Thief Progression Guide: Solo Leveling from 1-24

Introduction

Many players struggle with progressing as a Thief class, claiming it's difficult in the early game. This guide aims to disprove that myth by showcasing a fast and efficient solo progression path that took the creator from level 1 to 24 in just about 2 hours. With the right strategy and understanding of core Thief mechanics, you can make this class one of the easiest to progress with.

Race Selection: Elf

Choosing Elf as your race provides several critical advantages:

• 5% increased Focus
• 3% speed boost
• 10% cooldown reduction
• 10% stealth (monsters won't detect you unless extremely close)

The stealth passive is particularly valuable as it allows you to navigate past enemies without being detected, even entering villages freely with high bounty later in the game.

Early Game Strategy (Levels 1-10)

Starting Quests

• Complete the tutorial boss (dragon) to reach the first village
• Grab all available jobs from the job board
• Prioritize Barracuda quest (recently fixed)
• Use vitality ring from early on

Weapons & Equipment

• Replace the starting copper dagger ASAP (one of the worst weapons in the game)
• Craft a wolf tooth dagger when possible (requires 2 wolf teeth, 2 pine logs, 2 medium leather)
• At level 15, obtain the simple dagger

Combat Technique

For the Mandre King (first boss):

• Fight without your pet for better control
• Learn to dodge his attacks
• Use your battle aura when needed

Mid Game Progress (Levels 10-20)

Key Abilities

• Level 12: Unlock the backstab passive (crucial for Thief progression)
• Level 15: Focus on using shuriken barrage
• Level 20: Unlock dagger mastery (10% more dagger damage)
• Level 21: Obtain backstab ability (deals massive damage from behind)

Combat Strategy

After unlocking backstab passive at level 12:

1. Guard break enemies
2. Position yourself behind them
3. Attack for significantly increased damage

This simple strategy makes Thief progression incredibly easy and efficient.

Boss Fights

• Razor Fang: Relatively easy to solo, especially using backstab
• Goblin Champion: Challenging at lower levels due to high damage and low HP in phase 2
• Rat King: Soloable at level 20 with proper strategy

Quest Optimization

• Bank management: Store quest items from your main character to speed up progression
• Slime bags: Complete S's lost bag quest and bank the bag for extra storage
• Multiple quest completion: Group enemies to complete multiple quests simultaneously
• Quest routing: Plan your route to minimize travel time between quest objectives

Gear Progression

Armor

• Start with light leather
• Upgrade to medium leather when possible
• Later focus on full assassin armor set

Accessories

• Cloak of Rat Speed: Extremely valuable with 4 agility runes
• Focus Ring: Obtain from completing the Dire Bear quest

Tips & Tricks

1. Time-saving technique: For the mount quest, accept it, deliver the package, reset, collect the saddle, then ride back
2. Focus management: Stack focus training abilities to maintain focus during longer fights
3. Bank utilization: Store quest items from other characters to speed up progression
4. Backstab mastery: Always position yourself behind enemies after they're guard broken

Next Steps (Beyond Level 24)

• Aim for level 40 through jungle area quests
• Obtain the assassin armor set
• Consider the iron fishing rod to fish in lava for demon fish (chance to get the best ring in game)
• Work toward the Ragnarok dagger by farming crocodiles (not basilisks)

Conclusion

Thief progression isn't nearly as difficult as many players believe. The key is understanding the backstab mechanic and positioning properly during combat. With these strategies and proper quest optimization, you can reach level 24 in around 2 hours and level 40 shortly after. The class becomes extremely powerful for both PVE and PVP once you master its core mechanics.