Axe or sword?

[RivianWitch]

Hi, which is best, -axe or sword? I've seen a few axes for sale, and it seems they
can do more blade damage per unit of strength that you need to wield them.

I have to decide though, more or less at this point, if I'm going to buy sword skills or axe skills.

Anybody used axes? Are their good ones to find later on in the game?

[RivianWitch]

Hm, I just tried out an axe in the arena, and though it has disadvantages regarding speed, I like it's strength. Now I just need to find an Axe trainer. Can anybody help me out with that?

[KasperFauerby]

I can't answer your question about which type of weapon is definitely the best, but I can offer some personal opinions..

When I started Risen I wanted to be a sword fighter, using a shield - and that also worked OK in the very beginning. I quickly came to a point where I had the fighting technique with sword/shield fairly well under control, and I could defeat most enemies I encountered with patience, concentration and a little luck. I was a bit frustrated with the low damage though.

In the bandit camp I saw a battle axe that could do 36 slashing damage with 20str - quite a lot, compared to the sword I had that did 15 slashing damage with 20str!
So I decided to try it out. It's a two-handed weapon, so you can't use a shield, and it's also a very slow weapon. But boy, does it pack a punch! I had also very early found a ring that gave axe +1, so I was able to do "power attacks" without spending LPs on the axe skill.

I found out that with correct timing I could deal massive damage, especially to the human opponents. In fact I had a quite easy time becomming the best fighter in the bandit camp with that axe - where I only barely defeated the medium fighters with my sword.

It is possible to block weapons with the axe, but not certain animal attacks - wolf bites and boar attacks for example.

So now I actually switch back and forth between axe and sword, depending on the type of the enemy. Axe is useful for the big powerful enemies where you quickly need to take away alot of their health. Sword/shield seems better for smaller enemies like the spiked rat, vultures and boars where it's important to be able to block their very fast (and quite nasty) attacks.

In the end I think (or hope) that I'll switch to sword entirely though. I think the axe is too slow for my preferred combat style.

[Gragnak]

I think the better weapon is the hammer.
I'm at the end of the 2nd chpater and the blacksmith in tha Bandit camp sells a lot of advanced weapons.
The best weapon is the warhammer = 95 dmg 75 str (if I remember well).
You can buy also advanced axes and swords but they do less damage.

The trainer for the axe is in the Don throne room (the big red ogre guarding the treasure) or in Harbor city (I'm not sure about this…)

[felthor]

I've recently started chapter 2, and if my memory serves me right you are right about that Gragnak, the "best" weapon is a warhammer with 96 dmg (requires 80 str)

I do however suspect that 2handed swords have a lot better range than "axes" don't really count a mace as an axe but whatever. Fighting animals with an axe is a bit risky as stated above, but i've found that if you manage to learn the correct timing, you can defeat most enemies without taking a single hit

Currently im occupied with speed leveling myself 4 levels so i can buy the hammer.. got 48 str.. anyone found a necklace with str or something? i've got the +3 str ring and the +1 axe ring equipped would really help if i could get those last 2 str so i won't have to bother leveling a whole level just for 2 str

[six30two]

Everyone seems to be forgetting the fact that if you invest your skill points into sword or axe, you WILL get the ability to wield 2 handed weapons with a single hand, meaning you can then carry a shield.

Also, high enough into the Axe skill, you will be able to attack faster with the axe, bringing it on-par with the sword speed (but still slow, if you're using 2 handed weapons, when compared to a 1h weapon.)

While you're stuck with a 2h weapon and fighting animals in the wild, the only trick you need to learn is a backwards dash (double-tapping your backwards movement key). Makes those unblockable attacks easy to avoid. It's all about timing.

Ultimately I think the best idea is to stick with ONE weapon style, considering that they both evolve the same way by level 10 - the only difference is Axes get a faster swing and the ability to wield with one hand, and Swords get the ability to wield Bastard Swords and 2h Swords with one hand (instead of a faster swing).

@Felthor: if you want to go digging around the forums, find the spoilers about where to find Souldrinker's hilt. In the chest that the hilt is in, there's a +5 str/+5 dex amulet. Alternatively, you could just run around looking for 2 ogreroot to eat to increase your str.

Edit:
@RivianWitch: the strongest weapons in the game, so far as I've seen, are sold by the vendor in the Bandit Camp (at least, in terms of sword/axe). I'm at the beginning of chapter 2 and he's selling a 95 dmg warhammer (axe skill). It beats the secret 2 handed sword weapons (Souldrinker/Stormwind) as far as I know, unless those weapons have secret properties - but I doubt this, as I tested them extensively. The only downside to the warhammer is that it's blunt damage, but considering it's a good 10 damage higher than the Berserker axe (which does blade damage), I think it evens out against enemies with blunt armor.

[felthor]

@ six30two

neat info tnx :D ill head that way after i've finished cleaning up all the side quests i've managed to collect =)

[RivianWitch]

Cool, thanks guys. Well, it's exactly the difference between my sword and that 36 damage axe in the bandit camp that made me decide to change to axe. I fought the same guy in the ring with the axe after fighting him with sword, and with the axe I defeated him in 3 or 4 blows!

