Great axe

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v50.14 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

For a comparison of different weapons, see Weapon.

Tholtig poses with a great axe (by burningpet)

A great axe is an edged weapon that is essentially a larger battle axe. Great axes are more than 50% larger than standard battle axes, though their attacks remain the same. A great axe's blade has a 50% larger contact area and 33% greater penetration, for even more limb-severing fun.

Great axes use and train the Axedwarf skill. As foreign weapons, dwarves cannot forge great axes, limiting supply to whatever low-quality specimens can be traded from human caravans and scavenged from invaders.

Due to the size of great axes, most dwarves are unable to equip them. With height and broadness modifiers, some dwarves should be able to use a great axe, and a select few might manage to do so one-handed. Unfortunately, due to a bug, great axes cannot currently be equipped by any dwarves.

Bugs

In fortress mode, one-handed vs. two-handed checks are performed correctly, but can wield vs. can't wield ignores height and broadness modifiers, so dwarves cannot equip great axes.^Bug:5812 See this forum post for details.

"Great axe" in other Languages Dwarven: saràm libash Elven: apaca cuthefi Goblin: snuz agun Human: umon osp

Raws
[ITEM_WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_AXE_GREAT] [NAME:great axe:great axes] [SIZE:1300] [SKILL:AXE] [TWO_HANDED:77500] [MINIMUM_SIZE:62500] [MATERIAL_SIZE:5] [ATTACK:EDGE:60000:8000:hack:hacks:NO_SUB:1250] [ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3] [ATTACK:BLUNT:60000:8000:slap:slaps:flat:1250] [ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3] [ATTACK:BLUNT:100:1000:strike:strikes:pommel:1000] [ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3]

V · T · E Weapons
Ranged and ammunition	Blowgun and blowdart · Bow and arrow · Crossbow and bolt
Blunt	Flail · Mace · Maul · Training weapons · War hammer · Whip
Edged (slashing)	Battle axe · Great axe · Halberd · Long sword · Scimitar · Scourge · Short sword · Two-handed sword
Edged (piercing)	Dagger · Morningstar · Pick · Pike · Spear
See also: Attack types

Analysis

Great axes appear to be simply worse than battle axes, after much searching in arena testing for a single situation where they're better. Regardless of the size of the user, material of the axe, or material of the armour (if any), great axes will lose most fair duels against battle axes. For creatures that can use great axes with one hand the disadvantage is small, but for most creatures the disadvantage is immense as losing use of either grasp will disarm them.