MapleStory Thief Guide

MapleStory Thief Guide by Zolene

Disclaimer/Important: I highly doubt I am the first to have thought of every idea or detail presented in this guide. As such, I lay no claim to any of them. However, I do lay claim to having assembled all of this and performed all the grunt work involved. Please do not reproduce this information in part or in its entirety without giving me due credit and ideally letting me know directly. Thank you.

Table of Contents

Introduction
The Normal Build Thief: Understanding Your Enemy
– Q. What is the purpose of this guide?
– Q. What is a Normal Build?
– Q. What is a No-DEX build?
– Q. What is a “perfect” build?
– Q. What is a “Perfect No-DEX” build?
– Q. What is a Low-DEX build?
– Q. What is a “Mostly Normal” build?
– Q. How do I know if I am more powerful because of No/Low-DEX?
– Q. Quick, do I need funding and how much!?!
The Two Types of No/Low-DEX builds.
– Type A: Scrolling for Equipment DEX
Q. What scrolls am I supposed to use to get DEX bonuses?
Q. What about Glove for DEX scrolls?
Q. Should I use Snowshoes or regular Thief shoes??
Q. What is the maximum amount of DEX I can squeeze out of my equipment with the above scrolls?
Q. What is the most probable amount of DEX I can squeeze out of my equipment with the above scrolls?
Q. Wait…what about the Normal Assassin’s LUK bonuses?
Q. So…what is the minimum DEX I need to squeeze out of my equipment and scrolls just to be EQUAL to a Normal Assassin?
Q. Uh…so you’re saying a Low-DEX Assassin won’t always outdamage a Normal Assassin?
Q. I’m going to be No/Low-DEX. What equipment should I have or could use at each level?
Q. What about Avenger/Fruits?
Q. Shouldn’t I be using claws with built-in DEX bonuses?
Q. How should I scroll for a Strong-Medium Low-DEX build?
– Type B: Scrolling for Weapon Attack
– Type C: Doing Both
When to go No/Low-DEX & How Much Funding
Miscellaneous FAQs
– Q. Why doesn’t your guide cover Bandits or BanditSins?
– Q. Will I have less accuracy by going No/Low-DEX/Won’t it be harder for me to hit higher level monsters?
– Q. Is it worth it?
– Q. Wouldn’t I be taking more damage wearing such low level armor?
– Q. What about Overall Armor for LUK scrolls?
– Q. What about doing it this way…?

Introduction

Q. What is the purpose of this guide?
A. This guide is designed to provide players with a comprehensive understanding of the subject and nature of being a No-DEX or Low-DEX (abbreviated as No/Low-DEX) Thief. It is NOT designed to provide step-by-step instructions or an ingredient by ingredient recipe on how to become one, though it may include such guiding information.

Instead, I will do my best to help you understand what being No/Low-DEX means so that you will have a solid foundation for planning out your own No/Low-DEX Thief. I will do my best to help you comprehend what it takes to be a No/Low-DEX that is at least noticeably more powerful than a Normal Thief. I will do my best to help you realize that it is not an easy strategy to pull off, that it requires a lot of work, a lot of money, a lot of time, and often a lot of heartache. However, I will also help you see why all of that may be worth it.

I cannot make your character for you, because your particular situation and circumstances vary. What I can do is do my best to educate you as much as possible so that when you’re done with this guide, you will understand enough (perhaps too much) to start setting your own goals and be mentally prepared to face the challenges you will undoubtedly face as you build your No/Low-DEX Thief. I believe that if you truly understand the concept of No/Low-DEX, YOU will be the best person to make decisions about YOUR character and YOUR circumstances, better than anyone else. Period.

No/Low-DEX is an ADVANCED strategy so it is advised that you have played Maple Story enough to understand all the basics and ideally some of the other advanced concepts as well. Feel free to ask questions, but also keep your ears open, listen carefully, and work things out in your own head. I want you to understand the answers, not just have the answers spoon-fed to you.

Within this guide, I will show you the “maximum potential” of going No/Low-DEX to help you understand why it is so desireable. While this “maximum potential” is near impossible to achieve, it will help you understand and decide what to aim for yourself given your funds and your patience. Keep an open mind and you may learn a new thing or two. If you decide to go No/Low-DEX afterwards, I wish you the best of luck and hope you truly understand what makes your character so powerful.

This guide is written in such a way that each section builds on the information before it. Therefore,it is recommended that you read it in order, from beginning to end, to help your comprehension. You will encounter a lot of data and a lot of hypothetical examples/calculations, all designed to illustrate various points. Please read carefully and reread as necessary.

Let’s begin…

Q. What is a Normal Build?
A. A “normal” build involves you adding AP to base DEX to meet the DEX requirement required to equip the weapon and other equipment you qualify for at your level. You can wear pretty much anything for your class and, arguably the most important, your claw. Here is the typical AP allocation schedule for a normal thief with a perfect 4 STR/4 INT starting stats roll:

NORMAL BUILD THIEF

Level AP STR DEX INT LUK Claw Req. DEX

10 70 4 25 4 37 Garnier 0

25 145 4 50 4 87 Meba 50

40 220 4 80 4 132 Avarice 80

50 270 4 90 4 172 Slain 90

60 320 4 100 4 212 Gigantic 100

70 370 4 110 4 252 Fury 110

80 420 4 120 4 292 n/a 120

For this guide, “normal” will refer to “Normal Build” Thieves. The usual mode of thinking for a normal thief is to depend on LUK bonuses from your gear to boost power.

Q. What is a No-DEX build?
A. No-DEX is pretty much what it sounds like. It is a strategy of AP allocation that involves not adding a single AP into base DEX until you’ve absolutely exhausted all other sources of “possible” DEX or DEX “savings.” Those sources include equipment, scrolls, and naturally, scrolled equipment. No-DEX means having 25 base DEX for as long as possible. Here is a No-DEX AP allocation schedule:

Level AP STR DEX INT LUK Claw Req. DEX Shortfall

10 70 4 25 4 37 Garnier 0 0

25 145 4 25 4 112 Meba 50 25

40 220 4 25 4 187 Avarice 80 55

50 270 4 25 4 237 Slain 90 65

60 320 4 25 4 287 Gigantic 100 75

70 370 4 25 4 337 Fury 110 85

As you can see, the final column, “Shortfall,” shows at least two things:
1. How much more LUK a no-dex Assassin has over a normal build Assassin.
2. How much DEX may need to be extracted from our equipment and scrolling of equipment to equip the claw for the appropriate level, if necessary.

So far, we have our work cut out for us. The appeal of no-dex is obvious. At Level 25, we have as much LUK as a normal build thief 5 levels higher than us. At level 40, we have as much LUK as a level 53 normal build assassin. That’s a big difference. Now, we just need to figure out how we’re going to scroll our gear to get that DEX, which will be covered more in depth in sections below.

Theoretically, depending on the type of No/Low-DEX strategy, you could remain No-DEX practically indefinitely. No-DEX is NOT Low-DEX. The former is insanity, the latter is tempered by reality.

