A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a wooden shaft and some manner of sharpened head. A basic tool of war on a number of worlds, spears have featured in Ultima V, Ultima VI, Ultima VII, and Ultima VII Part Two as well as in Ultima Underworld, Ultima Underworld II, Savage Empire and the Nintendo-port of Ultima III.
Description[edit]
Popular with goblin bands and amongst the tribes of Eodon, spears are a very early form of martial technology, and are effective weapons in both melee and ranged combat. They are capable of being thrown, either by hand or via an atl-atl, and trained spear throwers can often achieve results similar to those of archers so long as they have a steady supply of weapons.
Effectiveness of the Weapon[edit]
- In Ultima V and Ultima VI spears have a damage rating of 10 and a range of 5.
- In Ultima VII and Ultima VII Part Two, they have a damage rating of 6 and a reach of 2.[1]
Variants[edit]
Spear of Shamap[edit]
The Disquiqui people of the Eodon valley had a folktale regarding a special spear, wielded by the warrior Shamap. It was said that Shamap, who delighted in stealing teeth from the great lizards of the valley, would attach a satchel of the fermented beverage known as "platcha" to his spear's head, such as that he could hurl it into the waiting mouth of these giant beasts, causing them to eventually fall unconscious with drunkeness. During the Avatar's adventures in Eodon, the hero would have to reenact such a feat in order to court the Disquiqui's participation in a united tribal alliance.
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Some knights prefer missiles they can hurl without mechanical aid. Popular throwing weapons include daggers, spears, axes, and flasks of flaming oil.
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A complete battle strategy must include the use of weapons which can be shot, thrown, or hurled from a great distance toward advancing opponents. Lightweight, hand-held items such as daggers, spears, axes, or flasks of flaming oil can be most effective in times of need.
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A weapon of great length, such as a spear or two-handed hammer, can be used to keep one's opponent at bay as well to attack him. The advantage of reach has decided the day in many a battle. Likewise, a long weapon is a proven disadvantage when the fight is in cramped quarters.
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A spear does more damage than a crude stone dagger, and so the spear is considered a "greater warrior" than the dagger.
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Among the natives the Nahuatla obsidian-edged sword is considered the 'chief' of weapons, with the widely-used atl-atl, or spear-thrower, as the well-respected 'shaman'. Beyond that, in descending order of worth, we have the large, two-handed club favored by the strongest natives; the hand-thrown spear; the stone axe used by most native warriors; the primitive short-bow used by nearly every tribe for both warfare and hunting; the solid wood club; the rock hammer, a single-handed club; the scalpel — sharp Nahuatla obsidian knife, more practical as a tool than a weapon; and, finally the relatively rare boomerang.
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- In the Nintendo-port of Ultima III, spears replaced two-handed swords in the hierarchy of weapons – and could be bought at shops throughout the realm for the same price as such blades in the original Apple II version of the game.
See Also[edit]
References[edit]
