.oO: Click to enlarge :Oo.

It's a bit self-absorbed to use myself as a model for how one should gear their thief. So instead, I'll say that what is presented here is one way of gearing one's thief, and that I feel that the builds I have created have been very useful for my purposes thus far. Likewise I welcome other thieves to try similar builds if they have not done so already.
I'll say a little about each of my builds; firstly about the gear that they contain and secondly about the purpose and uses behind each gear set.
Set CompositionsWeapons (main/sub): Mandau/X's mainly. Other options: Blau Dolch, Thief's Knife, Ermine's Tail, Adder Jambiya, Tatami Shield, etc.
TP Build #1 (VT+, /nin): Fire Bomblet, Walahra Turban, Love Torque, Brutal Earring, Suppanomimi, MirkeWardecors/HomamCorazza, Homam Manopolas, Rajas Ring, Toreador's Ring, Forager'sMantle/Cuchulain'sMantle, Swift Belt, Homam Cosciales, Homam Gambieras
TP Build #2 (T-): Fire Bomblet, Walahra Turban, Love Torque, Brutal Earring, Suppanomimi, Rapparee Harness, Homam Manopolas, Rajas Ring, Ulthalam's Ring, Forager'sMantle, Swift Belt, Homam Cosciales, Homam Gambieras
TP Build #3 (TW or Feint): Bomb Core, Walahra Turban, LoveTorque/JusticeTorque, Brutal Earring, Suppanomimi, Rapparee Harness, Homam Manopolas, Rajas Ring, Ulthalam'sRing/TriumphRing+1, Forager'sMantle, Swift Belt, Homam Cosciales, Homam Gambieras
Subtle Blow DPS Build: Bomblet, Turban, L.Torque, Brutal/Suppa, DragonHarness, HomamHands, Rajas/Toreador's, Forager's/Cuchulain's, PeisteBelt+1, Enkidu'sSubligar, HomamFeet
WS, Mercy Stroke: BombCore, Heca Cap, Justice Torque, Brutal/Triumph+1, Heca Body +1, Heca Hands +1, Rajas/Triumph+1, Forager's, Warwolf, Enkidu's Sub, Heca Feet +1
WS, Evisceration/DE: FireBomblet, Heca Cap, Love Torque, Brutal/Hollow, Antares Harness, Heca Hands +1, Rajas/Adroit+1, Cuchulain's Mantle, Cuchulain's Belt, Oily Trousers, Heca Feet +1
WS, Shark Bite: BombCore, Heca Cap, Love Torque, Brutal/Hollow, DH, Heca Hands +1, Rajas/Adroit+1, Forager's, Cuchulain's Belt, Enkidu's/Oily, Heca Feet +1
Trick Attack: BombCore, Denali Bonnet, Love Torque, Brutal/Suppa, Denali Jacket, Rogue's Armlets +1, NimbleRing2x, Forager's/Charger, Scouter's, War Brais +1, Strider Boots
Sneak Attack: BombCore, Heca Cap, Love Torque, Brutal/Suppa, DH, Heca Hands +1, Rajas/Adroit+1, Forager's/Charger/Cuchulain's, Cuchulain's Belt, Enkidu's Sub, Strider Boots
Max Evasion (Alchemadian/Nefarious set =D): Ermine's Tail + another dagger, GoblinCracker/UngurBoomerang/LeoXbow+1, Optie Hat, Eva Torque, Musical/Novia, Antares Harness, DenaliHands/MasterMitts, Nimble2x, Boxer's, Scouter's, Raven Hose, DanceShoes+1
UtsuNi, UtsuIchi(Part 2), and alt Eva/Haste Hybrid: Turban, Eva Torque, Musical/Novia, Rapp, Homam Hands, Nimble2x, Boxer's, Swift, Homam Legs, Homam Feet
Mid-Range Enemy Tanking set: Denali Bonnet, Eva Torque, Brutal/Suppa, Antares Harness, Denali Hands, Rajas/Toreador's, Boxer's, Scouter's, Homam Legs, Homam Feet
High-level Enemy Tanking set: Optical Hat, Eva Torque, Musical/Novia, DH, Denali Hands, Rajas/BqRing, Boxer's, PeisteBelt+1, Enkidu'sSub, DanceShoes+1
Ranged accuracy: LeoXbow+1(Needs upgrade to Ziska), Optie Hat, PCC, Suppa/Hollow, Pahluwahn Kzahagand, Deadeye Gloves, Behemoth/Behemoth+1, Jaeger Mantle, Precise Belt, Dusk Trousers, Homam Feet
Ranged DPS: Same as above, only with Coffinmaker, Iron Bullets, TriumphEarring+1, AmemetMantle+1. Other options are Gun Belt, Beater's Earring, and Trailer's Kukri.
/war /drk HNM'ing TP set: Mandau/Tatami, and same as normal TP set except with Hollow Earring, Charger Mantle, no Mirke Wardecors, and sometimes Homam Head.
/drk Zerging: (needs M.Kris), Mandau/Tatami, Turban, Love Torque, Brutal/Cassie, Rapp, Homam Hands, Rajas/BqRing, Gigant, Swift, Homam Legs/Feet.
Set ApplicationsWeapons (main/sub):
Mandau: Not much to say about it. If you're reading this, you already know something about it. If you don't, there's a whole post on it lower in my LJ.
X's Knife: This was a pleasant surprise for me. At first I was not terribly impressed. I noticed a TP gain loss changing to this from blau. Also, my first eviscerations were rather mediocre. Playing Thf with Mandau is different than playing without. Playing with Mandau/X's is a different style in itself. If things go well I'll make an entire post about X's Knife and evisceration, as there's enough to say elsewhere. To summarize, though, this is excellent if you find yourself hovering over 100% tp often. It's also excellent if one has a very good evisceration build. Otherwise it is nice, but only a mediocre increase.
