Guild Wars 2

I’ve been seeing more and more warriors with dual axes oddly enough. However everything here on the forums states otherwise that it’s one of the worst combinations of dual wielding weapons for warriors.

Is it really a lost cause?

I use it for tagging in wvw and pve when I’m trying to farm loot bags. It’s bad for everything else.

It’s because the 5 on ace off hand does less damage than the axe auto on main hand

There is a use for axe 5 in the grawl fractal on the last boss to strip its shield before it kills a hostage. This is the ony time i use axe offhand.

sinzer.4018:

There is a use for axe 5 in the grawl fractal on the last boss to strip its shield before it kills a hostage. This is the ony time i use axe offhand.

i dont believe it works that way anymore. now one skill count as one attack

Simon.3794:

sinzer.4018:

There is a use for axe 5 in the grawl fractal on the last boss to strip its shield before it kills a hostage. This is the ony time i use axe offhand.

i dont believe it works that way anymore. now one skill count as one attack

When would you say it changed? I’ve not had that fractal in a few months. If that’s the case it’ll be time to salvage that axe.

I use axe offhand almost exclusively. Although axe 5 does less damage than auto attack, I found it can refill adrenaline quickly. After using f1, then 5, I can refill adrenaline before the cool down. That way I can spend traits and utilities on other things, rather than adrenaline building.

Just me though

I tried to find a use for whirling axe before and I couldn’t find it practical outside of refilling Adrenaline or tagging mobs.

^same, I tried to make use of the whirl mechanic, but it only procs once or twice in a fire field…

Offhand 5 is good for tagging mobs. Also keep in mind you can dodge and keep hitting stuff (with reckless dodge the damage adds up, too) with this skill.

pdavis.8031:

I use axe offhand almost exclusively. Although axe 5 does less damage than auto attack, I found it can refill adrenaline quickly. After using f1, then 5, I can refill adrenaline before the cool down. That way I can spend traits and utilities on other things, rather than adrenaline building.

Just me though

It’s a bit overkill though as generally you can build your adrenaline up before the CD’s over on a single target anyway. Against 2 or more it can get ridiculous even without any sort of trait that boosts adrenaline. Hitting 3 enemies with your axe AA you’ll be full adrenaline well before the AA chain ends.

In my current all dps mace/mace and axe/axe build “Whirling Axe” melts practically everything. I can do 10K damage to 5 people. Seems nice to me.

Fury burst is nice for trash. Otherwise not terribly useful.

sinzer.4018:

pdavis.8031:

I use axe offhand almost exclusively. Although axe 5 does less damage than auto attack, I found it can refill adrenaline quickly. After using f1, then 5, I can refill adrenaline before the cool down. That way I can spend traits and utilities on other things, rather than adrenaline building.

Just me though

It’s a bit overkill though as generally you can build your adrenaline up before the CD’s over on a single target anyway. Against 2 or more it can get ridiculous even without any sort of trait that boosts adrenaline. Hitting 3 enemies with your axe AA you’ll be full adrenaline well before the AA chain ends.

Yes you can build your adrenaline up on a single mob quickly, if you trait for it. In my experience, I can build it faster using axe 5, than just AA. It tends to take a bit longer just using AA to build adrenaline. Against multiple mobs, yeah I can build it fast without axe 5, but axe 5 helps tag more mobs, as well as helping bring them down a little quicker, and quickly building adrenaline.

Unless I’m doing something wrong, I tend to like axe 5 for tagging and adrenaline building, out of the dual wield weapon combos I’ve used.

right now im using axe/mace, and im trying to find that “balance” where it performs well in most situations ya know? I guess it was just throwing me off seeing more than a few warriors walking around with dual axes.

Warrior Axe #5 should be better than the thief when it steals the skill, The thief reflects warrior doesn’t, never understood that. I still use it because I like it is 10k damage to 5 mobs all around you and a good skill to fill up adrenaline only for PvE.

xbutcherx.3861:

Warrior Axe #5 should be better than the thief when it steals the skill, The thief reflects warrior doesn’t, never understood that. I still use it because I like it is 10k damage to 5 mobs all around you and a good skill to fill up adrenaline only for PvE.

It could stay exactly as is damage wise and I would consider using it if it reflected projectiles. That sort of utility is what it lacks. I’m still not a fan of Dual Strike though, Warriors don’t really need extra Fury and landing it can be clunky on moving targets. I get the idea is that you get just enough Fury time that you have increased crit chance during Whirling Axe but I would prefer something different.

It’s not an unsalvageable weapon, it just needs that reflect utility.

pdavis.8031:

sinzer.4018:

pdavis.8031:

I use axe offhand almost exclusively. Although axe 5 does less damage than auto attack, I found it can refill adrenaline quickly. After using f1, then 5, I can refill adrenaline before the cool down. That way I can spend traits and utilities on other things, rather than adrenaline building.

Just me though

It’s a bit overkill though as generally you can build your adrenaline up before the CD’s over on a single target anyway. Against 2 or more it can get ridiculous even without any sort of trait that boosts adrenaline. Hitting 3 enemies with your axe AA you’ll be full adrenaline well before the AA chain ends.

