Axes

Axes are a weapon group defined by single- or double-bladed weapons made from a metal or stone head mounted on a haft of varying length. The haft are usually made of wood to reduce the overall weight.
Weapons from the axe group tend to be heavy for their size, featuring weighted slashing or piercing metal heads atop relatively long wooden shafts. Due to the sheer weight behind their blows, attacks using axes or picks are typified by low threat ranges but high critical multipliers, making the rare critical hit capable of delivering truly staggering amounts of damage.
Types of Axes
Battleaxe  @Greataxe @Bardiche Handaxe

Mechanics & Inner Workings

The axe has two primary components: the axe head, and the haft.
Axe head
The axe head is typically bounded by the bit (or blade) at one end, and the poll (or butt) at the other, though some designs feature two bits opposite each other. The top corner of the bit where the cutting edge begins is called the toe, and the bottom corner is known as the heel. Either side of the head is called the cheek, which is sometimes supplemented by lugs where the head meets the haft, and the hole where the haft is mounted is called the eye. The part of the bit that descends below the rest of the axe-head is called the beard, and a bearded axe is an older style axe head with an exaggerated beard that can sometimes extend the cutting edge twice the height of the rest of the head.
Axe haft

The axe haft is sometimes called the handle. Traditionally, it was made of a resilient hardwood like hickory or ash, but modern axes often have hafts made of durable synthetic materials. Antique axes and their modern reproductions, like the tomahawk, often had a simple, straight haft with a circular cross-section that wedged onto the axe-head without the aid of wedges or pins. Modern hafts are curved for better grip and to aid in the swinging motion and are mounted securely to the head. The shoulder is where the head mounts onto the haft, and this is either a long oval or rectangular cross-section of the haft that is secured to the axe head with small metal or wooden wedges. The belly of the haft is the longest part, where it bows in gently, and the throat is where it curves sharply down to the short grip, just before the end of the haft, which is known as the knob.

History

Hand axes, of stone, and used without handles (hafts) were the first axes. They had knapped (chipped) cutting edges of flint or other stone. Long ago in mythic times, wooded hafts were added to allow more maneuverability for users. Typically, axes were favored by melee fighters such as warriors and

Significance

At least since prehistoric times, elaborate axes had a religious significance and probably indicated the exalted status of their owner. Certain types almost never show traces of wear. In folklore, stone axes were sometimes believed to be thunderbolts and were used to guard buildings against lightning, as it was believed that lightning never struck the same place twice.

Item type

Weapon, Melee