Best Thief build in Dragon's Dogma 2, including skills & weapons

While some other Vocations might hit a little harder in Dragon's Dogma 2, the best Thief build is quicker than the rest - giving you the ideal skills and weapons to deal deadly damage.

I took the rather dramatic switch of going from the Warrior vocation to the Thief, and became immediately enamoured with the speed of the latter in-game. Throughout my playthrough I mastered a build that dealt perfectly with even the biggest beasts - so find out everything you need to craft it below.

Best Thief build

I found this build to be the perfect combination for dealing with large monsters and standard enemies alike. For standard enemies, you'll want to use Implicate to throw them off balance, then climb on them with Twin Fangs and perform a deadly stab. You can also use Ignited Blades to enhance the strength of your attacks, as fire is never a bad option!

Where this build really excels though is when fighting many of the larger mythical creatures that you'll encounter in the open world. The speed of the Vocation will allow you to jump quickly onto its back - aided by Core Skills like Footpad - and then you'll want to use Gut and Run on its weak spot to deal massive damage.

While Spite isn't the strongest weapon from a pure damage standpoint, it suits this build perfectly as it's got a poisonous side effect that almost always enacts when using Gut and Run. This can melt an enemy with ease and is so strong when dealing with the multiple health bars of larger foes.

Once you're further along in the game though you'll want to purchase Heaven's Key, as it deals significantly more damage and has its own elemental boons to boost its attacks further.

For Augments, you'll want to borrow ones like Mettle and Vitality from other Vocations which largely increase your defence and health as the Theif is somewhat vulnerable compared to some other options.

Poise from the Thief's own Augments is the most important to this build though, as it decreases the stamina drain when struggling on an enemy - letting you stay on longer for those all-important stabs.

Finally, while the Ring of Profusion just lets you ease the burden of your carry weight, the Ring of Skullduggery increases damage when attacking foes from behind, which is especially strong with the approach of this build.

Best Weapon Skills

• Enkindled Blades (upgraded to Ignited Blades)
• Skull Splitter
• Powder Charger (upgraded to Powder Blast)
• Concussive Step
• Ensnare (upgraded to Implicate)
• Gut and Run (upgraded to Draw and Quarter)
• Easy Kill (upgraded to Masterful Kill)

You'll find four of these Weapon Skills in the best build above, but both Powder Blast and Concussive Step can easily be switched in for Skull Splitter and Ignited Blades. The first two focus heavily on explosives, which are effective at dealing high damage to targets and giving you space to breathe.

Implicate and Draw and Quarter are two essential Weapon Skills for any Thief build though, with the former proving very effective against many of the smaller targets that you'll run into on your travels.

Masterful Kill is also super strong and is a fantastic option for dealing with any of the standard enemies you'll encounter on your travels. It does take a little skill to pull off  - but the reward is more than worth the risk.

Best weapons

• Heaven's Key
• Spite
• Divine Razors

My own personal preference for most of the game was the Spite daggers, as the chance to poison an enemy is a huge bonus to have in your locker. With enhancements, it can more than hold its own, despite being weaker in numbers than some other weapons.

Heaven's Key is undoubtedly the best once you can afford it though, and it clears most other weapons in the game. You can also unlock the Dragon's Daggers once you've accumulated enough Wyrmslife Crystals - and they're also incredibly strong.

How good is the Thief Vocation in Dragon's Dogma 2?

The Thief is one of the best Vocations that you can pick in the game, offering lightning-fast speed and high damage potential if used correctly. Much of the Thief's strength comes from the combination of its skills, and you can't rely on pure weapon damage like the Warrior or Fighter.

Furthermore, you're also quite susceptible to incoming damage - although not as much as Vocations like Mage and Sorcerer. You do have plenty of tools at your disposal to counter this vulnerability though, with the main one being the Swift Step dodge ability. This quickly shifts your Arisen out of the way, keeping you safe from damage and often opening up an attack opportunity too.

Now that you've mastered the Thief why not head over to our Dragon's Dogma 2 homepage, where we've got lots of tips and tricks like how to increase carry weight, how to change your appearance, and everything you need to know about Pawns.