Spear Thrower

*This article is about the Release version of Spear Thrower. For the Alpha version of this unit, see Spearthrower (Alpha).*

## Spear Thrower

* Red
* Blue

## Statistics

###

###

 120

###

50

###

1.00x

###

1.00x

###

1.00x

## Weapons

###

One-handed

###

###

None

###

None

## Additional Statistics

###

###

1760500345

###

Ranged Unit

###

Enemy

###

Early Access 0.1.0

## Characteristics

The Spear Thrower is a fragile but powerful unit armed with a Throwing Spear. They will use it as a vigorous projectile at enemy units from a short range. As with most ranged units, they have low health and average speed, but very cheap for a ranged unit.

In combat, the Spear Thrower throws their primitive javelin at a fast speed and has an average reload time; their spear flies at a slow speed and deals high damage. They will go put their hands down when reloading, before raising another fresh spear to hurl at their opponents.

## Appearance

The Spear Thrower is a Wobbler of average size holding a Throwing Spear. They have a pair of animal tusks wrapped with straps and ropes on the side of their head like a headband, while wearing a brown loincloth tied with a rope that is ornamented with bones and a skull to cover their groin. They also wear a necklace made from a beast's fang tied with a strap and ropes.

## Unit Voice

 [[File:{{{Effect}}} HD Icon.png|70x70px]]{{{Effect}}}
 Death Vocals

## Strategies

### Usage

**Short range attacks**

The Spear thrower is a ranged unit, meaning they can engage enemy units from a distance, allowing them to stay safe and also do damage. By themselves, the Spear Thrower can be used to deal with unarmored squads decently. But they are much more effective against bigger, tougher units like Halberd and Chieftain as they wouldn't waste as much for throwing multiple spears into the same unit.

**Weaken advancing enemy units**

As a ranged unit, the Spear Thrower should be used to put holes in the enemy units before they come and put holes in them. Getting a first strike on the approaching enemy units can cripple their forces, allowing your own melee units to finish them off. Due to short range and average cooldown, the Spear Thrower should be put in front of the melee army. This way, they can hit the enemy units sooner and avoid the risk of friendly fire.

**Mass deployment**

One of the Spear Thrower's best advantage is their low cost, letting you place more Spear Throwers than most other ranged units for the same price. This can be useful when fighting against a big tough melee unit like the King or the Mammoth, when the extra spear may be what's needed to bring them down. The added numbers of the Spear Throwers can be put spaced out, buying more time for them and not much so for the melee units attacking them.

### Counter

**Hordes**

Hordes can really decimate ranks of Spear Throwers, as the first row of the horde can simply absorb the first volley of spears and the rest will simply charge and surge at them. Cheap units like Peasant and Halfling are well suited for these situations. Although having very low health, it really doesn't matter because there won't be enough spears to kill them all before they stampede the Spear Thrower ranks.

**Shielded units**

Shielded units work similar to hordes, but instead of relying the front row as meat shields, they use real shields that are just as effective. The aegises will completely absorb the spear, protecting the unit behind. Shielded units also comes with the bonus of typically being good fighters, like the Knight and/or the Brawler. Some units don't need shields, like Samurai, that protects themselves by deflecting the spears that are flying towards them. There are also units who are "armored"; the Hay Baler for example, can absorb any spears that hit their haybale instead of their head.

**Fast and long ranged units**

Those who strike first gains the advantage first, longer range can cripple Spear Throwers before they can even attack. The long range of the Archers can put the Spear Thrower out of commission, so there won't be too much of them when they themselves come in range. Still, one can mitigate this counter by having cannon fodder or shielded units of their own, allowing the Spear Thrower get in range without as many casualties. Firing speed also plays a big role, even in short range where both parties can attack, Musketeer's significantly faster attack speed allows them to shoot the Spear Thrower before they could even throw their spears.

**Cavalry**

Do not forget cavalry like Wheelbarrow and Chariot, these fast units allows them to close in swiftly and plough through whatever Spear Thrower formation there is. Their slow travelling spears also makes it hard to hit these hit and run units, though they might get dismounted when focused by a group. Having said that, they are worth their price, as they also make good distractions, allowing the melee units to close in without worrying about facing the full might of the Spear Thrower army.

## Encounters

The Spear Thrower is often seen in ranks behind Protectors or Clubbers, serving as the main ranged unit of the Tribal army.

**Campaigns**
The Introduction

* Spears

The Adventure

* Tree Tribe
* Sneaky Tribe
* Mountain Tribe

The Challenge

* Big Battle
* Something Sneaky

Dynasty

* Blocking

Renaissance

* Renaissance vs Tribal 1

Pirate

* Another Small Tribe

Spooky

* Sun
* Turtle

Legacy

* Ambushed by Mages

## Changelog

 Early Access 0.1.0
* Released

 Early Access 0.1.4
* Slightly improved the aiming of the Spear Thrower

 Early Access 0.6.0
* Slightly increased attack rate of the Spear Thrower

## History

### Prehistory

    Spear throwing is a very old skill, so old it even predates *homo sapiens* (the modern human). Archaeologists found evidence of remains that dates back from 280,000 to 500,000 years ago (the latter commonly doubted and disputed) suggesting injuries of thrown spears. Among the earliest spear throwers were other hominid species, those who were somewhat similar to us, but went extinct. These early human hunters would snap sticks and sharpen them into spears, and hurl them at unsuspecting game. The big advantage is being able to hunt game from a far distance; the ability to propel a sharp pole into a deer before they could react improved the chances of catching it, or killing it before it could melee an unlucky hunter.

