Cleaving
Although axes are numerically less powerful than long blades and maces & flails, their cleaving effect helps make up for this. Cleaving occurs each time you make a melee attack with any sort of axe, and allows you to strike up to 7 opponents in a single swing. While axes aren't the most ideal weapon for taking out powerful single targets, they outperform all other weapons when it comes to dealing with swarms of opponents.
Cleaving Mechanics
Whenever you attack a target, you also attack all tiles adjacent to you except for the tile directly opposite the target you initially attacked:
sPs
s@s
sXs
@ = You
P = Primary target
s = Secondary targets
X = Tile unaffected by your attack
Each tile is attacked separately, so you may hit some while missing others. Also, attacks against secondary targets receive a 25% penalty to damage; while it won't always be the case, you usually wind up hitting the primary target hardest. Even with this penalty, however, you can still deal a tremendous amount of additional damage when facing multiple foes.
This effect ignores friendly units, allowing you to wield an axe without fear of slaughtering your allies:
sPs
s@A
sXs
A = Ally. Note that you still cleave into the foe beyond it.
However, you cannot cleave through any sort of wall:
sPs
s@|
sXX
| = Wall. The tile behind the wall is now unaffected.
Strategy
- For cleaving to be effective, you need to be facing multiple opponents at once. As such, don't skimp on your AC, GDR, EV, and SH (if using a one-handed axe) if you intend to be an axe-wielder. If a gang of opponents seems too dangerous to deal with in the open, don't be afraid to use stair dancing and tunnels to limit yourself to one opponent at a time. It might be less efficient, but it's a whole lot healthier.
- Unless you worship Fedhas Madash, your cleaves will hack into any innocent plants or fungus you happen to be standing next to. Don't expect them to provide cover for long.
- Cleaving is great for dealing with invisible enemies. By holding CTRL and attempting to move, you'll swing at 7 of the 8 tiles around you. Odds are you'll connect with something.
- Although it may seem thematically appropriate to recklessly tab through combat while wielding an axe, try not to do so when actually facing a swarm of opponents. The AI's axe-attack decision making is rarely optimal, ignoring enemies in your blind spot and wasting the heaviest attacks on enemies near death.
History
Cleaving was implemented in 0.12, where it accompanied a drop in base damage for the three most powerful axes.
