Thief (Tactics)

Thief is a job from Final Fantasy Tactics. It is one of the fastest jobs, second to Ninja, with the ability to move further than other jobs on their turn and has a high Evasion rate. It is the only regular class capable of stealing, ranging from gil to pieces of equipment and even experience. It can also unlock the ability to poach monsters, converting them into items found in the Poacher's Den. The job takes 4,520 JP to master.
Leveling Thief to Level 4 will unlock the Dragoon in the War of the Lions, while leveling it to level 5 along with separate level requirements for Archer and Geomancer will unlock Ninja. The level requirements are a little lower in the original PlayStation release.
==Stats==
Prerequisite 	Weapons	Helmet	Armor 	Equip Shields?
: Lv. 3 ArcherPlayStation: Lv. 2 Archer	Knives 	Hats 	Clothes	No
Move Rate	Jump Rate	Speed	Physical Evasion Rate	Base Attack	Base Magic	Base HP	Base MP
4 	4 	9 	25% 	Medium 	Low 	Medium 	Low
==Abilities==
===Steal===
Name	Range 	Effect 	Speed 	JP Needed
() 	1 	1 	Now 	10
() 	Pilfer gil from the target.Amount: Level x Speed Success Rate: 200 + Speed 	Pilfer gil from the target.Amount: Level x Speed Success Rate: 200 + Speed 	Pilfer gil from the target.Amount: Level x Speed Success Rate: 200 + Speed 	Pilfer gil from the target.Amount: Level x Speed Success Rate: 200 + Speed
 	3 	1 	Now 	150
 	Capture the target's heart, enthralling them.Effect: Charm.Success Rate: 50 + Magic Attack	Capture the target's heart, enthralling them.Effect: Charm.Success Rate: 50 + Magic Attack	Capture the target's heart, enthralling them.Effect: Charm.Success Rate: 50 + Magic Attack	Capture the target's heart, enthralling them.Effect: Charm.Success Rate: 50 + Magic Attack
 	1 	1 	Now 	350
 	Purloin the target's equipped helmet.Success Rate: 40 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped helmet.Success Rate: 40 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped helmet.Success Rate: 40 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped helmet.Success Rate: 40 + Speed
 	1 	1 	Now 	450
 	Purloin the target's equipped armor.Success Rate: 35 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped armor.Success Rate: 35 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped armor.Success Rate: 35 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped armor.Success Rate: 35 + Speed
 	1 	1 	Now 	350
 	Purloin the target's equipped shield.Success Rate: 35 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped shield.Success Rate: 35 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped shield.Success Rate: 35 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped shield.Success Rate: 35 + Speed
 	1 	1 	Now 	600
 	Purloin the target's equipped weapon.Success Rate: 30 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped weapon.Success Rate: 30 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped weapon.Success Rate: 30 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped weapon.Success Rate: 30 + Speed
 	1 	1 	Now 	500
 	Purloin the target's equipped accessory.Success Rate: 40 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped accessory.Success Rate: 40 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped accessory.Success Rate: 40 + Speed 	Purloin the target's equipped accessory.Success Rate: 40 + Speed
() 	1 	1 	Now 	250
() 	Filch experience points from the target.Amount: 5 + Speed Success Rate: 70 + Speed 	Filch experience points from the target.Amount: 5 + Speed Success Rate: 70 + Speed 	Filch experience points from the target.Amount: 5 + Speed Success Rate: 70 + Speed 	Filch experience points from the target.Amount: 5 + Speed Success Rate: 70 + Speed
===Reaction abilities===
Name	Description 	Trigger	JP Needed
() 	Assume a defensive stance.Effect: Defending 	HP Loss	200
() 	Receive gil equal to the amount of damage taken. 	HP Loss	200
() 	Catch thrown items and add them to the party inventory.	Throw 	200
===Support abilities===
Name	Description 	JP Needed
() 	Deliver slain monsters' remains to a poachers' den.	200
===Movement abilities===
Name	Description 	JP Needed
 	Increase Move by 2.	520/560
 	Increase Jump by 2.	480/500
== Gameplay ==
The Thief's key role is to steal rare equipment from enemies, though this can be blocked by the support ability Safeguard learned from the Chemist. 
