Thief Khee'bler
"Oh, I steal souls and secrets."
A cunning, cruel, and diabolically skilled thief and lawyer who was formerly known as the Prince of Elf Land, Thief (8-bit Theater, not Final Fantasy 1) secretly left his kingdom in order to raise money for a cure for his dying father. He secured funds by stealing anything and everything around him that wasn't both nailed down and on fire (and some things that were just nailed down), pawning it all off and sending the money to his "overseas account". He also maneuvered Fighter into signing a binding contract over the then-forming Light Warriors, making Thief the permanent group leader and entitling him to first dibs on everything the group discovered (especially treasure), with the exception of any swords Fighter decides he likes. He rarely fights, preferring to let others do his work for him while he furthers the team's goals elsewhere in secret. His main motivation for joining the brawl is greed, in the off-chance that someone actually bothers to play a coin match.
Example of personality
Power: 8
This stat can be very deceiving... Thief has very little KO potential on his own. In order to score a KO, he must wait until a foe breaks a contract with him. This will allow him to use one of his powerful Smash attacks.
Height: 5
Around Mario's height. Nothing much to say here.
Weight: 4
Thieves in the Final Fantasy games aren't well known for being able to take a hit.
Run Speed: 8
However, they are one of the faster classes around.
Jump: 6
*insert witty comment here*
Second Jump: 6
Although he has multiple great recovery options, there's no sense skimping on a classic...
Attack Speed: 7
And you'd better hope so. You're really going to need to keep the opponent pressured, and force them to use an approach you've conveniently deemed illegal.
Priority: 8
Thief has plenty of disjointed attacks, and attacks with grab priority. No worries here.
When you first start playing as Thief, you might notice that he starts out ridiculously underpowered... he has no Smashes, and little KO potential in his other moves. That's right, Thief is so arrogant that he doesn't deem it necessary to use his full strength against his opponents... unless the law requires. This is where his Special Mechanic comes in.
Through use of your Neutral Special, you can begin writing up a contract with your opponent. These terms will be stacked upon eachother, and it's possible to knock out all of the opponent's ground moves and specials, given enough time. However, until you actually SIGN the contract (Through use of Thief's Grab or Down Special) the opponent can use these moves without hesitance. As soon as you get the contract signed, however, they are legally bound to not use the moves... that doesn't mean they CAN'T, however. Even if a move is illegal, they can still use it just as well as they could normally.
If they choose to break the terms of the contract, then you are granted the use of one of your blatantly overpowered smashes. That's right, you're only allowed to hit them with one smash. However, you can keep using the smash until you actually land it, so don't feel too pressured.
Regrettably, as soon as your opponent breaks the terms of the contract, it's null and void... you'll have to sign another one with them to keep them restricted. Keep the contracts coming, so you can take as much legal action as possible.
Thief can't use smashes to start out with. In order to use smashes, you must write out a contract with the opponent. Using your Neutral Special will add terms to the contract, moves that, when the opponent uses them, will allow Thief to use one smash.
The contract will not restrict the opponent until it is signed. Sign the contract through your Grab, Pummel, or Down Special.
When the opponent uses a restrictive move, it still comes out at full force. Each time they break the terms, you have to sign a new contract before they will be restricted again. The contract-in-progress will be applied to whoever signs the terms with Thief first.
You can have two unique contracts with each opponent at the same time... one from your Grab/Pummel (They're treated the same), and one from your Down Special. Breaking the terms of one will not void the other.
Neutral Special: Negotiations
This move's animation and range is identical to Thief's grab, but don't be fooled... while his Grab causes opponents to sign the contract, this move is what you use to define the terms. Once the opponent is in Thief's grasp, input any attack animation. This input (see below diagram) will appear over the opponent's head briefly, as Thief pushes them away about the distance of a Battlefield Platform. This move is then added to the terms of the next contract you sign, and if the opponent uses the move, you are granted the use of your Smashes. Try to ban as many moves as possible before signing the contract.
