Weapon choice

Version 0.28: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Crawl presents the player and character with a potentially bewildering array of weapon choices. However, when all the dust clears and the parade of short swords, demon whips, and clubs has passed by, weapons have six main properties:

• Damage: How much damage, on average, the weapon does per strike.
• Accuracy: How likely the weapon is to actually hit.
• Speed: How long you must wait after attacking before you can act again.
• Handedness: Whether the weapon requires one or two hands to use.
• Skill: How fast your species can learn to use the weapon.
• Special: Some weapon types have unique traits that distinguish them from the others.

A player simply wants to pick the weapon that has a combination that deals the most damage in the shortest amount of time, to the largest set of monsters, on average.

Properties

Each of these properties is briefly described below:

Damage

The approximate formula for a weapon's damage is as follows:

   Damage = 1d(base damage × strength bonus) × skill bonus + (to-damage enchantment + slaying)

When you examine a weapon, the damage number it gives you is the base damage. The strength multiplier increases by 2.5% per strength. The flat Slaying bonus comes from rings of slaying and some artefacts, and stacks with the enchantment on your weapon. The skill bonus multiplier is based on your Fighting and Weapon skill; when both are maxed out it averages around a 2× multiplier (though this amount is rather variable). Finally, your weapon's brand adjusts your damage even further; see the appropriate Brand page for details.

Speed

A weapon's speed, or more accurately its attack delay, is as follows:

   Delay = base delay − weapon skill/2

A weapon's base delay is given in the form of deca-auts (1.1, 1.5, etc). The game tracks most actions in terms of auts. When unaffected by Haste, Slow, or similar effects, an unmodified, unskilled, unarmed attack takes 10 auts - the same time it takes for most monsters and most species to take most actions. Wielding a weapon will multiply this by the base delay % given in the weapon's description. A short sword, for example, has a base delay of 1.1 (11 aut), meaning an attack with a short sword and no Short Blades skill will take slightly longer than throwing a punch or walking a tile.

Fortunately, you can reduce the time it takes to make attacks by training the skill appropriate to the weapon you wield. Every 2 skill you gain reduces the delay by 0.1 deca aut, down to the weapon's minimum delay. Most weapons' mindelay is either 0.7, or it's base delay divided by two (rounded down), whichever is smaller. Rapiers have a mindelay of 0.5, while arbalests and triple crossbows have a mindelay of 1.0. The Speed brand and status effects such as Haste can make attacks even faster, but never below a minimum of 0.2.

Accuracy

Accuracy is one of the more complex attributes of a weapon, being affected by the base type, weapon skill, Slaying bonuses, and dexterity. It is important to choose accurate weapons in the very early game. Later on, accuracy becomes a secondary consideration - reasonable accuracy comes with weapon skill which comes with sane weapon delay.

Handedness

There are two categories of weapons here: one-handed or two-handed. The difference is simple; one-handed weapons can be used along with a shield, while two-handed weapons can't.

While shields do provide significant amounts of defense, they take quite a bit of skill to train, and many of the most powerful melee and ranged weapons are two-handed. Your species' size and aptitudes should be taken into account.

Kobolds and Spriggans, being small, will find certain weapons being two-handed, and the largest impossible to wield. Meanwhile, Formicids can wield two-handed weapons with a shield. Other big species don't have that luxury, though also are not as encumbered by a shield.

Skill

Each species has an aptitude for each of the skills in Crawl; taking advantage of the skills you're good at will allow you to become powerful faster, greatly increasing your chance of survival. Unless you're intentionally trying to challenge yourself, you should usually try to wield weapons suited for your species.

Cross-training

One aspect of weapon choice is that training in most weapon types makes it easier to use certain other weapon types. Training in one type grants a bonus equal to 40% of your skill experience in the second type. Cross-training skills are linked as follows:

• Short Blades and Long Blades crosstrain each other
• Axes and Staves crosstrain Polearms and Maces & Flails
• Maces & Flails and Polearms crosstrain Axes and Staves
• Throwing and Slings crosstrain each other

While it's impractical to rely on cross-training alone for general use of a weapon, finding a particularly good weapon of a type you have cross-trained for (for example, an artefact rapier when you are training Long Blades) will enable you to use that weapon with some proficiency should the situation call for it. This will let you more easily take advantages of certain brands for certain obstacles, like a flaming edged weapon when fighting a hydra. Whether or not this is advantageous depends largely on your playstyle -- it is perfectly possible to defeat most threats with a plain weapon.

