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Dwarf Fortress => DF Adventure Mode Discussion => Topic started by: Rob Allen on December 17, 2007, 03:38:00 pm

Title: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Rob Allen on December 17, 2007, 03:38:00 pm
So I figured we could all share our opinions of what things make good throwing weapons.  I'm in a cave infested with ironmen and have found that their heads make nice throwing weapons.  I've also found that thrown arrows do quite a bit of damage, though maybe not as lethal as when fired from a bow.  I have a bowman companion and find that I can "recycle" his arrows this way.
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Gaulgath on December 17, 2007, 04:09:00 pm
Considering thrown vomit can break someone's spine, pretty much everything in DF makes a great throwing weapon. I've heard stacks of coins can be deadly.
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: JoRo on December 17, 2007, 05:16:00 pm
I'm having my current fortress forge tons of serrated disks so that when I come back in adventure mode he'll be able to play some Extreme Frisbee.
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: puffs on December 17, 2007, 06:44:00 pm
i've always liked throwing bolts and arrows. it just strikes me as hilarious that a thrown arrow/bolt is more deadly than a shot arrow/bolt if you have a crappy bow :P
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Karlito on December 17, 2007, 06:46:00 pm
butterfly corpses.  Hands down.
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Torak on December 17, 2007, 07:01:00 pm
Severed heads.
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: greywolf on December 17, 2007, 07:26:00 pm
Spears, mostly because they almost always deal mortal wound damage or instakill when hitting enemies in the head or body.
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Helmaroc on December 17, 2007, 08:12:00 pm
I know this isn't quite throwing, but once I beat a kobold to death with his own arm. That's gotta be disgraceful.
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Wooty on December 17, 2007, 08:16:00 pm
I use coins because you can stack em. Trade an ironman statue in for 600 copper coins and all you have to do is hit T->A everytime you want to thow instead of looking for it or flipping to the last page. I can "it explodes in gore" a goblin from 4 tiles away every time, if not break something.
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Hesitris on December 18, 2007, 12:47:00 am
Ballista bolts. Insta-kill every time if they hit a core part, and can cause almost immediate death from blood loss if they hit a limb. Make 'em adamantine for extra overpoweredness.
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Kagus on December 18, 2007, 12:58:00 am
I remember hearing through a friend about some guy who did just that, made an adamantine ballista bolt and used it in adventure mode.

Supposedly, the thing caused so much damage when thrown, that the enemy creature would explode, sending pieces far and away.  The only remnant left on the square of previous existence was the head.

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Tayrin on December 18, 2007, 02:52:00 am
It might not be the best thing to throw, but I still simply love using vomit as a weapon due to how hilariously satisfying its effectiveness can be. I try to carry some around at all times. Here are just some of the uses I have found for it:

Exploding a bowman:

(http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/4473/vomit3bn4.png)

Decapitation:

(http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/2388/vomit4di8.png)

And sometimes throwing it can get you even more vomit!

(http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/7964/vomit1rb7.png)

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Dae on December 19, 2007, 06:30:00 am
Vomit is a renewable source of energy.
Never underestimate the insane power of corporal fluids.

For my part, I always start a fight against something legendary by throwing a <steel>.

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: MyBeardIsOnFire on December 19, 2007, 06:38:00 am
In IVAN, you could vomit on enemies in hopes of dissolving them.

In DF, you can throw vomit and rupture someone's spleen.

I'm at a loss for words.

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Hesitris on December 19, 2007, 08:50:00 pm
quote:
Originally posted by Kagus:
<STRONG>I remember hearing through a friend about some guy who did just that, made an adamantine ballista bolt and used it in adventure mode.

Supposedly, the thing caused so much damage when thrown, that the enemy creature would explode, sending pieces far and away.  The only remnant left on the square of previous existence was the head.</STRONG>


Yeah, that's not an uncommon occurence for my hapless victims. I don't remember who I saw talking about it, but it was probably the same person your friend was talking about; that's where I got the idea. And a brilliant one it was; I finally have a reliable defense against giant cave spiders (granted they don't web me before I see them).

