Hi everyone. 10PT, 30Str checking in. My weapon slots are all throwing weapons. I have 1 Athletics.
Damage Output
Infantry and Horsebumpers can potentially inflict as much damage as the enemy team has in life. They never run out of stamina by swinging their arm. Moving close to them does not interrupt or negate their attacks, but they must be in melee range to inflict this damage.
Warbow + Bodkin Arrows can inflict a total of 1632 damage in the course of the match, assuming no damage increasing skills. Moving close to an archer interrupts their attacks and makes them unable to shoot their bow. The archer can inflict damage from long range.
Crossbow + Steel Bolts can inflict a total of 3735 damage in the course of the match, assuming no damage increasing skills. Moving close to the xbowman interrupts their attacks and makes them unable to shoot their xbow. The xbowman can inflict damage from extreme range.
Throwing Lances in all slots can inflict 480 damage in the course of the match, assuming no damage increasing skills. Jarids, a much more common choice, would enable the Thrower to inflict 640 damage if all sixteen jarids hit. Moving close to the Thrower interrupts their attacks and makes them unable to throw their weapon. They can switch to alternate melee mode, but this is not a competent fighting style. The Thrower can inflict damage only in short to medium ranges.
Upkeep Cost of the Weapon System
Infantry - Melee weapons don't break or run out of ammunition. A dedicated 2h or polearm user might only have one weapon slot used. A 1H + Shield guy might go with an Elite Scimitar and Huscarl Round Shield. So probably 10-15k to give the player a competitive fighting weapon. They can add additional weapons on top if they want damage type variety, but that's a bit of a luxury right now.
Cav - Probably as above, plus a 10-20k horse. You can do it for much less with a mediocre horse and that really long 1H axe that Lady GaGa uses. I equip my cav character in less than 20k total.
Archers and Xbow - 23k for the Warbow and Bodkins, 25k for Sniper Crossbow and Steel Bolts.
Throwers - 44k for eight throwing lances. 30k for sixteen jarids.
Please remember that the above totals are only for the weapon systems. chadz has stated that right now the system is balanced so that 48.5k is about the breakeven point for gold upkeep. This would limit a throwing lance character to less than 5k to cover his head, body, legs, hands, and horse.
So, yeah...I'm not really understanding the calls for nerfs. Let me ask you this:
When was the last time you were dead/spectating in a match, and it was a thrown weapon guy who was the final holdout? It never happens. It's always a Cav character who tries to solo the remains of the other team, Walt F4 (who usually successfully solos the remains of the other team), or an archer hidden in a tree shooting arrows from a thousand meters away. It's never a Thrower because Throwers die fast and easy.
No one bats an eye when top end melee characters, cav characters, or archers top the kill lists. But now that Throwers are getting up there, people have problems.