Special

Most weapon types have certain traits that distinguish them from the others:

• Short Blades: Although they do low damage, they attack extremely fast and give a large bonus to Stabbing.
• Long Blades: Deal moderate-to-high damage and are often branded.
• Axes: Moderate damage, but cleaving makes axes excellent for crowd control.
• Maces & Flails: Moderate-to-high damage, are common, and giant spiked clubs offer immense damage to large species.
• Polearms: Although they only deal moderate damage, these weapons all have an innate reaching attack.
• Staves: Mundane staves deal moderate damage, but take very low skill to master. Magical staves are, of course, best for casters.

Unarmed Combat: A Special Case

Of course, you don't have to wield a weapon to kill foes; it's perfectly feasible to beat things to death with your fists. Whether or not doing so is particularly worthwhile largely depends on your build.

Unarmed combat relies heavily on skill. For as long as you can train it, the UC skill will increase damage and reduce delay. Unarmed strikes are on par with Short Blades, and a great deal stronger at a high skill level. Many Transmutations are designed to give bonuses to unarmed combat. Finally, several mutations, such as a Troll's Claws, are geared towards aiding unarmed strikes.

Fighting weaponless gives up any potential benefits from having a weapon, such as brands and anything extra that comes with any artefact weaponry you might find. In addition, unarmed heavy skill investment is also a detriment; especially for species who are not profient.

Combining these: Small or Large Weapons?

In the simplest terms, every player wants to maximize their weapon's damage divided by delay. However, considerations from every which way have to be made. The first of which comes with weapon size.

Fast Weapons

Short blades, whips, and demon whips (sacred scourges) are the only weapons that have a mindelay of 0.5 (or less). The speed brand also reduces attack delay, though rather rare outside of short blades.

Their chief advantage is that fast weapons are boosted more by flat bonuses. Enchantment, slaying bonuses, and various brands (electrocution, pain, and distortion) apply extra damage, regardless of how much the weapon itself deals. Unfortunately, they are also effected by a flat penalty - i.e, high-AC. As enemies get tougher, and as stabing becomes less reliable, fast weapons become relatively weaker.

But on the plus side, fast weapons are accurate, and already start with a low base delay. And with a good (or even decent) brand, a demon whip is easily good enough to finish a 3-rune game with. Ad while not as fast, the other demon weapons (demon blade and demon trident and their holy versions) have superior mindelays and the raw damage/delay to compete with other end-game weapons.

Big Weapons

"Strong but slow" weapons are as powerful as their size should suggest. Sharing a mindelay of 7, weapons like executioner's axes, bardiches, triple swords, and, if you can wield them, giant spiked clubs, are obviously attractive. Vorpal, Freezing, and Flaming are universally good brands, and these high base damage weapons benefit the most. Holy wrath, amazing in the extended game, falls under the same boat. Their damage is excellent for punching through monsters' armour.

However, the biggest weapons require a massive skill investment, taking anywhere from 18-24 skill to reach mindelay. They are also all two-handed. Shields contribute a lot to your overall defense, though going without means you don't need to invest in the shields skill. And with the exception of giant clubs, the strongest weapons are all quite rare; it might be best to bide your time with a battleaxe, great sword, or dire flail as you train up your skill, anyway.

Medium Weapons

Just because a large weapon also has 0.7 mindelay, doesn't always mean that the biggest are best! Weapons like the broad axe or eveningstar are perfectly passible. While still quite rare, weapon-wielding monsters in the Orcish Mines or Vaults may spawn with some of these. The double sword and lajatang remain more elusive, though share the same (dis)advantages.

Smaller weapons are faster and more accurate for large portions of the game. Having an attack delay below 1.0 is incredibly important; this means that regular speed monsters can not hit you twice per action. Most characters can also wield them with a shield.

Finally, the weaker end of weapons are smiply more common. Even if you can't find that broad axe, there will most likely be a war axe or flail somewhere in the early dungeon. You should not be afraid to settle with a weaker base type for most of the game.

