THF Tips?

[Sirc]

I think I asked this in-game months and months ago, but I forget the answer now....

What is the proper way for a THF to steal? By sneaking up from behind and stealing before the mob is aware of you (same as sneak attack)? Or will steal work after you've engaged and are in battle?

Also, is there a hidden skill level for stealing? Do you get better the more times you use the job ability?

[Prrsha]

Therrre is no hidden "skill" for stealing. It's only based on yourrr level the mob's level and your INT. Equip that boosts your INT will help give you a grrreater chance to steal.

Also there is no special way to steal. Just using the command will activate the ability. You don't need to be behind the mob orrr anything.

[Fayin]

Do you have evidence to support that Prrsha? I've never heard that before.

[Prrsha]

Yep, I do. There was an interview about that awhile back with square. I'll see if I can dig up the source. It was about THF abilities and traits. Basically the following stats effect THF:

STR: Bow damage/Some WS damage
INT: Stealing/Mug/Elemental WS damage
AGI: Trick Attack/Some WS damage
DEX: Sneak Attack/Some WS damage
CHR: Helps Treasure Hunter/Some WS damage like Dancing Edge

Dagger WS

Gust Slash 1.00/2.00/2.50/Wind/DEX, INT

Cyclone 1.00/2.50/3.00/Wind/DEX, INT

Wasp Sting 1.00 x1 More poison

Shadowstitch 1.00 x1 CHR_30% More bind

Viper Bite 1.00 x1 ATKx2 More poison

Dancing Edge 1.00 x5 DEX_??%, CHR_??% Accuracy

Shark Bite 2.00 ??? 3.00 x2 DEX_50%

Evisceration 1.00 ??? 2.00 x5 DEX_30%

[Prrsha]

Also a common misconception is that TH only helps with Rare/EX drops. This not true. TH helps with ALL drops. Also it doesn't matter if the last blow done to the mob is from the THF or not. CHR equip helps with TH drops and the amount of party members.

On a side note, 2 DEX is DOES NOT equal 1 accuracy.

[Khanmots]

The short while that I've been stealing I've noticed a huge difference between stealing from behind the monster as opposed to stealing in front of it.

I haven't noticed any difference between stealing in combat and out of combat... except of course if you're soloing the monster is facing you once it's aggroed.

[Alya Mizar (Tsybil)]

Stealing works best from behind. I do not know if this was added when SA was redone to only work from behind but that is when I became aware of it.

Whe soloing with my THF character, I will often open combat with a steal from the SA position, dead center rear.

[Maezen]

I'm not sure how true that is...i've stolen mythril beastcoins from Anticans from right in front of them with my DRG/THF though to be fair it never really hurts to be superstitious about these kinds of effects. I also like to try to steal from monsters in the transition to when they're changing who their attention is focused on (like when a DD does too much damage and the mob turns to face them or when the tank goes to voke the monster back) these are all just little things to try, i just spam the damn ability till i get something.

[Khanmots]

hmm... I'll try to remember to test some of this next time I go farming or am in a pt with my thf. It'll probably be a while though, I'm pushing war to 20, and mnk to 40 first.

[Lihera]

well, my experiences have told me, I in general have better luck stealing when somebody else is attacking it, or if it is idle, and I steal from behind.

When I was getting my Khazam keys, I got a good stack of silver beastcoins stealing from the key mobs (while it was being beaten up by someone else). I was able to steal 3/5 times.

[Aony]

I've seen for myself that in past experiences i almost never succeed when the mob's attacking me. i dont succeed all that often in total but i seem to do better when i'm beihnd it. I think but truthfully i dont have too much experience with stealing, while leveling i usually forget i even have it

[Neoshinobi]

I've seen for myself that in past experiences i almost never succeed when the mob's attacking me. i dont succeed all that often in total but i seem to do better when i'm beihnd it. I think but truthfully i dont have too much experience with stealing, while leveling i usually forget i even have it

On another note, only Mug beastmen...I've learned that the hard way.

[Prrsha]

NMs are always nice to mug.

