Axe

A dwarven miner wields a dwarven waraxe. See also Category:Images of axes.

See also: Weapon

An axe, sometimes spelled ax, is a weapon and tool typically comprised of a metal bladed head on the end of a wooden handle. An axe designed for combat, with a lighter reinforced shaft and sharper blade, is often referred to as a battle axe. Axes are distinguished in use by the greater swinging momentum they deliver due to their top-heavy design.

A basic battle axe can cost between 1 to 10 gold pieces.

Variants

See also: Category:Axes

Axe-like weapons and tools with a pointed head instead of a blade are known as picks or pickaxes.

An axe's head and handle might take many different shapes and forms, be made of a variety of materials, have one or multiple blades of varying shapes and configuration, and range from sizes small enough to throw or large enough to be a polearm. While most axe heads are made of iron or steel, some are known to have been made of stone, bronze, and adamantine.

Axe hafts are typically wooden but might be reinforced with or made of metal, as well as more exotic materials such as whipwood.

• An axe musket adds an axe blade to the end of a musket barrel, allowing it to be wielded as either.
• Bardiches are polearms with a large crescent axe blade attached at two points of the haft, increasing its durability.
• A boarding axe includes a spiked end allowing it to be used as a climbing aid.
• A greataxe is up to four feet long, requires two hands to wield, and often feature two blades and a "beard", or hook at the bottom meant to further increase its chopping force.
• A handaxe is a foot-long, one-handed axe weighted toward its head, and might also be called a war hatchet.
• Halberds have an axe-like head at the top of its spear body.
• A hatchet is a small, throwable axe.
• A hooked axe features a hook at the end of its blade for tripping or disarming opponents.
• A mambele, also called a hunga munga or danisco, is a throwable axe with a backward-curving blade that tears even more from a victim when it is extracted after striking.
• Throwing axes are specifically weighted and balanced for being thrown overhand, at the expense of being as effective in melee. They might also be called franciscas and tomahawks.
• A tongi resembles a battle axe with the blades cut down to pairs of pointed spikes.

Unique axes

The nascent demon lord Treerazer wields Blackaxe, a powerful magical greataxe.

• Blackaxe is a greataxe crafted by the demon lord Treerazer.
• Fiendsplitter is a magical battle axe forged by Njali Janisdottir to battle demons.
• Firebrand is a magically flaming dwarven waraxe forged in honor of Torag and once wielded by renowned dwarven hero Delbera Axebringer.
• Goreshred is a magical greataxe forged to slaughter humans.
• Jorngarl's Harm is a giant-sized greataxe crafted from the Galtan final blade Toothy Morris.

On Golarion

The dromaar Wrathack wields an orc double axe.

Axes are often favored by dwarves, who favor dwarven waraxes with a large, decorated head and thick handle that can be wielded with one or two hands. A dwarven urgrosh has a spear point on the bottom of its half, and either head can be used. Dwarven axe-gauntlets feature an axe blade over a locked gauntlet for extreme close quarters, and were engineered during the running battles in the Quest for Sky. A maulaxe is a dwarven weapon with a hammer on one side of the head and an axe blade on the opposite side.

Orcs also wield a specialized axe known as a necksplitter, which has a single jagged blade and beard designed for chopping through bone joints. An orc double axe takes such design priorities to an extreme by putting a double-headed blade on each end of a heavy, clumsy pole; it must be wielded from the center like a quarterstaff. Butchering axes are heavy, unbalanced axes designed by smiths in the Hold of Belkzen, and one was wielded by the Linnorm King Alvard that was particularly devastating against dragons.

The Hellknight Order of the Coil favors the greataxe, and the Order of the Glyph favors the battle axe.

Pahmet dwarves craft ornate axes, with one side of the head bearing a hammer and the other a golden blade adorned with dwarven runes and Osiriani symbols.

As traps

A swinging axe trap menaces a group of adventurers.

Axes are sometimes used in traps, particularly ones that swing weapons.

In religion

Axes of various types are the favored weapon of several deities, including Andak, Angradd, Bes, Dammerich, Haagenti, Lahkgya, Likha, Narakaas, Narriseminek, Sekhmet, Treerazer, Unity, and Verex.

External links

• Axe (real-world item) on Wikipedia
• Axe weapon group on Archives of Nethys for Pathfinder Second Edition
• Fighter weapon groups on Archives of Nethys for Pathfinder First Edition