Weapon Schools: Advantages and Disadvantages

Short Blades

Highest aptitudes: +3 (Kobold), +2 (Merfolk)

Short blades are best for stabbers; whenever you find oppertunity from natural stealth or a variety of Hexes. Their accuracy and extremely small skill requirements make them good choices in the early dungeon, especially if you get a brand like venom or electrocution. As stabbing gets harder, short blades transitions well into long blades. Quick blades are clearly the best for regular combat purposes, while daggers deal the most damage from a stab. Many small and/or stealthy species already have good aptiudes with short blades.

Advantages

• Daggers and Short Blades often come with strong brands.
• Fastest, most accurate weapons in the game.
  • Little/no skill to get to 1.0 delay.
  • Stacks well with slaying or might.
• Recieves a large bonus to stabbing (especially daggers).
• All one-handed.

Disadvantages

• Low damage output against high AC.
• Overall disapointing damage w/o stabs or the particularly rare quick blade.

Long Blades

Highest aptitudes: +2 (Barachi, Minotaur)

Long blades are decent weapons on their own, though their most notable feature (right now) is their cross-train with short blades. Whenever it be a demon blade, double sword, or even a scimitar, their one-handers deal respectible damage at a good delay. A well-branded great sword or triple sword aren't shabby, either.

Advantages

• Somewhat common in the Dungeon -- many monsters wield them.
  • Efreets and Erica always spawn with a flaming scimitar. Wights and deep elves may also come with a nice long blade.
  • Hell knights are likely to come with a demon blade.
• Crosstrains with short blades; whose users often desire for a larger weapon.
• Marginally more accurate than Maces & Flails.

Disadvantages

• Cuts off hydra heads.
• Double swords and triple swords are quite rare.

Maces and Flails

Highest aptitudes: +2 (Minotaur), +1 (Barachi, Hill Orc, Tengu)

Maces are, perhaps, the most bland melee weapon. They deal respectable damage and are fairly common. Trolls and Ogres may delight at the giant spiked club, with the highest base damage in the game. For others, the eveningstar is the most powerful one-hander (and easier to find than double swords). Whips are extremely common, very low skill options that occasionally come with good brands. And in the early game, dire flails are a semi-common option with great specs.

Advantages

• Fairly common.
• Great fast (whips / demon whips) and slow (dire flail / eveningstar) options.
• Does not cut hydra heads.
• Crosstrains with Axes and Staves.

Disadvantages

• No cleaving or other special abilities.

Axes

Highest aptitudes: +3 (Hill Orc), +2 (Minotaur)

Axes cleave, hitting every target around them for 70% damage. While risky, axes can make any crowded situation that much easier. Extremely useful for speedruns and regular games alike. Pick the biggest axe you can; whenever it'd be a broad axe + shield or executioner's axe. Battleaxes are a decent and decently rare 2-handed choice for those who haven't found either, and war axes for those who haven't found any of the three.

Advantages

• All axes can cleave to hit multiple opponents.
• Crosstrains with Polearms and Maces & Flails.

Disadvantages

• Somewhat weaker compared to single-target weapons.
• Actually taking advantage of cleaving is often risky.
• Cuts off hydra heads.

Polearms

Highest aptitudes: +4 (Merfolk), +2 (Minotaur)

Polearms have inherient reaching, meaning they can attack from 2 tiles away. This matters most in the early game, where an extra attack makes all the difference. Especially when the school's early options, spears and tridents are common, high accuracy, and low skill. Demon tridents are an overall great pick, being one-handed, fast, high damage likely if you get Shoals. Two-handed polearms, namely glaives and bardiches, are damaging, but a much higher investment.

Advantages

• Reaching is a strong perk for many stages of the game.
• Synergy with Beogh, Summonings, and spells like Conjure Flame.
• Crosstrains with Axe and Maces & Flails.

Disadvantages

• Lower base damage than most other weapon types.
• Small races have no good one-handed options.
• Few races are particularly good with them (Merfolk are a notable exception).