Note: This move may only be used while on the ground. Pressing "Z" will instantly ban all grabs. Aerials, too, may be added by attempting to add the same tilt twice. Also, if you haven't defined any terms with this move, then getting them to sign the contract in the first place is meaningless.
Top: Neutral A (or Neutral Aerial)
Middle: FTilt (or FAir)
Bottom: FSmash
[0%]
Up Special: Law Ninja
Thief's trusty Lawninja are always at beck and call, ready to sue anyone who he deems necessary. However, in this case, it's time to help their master. A quick whistle from Thief will cause two Lawninjas to fly out from either side of the screen, each of them landing on either side of Thief nearly instantly. This stops his momentum, suspending him in midair. He will remain suspended for one second, waiting for a second input. Now, flick the control stick in the direction you want to go, and a third Lawninja will fly in from the opposite direction, crashing into Thief and knocking him Battlefield's length in that direction. Meanwhile, the three Lawninjas will look at eachother awkwardly... and then fall to their doom.
Each of these Lawninjas has 50 stamina, and destroying any one of them will make this recovery useless. Their health resets at every stock.
[0%]
Side Special: Thievery
Ah, so Thief isn't as misnamed as this moveset would make him out to be! With a quick (yet fluent) tap to his forehead, Thief will suddenly disappear... and reappear a certain distance away in a direction you can control exactly like Meta Knight's dimensional cape. However, this move has an additional clever use the cape lacks...
If you reappear such that you're actually in contact with the opponent, Thief will appear to simply wave his hand in their direction. However, what you're NOT seeing is that the opponent actually just lost a move! What move is it? The last one they just performed, of course. This is best used just after they recover, to take away any chance of them getting back onstage, since you'll have a hard time doing it yourself with such a weak airgame. Any stolen moves remain stolen until the opponent beats it out of Thief by dealing 25% or KOing him. Also, there's no limit to how many moves you can steal.
Unfortunately, this move has hefty ending lag whether or not you actually manage to pull it off... so chances are you'll only be able to nab one or two moves before they're beaten out of you through free hits.
[0%]
Down Special: Accomplice
If you don't feel like getting within close quarters with your opponent, there's one final way to get a contract signed with them, although it does take longer than the previous two methods. By inputting the Down Special, Thief throws down a standard ninja flash bomb. While this does stun in a fashion similar to a Deku Nut, its main purpose is to summon Sakurai to the field. There ya go, Sundance. Sakurai, having hired all of these fighters, has legal authority over them, so can sign the contract for the nearest character. However, since he signs out his full name (Masahiro Sakurai), this takes much longer than the average signature, a full 6 seconds. Sakurai can also sign contracts for every brawler on the field, so it's possible to have three people bowing to Thief's will at once under TWO different contracts. (Y'know, one from the grab and one from this move.)
[0%]
Grab: Legally Binding
In a quick motion, Thief beckons opponents to come towards him with his pointer finger. If they happen to be facing towards him, they'll walk up to him if they're within the distance of a stagebuilder block, giving this grab a great reach with minimal starting lag. However, if they're not facing him, he'll grab them by the shoulder, and spin them around to face him, although this takes a quarter second longer than it would if they were facing him. Either way you pull this off, he'll reach across their shoulders with his arm, holding them tightly in a "side hug" as he whispers various legal mumbo-jumbo in their ear. If you miss, this move has above-average ending lag, so it may be wise not to always rely on it to get your opponent's signature. Also, when they break your grasp, they'll slide about a Battlefield platform away and recover first.