To increase the success rate of stealing, the player can boost the Thief's Speed, as well equipping abilities such as Concentration or Brawler, which a high Bravery Monk can have while guaranteeing high damage. It is also recommended to prioritize stealing weapons due to rarity and the amount it reduces the now-unarmed enemy's attack.
For the Steal Heart ability, one needs higher Magick Power to ensure the target will fall for them (the target must be of the opposite sex or a monster); the player may increase the success rate via magick attack-boosting equipment or through the Black Mage's Arcane Strength support ability. This strategy can also be used with the Time Mage's Slow, Stop, or Immobilize spells to allow more chances to steal (as well as Teleport for better positioning for steal's accuracy/height limitations).
The Thief is the only job, bar Luso's Game Hunter, capable of converting slain monsters into items to be redeemed at the Poacher's Den. Many rare equipment pieces are exclusive to poaching certain monsters. The Thief's Sticky Fingers can be used to pick items thrown at them and add to the inventory; this allows Thieves to counter Ninja's Throw.
While the Thief is not very useful on its own as a main job (weak reaction abilities and knives are tough to use), it is, nevertheless, key to unlocking better jobs and obtaining certain pieces of unique equipment through stealing. These include the Blood Sword from Goffard Gaffgarion that can drain life, Genji equipment (although in War of the Lions Messam Elmdore has the Safeguard ability), or via poaching monsters, which the Poachers' Den is available for these items in chapter 3. 
The Squire's JP Boost will also help for reaching job level 5 faster as part of a prerequisite for Ninja, which will improve steal rates due to superior Speed (and do an extra attack with Dual Wield, either with the Knight's rend for two attempts, or have more damage/versatility with Equip Swords) and elemental ranged Throw with job level 4, unlocking Dragoon (from War of the Lions), which has power/range between Jump and Equip Polearms (Thief could be faster with both Jump & Equip Polearms abilities, as Jump does not work with Dual Wield nor Doublehand). 
Unlocking the Thief is useful for any unit thanks to its 4 movement tile ability and evasion, which can be enhanced by its Move +2 or the Knight's inexpensive Equip Shield and Parry abilities, which Aegis Shield (magick evasion) and Main Gauche vastly improves in Chapter 3. Steal Gil is immediately available for only 10 JP and can be reused to continuously make money off enemies and farm for more JP.
==Other appearances==
===Final Fantasy Trading Card Game===
Thief appears in Final Fantasy Trading Card Game as Wind-elemental Backup and Forward cards.
ThiefFemale TCG.png|Thief [5-059C] Chapter series card.
Thief2 TCG.png|Thief [14-046C] Chapter series card.
Thief 4-059C from FFTCG Opus.jpg|Thief [4-059C] Opus series card.
==Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances==
===Knights of the Crystals===
Thief appears as a card in the Ivalice Special Arena has a limited-time special arena with eighteen floors.
==Gallery==
FFTThiefMale.png|Male Thief.
FFTThiefFemale.png|Female Thief.
Final Fantasy Tactics Character Card Book Volume 1-A - Card Front 010.jpg|Male Thief Character Card.
Final Fantasy Tactics Character Card Book Volume 2-A - Card Front 010.jpg|Female Thief Character Card.
FFT Gil Taking.png|Steal Gil.
FFT Steal Heart.png|Steal Heart.
FFT Steal Armor.png|Steal Armor.
FFT Steal Shield.png|Steal Shield.
FFT Steal Weapon.png|Steal Weapon.
FFT Steal Accessory.png|Steal Accessory.
FFT Steal EXP.png|Steal EXP.
FFT Caution.png|Vigilance.
FFT Gilgame Heart.png|Gil Snapper.
FFT Catch.png|Sticky Fingers.
FFT Poach.png|Poach.
FFTiOS Thief Male CG.png|Male Thief in a cutscene from War of the Lions.
es:Ladrón (Final Fantasy Tactics)
Category:Jobs in Final Fantasy Tactics