Yes you can build your adrenaline up on a single mob quickly, if you trait for it. In my experience, I can build it faster using axe 5, than just AA. It tends to take a bit longer just using AA to build adrenaline. Against multiple mobs, yeah I can build it fast without axe 5, but axe 5 helps tag more mobs, as well as helping bring them down a little quicker, and quickly building adrenaline.

Unless I’m doing something wrong, I tend to like axe 5 for tagging and adrenaline building, out of the dual wield weapon combos I’ve used.

Even without traits. I only run with 3 in disc for fast hands as i can’t live without it but still, the full AA chain maxes my adrenaline without weapon swapping before the burst’s CD is up.

Yeah, it’s useful for a quick adrenaline regen at the start or if you’re having trouble hitting enemies it’s just axe off hand is really lackluster. All it provides is generally provided for better elsewhere.

I’ve tried in the past to create an axe/axe build, ran it for a few months in <level20 fractals. It did quite well. I actually quite like axe4, i know it’s just added fury but it means you can drop SoR for the banner and still have perma fury.

If BurrTheKing’s suggestion in this thread (axe5 giving projectile reflect) were the case i’d probably be joining you with the dual axes.

Yeah I wouldn’t mind projectile reflection at all. But right now A/A is my favorite weapon sets. It may be lack luster, but I feel I’m doing more with it than anything else I’ve run.

tbh i do think all our off hands are pretty lackluster :p

I like the look of dual axes, axe 4 has my fave animation as you’re using both hands.

I’d much rather just activate my signet of fury for adrenaline or just axe AA until it fills than use axe offhand. It really is bad, and it’s kind of irritating how bad it is.

sinzer.4018:

Simon.3794:

sinzer.4018:

There is a use for axe 5 in the grawl fractal on the last boss to strip its shield before it kills a hostage. This is the ony time i use axe offhand.

i dont believe it works that way anymore. now one skill count as one attack

When would you say it changed? I’ve not had that fractal in a few months. If that’s the case it’ll be time to salvage that axe.

It didn’t if that was the case 100b would be the same way and it isn’t.

sinzer.4018:

tbh i do think all our off hands are pretty lackluster :p

I like the look of dual axes, axe 4 has my fave animation as you’re using both hands.

This isn’t true its just no offhand works for everything

• Mace gives you a cleave vlun and KD for trash mobs and some bosses
• Sword gives you a block while maintaining DW
• Warhorn is good for trash mobs due to its AoE Weakness and Vigor
• Axe 5 when used in large groups (5 or more? I’m not sure) is actually a DPS increase
• Shield is useful for running, especially in a solo setting

Axe and shield happen to be the worst choice of off hands even with the new DWA trait. Sorry about the double post I really need to finish reading threads before posting :/.

my thing with axe offhand is that it’s just damage, and that’s it. The other off hands have some kind of utility function.

As posts above have stated before me, if they gave axe 5 a reflect, or maybe even adjust its damage so that it does more to single target, and having that damage divide itself evenly the more targets there are, I’d use it again.

Having a frostfang for a skin, i’d like to use that in my off-hand too, it just looks awesome haha. But axe off-hand skills are..lacking

Seerstrange.4723:

sinzer.4018:

Simon.3794:

sinzer.4018:

There is a use for axe 5 in the grawl fractal on the last boss to strip its shield before it kills a hostage. This is the ony time i use axe offhand.

i dont believe it works that way anymore. now one skill count as one attack

When would you say it changed? I’ve not had that fractal in a few months. If that’s the case it’ll be time to salvage that axe.

It didn’t if that was the case 100b would be the same way and it isn’t.

You’re correct, i got that fractal last night and it still worked.

I can see everyones beef with axe5 being lackluster in certain instances but there are definitely positive uses for it. As already mentioned above, using axe5 to regen adrenaline is great. I have reduced weap swap build with reduced cd on burst skills. My whole build focuses around burst f1 output and regen on adren is key for both my weap sets.

Using axe5 when hitting multiple target keeps pressure on all of them and is better dps in that situation.

Someone mentioned above that axe5 only procs 2 times in fire field, my experience is quite different. Axe5 procs about 6-7 times (have not counted but notably more than 2) in fire, poison, water fields and is super useful because of it when running with groups. Axe2 only procs twice in these fields.

I do like axe4 as well in addition to the relatively short cooldowns for both oh axe skills. My opinion is axe oh is situational (like most oh skills) and has applicable synergies depending on your build/group. So no, its not a lost cause, and in fact I find the burst build setup I am currently running is an excellent counter to the cc spamming Warr hammer build (which there are plenty of in wvw). But to each their own.

You can play however you want. You don’t have to cave into the perceived mentality that everyone should only use 1 setup. Axe 5 skill is good for tight groups of mobs. Every other warrior ability cleaves up to 3 targets, skill 5 for axe hits up to 5. So when there are more then 3 targets in range it actually starts doing more damage then any other 1 hand ability. Its also good for gaining adrenaline fast.

GS and axe/axe is pretty fun in fights where you don’t have to be range. Since GS gives hundred blades and a few escapes and axe offers crit application with skill 4 and a hard hitting burst skill, its pretty engaging switching it off between the 2 weapon setups.