All Thief, Ninja, & Assassins Skill Rune Slayers Guide!

The Thief class in Rune Slayer is all about agility, speed, and precise strikes. Specializing in daggers, medium armor, and high mobility combat, the Thief excels at quick attacks, evasive maneuvers, and stealthy tactics. In this guide, we’ll break down the base Thief class and dive into its two unique advanced subclasses: Ninja and Assassin.

Base Thief Overview

Core Stats

• +3 Agility: Increases your speed and evasiveness on the battlefield.
• +1 Stamina: Boosts your endurance, allowing you to withstand prolonged combat.
• +1 Strength: Enhances melee damage, making your dagger strikes more potent.

Passive Abilities

• Dagger Training: Enables the use of light weapons such as daggers, perfect for swift, precise attacks.
• Medium Armor: Grants access to medium armor, providing a balance between protection and maintaining agility.

Skill Progression

• Level 1 – Piercing Strike:
  • Effect: A precise stab that deals moderate damage.
  • Stamina Cost: 24%

Advanced Subclasses

After mastering the base Thief skills, you can evolve into one of two specialized subclasses that cater to different playstyles: Ninja or Assassin.

Ninja Subclass

Playstyle:
The Ninja is focused on high-speed, aerial combat and excels at chaining combos and performing air juggles. This subclass is perfect for players who thrive on dynamic, fast-paced battles and enjoy utilizing mobility to outmaneuver opponents.

Active Abilities

• Rising Fang:
  • Effect: Delivers an upward slash that launches both you and your target into the air.
  • Weapon: Dagger, Medium
  • Focus Drain: 20
• Rend:
  • Effect: Executes a swift dash attack that propels enemies into the air on impact.
  • Weapon: Dagger, Medium
  • Physical Damage: 5
  • Focus Drain: 25
• Shukuchi:
  • Effect: Grants an instant dash, dramatically improving your mobility in combat.

Passive Ability

• Sky Rend:
  • Effect: Successfully landing Rising Fang enables you to perform Sky Rend, extending your aerial combo potential and allowing for more dynamic attacks.

Assassin Subclass

Playstyle:
The Assassin thrives on stealth, shadow movement, and high burst damage. Specializing in ambush tactics and critical strikes, the Assassin is ideal for players who enjoy striking from the shadows and taking out enemies quickly before slipping away.

Active Abilities

• Veil:
  • Effect: Cloaks you in shadows, reducing enemy detection and making it easier to set up ambushes.
  • Focus Drain: 20
• Shadow Step:
  • Effect: Teleports you through the shadows to a target location, perfect for repositioning or closing in on an enemy.
  • Focus Drain: 20
• Gouge:
  • Effect: A close-range attack that blinds enemies by slashing their eyes, significantly reducing their combat effectiveness.
  • Weapon: Dagger, Medium
  • Physical Damage: 10
  • Focus Drain: 30

Passive Ability

• Greater Initiative:
  • Effect: Increases your critical hit damage when attacking unsuspecting enemies, amplifying your burst damage potential during ambushes.

Which Subclass Should You Choose?

• Ninja:
  If you enjoy fast-paced aerial combat, high-speed combo chaining, and leveraging mobility to control the battlefield, the Ninja subclass is your go-to option.

• Assassin:
  If you prefer stealth-based combat with shadow movement, ambush tactics, and high burst damage from critical hits, then the Assassin subclass is the ideal choice.

The Thief class in Rune Slayer offers a versatile and agile playstyle, with the potential to evolve into either a dynamic Ninja or a lethal Assassin. Consider your preferred combat approach—whether it’s the swift, aerial maneuvers of the Ninja or the shadowy, high-burst strikes of the Assassin—and choose the subclass that best fits your style.