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The greataxe/battleaxe was a specialist shock weapon, meaning it was for very offensive purposes, a trained wielder could use it to surprise enemies and very easily cleave through them, or at least shatter bones underneath their armour.

An angry charge on front ranks was never a clever idea with any foot soldier type, but with aggressive types like berserkers using battleaxes, flanking attacks could frighten or even panic less disciplined soldiers, or at least cause significant casualties.

Unlike swordsmen, axemen and spearmen, greataxe wielders were not frequently used as they each needed excessive strength to use such heavy weapons properly and not clumsily, not to forget that they were extremely vulnerable to projectile weapons of any kind.

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11y ago

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