Spartan Weaponry
A weapon expansion mod that adds various melee and ranged weapons.
📖 Introduction
Spartan Weaponry is a weapon expansion mod developed by ObliviousSpartan since 2017. It adds new combat axes — range, sweep area, piercing, throwing — to a system where vanilla left you with one sword for every problem, and it's become the de facto standard for weapon variety in RPG-style modpacks.
**Five core systems** — 20+ new weapons (Spears, Halberds, Pikes, Lances, Battleaxes, Maces, Warhammers, Boomerangs, Darts, Crossbows, etc.), per-weapon **reach** values, **thrown-and-retrieved** projectile weapons, two-handed weapons with **sweep attacks** that hit multiple enemies, and a config-file balance system letting you tune damage, range, and durability per weapon. All weapons accept vanilla enchantments plus some mod-specific ones (Bashing, Hemorrhage, etc.).
**What sets it apart** from other weapon mods is 'combat depth rather than just variety.' Where Tinkers' Construct handles weapon crafting and MrCrayfish's Gun Mod handles ranged combat, Spartan Weaponry makes the choice of 'which weapon to bring' an actual tactical decision in the melee and mid-range space. Halberds for zombie crowds, warhammers for single bosses, throwing javelins for runners — fighting the same enemies different ways is the RPG-tier depth this mod delivers.
Licensed under custom terms (free redistribution allowed) with Forge support from 1.10.2 to 1.20.1 (NeoForge is unofficial). In RLCraft it's the backbone of weapon variety, and pairing it with the separate Spartan Shields mod also expands shield options. The mod really shines when combined with high-threat mob mods like Ice and Fire or Lycanites Mobs.
🕒 When to Use This Mod
Bring it in when 'one sword for everything' starts feeling flat. Combined with mobs from packs like Lycanites or Ice and Fire, choosing the right weapon for the right enemy actually becomes a tactical decision instead of cosmetic, so the right moment is when you want combat to demand thought rather than just clicks.
📦 Where It Matters Most
In RLCraft it carries the weapon-variety load almost single-handedly. Spears for keeping distance, halberds for sweeping crowd hits, throwing javelins to finish off runners — combat patterns multiply, and the same enemy ends up getting fought completely differently depending on what you grabbed off the rack that morning. That's the kind of RPG texture few modpacks reach without it.
🎮 How It Changes Your Playthrough
Combat gains a sense of spacing it didn't have before. Holding back a zombie crowd with a halberd while keeping just out of reach, or hurling a javelin into a sprinter's back as it runs — those small moments are weirdly satisfying. The flat 'click sword on enemy' rhythm becomes a series of small decisions, and the fights start feeling like they actually have a flow to them.
🚀 Getting Started — First 30 Minutes
Spartan Weaponry's progression flows by 'expanding weapon variety.' Even just crafting a spear + halberd within your first 30 minutes gives you a flow completely different from vanilla combat. From experience, picking up reach weapons first is more stable than rushing straight to heavy-hitters.
Step 1 — Craft your first Spear (5 min)
First weapon to build: a Wooden Spear. Sticks + flint (or wood planks) makes one, and it has more reach than a vanilla sword — you can stab enemies before they reach you.
- 3 sticks + 1 wood plank → Wooden Spear
- Right-click to throw — slightly less damage than a sword, but the spacing advantage is huge
- Pick it back up where it lands and reuse
For beginners, running a dual setup with a spear in the offhand (F key) and a sword in the main hand is the fastest way to learn the new spacing. Honestly, the first thirty minutes are the most dangerous, but even a single spear lets you handle zombies from a distance, and survival jumps right away.
Step 2 — Halberd or Glaive (10 min)
Now it's time for a sweep-capable crowd weapon.
- 4–5 iron ingots + sticks → Iron Halberd
- Attacks trigger a sweep, hitting 2–3 adjacent enemies at once
- Slow attack speed — keep 1–2 blocks of distance from enemies
Halberds dominate against zombie crowds and spider swarms. The catch: two-handed, so no shield — that's the explicit trade-off. People say once you've felt the sweep rhythm, the mod is impossible to remove from the modpack.
Step 3 — Situational weapon loadouts (15 min)
Once you've got the basics, the new standard is bringing different weapons for different situations.