Physical Staves

Highest aptitudes: +2 (Minotaurs)

There are two physical staves in the game -- quarterstaves and lajatangs. Both staves take remarkably little skill to master, and deal great damage for said investment. They are also one of the few non-artefact weapons that can come with the speed brand. While not very common, Gladiators may start with a quarterstaff. Hybrid characters, especially those who are lucky or worship Okawaru, may enjoy staves the most.

Advantages

• Low skill requirements.
• High power relative to skill investment.
• Crosstrains with Polearms and Maces & Flails.

Disadvantages

• Two-handed.
• Lajatangs are barely stronger than the largest one-handed weapons.
• Somewhat rare.

Magical staves

Highest aptitudes: +2 (Minotaurs)

Magical staves' primary purpose is to boost the spellpower of whatever school they are specialized in. However, that doesn't mean you can't use them as bludgeoning tools! With 12 staves skill, some Evocations, and the school of their choice, a magic staff can be used as an effective MP-saving weapon. A staff of conjuration provides irresistable damage, and buffs a very wide and versatile school. The spellpower boost alone may convince a staff-finder to swap to a different school; the actual item is just a nice bonus.

Advantages

• Boosts spellpower.
• Most staves come with a resistance.

Disadvantages

• Fairly weak base type.
• Most staves are also elemental, so can be resisted in turn.
• Investing a lot in three skills, Magic, Staves, and Evocations, is a tough ask.

Ranged Weapons

Ranged weapons work a little differently from other weapons - while they do allow you to hit things from a distance, they require ammunition to do so. Once you're out of ammunition, a bow is nothing more than a hunk of wood that is less effective at bludgeoning things to death than your fists. As such, ranged weapon specialists may carry a secondary melee weapon for use in close quarters.

Slings

Highest aptitude: +2 (Spriggan), +1 (Deep Dwarf, Formicid)

Slings, whenever it'd be Hunting slings or Fustibali, are the ranged equivelent 'fast but weak'. The former is very common in the early dungeon, along with the stones or sling bullets used as ammo. They are useful for smaller species - Halflings (now removed) had an impressive +4 aptitude in Slings, making them viable even in the late game.

Advantages

• Can use common stones as ammunition.
• Fastest of the ranged weapons.
• Can often be found on early dungeon floors.
  • Very effective in the early dungeon even without any skill.
• Crosstrains with Throwing weapons.
• One handed.

Disadvantages

• The weakest of the offensive ranged weapons.

Bows

Highest aptitude: +3 (Deep Elf), +2 (Spriggan)

Bows are heavy ranged weapons. While both shortbows and longbows are two handed, you won't notice if a storm of arrows kills enemies before they get to you.

Advantages

• Quite strong.
• All centaurs carry shortbows and arrows, making them common throughout the game.

Disadvantages

• Somewhat inaccurate.
• Two-handed, small characters can't use long-bows.

Crossbows

Highest aptitude: +2 (Kobold)

Crossbows are also strong, though both the weapon itself and its bolts aren't very common until Vaults, where Yaktaurs will spawn with them en-mass. While a good weapon to start with, Hunters or Arcane Marksmen will probably want a decent backup weapon. They are also slow; even the one-handed hand crossbow has a mindelay of 1.0. Triple crossbows in particular require a skill of 26 to reach 1.0 delay, so Arbalests remain a fair weapon for most crossbow users.

Advantages

• Very powerful and accurate.
• Hand crossbows may be used with a shield.

Disadvantages

• The slowest ranged weapons - minimum delay cannot be reduced below 1.0.
• Crossbows are very rare until yaktaurs start showing up.
• Arbalests and triple crossbows disallow the use of a shield.

History

• 0.28 removed long blade's riposte. The XP costs for high-level skills were reduced, and the base delay of the biggest weapons in the game was also lowered.
• 0.27 greatly increased the penalty for wearing shields, affecting all one-handed weapons.
• 0.24 removed tomahawks as well as blowguns and needles, replacing them with darts and boomerangs.
• 0.19 added riposte for long blades.
• 0.15 introduced several new ranged weapons: greatslings, hand crossbows, arbalests, and triple crossbows.
• 0.12 introduced cleaving for axes and innate reaching for polearms.
• Prior to 0.12, there were two additional forms of handedness: hand-and-a-half weapons and double weapons. These each received further penalties when wielded with a shield, but were otherwise one-handed weapons.