Bow vs Sling

[PrideGroupIsEvil]

i'm trying to take the bow and arrow seriously in my game right now as my only weapon, and i think it sucks compared to the sling. when 3-6 stones can put a total stop to an oppenent but 6-9 arrows can leaves a bleeding juggernaught still chasing you i just don't see the advantage -weight aside -

i'm fragile, so i can NOT get in melee range. i shoot them with a few arrows but there bleeding and to me it seems like they will go on forever

[Lin]

Why use only one weapon though? If it's a self-inflicted restriction, than I get it and it's interesting (but difficult). If not, there is no reason to limit yourself. Use both. Stun the opponent with a sling, bleed them with an arrow, keep clever distance, wait for the vulnerable status before you attack to maximize results and minimze loss of resources. Weight is indeed an issue, plus bows, as you point out, are a weapon for patient people. It's very much a game of backing up and waiting things out, waiting for your moment, maintaining distance. Safe, but some people may find it boring in how much longer combat may be drawn out for. Still, it's a valid strategy. Keep a bottle of corn-a-cola around btw, it will help you if you happen to tire out in the middle of a fight. Also keep in mind that even with the ranged skill, smaller distances will get you better results, so don't expect shooting from far away to be as good as shooting from under 10.

[PrideGroupIsEvil]

Originally posted by Lin:

Why use only one weapon though? If it's a self-inflicted restriction, than I get it and it's interesting (but difficult). If not, there is no reason to limit yourself. Use both. Stun the opponent with a sling, bleed them with an arrow, keep clever distance, wait for the vulnerable status before you attack to maximize results and minimze loss of resources. Weight is indeed an issue, plus bows, as you point out, are a weapon for patient people. It's very much a game of backing up and waiting things out, waiting for your moment, maintaining distance. Safe, but some people may find it boring in how much longer combat may be drawn out for. Still, it's a valid strategy. Keep a bottle of corn-a-cola around btw, it will help you if you happen to tire out in the middle of a fight. Also keep in mind that even with the ranged skill, smaller distances will get you better results, so don't expect shooting from far away to be as good as shooting from under 10.

huh i thought corn cola was useless, that might make the difference i was looking for. does it stack or can i use it only once every few turns?

weight is why i'm using one weapon, plus the arrows take up so much space as is

[danconnors]

The question now is: Does it matter what type of bow you use as far as damage is concerned? Does an ATN bow do more damage than a greenwood bow? Does a composite bow do more damage than an ATN bow? Do better bows actually have longer accurate range? Up till now I thought the answers to all the questions was yes. Now I wonder. Animals don't seem to drop any quicker with a composite bow than a greenwood bow. The composite bow definitely does last longer. Is that its only advantage? It shouldn't be; the pull on a composite bow is much higher than any made in the woods bow you could possibly make.

[danconnors]

So, all fired up with visions of easy to make, lethal slings, I started a new character to see for myself just how effective this weapon is. Unfortunately, this game is its own worst enemy. For a day and a half I didn't find the material to make one lousy sling. That's right not one damned item of clothing in a day and a half. Of course you have to have 2 items of clothing, because you must have 2 heavy threads. Needless to say I didn't find any stray string or thread.

At the end of a day and a half I had already, with my ranged only character, killed 2 rabid dogs and a bad mutha (who had one lousy pair of pants, which I put on. I put them on because I was in severe hypothermia at the time. By the time I finally got the sling built, I was bleeding, exhausted, freezing, thirsty, fighting off an infection, and pissed at the game, slings, and life in general.

[Kaaven]

@danconnors
All the bows do the same amount of damage, with piercing arrows doing less bruising damage than the broadhead ones.

The two main differences are in rate of degradation (greenwood bow, which is relaying on the freshness of the stick - hence the name - is degrading fastest, then is the Anishinaabe bow, and then compound one) and in range (greenwood and Anishinaabe 30, compound 40).

Plus, piercing arrows from compound bow have an armor piercing value of 2, instead of 1 like all the rest, so are better at wounding armored targets.

@OP
The main drawback of the sling is the weight of it's ammo. Each stone weights 500g, as opposed by 20/30g (hunting and piercing/broadhead) of an arrow.

[Trigon (The Trash)]

A sling with twenty pebbles is far more powerful than one would originally think. Something about twenty or so welts seems to put your opponent in a world of hurt they won't soon forget. At least until you follow up with the warclub and spread their memories all over the pavement.

[Lin]

Originally posted by Frosty Rootbeer:

huh i thought corn cola was useless, that might make the difference i was looking for. does it stack or can i use it only once every few turns

No reason to stack it, unless time runs down and you need a second dose (which will almost never happen during a fight).

Cola works because of the way time "slows down" during combat or rather because combat turns only last a fraction of normal game turns. Outside of combat Corn-a-cola gives you an energy boost if you're tired, and very shortly after it follows that up with a severe caffeine crash (i.e. it makes you exhausted). But because combat turns are so short, the caffeine crash will (99% of the time) come after the combat has ended, effectively making Cola a valid energy drink for combat purposes. Make sure you set camp right after the fight is over though, because when the crash hits, it hits hard.

Btw, Corn-a-cola can also be useful as a last ditch attempt at keeping hypothermia off, it warms you up a bit.

[danconnors]

If corn a cola warms you up, how about a couple of belts of whiskey? You know the saint bernard rescue dogs carry a small barrel of booze around their necks when they go looking for people lost in the freezing cold Alps. It's for the freezing lost people, not the dogs.

[Unfulfilled Desires]

Originally posted by danconnors:

If corn a cola warms you up, how about a couple of belts of whiskey? You know the saint bernard rescue dogs carry a small barrel of booze around their necks when they go looking for people lost in the freezing cold Alps. It's for the freezing lost people, not the dogs.

alchohol doesnt freeze unlike water, also, it makes you colder by constricting bloodvessels.
but can also be used as fuel for fire.

[Wereworm]

I prefer slings WAY more because they are easy to get and put your enemy in a world of hurt just outside of their range....

[PrideGroupIsEvil]

Originally posted by Wereworm:

I prefer slings WAY more because they are easy to get and put your enemy in a world of hurt just outside of their range....

especially considering that an unconcious and bleeding enemy can take like 20 or more turns to die

[Wereworm]

Originally posted by Layarion:

Originally posted by Wereworm:

I prefer slings WAY more because they are easy to get and put your enemy in a world of hurt just outside of their range....

especially considering that an unconcious and bleeding enemy can take like 20 or more turns to die

Yeah, I killed a bad mutha with 3 pebbles and 2 stone
also your problem might be that you have to let them bleed themselves out, shoot them with a few arrows and let them die of their own accord just keep out of range.

[Trigon (The Trash)]

Once they're out and bleeding I just casually walk up and give em a little smack. Usually does the trick.

[PrideGroupIsEvil]

Originally posted by Trigon (Pisser of Knives):

Once they're out and bleeding I just casually walk up and give em a little smack. Usually does the trick.

it just makes arrows seem worthless. it takes Awhile to get them out if your just using arrows. sure you got that weight thing, but that the damage and stopping power is worth it's weight in stones.

you have to use two stacks of arrows to down an opponent, but 10 stones will kill two opponents.

[x_x]

I personally enjoy fighting with a sling and pebbles. Seriously, they must be some godly pebbles, the amount of damage they inflict. Maybe American pebbles are more badass than British pebbles, I dunno :D