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Rob Allen on December 20, 2007, 01:09:00 am
I threw a head at a skeletal bowman and it fell in a lake.  I jumped in the lake to grab the head and there was a fly on it.  A single fly.  So I picked it up.  I then threw the fly at the bowman...

That's about as humiliating as it gets.  Killed by a thrown fly.

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Vengeful Donut on December 22, 2007, 04:13:00 pm
quote:
Originally posted by Karlito:
<STRONG>butterfly corpses.  Hands down.</STRONG>

I've killed an ettin with a handful of live faeries  :D
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Anti-Paragon on December 22, 2007, 04:55:00 pm
Fish grenades are quite effective if you pull the pin before you throw:
 (http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s275/anti-paragon/Dwarf%20fortress/Fishgrenade.jpg)  

But yes, adamentine ballista arrows, when superior quality or above, are a light and very effective weapon. At minimum they sever something. Always. Even on demons and dragons. I've never had someone explode from them, though, personally.

 

quote:
Originally posted by Helmaroc:
<STRONG>I know this isn't quite throwing, but once I beat a kobold to death with his own arm. That's gotta be disgraceful.</STRONG>

 (http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s275/anti-paragon/Dwarf%20fortress/Deathbytail.jpg)

[ December 22, 2007: Message edited by: Anti-Paragon ]

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Squeegy on December 22, 2007, 07:59:00 pm
Bahaha. Owned. Could've used gamelog.txt, though.
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Anti-Paragon on December 22, 2007, 09:01:00 pm
Aye. I didn't know about it back then, though.
Ah well, the screenies discern legitimacy anyway. :P
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Impending Doom on December 23, 2007, 12:57:00 am
Heh, I got my sword stuck in an ettin's lower body once. I couldn't pull it out, so I did the only thing I could think of: I started strippping and throwing my clothes at it. He didn't last long.

On the other hand, while in the same cave I got instagibbed by a naked mole dog because I forgot to go pick up my armor.  :mad:

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Reign on your Parade on December 23, 2007, 01:22:00 am
Finally! A use for all the statues iron men always drop!
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: FunkyBomb on December 24, 2007, 09:52:00 pm
I like throwing the wooden weapons elves carry. There's not much else to do with them, so...
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: penguinofhonor on December 26, 2007, 09:10:00 pm
I once had a wrestler die because a pack of wolves bit his head off. So I did the only thing that made sense and kept the thing. It was my lucky throwing weapon, I often made a kill with it. Also, did anyone notice that whenever you throw dismembered body parts they leave a neat trail of blood (if the creature had blood, of course)?
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Kagus on December 26, 2007, 10:04:00 pm
I find spears to be quite handy for throwing purposes, as they can cause some very nasty injuries on a critter, and leave a trail of blood behind them for easy tracking, provided they run away from you.

However it's kind of a pisser when it gets stuck in the wound, and you have to run after the creature through the tunnels to get your spear back.


On a slightly different note, giant corpses are strangely effective for close combat.  I don't think I tried throwing him, but smashing people with him was quite entertaining.  I also figured I'd bring the body back to prove to the mayor I'd killed him, as an added bonus.

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: ChaosSonic on December 27, 2007, 03:58:00 pm
Shields are great for throwing, I mean, look at Captain America! They're even better if the shields menace with spikes of something.
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Pandarsenic on January 02, 2008, 07:58:00 am
Live flies and cockroaches. Nothing is as terrible of a death as a pierced lung by a cockroach.
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: nicro on January 02, 2008, 02:13:00 pm
are thrown items as stronger/more accurate than in the 2d version? I find my new adventurer usually has more luck than I previously had. Although this might be coincidence.
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Rob Allen on January 03, 2008, 04:38:00 am
I always like to nick the quiver off a bowman or crossbowman and then kill him by throwing his own ammo at him.  But failing that, I've actually had fun with about 5 or 6 full waterskins throwing water at things.  There's nothing funnier than watching a goblin child's head get ripped off by a thrown spinning water.

