[Draft] The Way of the Bandit

Table of Contents
Section 1. Introduction
Section 2. Strength or luck? (Work in progress, help appreciated)
Section 3. What is this “dex” stat you speak of? (Work in progress, help appreciated)
Section 4. AP Builds (Work in progress, help appreciated)
Section 5. The Actual Skill Builds – Always open to suggestions, edits, and new builds
5.1 Rogue
5.2 Bandit
5.3 Chief Bandit
5.4 Shadower
Section 6. Blood Building, by DustBunny
Section 7. Conclusion and External Links

1. Introduction

I was browsing da interwebz for some good CB builds when I realized that I was mostly making mine up as I went along. This is when I realized that there weren’t any less than two years old. I think it’s more due to this quote that Rick (RDal) said in IRC.
[10:18] <Rick> What are you making a guide for?
[10:18] <Rayquaza2233> Chief Bandits.
[10:18] <Rick> Even I can make a guide for it
[10:18] <Rick> "Don't do it"

2. Strength or luck?

Probably the longest standing debate in bandit history. Should they go strength or luck?

Pros

Strength

- (comparatively more) stable damage.
- Khanjars (7 attack) and Dragon Khanjars (15 attack) are strength shields.

Luck

- They have the potential to hit for more damage.
- They can wear their armours at the minimum levels. (Thanks Stereo)

Cons

Strength

- Harder to find good strength daggers compared to well scrolled luck daggers (not that it’s easy to find luck daggers, it’s just that strength daggers are even harder to find)
- They can’t wear their armours at their minimum levels.
<Stereo> str + dex + luk requirement > total AP gained

Luck

- Equivalents to (Dragon) Khanjars hard (and expensive) to find.

3. What is this “dex” stat you speak of?

Dex is a bandit’s (strength or luck) secondary stat. Some choose to forgo this stat, preferring to be “dexless” and using maple weapons. Others merely cap their dex at different amounts. From the information that I’ve gathered, 80 is a good amount of base (amount without equips) dex. However, I personally have 115 base dex, and I know people with 150 base dex. The lower your base dex is, the more you will rely on armour either scrolled for dex, giving dex naturally, or forged to have dex with the Maker skill to equip higher leveled weapons.

4. AP Builds

Strength

Open to suggestions. xd

Luck

The cookie cutter build is 2 dex, 3 luck until you hit level 40. Once you hit level 40, you’ll have 80 dex. This is when you decide when you’re capping. You can cap at 80, but if not, 4 luck, 1 dex until you hit the amount you want to cap at.

5. Skill builds

5.1 Rogue

Generic Bandit Build

The generic one that most people use.

 Spoiler

Level 10 – 1 Double Stab (1)
Level 11 – 3 Double Stab (4)
Level 12 – 3 Double Stab (7)
Level 13 – 3 Double Stab (10)
Level 14 – 3 Double Stab (13)
Level 15 – 3 Double Stab (16)
Level 16 – 3 Double Stab (19)
Level 17 – 1 Double Stab (20, maxed), 2 Nimble Body (2)
Level 18 – 3 Nimble Body (5)
Level 19 – 3 Nimble Body (8)
Level 20 – 3 Nimble Body (11)
Level 21 – 3 Nimble Body (14)
Level 22 – 3 Nimble Body (17)
Level 23 – 3 Nimble Body (20, maxed)
Level 24 – 3 Disorder (3)
Level 25 – 3 Dark Sight (3)
Level 26 – 3 Dark Sight (6)
Level 27 – 3 Dark Sight (9)
Level 28 – 3 Dark Sight (12)
Level 29 – 3 Dark Sight (15)
Level 30 – 3 Dark Sight (18)

Max double stab right away for maximum damage, nimble body for accuracy and avoidability, then get 3 disorder as a prerequisite for dark sight, which is very, very useful.

Alternate build #1 – The Sindit

This is the build I used. I was going to be a sin, but last second decided to be a bandit.