If you manage to hold them for four seconds total (either all in one go, which is unlikely, or over multiple grabs), Thief will hold a pen and paper in their face, and they will sign a contract with him, now bound to the terms you dictated using your Side Special. However, to get them to agree to these terms, the opponent is rewarded by recovering 20% of their total damage by default, although this amount can be changed using Thief's Throws. (not 20% health recovered, mind you. If they had 80% they'd go to 64%, 10% would go to 8%, and so forth) Regardless, this is a small price to pay, as if they choose to break the terms of the contract, you'll gain access to your powerful KO moves.
Pummel: Coercion
Maybe you don't feel like waiting to convince your opponent to sign your contract... in that case, there's always a more violent approach. Pressing A will cause Thief to grab the opponent's hand and slide a pen into it in one quick motion, and forcibly make them write their own signature. Sure, it may be a bit sloppy, but it still counts. At least, it counts to Thief. This method only takes two seconds to get a signature, stacking over multiple grabs like the legitimate method, but it comes at the cost of ridiculous ending lag (enough for them to get a half-charged smash on you) if the opponent breaks out before you get a signature. Also, if you get a legitimate signature before you finish the forced one, the time you need for the forced one reverts to the default of two seconds, and vice-versa.
[0%]
Left Throw: Percentage
Thief's throws (with two, situational exceptions) are all about manipulating the contract. His FThrow changes the terms of said contract... from a Flat Rate of health recovered to a certain percentage. For example, with a rate of 20%, an opponent at 70% will drop to 56%, a loss of 14 damage. This throw, like most of Thief's other throws, will not break the opponent from his grasp. However, it still does take half a second to execute, and switching the terms will reset the time it takes to get a signature from your opponent.
Note: Yes, left throw. Whether facing left or right, you choose this move by flicking the controller stick LEFT.
[0%]
Right Throw: Flat Rate
Thief's Right Throw is the counterpoint to his left. While the Left Throw changes the terms to restore a percentage of the opponent's health, this move will cause a defined amount of health to be recovered when the contract is signed. For example, an opponent at 50% health with a rate of 20% will end up at 30% damage when they sign the contract. Using this move takes half a second, and resets the time it takes to get a signature with your grab.
Note: Like the Left Throw, you must flick the controller stick to the right, regardless of which direction you're facing.
[0%]
Up Throw: Bribery
So, your opponent is a bit unwilling to sign the contract, huh? Let's raise the stakes a bit. When you input this move, Thief will smirk a bit, and then above his head will flash a green number 10% higher than it was previously. (remember, each stock starts out with it at 20% by default) This, in turn, raises the amount of health your opponent will recover upon signing a contract with you via your grab, although it doesn't affect your Down Special. Like the rest of your throws, this does not release the opponent from your grasp, although it is the ONLY throw not to reset the time it takes to write a signature. This move comes out almost instantaneously, and the new rate hovers above Thief's head for half a second after activation.
Note: You may not raise the rate above 60%.
[0%]
Down Throw: Undercut
...Maybe you were a bit too generous with your contracts in the past. If so, there's only one way to get it back down... this move. By using this move, Thief will shake his head, and in red, a number 10% lower than it was previously will flash above Thief's head. This resets the time it takes to sign the contract, and will make your opponent less likely to cooperate. Unlike the UThrow, This move does take a while to get across, a whole half-second to lower the rate.
Note: You may not lower the rate below 20%.
[0%]
Forward Throw: I can throw Anything!
That's right, when Thief got his class change, he became a Ninja and got the ability to throw anything! What's that, you say? ANYONE can throw anything in smash? Preposterous.
Anyways, Thief's Forward throw isn't anything special. Since he's already in such close quarters with the opponent, he extends his reach across the opponent's shoulders to grab their hand. From there, it's no hard task to whip them around once and send them flying straight forwards. What's nice about this move is that in addition to taking 11% and knockback that kills at 160%, the unique throwing method will keep the opponent from falling for a second, unless they hit a wall.
Note: This move will only be used if, say, you're facing left and Percentage has already been selected. A Front Throw will always default to Left or Right throws if this method has not been selected, so be careful not to reset the terms just before you were about to get a signature! Lastly... yes, it's generic, but it's Thief's signature attack. So, bah.
