Difference between revisions of "Short Blades"

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The '''Short Blades''' skill denotes how adept your character is at using daggers and short swords. Although these weapons have the lowest base damage in the game, you can attack especially fast with them, and they do obscene amounts of damage when used for [[stabbing]]. This skill [[crosstrain]]s with the [[Long Blades]] skill.  
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The '''Short Blades''' skill denotes how adept your character is at using short bladed weapons. Although these weapons have the lowest base damage in the game, you can attack fast with them, and they do obscene amounts of damage when used for [[stabbing]]. This skill [[crosstrain]]s with the [[Long Blades]] skill.  
  
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{| class="wikitable"
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Short Blades use [[dexterity]] instead of [[strength]] for their attacks.
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! Name || Dam || Hit || Speed || Str weight || Skill || Hands || Size || Missile || Throw || Dam Type || Prob
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{{skill aptitudes}}
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==List of Short Blades==
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{| class="wikitable sortable"
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! Name || Dam || Hit || Delay || Min delay || Hands || Size || Cuts Hydras?
 
|-
 
|-
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| [[Dagger]] || 4 || +6 || 10 || 10% || Short Blades || One || Little || None || No || Piercing || 10
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| [[Dagger]] || 4 || +6 || 10 || 5 (10 skill) || One || Any || No
 
|-
 
|-
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| [[Quick blade]] || 5 || +6 || 7 || 0% || Short Blades || One || Little || None || No || Piercing || 2
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| [[Quick blade]] || 4x2 || +6 || 12 || 5 (14 skill) || One || Any || No
 
|-
 
|-
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| [[Short sword]] || 6 || +4 || 11 || 20% || Short Blades || One || Small || None || No || Piercing || 10
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| [[Short sword]] || 5 || +4 || 10 || 5 (10 skill) || One || Any || No
 
|-
 
|-
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| [[Rapier]] || 7 || +4 || 12 || 20% || Short Blades || One || Small || None || No || Piercing || 10
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| [[Rapier]] || 7 || +4 || 12 || 5 (14 skill) || One || Any || No
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
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The [[Captain's Cutlass]] is a unique short blade that deals slicing damage.
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==Strategy==
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Short Blades are good at two things:
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*They receive bonus damage from [[stabbing]]. Great if your character has a consistent way to stab things. [[Hexes]] are the most obvious means to do so. Both [[Uskayaw]] and [[Gozag]] offer ways to stab things, even [[orbs of fire]].
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*They attack quickly. All Short Blades have a mindelay of 0.5, and [[quick blade]]s attack at twice that speed. They are great with flat damage procs. [[Slaying]] gives you +1 damage per swing, no matter how how strong your attack is. So the faster you swing, the more you benefit. Other than slaying, [[auxiliary attack]]s and certain [[brand]]s  ([[venom]], [[electrocution]], [[pain (brand)|pain]], [[distortion]], [[chaos]]) are flat effects.
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: Conversely, enemy [[AC]] has the greatest impact to Short Blade damage.
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Another positive is that Short Blades "require" less skill than other weapons; they are more accurate, and it takes less skill to reach mindelay.
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To compensate, Short Blades have the worst base damage of all weapon types, and they are the worst against [[AC]]. For "fair combat", Short Blades are the weakest weapon types - but stabbers aren't playing fair. And, stabber or not, a [[quick blade]] of distortion can remain viable into [[Zot]]. If nothing else, you can use the crosstraining to swap to Long Blades.
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An early [[dagger]] / [[short blade]] of [[venom]] can make the earlygame a lot easier, even at 0 skill.
  
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==Retired Short Blades==
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==History==
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*[[Cutlass]] (retired in [[0.16]])
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*In [[0.29]], Short Blades now use [[dexterity]] instead of [[strength]] for their attacks. Except for [[dagger]]s, all short blades were reduced by 1 base damage.
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*[[Sabre]] (retired in [[0.14]])
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*Prior to [[0.20]], the [[Captain's Cutlass]] still dealt slicing damage despite all other short blades dealing piercing damage.
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*[[Knife]] (retired in [[0.9]])
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*In [[0.16]], [[cutlass]]es were renamed to rapiers. Short swords and rapiers were changed from slicing to piercing damage.
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*In [[0.14]], [[sabre]]s were renamed to cutlasses.
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*In [[0.9]], [[knives]] were removed.
  