Several thousand years later, there came humans who did the same thing, and can throw much further than any of the preceding hominids that came before, and actually managed to adopt the skill of inventing. Humans combined a stick and a stone and created a stone-tipped spear, much deadlier and can fly further than a gnawed stick. Most thrown spears were javelins, spears that are much lighter and easier to throw at great speeds. For long, spear throwers were the meta; it would be rather useless to throw a pebble at a buffalo or chase a gazelle with a club. Until the sling, bow and arrow were invented, humans kept using spears to hunt and kill.

### Ancient Civilizations

With the dawn of civilization, spear throwers were still commonplace in early civilization armies. Light infantry in Ancient Egypt would carry javelins paired with a shield to battle. These soldiers were trained at a young age, focusing on gymnastics to gain strength, hardiness, endurance and staying fit overall in the process. In Ancient Greece, it was their skirmishers who were armed with javelins. These skirmishers were called "peltasts", who hurled their javelins at the enemy's heavier troops so their own could clean up the weakened enemy formations. Not long, the peltast would be replaced by other spear throwers, who also carry a long thrusting spear and a short sword.
    Ancient Rome was probably the one who was the most popular of using javelins (after cavemen, of course). The *Hastati*  and the *Principes*  (infantry that stood in the first line and second line respectively of the Roman formation) were armed with short swords and heavy javelins. These sharp sticks were called pilum (plural: pila) and were used extensively in battle. In 300 BC, the Roman legion added a skirmisher type of spear throwers called *Velites*. The *Velites* would employ hit and run tactics, hurling small javelins called verutum (plural: veruta) at the enemy before retreating back to their heavy legionaries. They were a crucial part of the legion, with playing a big role to stop war elephants from squishing their comrades. In the late Roman Empire, the Roman spear throwers would see them switch to the plumbata (plural: plumbatae), a lighter javelin fletched with leather vanes to provide stability and rotation in flight. Plumbatae proved their worth in stalling enemies from range greater than any pilum could. Of course, the barbarians also used javelins, often incorporated in their cavalries.

### Following Eras

Medieval times also saw some use of javelins, though not as extensive as the Romans. Vikings were familiar with a javelin and did used it in hunting and warfare, but they opt for spears that can both thrust and throw remarkably. Anglo-Saxons, a cultural group who inhabited England in the 5th century also used javelins. They would have spear throwers behind a shield wall, hurling their Angon javelin, designed to be difficult to remove from either flesh or wood from the cover of their shield walls. Other parts of the world also saw use of spear throwers in their armies. The Jinetes were Arabic light cavalry armed with a javelin, a sword and a shield, and played a fairly important role in the Arabic mounted warfare. In China, various dynasties employed the use of spear throwers in their armies.

    And when guns and firearms came, javelins went. Of course, there are still indigenous natives who still use javelins due to their lack of connection to the outside world and its technology, Zulu for example. Zulu warriors would use a long javelin called "assegai" as their main weapon, along with a big oval shield. Today, as with most deadly weapons of our history, they became sports for many, from forcing students to hurl a back heavy stick at the gymnasium to full on sport events of watching athletes throwing javelins at great lengths, with Olympics of who can throw the furthest spear. No matter what, throwing spears will always be a part of our biology.

## Trivia

* Their unit icon is the same icon for their respective faction.
	+ This is also the case for the Farmer, Squire, Hoplite, Ninja, and Halberd with their factions.
* They share the same loincloth as the Clubber.
* The Spear Thrower's spear does not slow down shielded units nor stagger units as many would have thought.
* They, alongside Poacher, are the cheapest ranged unit in the game.
* There was a Farmer version of this unit called the Skewer Thrower. Unfortunately, it got cut.
	+ The weapon can be found in the Unit Creator which is called Skewer.
* They were originally melee units in the Stone Age Trailer.
* The Spear Thrower used to be in a Viking faction.
* There was a bug in the Alphas where when too many Spear Throwers hit the Chicken Man Man at once, their fire rate will increase drastically but they will only keep shooting at the dead body. This could happen to other units at the time, too.
* The furthest thrown spear was of 104.80 meters, flung by Uwe Hohn.
* The Spear thrower can kill enemies point-blank. This is because they don't use a bow, instead chucking it at the enemy.
* They are still not good at aiming even though they got better accuracy in version 0.1.4.
* The Poacher has a little less range than the spear thrower but better attack speed.

## Gallery

### Images

The Spear Thrower's icon in high definitionThe Spear Thrower's got a questionThe hunt commencedThe hunt continuing from the late tribeA volley of sharp, flying missilesThe hunt succeedsThe great debate of hunters vs farmersAn army of Spear Throwers. "HEADS UP!"Ouch, that looks painful...A common tactic, shields up front, throwing spears behindThe Legendary HuntNot today, thank youPoor horse is turning into a porcupineUh oh...Undead pest controlThey who hurl the sunA mob of Spear Throwers searching their next preyThe Spear Thrower's original lookThe early version of the Spear Thrower in the Viking factionA picture of an African warrior throwing a spearA proud tribal man hurling a javelinA painting of a woolly mammoth getting hunted by humans with spearsSome evidence that the poacher has less range than the spear thrower
### Videos

Totally Accurate Battle Simulator- Stone Age TrailerSpear thrower battles are really thrilling