Voulge
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| |
|---|---|
| Name | Voulge |
| Appearance | pole cleaver |
| Damage vs. small | 2d4 |
| Damage vs. large | 2d4 |
| To-hit bonus | +0 |
| Weapon skill | polearm |
| Size | two-handed |
| Base price | 5 zm (+10/positive enchant) |
| Weight | 125 |
| Material | iron |
A voulge is a type of weapon that appears in NetHack. It is a two-handed polearm that is made of iron, and appears as a pole cleaver when unidentified.
Contents
Generation
In addition to random generation, general shops and antique weapons outlets can sell voulges.
Watchmen and soldiers may be generated with a voulge.[1]
Strategy
The voulge is the second-heaviest polearm after both the halberd and lucern hammer, but has relatively high damage against small monsters mixed with low average damage against large monsters - it is still quite unlikely to see much use, as the ranseur deals the same damage with 2⁄5 of the weight.
History
The voulge is introduced with all other polearms in NetHack 1.3d.
Origin
A voulge, also spelled vouge and sometimes called a couteau de breche, is a type of polearm that existed in medieval Europe, primarily in 15th century France. A voulge usually had a narrow single-edged blade mounted on a shaft via socket, and might additionally feature shaft reinforcements protection for the hands at the blade's base. The voulge has a somewhat broader blade compared to that of a glaive, and features a shorter blade and longer shaft compared to the bardiche. Troops that used the weapon are called voulgiers, with the most notable ones being the Francs-Archers ("free archers"): they were the first attempt at the formation of regular infantry in France, and voulges are depicted in the artwork of their establishment.
In modern times, the voulge is erroneously defined as a pointy cleaver-like weapon blade attached to the shaft with two hoops akin to a bardiche - this incorrect definition started in the 19th century with Viollet le Duc, and the weapon in question is an early form of halberd.
Variants
dNetHack
In dNetHack and notdNetHack, the voulge has its weight reduced to 50 aum, the same as the ranseur.
Peasants may be generated with voulges.
NetHack Fourk
NetHack Fourk removes the voulge and many other polearms.
xNetHack
xNetHack removes the voulge and many other polearms.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, gnolls, gnoll hunters and flinds have an effective 1⁄12 chance of generating with a voulge as their weapon.
A voulge can be created at a forge by combining a axe and a spear.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, gnolls have the same odds of generating with a voulge as in EvilHack, as do flinds. Forging recipes are the same as in EvilHack.
Encyclopedia entry
- See the encyclopedia entry for polearm.
