Monster weapon preference - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: /* Sources */ create VERSION TEMPLATE DAMNIT

2026-06-20T05:51:07Z

‎Sources: create VERSION TEMPLATE DAMNIT

Umbire the Phantom: create

2026-06-20T05:50:44Z

create

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ pothole

2026-04-19T22:52:15Z

‎Strategy: pothole

Phol ende wodan: /* Choosing a melee weapon */ mention 3.7 balrog preference for whips here, not just on balrog page

2024-12-14T17:16:55Z

‎Choosing a melee weapon: mention 3.7 balrog preference for whips here, not just on balrog page

Umbire the Phantom: pothole

2023-12-10T12:04:29Z

pothole

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ Mordor orc don't generate with bows; spacing, potholes, etc.

2023-08-03T19:47:09Z

‎Strategy: Mordor orc don't generate with bows; spacing, potholes, etc.

Aximili: category and link

2022-12-30T05:47:13Z

category and link

Ion frigate: link sting

2022-11-16T10:26:36Z

link sting

Ion frigate: Occasionally it makes sense for things that get multishot or poison

2022-11-16T10:20:33Z

Occasionally it makes sense for things that get multishot or poison

Ion frigate: break out restrictions

2022-11-16T10:09:41Z

break out restrictions

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 ==Sources==
 Most of this information comes from [[Source:NetHack_3.6.1/src/weapon.c|weapon.c]], specifically the functions <code>select_hwep</code> and <code>select_rwep</code>.  Some is also adapted (and updated) from Dylan O'Donnell's [https://www.steelypips.org/nethack/343/weap-343.html#early NetHack Weapons spoiler].
 {{todo|Employ actual references.}}
 {{nethack-343}}
 [[Category:Monster Inventory]]

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 ==Sources==
 Most of this information comes from [[Source:NetHack_3.6.1/src/weapon.c|weapon.c]], specifically the functions <code>select_hwep</code> and <code>select_rwep</code>.  Some is also adapted (and updated) from Dylan O'Donnell's [https://www.steelypips.org/nethack/343/weap-343.html#early NetHack Weapons spoiler].
+{{todo|Employ actual references.}}
 [[Category:Monster Inventory]]

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 * Be careful about leaving cockatrice corpses where monsters may find and wield them! In particular, chaotic casters can create a corpse-leaving cockatrice and a glove-wearing captain in a single spell via [[summon nasties]]. Also, be very cautious in areas like the [[Castle]] and [[Fort Ludios]] that contain many [[Yendorian Army]] members: even after the soldiers have been slain, humanoid monsters may still pick up and wear their gloves.
-* Occasionally, early monsters such as [[Uruk-hai]] and [[Woodland-elves]] may prove more dangerous with their bows than their melee weapons, especially if their arrows are [[poisoned]]. In that case, it may be advantageous to rush into melee range to make them switch weapons.
+* Occasionally, early monsters such as [[Uruk-hai]] and [[Woodland-elves]] may prove more dangerous with their bows than their melee weapons, especially if their arrows are [[Poisoned weapon|poisoned]]. In that case, it may be advantageous to rush into melee range to make them switch weapons.
 * A bullwhip in the hands of a monster can be very dangerous, as it allows them to disarm you.  However, the bullwhip is fairly low on the priority list: that is why [[balrog]]s are never found wielding bullwhips, despite being guaranteed to start with one.  A particularly paranoid player might pick up any bullwhips they find, and drop them on a pile containing a "better" weapon.
 * While it is theoretically possible to reduce a weapon-wielding monster's damage output by saddling them with a bad weapon (e.g. a cursed bow or a burnt rotted -5 [[Sting]]), in practice this is not worth attempting. The turns taken trying to set up such a situation are better spent simply killing the monster.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:16, 14 December 2024
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	Due to what may be a bug, monsters picking up an artifact weapon will always wield it, even if they were already wielding a "better" artifact.		Due to what may be a bug, monsters picking up an artifact weapon will always wield it, even if they were already wielding a "better" artifact.
		+
		+	{{upcoming\|NetHack 3.7.0\|[[Balrog]]s specifically will prefer their whip to any other weapon they might have, provided the hero is wielding a weapon. They do not actually need to see the hero wielding something to decide on the whip.}}