With the axe, I can kill young sting rats and hungry wolves with a single blow.

That's a bargain if you decide to go out and hunt at night, to catch them sleeping, since wolves tend to get lots of bites in if you don't kill them quickly. I've got myself the "skinning" skill, since I used to make quite a lot of cash with that skill in Gothic 2 and 3; -so we'll see how it goes.

Admittedly normal wolves are a problem , since theyre' so fast, but.. -you win some, you lose some..

What six30two said, makes me lean all the more towards axes, if warhammer falls under your axe skill.

[felthor]

Did pick the warhammer up now, killing those ogres were kind of tough though :O

[KasperFauerby]

Yes, eventually you'll be able to wield 2h weapons as 1h and therefore also get a shield. I'm just worried about *when* that'll happen. I mean, if I only manage to get 10 points in axe in the last 10-15% of the game, then the shield might end up not mattering much (where I'll probably have uber armor, uber weapons, rings, amulets etc).

I think the choice between sword and axe also depends on how you want to play the rest of the game - where you *can't* use it with a shield :)

[Wulf]

I stayed permanently with the sword, forged bastards fetch a good price, learning the goldsmithing skill lets you add rare jewels to the forged swords with differing magical enhancements - thats a real winner for me.

[RivianWitch]

Hmm, though how easy are these jewels to find?

[Wulf]

Not sure yet what each jewel enhancement relates to. I think the jewels are used when at a goldsmithing bench, to make rings and amulets, not quite sure how it relates to weapons yet, probably means "protection against" - or even + as in +1 axe skill ring, or +mana ring etc' - i still need the higher smith skills to try them.

[Maylander]

Jewels are only used to craft rings and amulets (very powerful ones I might add).

The best weapon proficiency in the game is, in my opinion, the axe. They have higher base damage, and will end up with the exact same combo as swords. Staves do not have a shield option, and naturally loses because of it (shields rock).

Of course, you can actually craft swords, which you can't do with axes. This allows you to access some pretty decent swords before you'd get access to equal axes, granting them something of an edge for quite a while. Personally, I like swords for the fact that even at low ranks you can use both 2H and 1H + Shield, depending on what you're facing. Axes need rank 6+ to be wielded in 1H.

Still, from a strictly min/max point of view, they are the best in the end.

[six30two]

Why are people complaining about when they'll get it? Look at it in min-max terms. If you wait, you'll kick THAT much more ass.

You get it at Rank 6 - plus, there are TWO +1 axe rings to be found - one... I forget where, it's easy. The second is waaaaaay up in a chest in the upper right area above the Don's temple. If you go all the way up, following the river to the source of the waterfall at the edge of the map, there's a small camp (incidently, Doyle hides here, if anyone cares to know, in relation to a Harbortown quest). In this camp is a chest with a seal (I think it was for light healing) plus another +1 axe ring.

Aside from that, I had Rank 6 axe before I even got to the second chapter. It didn't take that long. Then again, I never ever ever waste time with stupid skills like smithing/lockpicking etc. unless I'm playing a tabletop rpg. Cause, face the facts, 2/3rds of the game is combat. The other 3rd is simply talking. You don't really need smithing or lockpicking (although Acrobatics and sneak are nice, but there are rings for those from Harbortown for free, if you know where to look - one comes from solving the Burglary quest, I think, and the other is buried on the side of Commadant Carlos' keep behind some bushes).

[Corwin]

I have to disagree that lockpicking is a waste of time acquiring. You can't bash chests open, so it is really a valuable skill.

[huggster]

Okay, so I have about 56 STR with amulet +15, 3 STR potion ready to drink, 15 LP, Level 2 sword, level 1 Axe, Hunter armour, Guard helm and shield. About level 10 I think, Chapter 2.
Best 2H is demonblade 66dam, best 1h is fine sword 35dam.
Should I stop training sword and put LP into axe? or pump 15 LP into STR plus potions? It seemed to me 2H swords are pretty slow anyway - as slow as hammers etc. Not too concerned about power levelling - but want to be training in 1 weapon type only.
Are hammers better against skeles?

[Maylander]

Once you get higher sword rank, you can use 2H sword as you'd use a 1H sword. I think it's rank 8. However, Axes get the same benefit already at rank 6, which is easy to get. The ring six30 can't remember where you get is actually in the swamp, near the "Disgusting Whatevers" (you kill them as part of a quest for Ricardo), so you can get +1 Axe for free.

If you want to be something of a min/max player, getting rank 6 Axe is definetly the way to go. You get such a smooth combo + high base damage. In my latest game I had rank 6 Axe already at level 7, wielding the Bearded Axe (base damage 48), which is way higher than most 1H weapons.

To get rank 6 Axe you need the very easy-to-get-ring from the swamp + 40 LPs put into Axe (you start at rank 1, so you only need to gain 5 ranks).

[huggster]

So I can use the heaviest 2H axes, 1H, at L6?
As opposed to L8 for 2H swords?
That is pretty sweet. Maybe you are winning me over!
I think I may have that Axe+1 ring already, at the bottom of my rucksack.
I guess I will keep a 1H sword / shield for wolves etc. for a while at least.
Is the reach on axes and hammers the same?

