throwing damage not that much?

[Someasianguy]

Compared to the damage that a bow does, thrown items hardly do anything. And then theres also the inaccuracy. My throwing skill is a little over 100 at the moment.

[Cruz / LastSpartan]

They are faster firing than other ranged weapons.

[Tuidjy]

It has been a long time since I've played a character using throwing weapons, except for Viking Conquest. In Viking Conquest, throwing weapons are devastating with the right skills and proficiency, allowing you to kill almost all enemies with one headshot, and most with a throw to the chest. If I remember correctly, Native's throwing weapons do more damage than Viking Conquest's, but have much smaller stack sizes.

But the data is available in the cheat menu, so lets compare the highest damage bow and the highest damage javelin types in Native. (Axes have a lot more damage, but their damage is cutting)

(1) Obviously, at low levels, the masterwork war bow is not even available. Without investing skill points, jarids out damage bows nearly two to one, because without power draw, you have to use toy bows.

(2) At power draw/throw five, the most damaging bow you can use is a plain war bow. You can use balanced jarids just fine.

Lets assume equal strength and proficiency.

Balanced jarids have a base piercing damage of 48. For strength 15, the strength damage bonus is nearly 3. Power throw 5 adds 50%. Total damage 76.5

A war bow with bodkin arrows does 25+3 piercing damage. For strength 15, the strength damage bonus is nearly 3. Power draw 5 adds 70% damage. Total damage 52.7.

(3) At maximum power draw/throw levels, we have:

Balanced jarids have a base piercing damage of 48. For strength 30, the strength damage bonus is 5. Power throw 5 adds 100%. Total damage 106.

A masterwork war bow with bodkin arrows does 30+3 piercing damage. For strength 30, the strength damage bonus is 5. Power draw 10 adds 140%. Total damage 91.6.

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So, based on damage alone, bows never come close to jarids. Of course, there are other considerations. Here are all the criteria I consider important:
- Damage. See above. Advantage to jarids.
- Minimum skill investment. Huge advantage to jarids, as they can be used without any.
- Minimum weapon slot requirements. Advantage jarids, one to two.
- Speed. Early advantage to jarids, which becomes less pronounced late game.
- Stack size. Huge advantage to bows. Order of magnitude, even increasing with extra slots.
- Range. Huge advantage to bows.
- Accuracy. Jarids' ballistic curve is much worse, so advantage to bows.


Still, I prefer bows by far. Stack size is extremely important, because having a hundred shots per battle, assuming a full load, lets you increase your proficiency much faster. The range also makes it easier to use bows in sieges, where a lot of the proficiency is gained. Thus, in Native, bows damage eventually outpaces jarids, simply because bowmen get arrows, thus more practice.

So, in Native, a bow makes a better main weapon and a jarid makes a better secondary weapon.

In Viking Conquest, javelins have barely half the damage of their Native counterpart, but deal piercing damage as opposed to the bows' cutting, and their stack sizes can get up to 14. They can also be used from horseback, which bows cannot, and are light enough to be used in sieges. Thus, in Viking Conquest, javelin proficiency can rival bow proficiency, easily, and as a whole javelins are more useful.

Here it is. More than you ever wanted to know about bows and javelins.

[Morkonan]

The biggest limiting factor for thrown weapons is stack size. A thrown-weapon character, while viable, isn't going to easily be at the top of the kill charts, so to speak, simply because of ammo availability.

But, even then, it's not my personal, main consideration.

In order to use a bow or crossbow, you have to dedicate two weapon slots. In order to use thrown weapons, you only need one. For a melee-based character, a thrown weapon gives them a powerful short-range punch while leaving them room to carry something like an additional shield or a specialist type weapon, like a long spear or even a two-handed blunt weapon, for crashing through shields. Having the ability to do very good,accurate, short range damage while retaining an extra weapon slot can be very nice.

In closing - For a melee-centric character, thrown weapons make a lot of sense.

PS - They're also very good in sieges and against armies with lots of missile troops, since you retain the use of your shield while throwing them.