[11%]
Backward Throw: Bait and Switch
The execution of this move is pretty similar to Thief's Front Throw... it's the same basic throw, except this time he's hurling them cleanly over his head, with little lag. However, there's another maneuver to be made here if (and ONLY if) the opponent has a signed contract in play... as the opponent passes over his head, Thief taps their hand on a small slip of paper... authorizing the transfer of terms from the signed contract to the one in progress.
...okay, that was a mouthful. For example, say that you've signed a contract that disallows use of the opponent's Standard Combo, Dash Attack, and Neutral Special. You also have an unsigned contract that will forbid use of all the tilts. When you pull this move off, these terms switch places... the opponent you just used the move on is forbidden to use tilts, and the next contract you sign will ban the Standard Combo, Dash Attack, Neutral Special, and any other moves you add to the terms. This can be a very good way to mess with your opponents' heads, as they'll never quite be sure what they're up against.
[11%]
Neutral A: Charisma
Yet another way to make the contract all the easier to sign is to take advantage of Thief's naturally high Charisma. When you press A, Thief will suddenly hold his pointer finger upward at eye level, in the standard "I have an idea!" gesture. At the same time, opponents within the range of Jigglypuff's Sing will suddenly sit down, and listen to him as he begins to speak for about 1.5 seconds. (well, it's more of a mumble, really. You can't exactly make out any words, but it sounds convincing.) Now, any opponent who listens to at least half of his spiel will be twice as willing to negotiate with him... meaning that it will take half as long to sign a contract with them, although the effect only lasts for the first one you sign.
[0%]
Dash Attack: Illusion
If you press A while on the run, nothing much will seem to happen... Thief will continue running without any sign of an attack. However, if you stop running after activating this attack, Thief will... continue to run? Well, not exactly. What you see running is actually a copy of Thief, that only knows how to run forward. The real Thief has turned partially transparent, and you can move him around and attack while opponents go after the decoy. The decoy will continue to run until it hits a wall or is attacked, upon which it will disappear in a puff of smoke. This move has the potential to be the ultimate mindgame...
[0%]
Forward Tilt: Renegotiate
In one smooth motion, Thief whips the contract-in-progress forwards with his left hand… and slashes it in two with a dagger with his right, with the range of Mario’s jab. Afterwards, the pieces of the contract drift slowly down, a hitbox of their own. This move comes out rather quickly, and if done correctly, it set hold the foe up for another hit. The slash of the dagger deals 11% with knockback that kills at 180%, and the falling pieces of the contract (which WILL connect if the first slash does) deal two flinching hits of 1%, canceling the knockback of the first part. Also, this negates the terms of the contract-in-progress, forcing you to start from square one.
Note: If you don’t have a contract in progress, then the second part of this move doesn’t happen.
[11%, 1%]
Up Tilt: Criminal Past
If you're having trouble getting your opponent to break the terms of a contract, give this move a try. With little starting lag, Thief takes out a pad and paper... and simply stands there, seemingly taking note on the battle. He can stand around for a maximum of two seconds, and during this time, he has permanent superarmor, although Final Smashes and the like can still break through. Once the time runs out, Thief stores the pad and paper with a slight nod, a concerned look on his face. As it sounds, this has heavy ending lag... and even if it didn't, an opponent with good timing could potentially land a fully-charged smash on you as soon as your super armor ended. You can cancel this note-taking early, be reinputting the UTilt.
Now, while occasional super armor may seem like a blessing in itself, it's hardly worth it to stand around while your opponent beats up on you, no? How about this, then... now that Thief has seen the opponent's multiple charges of assault and battery, he has the perfect excuse to take some legal action! Any damage and knockback (okay, so you didn't take any knockback. Still, it was calculated.) that was dealt to you will be added to your next knockback-dealing attack, potentially giving Thief a KO move before a contract is broken.
