Sidearm Shield Breaking Axe: What do you think is the best choice?

[Dalfador]

When you play a spearman without a shield, typically you'll run into problems with shielders not getting off of your ass in a 1v1. So it's nice to have an axe that you can pull out:

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Which axe do you think is best for this...? Right now I've been using the two handed war axe because of it's power, and it's cheap cost. Also it's good for breaking down doors/gates in siege.

[Mlekce]

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[Dalfador]

I find once I break their shield they are easier to kill

[Zanze]

Heavy Throwing Axe. But that just may be me. 1h/Hoplite/Throwing.

Drop spear, break shield with axe in melee, then fight them for a bit. The moment they S-key more than they should have, facethrow. 70% of the time it works all the time.

[WITCHCRAFT]

I'm partial to the fighting axe. It is 1 slot so you get more room for whatever else you are carrying. It can be used 1h or 2h, whatever proficiency you want. Good reach for a 1h, good speed for a 2h.

If you are using 2h axes as a backup against shielders, I would recommend any of the axes that are cheap and deal high damage. Speed isn't an issue if you are just swinging at some guy with his finger glued to the shield key. Get something inexpensive that will break the shield fast so you can move on to slaying more enemies.

edit: don't forget you can just bypass the shield altogether if you have high PS and pick up a maul of some kind. There is something uniquely satisfying about crushthrough weapons.

[Malaclypse]

Well if you're only using a War Spear, you've got two slots available. Might as well go for the highest cut shield bonus you can get, Great Bardiche or Great Long Bardiche for pole, Persian Battle Axe for 2h, Iron War Axe for 1h.

[CrazyCracka420]

So you have polearm and 2h WPF?  And you're using a War Spear?

[bavvoz]

lol all shielders know to block without a shield.
Everyone use shield to be more effective at fighting vs more then 1 enemy at same time or covering from arrows. In most situations at 1 vs 1 if you are inferior to enemy you need to drop shield and fight in melee. You will just pay upkeep for nothing.

No not all of us 

[Ronin]

So you have polearm and 2h WPF?  And you're using a War Spear?

That can actually be very satisfying. Cora uses it

[CrazyCracka420]

I was just trying to get more info before providing my answer

I've seen some good 2h/polearm WPF builds (mainly useful for lancer cav IMO), I'd personally prefer to dump all the WPF into polearms myself, and then carry a Long Bardiche or Long War Axe as a secondary weapon. 

I can't recommend any 2h axes (no experience with them), but there's a lot of good 1h axes out there as well.  My favorite would be the broad one handed battle axe (dat cut).  I do know the morningstar is a good 2h weapon and has the bonus against shields.

[Kafein]

The two handed war axe is dirt cheap (2k) and still only slightly less effective than the best 2h axes.

[WITCHCRAFT]

The two handed war axe is dirt cheap (2k) and still only slightly less effective than the best 2h axes.

Agree with this. You can get a great war axe or a long bardiche or whatever but you don't need the extra stats if you're just using it to break the shield of a turtler. All you need is a big sharp thing. It don't got to be fancy.

[Dalfador]

So you have polearm and 2h WPF?  And you're using a War Spear?

nah, im pure pole. i figured if an axe only served one purpose for me, no point in having WPF in 2h

[Kafein]

Why not use a long axe then ? It is arguably much better than a 2h axe

[Teeth]

Using the Long Axe is a complete no brainer if you only have pole wpf. A 2h weapon with 0 wpf is never going to be better than a polearm with whatever wpf you have. 15% damage per 100 wpf, 6,5% swing speed increase per a 100 wpf. You only do a 100% damage at a 100 effective wpf. Let's say you have a 100 effective wpf in polearm:

Long Axe = 41c x 1,00 = 41c effective damage
Two Handed War Axe = 43c x 0,85 = 36,55c effective damage

Long Axe with it's beastly 41c at 97 speed is probably the best weapon in the game when it comes to fighting and destroying shields. That shit is fast. It is 4k more money, but I'd rather fight a shielder with a War Spear (that you probably have +3) than an unloomed 2h axe without wpf.