WarriorSTR · Melee fighters with the highest HP
MagicianINT · Spellcasters
BowmanDEX · Ranged attackers
ThiefLUK · Fast and evasiveAssassin vs Bandit in MapleStory Classic World: Which Thief 2nd Job Should You Pick?
Pick Bandit if you want the highest single-target damage in 2nd job and don't mind melee and pots. Pick Assassin if you want the safer, simpler grind at range with almost the same damage. In Classic World you don't have to commit early either way: both start on Lucky Seven, and a Bandit can keep throwing stars until about level 40 (the Sindit route).
Our take: first character, or you hate dying and pot runs? Assassin. You want top single-target numbers and like an active melee loop? Bandit, played as a Sindit. Neither has real AoE before 3rd job, and 3rd job isn't in the game yet.
Our assumptions
This is an opinion page. The recommendation above holds under these conditions:
- Launch content only (Grand Launch): 2nd job is the last job, Victoria Island maps, level cap 100.
- Solo grinding from level 30 to 70 is the main activity.
- Realistic gear: damage figures come from a community DPS benchmark at level 70, which uses Lesser-scrolled builds (every scroll at 100% success) against a target with no defense.
- No 3rd job planning. Hermit vs Chief Bandit matters later, but Nexon hasn't dated 3rd job, so we don't weigh it.
- Market prices change. Costs below are about what you spend on (stars vs pots), not exact mesos.
Side by side
| Assassin | Bandit | |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Claw + throwing stars | Dagger (+ shield) |
| Range | Ranged (Lucky Seven) | Melee (Savage Blow) |
| Main attack | Lucky Seven: 2 stars × 140% | Savage Blow: 6 hits × 75% |
| Level 70 single-target, community benchmark | ~256,000 damage/min (#2) | ~328,000 damage/min (#1) |
| Multi-target | None | Steal, up to 2 mobs |
| MP use (community benchmark results table, Lv 70) | 160.0 damage per MP | 141.7 damage per MP |
| Party buff | Haste | Haste |
| Base DEX needed | Claw's level (Lv 15+ claws) | Dagger's level minus 5 on LUK daggers; Stinger and Cass want STR instead |
| Main running cost | Stars and recharges | HP and MP pots |
| Lv 35 armor | Avenger overalls are female-only; male Thieves use a Knucklevest top + pants | Same |
Damage
Every source agrees the Bandit has the higher single-target ceiling:
- A community DPS benchmark (damage per minute, realistic level 70 builds): Bandit about 328,000, Assassin about 256,000. That's roughly 28% more for the Bandit, and it's #1 of all ten 2nd jobs; Assassin is #2.
- A community max-hit table (max damage per cast, no attack speed): Bandit's Savage Blow tops the level 70 table at 3,251; its Assassin build's Lucky Seven reaches 2,439 per cast.
- A community tier list (opinion, closed-test feel): Bandit has "the highest raw single-target number," Assassin "one of the best confirmed single-target numbers."
The Bandit's lead depends on keeping Steal's +35 Attack Power buff up, and on landing in melee range. The Assassin's damage comes with no positioning risk.
Safety and leveling feel
This is where the Assassin wins. You throw from up to 400 px away with max Keen Eyes (per community guides), hit flying mobs, and can sit on a platform out of reach. Ranged attacks also take a smaller danger penalty in a community training calculator.
The Bandit face-tanks. Community guides list very short reach and constant face-tanking as its main cons, and Savage Blow reportedly locks you in place for the whole animation. The shield slot and Nimble Recovery help, but you'll buy more pots. The Assassin even gets a sustain tool the Bandit lacks: Drain (240% damage at max, with a 12% chance to heal 15% of the damage dealt).
The Sindit route closes most of this gap until 40: a Bandit plays like an Assassin through the early 30s, then resets into daggers. Community guides recommend it as the easier way to level a Bandit. The SP Reset Scroll is 7,000 NX in the Cash Shop (Nexon), so budget for that.
Costs
- Assassin: stars. Community guides say the expensive part is buying the first sets of a good star; recharging them is cheap by comparison. Max Claw Mastery gets 25% of thrown stars back.
- Bandit: pots. Savage Blow costs 28 MP a cast and you take hits. Double Stab is the MP-saver when it kills just as fast.
- Both: claws and daggers above level 30 are crafted or bought from players. Popular classes pay more in the FM, and community guides warn Assassin gear will be pricey.
Mobbing
Neither class mobs. The Assassin has no multi-target attack in 1st or 2nd job. The Bandit's Steal hits 2 mobs, which barely counts. If clearing packs is what you want, a community AoE ranking puts Fighter and Hunter at the top (see the Warrior and Bowman hubs).
Who should pick which
Pick Assassin if:
- It's your first character or you play casually.
- You want to grind long sessions without many pot runs.
- You like flying-mob maps and staying out of reach.
Pick Bandit if:
- You want the top single-target damage in 2nd job.
- You enjoy an active loop (Steal, Savage Blow, Double Stab for cheap kills).
- You're fine with a planned reset around 40, or with a slower melee 1st job.
Can't decide? Level as a Lucky Seven Thief to 30 either way (see the Thief 1–30 guide). Even after choosing Bandit, a Sindit keeps the claw until around 40, so you get time with both playstyles before committing to daggers.
Full builds: Assassin guide · Bandit guide.