Q. What is a “perfect” build?
A. A perfect build, for the purposes of this guide, is where not a single stat point (especially DEX) is ever wasted not serving a purpose. Here, DEX stats will always have the solitary purpose of allowing you to equip the most powerful weapon possible at your level. Any DEX stat that is beyond what you need or will need is considered waste, usually because that DEX stat could’ve been a LUK stat. Here, LUK stats are all-important because for Thieves, LUK is the primary statistic that affects how much damage you can do. Everything is designed to maximize LUK.

Q. What is a “Perfect No-DEX” build?
A. The combination of the above two.

Q. What is a Low-DEX build?
A. Any time you refrain from adding AP into base DEX to meet the requirement of what you’re using can be considered Low-DEX. Ranges from Mild to Strong, like hot sauce (with No-DEX being the royal galactic ruler of spiciness). Unlike No-DEX, a Low-DEX Thief will always have more than 25 base DEX.

Q. What is a “Mostly Normal” build?
A. Many players who decided against going strong Low-DEX because they weren’t willing to wear “ugly” Overalls or go through the expense of scrolling for really good DEX overalls have eventually taken a page from the book of Low-DEX. Knowing that scrolling their 7 slot Snowshoes with Jump scrolls could give them more equipment DEX (and thus more total LUK) than thief-shoes could give them equipment LUK, they did so and then kept their base DEX slightly lower than appropriate for their level. While technically Low-DEX, these players are generally considered to still be mostly Normal builds because they still wear Thief tops and bottoms that cannot be scrolled for more DEX or LUK stats. Most high level and knowledgeable players will either be Low-DEX or Mostly Normal.

Q. How do I know if I am more powerful because of No/Low-DEX?
A. The most accurate and fair way is to compare yourself to a Normal Build Thief at the same level with the same weapon attack (combined from their weapon, glove, and stars). Only through that will you be able to see how much more damage all that extra base LUK you have is actually helping.

Q. Quick, do I need funding and how much!?!
A. Yes and a lot. Now go away.

The Normal Build Thief: Understanding Your Enemy

Unless you simply like wearing low-level gear, or gear that doesn’t match (you rebel), the primary motivation for going No/Low-DEX is to be more powerful than a normal Thief. However, how can you know if you’re actually more powerful if you don’t understand how powerful normal thieves are and where they draw their power from?

Above, we noted that normal thieves rely on maximizing weapon attack and equipment LUK. The former is a straight forward cardinal rule for all of Maple Story and classes. What is important, however, is that they tend to have a conventional weapon upgrade schedule. For most Assassins, this schedule is: Garnier -> Meba +7 (100%) -> Avarice +7 (100%) -> Slain -> etc. After Level 50, most Assassins start using 60% Claw Attack Scrolls and start Glove Attack scrolling.

Outside of weapon attack, the other main power-booster for a Normal Build is the latter: equipment LUK. Below is a table of the maximum equipment LUK possible at given levels for a Normal Build Assassin:

Level Hat Top Bottom Shoe Cape Glove Claw Total Total LUK

10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 37

25 0 2 1 1 0 2 0 6 93

40 3 4 2 2 0 3 3 17 149

50 4 4 2 3 * 3 5 21 193

60 5 5 3 3 * 3 5 24 236

70 4 5 3 3 * 4 5 24 276

What the above tells us is that up to Level 70, the maximum equipment LUK a normal build Assassin could have is +24. Capes are the variable here and the only item with potential to give more LUK. Here are the potential LUK bonus values when using Cape Scrolls for LUK:

100% 60% 10%

min  5 0 0

probable  5 6 0

max  5 10 15

“Minimum” equals the total bonus given for complete scroll failure of 60% and 10%s. “Probable” shows the result of the most probable outcome (i.e. 3/5). “Maximum” is if all scrolls work. So, now we know that with the godliest of capes, the best total extra LUK from equipment and scrolls a normal Assassin can get at Level 70 is 24+15 = 39.

So, for example, a Level 70 No/LOW-DEX thief with the same total weapon attack (combined from claw, glove, and stars) ought to have more total LUK than the Normal Assassin to be statistically superior and more powerful. That’s all there is to it.

The Two Types of No/Low-DEX builds.

There are actually TWO types of No/Low-DEX builds.

1. Scrolling for Equipment DEX: From what I’ve seen, this is the more popular type and revolves around maximizing DEX bonuses on equipment using built-in bonuses and scrolls so the player can avoid using AP to increase base DEX in order to equip other equipment, and most importantly, the weapon. AP can then be diverted into increasing base LUK.

Take note, a perfect No-DEX build of this type will allow a player to refrain from adding base DEX until at latest Level 80. The maximum DEX that can be diverted to LUK is 86 from scrolls alone and 6 from hats and gloves for a total of 92 DEX.

Low-DEX encompasses the spectrum of possible base DEX/LUK allocations that exist between a pure No-DEX build and a pure Normal Build. Within Low-DEX, there are also two “mentalities” for approaching the problem of how to reduce the amount of base DEX you need to add. In other words, where do you start?

Strong Low-DEX or the Ground-Up Approach:
These players seek to keep base DEX low, having started from the No-DEX end of the spectrum. Generally, they will do their best to squeeze DEX out of their equipment to meet what DEX they need before resorting to adding AP into base DEX. These will try to scroll DEX into everything they can.
Mild Low-DEX or the Top-Down Approach:
These players seek to reduce base DEX, having started from the Normal Build end of the spectrum. Generally, they will only scroll DEX onto their equipment and reduce their upcoming base DEX allocations based upon their successes. They are usually comfortable with falling back on adding AP into base DEX if they have to. These will typically only scroll things such as their Snowshoes or Capes with DEX. These also usually still consider themselves to be Normal Builds and don’t really identify too much with true pursuers of a No/Low-DEX strategy.

There is a subtle but important distinction between these two. I’ve included this just to give you further understanding. However, most of this guide will be geared towards the player with the Ground-Up Approach mentality.

2. Scrolling for Weapon Attack: This strategy could technically allow a player to remain No/Low-DEX and the vast majority of players already do this without really considering the DEX saving potential. It is a reversal of thought. Instead of dedicating all our other equipment to meet the DEX requirements of the weapon, it dedicates the weapon to minimizing the DEX requirements of the character. It involves scrolling a weapon with weapon attack scrolls in such a way as to allow it to be superior (at least in weapon attack) to weapons at levels higher than itself. If a lower level weapon is more powerful than a higher level one, then there is no need to add DEX to equip the higher level weapon, skipping them. The DEX saved could then be diverted into more base LUK. A perfect No-DEX build of this type will allow a player to refrain from adding base DEX without scrolling their other equipment for DEX until at earliest Level 100. The minimum DEX that can be diverted to LUK due to weapon attack is 115 DEX.

In either type, you can see how the mode of thinking here is fundamentally different than that of a normal thief. Extra LUK and hence power is obtained through indirect means,.

The ultimate build would involve a fusion of these two types…so…read on!

