, even with the stat parade, It'd probably fall behind even Thaumas. Maybe at 119 the statbonuses, and possible upgrade to Crit Rate/DMg+5 would make it at least the best WS body available for us.

I can't find any practical situation you'd be using Skadi Cuirie +1 with a BRD. Manibo when you need the accuracy (which will also help fSTR/attack) and Thaumas when you don't. And without a BRD, you're looking at around 0.2% increase from Thaumas when attack is capped and 0.1% from Skadi when it's not (fSTR/dDEX/acc capped, and ideal gear in every other slot, including each WS). I wouldn't waste the inventory space, but that's me.

As for Plunderer, it can come out ahead of Thaumas/Skadi when you need the fSTR, even when attack is not capped (won't compete with Manibo when you need accuracy). You can set it up in GS to equip when you and your target are facing the same direction +- however many radians (and you would need to place this somewhere that will be regularly updated and where you can force update), but whether or not it's worth sacrificing the merits will greatly depend on the type of content you use THF for and how realistic it is to get the most use out of it (how often are you playing a DPS role where there are not many other DDs, but you do not expect to get hate?).

Looks like NQ Plunderer with 3/5 Ambush merits would roughly tie with Thaumas or Skadi +1. 5/5 Ambush merits is a couple percent ahead, and the HQ should obviously be better still.

Thf spreadsheet has been updated with reforged relic pieces, if you want to check it yourself. (Note: Plunderer+1 body/legs are listed, but have no stats on them.)

I know I'm a year late here, but I'm really disappointed this thread isn't named "Mandau Ballet".

Question.

Assuming Critical Hit+2 or Double Attack+2 on Leislonu, what level of DMG+ would it need to beat Izik, assuming Mandau main hand?

I don't get it >< Not that "For the Shinies!" is a joke or a pun, but "Mandau Ballet" sounds like it has a double meaning that I just don't see. If the name is just because it sounds nice, it sounds more like a DNC thing than a THF thing to me :p

Also, on a completely unrelated note, Larceny overwrites Perfect Dodge! I stole a Hundred Fists right after I used PD, and only the Hundred Fists remained :(

The only thing I can think of is this:

With the new gear available (AF2, Skirmish +1), I Wonder if this set would be better than the one mentioned in first page :

(Solo set)
ItemSet 320631

What do you think?


[Set modified (mandau, felistris, atheling)]

First of all, I apologize for not making updates to the guide, and unfortunately I don't have time to update it any time soon. I'm trying to schedule some time in April to redo all the sets since the rest of the relic 119 AF should be out by then.

To address your set directly, using some quick spreadsheeting -
* plunderer's poulaines +1 absolutely beats Manibozho boots rank 15. I get about a 3% improvement in DPS.
* atheling mantle is still slightly better than canny cape, though it's hardly significant (0.25%).
* felistris mask is also still slightly better than iuitl headgear +1, even when the latter has the +2% Double Attack augment (0.5%).
* I have no idea what augments are available for Leisilonu +2. I can't imagine dropping Mandau for it though.

So, long story short, take any recently published set and swap in plunderer's poulaines +1 for the Mani boots. I think this is the common suggestion people have come up with (Flippant mentioned it earlier on in the page).

Thanks again for those precious information.

I'll modify the set with atheling & felistris.

i use my thf alot in endgame content like delve and AA and do pretty good. The only thing is i'm lazy so i use my party buff sets to solo also. I know i'm a slacker.

Edit: oops i think i replied to an old post.

With the augment for ambush from relic body, is triple attack always 5% with the body on or only when you are attacking from behind? sorry if this is a dumb question want to think all the time but wanted to be sure.
Thanks!

It only works from behind. It augments Ambush to add a triple attack chance, and Ambush only works from behind. So, unfortunately, it's a very situational piece.