Barbarian Axehammer

[Meat Horse Array]

How come nobody is talking about the Axehammer?

It's very easy to overlook this weapon, but I don't have the heart to part with the few that I've collected.

Why?

It deals a modest 20-30 damage, and Northern Raider companies have a chance to start with them. It isn't especially valuable in the markets, and isn't much use in the early game when few enemies have armour.

But there's the rub. Hang on to them. They do only slightly less damage than a military pick (which is expensive and/or dangerous to acquire early) which deals 20-35 damage, but it has the same 200% vs armour damage. Losing 10 points on potential damage on the upper end doesn't seem so bad, especially when you gain the shield-splitting utility of an axe, which will improve your ability to bring that damage to bear.

The Axehammer compares favourably against other weapons, too.

As mentioned, it can split shields like an axe, but in fact it does so *more efficiently* than handaxes (12 vs 14 shield damage). It has a whopping 60% armour penetration, so even though the damage output is low, it can deal 15 damage through armour (before reduction) - same as a morning star.

That's a whole lot of utility packed into one unassuming little package. It loses the alpha-strike potential of the "break armour" ability, but if you're up against footmen (think:supply caravan) then you might not want to front-load all your fatigue into a risky shot past the heater shield.

Just sayin'.

[turtle225]

I figure no one talks about it for the same reasons that no one talks about Military Picks or Hand Axes. They are mid-tier stepping stone weapons that you only use temporarily until you find or buy the high tier weapons.

AxeHammer is alright for a mid game weapon, but by the time the crisis rolls around you should have Warhammers or Fighting Axes. Warhammers are not easy to get without buying them (only Sergeants can have them) so they are pretty rare or inaccessible if you don't want to anger a Noble House. Fighting Axes are pretty easy to get for free from Fallen Heroes though.

[The Duck Knight]

well, a lot of people tend to aim for weaponmastery-builds when using 1H weapons and the axehammer would require two to unleash the full potencial.
I would argue that it's not THAT important to also grab the axemastery, but like most hybrid-weapons, they become weapons of obscurity in lategame, when you try to exchange all gear to famed/legendary once because there is no famed/legendary version for it.

I do, honestly, agree that it's a rather decent weapon option, especially during early game raider-origin, which is my favorite, so yes, I tend to use that thing quite a lot, mostly with shields, till I can savely change into lategame builds.

[bulbatrs]

Well, you are comparing it's damage to an already poor weapon of military pick and as you have already stated it does less damage than bad weapon.

[Cat®]

I agree with the analysis and it has been a wish of mine since the release of the DLC that there were named versions of all the barbarian weapons; or t3 equivalents. I really like their versatility, but in the end that versatility doesn't match up with the specialised versions. Yes an axehammer takes the role of two weapons; but you can just have a second character and split an axe and a hammer between them.

I do kinda love the axehammer though, it is very cute. Justice for the north! Named barbarian one-handed weapons! Make drum an alternative to banner! Get the clowns out of congress!

[turtle225]

A named Axehammer would just be worse than a regular Warhammer though. Even if it rolled max damage it would have 26-39 which is still lower than base Warhammer. If it rolled high damage and high armor ignore then you'd have something I guess, but that's an unlikely roll just to beat a normal weapon. The famed barb 2H Maces/Hammers already face these issues trying to compete with the regular 2H Maces/Hammers.

If you want a Hammer guy that can break shields for whatever reason then you can use a Warhammer and Quick Hands to a Fighting Axe in your bag to break shields. Realistically though, breaking shields is not very good in general most of the time, and particular not when you don't have Axe Mastery, which isn't going to be the preferred mastery for AxeHammer anyway.

[Cat®]

I aint about being better than the alternative, it's about excuses to change up the playstyle.

[Meat Horse Array]

Originally posted by bulbatrs:

Well, you are comparing it's damage to an already poor weapon of military pick and as you have already stated it does less damage than bad weapon.

The military pick isn't a bad weapon at all. They are immensely useful when you start finding them, as they are the first weapon you receive that can reliably punch through chain armour. Not sure why people are leaping ahead to talk about late-game.

[Red Bat]

I tend to use them for a bit in the very rare occasions I do an early fight against Barbarians and loot one.

[Calandro]

Originally posted by turtle225:

A named Axehammer would just be worse than a regular Warhammer though. Even if it rolled max damage it would have 26-39 which is still lower than base Warhammer. If it rolled high damage and high armor ignore then you'd have something I guess, but that's an unlikely roll just to beat a normal weapon. The famed barb 2H Maces/Hammers already face these issues trying to compete with the regular 2H Maces/Hammers.

If you want a Hammer guy that can break shields for whatever reason then you can use a Warhammer and Quick Hands to a Fighting Axe in your bag to break shields. Realistically though, breaking shields is not very good in general most of the time, and particular not when you don't have Axe Mastery, which isn't going to be the preferred mastery for AxeHammer anyway.

Named AxeHammer would have one very strong niche.

If it rolled armour pen, and it rolled at least 15%, it would get to 100% armour pen with duelist, at which point its attacks begin to entirely ignore armour, exactly like puncture does for daggers. Except without the massive fat cost. Or the to hit penalty. And with double grip bonuses. And with headshots.

[Santo]

For the record, in my current playthrough I've found two 2H named barbarian axes that hit like trucks in flames.

[hurdygurdyman]

The way I like to build my company, my "flankers" (tanks with spears I put on the ends of my lines) always try to have an axehammer in their bag for when we're up against orcs and undead and the like, at which point the axehammer comes out to split shields and crush armor.

[Calandro]

Originally posted by hurdygurdyman:

The way I like to build my company, my "flankers" (tanks with spears I put on the ends of my lines) always try to have an axehammer in their bag for when we're up against orcs and undead and the like, at which point the axehammer comes out to split shields and crush armor.

Splitting shields against orc warriors isn't worth it, it just massively increases the damage they'll do, since not only will they now attack even more frequently, they get the double grip damage bonus.

[hurdygurdyman]

Originally posted by Calandro:

Originally posted by hurdygurdyman:

The way I like to build my company, my "flankers" (tanks with spears I put on the ends of my lines) always try to have an axehammer in their bag for when we're up against orcs and undead and the like, at which point the axehammer comes out to split shields and crush armor.

Splitting shields against orc warriors isn't worth it, it just massively increases the damage they'll do, since not only will they now attack even more frequently, they get the double grip damage bonus.

Truth.

I was unclear and meant split shields vs undead and crush armor vs orcs

[w.f.schepel]

I tried them. Never did like them much. Orcs aren't a problem once you manage to get enough mdef to simply outlast them. If you want them down quick, a 2h hammer (named 2h barb hammers are sweet) will do it much better than the axehammer. Crunching shields is what you bring a 2h axe for, or a war axe if you really want a shield to go with it.

Most of the time, however, you do NOT want to destroy armour. Which is why picks and hammers are generally not my weapons of choice and definitely not something I'd waste a perk slot on.

[Coldoge]

Can see how axehammer has utility early to mid game before tier three and famed weapons show. Provides two weapons for price of one slot. Have not used them much. This discussion inspire me to take a closer look.