Difference between revisions of "Spear"

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===Compared to longswords===
 
===Compared to longswords===
 
<!-- Cut v Stab sources: https://steamcommunity.com/app/294100/discussions/0/3042732243097084212 & https://steamcommunity.com/app/294100/discussions/0/3111394035968026504 . You can test the x1.4 damage multi by going into devmode and hitting things with a plasteel knife. -->
 
<!-- Cut v Stab sources: https://steamcommunity.com/app/294100/discussions/0/3042732243097084212 & https://steamcommunity.com/app/294100/discussions/0/3111394035968026504 . You can test the x1.4 damage multi by going into devmode and hitting things with a plasteel knife. -->
Spears have very slightly less {{DPS}} - {{%| 7.88 / 7.96 round 3}} of the longsword, after considering melee verb selection. They also have noticeably more {{AP}} and cost 25 materials less. This makes the spear numerically superior, but that is not the full story.
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Spears have very slightly less {{DPS}}. The longsword is {{%| 7.96 / 7.88 round 3}} stronger than the spear, after considering melee verb selection. In exchange, the spear has noticeably more {{AP}} and cost {{icon small|stuff}} 25 materials less. This makes the spear numerically superior, but that is not the full story.
  
 
Longswords can either ''Cut'' or ''Stab'', while spears can only ''Stab''. Cut damage has a chance to ''cleave'' through body parts. This increases damage per swing by 140%, but this damage is split between body parts. The spear can only stab: its damage is weaker, but always concentrated on one body part.
 
Longswords can either ''Cut'' or ''Stab'', while spears can only ''Stab''. Cut damage has a chance to ''cleave'' through body parts. This increases damage per swing by 140%, but this damage is split between body parts. The spear can only stab: its damage is weaker, but always concentrated on one body part.

Revision as of 15:29, 3 February 2023

Spear

Spear

A polearm tipped with a sharp point for stabbing opponents.

Base Stats

Type
EquipmentWeapons
Tech Level
Neolithic
Weapon Class
Neolithic
Mass
2 kg

Ranged Combat

Mode
Melee

Melee Combat

Mode
Melee
Melee Attack 1
Shaft
13 dmg (Blunt)
20% AP
2.6 seconds cooldown
Melee Attack 2 
Shaft
13 dmg (Poke)
20% AP
2.6 seconds cooldown
Melee Attack 3 
Point
23 dmg (Stab)
50% AP
2.6 seconds cooldown

Creation

Crafted At
Fueled smithy / Electric smithy
Required Research
Long blades
Skill Required
Crafting 4
Work To Make
12,000 ticks (3.33 mins)
Stuff Tags
Metallic, Woody
Resources to make
Stuff 75
Technical


The spear is a melee weapon that does a large amount of damage, has a fairly long cooldown, and deals sharp damage.

Acquisition

Spears can be crafted at any smithy once the Long Blades research has been completed, from Stuff 75 Stuff (Metallic/Woody, 750 for SVMs) and 12,000 ticks (3.33 mins) of work.

Spears can be purchased from any combat supplier or war merchant, or obtained from several kinds of melee raiders.

Analysis

The spear is a sharp weapon with a very similar damage output to the longsword, despite the in-game tooltips stating otherwise. This is because the game does not account for the melee verb selection mechanic introduced in 1.1. Spears and/or longswords are the best sharp melee weapons that colonists can craft.

As is typical with any sharp weapon, spear attacks cause bleeding, but most armor have higher Sharp armor values than their Blunt armor values. The mace requires less research and resources to create, and can outperform the spear against high armor, from flak vest-level equipment onwards. Higher ranking tribals often use spears for melee fighters.

Compared to longswords

Spears have very slightly less DPS. The longsword is 101% stronger than the spear, after considering melee verb selection. In exchange, the spear has noticeably more AP and cost Stuff 25 materials less. This makes the spear numerically superior, but that is not the full story.

Longswords can either Cut or Stab, while spears can only Stab. Cut damage has a chance to cleave through body parts. This increases damage per swing by 140%, but this damage is split between body parts. The spear can only stab: its damage is weaker, but always concentrated on one body part.

If a cut happens to reduce a body part to 0 HP, it is more likely to be destroyed. But since cleave will spread out damage in the first place, Cut remains less likely to destroy larger limbs (like the arms and legs). Also, stabs are more likely to hit internal organs, and will always hit for full damage.

Overall, which option is better depends on weapon quality and expected targets:

  • At normal to excellent qualities, longswords are often better (at least more consistent) for fighting against unarmored humans, lightly armored humans, and light mechs like scythers and lancers. This is due to the increased damage from cleaving. Spears would be better for fighting against armored enemies, due to the higher AP.
  • In contrast, a masterwork plasteel spear / sword is able to one-shot a human's torso, the largest and most likely part to be hit. The masterwork spear will more consistently one-shot human enemies, as the damage won't be spread out. With this advantage, the spear becomes practically better against any sort of humanoid enemy. Spears still have more AP, so are better against armored enemies.

It's worth noting that the spear faces heavy competition with the mace as a cheaper, anti-armor weapon. With longswords better (more consistent) against light armor, and maces better against heavy armor, spears before masterwork have no useful niche.

With strong melee gene

With the strong melee damage gene,Content added by the Biotech DLC the comparisons change drastically.

  1. When an excellent plasteel longsword (or better) does a cleave attack, its damage so high that it causes pain shock in a single swing.
  2. Meanwhile, the spear can only ever hit a single body part. If a 62 damage spear hits a 25 damage arm, the arm is destroyed and 37 damage (over 60% of the attack) is wasted. If a sword cleaves, much less damage is wasted.
  3. Strong melee damage also boosts the AP of a weapon. Masterwork plasteel swords have enough AP to ignore the armor of a centipede and any other mechanoid, DLC or not.

This results in high quality swords with the damage gene being virtually better against all targets, short of tough pawns. Against humanoids, a sword can either (1-shot torso/head or cleave to pain shock), while a spear can only (1-shot torso/head). Against mechanoids, the cleave damage results in the sword coming out ahead regardless.

The masterwork steel longsword given at the start of the The Sanguophage scenario reaches both relevant thresholds. With your sanguophage, it can one-shot through a torso stab and one-shot through cleaving pain. This longsword is actually stronger per-hit than an excellent plasteel longsword, and likely better than any weapon you'll be seeing for a while.

Attack table

Feature Toggle
AttacksRitual Quality Check Off.png
QualityRitual Quality Check Off.png
  • Spear Spear HP Value
    Quality
    Material DPS[1] AP[1]
    Normal Bioferrite Bioferrite Content added by the Anomaly DLC 9.75 53.25% 200 164 Silver
    Normal Gold Gold 6.17 32.13% 60 7540 Silver
    Normal Plasteel Plasteel 10.53 45.75% 280 770 Silver
    Normal Silver Silver 6.86 35.88% 70 795 Silver
    Normal Steel Steel 7.88 41.5% 100 186 Silver
    Normal Uranium Uranium 8.15 46.5% 250 530 Silver
    Normal Wood Wood 4.36 17.17% 65 120 Silver

    For the full effects of qualities, see Quality.

    1. Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 Note: This is the actual base average derived from the melee verb system updated in 1.1.2610, it may sometimes disagree with the listed value in the in-game infobox.
      It may also change depending on the stats and the melee verbs available to the wielder if the weapon is wielded by some other than a baseline human.
    2. Chance for attack to be selected, assuming the weapon is wielded by a baseline human. It may change depending on the melee verbs available to the wielder

    Version history