Type A: Scrolling for Equipment DEX

Q. What scrolls am I supposed to use to get DEX bonuses?
A. The four main scrolls you will depend on and their potential benefits are listed below:

Scroll for Overall DEX (10 slots on overall)    

  100% 60% 10%

min  10 0 0

probable  10 12 5

max  10 20 50


Scroll for Cape DEX (5 slots on cape)    

  100% 60% 10%

min  5 0 0

probable  5 6 0

max  5 10 15


Scroll for Shoes for Jump (7 slots on snowshoes)    

  100% 60% 10%

min  0 0 0

probable  0 4 0

max  0 7 21


Scroll for Shoes for Jump (5 slots on shoes)    

  100% 60% 10%

min  0 0 0

probable  0 3 0

max  0 5 15

Q. What about Glove for DEX scrolls?
A. While these scrolls do add equipment DEX bonuses, it is a poor substitute for the increased weapon attack you can get from Glove Attack scrolls. In other words, the 15 maximum amount of DEX you can scroll onto your gloves results in 15 extra base LUK that wouldn’t increase your damage output as much as the 15 maximum weapon attack you could’ve gotten.

An argument could be made that since Normal Assassins rarely scroll gloves for attack until Level 50-60, you CAN scroll a glove for DEX to help with equipping things early on. Of course, sooner or later, you have to shift your reliance on the DEX bonuses from that glove onto better scrolled version of other gear SO you could scroll the glove for attack to follow suit with Normal Assassins. Otherwise, Normal Assassins with just a bit more weapon attack would cancel out chunks of your extra base LUK advantage. The maximum DEX possible combining scrolled DEX and built-in bonuses is 17. For the purposes of this guide, we will not really consider this as an option.

Q. Should I use Snowshoes or regular Thief shoes??
A. I included using snowshoes and regular shoes for scrolling in the above table. Some could argue that the extra two slots make snowshoes better but regular shoes come with built in bonuses that do not require scrolls to work. The flipside, however, is that they’re much more expensive to remake and rescroll until you get the perfect one. Nonetheless, observe below:

Level Req. DEX Shoe   + DEX

30 60 Gold Chain Boots  2

35 70 Green Line Boots  2

40 80 Green Split Shoes  2

50 90 Green Goni Shoes  3

60 100 Gold Moss Shoes  3

70 110 Blue Mystique Shoes 3

When compared to scrolls, we can see that 2 built-in DEX on a shoe is equivalent to either 2 60% Jump Scrolls working and 3 built-in DEX equals 1 10% Jump Scroll working. Thus, even though thief shoes are more expensive to make and remake, it can save you money on scrolling and rescrolling. Your finances and own sense of pragmatism will determine whether you go for scrolling 7 slot snowshoes or 5 slot specific thief shoes when planning out your perfect/imperfect No/Low-DEX Assassin. Here is a list of your total DEX possible after scrolling the shoes:

Perfectly 10% scrolled Snowshoe = 21 DEX (perfect build)
Perfectly 60% scrolled Snowshoe = 7 DEX
Perfectly 10% scrolled Thief shoe = 17-18 DEX
Perfectly 60% scrolled Thief shoe = 7-8 DEX

Probable 10% scrolled Snowshoe = 0 DEX
Probable 60% scrolled Snowshoe = 4 DEX
Probable 10% scrolled Thief shoe = 2-3 DEX
Probable 60% scrolled Thief shoe = 5-6 DEX

So, if you’re aiming for a perfect build, you have to use Snowshoes to get a potential 21 DEX out of them. If you can settle with not having the max possible, then Thief shoes come out on top in terms of risk vs. reward.

Keep in mind that No/Low-DEX Assassins will always be equipping a thief shoe that is lower than their level unless they have an excess of DEX bonuses (which would make it imperfect). For example: If we’re Level 50 and have enough DEX from your equipment to equip the Level 50 Slain, it usually means the shoes we’re wearing are contributing DEX, and not the benefactor of the equipped DEX…UNLESS all other gear give us enough DEX that we don’t need to rely on our shoes to meet the 90 DEX needed to equip the Level 50 Slain. If that’s the case, then we can indeed equip the Level 50 Goni shoes.

Q. What is the maximum amount of DEX I can squeeze out of my equipment with the above scrolls?
A. The absolute maximum DEX we can scroll out of our equipment (not including built-in bonuses) is:

Perfectly 10% scrolled cape = 15 DEX
Perfectly 10% scrolled overall = 50 DEX
Perfectly 10% scrolled Snowshoe = 21 DEX
TOTAL SCROLL BONUS = 86 DEX.

That is equivalent to 86 more base LUK or 17 levels stronger than a normal Assassin.

More importantly, that means we could equip a Level 70 Fury with only 25 base DEX because our scrolls cover the 85 DEX shortfall we need (85+25=110 DEX, the required DEX to equip the Fury) and we’re not even counting built-in bonuses.

Theoretically further, if the Level 80 Claw requires 120 DEX, only at Level 79 and 80 would we be required to finally add 9 AP into base DEX. However, by then, we would have 378 total base LUK versus a normal build Assassin’s 292 base LUK. That is a whopping difference of, you guessed it, 86 base LUK.

Q. What is the most probable amount of DEX I can squeeze out of my equipment with the above scrolls?
A. If you just scrolled everyone once through without discarding and rescrolling when encountering a failure, the most probable amount of DEX is 23, or 4 levels advantage over a normal Assassin.

Q. Wait…what about the Normal Assassin’s LUK bonuses?
A. Good question. To be make a fair comparison of actual power, we need to factor in all he LUK bonuses the Normal Assassin has from his or her gear. We also need to factor in built-in bonuses from the hat and gloves worn by the No/Low-DEX Assassin and the LUK on his or her claw as well.

So let’s compare some final numbers between a perfect No-DEX Assassin VERSUS a perfect Normal Build Assassin:

Level 70, No-DEX Assassin:
25 base DEX + 86 DEX from scrolls + 6 DEX from DEX gear (hat and glove) = 117 total DEX.
337 base LUK +5 LUK from Claw = 342 total LUK!

Level 70, Normal Build Assassin:
110 base DEX
252 base LUK +39 LUK from all gear = 291 total LUK.

Level 80, No-DEX Assassin:
28 base DEX + 86 DEX from scrolls + 6 DEX from DEX gear (hat and glove) = 120 total DEX.
384 base LUK +5 LUK from Claw = 389 total LUK!

Level 80, Normal Build Assassin:
120 base DEX
292 base LUK +41 LUK from all gear = 333 total LUK.

The No-DEX Assassin, despite having had to add 3 AP into base DEX to equip the Level 80 claw, still has a 56 LUK advantage over the Normal Assassin, making them about 11 levels stronger.

We can see how it would be wise for the Normal Build Assassin to take a lesson from the No-DEX Assassin book and use a 15 DEX 3 LUK Thief Shoes +5 (10%) to replace some base DEX. That would give him 15 more AP to divert into base LUK. This, of course, would technically make the Normal Build Assassin into a relatively mild Low-DEX Assassin…

Level 80, No-DEX Assassin:
28 base DEX + 86 DEX from scrolls + 6 DEX from DEX gear (hat and glove) = 120 total DEX.
384 base LUK +5 LUK from Claw = 389 total LUK!