[0%]
Down Tilt: Waive
Eh, maybe what you've worked up so far in the contract isn't exactly what you want... if so, what else to do but get casually place it in the middle of a raging battle? By using this move, Thief will remove the contract from inside of his shirt pocket, and gently place it on the ground, indistinguishable in appearance from the Sticker item. This takes about half a second to do. Also, if any opponent comes within range (about the reach of Jigglypuff's Sing) at any time during this process, Thief will stab towards either side of him with two daggers with pitifully short reach that deals 12% and deals moderate horizontal knockback, and then return to whatever part of the process he was interrupted in.
Okay, so you got rid of the contract. It's still sitting around, though, ready to be signed... or destroyed. Which of the two, it's all up to your opponent. That's right, even after you abandon the contract, your opponent can still walk right up to it and sign it anyway, receiving any healing benefits that were in its terms. You can even use this to bait them if you've readied a particularly juicy contract. Then again, they can also destroy it with a downwards-aimed move. Since it only has 1 stamina, nothing's going to leave it standing.
[0%, 12%]
Forward Smash: Backstab
Another one of Thief's characteristics is his tendency to backstab opponents (and allies)... usually killing them in one blow.
The way he pulls it off is a bit unique, however. As you charge the move, he stands there, holding his chin in thought. When you release the charge, Thief disappears without warning... And reappears up to two battlefield platforms in front of him, charging at a speed of Marth's Final Smash towards the spot where he left. If he encounters anyone on his way, he will deal a powerful stab to the first opponent/hurtbox that gets in his way. This brutal attack deals 25% uncharged, 32% charged, and can KO as early as 75%.
Note: In case it isn’t obvious, this is THE finishing move for Thief.
[25-32%]
Up Smash: Mea Culpa
Oh, what’s this…? Thief has found a fatal flaw in the terms of his own contract… the entire thing is null and void! Appalled at this lapse of judgment, he holds the contract (that is, the one the opponent broke, not the in-progress one) above his head, and after high starting lag, slices it repeatedly, dealing up to 18% to opponents if they get hit with every blow, with the final strike dealing upwards knockback that kills at 150%. Now, an interesting thing about this move… in addition to the 18% they take apart from this, any healing effects they may have had from signing the contract disappear at its end, whether they were actually hit or not.. For example, (and this is an extreme one, in any case) if the opponent signed the contract at 100% with a flat rate of 60%, and then were hit with the full force of this attack, they will take 78% damage at its end, putting them back worse than they were before. This can be an easy move to land, as foes are generally more willing to take risks at lower percentages.
Note: This isn't as good of a KOer as it may sound... Opponents take the knockback before the additional damage from the breaking of the contract is added. Bummer.
[18% + (varies)]
Down Smash: Warning
Occasionally, you might want to cut your opponent some slack. When this move is activated, there is no charge like a normal smash. Instead, Thief does his standard beckoning motion (from his grab, Neutral Special, the works) and brings his opponent towards him… exactly like those two previous attacks. What’s he planning?
Instead of holding them in his grasp, however, Thief will immediately… slap them on the wrist? Yep, he’s just letting them off with a warning this time. The slap will deal only 8% with flinching knockback and high hitstun, but it has a wonderful little aftereffect… from now until you sign the next contract, you will be able to add TWO moves to the terms per Neutral Special! The same applies to his Side Special; Thief will steal the last two unique moves the opponent used. Now is the time to redefine the battle to your terms. Go nuts.
Note: Upon slapping their wrist, a “x2” will hover above Thief’s head for a moment.
