Is the one-handed axe a viable weapon?

[e11]

I want to do a second playthrough. My first character was a basic sword-and-shield fighter and leader. I'm not going in shieldless, given how fast Mr. One Man Army Gunnarr went down in most fights.

Most of the special weapons I remember were swords, but I would sometimes get into real trouble with tough shield-bearers. That whole hooking-shield-with-axe manoeuvre is a lifesaver.

So... can you recommend the axe? Or should I stick with the sword?

[nottrusted]

There is probably only one sword that could make up for missing the axe special attacks.
"Excalibur" has the unblockable effect, but at the time you can obtain it the game is pretty much over.
Aside from that and Graines spear, all other "special" weapons have effects that can show up on selfcrafted weapons too and in most cases you can already craft better gear then what you will find.

However, in my view Axe/Shield + a ranged weapon in the second slot makes fights a lot easyer and you'll have a $hitload of options to disable enemys.

In my last playthrough my whole crew was axe/shield +ranged, except 2 chars that were dual axe/ ranged, dual axe/axe+shield to be able to take out 2 weak targets in one turn if needed.
Especially in those fights where you have the "advantage?" of a preperation round, it is nice to build a proper shield wall in a good spot, to prevent injuries or losses from the enemies first attack.

tl/dr: yes, I would recommend Axe instead of Sword