Class guide · Lv 30-70 · Hard
Bandit (STR daggers) guide
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Who it is for
For Bandits who took the STR dagger plan in first job. STR replaces DEX for your weapon, and you skip Thief armor. It plays like the DEX Bandit with a slightly faster dagger.
Good at
- STR daggers attack one speed stage faster, with or without Booster.
- Nearly the same LUK as the DEX build at Lv 70 (296 against 300).
- Korean Fan (Lv 40) needs only LUK.
- STR adds a little defense.
Watch out for
- No Thief armor above Lv 15: that armor needs DEX. You give up its stats.
- About 18 less base Accuracy than the DEX plan at Lv 70.
- Each STR dagger has 1 less attack than the DEX one of the same level.
- More planning: weapon and gear steps must line up.
Comes after: Dagger Thief (Double Stab).
AP: stats by level
Main stat: LUK. Secondary: STR.
| Level | Where your AP goes |
|---|---|
| 31-44 | LUK +5. The Stinger carries you to 39, the Korean Fan from 40. |
| 45 | STR +3, LUK +2. |
| 46-50 | STR +5 (45 STR for the Sai at 50). |
| 51-58 | LUK +5. |
| 59-60 | STR +5 (55 STR for Serpent's Coil). |
| 61-68 | LUK +5. |
| 69-70 | STR +5 (65 STR for Golden River). |
Lv 70: about 65 STR, 5 DEX, 4 INT, 296 LUK (base, no STR from gear). DEX stays at 5.
SP: skills by level
| Level | Skills by the end of it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | Haste 1 | Speed and Jump. Max Double Stab is still your attack. |
| 31 | Haste 1, Dagger Mastery 3 | Mastery raises Double Stab's lowest hit. |
| 32 | Haste 1, Dagger Mastery 5, Dagger Booster 1 | Booster needs Mastery 5. One point gives the full speed boost. |
| 33-37 | Haste 1, Dagger Mastery 20, Dagger Booster 1 | Max Mastery matters more for EXP than max Savage Blow. |
| 38-44 | Haste 1, Dagger Mastery 20, Dagger Booster 1, Savage Blow 21 | Switch to Savage Blow around Lv 43. At 21 it hits six times. |
| 45-47 | Haste 1, Dagger Mastery 20, Dagger Booster 1, Savage Blow 30 | Savage Blow maxed. |
| 48-53 | Haste 19, Dagger Mastery 20, Dagger Booster 1, Savage Blow 30 | Melee needs to move fast between monsters. |
| 54-57 | Haste 20, Dagger Mastery 20, Dagger Booster 1, Savage Blow 30, Nimble Recovery 11 | Haste maxed, then some HP and MP back on dodges. |
| 58-67 | Haste 20, Dagger Mastery 20, Dagger Booster 1, Savage Blow 30, Nimble Recovery 12, Steal 29 | Steal needs Haste 5. Its +35 Attack Power equals 70 STR in damage. |
| 68-70 | Haste 20, Dagger Mastery 20, Dagger Booster 9, Savage Blow 30, Nimble Recovery 12, Steal 30 | Booster 9 lasts 180 seconds. |
- Same SP plan as the DEX Bandit. Only the weapon and AP change.
- The honest trade-off: STR daggers are a bit faster, DEX daggers have 1 more attack and more Accuracy. At Lv 70 the damage is nearly the same. Counting armor, one source puts DEX daggers 6 to 8% ahead.
- STR daggers mainly save the DEX that Thief armor and DEX daggers ask for. You pay with STR instead, and with no Thief armor.
- Leveled with Lucky Seven (4 STR, 30 DEX, 132 LUK)? STR daggers are worse there: you need STR for the dagger and DEX for Thief armor. That plan ends near 65 STR, 57 DEX, 244 LUK, 56 LUK behind the DEX build. Take the DEX Bandit guide instead.
- Bazlud (Lv 45, 40 STR) is skipped: the Korean Fan already covers 40-49 without STR.
Where to train
| Level | Maps | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 30-37 | Ant Tunnel II, Ant Tunnel Park, The Swamp of Despair II | Monsters that die fast to max Double Stab, close to pots. |
| 38-49 | Excavation Site III, The Burnt Land I, Line 2 <Area 1> | One Savage Blow kills. Check your hit rate first: you have less Accuracy than a DEX Bandit. |
| 50-59 | Monkey Forest II, Tree Dungeon, Monkey Forest II, Line 2 <Area 2> | Zombie Lupins have low defense. |
| 60-70 | The Forest of Evil II, Remains <Tomb> I, Line 2 <Area 3> | Rerun the map check whenever your dagger changes. |
Every level range: where to train by level. MesoLens also ranks the maps for your own character, from your level and stats.
Gear by level
| Level | What to wear |
|---|---|
| 30-39 | Stinger from first job. Keep the Lv 15 Thief set and Black Duo gloves, plus Yellow Baseball Cap, Old Raggedy Cape and Squishy Shoes (no DEX needed). Pan Lid shield. |
| 32-39 | Blue Sauna Robe (Red Sauna Robe for female characters) from Mr. Wetbottom's chain: no stat requirement, 10 slots for LUK scrolls. |
| 40-49 | Korean Fan: needs only 70 LUK. |
| 50-59 | Sai. |
| 60-70 | Serpent's Coil, then Golden River at 70. Scroll gloves for attack, overall and cape for LUK. |
Before you buy, check what a piece really sells for: how to price-check the Free Market.
Quests and party quests
- Lv 30: The Thief's Next Journey from the Dark Lord. Bring 30 Dark Marbles from the test north of Kerning City and choose Bandit.
- Lv 32: Mr. Wetbottom's chain in Sleepywood for a Sauna Robe. It is your best body armor in this build.
- Keep raising Kerning City citizenship: later grades unlock Lesser overall LUK and glove attack scrolls.
- Kerning City Party Quest has no known top level. Get Squishy Shoes there if you still lack them: no DEX needed.
Tips and common mistakes
Tips
- Use Accuracy gear and Sniper Potions when a map shows misses. This build has the least Accuracy of all Thieves.
- Use Double Stab when it kills just as fast as Savage Blow. It saves MP.
- Add STR as late as you can, only for the next dagger. Every early point is LUK lost.
- Your shield matters more without Thief armor. Scroll it for defense.
Common mistakes
- Taking STR daggers after leveling with Lucky Seven. You end up raising STR and DEX both.
- Thinking STR adds damage like LUK. It is only there to equip the dagger.
- Buying a Cass or a Bazlud you will only use for a few levels.
- Forgetting that Thief armor from Lv 20 needs DEX.
Written by the MesoLens team from the game data and community guides: NiaDB, Bandit guide, Lv 30-70 (with a community STR Bandit plan) · NiaDB, Thief guide, Lv 1-30 · NiaDB, Best grind maps for every level.
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