Level 80, Mild Low-DEX/Normal Build Assassin:
105 base DEX + 15 DEX from scrolls (10% 5 slot Thief Shoes) = 120 total DEX.
307 base LUK +41 LUK from all gear = 348 total LUK.

At Level 80, the Normal Build Assassin narrows the original gap of 56 LUK down to 41 LUK, leaving the No-DEX Assassin now only about 8 levels stronger.

IMPORTANT: All of the above is a comparison of PERFECT opposites (max DEX vs. max LUK). It is designed to show you the max potential of Type A No/Low DEXing.

Q. So…what is the minimum DEX I need to squeeze out of my equipment and scrolls just to be EQUAL to a Normal Assassin?
A. Even better question. At Level 70, a Low-DEX Assassin would need to squeeze out 34 DEX from their equipment and scrolls while adding AP to base DEX just to be equal in total LUK and able to equip the same level claw as a Level 70 completely Normal Build Assassin using max/perfect LUK equipment, including the 15 LUK Cape +5 10%.

Level 70, Low-DEX Assassin:
76 base DEX + 34 DEX from scrolls and gear = 110 total DEX.
286 base LUK +5 LUK from Claw = 291 total LUK.

Level 70, Normal Build Assassin:
110 base DEX
252 base LUK +39 LUK from all gear = 291 total LUK.

As you see, even thought the Low-DEX (you’re not No-DEX anymore) Assassin has more base LUK, it only has the same total LUK after factoring in the equipment of the Normal Build Assassin.

Level 80, Low-DEX Assassin:
84 base DEX + 36 DEX from scrolls and gear = 120 total DEX.
328 base LUK +5 LUK from Claw = 333 total LUK.

Level 80, Normal Build Assassin:
120 base DEX
292 base LUK +41 LUK from all gear = 333 total LUK.

So, at Level 80, you need 36 DEX to be equal and OVER 36 DEX to be stronger.

Let’s remove the godly LUK cape from the Normal Build Assassin. After all, getting a full set of perfect built-in LUK items is somewhat reasonable while succeeding 5 10%s on a cape is not…

Level 70, Low-DEX Assassin:
91 base DEX + 19 DEX from scrolls and gear = 110 total DEX.
271 base LUK +5 LUK from Claw = 276 total LUK.

Level 70, Normal Build Assassin:
110 base DEX
252 base LUK +24 LUK from all gear = 276 total LUK.

Level 80, Low-DEX Assassin:
99 base DEX + 21 DEX from scrolls and gear = 120 total DEX.
313 base LUK +5 LUK from Claw = 318 total LUK.

Level 80, Normal Build Assassin:
120 base DEX
292 base LUK + 26 LUK from all gear = 318 total LUK.

Thus, the minimum DEX a Low-DEX Assassin needs to squeeze out just to be equal in total LUK to a Normal Build Assassin will range from 19-34 @ Level 70 and 21-36 @ Level 80 depending on how much LUK the Normal Build Assassin manages to scroll onto his cape.

When you consider that if you use all 60% scrolls that add DEX, the most probable total DEX bonus from scrolls result will be:

6 (cape) + 12 (overalls) + 4 to 6 (snowshoe/DEX thief shoe) = 22-24 DEX

Factoring in built-in DEX from hats and gloves:

0 to 4 (hat) + 0 to 2 (DEX gloves) = 0-6 DEX

Combined, that’s a most probable result of 22-30 DEX bonus from scrolls and equipment, which is within the 19-36 DEX range from scrolls/equipment requirement to be comparatively equal to a Normal Build Assassin using max/perfect LUK equipment and a 0-15 LUK Cape. True, if the Normal Build Assassin doesn’t have max/perfect LUK equipment, the amount of DEX needed to be equal would be less…but how many Assassin’s do you know DON’T want perfect LUK items?

That’s a lot of work and sacrifice just to be relatively equal. To be substantially more powerful requires even more. Whether it is worth it to you is entirely up to you.

That’s why I went with a normal build. =)

Q. Uh…so you’re saying a Low-DEX Assassin won’t always outdamage a Normal Assassin?
A. Yes, I repeat: A Low-DEX Assassin WILL NOT NECESSARILY do more damage as long as their total equipment DEX and corresponding total increase in base LUK fails to exceed the total base and equipment LUK of a Normal Build Assassin. More importantly, if it does outdamage the Normal Assassin, you have to figure out by how much and whether its worth it to you. This cannot be emphasized enough. To demonstrate:

Being nice, let’s use the most probable scrolling result figures for 60%s.

Level 40 Low-DEX Assassin equipping Avarice:
Required DEX to equip claw: 80
Equipment DEX (variable): 12 (60% Sauna Robe) + 2 (Dark Mischief) + 2 (Green Burglar) + 5 (60% 5 slot Green Line DEX Boots) = 21
Base DEX: 59
Base LUK: 153
Equipment LUK: +3 LUK from Dark Avarice
Total LUK: 156

Level 40 Normal Build Assassin equipping Avarice:
Required DEX to equip claw: 80
Equipment DEX (variable): 0
Base DEX: 80
Base LUK: 132
Equipment LUK: 17 (max)
Total LUK: 149

Low-DEX wins – margin of only 7 LUK advantage.

Level 50 Low-DEX Assassin equipping Slain:
Required DEX to equip claw: 90
Equipment DEX (variable): 12 (60% Sauna Robe) + 6 (60% Cape) + 2 (Dark Mischief) + 3 (Green Pilfer hat) + 5 (60% Green Split DEX shoes) = 28
Base DEX: 62
Base LUK: 200
Equipment LUK: +5 LUK from Dark Slain
Total LUK: 205

Level 50 Normal Build Assassin equipping Slain:
Required DEX to equip claw: 90
Equipment DEX (variable): 0
Base DEX: 90
Base LUK: 172
Equipment LUK: 21 (max) + 6 (60% Cape) = 27
Total LUK: 199

Low-DEX wins – margin of only 6 LUK advantage.

Level 60 Low-DEX Assassin equipping Gigantic:
Required DEX to equip claw: 100
Equipment DEX (variable): 12 (60% Sauna Robe) + 6 (60% Cape) + 2 (Dark Mischief) + 4 (Green Sonata hat) + 6 (60% Green Goni DEX shoes) = 30
Base DEX: 70
Base LUK: 242
Equipment LUK: +5 LUK from Dark Gigantic
Total LUK: 247

Level 60 Normal Build Assassin equipping Gigantic:
Required DEX to equip claw: 100
Equipment DEX (variable): 0
Base DEX: 100
Base LUK: 212
Equipment LUK: 24 (max) + 6 (60% Cape) = 30
Total LUK: 242

Low-DEX wins – margin of only 5 LUK advantage.

