What to enchant: Large Rocks or Javelins?

[njvack]

I'm playing an unarmed TrBe, and as you'd expect, I'm building up a big ol' stack of Enchant Weapon scrolls of various types. I've had a pretty good supply of Large Rocks in D so far, and can carry about a dozen before getting encumbered. But: I've got a stack of 8 steel javelins waiting for me, and all of Shoals to raid for further ammo. There's probably a million javelins there. And I can carry a lot more javelins than rocks.

Also: pretty soon, my Throwing is gonna get up to 8 and Trog will start gifting me stuff I can throw instead of these ballin' randart GSCs I'll never use -- so that figures into this, too.

So: what should I burn my EW scrolls on? Stones or Sticks?

[pratamawirya]

Definitely enchant the steel sticks of doom.

[Eaki Godsbane]

The steel javelins have base damage of 10 + 30% = (13)
and a mulch rate of 1/10 of 10% = (1%)

While large rocks have base damage of 20
and a mulch rate of 4%

I'd go with steel javelins... though as an added note; large rocks when mulched, shatter into a number of tiny stones that retain their previous enchantment. Nice if you also use Slings.

[TehDruid]

The steel javelins have base damage of 10 + 30% = (13)
and a mulch rate of 1/10 of 10% = (1%)

While large rocks have base damage of 20
and a mulch rate of 4%

I'd go with steel javelins... though as an added note; large rocks when mulched, shatter into a number of tiny stones that retain their previous enchantment. Nice if you also use Slings.

I'd say steel javelins too. By the way I didn't know that when large rocks mulch you get to keep the enchantment in stones. Kinda cool since throwing cross-trains with slings.

[joellercoaster]

Given the choice, I go with rocks. Not because they're mathematically better, just because they're cooler.

POINTY-EARED JERK, rounding corner: "Feel the sting of my arrows, monster! I am the master of missile combat in THIS neck of the woods!"
TROLL: "Nah."
[whooshing, splatting noises]

Admittedly I leave a lot of +7 stones lying around, but they're pretty.

[Stormfox]

"You mean, you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword and we'll try to kill each other like civilized people?"

I agree that large rocks just win with style points. And there are fewer things that can pick them up and throw them back at you, more to the point.

[thenewflesh]

I'd say go with large rocks. Steel javelins are very rare and Trog doesn't gift too much of them (in my last game he gifted a grand total of 5 by the time I hit Zot:5). On the other hand he does gift a lot of large rocks. Also large rocks are safe to stash almost anywhere. No one but cyclops picks them and jellies can't eat them. And I don't think you need to carry more then 5-7 of them with you. You can use branded javelins (which you'll be given plenty) to finish off / weaken enemies, curare (another good candidate to use EW scrolls for btw) / paralysis needles for "I want to neutralize this guy right about NOW" mobs and large rocks for poison-resistant big threats.

[TwilightPhoenix]

Large rocks are just as effective in the Slime Pits as they are anywhere else. Javelins aren't. If you plan on going there, that's something to consider.

[XuaXua]

Train polearms for spear gifts.

Returning crystal spear gifts.

[XuaXua]

curare (another good candidate to use EW scrolls for btw) / paralysis needles

Weren't these nerfed a bit recently against poison-resistant targets?

[thenewflesh]

curare (another good candidate to use EW scrolls for btw) / paralysis needles

Weren't these nerfed a bit recently against poison-resistant targets?

Yes. Let those pack of resistances try to "resist" large rocks instead Not to mention, that a lot of otherwise very, very dangerous enemies aren't poison resistant and curare is still automatic win against them.