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Throwing items are indestructible when used for melee combat in Diablo II. In the Expansion all throwing items have a listed durability, and when used in melee they lose durability, but at 1/3 the rate of normal weapons.
Like throwing axes/knives, javelins can be used as melee weapons, but they do very little damage that way, and are never a good choice. Their only advantage is that like all throwing items, they have no durability, so can be used indefinitely without needing repair. That one loophole aside, throwing items are made to be thrown. One major penalty to javelins is that they are non-magical and can not be socketed either. The only variety in them comes from cracked and superior javelins, which are slightly better worse and slightly worse better than normal, respectively. There are no unique or item set javelins.
The '''Amazon''' can execute all ten of her [[Amazon_Skills#Javelin .26 Spear|Spear and Javelin Skill Tab skills]] with a javelin, and can use the throwing skills at point blank range. The Barbarian has a Throwing Mastery, and also various melee weapon masteries, but these do not "stack". Spear Mastery does not apply when throwing the item, whether he has Throwing Mastery or not. Spear Mastery will work however, when using a javelin for melee combat.