Level 70 Low-DEX Assassin equipping Fury:
Required DEX to equip claw: 110
Equipment DEX (variable): 12 (60% Sauna Robe) + 6 (60% Cape) + 2 (Dark Mischief) + 4 (Green Sonata hat) + 6 (60% Gold Moss DEX shoes) = 30
Base DEX: 80
Base LUK: 282
Equipment LUK: +5 LUK from Fury
Total LUK: 287

Level 70 Normal Build Assassin equipping Fury:
Required DEX to equip claw: 110
Equipment DEX (variable): 0
Base DEX: 110
Base LUK: 252
Equipment LUK: 24 (max) + 6 (60% Cape) = 30
Total LUK: 282

Low-DEX wins – margin of only 5 LUK advantage.

We could run possible scenarios like this all day. And I’ll reiterate that Low-DEX could technically span the entire spectrum between No-DEX and Normal Build, such as someone who is largely normal using Jump scrolled Snowshoes or Thief Shoes just to replace a wee bit of base DEX. In fact, a largely normal build thief Jump scrolling their thief specific shoes with built-in LUK bonus could reduce or eliminate the advantage of the Low-DEX thief with only most probable or worse scrolled items. (Some people interchange the “most probable result” with “average result” when describing how successful an item was scrolled). For example:

Level 50 Low-DEX Assassin equipping Slain:
Required DEX to equip claw: 90
Equipment DEX (variable): 12 (60% Sauna Robe) + 6 (60% Cape) + 2 (Dark Mischief) + 3 (Green Pilfer hat) + 5 (60% Green Split DEX shoes) = 28
Base DEX: 62
Base LUK: 200
Equipment LUK: +5 LUK from Dark Slain
Total LUK: 205

Level 50 Mostly Normal Build Assassin equipping Slain:
Required DEX to equip claw: 90
Equipment DEX (variable): 3 (60% Red Split LUK shoes)
Base DEX: 87
Base LUK: 175
Equipment LUK: 20 (max, Level 40 shoe gives one less LUK than Level 50 shoe) + 6 (60% Cape) = 26
Total LUK: 201

Low-DEX wins – margin of 4 LUK advantage.

Note that I changed the name of the Normal Build Assassin to “Mostly” Normal Build. Technically, you could categorize a Normal Build Assassin into a Low-DEX Assassin the moment that player starts depending on equipment/scrolled DEX to meet the DEX requirement for his/her weapon.

On one hand, however, that “mostly” normal Assassin didn’t have spend a large fortune on scrolls that give DEX nor did he or she have to agonize over whether or not they’d work and having to repurchase clean versions to rescroll if they failed. On the OTHER hand, they could’ve spent a small fortune buying or otherwise acquiring perfect LUK items and LUK Cape Scrolls tend to be more expensive than DEX Cape Scrolls. With a variable price market, its hard to say who would have to actually spend more money but we can safely assume that the Low-DEX Assassin puts him/herself at more risk of scroll failure simply because they have to do more scrolling than the Normal Build Assassin.

Looking at the above, its interesting to note that while a godly scrolled No/Low-DEX Assassin would be significantly more powerful than a Normal Build Assassin, a No/Low-DEX Assassin would be only slightly more powerful if their scrolling returned the most probable and likely results (i.e. +3/5 slots, +6/10 slots, +4/7). If the scrolling is worse, a No/Low-DEX Assassin could indeed actually be less powerful unless they compromise their strategy by adding base DEX that wouldn’t have been necessary with better scrolling.

My dissemination of calculations based on “most probable results” here is to put things in perspective for a player who sees the big numbers earlier and suddenly thinks No/Low-DEX is the obvious choice. Potential No/Low-DEX players NEED to mentally prepare themselves for this project and decide if it is worth the trouble and sacrifices when the most probable result will only be a few extra total LUK.

Is having a ~1 Level advantage over a Normal Thief worth the constraints of wearing the same clothes for the rest of your Maple Story career? Is having a few extra LUK points worth more than having a continually increasing gap in weapon defense? Is having ~1 Level advantage more fun than being able to change clothes and be as fashionable as you see fit? These and other questions should be contemplated first. Few players are going to notice that ~1 Level increase in damage. Keep that in mind.

Q. I’m going to be No/Low-DEX. What equipment should I have or could use at each level?
A. What equipment you should use at each level requires quite a bit of forward AND backward thinking, especially if you’re trying to be as perfect as possible where every bit of equipment works together to give you just exactly what you need to equip your weapon, no more and no less. You have to take into account what order in which to equip your gear. Only by thinking all of this out will you be absolutely perfect. This guide contains a few examples of equipping order to give you an idea.

Below is a list of all clothing items that could affect the total DEX possible DEX you can have from your equipment:

Requirements Equipment Type  

Level DEX Overall  + DEX  + LUK 

30 0 Blue Sauna Robe 0 0

30 0 Red Sauna Robe (F) 0 0

35 70 Blue Avenger (F) 5 0

35 70 Purple Avenger (F) 0 5

35 70 Red Avenger (F) 5 0

35 70 Dark Avenger (F) 0 5


  Hat  

0 0 Mark of the Beta  1 1

10 0 Yellow Bandana  1 0

12 0 Yellow Metal Gear  1 0

25 30 Green Bamboo Hat  3 0

30 60 Blue Guise 1 0

30 60 Red Guise  1 0

35 70 Green Burglar 2 0

40 80 Blue Pilfer 3 0

40 80 Green Pilfer 3 0

50 90 Blue Sonata 3 2

50 90 Green Sonata 4 0

50 90 Red Sonata 2 3

60 100 Silver Identity 2 4

70 110 Purple Rook 3 3

70 110 White Rook 1? 4

80 120 Green Pireta 4 3

80 120 Dark Pireta 2? 4


  Glove  

20 40 Mithril Mischief 1 0

20 40 Dark Mischief 2 0

50 90 Red Moon Glove 1 2

60 100 Bronze Pow 1 1

60 100 Steel Pow  1 2

60 100 Gold Pow  1 3

80 120 Green Larceny 1 2

80 120 Purple Larceny 2 3

80 120 Blood Larceny 2 4


  Shoe  

30 0 Black Snowshoes 0 0

30 60 Bronze Chain Boots 2 0

30 60 Gold Chain Boots 2 0

35 70 Blue Line Shoes 1 1

35 70 Green Line Shoes 2 0

40 80 Blue Split Shoes 1 1

40 80 Green Split Shoes 3 0

50 90 Green Goni Shoes 3 0

50 90 Purple Goni Shoes 1 2

60 100 Gold Moss  3 0

60 100 Dark Moss  1 3

70 110 Blue Mystique 3 0

70 110 Red Mystique 1 3

80 120 Red Pirate 3 2

80 120 Dark Pirate 2 3


  Cape  

50 0 Napoleon  0 0

55 0 Justice Cape 0 0

60 0 Magic Cape 0 0

65 0 Gaia Cape  0 0

There are many potential combinations available depending on how well your equipment is scrolled, how much DEX you can produce and in what order, and what your personal preferences are.

Q. What about Avenger/Fruits?
A. The Avenger outfit is an alternative outfit for female characters for use with scrolling Overalls for DEX. It is, however, not a good choice for players wishing to go straight No-DEX or keeping DEX as low as absolutely possible. This is because it requires 70 DEX to equip whereas the Sauna Robes have no DEX requirements whatsoever.