[ January 03, 2008: Message edited by: Rob Allen ]

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: BurnedToast on January 03, 2008, 05:19:00 am
quote:
Originally posted by nicro:
<STRONG>are thrown items as stronger/more accurate than in the 2d version? I find my new adventurer usually has more luck than I previously had. Although this might be coincidence.</STRONG>

As thrower skill increases, your damage and accuracy goes up. The 2d version was bugged such that while damage still went up, no skill = legendary accuracy and legendary = no skill accuracy.

This has been fixed for the 3d version (at least as far as I can tell, I don't throw much).

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: grendel on January 03, 2008, 03:34:00 pm
Since no one's mentioned this one yet, I'd like to add that giant axe blades are a pretty amazing throwing weapon. They're heavy, sure, but they very nearly always sever whatever it is that they hit.

Those of you who like to see numbers and concrete evidence need look no further than the RAW folder. Giant axe blades do an incredible 210 base damage, making them the deadliest of all trap components and weapons.

I threw an adamantine giant axe blade at a dragon and not only did it cut the dragon's upper body in two, it sent the corpse flying backward into a wall and exploded it.   :)

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Railick Stonemane on January 04, 2008, 07:15:00 pm
quote:
Originally posted by Kagus:
<STRONG>
On a slightly different note, giant corpses are strangely effective for close combat.  I don't think I tried throwing him, but smashing people with him was quite entertaining.  I also figured I'd bring the body back to prove to the mayor I'd killed him, as an added bonus.</STRONG>

For some reason this reminds of me Ender's Game, where he kills the giant and comes back later to find that there are people living in its corpse. You could keep the giant in a well traveled place and see if any people start living in it  after it has turned to bones :P

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Felius on January 05, 2008, 01:28:00 am
quote:
Originally posted by Serondal:
<STRONG>

For some reason this reminds of me Ender's Game, where he kills the giant and comes back later to find that there are people living in its corpse. You could keep the giant in a well traveled place and see if any people start living in it  after it has turned to bones :P</STRONG>


Well, why not retire your adventurer, and start a fortress at the corpse of the giant?  :D

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Kagus on January 05, 2008, 02:25:00 am
I left it in a ruin somewhere when I found a shiny +<<Iron>>+ to play with, and didn't have any hands free.  I had yet to buy a backpack.

While I was using it it was like a massive baseball bat.  I'd swing at something, and send it careening through the cave tunnels before smashing into a wall and going *Sploit*

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: puffs on January 05, 2008, 06:37:00 am
quote:
Originally posted by grendel:
<STRONG>Since no one's mentioned this one yet, I'd like to add that giant axe blades are a pretty amazing throwing weapon. They're heavy, sure, but they very nearly always sever whatever it is that they hit.

Those of you who like to see numbers and concrete evidence need look no further than the RAW folder. Giant axe blades do an incredible 210 base damage, making them the deadliest of all trap components and weapons.

I threw an adamantine giant axe blade at a dragon and not only did it cut the dragon's upper body in two, it sent the corpse flying backward into a wall and exploded it.    :)</STRONG>


Yeah, i had my weaponsmith forge me a masterwork adamantine axe blade.

Adventuring with it got boring though, I killed everything with one hit >_>

Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: I3erent on January 07, 2008, 01:22:00 pm
I prefer anvils.
Title: Re: Best Throwing Weapons
Post by: Greiger on January 08, 2008, 01:06:00 am
I typically like throwing swords.  If my actual combat sword gets stuck in something and I need a weapon I usually try to have a few scimitars handy.  They do good damage when thrown and actually make a small amount of logical sense.

Don't get me wrong, I had plenty of fun slaughtering cave populations dual wielding a fairy and dragonfly, and with a backpack full of vomit, body parts, and kitten leather thongs.  But I usually prefer my weapon choices to make a small amount of sense.   ;)