 Spoiler

Level 10 – 1 Lucky Seven (1)
Level 11 – 3 Nimble Body (3)
Level 12 – 3 Keen Eyes (3)
Level 13 – 3 Keen Eyes (6)
Level 14 – 2 Keen Eyes (8, maxed), 1 Lucky Seven (2)
Level 15 – 3 Lucky Seven (5)
Level 16 – 3 Lucky Seven (8)
Level 17 – 3 Lucky Seven (11)
Level 18 – 3 Lucky Seven (14)
Level 19 – 3 Lucky Seven (17)
Level 20 – 3 Lucky Seven (20, maxed)
Level 21 – 3 Nimble Body (6)
Level 22 – 3 Nimble Body (9)
Level 23 – 3 Nimble Body (12)
Level 24 – 3 Nimble Body (15)
Level 25 – 3 Nimble Body (18)
Level 26 – 2 Nimble Body (20, maxed), 1 Disorder (1)
Level 27 – 2 Disorder (3), 1 Dark Sight (1)
Level 28 – 3 Dark Sight (4)
Level 29 – 3 Dark Sight (7)
Level 30 – 3 Dark Sight (10)

It’s just a basic pre-assassin build, nothing special here.

5.2 The Bandit

My Bandit Build

 Spoiler

Level 30 - Mastery (1)
Level 31 - 3 Savage Blow (3)
Level 32 - 3 Savage Blow (6)
Level 33 - 3 Savage Blow (9)
Level 34 - 3 Savage Blow (12)
Level 35 - 3 Savage Blow (15)
Level 36 - 3 Savage Blow (18)
Level 37 - 3 Savage Blow (21)
Level 38 - 3 Mastery (4)
Level 39 - 3 Mastery (7)
Level 40 - 3 Mastery (10)
Level 41 - 3 Mastery (13)
Level 42 - 3 Mastery (16)
Level 43 - 3 Mastery (19)
Level 44 - 3 Savage Blow (24)
Level 45 - 3 Savage Blow (27)
Level 46 - 3 Savage Blow (30, maxed)
Level 47 - 3 Booster (3)
Level 48 - 3 Booster (6)
Level 49 - 3 Booster (9)
Level 50 - 3 Booster (12)
Level 51 - 3 Haste (3)
Level 52 - 3 Haste (6)
Level 53 - 3 Haste (9)
Level 54 - 3 Haste (12)
Level 55 - 3 Haste (15)
Level 56 - 3 Haste (18)
Level 57 - 2 Haste (20, maxed), 1 Booster (13)
Level 58 - 3 Booster (16)
Level 59 - 3 Booster (19)
Level 60 - 1 Booster (20, maxed), 2 Dark Sight (20, maxed)
Level 61 - 3 Endure (3)
Level 62 - 3 Endure (6)
Level 63 - 3 Endure (9)
Level 64 - 3 Endure (12)
Level 65 - 3 Endure (15)
Level 66 - 3 Endure (18)
Level 67 - 2 Endure (20, maxed), 1 Steal (1) / 1 Disorder (4)
Level 68 - 3 Steal (4) / 3 Disorder (7)
Level 69 - 3 Steal (7) / 3 Disorder (10)
Level 70 - 3 Steal (10) / 3 Disorder (13)

I maxed endure over steal because steal is completely useless. I’d even recommend Disorder over it for bombing gobies. If assaulter doesn’t stun (if you’re busting the houses with assaulter), use disorder to make it stop attacking you. Endure lets you heal 23 MP instead of 3, which adds up over time. I went for 12 booster because it lasts longer, I hated one minute booster.

