Axes

Overview

Axes are heavy two-handed melee weapons in Crimson Desert built for raw power and area-of-effect destruction. They occupy the two-handed weapon slot and are prominently wielded by Oongka, the berserker companion, in gameplay demonstrations. Axes trade speed for devastating damage, capable of cleaving through groups of enemies with a single wide swing.

While axes share the two-handed category with greatswords and hammers, they carve out a distinct role by combining strong single-target hits with broad sweeping attacks. Their wide arcs make them particularly effective against clusters of enemies, and their ground-slam abilities can smash through enemy defenses.

Combat Style

Axe combat is defined by slow, deliberate swings that cover large areas. Light attacks deliver horizontal sweeps that can hit multiple enemies standing in front of the player. Heavy attacks wind up into powerful overhead chops and ground slams that create shockwaves, staggering nearby enemies even if the strike itself misses directly.

Oongka demonstrates both grounded and jumping area-of-effect attacks with axes in gameplay footage. The jumping attack allows players to close distance from above before slamming the axe into the ground, dealing damage in a radius around the impact point. This aerial approach is effective for initiating fights against grouped enemies.

The axe's main drawback is its slow attack speed and long recovery animations. Whiffing a heavy attack leaves the player exposed for a considerable time. Successful axe play requires reading enemy patterns carefully and committing to swings only when confident they will connect. The stamina system also factors heavily into axe combat, as heavy attacks consume stamina while light attacks do not.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Acquisition

Axes can be purchased from Equipment Shops, found in treasure chests, or dropped by heavy enemies and mini-bosses. Unique axes with special effects are available as rewards from boss encounters and quest completions. Enemy axes dropped on the battlefield can also be picked up and used immediately for experimentation.

Upgrading

Like all weapons, axes can be refined at a Blacksmith to increase base attack values. Refinement costs scale with each tier, and higher-tier upgrades require rarer materials from challenging regions. Abyss Gear sockets allow players to customize axes with augments that enhance area damage, increase stagger potential, or add elemental effects.

Recommended Playstyle

Axes reward aggressive players who enjoy crowd control and high-impact strikes. The ideal approach is to wait for groups of enemies to cluster together, then deliver a jumping slam or wide sweep to damage the entire group simultaneously. Against single targets, focus on timing heavy attacks during enemy recovery windows rather than trying to trade blows.

Fire elemental enhancements pair exceptionally well with axes. Fire spreads damage pressure across multiple targets, and the axe's wide arcs ensure that burn effects are applied to every enemy caught in the swing. This combination is one of the most effective crowd-clearing strategies in the game.

One-Handed Axes

In addition to two-handed greataxes, Crimson Desert features a selection of one-handed axes. These lighter weapons sacrifice some raw damage compared to their two-handed counterparts, but they allow Kliff to equip a shield or dual-wield with a second weapon. One-handed axes deliver wide, cleaving swings with consistent Critical Rate bonuses, making them popular choices for players who want chopping power without giving up off-hand flexibility.

One-handed axes cover a wide range of grades from Uncommon to Mythic. The Double-Headed Axe of Greed stands as the only Mythic-grade one-handed axe, while several Legendary options like the Black Iron Axe, Rhias's Axe, and Leofric Double-Headed Axe offer strong endgame alternatives.