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
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*[[weapon#Short Blades|List of short blades]]
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*[[Melee weapon#Short Blades|List of short blades]]
 
*[[Species#Melee_.26_Ranged_Combat|Table of species aptitudes]]
 
*[[Species#Melee_.26_Ranged_Combat|Table of species aptitudes]]
 
*[[Weapon_selection#Short_Blades|Short blades selection strategy]]
 
*[[Weapon_selection#Short_Blades|Short blades selection strategy]]

Latest revision as of 16:46, 9 March 2024

Version 0.31: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

The Short Blades skill denotes how adept your character is at using short bladed weapons. Although these weapons have the lowest base damage in the game, you can attack fast with them, and they do obscene amounts of damage when used for stabbing. This skill crosstrains with the Long Blades skill.

Short Blades use dexterity instead of strength for their attacks.

Aptitudes

At Ba Co DE Dg Ds Dj Dr Fe Fo Gr Gh Gn Hu Ko Mf Mi MD Mu Na Op On Sp Te Tr Vp VS
-1 1 -1 0 -1 -1 -1 0 N/A 0 -1 -1 8 0 3 2 1 -2 -2 0 0 -1 1 1 -2 1 -1

List of Short Blades

Name Dam Hit Delay Min delay Hands Size Cuts Hydras?
Dagger 4 +6 10 5 (10 skill) One Any No
Quick blade 4x2 +6 12 5 (14 skill) One Any No
Short sword 5 +4 10 5 (10 skill) One Any No
Rapier 7 +4 12 5 (14 skill) One Any No

Strategy

Short Blades are good at two things:

  • They receive bonus damage from stabbing. Great if your character has a consistent way to stab things. Hexes are the most obvious means to do so. Both Uskayaw and Gozag offer ways to stab things, even orbs of fire.
  • They attack quickly. All Short Blades have a mindelay of 0.5, and quick blades attack at twice that speed. They are great with flat damage procs. Slaying gives you +1 damage per swing, no matter how how strong your attack is. So the faster you swing, the more you benefit. Other than slaying, auxiliary attacks and certain brands (venom, electrocution, pain, distortion, chaos) are flat effects.
Conversely, enemy AC has the greatest impact to Short Blade damage.

Another positive is that Short Blades "require" less skill than other weapons; they are more accurate, and it takes less skill to reach mindelay.

To compensate, Short Blades have the worst base damage of all weapon types, and they are the worst against AC. For "fair combat", Short Blades are the weakest weapon types - but stabbers aren't playing fair. And, stabber or not, a quick blade of distortion can remain viable into Zot. If nothing else, you can use the crosstraining to swap to Long Blades.

An early dagger / short blade of venom can make the earlygame a lot easier, even at 0 skill.

History

  • In 0.29, Short Blades now use dexterity instead of strength for their attacks. Except for daggers, all short blades were reduced by 1 base damage.
  • Prior to 0.20, the Captain's Cutlass still dealt slicing damage despite all other short blades dealing piercing damage.
  • In 0.16, cutlasses were renamed to rapiers. Short swords and rapiers were changed from slicing to piercing damage.
  • In 0.14, sabres were renamed to cutlasses.
  • In 0.9, knives were removed.

See Also

Skills
Weapons Short Blades • Long Blades • Ranged Weapons

Axes • Maces & Flails • Polearms • Staves • Unarmed Combat • Throwing

Physical Fighting • Armour • Dodging • Stealth • Shields
Magical Spellcasting • Invocations • Evocations • Shapeshifting
Spell Schools Air • Alchemy • Conjurations • Earth • Fire • Hexes • Ice • Necromancy • Summoning • Translocations
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