The earliest a perfect No-DEX female Assassin is allowed to convert from a perfect 50 DEX Sauna Robe +10 (10%) to a 50 DEX Avenger +10 (10%) is when she is forced to add 4 AP into base DEX to equip her claw. Since the Level 80 Claw would only force her to add 3 AP into base DEX, she has to wait until Level 90 where she needs to add 8 AP into base DEX to equip the Level 90 Claw and before switching to the Avenger. This is how she would do it:

At Level 89 and still wearing the Red Sauna Robe, she would add 3 of her 5 AP into base DEX. At Level 90, she would add all 5 AP into base DEX for a total base DEX of 33. Unequipping everything, she re-equips in this order:

33 base DEX
1) +21 DEX Black Snowshoes +7 (10%) = 54 DEX
2) +15 DEX Cape +5 (10%) = 69 DEX
3) +2 DEX Dark Mischief = 71 DEX
4) Equip +55 DEX Avenger +10 (10%) = 126 DEX
5) +4 DEX Green Pireta = 130 DEX

That 130 DEX is exactly what she needs to equip the Level 90 Claw. Remember, perfect means no statistical points wasted whatsoever, none used unless absolutely necessary.

The earliest you could equip the Avengers while wasting the least amount of AP into base DEX would be Level 40 where you will need 24 more AP in base DEX. You would start by adding 4 AP at level 36, 5 AP at level 37, 5 AP at level 38, 5 AP at level 39, and 5 AP at level 40.

49 base DEX
1) +21 DEX Black Snowshoes +7 (10%) = 70 DEX
2) Equip +5 DEX Avenger = 75 DEX
3) +2 DEX Dark Mischief = 77 DEX
4) +3 Green Bamboo Hat = 80 DEX

Which is exactly what you need to equip the Level 40 Avarice. After that, you will be scrolling the Avenger with Overall DEX scrolls to equip future claws and at Level 50, you can start factoring DEX from a cape. However, since you added base DEX, you are no longer No-DEX and officially Low-DEX at this point. Someone still using a Sauna Robe and otherwise having less base DEX will outdamage you. That’s the price you pay for switching early. You will, however, still have 31 more base LUK, or about 6 levels higher, than a normal Assassin.

Q. Shouldn’t I be using claws with built-in DEX bonuses?
A. You would think so, huh? Actually, the answer is “no” if you’re trying to conserve stat points and dedicate as much into LUK, a perfect build. Normally, in this type of No/Low-DEX, all other equipment is only designed to give just enough DEX to equip the claw (which is equipped last). The only time you would possibly consider using claws with built-in DEX bonuses is to help contribute DEX towards equipping a higher level version of another piece of equipment. This also means you’re voluntarily not equipping the most powerful base attack weapon you can. For example:

You’re Level 50 and equipping a +2 DEX Blood Avarice because you neither want to look like a rice-field worker or a Pirate anymore. You NEED to wear a Sonata, which requires 90 DEX, and the rest of your gear currently doesn’t give you enough DEX to do so without having to rely on your claw. The Avarice requires 80 DEX to equip.

25 base DEX
1) +16 DEX Black Snowshoes (10/60%) = 41 DEX
2) +32 DEX Sauna Robe +10 (10/60%) = 73 DEX
3) +13 DEX Napoleon Cape +5 (10/60%) = 86 DEX
4) +2 DEX Dark Mischief = 88 DEX
5) +2 DEX Blood Avarice = 90 DEX
Equip Level 50 Sonata.

Does it make sense to NOT use 2 AP into base DEX to allow yourself to wear the Sonata AND equip the Slain? Not really but you’re voluntarily passing up utility for aesthetics. I could only see this happening if you could not possibly rescroll your gear for more DEX, wanted to stay No-DEX, AND really wanted to wear the Sonata no matter what.

My advice: You’re in this to make the damage numbers look good, not your character’s body. Go with LUK claws.

Q. How should I scroll for a Strong-Medium Low-DEX build?
A. Technically, you can scroll anyway you like subject only to what you’re trying to get, but I’ll try to give you a good general rule of thumb to help you save time and/or money:

Scroll 10%s on the first slot of an item until it works. Discard/NPC/Resell the item if the 10% fails. Repeat.

As you can see from above, only using 60%s will not give you an appreciable amount of DEX that would allow you to increase base LUK to make you noticeably stronger. As such, you’re going to have to depend on some 10%s working to make your advantage more meaningful.

After the 10% working, you can switch to 60%s or stick with 10%s, again depending on what you’re trying to achieve. “Mass Scrolling” is a technique some players use for 10%s that I’ll describe here:

1) Get a bunch of one item (~10)
2) Get at least an equal amount of 10% scrolls you plan on using on each of the first slots.
3) Use one scroll per item. Discard all the fails, keep all the successes.
4) If you’re going to scroll 10%s again for the second slot, repeat Steps 1, 2, and 3 until you have ~10 items all with the first slot having succeeded. Then gather again an equal amount of 10% scrolls and scroll the second slot. Resell the fails (as most people will probably want a +1/2 10% item anyway) if you’re aiming for an item without any fails whatsoever. If you’re going to switch to 60%, you might not need ~10 first slot success items but you should still get a few, especially if you want an item without any fails.

As you can see, this technique is for players who are expecting probability to win out over sheer luck…as theoretically, you could indeed get just one item, and get the 10% scroll to work on your first try. The above basically boils down to gathering a bunch of opportunities and then trying them all at once instead of trying, failing, searching, buying, repeat. This is just a technique for scrolling, there is no guarantee of success.

Assuming you strive just for a 10% working in the first slot and then finishing with 60%s, the most probable result (excluding all fails from first slot scrolling) would be:

10 slot Sauna Robe/Avengers:
5 DEX (1 10%) + 10 DEX (5/9 60%) = 15 DEX

7 slot Snowshoes:
3 DEX (1 10%) + 3 DEX (3/6 60%) = 6 DEX

5 slot Thief Shoes:
2-3 DEX (built-in) + 5 DEX (1 10%) + 2 DEX (2/4 60%) = 9-10 DEX

5 slot Cape:
3 DEX (1 10%) + 4 DEX (2/4) = 7 DEX

Total DEX from above: 28 DEX (Snowshoes) or 31-32 DEX (Thief Shoes)

At Level 50…

Level 50 Low-DEX Assassin equipping Slain:
Required DEX to equip claw: 90
Equipment DEX (variable): 15 (Sauna Robe) + 7 (Cape) + 2 (Dark Mischief) + 3 (Green Pilfer hat) + 9 (Green Split DEX shoes) = 36 DEX
Base DEX: 54
Base LUK: 208
Equipment LUK: +5 LUK from Dark Slain
Total LUK: 213

Since a Normal Build Level 50 Assassin (with perfect gear and +3/5 (60%) Cape and weapon attack being equal) would only have 199 total LUK, this Low-DEX Assassin has an advantage margin of 14 LUK, or nearly 3 Levels.

