Battleaxe 5e Guide

What is a Battleaxe?

Battleaxes are one of the most distinctive and recognizable weapons used by warriors throughout D&D. These versatile weapons feature either a double bladed axe on top, or an axe with a blunt hammer on the backside. They are most commonly associated with fighters and barbarians, who use its light weight and tactical style to out maneuver their enemies in battle. However, it is also used by other warrior classes like paladins and rangers due to it ability to be wielded with a shield while still outputting good damage.

Battleaxe Property Breakdowns

Weapon type: Battleaxes are martial weapons, meaning they’re restricted to builds with proficiency in martial weapons. This puts them on par with the other d8 slashing weapon, the longsword.

Damage: A d8 damage dice is the best you can ask for when it comes to a one-handed weapon. When you wield the battleaxe with two hands, it does a d10 damage, but doesn’t come with the heavy property of a greataxe or greatsword that you can use with Great Weapon Master, or the reach and Polearm Master potential of a glaive.

Damage type: Damage types aren’t particularly important, but it can determine which of the Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything damage type feats you can use. Because they deal slashing damage, you’re battleaxe build opens up the Slasher feat, which is unfortunately the worst of the damage type feats.   

Properties: The battleaxe is a straightforward weapon with only a single property:

• Versatile: This allows you to wield the battleaxe one-handed for a d8 damage die or two-handed for a d10. If you’re going to wield this two-handed, you might as well choose a greataxe and get a d12 damage die. That is, unless you are a Small creature who can’t use Heavy weapons.

Battleaxe vs Longsword in 5e

The battleaxe is virtually identical to longswords in 5e. They both do 1d8 slashing damage and are versatile. The only difference is dwarves a racial get proficiency with battleaxes while elves get longsword proficiency.

Battleaxes are also 5 gp cheaper than longswords which can help you outfit your character if you’re on a budget.

Best Uses for Battleaxes in 5e

Seeing as they aren’t the most damaging, nor most tactical weapon in 5e, why would you choose a battleaxe instead of the myriad of other options? Well, here are some reasons you might pick up the battleaxe:

AC Priority

When wielding one-handed, battleaxes put out 1d8 damage which is on par with the best damage from one-handed weapons in 5e. This allows you to don a shield, which will bump your AC by 2. You can also choose the Dueling Fighting Style to bring your damage closer to what two-handed weapons can put out.

Dual Wielding

If you want to maximize your damage with a two-weapon fighting build in 5e, the battleaxe is a top pick. Keep in mind, you’ll have to grab the Dual Wielder feat has the battleaxe doesn’t have the Light property.

Non-Marital Dwarven Characters

If your dream character build wields a battleaxe but isn’t given the necessary proficiency by their class, instead of spending an ASI on picking up the Weapon Master feat, you can choose the dwarf race and get Dwarven Combat Training. This provides a proficiency with battleaxes that can help complete your build. 

Small Creature

Small creatures get disadvantage on attacks made with heavy weapons, which puts the greataxe, greatsword, and maul out of the question. If you’re looking to pull off a Small creature build that can still pump out melee damage with a two-handed weapon, you can choose to wield the battleaxe two-handed and score a d10 damage dice. 

Closing Words

Whether you are a battleaxe-wielding Barbarian looking to outpower your foes, or a lithe Ranger who wants to outskill their enemies with flurries of quick strikes, there is no doubt that this iconic D&D weapon has what it takes to get the job done. So be sure to add one to your battle-ready arsenal today!