Over countless versions of MD, IMHO, the thief class was truly the most fun to play.
Some like endless hack and slash and xp mongering.
I for one was always for testing a human opponent sitting behind the same computer monitor long before there was ever Doom, Quake, WoW, etc.
There was/is so many cool things that you can do with a thief that other classes cannot do. Their potential is virtually unlimited when played right.
Though not the best of warriors, you should never ever
underestimate the guile of a thief, nor should you leave your back
unwatched.