Blau Dolch: Generally the best mainhand or offhand dagger. Post-mandau I use it with X's or another combo when I don't want to poison things. There are times where I don't get to do a whole lot of SA/TA and I use blau instead of X's.
Ermine's Tail: Best max evasion dagger. Great for solo/tanking.
Adder Jambiya: One of several options to use for a evasion/tanking build, dual-wield or otherwise. I'm about to craft this and use it over Azoth due to it's nice additional effect.
Thief's Knife: TH, yada yada
Tatami Shield: Handy single-wielding partner. Superior to viking shield if you're using mercy stroke.
Vajra: Currently upgrading. Hey, it doesn't poison things. And it looks like something a power ranger might use.
TP Build #1 (VT+, /nin): This is essentially my "merit build" and my overall "main TP build." I've found
MarinaraPizza(+1) to be far too good to be using other alternatives except lolRedCurry in merits. If I'm cheap or low on invent space I use CoeurlSub for some events, but not merits. This is not true at GreaterColibri of course. If I'm there, I'll use this build but I'll also use MeatMithkabobs or
Crab Sushi. Take a look at crab sushi if you don't know about it. Consider it. As a final note, I am still indecisive as to when or if I should TP in Cuchulain's Mantle, other than if I'm a skillchain partner and need the accuracy.
TP Build #2 (T-): This was my sushi build. I rarely use sushi now, but if I do I might use this. However, this set also works great for EM and T mobs.
TP Build #3 (TW or Feint): The goal of this set is to maximize on haste and other DPS stats while stressing as little accuracy as possible. It's similar to the T- build slightly.
Subtle Blow DPS Build: This build stacks as much subtle blow as reasonably possible. All other stats go into maximizing DPS. I use this occasionally in solo, but more often in low man or on HNM. I consider this a very important build for Thief, but one that few have created for themselves.
WS, Mercy Stroke: Same set for both SA/TA mercy.
WS, Evisceration/DE: I don't really use Dancing Edge anymore. This is for unstacked Eviscerations. I followed the advice of some recent threads, for example
this one and
this one, as well as things I read and heard in game and on Allah'. The goal is to stack as much dex as resonably possible to reach or approach the crit cap. Accuracy is the second most important stat. Put enough into a build like this and you will see good numbers.
WS, Shark Bite: When there is a need for light, shark bite is there. I try to stack as much dex and attack into this build as I can. I don't have Mandalic Stab, otherwise I would make a build for that, but from what I hear it is similar to this build.
Trick Attack: The set for solo TA. Movement speed and swing delay are taken into account for optimal performance, as opposed to raw spike damage.
Sneak Attack: The set for solo SA. Movement speed and swing delay are taken into account for optimal performance, as opposed to raw spike damage.
Max Evasion (Alchemadian Set, tm): As much evasion as possible. This set is used for the first part of ichi. It is also used for the second part of ichi if getting shadows up is more critical at the time than shadow recast. This is chiefly the "oh shit" set. This is also the set to use when shadows are up but recast timers aren't looking too great. This is seldom my main tanking build.
UtsuNi, UtsuIchi(Part 2), and alt Eva/Haste Hybrid: I mostly use this set for Utsusemi: Ni. It is also the second part of Utsusemi: Ichi. Occasionally I will use this set to tank in. It has more haste but less evasion than my mid-range enemy set, so it is useful if the mid-range set is semi-evasive. Generally if that is the case though, I'll be using a normal evasionless DD TP build anyway.
Mid-Range Enemy Tanking set: This is the set I ideally use for tanking most mobs in the DC->T range. Occasionally it is OK for a VT, or there is occasionally an EP that attacks fast or accurate enough to where this is necessary. This set hybridizes offensive and defensive stats. One could achieve the same effect by interchanging between a DD and heavy/max evasion set, but this set does the job in a simpler fashion.
High-level Enemy Tanking set: This is the build I most enjoy tanking in. This is for VT+ enemies. There are few enemies that I could/would tank where this set does not have enough evasion without mambos, but those few enemies do exist. In most cases though, this set is terrific for reducing an enemies TP moves while also evading attacks. For difficult mobs, I also consider HP to be very important. A mithra Thf/Nin in an evasion set has very little HP, (between 1k to 1.2k). Difficult enemies that would call for this set can often do TP moves for over that amount of HP. Therefore I often use BombQueenRing and
Carbonara when using this set.
Ranged accuracy: This set is for stacking as much ranged accuracy as possible to land your bolts or whatever it may be. Oftentimes during solo/low-man play this set can be counter productive in that it lacks evasion. On tough enemies where you might have difficulty landing bolts, you might also have difficulty evading. Therefore I sometimes hybridize this set with evasion pieces.
Ranged DPS: This is for ranged DPS, /rng or otherwise.
/war /drk HNM'ing TP set: The H in "HNM's" signifies that they are difficult. Thus, different stats are sometimes required. Excessive haste sometimes feeds too much TP. You don't typically get the merit party buffs you're used to. Your fStr, hit rate, and pDif levels are all lower. So sometimes different equips are required.
/drk Zerging: The goal of this set is to stack as much haste as possible, and otherwise stack as much HP as reasonably possible. And it favors attack and str over accuracy. /drk zerging is also something that should often be done with outside cures in mind, as souleater decreases in potency as HP decreases. Without enough cures, a /war zerging set would prove better.
And so that is a list of some of the nicer gear that I have accumulated as I have been playing, and most of the different combinations in which I have come to use said gear for my Thief.