Alternate Build #1 – Sindit edition 1

 Spoiler

Level 30 - Mastery (1)
Level 31 - 3 Savage Blow (3)
Level 32 - 3 Savage Blow (6)
Level 33 - 3 Savage Blow (9)
Level 34 - 3 Savage Blow (12)
Level 35 - 3 Savage Blow (15)
Level 36 - 3 Savage Blow (18)
Level 37 - 3 Savage Blow (21)
Level 38 - 3 Mastery (4)
Level 39 - 3 Mastery (7)
Level 40 - 3 Mastery (10)
Level 41 - 3 Mastery (13)
Level 42 - 3 Mastery (16)
Level 43 - 3 Mastery (19)
Level 44 - 3 Savage Blow (24)
Level 45 - 3 Savage Blow (27)
Level 46 - 3 Savage Blow (30)
Level 47 - 3 Booster (3)
Level 48 - 3 Booster (6)
Level 49 - 3 Haste (3)
Level 50 - 3 Haste (6)
Level 51 - 3 Haste (9)
Level 52 - 3 Haste (12)
Level 53 - 3 Haste (15)
Level 54 - 3 Haste (18)
Level 55 - 2 Haste (20), 1 Booster (7)
Level 56 - 3 Booster (10)
Level 57 - 3 Booster (13)
Level 58 - 3 Booster (16)
Level 59 - 3 Booster (19)
Level 60 - 1 Booster (20), 2 Dark Sight (12)
Level 61 - 3 Dark Sight (15)
Level 62 - 3 Dark Sight (18)
Level 63 - 2 Dark Sight (20), 1 Endure (1)
Level 64 - 3 Endure (4)
Level 65 - 3 Endure (7)
Level 66 - 3 Endure 10)
Level 67 - 3 Endure (13)
Level 68 - 3 Endure (16)
Level 69 - 3 Endure (19)
Level 70 - 1 Endure (20) 1 Steal (1)

Same as above, but it’s just tailored for sindits that only have 10 DS instead of 18.

Alternate build #2 – Sindits by FantaTwist

 Spoiler

Level 30 - Mastery (1)
Level 31 - 3 Savage Blow (3)
Level 32 - 3 Savage Blow (6)
Level 33 - 3 Savage Blow (9)
Level 34 - 3 Savage Blow (12)
Level 35 - 3 Savage Blow (15)
Level 36 - 3 Savage Blow (18)
Level 37 - 3 Mastery (4)
Level 38 - 1 Mastery (5), 2 Booster
Level 39 - 3 Savage Blow (21)
Level 40 - 3 Savage Blow (24)
Level 41 - 3 Savage Blow (27)
Level 42 - 3 Savage Blow (30)
Level 43 - 3 Mastery (8)
Level 44 - 3 Mastery (11)
Level 45 - 3 Mastery (14)
Level 46 - 3 Mastery (17)
Level 47 - 3 Mastery (20)
Level 48 - 3 Haste (3)
Level 49 - 3 Haste (6)
Level 50 - 3 Haste (9)
Level 51 - 3 Haste (12)
Level 52 - 3 Haste (15)
Level 53 - 3 Haste (18)
Level 54 - 2 Haste (20), 1 Booster (3)
Level 55 - 3 Booster (6)
Level 56 - 3 Booster (9)
Level 57 - 3 Booster (12)
Level 58 - 3 Booster (15)
Level 59 - 3 Booster (18)
Level 60 - 3 Booster (20), 1 Dark sight (11)
Level 61 - 3 Dark sight (14)
Level 62 - 3 Dark sight (17)
Level 63 - 3 Dark sight (20)
Level 64 -
Level 65 -
Level 66 -
Level 67 -
Level 68 -
Level 69 -
Level 70 -
21 skill points remainder

I left the rest up to you because In my own opinion i think the rest of the skills are pointless, so what i've did is tackled out the important skills for you and left the rest on your own decision.

Kabanaw's bandit build

 Spoiler

30:1 mastery
31-6: 3 mastery (19)
37+38: 3 booster(6)
I found that a stable, faster double stab was more effective than level 24 SB.
39-48: 3 SB (max)
49-54: 3 haste (18)
55: 2 haste (max), 1 booster (7)
56-59: 3 booster (19)
60: 1 booster(max), 1 mastery (20), 1 dark sight (it was left at 18, so 19 now)
61: 1 dark sight(max) 2 endure (2)
62-67:3 endure(max)
68-70: 3 steal (9)

In the end: max booster, max mastery, max haste, max savage blow, max endure, max dark site, and 9 steal

This is a build for faster, more stable damage first.

