Throwing lances are 56pierce and take 6 PT to use. Extra damage from PT pushes it up by 26.88 damage if each piont gives 8% damage. 82 pierce when PT is taken into account, 1 more than the basic arbalest with normal bolts, with steel bolts arbalest can swing 87 pierce, 5 more than lances. But! PT can also make it scale to 100.8 pierce on the basic item at PT 10 before we even start on heirlooms. At masterwork Lances are 60 pierce, with PT 9 they deal 103.2 pierce, PT 10 they deal 108 pierce. While crossbows damage does not scale with anything.
Masterwork arbalest with masterwork steel bolts is 100 pierce damage total. Still less than masterwork lances with PT 9 or 10 and it takes 6 heirlooms to get there instead of 3 like lances.
But Peasant_Woman! Lances are horribly inaccurate even at close ranges!But I estimate that you could throw 4 lances (probably more) in the time it takes to shoot and reload an arbalest. Throwing lances can also be used in melee whereas an arbalest + steel bolts is 3 slots gone already. Arbalest + 2x steel bolts is 4 slots, leaving you with a 0slot hammer for melee protection
. Sadly due to recent nerfs all throwing items suffer from a serious lack of ammo/slot issues which is wrong and should be adressed, however the rest of the argument is solid and boils down to;
Arbalest has damage and accuracy with awful speed + serious lack of melee capability.Throwing Lances have damage and speed with awful accuracy + ability to switch to melee if needed. (and awful ammo/slot problems, this should be fixed)