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'''Ranged Weapons''' is a [[skill]] that governs '''launchers''', weapons which fire missiles from a distance, including slings, bows, and crossbows. Being able to attack enemies at any distance in [[line of sight]] is a strong perk. But it comes at a cost: not only are ranged weapons weaker than their melee counterparts, but they suffer penalties when wearing heavy body [[armour]].

Players can use ranged weapons in melee range at no additional penalty. However, monsters require the [[:Category:don't_melee_flag|"Don't Melee" flag]] in order to consider using them in melee.

All ranged weapons use [[dexterity]] instead of [[strength]] for damage calculations. See [[Ranged Combat]] for a list of commands.

{{skill aptitudes}}

==List of Ranged Weapons==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Name || Dam || Hit || Delay || Min delay || Hands || Size || Cuts Hydras?
|-style="vertical-align: top;"
| [[Sling]] || 7 || 0 || 14 || 7 (14 skill) || One || Any || No
|-style="vertical-align: top;"
| [[Shortbow]] || 8 || +2 || 14 || 7 (14 skill) || Two || Any || No
|-style="vertical-align: top;"
| [[Orcbow]] || 11 || -3 || 15 || 7 (16 skill) || Two || Any || No
|-style="vertical-align: top;"
| [[Arbalest]] || 16 || -2 || 19 || 10 (18 skill) || Two || Any || No
|-style="vertical-align: top;"
| [[Longbow]] || 14 || 0 || 17 || 7 (20 skill) || Two || Medium+ || No
|-style="vertical-align: top;"
| [[Hand cannon]] || 16 || +3 || 19 || 10 (18 skill) || One || Any || No
|-style="vertical-align: top;"
| [[Triple crossbow]] || 23 || -2 || 23 || 10 (26 skill) || Two || Small+ || No
|}

===Brands===
''Main article: [[Brand#Launchers]]''

Ranged weapons have a separate set of brands from melee weapons, though most are similar to their melee counterpart.

Ranged weapons can get [[pain (brand)|pain]] or [[holy wrath]] (but not [[distortion]]) from [[Kikubaaqudgha]]'s and [[The Shining One]]'s capstone gifts. These brands cannot be obtained by other means.

==Armour Penalty==
Ranged weapons are uniquely penalized by [[Encumbrance_rating|armor encumberance]]. The more encumbered you are, the slower you attack. The penalty, in [[decaAut]], is as follows:

[[File:AdjustedRangedPenalty.png|610px|alt=<code>1/2250 * encumbrance^2 * (90 - 2 * armour_skill) / (str + 3)</code>]]

Therefore, lower [[strength]] species without [[Armour (skill)|armour skill]] suffer more from heavier armour.

For example: a character wearing [[plate armour]] with 20 [[strength]] and 10 [[Armour skill]] will attack 0.43 decaAut slower. This is rounded to integer [[aut]] (i.e rounded to 0.1 decaAut) in a weighted fashion, then added to [[attack delay]].

==Strategy==
Ranged weapons come with some large sacrifices: less damage per turn, hefty penalties from armour, and most common launchers are [[hand|two-handed]] (precluding use of [[shield]]). Also, ranged weapons don't trigger [[auxiliary attack]]s.

Due to the lighter armour and dexterity scaling, rangers will prefer [[Dodging]] as a defensive skill, and play closer to a "caster" than a "melee brute". Many characters can hybridize into spell magic, since they aren't being encumbered by armour or shield.

If you want to play with Ranged Weapons, the following species can be good:
*[[Spriggan]]s can [[kite]] enemies with their fast movement speed. However, they cannot wield longbows or triple crossbows.
*[[Formicid]]s can wield two-handed weapons with a shield, negating a significant downside of ranged weapons.
*[[Minotaur]]s have great aptitudes with all weapons, including ranged weapons.
*[[Kobold]]s and [[Deep Elves]] have amazing aptitudes in Ranged Weapons, but are harder to play than Minotaurs. Also, kobolds have short [[LOS]], so they can't shoot as far.

===Tips & Tricks===
*If you don't have a better ranged option, you might as well use a [[sling]] against melee enemies. Switch to the sling, fire as the enemy approaches, then switch back to whatever you were using before.

==See also==
*[[Throwing]]
*[[Ranged Combat]]

==History==
*In [[0.29]], ranged weapons were reworked. Prior to this:
**Ranged weapons were split into [[Slings (skill)|Slings]], [[Bows]], and [[Crossbows]], with their seperate skills. Slings [[crosstrain]]ed with [[Throwing]].
**Launchers required [[ammo]] to use ([[stone]]s/[[sling bullet]]s, [[arrow]]s, [[bolt]]s, respectively). [[Okawaru]] gifted ammo, and enemies using launchers would have plentiful amounts of it.
**Weapon stats as a whole were drastically different. They scaled off [[strength]] instead of DEX, and attack speed was not encumbered by [[armour]].
**[[Fustibali]] existed as an upgrade to slings, [[sling]]s were named [[hunting sling]]s, and Throwing weapons were informally considered ranged weapons (as they were more similar; Throwing went mostly unchanged).
*In [[0.27]], monsters with ranged attacks got unlimited ammunition (except [[net]]s). Throwing ammo was reduced as a result.
*In [[0.24]], throwing weapons were streamlined. Darts replaced blowguns/needles, boomerangs replaced tomahawks and brands were simplified.
*Prior to [[0.18]], each weapon had a strength weight percentage that determined how the weapon would benefit from your strength and dexterity. Additionally, more types of ammunition could have brands of their own.
*Prior to [[0.15]], ranged combat was significantly more complicated; among other differences, min delay was heavily influenced by your [[stats]]. Additionally, 0.15 introduced greatslings (later called fustibali), hand crossbows, and triple crossbows, and removed the old version of darts.
*Prior to [[0.14]], [[dagger]]s, [[spear]]s, [[hand axe]]s, and [[club]]s could be thrown.
*Prior to [[0.11]], ammunition could have its own [[enchantment]] bonuses.
*Prior to [[0.6]], darts could be fired from an early version of hand crossbows instead of being thrown by hand.

===Retired Weapons===
Over the years, a few ranged weapons have been retired or reworked into new forms:
*[[Fustibalus]] - removed with the removal of the Slings skill in [[0.29]]
*[[Blowgun]]/[[Needle]] - effect was moved on to the throwable [[dart]] in [[0.24]]
*[[Bow (item)|Bow]] - Split into shortbow/longbow in [[0.15]].
*[[Crossbow (item)|Crossbow]] - Split into hand crossbow/arbalest in [[0.15]].

===Returning Weapons===
*[[Dart]]s - removed in [[0.15]], re-added in [[0.24]].
*[[Sling]] - split into [[hunting sling]] and greatsling ([[fustibalus]]) in [[0.15]], merged back in [[0.29]].

{{Skills}}
[[Category:Weapon skills]]

Ranged Weapons - Revision history

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