That’s definitely a more worthy difference in damage potential…but you still have to do all the work towards getting that first 10% to stick on each item. Easier? Yes. Easy? No.

Type B: Scrolling for Weapon Attack

As mentioned above, the key with this strategy if to eliminate the need for DEX altogether. To put it another way, you’re lowering the required DEX but maintaining the same firepower as compared to a normal Theif. All that matters is how much weapon attack you have. It doesn’t matter if a normal Assassin is using a Level 60 Gigantic and you’re using a Level 25 Meba, as long as the weapon attack is the same, you are comparable. Moreover, since you didn’t need all that DEX to wear a Gigantic, that DEX becomes your edge or advantage since it is now all in your base LUK.

You could theoretically use a 45-47 attack Garnier +7 (10%) that let’s you skip to the Level 100 Claw with 46 base attack requiring 140 DEX. By that time, you will have a 115 base LUK advantage over a normal Assassin. In other words, a 23 level advantage.

However, it probably makes more sense to use the Meba as your base instead of the Garnier for one significant reason: Faster attack speed. The Meba is, thus far, the fastest claw available in the game. It does, however, require 25 more DEX, which you can achieve by going Low-DEX and adding AP to base DEX or staying No-DEX by using other equipment scrolled for DEX via the Scrolling for Equipment DEX method. The latter will be more expensive but all the more powerful.

A 51-53 attack Meba +7 (10%) will allow you to skip all other claws until one that has a base attack of 51-53. That should be the Level 120 Claw with should have 54 base attack requiring 160 DEX as long as claws progress as they do so far (4 attack every 10 levels). By that time, you should have a 110-135 base LUK advantage depending on whether you use Scrolling for Equipment DEX to meet the Meba equipping DEX requirement. That’s a potential 27 level advantage at Level 120 over a Level 120 Normal Assassin.

The appeal of this type of No/Low-DEX scrolling is that you have considerably less equipment and scrolls to worry over for most of the time. All you need to focus on and depend on is your claw and your claw attack scrolls. Remember, the stronger your claw, the more higher level claws it replaces, the more DEX requirements are skipped, the more AP can be diverted into LUK.

Once you’ve reached the end of your weapon’s useful life, you can scroll the next weapon to +7 (10%) thereby extending your No/Low-DEX advantage over a normal assassin. You would, of course, have to compensate for the increased DEX requirements.

Can you imagine outdamaging a Level 100 normal Assassin by ~23 levels while wearing a Garnier? Can you imagine how many people would be right clicking you to report you to the GMs for hacking?

Naturally, getting 7 10% Claw Attack scrolls to work on a claw is no easy feat, only slightly more probable than getting 10 10% Overall for DEX scrolls to work on a Sauna Robe. However, the benefits are arguably significantly greater. If you had to choose between the two types and couldn’t merge the two, the Scrolling for Weapon Attack will probably have a higher chance of success with a greater advantage over normal Assassins. Besides, noob clothes look better than that Sauna robe anyway.

Remember, you don’t have to use 10%s though they obviously give the most benefits. This is the difference between a perfect build and a non-perfect build. Using 60%s can also work, albeit at a lesser degree. A Level 10 24-26 attack Garnier +7 (60%) let’s you skip all claws up to the Level 50 Slain. Since the Slain requires 90 DEX to equip, you would have 90-25=65 more DEX at Level 50 than a normal Assassin, or 13 levels. You can use this same logic on every claw.

Level Claw Req. DEX Avg. Base 100% 60% 10%

10 Garnier 0 10 17 24 45

15 Titans 30 12 19 26 47

20 Igor 40 14 21 28 49

25 Meba 50 16 23 30 51

30 Guards 60 18 25 32 53

35 Gaurdian 70 20 27 34 55

40 Avarice 80 22 29 36 57

50 Slain 90 26 33 40 61

60 Gigantic 100 30 37 44 65

70 Fury 110 34 41 48 69

80 n/a 120 38 45 52 73

90 n/a 130 42 49 56 77

100 n/a 140 46 53 60 81


* Figures for claws Level 80+ are assumed based upon current trends.

As far as a No/Low-DEX Assassin of this type is concerned, you have to be using 60%-10% scrolls early on to gain an advantage as most normal Assassins would and could +7 (100%) thier claws. At Level 50, things get closer as most normal Assassins start scrolling with 60%s. Your objective as a No/Low-DEX Assassin is to simply have an equally or more powerful weapon that requires less DEX to equip. Again, as long as weapon attack is equal, your edge is defined by how much more base LUK you have. That’s what makes this No/Low-DEX.

Type C: Doing Both

No explanation is really necessary here, is there? Combine the above two types and it’ll take you years to get to a level in which you finally have absolutely no choice but to press the little increase button next to DEX. Remember, you can get about 92 total DEX out of your equipment before you have to use AP for base DEX. Theoretically, that’ll enable you to equip a 69 attack Level 70 Fury +7 (10%). The next claw that has a higher base weapon attack wouldn’t come until Level 160! By then, you’d have a 175 base LUK advantage, or 35 levels!

When to go No/Low-DEX & How Much Funding

I’ll make this simple. The best time to go No/Low-DEX is before you’ve even started your character. The earlier you start, the earlier and longer you can enjoy the fruits of your efforts. Generally speaking, create and establish your statistical superiority long before Level 50 when most Assassins start serious scrolling of their weapons and maxing their equipment LUK.

The pursuit of perfection or even substantial statistical advantage is not something you can half-ass or rush. Doing so will invariably result in wasted time and money. Make the decision first and, start planning out what you need at what level, and get the equipment first! Ideally, you should have all your equipment ready for you before you’re even able to use it. This may require another character able to equip the items you need to scroll.

Naturally, that brings up the question of funding. While mild Low-DEX builds is possible to achieve on a pay as you play basis without any initial funding, a really powerful No/Low-DEX build will certainly require lots of money. How much exactly can never be known as your own luck with scrolling will come into play. I cannot give you an exact number but I can help you prepare yourself mentally.

First, calculate the total cost of all the clean, unscrolled gear you need. If that amount alone is more than you have available, forget about it.

Second, add the total cost of all the scrolls you need in order to make all the gear you need ASSUMING that they will all work on the first try. If that amount is more than you have available, forget about it.

(Alternatively, you can price out the cost of pre-scrolled gear, if any are being sold. They’ll probably be less than absolutely perfect but you wouldn’t be going No-DEX now would you? If that amount is more than you have available, forget about it.)

Third, multiply what you have so far by at least 10, to give yourself 10 tries at succeeding. This is an oversimplification of scrolling methodology of course, but if you have at least this much, then I would say you could take a crack at it. The odds are still not remotely close to being in your favor but if you’re willing to dump that kind of cash into this endeavor, it would be rude of me to stop you.

Normal Builds can be successful WITHOUT funding. PERIOD. There is no reason why a Normal Thief cannot gradually earn everything they could potentially want to use without outside funding. It just might not be at the earliest possible moment. No/Low-DEX builds, however, as such that lack of funding has an almost direct impact on the very POINT of going No/Low-DEX in the first place.

