Flail of Ages +5 vs. Axe of the Unyielding +5

fivetigers

Just curious if anyone knows offhand, or could test this, but which of these two weapons kills things faster? The flail clearly has better damage, but the axe has 10% autokill.

I don't know how many HP most of the enemies in ToB have to know whether or not the 10% autokill will actually speed up killing things, or if the axe will be killing things quickly enough and the autokill will barely be noticeable.

elminster

To be honest the fact that you can use Improved Haste with the axe (without resorting to switching weapons around to avoid a free action effect) is probably the thing that is more in its favour.

DreadKhan

Slow really makes FoA +5 insanely good. You cant IH, but you can gww.

Tresset

fivetigers said:

but the axe has 10% autokill.

Actually it offers a save vs. death at -4 to avoid the insta-kill.

So the 10% insta-kill will not always work even if you do get a 10% hit with the axe. That said, the Flail of Ages may be better. However, as said before, you will not be able to haste with it, but you will be able to Greater Whirlwind with it. I guess it just depends on how much you use Improved Haste then.

TJ_Hooker

If you're really looking to maximize damage, it may be optimal to leave the flail as +4, cast Improved Haste, and then use Critcial Strike. I'm not sure though, as I'm too lazy to crunch the numbers right now.

CaloNord

Dual wield.

Dazzu

GWW can get around the Free Action. Super weapons with Free Action (FoA5, Ixl's) would do well to stock up on these at level up.

wampa

They're both great weapons you can't really go wrong with, certainly two of the best 1-handed weapons in ToB.

FoA is slightly more defensively oriented in my mind, and is arguably better for mage battles. Free Action is a great effect defensively and elemental damage is nice for interrupting spellcasting through stoneskins or mantles.

Yes, Axe has a save associated with it, but a -4 modifier is rather good as far as save-able effects go. I'd probably go Axe on a F/M or Bard, simply because I could memorize plenty of IH's and GM's to take advantage of the Axe's effects rather easily.