How can throwing axes be useful in singleplayer?

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Totalgarbage

Totalgarbage

Sergeant Knight
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Throwing axes are inferior in every way to javelins, save for their bonus damage to shields. They do generally less damage, deal cut damage compared to piercing and have less ammunition in their stacks. Their bonus damage to shields don't even destroy shields that fast, and one stack of 3 throwing axes don't destroy a shield most of the time (I'm not counting the throwing perks which increase your units' damage to shields). They are arguably worse to use in melee mode than javelins, since javelins attack really fast due to being short polearms. At least throwing knives have a niche in being usable in civilian settings.

What would you suggest to make throwing axes useful in singleplayer?
 
I think the biggest benefit of throwing axes is that they don't get "depleted" by use. Even when you lob three axes into a shield you can always (I think) pick them up after the enemy dies. I find them particularly useful for hideout because of this.

I think the best way to make them more useful is make them good as one-handers. Currently they do WAY less damage than melee javs. *Sad panda noises.*
 
Totalgarbage said:
Can you actually pick throwing axes up from corpses and shields? I never even noticed that.
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I'm able to. No mods. Though I haven't played since 1.8 so can't verify it works in 1.8.1 (though I HIGHLY doubt it changed since they didn't go anywhere near throwing weaps.)
 
Wow, learned a new thing. Does the AI pick them up from shields/corpses like they do from the ground? If so, I feel like it is a good enough niche imo, they may more viable than I thought.

I still think that they can maybe use a small damage buff, although I suspect that the culprit of axes being worse than javs may be the high tier javelins having ridiculous base damage (jereed have like 138 iirc, thankfully I think only Aserai Faris line uses them).
 
HalfMetalJacket said:
Just let them completely destroy shields in fewer hits.
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+1
I did a throwing axe focused build in 1.8 and the damage to shields was pretty underwhelming.

However, it was at least fun to use throwing axes in their current form.

I would even say that shield health is a bit too high in general, could stand to come down by ~15% across the board
 
Yeah throwing weapons are too limiting. Their advantage is that they're supposed to be a fast switch attack. You don't take a long time to draw/reload and aim like you do with bows and crossbows. Don't need two slots either.

Personally I'd like it if normal spears and axes could be thrown. I'm fine with just one slot. Just let me switch and throw my main weapon when I really need it (when I get that sudden urge to be kool). Currently I can't really play like that because throwing weapons have bad melee stats.
 
Most throwing weapons may be suboptimal, but javelins with the level 250 perk that enables you to pierce shields? Probably the most fun way of playing the game while also being highly effective against shield wall/circle formations. Also, it makes you feel like a god.

I'm also mostly talking from a troop balance standpoint. All character builds are viable in this game.
 
Totalgarbage said:
Throwing axes are inferior in every way to javelins, save for their bonus damage to shields.
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We just gonna ignore throwing knives? (absolutely useless outside maybe prison breaks)

Throwing axes are actually decent IMO, as being able to bust shields is useful. Throwing axes are also good in that you can switch them to melee for a somewhat useful weapon in a pinch (and you still a bonus versus shields). Honestly if the stack amounts were increased by 1-2 they'd be pretty good to carry.

Javelins don't really make a good melee weapon, so they are only good for throwing. Javelins should do a lot more damage to shields as well (whole reason Romans really used pilum), but you know TW logic. I also don't find javelins particularly useful on foot, since you generally need 2 body hits for a kill.

FearSpear said:
Isn't throwing itself suboptimal in singleplayer? You have meta builds and then you have roleplaying. Therein lies the value of the throwing axe.
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Throwing javelins from horseback actually works very well in open battles. You can do a lot of damage especially if you get behind an infantry formation.

But pretty useless in sieges, especially offensively. And that'd be fine, but they aren't even good in defense since you can't refill them from quivers. Really should be able to refill all ranged weapons during a siege, that's kind of the point isn't it?
 
Bluko88 said:
We just gonna ignore throwing knives? (absolutely useless outside maybe prison breaks)

Throwing axes are actually decent IMO, as being able to bust shields is useful. Throwing axes are also good in that you can switch them to melee for a somewhat useful weapon in a pinch (and you still a bonus versus shields). Honestly if the stack amounts were increased by 1-2 they'd be pretty good to carry.
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That's essentially the use of throwing knives tho, prison breaks and back alley fights. They don't really need to be buffed, as they can one shot high tier enemies with a headshot during prison break. I do wish that there were more battle opportunities with civilian equipments, but that's another can of worms.

Yeah, honestly increasing their stack size to 4 and decreasing shield HP overall sounds like a good enough buff to me. They still won't do anything against heavily armored units when thrown by the AI, but whatever. Most units use throwing axes as a sidearm anyways, I'm just hoping to make them more useful compared javelins.

Throwing weapons may be suboptimal, but they scale very hard with perks and they're a good option to have when playing a melee character. And yeah, the player can absolutely wreck everyone with javelins and a couple of throwing perks, whether they play mounted or on foot.
 
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five bucks said:
+1
I did a throwing axe focused build in 1.8 and the damage to shields was pretty underwhelming.

However, it was at least fun to use throwing axes in their current form.

I would even say that shield health is a bit too high in general, could stand to come down by ~15% across the board
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Actually that might be it. Just nerf shield health across the board (no pun intended).

Shields take so long to break that you wouldn't even notice any sort of shield break bonus.
 
Totalgarbage said:
That's essentially the use of throwing knives tho, prison breaks and back alley fights. They don't really need to be buffed, as they can one shot high tier enemies with a headshot during prison break.
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Still waiting for that Gekokujo mod so I can roleplay as a ninja busting out lords out of prisons with cool throwing knives.

Also, you guys are talking about busting shields, but we can also use a shield while using throwing weapons, which is neat. Really, the only issue I have with throwing weapons is their small ammo size.
 
Bluko88 said:
Javelins don't really make a good melee weapon, so they are only good for throwing. Javelins should do a lot more damage to shields as well (whole reason Romans really used pilum)
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Pilae could actually penetrate most shields right up to the ballsack of the pilum, meaning that a shield held at arms length would probably only just prevent you from being instantly killed by the long thin metal shaft. I've never seen this modelled in a game before, even though it was one of the most terrifying things in the roman arsenal. I don't see why javelin shield penetration should be limited to a perk.

Similarly some throwing weapons, like the that west african one i forget the name of, could mount the top of the shield and "roll" over the rim, hitting the guy behind on the face or arms, and effectively byspassing the shield. A volley of those things bouncing around would be horrific, and they had sharp edges all over so virtually any hit would wound you.

I definitely would prefer the combat if shields could take only 1-2 hits from a throwable weapon, and arrow damage against armour was reduced.
 
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