5.3 Chief Bandits

This is probably the murkiest part of a bandit’s life in terms of builds. There are two set attacks, and then you can do whatever.

BoT first, assaulter first is dumb

 Spoiler

Level 70 – 1 Assaulter
Level 71 – 3 Chakra (3)
Level 72 – 1 Meso Guard (1), 2 Band of Thieves (2)
Level 73 – 3 Band of Thieves (5)
Level 74 – 3 Band of Thieves (8)
Level 75 – 3 Band of Thieves (11)
Level 76 – 3 Band of Thieves (14)
Level 77 – 3 Band of Thieves (17)
Level 78 – 3 Band of Thieves (20)
Level 79 – 3 Band of Thieves (23)
Level 80 – 3 Band of Thieves (26)
Level 81 – 3 Band of Thieves (29)
Level 82 – 1 Band of Thieves (30, maxed), 2 Meso Explosion (2)
Level 83 – 1 Meso Explosion (3), 1 Pickpocket (1), 1 Assaulter (2)
Level 84 – 3 Assaulter (5)
Level 85 – 3 Assaulter (8)
Level 86 – 3 Assaulter (11)
Level 87 – 3 Assaulter (14)
Level 88 – 3 Assaulter (17)
Level 89 – 3 Assaulter (20)
Level 90 – 3 Assaulter (23)
Level 91 – 3 Assaulter (26)
Level 92 – 3 Assaulter (29)
Level 93 – 1 Assaulter (30, maxed), 2 Meso Guard (3)
Level 94 – 3 Meso Guard (6)
Level 95 – 3 Meso Guard (9)
Level 96 – 3 Meso Guard (12)
Level 97 – 3 Meso Guard (15)
Level 98 – 3 Meso Guard (18)
Level 99 – 2 Meso Guard (20, maxed), 1 Meso Explosion (4)
Level 101 – 3 Meso Explosion (7)
Level 102 – 3 Meso Explosion (10)
Level 103 – 3 Meso Explosion (13)
Level 104 – 3 Meso Explosion (16)
Level 105 – 3 Meso Explosion (19)
Level 106 – 3 Meso Explosion (22)
Level 107 – 3 Meso Explosion (25)
Level 108 – 3 Meso Explosion (28)
Level 109 – 2 Meso Explosion (30, maxed), 1 Pickpocket (2)
Level 110 – 3 Pickpocket (5)
Level 111 – 3 Pickpocket (8)
Level 112 – 3 Pickpocket (11)
Level 113 – 3 Pickpocket (14)
Level 114 – 3 Pickpocket (17)
Level 115 – 3 Pickpocket (20, maxed)
Level 116 – 3 Chakra (6)
Level 117 – 3 Chakra (9)
Level 118 – 3 Chakra (12)
Level 119 – 3 Chakra (15)
Level 120 – 3 Chakra (18)

I chose Pickpocket at 83 in preparation for Typhons, PP is very useful there. You can max chakra instead of PP, I just thought PP would be more useful at himes.

If anyone else has any other builds, I’ll add those.

5.4 Shadowers

Cactuar’s Bossing Build
Before reading, please note that he made this build a long, long time ago. There may be some tweaks needed to it.
Okay, the idea behind this is to have the ability to solo most high-level bosses (that aren't Zakum or Horntail). The basic idea is to put into powerhouse moves such as Assassinate and Keen Dagger in order to, well, solo bosses.

 Spoiler

Level 120:
1 Fake
1 Smoke Bomb
1 Boomerang Step/Keen Dagger

The reason behind this is, no matter how you look at it, Fake is a useful skill. +11% natural misses is well worth the first point after your advancement, if you ask me. Plus, no other skill is decent with 1 point into it besides Smoke Bomb. The 1 into smoke bomb is for setting up a second ME after the first one (for Papu) or your initial ME (for Pianus). 33 seconds of god mode is more then enough to charge a decent assassinate later down the line. The 1 KD/BS is for taking out bombs at either Papu or Pianus (those things are pesky) and avoiding attacks. It also can be used to hit Papu from afar.