[Poge]

Since all of life's answers can be found on a t-shirt:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/pennyarcade/swag/72ef/zoom/

[Neoshinobi]

Since all of life's answers can be found on a t-shirt:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/pennyarcade/swag/72ef/zoom/

{/praise} Penny-Arcade

[Ephi]

On another note, only Mug beastmen...I've learned that the hard way.

i dont have Mug yet...
when do i get it...
why only beastmen

[Rekahkun]

On another note, only Mug beastmen...I've learned that the hard way.

i dont have Mug yet...
when do i get it...
why only beastmen

cuz they's the only ones wif da gils

[Darkmattre]

in my experience, I've had more success stealing when the mob is facing away from me.
And I don't even bother mugging anymore...unless it's an NM, where you can mug a couple thousand gil.

[Neoshinobi]

Mug and Steal have to do with when the mob is busy, you'll have less likely hood of stealing when the mob is facing you and just standing there...However theres more chance of success when their not facing and/or casting or readying an attack.

[Josiejo]

Mug and Steal have to do with when the mob is busy, you'll have less likely hood of stealing when the mob is facing you and just standing there...However theres more chance of success when their not facing and/or casting or readying an attack.

I dunno, I've had more success Stealing when enemies are facing me than not. I usually allow myself to get in a hit and the enemy to do so before I Steal, but I've tried walking up behind an enemy and Stealing to initiate battles and never was successful. Go figure.

[Neoshinobi]

Mug and Steal have to do with when the mob is busy, you'll have less likely hood of stealing when the mob is facing you and just standing there...However theres more chance of success when their not facing and/or casting or readying an attack.

I dunno, I've had more success Stealing when enemies are facing me than not. I usually allow myself to get in a hit and the enemy to do so before I Steal, but I've tried walking up behind an enemy and Stealing to initiate battles and never was successful. Go figure.

Ok I guess strike that...I to have had bad success with it, although I have low success stealing from a monster directly looking at me unless their in the middle of something like attacking me...

[Ephi]

oh ok...

i didnt no Mug was with gil...
i figured it was like past FF where it was steal items combined with an attack...

...k

[Neoshinobi]

oh ok...

i didnt no Mug was with gil...
i figured it was like past FF where it was steal items combined with an attack...

...k

I thought the same thing.

[Darkmattre]

oh ok...

i didnt no Mug was with gil...
i figured it was like past FF where it was steal items combined with an attack...

...k

yup, that's what I thought, but then I used it; and was like "what the ghey?!"

[Aony]

oh ok...

i didnt no Mug was with gil...
i figured it was like past FF where it was steal items combined with an attack...

...k

Well, I knew it since I started FFXI....course, main reason for that is I had to wait utnil the PS2 version came out so I had the game guide for about 2 months before I got the game, I had everything pretty much planned out, course I changed things i wanted to do along the way as I discovered I liked more....for instance, didnt think I would bother with crafting (look at my sig), thought I would main rng when i got there but now i'm planning on dragoon due to its funness and an obsession with dragons I obtained over that summer....but yea, mug. I dont have it, I might have it later, know what it does, and before i read up, I thought it would be like the other FF's too. so yea.

[Mexel]

Stealing is a test of your skill versus the mob's. The factors are your level the mobs level and your steal ability bonuses. CHR I have not heard as a factor for adding to steal. I will need to see some evidence of this to support it but it could be possible. I will try it out over the next week or so.

Stealing from behind or from in front is not a factor. Stealing while its attacking others or casting spells is also not a factor. I steal goldcoins on a regular basis and have not seen any thing about positioning add or take away from my ability to steal. I can say this because in order to steal from gobs and activate my rogue's ring I need to get my health down. I attack a gob and fight till i get in the orange and swap equipment and steal. I have stolen just as many from the front as the back.

The one thing that I did not see was day of the week and moon phase posted. Try stealing on dark and firesday and you will notice a lower success rate. The gobs on those days are a little more resiliant. Also after a 50% moon my steal rate goes up till 100%. At 0% its bad also. The cross days like light and ice or water (I cant remember which) you will have a greater success rate. All in all if you steal across a week(in game) you will average out the rate of steals. As my levels have grown so has my success rate. I am averaging about 1/3 on hobgobs in Bibiki bay at 73. If i go in the good days then I get about 1/2.