[MoonDragon]

L8 for swords is a charge up attack, if I'm not mistaken. I believe that using bastard swords as 1h is also L6 skill (or possibly L7).

[Maylander]

I thought Bastard sword in 1H was 6, and 2H weapons at 8. Might've been 6 and 7, not sure.

Anyway, you have both charge up attack and 2H + Shield at rank 6 Axe.

[taltamir]

there are 3 weapon styles:
1. large two handed weapon (where you hold a handle and swing), this does more damage and reach, but makes you easy to hit and can't block most things.
2. one handed weapon, allows shield in other hand, fast strikes… best
3. staff, hold with two hands in the middle, similar to 1.

Swords and axes are found of both type 1 and type 2… type 1 sucks..
the ultimate weapon is an hammer that is considered an AXE that gives +6 to axe (so don't get more than 4 axe) and is of type 2… aka, one handed and fast and allows a shield.

Do not waste a single point on weapon skills until you have gotten 100 str from training… only then can you put some points into it... but i wouldn't until the very end game... (aka, after you maxed out fireball)

[Maylander]

I don't agree with that at all. The most unbalanced skill in the game is Axe rank 6, where you turn into a mean-lean-fighting-machine. You don't need more than 30 strength to get the Bearded Axe (48 damage), which is capable of killing most foes in Chapter 1 and 2 with only a few power attacks.

For min/maxing purposes, rank 5 Axe + a ring of Axe +1 is the way to go. You can have that almost right away, and then use Shield + Bearded Axe for a long time. It's so much better than staves, 2H weapons or mere 1H weapons + shields (especially due to the range on power attacks).

[taltamir]

from what you are saying it sounds like you actually agree with most my points. You seem to disagree on either one of those two:
1. go to 100 str before putting any points into weapon fighting skills.
2. put 4 points in axe max, since you get +6 ultimate weapon.

for point 2, it should be obvious that if you put a few more points early on, it makes most of the game more enjoyable up to the "last bit"… You can get two +1 rings and base skill 4, that way you don't waste any learning points, you get your awesome attack, and can take the rings off later when no longer needed.
Personally, id max out fireball and forget about axe altogether (until after i maxed out fireball)

As for point 1. Going from 30 str (the min you say is needed) to 80 str is 50 LP. going from axe 1 to axe 6 is 50 LP…
STR 80 gets you better weapons combined with extra damage on every strike. (and you can freely change weapons without losing anything)
Rather than STR30 with one special attack that is very unbalancing according to you. and requires you to stick with a sub par axe for the majority of the game.

Now you can always invest in axe AFTER getting the str 100.

Anyways, we can agree to disagree on that one.

[Maylander]

Actually, it's not 50 points, it's 40, since you'll be using the Axe +1 ring you get at the start. Also, I would much rather have a fighter with 60 Strength + Rank 6 Axe than one with 100 Strength and Rank 2 Axe. Running around with a slow 2H weapon through most of the game means severly gimping yourself - the smooth, fast 1H combo with a shield is just that much better, both when fighting humanoids and beasts. Especially block is incredible, and almost a must-have for anyone who decides to go melee. I completed it once as a Warrior of the Inquisition with a staff, and boy that was hard compared to shield + weapon. I had to use a lot of frost crystal spells to freeze my enemies, or I wouldn't stand a chance. Ashbeasts especially were tearing me apart in melee.

The damage output at 60 strength + a good axe is more than enough to beat anything you come across, especially since you'll hit a whole lot faster (more hits = more damage) and take significantly less damage.

[huggster]

Yes I am using the 96dam War hammer now but will be pumping up my axe training at every chance. Groups of wolves are really tough as I am still slow. Getting used to rotating as I swing though. Its great fun in corridors though - esp against skellies, I can take them out like skittles!

Only 30 LP to go, 20 LP if I go get the second axe ring. Something for when I get home tonight!

[Maylander]

Being slow at hitting is simply suicidal against tougher opponents unless you always manage to line them up. You'll do much better once you get rank 6. Remember to always block by default when fighting (just hold the right mouse button down at all times unless you're doing something specific), and no enemies should be able to hurt you. Then you can simply hit when you see that the time is right.

To get a 2nd ring (I advice you to get it as fast as possible), go up behind the bandit camp, past the ogre. Jump up to the left, you'll face a lot of wolves. At one of the edges, you'll see across a chasm where there's a tent. Fly over using levitation, and you'll loot a 2nd ring in the chest there.

[huggster]

Cheers for the tip, I know where you mean. That ogre smacked me down one too many times .... i'll just run past a la Gothic 2.

[Maylander]

That should work. If it doesn't, you can always use a Speed scroll to run past him, or a Conjure Skeleton scroll to distract him (should even be able to kill him then, while the skeleton is distracting him).

[huggster]

Axe level 6 now, thanks for all your help ...

[Maylander]

Just wanted to add the sword progression (just checked it):
L6 = Bastard Sword 1H
L7 = Power attack
L8 = Imp parry
L9 = 2H -> 1H