- Pike — longest reach in the mod. Excellent against dangerous melee mobs (Lycanites' Roc, etc.)
- Battleaxe — single-target / boss work. Brutal per-hit damage
- Boomerang — throws and auto-returns. No arrow cost like a bow
- Crossbow — more damage and accuracy than a bow, but slow reload
Keeping 4 different weapons in your inventory at all times — the 'RPG loadout' — turns every encounter into a small tactical choice.
Where to go next — past the 30-minute mark
- Dragonbone weapon upgrades: With Ice and Fire installed, Dragonbone materials upgrade Spartan Weaponry pieces
- Spartan Shields: Separate mod. Adds tower shields, bucklers, and other shield variants
- Config balancing:
spartanweaponry-common.tomllets you tune per-weapon damage — RLCraft tweaks these often
If you're playing with an 11-year-old kid, spears and boomerangs are the most kid-friendly options — the throw-and-return motion is fun, and the focus stays on spacing rather than raw damage.
💡 Gameplay Tips
- **Spears** can be thrown with right-click and retrieved from where they land — they're the all-purpose weapon for ranged poke and recovery.
- **Halberds and Glaives** have sweep attacks, making them very effective against zombie crowds or spider swarms. Just keep distance, since the attack speed is slow.
- **Pikes and Lances** have the longest reach in the mod. You can stab enemies before they touch you — invaluable for keeping distance from dangerous Lycanites Mobs in melee.
- **Boomerangs and Darts** deal damage and return to you automatically. Great for runners and aerial enemies, and unlike bows they don't consume arrows.
- **Battleaxes and Warhammers** are the heavy-hitters with the highest single-strike damage. Attack speed is very slow, but the per-hit power is brutal — ideal for bosses and single tough targets.
- Two-handed weapons can't be used with a shield equipped. You give up defense in exchange for reach and damage — a deliberate trade-off.
⚠️ Common Confusing Points
- • **Different reach values per weapon** can be confusing. The reach in the item tooltip is the actual attack range — fighting a long-reach enemy with a short weapon means getting hit one-sidedly.
- • **Thrown spears can vanish** — they despawn if not retrieved within 5 minutes. Test expensive spears somewhere safe before relying on them in combat.
- • Spartan Shields is a separate mod. Installing Spartan Weaponry alone doesn't add new shields — install Spartan Shields alongside it if you want shield variety.
❓ FAQ
Is this safe to play with an 11-year-old kid?
Very kid-friendly — visual presentation stays around vanilla sword level, no gore effects. If anything, the throw-and-retrieve motions for spears and boomerangs are mechanically fun for younger players. We had sessions where my kid used only a boomerang to hunt rabbits and pigs, and the act of landing a throw becomes a little mini-game on its own. I'd steer kids toward lighter weapons first rather than warhammers or battleaxes.
How do I survive the first night?
Spartan Weaponry doesn't add enemies, so first-night difficulty is basically vanilla. That said, crafting a **Wooden Spear** right at spawn lets you handle zombies at range, and survival rates jump noticeably. It takes 3 sticks + 1 plank — under a minute to make — and once you've got the rhythm of throw-and-retrieve, first night gets noticeably safer. Even for weekend-only players, this mod has very low setup cost.
Compatible with Ice and Fire or Lycanites Mobs?
It actually shines hardest with those mods. Poking dangerous Lycanites melee mobs with a pike, or methodically warhammer-striking a stage-1 dragon — weapon selection becomes the strategy layer. RLCraft uses this exact trio as its standard combo, and weapon variety is the core axis of the RPG-tier depth. Once you've tried this stack you really don't want to go back.
Which weapon should I craft first?
**Wooden Spear → Iron Halberd → Pike → Battleaxe** is the smoothest order. Spear is the cheapest first weapon, halberd's sweep handles zombie crowds, pike's longest reach keeps you safe from dangerous melee mobs, and finally battleaxe or warhammer covers boss-tier single targets. That four-weapon loadout handles basically every situation.
My thrown spear disappeared.
Thrown weapons in Spartan Weaponry must be picked back up within about **5 minutes** (configurable). After that they despawn like dropped items. Especially with expensive materials (diamond, dragonbone), don't throw them out of line of sight. From experience, practicing throws on hay bale targets in a safe area before combat saves a lot of grief.
