Tribal only weapon choices

[Cleftin Twain]

So tribal only players, what weapons do you find yourself outfitting your tribals with?

I find myself outfitting my tribe with short bows and (for my personal pawn with trigger-happy) great bows although I'm tempted to just go exclusively great bows with good or higher quality. With melee pawns I usually try to divide between clubs and spears (I know Longswords are the best aside from Jade clubs but spears fit the theme better IMO).

Here's the main reason I'm asking though: I really, REALLY, want to like the Pila. I just don't feel like it's worth the risk. It's effective range easily gets you within reach of any gun which will output more shots for more chances to hit. It also has as much of a chance to instantly kill your own pawns as it does the enemy if you get distracted for too long. I feel like it needs rebalanced tbh.

I almost feel like I HAVE to have a Sniper Rifle at the very least. The lore/backstories indicate that tribals have a "thunderer" tradition where guns are seen as gifts from the gods, but I'm not sure I want go with that belief without a pawn having that back story.

What are your thoughts on this? Reminder that this is strictly for tribal only runs.

[CaoLex]

Best tribal weapon are tamed beasts.

[El Dedo Sucio]

Originally posted by Xenon:

Best tribal weapon are tamed beasts.

And pre-build fortifications on your map. If you can get your melee fighters to outflank the snipers, then they can carve them up pretty quickly. The fortification only needs to be big enough to protect your fighters while they run in for the kill. Just make sure to either micromanage your archers, or hold their fire, else they'll rip into your guys aswell. I tend to use an even balance between shivs, clubs and spears, as they all have different attack speeds.

[Ashardalon]

the pila is a great weapon for the raiders but completely useless for your colonists
if you have a decent killbox the greatbow is the best weapon
combine that with a fall back position you can hold with your spears should stop anything except a manhunting swarm of boomrats

[Cleftin Twain]

Originally posted by Xenon:

Best tribal weapon are tamed beasts.

I actually have quite the few rammed currently. Two labs I got from a man hunter pack and two warts I've trained plus some muffalo. Finally had time to tame and train this run through.

I was under the impression, though, that animals add quite a bit to the raid algorithm. Obviously they add to wealth but don't they count as half a colonist or something like that?

[Cleftin Twain]

Originally posted by Ashardalon:

the pila is a great weapon for the raiders but completely useless for your colonists

That makes me sad. :(

[Ashardalon]

well... if you have disposable colonists like the raiders have disposables you can figure something out

[avil]

As tribal, I try to pickup initial powerful weapons unfairly (like attacking small trading groups), but only if it really worth it (because I don't wont to ruin my reputation too much). On my last run I started as a single tribesman in drylands, and withing first week I got a trader with one guard and a minigun. Guard stood with a finger in his nose while I stabbed trader to his death with a shiv... In all other cases I try to lure the attackers into choke points to fight them in melee range. Well, you basically do the same when you got a minigun.

[Joki the Disco Bandit]

Jade clubs just feel right. I can't explain it, but I have to arm at least half my people with jade clubs, and they must have nicknames like Panther Tongue or Bark of the Otter etc.

But for sheer effectiveness it's hard to beat animals.

[Ashardalon]

are jade clubs really the most effective?
better then uranium? and how do they compare to plasteel shivs or even swords?

[avil]

Originally posted by Ashardalon:

are jade clubs really the most effective?
better then uranium? and how do they compare to plasteel shivs or even swords?

Plasteel weapons are better.

[Joki the Disco Bandit]

Originally posted by Ashardalon:

are jade clubs really the most effective?
better then uranium? and how do they compare to plasteel shivs or even swords?

I don't know any actual stats, but yeah they seem quite effective to me, if the goal is to eliminate a threat quickly. If the aim is capture then the odds are probably against you capturing someone intact. :)

If it's straight-up death I'm trying to achieve then I think the plasteel longswords or gladius or the like would certainly be more likely to deliver killing blows, from what I've experienced anyway.

I never use uranium for weapons so I can't speak to its effectiveness. I bet it would be heavy as hell though.

[Cleftin Twain]

Originally posted by Ashardalon:

are jade clubs really the most effective?
better then uranium? and how do they compare to plasteel shivs or even swords?

Check out the wiki for damage info. But yeah Jade clubs are the bees knees for blunt damage DPS. But plasteel longswords are the top dog for melee weapon damage/DPS.

With Long swords, though, you will likely kill your target before ever getting a chance to capture them and even if you do the only thing they'll be good for most of the time is organ donation.

[Ashardalon]

i use stone traps for a steady supply of captures
that way you get most of the joggers
but im rarely in a rush to get more people

[Stormsong]

Originally posted by Ashardalon:

the pila is a great weapon for the raiders but completely useless for your colonists
if you have a decent killbox the greatbow is the best weapon
combine that with a fall back position you can hold with your spears should stop anything except a manhunting swarm of boomrats

I actually quite like pilas. I use them the same way and give them to the same people who I would give shotguns to.

[Cleftin Twain]

Originally posted by Stormsong the Fallen:

Originally posted by Ashardalon:

the pila is a great weapon for the raiders but completely useless for your colonists
if you have a decent killbox the greatbow is the best weapon
combine that with a fall back position you can hold with your spears should stop anything except a manhunting swarm of boomrats

I actually quite like pilas. I use them the same way and give them to the same people who I would give shotguns to.

Dat winedup and cool down time tho.. Is the accuracy/damage justified? Do you find them missing a lot?