The Staff Sling is an unusual ranged hybrid weapon that requires the user's own arm motion to fire its ammunition. A mixture of a "hand catapult" and a Sling, the Staff Sling is an extremely archaic and primitive ranged weapon used and made by the Na'vi clans of the Western Frontier.
Materials and Construction[]
The Staff Sling is an elaborate weapon in terms of construction despite its primitive origins. The base of the weapon, otherwise known as the staff section, is made primarily of wood wrapped with animal hide and rope to provide improved handling for the user. The 'head' of the weapon or the sling section, is crafted of two intersecting animal bones held together by rope which also creates a net. This net is what allows the user to place whatever materials needed to be thrown at a greater range and accuracy.
In Game[]
In Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, the Staff Sling is more of a technical weapon than a dedicated ranged weapon. It is meant to be used as a tool to set up traps rather than being aimed directly at a target. As such, it is best to use this weapon for sabotage missions where the traps can be used as a tripwire to cause as much havoc as possible.
As a Na'vi weapon, the Staff Sling is provided with a good selection of different ammunition. The first are the Trip Grenades (The dedicated 'offensive' traps meant to detonate in a cluster when enemies are nearby), the second is the Siren Pods (Tools meant to generate noise upon impact, luring enemies away from an objective or into another trap), and the third being the Skunk Palm Pods (Pods that emit a foul odor that repels the enemy from the point of impact).
However, it seems Staff Slings were not always used as weaponry by the Na'vi. The description for the weapon in game reads, "A toy for Na'vi children repurposed to lob hand-crafted ammo long distances."
Trivia[]
- The Staff Sling is considered one of the most ancient forms of ranged weapons in the real world.
- The Skunk Palm Pods were later renamed Acrid Pods.
Gallery[]
Sources[]
| Na'vi Weapons | |
|---|---|
| Close-Combat Weapons | Axe · Club · Dual Blades · Fishing Spear · Hunting Knife · Metkayinan Knife · Staff · Whip · Wooden Spear |
| Slings | Sling |
| Bows | Banshee Bow · Ceremonial Bow · Child's Bow · Direhorse Bow · Heavy Bow · Hunting Bow · Longbow · Recurve Bow · X-Bow |
| Crossbows | Crossbow · Speargun |
| Hand Catapults | Spear-thrower · Staff Sling · Throwing Scoop |
| Arrows | Battle Arrow · Fishing Arrow · Flaming Arrow · Grenade Arrow · Hunting Arrow · Poisoned Arrow · Shellbreaker Arrow · Storm Arrow |
| Other | Bola · SID · Tranquil Seed |