Which is better for the midgame for an axe character?
A regular Axe (not hand axe, not battle axe)
Or the hand axe of major damage found in ice caverns level 1 (south south east) ?

Would you have your answer if the game were to print damage inflicted with each hit? Cause that could be modded into the game (possibly as a toggle-able feature).

The cluebook mentions some hints towards this.


*** SPOILERS ***




List of average damages, using optimal swing, in vitality points is below. The "Min" is for a weapon that has been barely drawn back and the "Max" is for a weapon that has been drawn back all the way.

A strength factor is also added to the damage score, approximately equal to your strength statistic divided by 18.

Melee Weapon / Min-Max

Hand Axe / 3-4
Axe / 4-8
Battle Axe / 4-13
Jeweled Axe / 4-11

Dagger / 2-3
Shortsword / 3-4
Longsword / 4-8
Broadsword / 4-11
Jeweled Sword / 4-11
Black Sword / 4-12

Cudgel / 3-4
Light Mace / 4-7
Mace / 5-12
Jeweled Mace / 5-15

Fist / 2-3 (barehand skill factors into this, a skill of 30 gets approximately +7 damage)




Missile weapons - does not vary in relation to drawback time

Sling Stone / 3
Arrow / 4.5
Snowball / 4.5
Bolt / 5.5
Acid / 4.5
Magic Arrow / 4.5
Lightning / 8.5
Fireball / 14.5 (area effect)


Unfortunately I can't find a mention of enchantments and how effective they are. You could probably work it out by casting Study Monster after using an enchanted item and a non-enchanted item. My assumption is that each level (minor, major, great, etc) adds an additional 1 average damage, but have nothing to back that up.

So given all the above, my guess is that the Hand Axe of Major Damage would have better minimum damage (5) while the Axe would have better maximum damage (8). Axe still wins in the average damage department I think.

I'd probably say the Hand Axe of Major Damage, for a few reasons:
-Assumption on my part, but I'd guess that the Hand Axe damage is probably the same or greater than the Axe damage.
-I believe the Hand Axe weighs a little less.
-The Hand Axe charges to full damage faster than the Axe. That's (possibly) more swings for full damage in the same time period.
-The Hand Axe enchantment can be improved with a spell.

Granted, you can also enchant the Axe with the same spell, and you can either reload until you get a damage enchantment or find a new Axe to try again.

Thanks a lot for the replies!

I actually made a lot more tests.

The axe performed slightly better than the hand axe in ALL of them.

11th level paladin, 25 strength, 8 attack, 9 defense, 15 axe skill, fighting the reaper in brittania.
Chain mail from head to toe, wooden shield­.
Using only the "luck" spell as buff.
Using only slashes (no stabs or overhead bashes), fully charged.

Made around 50 fights in total.
With the axe: won by the skin of my teeth about a third of the time (8/25)
With the hand axe of major damage: lost dozens and dozens of time, only won once with it. (1/25)