Wearing a Sauna Robe or having some DEX scrolled onto your equipment does NOT automatically make you a No/Low-DEX Thief who is more powerful than a Normal Thief. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is how much more damage you do because of having more base LUK. If its not a big difference that allows you to kill faster, no one frankly gives a damn, you’re just another poseur wearing Pee Wee Herman flasher gear.

Miscellaneous FAQs

Q. Why doesn’t your guide cover Bandits or BanditSins?
A. I am much more familiar with Assassins as I play one myself. However, I have started a Pure Bandit and may edit this guide later to include information for Bandits, if necessary. You’ll notice that this guide is currently built around claws and I use “Assassin” interchangeably with “Thief.”

Q. Will I have less accuracy by going No/Low-DEX/Won’t it be harder for me to hit higher level monsters?
A. No. Just because you’re No/Low-DEX doesn’t mean you won’t have DEX. It just means it comes from a different source. Instead of using AP to add to “base DEX,” you’ll be getting DEX from your equipment (unless you don’t plan on ever using a weapon stronger than a Garnier). Therefore, you should have roughly the same TOTAL amount of DEX as a Normal Build Assassin at every level.

The fear of not having enough DEX to hit higher level monsters is a Warrior class issue, not a Thief class issue. Warrior equipment have no DEX requirements, only STR, so a lot of Warrior builds try to cap DEX as low as possible to maximize their damage potential. However, the less DEX you have as a Warrior, the less accuracy you will have and thus higher level monsters may become harder to hit/easier to miss.

This is NOT the case for Theives, whether they are Normal Build or No/Low-DEX. Thieves use LUK as their primary damage stat (like STR for warrior) but they also need DEX to equip most of their weapons and clothing (except for a few notable exceptions like the Sauna Robe and Korean Fan). Both statistics affect accuracy. DEX will contribute the most to accuracy while LUK will add some accuracy and more avoidability. A No/Low-DEX thief will still have enough total DEX to wear the appropriate weapon for their level; it’s just their “base” DEX that is low. Since a No/Low-DEX thief still has DEX and even more LUK than a Normal Build, they will have plenty of accuracy and possibly even more due to having more LUK. Also keep in mind that Nimble Body and Weapon Mastery will both add bonus accuracy as well.

Q. Is it worth it?
A. Only you and your wallet can decide. As with the real world, almost anything can be accomplished with enough time and money. Generally, though, it probably isn’t worth it. Personally, I feel that you would need about 40+ equipment DEX to have a noticable difference against Normal thieves. You would need more against “Mostly Normal” thieves who also scroll their Shoes for Jump. The probabilities are exceedingly slim to eek out a major difference.

Q. Wouldn’t I be taking more damage wearing such low level armor?
A. Yes…if you get hit. The higher your LUK, the more avoidability you get. It is better to have a monster miss you than hit you forcing you to rely on your armor to reduce the damage you take. Thieves dodge and parry, not tank. No/Low-DEX builds, when done properly and successfully, obviously give you more LUK compared to a normal thief.

Q. What about Overall Armor for LUK scrolls?
A. Patch 0.16 of OMS saw the release of Overall Armor for LUK scrolls. Quite a few people have begun wondering how these scrolls will affect the Low-DEX concept/build and which scroll is better to use. There are only two meaningful differences between the Overall Armor for LUK and Overall DEX scrolls as far as Thieves are concerned.

1. The Low-DEX build involves using equipment DEX to replace base DEX. Therefore, instead of using AP for base DEX, the player can use their AP for more base LUK. Therefore, DEX = LUK. So, if you scroll your overall with LUK scrolls instead of DEX scrolls, you’ll just end up having a higher base DEX and more equipment LUK. Your total DEX and total LUK will remain the same whether you use, for example, a 20 DEX Sauna Robe or a 20 LUK Sauna Robe. This also means your damage will be the same either way.

That said, the difference between the two scroll lies in the secondary benefits that the 10% or 60% scrolls give you, not the primary benefit of either DEX or LUK. Notice that DEX scrolls give bonus Accuracy and that LUK scrolls give bonus Avoidability. Since thieves already have more Accuracy than they’ll ever need, you don’t really benefit from the extra Accuracy that DEX scrolls give you. However, a thief can always use more Avoidability. As such, a player using an overall scrolled with Overall LUK may deal the same damage as someone using Overall DEX, but they will have slightly more Avoidability. Of course, as with all things, this advantage only gets smaller as you level up.

2. The other difference when using Overall LUK scrolls is that you’ll have a higher base DEX. Since you are less dependent upon your equipment to get the DEX you need to equip your other gear, you will have more flexibility in what you can wear and when. A Level 50 Thief who gets 15 DEX from their Sauna Robe to equip his/her Slain and enjoy 15 extra total LUK could not take off their Sauna Robe and wear a China/Moon set if they wanted to. However, a Level 50 Thief with a 15 LUK Sauna Robe could, because they would have enough base DEX without that Sauna Robe. Therefore, they could wear the China/Moon set when they want and switch as they feel like it. Of course, they’d be weaker when wearing the China/Moon set but they do have that fashion option. This difference is a difference in convenience and flexibility only.

Aside from the differences between the scrolls themselves, there are two important effects the availability of Overall Armor for LUK scrolls will have:

A. Thieves looking to maximize their statistical (LUK) bonus and superiority now have more options to do so. They can either use the Low-DEX concept by scrolling for equipment LUK and converting base DEX into base LUK or they can just scroll for LUK directly. Regardless of how expensive the two scrolls may be relative to each other, the fact remains that instead of there only being one type of scroll to use (Overall Armor for DEX), there are now two (Overall Armor for DEX andOverall Armor for LUK). This increases supply, will slightly slow down price inflation, and gives new options.

B. Going strong Low-DEX is no longer the only option to fully maximize statistical (LUK) potential. Whereas “Normal” Thieves once had to settle for how much LUK bonuses their thief-specific clothes gave them because their base DEX was already high and getting a DEX Overall would only give them useless extra total DEX until they leveled enough to create a need for that equipment DEX, now they have a reason to don an Overall and scroll it for LUK. Normal Thieves can now use these new scrolls to compete with the Low-DEX players. Of course, this still means they have to use a potentially ugly Overall and these scrolls will likely cost much more than the DEX scrolls but the option is now there.

So…what would pose a serious challenge to the Low-DEX concept? LUK scrolls for Tops and Bottoms. Of course, this is unlikely, since if such scrolls ever came out, there would probably be DEX versions. If either category of scroll came out for Tops and Bottoms, one of the main deterrents for people going Low-DEX would be removed: ugly Overalls. If you don’t need to use a 10 slot overall and can use 14 slot Tops and Bottoms, being “Low-DEX” in the sense of using scrolls to create equipment stats would no longer be the “exception” and would become the “rule.”

Q. What about doing it this way…?
A. I don’t profess to know every single possible combination. In the end, if it works, it works. The only thing people will care about then is whether your method yields more power than their’s. Do feel free to contribute your ideas nonetheless as I’m sure they’ll help everyone out who is interested in No/Low-DEX strategies.