[8%]
Neutral Air: Bag of Holding
By now, you're probably wondering where Thief stores all these daggers and contracts in the first place. Well, this move will get opponents up-close and personal with just that method... meet Thief's nearly-full Bag of Holding! With a ridiculously tiny hitbox directly in front of him, Thief reaches forward with little starting lag, having high ending lag if he misses. Assuming he hits, however, Thief will grab the opponent and stuff them into his Bag of Holding. They're now trapped inside the bag, and can escape with grab difficulty. Thief, however, can move around perfectly, and can potentially pull off a Thiefcide if he so chooses.
[0%]
Forward Air: Stealth-Sue
Thief makes use of a technique normally reserved for law-ninja for this attack. After attaching the contract-in-progress to one of his daggers (where do they all come from?), he throws it invisibly perfectly forwards. Although you can't see it, it's traveling at the speed of Sheik's needles, hopefully towards an opponent. When it collides, it will stick into them, dealing 13% and below-average knockback. It will also reappear if it happens to collide into a wall.
A neat little trick to use with this move... if you throw it into an opponent who is under the terms of a contract already, any other terms that were in progress will be added to the opponent. So, in this manner, it's possible to sign a contract early and then add terms from a distance.
[13%]
Backward Air: HADOKEN!
Sure, Thief can’t use it… but he has someone working for him who can. Thief snaps his fingers once, and in a flash of light, Black Mage appears directly behind him. This process, as could be expected, has heavy starting lag, but it more than makes up for it in sheer power, as Black Mage will quickly shoot out a Hadoken behind him, propelling Thief and himself forwards at the speed of Sonic’s run. This will deal around 18% of multiple hits to any opponent who gets caught in the beam, launching them out with off-horizontal knockback that kills at 125% once they reach this amount. Actually, there’s no limit to how far you can recover with this move; Black Mage will keep firing until he flies off the screen, passing through all obstacles with the Hadoken leaving a clear trail of where he’s been. Once he flies offscreen, the remnants of the Hadoken will disappear at the same rate as they were formed. Be sure to jump off before it’s too late.
However… this IS a Level 9 spell. Black Mage can only use one of these per day… or rather, once per stock. If you try to use this twice in the same stock, instead of the impressive Hadoken, Black Mage’s hands will just crackle a little, dealing damage and knockback identical to Pikachu’s Thundershock, but with pitiful range. After this weak attempt at a Hadoken, Black Mage falls off the bottom of the screen, his eyes tiny with fear. Thief will also suffer from a half-second of ending lag.
[18%, 6%]
Up Air: Sword-Chucks
Fighter makes his obligatory cameo for this move, wielding a weapon of his own design... Sword-chucks. Thief summons fighter just like he summoned Black Mage... with a snap of his fingers. Fighter appears directly above Thief, who grabs his ankles as Fighter spins his sword-chucks above his head. This spinning blade will deal up to 18% through multiple hits of 2-3%, and will also raise Thief up Mario's height over a second. During this time, Thief can still move left and right at the same rate, making this a potential recovery move, which is difficult to gimp. The final blow of the sword-chuck spinning deals slight downward/horizontal knockback, and has slight ending lag as Thief lets go of Fighter's legs. Repeated use of this move will decrease the height recovered by half each time. Finally, you may only use this move once per mid-air session.
If you so choose, you can exit this move early by tapping the control stick down. Suddenly deprived of Thief's weight, Fighter will continue to move upwards (twice as quickly, now) until he flies off the top of the screen, dealing about 6% to opponents he passes through.
[18%, 6%]
Down Air: Plummet
Thief's eyes flash white as he looks down slightly. Immediately, Thief "teleports" himself directly down, providing there's a solid surface. There is NO LAG on either side of this attack. If there's a foe directly beneath him, they'll also be dragged straight down with an additional 10%.This attack may seem a bit superfluous, but it can be effectively followed up with a Backstab or one of Thief’s grabs.
