Mug



Mug, also known as Capture, Plunder, or Smash and Grab, is a combination of the Attack and Steal commands, allowing the user to attempt to steal an item in the same turn they attack. Like its counterpart, Steal, Mug is associated with the Thief class.

Final Fantasy IV
In the Advance and Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection versions Edge can upgrade Steal to Mug, also known as Plunder, by equipping the Hanzo Gloves. Mug has a Charge Time of 1.

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Edge has Mug (called Smash and Grab in the WiiWare version) allowing him to perform the attack and steal action simultaneously. Mug has a Charge Time of 2.

Final Fantasy V


Mug, called Capture in the older translations, is the Level 6 ability of the Thief job class, learned for 150 ABP. The Thief Knife randomly attempts a steal when used with the Attack command. Mug will ignore any added abilities on the character's equipped weapon.

Final Fantasy VI
Locke Cole and Gogo can use Mug, also known as Capture, if they are equipped with a Brigand's Glove. Due to a bug the Brigand's Glove replaces any effect on the user's weapon, such as random instant death or defense-ignoring, with a Mug attempt. However, weapons that randomly cast spells still perform such after the steal attempt is made.

The Thief's Knife has its user attempt to steal when attacking at 50% rate. It can be equipped by Locke and Shadow. Harvester can use Mug on the party, but it works like Steal Gil. If the monster(s) or the party escapes, the party loses the stolen gil. If the enemy is defeated and the battle is won, the party will gain the stolen gil.

There is a glitch involving Mug and the relic Master's Scroll, or any attempt to steal multiple items within a single turn. After having Locke use Mug while equipped with the Master's Scroll (or any character wielding two Thief's Knives), the first item stolen will always be stolen, but any items that would be stolen afterward will not be added to the player's inventory (unless the monster is alone). Any items stolen after the first item cannot be stolen again under any circumstances, as the first successful steal will count as a successful steal for any other enemies the unit targets during the attack, only the items are never obtained.

Final Fantasy VII
Mug is the Level 2 ability on the Steal Materia. It is the same as the Steal command with an added Attack. Mug replaces the Steal command and uses the same math as Steal does, including the Sneak Glove.

The Bandit can use the Mug command, stealing items from the inventory of, and causing damage to, one target. Shortly afterward, the unit will use its Escape command, the victim losing their item forever. There is a three-quarter chance they will use Mug, otherwise they will use Hold-up to steal gil instead. If the player kills the enemy before it has time to flee they will win back the stolen item. The item stolen can be a weapon not currently equipped to a character.

Mug's success formula for stealing is as follows:
 * $$LvlDiff = 40 + Attacker's Level - Target's Level$$

If Sneak Glove is equipped, LvlDiff is capped at 100 minimum
 * $$LvlFactor = [512 * LvlDiff / 100]$$
 * $$Base Chance = Item Chance * LvlFactor / 256$$

If (Rnd(0..63) <= Base Chance): Item stolen

If Mug is performed with Vincent, it may trigger the Vincent Mug glitch where the game skips the next attack animation.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
Zack can use Mug with the Mug materia. After spending a moment charging the attack, Zack attacks an enemy and attempts to steal from them. Mug requires no AP to use. Mug can be created through Materia Fusion by upgrading a Steal materia.

Final Fantasy VIII
Mug is a support ability the Guardian Forces Diablos and Bahamut can learn for 200 AP. When equipped, the Attack command is changed to Mug. This is the only ability in the game that allows players to steal items from opponents, as there is no base Steal ability.

Note that due to the level scaling system, most enemies actually give worse items when you steal from them, instead of defeating them normally and obtaining item drops. For example, the Elnoyle at high tier (level 30+) drops energy crystals which can be used to have GFs learn the Sum Mag +30% ability. However, mugging from it only gives moon stones, same as the low tier (level 1-19) version. Moon stones are mainly used to convert into Holy magic, but high tier Elnoyles have an infinite supply of Holy magic for you to draw from, making Energy crystals more valuable.

The formula for Mug to steal is as follows:
 * $$Mug\% = (MugDifficulty + (MuggerSpd / 2) + 1) / 256 * 100$$

MugDifficulty is often 128 or higher, meaning a base Mug% of 50% or higher, which is further increased by the character's Spd. The enemies have four item "slots" in the game data and the item one obtains via Mug depends on which slot the character steals from. The lower slots contain common items, whereas higher slots usually contain better/rare items. If the character successfully mugs an enemy, the game decides which item slot's item the player gets by utilizing the game's random number generator (random value between 0 and 255).


 * If (rnd < 178) Slot = 0
 * else if (rnd < 229) Slot = 1
 * else if (rnd < 244) Slot = 2
 * else Slot = 3

If the player has the Rare Item party ability in effect, the probabilities are modified. Since it's impossible to get a value higher than 255 on the random number generator, it's impossible to get an item from Slot 3 with Rare Item equipped, which means, counter-intuitively, Rare Item might prevent the player from obtaining the rarest items.


 * if (rnd < 128) Slot = 0
 * else if (rnd < 242) Slot = 1
 * else if (rnd < 261) Slot = 2
 * else Slot = 3

Successfully mugging an enemy will result in the enemy not dropping items after battle.

Final Fantasy IX
Mug is a support ability used by Zidane Tribal. Mug makes Zidane's steals deal minor damage.

The damage done through Mug is as follows:
 * $$0 ... [Zidane's Level * Target's Level / 2] - 1$$

Mug is learned from Chimera Armlet, Thief Hat and Survival Vest for 65 AP and costs three Magic Stones to equip.

Final Fantasy X
Mug is found in Rikku's section of the Sphere Grid. It costs 10 MP to use.

Final Fantasy X-2
The Garment Grid Treasure Hunt grants Mug. The Grid is acquired when challenging Shinra to a game of Sphere Break; the player must make a combo with a border coin with Item or Rare Item trait. Shinra can only be played in Chapter 3 during Luca's Sphere Break tournament, or, if lost, during Chapter 5 in Luca's locker rooms.

Mug is a useful ability as it grants the user AP for the action even when the steal fails, whereas a regular Attack command gives no AP. Mug is one of the few ways of granting the ability to physically attack to the White Mage, Black Mage and Songstress dresspheres.

Final Fantasy XI
Mug is available to Thieves at level 35, and allows them to steal gil from the target.

Final Fantasy XIV
Mug appears in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn as a Rogue ability gained from a level 15 Class Quest. Mug delivers an attack with a potency of 140 to a single target and has a 90 second recast time. Enemies damaged by Mug have a small chance to drop a greater number of items when they are killed. Additionally if the Rogue has used Kiss of the Viper they healed for half of the damage dealt by Mug.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance & Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
The ability called "Mug" in the Tactics Advance series, is actually the ability Steal Gil named differently. See Steal Gil.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
Mug is a level 20 Dirty Tricks ability for the Thief class, and caps at level 20. It allows the user to deal damage while stealing elementite from the target, but can only be used once per battle and up to three times a day.

Final Fantasy Dimensions
Mug is the level 16 ability of the Thief class, learned for 380 AP. It requires 2 slots to equip and use, and when used the user will physically attack the target with a chance to steal that target's item as normal.

Chocobo Racing
Mug is an ability initially used by Goblin but usable by any character; it allows a racer to steal a Magic Stone from the racer in the first position.