	==Strategy==		==Strategy==

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 If a monster is in melee range (or feels it will shortly be), it chooses the first of the following weapons that it possesses:
-* any [[artifact]] weapon, [[cockatrice corpse|cockatrice/chickatrice corpse]], [[tsurugi]], [[runesword]], [[dwarvish mattock]], [[two-handed sword]], [[battle axe]], [[katana]], [[unicorn horn]], [[crysknife]], [[trident]], [[long sword]], [[elven broadsword]], [[broadsword]], [[scimitar]], [[silver saber]], [[morning star]], [[elven short sword]], [[dwarvish short sword]], [[short sword]], [[orcish short sword]], [[mace]], [[axe]], [[dwarvish spear]], [[silver spear]], [[elven spear]], [[spear]], [[orcish spear]], [[flail]], [[bullwhip]], [[quarterstaff]], [[javelin]], [[aklys]], [[club]], [[pick axe]], [[rubber hose]], [[war hammer]], [[silver dagger]], [[elven dagger]], [[dagger]], [[orcish dagger]], [[athame]], [[scalpel]], [[knife]], [[worm tooth]]
+* any [[artifact]] weapon, [[cockatrice corpse|cockatrice/chickatrice corpse]], [[tsurugi]], [[runesword]], [[dwarvish mattock]], [[two-handed sword]], [[battle axe]], [[katana]], [[unicorn horn]], [[crysknife]], [[trident]], [[long sword]], [[elven broadsword]], [[broadsword]], [[scimitar]], [[silver saber]], [[morning star]], [[elven short sword]], [[dwarvish short sword]], [[short sword]], [[orcish short sword]], [[mace]], [[axe]], [[dwarvish spear]], [[silver spear]], [[elven spear]], [[spear]], [[orcish spear]], [[flail]], [[bullwhip]], [[quarterstaff]], [[javelin]], [[aklys]], [[club]], [[pick-axe]], [[rubber hose]], [[war hammer]], [[silver dagger]], [[elven dagger]], [[dagger]], [[orcish dagger]], [[athame]], [[scalpel]], [[knife]], [[worm tooth]]
 Monsters wielding weapons are subject to a few restrictions:

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-When selecting a [[weapon]] in their inventory to use (whether one they [[Monster starting inventory|started with]] or [[Pick up#Monsters|picked up]]), monsters follow a set of rules intended to help them inflict maximum damage.  Broadly speaking, based on the monster's distance to the player, it will choose the "best" weapon from one of three lists: a list for melee distance, a list for polearm range, and a list for all other ranges.
+When selecting a [[weapon]] in their inventory to use (whether one they [[Monster starting inventory|started with]] or [[Pick up#Monsters|picked up]]), [[monster]]s follow a set of rules intended to help them inflict maximum damage.  Broadly speaking, based on the monster's distance to the player, it will choose the "best" weapon from one of three lists: a list for melee distance, a list for polearm range, and a list for all other ranges.
 Notably, monster weapon choice is unaffected by the [[BUC]] status or [[enchantment]] of the weapons they possess - only the base type matters.
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 Most of this information comes from [[Source:NetHack_3.6.1/src/weapon.c|weapon.c]], specifically the functions <code>select_hwep</code> and <code>select_rwep</code>.  Some is also adapted (and updated) from Dylan O'Donnell's [https://www.steelypips.org/nethack/343/weap-343.html#early NetHack Weapons spoiler].

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 * Occasionally, early monsters such as [[Mordor orc]]s and [[Woodland-elves]] may prove more dangerous with their bows than their melee weapons, especially if their arrows are [[poisoned]]. In that case, it may be advantageous to rush into melee range to make them switch weapons.
 * A bullwhip in the hands of a monster can be very dangerous, as it allows them to disarm you.  However, the bullwhip is fairly low on the priority list: that is why [[balrog]]s are never found wielding bullwhips, despite being guaranteed to start with one.  A particularly paranoid player might pick up any bullwhips they find, and drop them on a pile containing a "better" weapon.
-* While it is theoretically possible to reduce a weapon-wielding monster's damage output by saddling them with a bad weapon (e.g. a cursed bow or a burnt rotted -5 Sting), in practice this is not worth attempting.  The turns taken trying to set up such a situation are better spent simply killing the monster.
+* While it is theoretically possible to reduce a weapon-wielding monster's damage output by saddling them with a bad weapon (e.g. a cursed bow or a burnt rotted -5 [[Sting]]), in practice this is not worth attempting.  The turns taken trying to set up such a situation are better spent simply killing the monster.
 * An observant but unspoiled player can learn what weapons do higher base damage by watching what weapons monsters choose: they are (roughly) ordered by base damage.

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 * any [[artifact]] weapon, [[cockatrice corpse|cockatrice/chickatrice corpse]], [[tsurugi]], [[runesword]], [[dwarvish mattock]], [[two-handed sword]], [[battle axe]], [[katana]], [[unicorn horn]], [[crysknife]], [[trident]], [[long sword]], [[elven broadsword]], [[broadsword]], [[scimitar]], [[silver saber]], [[morning star]], [[elven short sword]], [[dwarvish short sword]], [[short sword]], [[orcish short sword]], [[mace]], [[axe]], [[dwarvish spear]], [[silver spear]], [[elven spear]], [[spear]], [[orcish spear]], [[flail]], [[bullwhip]], [[quarterstaff]], [[javelin]], [[aklys]], [[club]], [[pick axe]], [[rubber hose]], [[war hammer]], [[silver dagger]], [[elven dagger]], [[dagger]], [[orcish dagger]], [[athame]], [[scalpel]], [[knife]], [[worm tooth]]
-Monsters that are neither stoning resistant nor wearing gloves cannot wield cockatrice corpses, and monsters that are not [[strong]] cannot wield two-handed weapons.  Due to what may be a bug, monsters picking up an artifact weapon will always wield it, even if they are already wielding a "better" artifact.
+Monsters wielding weapons are subject to a few restrictions:
 ==Strategy==