[10%]
Hooray, another mechanic booster that Junahu seems to hate so much! Once Thief nabs the Smash Ball (shouldn't be too hard if you stealth-sue it) and activates his Final Smash, he will suddenly open his eyes wide, followed by smirking while he rubs his hands together craftily, as he has just discovered the ultimate loophole in his own terms... every single brawler is guilty on multiple accounts of murder and/or battery! Armed with this new knowledge, Thief has every legal right to abuse his all-powerful smashes, and can get a signature INSTANTLY with his grab, for no health gained to the opponent! All good things must come to an end, however... after 20 seconds, Thief realizes that if he keeps this up, he'll be punishable by the law, too, and reverts to his usual, more subtle self.
Wow. Thief's a pretty complex guy... he can't use smashes unless his opponent uses one of a couple moves he defines... his tilts will destroy whatever contract he has going at the time, and he has a very laggy airgame. How, exactly, are you supposed to use this guy?
A good Thief goes through three phases of play to get his opponents to finally fly off the screen. This playstyle section will show you the best ways to pull off each of these.
<< Phase One: Signing the Contract
As you may have guessed by now, getting a contract signed is the most important thing for Thief to do, and you have several options to do so... but first, you need to add some basic terms with your Neutral Special. Now, since it has so much range and priority, this should be the easy part of the equation... however, if you're having a bit of difficulty pulling it off, try using your Dash Attack beforehand, so that you can nab the opponent while they're still recovering from the ending lag of attacking your decoy. Once you've knocked out... say, 3-5 of your opponent's favorite attacks, it's time to get that contract signed.
Once again, you have many options to do this. If your opponent happens to be on the opposite end of the stage (or if you're playing on New Pork City), then is the time to call out Sakurai via your Down Special... and trust me, ONLY then. This is far too laggy of a maneuver to be used reliably. Your better options are through your grabs... whether it be through forcing a signature or having them sign voluntarily.
During the early phases of adding terms, it may be a good idea to link your Front Tilt to your Neutral A, drastically reducing the effort of getting a contract signed later. And remember... you don't have to add all the terms during this phase. Later on, you can Stealth-Sue them with your Front Air to further restrict them.
<< Phase Two: Breaking the Law
Your next task is to get the opponent to break the terms of your contract, to give you access to your Backstab. Now, the easiest way to do this is to get rid of your opponents' strengths... for example, Meta Knight's DSmash and Up Special, Ganondorf's Up Air, Sheik's Front Tilt. If you've eliminated their strengths, they'll have to fight you where they're weak. Then again, Thief doesn't have much going for him either... all the more reason to reduce your opponents' movepools with your Side Special. In this way, you can make your opponents' weak attacks part of the contracts... and then steal their strong ones! Before long, their moves will either have decayed so much that they hardly can attack... or they'll crack, and use one of the banned moves. In the interim, add as much damage to them as possible, with your FTilt, UAir, and FAir.
<< Phase Three: Dealing with Crime
As you may have guessed by the repeated header title, now's the time to use one of your all-powerful Smashes... or rather, your FSmash. Some great set-ups for this move are Thief's DAir and FTilt, as the opponent will be stunned just long enough for you to C-Stick this move. Remember, you only get to land it ONCE, so don't waste it while the opponent is at low %'s. In fact, it may be a better idea to use your DSmash if the opponent's health is in the 30-40% range. However, if you were a bit... shall we say, generous in the terms of the contract, you may want to use your USmash to remove this benefit in addition to an extra 18%.
Of course, it's possible to skip the first two steps and come directly to the third... buffing Thief's strength up a little with your UTilt, and following up with an FThrow can be a very effective strategy if you're finding it impossible to make your opponent break the terms, or even if you can't get them to sign off in the first place.
<< In Summary
Thief can feel overwhelming to play as to a newcomer... and to be honest, even to a seasoned Thief main. However, if you just keep pressuring the opponent... sneaking around them with your Dash Attack to grab the with your Neutral Special, nagging them with ever-more restrictive terms with your FAir, and reducing their options with your Side Special... it won't be long before Thief's on the high ground.