FYI you can start this at level 60 but get geared up for it. Rogues ring, rabbits charm and AF. After 70 you can get thief's kote and at 72 barts knife which gives +2 to steal a very knife. The rabbits charm was 400K on Lakshmi server when I bought it and 12 goldcoins sell for 200K so 2 trips paid for the charm. That was the biggest investment so far in steal gear. Solo steal in bibiki bay and while in a party. Coffer key mobs generally have gold coins to steal. Just research the mobs before going. Its a way to skillup sword evasion and crossbow and make gill. Just let the party allow you to tank for a bit to raise evasion when you get in the orange steal and see what happens. Castle O is a great place for this.

[Neoshinobi]

Stealing is a test of your skill versus the mob's. The factors are your level the mobs level and your steal ability bonuses. CHR I have not heard as a factor for adding to steal. I will need to see some evidence of this to support it but it could be possible. I will try it out over the next week or so.

Stealing from behind or from in front is not a factor. Stealing while its attacking others or casting spells is also not a factor. I steal goldcoins on a regular basis and have not seen any thing about positioning add or take away from my ability to steal. I can say this because in order to steal from gobs and activate my rogue's ring I need to get my health down. I attack a gob and fight till i get in the orange and swap equipment and steal. I have stolen just as many from the front as the back.

I find your thoughts on direction and timing to be VERY hard to believe considering I HAVE seen differences in stealing at different times. I've had MORE success when stealing while the mob is pre-occupied as in casting a spell or readying a special attack. I've also had better luck when stealing from an open direction, from the side more so. As for front or back, the only times its really seemed to make a difference is during battle instead of stealing to start off.

As for stats affecting Steal success rate, I've heard rumors that INT is a factor...This I can see as several AF pieces include +INT stats. However CHR I don't believe to be a factor as much as it is for WS's.

[Mexel]

I find your thoughts on direction and timing to be VERY hard to believe considering I HAVE seen differences in stealing at different times. I've had MORE success when stealing while the mob is pre-occupied as in casting a spell or readying a special attack. I've also had better luck when stealing from an open direction, from the side more so. As for front or back, the only times its really seemed to make a difference is during battle instead of stealing to start off.

As for stats affecting Steal success rate, I've heard rumors that INT is a factor...This I can see as several AF pieces include +INT stats. However CHR I don't believe to be a factor as much as it is for WS's.

Agreed with you on the statement of "luck" its just a matter of numbers. I will bet you any amount of money if you steal from a gob while its casting a spell 100 times you will get the same results as when its just idle. I have missed and stolen from every possible combination. If positioning would be the case would not the factor of being invisible add to your ablity to steal?

Logically thinking if I was invisible the gob would not see me coming and therefor I would steal at a greater rate. This is also not a factor. I steal while visible and invis and have seen no greater rate of success either way. Noone has bothered to bring that point up in a discussion of stealing that I have seen.

INT I have read is associated with lockpicking but again I am not going to say right or wrong about any stat when associated with an ability. SE seems to keep those a well guarded secret when it comes to the more off the wall skills and what stats help them. CHR is a bonus in the Assassin's set while INt is a bonus in the Rogue's set of AF so go figure.

[Neoshinobi]

I find your thoughts on direction and timing to be VERY hard to believe considering I HAVE seen differences in stealing at different times. I've had MORE success when stealing while the mob is pre-occupied as in casting a spell or readying a special attack. I've also had better luck when stealing from an open direction, from the side more so. As for front or back, the only times its really seemed to make a difference is during battle instead of stealing to start off.

As for stats affecting Steal success rate, I've heard rumors that INT is a factor...This I can see as several AF pieces include +INT stats. However CHR I don't believe to be a factor as much as it is for WS's.

INT I have read is associated with lockpicking but again I am not going to say right or wrong about any stat when associated with an ability. SE seems to keep those a well guarded secret when it comes to the more off the wall skills and what stats help them. CHR is a bonus in the Assassin's set while INt is a bonus in the Rogue's set of AF so go figure.

Its known that CHR helps with {Dancing Edge}

[Prrsha]

INT helps with lockpicking and stealing.

CHR helps with Treasure Hunter.

DEX helps with Sneak Attack.

AGI helps with Trick Attack.