Battleaxe

Version 0.32: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Name	Battleaxe
Skill	Axes
Damage	15
Accuracy	-4
Base delay (%)	17
Min delay	7 at skill 20
Hands	2H
Size	Large
Ranged?	No

A large war axe with a formidable double-sided head. "On Carian coins, indeed of quite late date, the labrys, set up on its long, pillar-like handle, with two dependent fillets, has much the appearance of a cult image. -Sir Arthur John Evans, "Mycenean tree and pillar cult and its Mediterranean relations," _Journal of Hellenic Studies_ XXI, p. 109. 1901.

This weapon falls into the Axes category. It is a two handed weapon.

Battleaxes are large, powerful, and two-handed axes. Though an executioner's axe is stronger, battleaxes are much more common, and require less skill to wield effectively.

Strategy

Battleaxes are a fairly decent weapon throughout the midgame. If you're skilled in Axes and haven't found a shield yet, then a battleaxe is almost a no-brainer. With a shield, the choice is less clear. Regardless, a branded battleaxe can be a strong weapon.

They are usually first encountered in the hands of orc warriors; exploration of the Orcish Mines will likely turn up a decent one. The unique berserker Rupert occasionally generates with one as well. Like all axes, this weapon allows the player to cleave.

	Image
Mundane
Magical
Artifact

	Unrandart Battleaxes
Wrath of Trog
Woodcutter's axe

History

• Prior to 0.12, battleaxes had 17 base damage and no cleaving.