Level 121/122 - 131/132
3 Assassinate (until Maxed)

Assassinate is probably the most useful boss move we have in our arsenal (next to ME, for obvious reasons). Once maxed, it can do high damage fairly quickly. Plus the assaulter-like attack at the end is controllable. So you can Assassinate Papu (or Pianus) and then get away (or towards) them. It is best used in combination with a Smoke bomb + ME combo when possible. Once this is maxed, you can begin attempting Papu (not Pianus).

Level 132/133 - 142/143
3 Boomerang Step/Keen Dagger (until maxed)
2 Fake

Ah, my second favourite move. This will be highly useful for KBing Papu when maxed (you should be able to with 500% damage and being level 141). Use it to take out the pesky bombs as always, and dodge attacks. This, when maxed, will probably replace Assassinate as the main damage dealer for bosses (since it's more practical). Once you have both of these skills maxed, Papu should be fairly easy* to take down. Pianus would be a bit more trouble.

NOTE: You may switch the order of Assassinate and BS/KD if you wish. Depending on if you want to Dark Sight for ME a lot, or just do an out-right onslaught.

* - Definition of easy may differ.

Level 143/144 - 152/153
3 Fake (until Maxed)

An additional 40% misses is helpful in boss fights. Especially considering it can help/save your life if your smoke bomb ends before you're ready for it to. This will also protect against those, you guessed it, pesky bombs. This mainly is for cutting down the cost of killing the bosses.

Level 153/154 - 160/161
3 Maple Hero (until maxed)
1 Smoke Bomb

+10% to all your stats? What's not to like? The boost in damage will help out in the boss fights. Not much else to say about this.

Level 161/162 - 171/172
3 Smoke Bomb (until Maxed)
2 Showdown

When maxed it lasts for 60 seconds, and has an even wider range of invincibility. This helps with setting up ME or if you're in a tight spot. Show down might be used if you want the additional EXP + Drops, but shouldn't really be used until it's maxed.

Level 172/173 - 182/183
3 Showdown (until maxed)

You could just tag one of these babies on to the last form of Papu (or pianus if it works when it has low HP) before killing it. Bam! Instant +40% Drop rate and EXP. Not too shabby.

Level 183/184 - 200

These points can go into whatever. None of the other moves are useful for soloing bosses. You could put points into Poison for regular training, or into ambush.

The Solo Shadower (I made this one, so edits are probably mandated here)

