Javelin

Hoplite drops and stacking damage over time

Obtained as common drops from Hoplite guards in subterranean Marble Caves, Javelins offer potent early ranged firepower. Hurled in high ballistic arcs at Fast throw rate (24 use time), each spear inflicts 17 base ranged damage with 4.75 knockback. Upon striking a hostile target, the javelin embeds itself into the foe, inflicting a stacking status effect that deals 3 damage per second per embedded spear. The spear remains visible protruding from the target until the damage effect finishes.

Boss dismantling tactics and combat comparisons

Because the embedded debuff stacks up to 6 times for 18 damage per second, Javelins melt large health pools on bosses like Eye of Cthulhu and King Slime. Players can land multiple spears and maintain steady damage while evading boss charges from a safe distance, far outperforming standard flint arrows or basic throwing knives. Being single-use consumable projectiles, Javelins cannot be modified with reforge prefixes.

Trivia

• Embedded javelins stack up to six times on an enemy, producing 18 damage per second in passive attrition.
• Hoplites drop them in large bundles of 40 to 80 units with a 50% probability.