Part 108

Explore Deus Ex's Low-Tech weapons, including the Crowbar, Combat Knife, and Baton. Learn about their stats, damage, and effectiveness with different skill levels and augmentations.

This section covers low-tech melee weapons in Deus Ex, detailing their effectiveness based on player skill and augmentations. Melee weapons include knives, throwing knives, swords, pepper guns, and prods.

Skill Levels:

• Untrained: Base accuracy and damage.
• Trained: 4% accuracy increase, 20% damage increase.
• Advanced: 12% accuracy increase, 50% damage increase, no movement penalty.
• Master: 25% accuracy increase, 100% damage increase.

The Low-Tech skill is highly useful, aiding in silent takedowns with the Baton and Riot Prod, and allowing the Dragon's Tooth sword to break open cabinets and doors. It is recommended to have at least the Advanced level. Low-Tech weapons are further boosted by the Combat Strength Augmentation:

• Level 1: 25% damage increase
• Level 2: 50% damage increase
• Level 3: 75% damage increase
• Level 4: 100% damage increase

Crowbar

The Crowbar is a lethal melee weapon that deals 6 base damage. It offers only 1 more base damage than the Combat Knife. Since human targets can be defeated in one hit to their weak spot, the Crowbar's larger size makes it inferior to the Knife, and even more so to the Baton. It is best used in the initial moments of the game when no other options are available. It is also effective against headcrabs, though they do not appear in the game.

• Notes: The name 'crowbar' is part of a pun referencing 'murder of crows', a term for a group of crows. This was a past project of Deus Ex writer Chris Todd.

Combat Knife

The Combat Knife is a single-space melee weapon dealing 5 base damage. While its size is convenient, it is less effective than the Baton, which deals more damage. Killing and knocking out an opponent are functionally the same in Deus Ex. The Combat Knife is notable for being found on nearly every looted body, leading players to discard them and contribute to in-game litter.

Baton

The Baton is considered the best melee weapon. It is a single-space, non-lethal weapon dealing 8 base damage. Like most melee weapons, it is not ideal for frontal assaults but excels in sneak attacks from behind and for destroying crates to access their contents. An advantage is that the Baton does not alert NPCs in no-weapon areas, as it is perceived as a simple stick. It is highly recommended to keep the Baton.

• Notes: The Baton deals 'KnockedOut' damage. Headshot multipliers do not apply to this damage type, making torso strikes most effective. Attacks against unaware targets deal 10x damage, and against stunned targets or those affected by tear gas, they deal 4x damage.

Sword

The Sword, first encountered in Hong Kong, is a three-space melee weapon dealing 10 base damage, surpassing the Baton in power. However, its utility is quickly overshadowed by the Dragon's Tooth sword, which becomes available shortly after and renders the standard Sword largely obsolete.