Robbers ruin my early game

[primuspaul]

Only extreme characters can take on robbers single handedly without resorting to extreme tactics.

A basically unarmored suicidal character has to be extremely lucky to wipe out a Njerp village without getting hit by bow wielding ones, or run down and get pinned by civilians until the warriors show up. Of course, it's not particularly hard if you're using extreme save scumming, but that's playing UrW in a way it isn't designed to be played, and thus isn't balanced for. A very fast character can use speed to whittle opponents down to wheezing bags of exhaustion, but still can't outpace an arrow (although bow wielders can be kept at a safe distance, you need to go in for the kill at some time).

In that particular case I actually managed to take out the village on a first try. As soon as a Njerp sees you, you just start backtracking and counterattacking. I almost always land a good hit to an enemy the first counterattack, provided I'm not badly injured or weighed down. The thing about Njerps is they always seem to rush you when they see you. As long as you only retreat by walking and only attack by counterattacking (with the exception of a few javelin throws), it seems you never accumulate any fatigue. That means all the Njerps will be tired when they reach you.

Of course I will repeat that you absolutely need great Spear skill, which isn't hard with a Kaumo. I think I had 80%.

I don't remember what I did with the bowman that time. Maybe that particular village didn't have one. I do remember their attack was a bit disorganized with some Njerps fleeing and others attacking. They never did surround me because every single move I made was backwards (and anyone who caught up with me ate a javelin counterstrike). They really only gain on you while they're fresh. Once they tire, their running speed slows below your walking speed.

[PALU]

Well, you need a fair bit of luck for them to never land a hit on their attacks since you didn't avoid them, but I did read the game info on counter attacks the other day, and it seems you have a chance of completely preempt enemy attacks with it if you're sufficiently superior (I've never used counterattack at any time). Still, it's lucky never to take a hit, and once you start doing so, everything goes downhill as the injury reduces your movement rate as well as your effective weapon skill. The you take another hit,...
Furthermore, you need a FAST character to keep enemies from catching up with you. At least 7, and probably 8 km/h.
At 8 km/h only the unarmored civilians were able to catch up with my Njerp killer Kaumo (a dozen or so villages before the inevitable death initiated by an unlucky injury followed by the downhill spiral).