 Spoiler

Level 120 – 1 Venom (1), 1 Fake (1), 1 Boomerang Step (1)
Level 121 – 3 Boomerang Step (4)
Level 122 – 3 Boomerang Step (7)
Level 123 – 3 Boomerang Step (10)
Level 124 – 3 Boomerang Step (13)
Level 125 – 3 Boomerang Step (16)
Level 126 – 3 Boomerang Step (19)
Level 127 – 3 Boomerang Step (22)
Level 128 – 3 Boomerang Step (25)
Level 129 – 3 Boomerang Step (28)
Level 130 – 2 Boomerang Step (30, maxed), 1 Fake (2)
Level 131 – 3 Fake (5)
Level 132 – 3 Fake (8)
Level 133 – 3 Fake (11)
Level 134 – 3 Fake (14)
Level 135 – 3 Fake (17)
Level 136 – 3 Fake (20)
Level 137 – 3 Fake (23)
Level 138 – 3 Fake (26)
Level 139 – 3 Fake (29)
Level 140 – 1 Fake (30, maxed), 2 Maple Warrior (2)
Level 141 – 3 Maple Warrior (5)
Level 142 – 3 Maple Warrior (8)
Level 143 – 3 Maple Warrior (11)
Level 144 – 3 Maple Warrior (14)
Level 145 – 3 Maple Warrior (17)
Level 146 – 3 Maple Warrior (20)
Level 147 – 3 Assassinate (3)
Level 148 – 3 Assassinate (6)
Level 149 – 3 Assassinate (9)
Level 150 – 3 Assassinate (12)
Level 151 – 3 Assassinate (15)
Level 152 – 3 Assassinate (18)
Level 153 – 2 Assassinate (20), 1 Venom (2)
Level 154 – 3 Smokescreen (3)
Level 155 – 3 Smokescreen (6)
Level 156 – 3 Smokescreen (9)
Level 157 – 3 Smokescreen (12)
Level 158 – 3 Smokescreen (15)
Level 159 – 3 Smokescreen (18)
Level 160 – 3 Smokescreen (21)
Level 161 – 3 Smokescreen (24)
Level 162 – 3 Smokescreen (27)
Level 163 – 3 Smokescreen (30, maxed)
Level 164 – 3 Venom (5)
Level 165 – 3 Venom (8)
Level 166 – 3 Venom (11)
Level 167 – 3 Venom (14)
Level 168 – 3 Venom (17)
Level 169 – 3 Venom (20)
Level 170 – 3 Venom (23)
Level 171 – 3 Venom (26)
Level 172 – 3 Venom (29)
Level 173 – 1 Venom, (30, maxed), 2 Assassinate (22)
Level 174 – 3 Assassinate (25)
Level 175 – 3 Assassinate (28)
Level 176 – 2 Assassinate (30, maxed)
Level 177 – 3 Maple Warrior (23)
Level 178 – 3 Maple Warrior (26)
Level 179 – 3 Maple Warrior (29)
Level 180 – 1 Maple Warrior (30, maxed)
Level 181 – 1 Awakening, 2 into whatever
Level 182 and on – Whatever

DustBunny's Shadower Build

 Spoiler

120 - 2 boom step, venom, smoke bomb, assassinate, or fake
121-131- Max Bs
132-142- Get 10 fake 10 venom 10 assassinate, I reccomend venom being last and fake being first.
143-153- Max assassinate, put 10 points into venom
154-164- Finish fake, put 10 points into venom
165-171- Maple warrior
171-

Again, other builds would be nice, and you’ll get credit.

6. Blood building, by DustBunny
I believe 1 sp=20 hp, for thiefs in general (if not then im mistakingly using the hermit formula). With this concept 50 points will add, 1k hp putting a shadowers base hp at 4k, which with meso guard is the same hp as an unwashed DrK (with hb would be around 13k hp) That will, by what I read would allow you to sustain any hit from any monster in the game besides pink bean (then again I'm calculating a level 120, rather than 170 which would probably have a 10k base hp with no wash, 11k base if he/she did), at what cost? 10att. That's it, and a lot people will argue that 10att for a shadower especially is a HUGE loss considering every shadower and their mother try to squeeze out as much attack as possible.

However let's take this into consideration, a shadower without a 10att wg would lose (I believe) 300 off their max range, about 100 off their min range. This would turn a boom step from 50k, to about 47k, 3k less damage I believe is nothing compared to 4k base hp, with meso guard making it 8, then hyper body raising it it 13k hp.

Ugh all this doubling is confusing myself lol. Hyper body on a 4k hp washed shadower would be 6.4k base, which doubled would be 12.8k because of meso guard. My unwashed drk at 120 didn't have that much, and this is clean, lets factor in a mon or ht pendent(whatever the def of the ht pendent is nearly equilavent to the hp added from the mon) is about 300, so the shad would break 13k easy. This adds efficiency as well, considering chakra can act as a pot rather than, lets say a barb elixer? Considering that 1k damage would litterally make us able to tank just as much as any warrior.

So for the cost of 10att, 300 max range, you can tank like a warrior, with the speed of a shad, killer combo much?

7. Conclusion and External Links
So, this is it. Any tips, additions, builds, whatever, I’ll add them on here and credit you.

Meso Explosion Bonus explained, by Xaille
Meso Explosion damage curve, by Xaille
The Venom Equation, by JoeTang
The Thief's "Where to train?" guide, by Daimean