You’re standing in the middle of a muddy dungeon floor, staring at the loot pile, and there it is: a gleaming, double-bitted hunk of sharpened steel. Most players—the ones who spent too much time reading DPR spreadsheets on Reddit—will tell you to drop the great axe dnd 5e and pick up a greatsword instead. They’ll ramble about "average damage" and "consistency." But honestly? They’re missing the point of why we play this game.
Dungeons & Dragons isn't a math simulator. It’s a game of moments.
The great axe is the king of the "holy crap" moment. It’s the weapon of choice for the Barbarian who wants to see the DM’s face turn pale when a critical hit lands. While a greatsword gives you a nice, safe floor for your damage, the great axe offers a ceiling that can literally end an encounter in a single swing. Let’s get into the weeds of why this d12 monster still holds a massive place in the 5th Edition meta, despite what the "2d6" crowd claims.
The Raw Math: D12 vs 2D6
Let's address the elephant in the room. If you look at the Player’s Handbook, the great axe deals 1d12 slashing damage. The greatsword deals 2d6.
Mathematically, the greatsword wins on average. You’re looking at an average of 7 damage per hit with a sword, while the axe sits at 6.5. Plus, you can't roll a 1 on a greatsword; the lowest you can get is a 2. With an axe, you can absolutely whiff it and deal a measly 1 damage before modifiers. It feels bad. It feels like you’ve tripped over your own feet in the middle of a bloodlust.
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But math is boring.
The d12 is the swingiest die in the bag. It’s unpredictable. When you roll a 2d6, your results tend to cluster around the middle (6, 7, 8). It’s a bell curve. The d12 is a flat line. You have the exact same 8.33% chance of rolling a 12 as you do a 1. That volatility is exactly what makes the great axe dnd 5e experience so distinct. It’s for the gambler. It’s for the player who doesn't want "reliable"—they want "explosive."
The Half-Orc and Barbarian Synergy
This is where the great axe stops being a "flavor choice" and starts being a tactical powerhouse. If you are playing a Half-Orc or a Barbarian (or god forbid, both), the greatsword is actually a trap.
Brutal Critical is the Game Changer
At 9th level, Barbarians get Brutal Critical. This allows you to roll one additional weapon damage die when you score a critical hit.
Think about that wording. One additional weapon damage die.
If you’re swinging a greatsword, your "weapon damage die" is a d6. So, on a crit, you’d roll 2d6 (base) + 2d6 (crit) + 1d6 (Brutal Critical) for a total of 5d6. That’s an average of 17.5 damage.
Now look at the great axe dnd 5e. You roll 1d12 (base) + 1d12 (crit) + 1d12 (Brutal Critical). That’s 3d12. The average? 19.5.
The gap only widens as you level up. By 17th level, a Barbarian adds three extra dice. A great axe crit becomes 5d12 (average 32.5), while a greatsword is 7d6 (average 24.5). That is an 8-point difference per crit. When you’re using Reckless Attack to fish for those 20s, that math starts to look very, very different.
Savage Attacks
Half-Orcs have the Savage Attacks racial trait. It works just like Brutal Critical. If you’re a Half-Orc Barbarian at level 9, you’re rolling 4d12 on a crit with an axe. You are basically a walking woodchipper.
The "Feel" of the Table
There is a psychological element to dnd that spreadsheets don't capture.
When the Fighter rolls 2d6 for the tenth time that night and gets a 7, everyone nods. It’s fine. It’s efficient. But when the Orc Barbarian drops a d12 and it lands on that big, beautiful 12? The table erupts.
It’s about the "swing."
The great axe represents the chaotic nature of combat. It represents a heavy, top-weighted tool that requires momentum. If you hit someone with a great axe, you aren't just cutting them; you are cleaving through bone. Jeremy Crawford and the design team at Wizards of the Coast clearly wanted weapons to have these minor trade-offs, even if the "average" damage seems lopsided at first glance.
Magic Items and the Great Axe
You’ve gotta think about the long game. Most campaigns eventually hand out magic loot. While the Holy Avenger is usually a sword, there are some incredible axes in the 5e ecosystem that make the great axe dnd 5e the superior choice for specific builds.
- Berserker Axe: It’s a +1 weapon that gives you extra HP, but it comes with a curse. For a Barbarian, the curse is almost a buff. You want to be in a frenzy.
- Vorpal Sword (Wait, no, the Axe version): While the PHB lists the Vorpal weapon as a sword, many DMs (myself included) are happy to reskin this as a Vorpal Greataxe. If you’re playing in a high-magic setting, ask your DM if "Vorpal" can apply to your axe. Cutting off heads is literally what axes were made for.
- Vicious Weapon: This is often overlooked. When you roll a 20, you deal an extra 7 damage. Combined with the d12 crit logic mentioned earlier, a Vicious Greataxe is a nightmare for bosses.
Common Misconceptions About Heavy Weapons
People see the "Heavy" property and get scared. They think it means you’re slow. In 5e, "Heavy" just means small creatures (Halflings, Gnomes) have disadvantage when using them. That’s it. It doesn’t affect your initiative. It doesn't take your bonus action.
Then there’s the "Two-Handed" property. Yes, you can't use a shield.
Is a +2 to AC worth losing the d12?
Honestly, if you're a Barbarian, your job is to take hits. You have a massive health pool and resistance to physical damage while raging. You don't need a shield. You need to kill the thing hitting you before it hits you again. The great axe dnd 5e is the best tool for that specific "offense is the best defense" philosophy.
Great Weapon Master: The Real Power Spike
You can't talk about two-handed weapons without talking about the Great Weapon Master (GWM) feat. This is the gold standard for melee damage.
GWM gives you two things:
- On a crit or a kill, you get a bonus action attack.
- You can take a -5 to hit for a +10 to damage.
The great axe dnd 5e thrives with GWM. Because you are already fishing for crits to maximize your d12s, you will trigger that bonus action attack more often than you think. And since Barbarians can use Reckless Attack to get advantage, that -5 penalty is easily mitigated.
Imagine this: You Reckless Attack. You crit. You roll 3d12 + 15 (Strength + GWM). Then, because you critted, you use your bonus action to swing again. Even if the second hit isn't a crit, it's still 1d12 + 15.
That is how you delete a Young Red Dragon in two rounds.
When Should You Actually Use a Greatsword?
I’m an expert, so I have to be honest: the axe isn't always the king.
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If you are playing a Paladin, the greatsword is generally better. Why? Because Paladins don't get Brutal Critical. Their damage comes from Divine Smite, which adds d8s. Since they don't have a class feature that rewards a single big weapon die, they benefit more from the consistency of 2d6.
The same goes for Fighters who aren't going the Champion subclass. If you don't have an increased crit range or extra crit dice, the 7 average damage of a greatsword will technically outperform the 6.5 of an axe over a long campaign.
But you aren't here because you want to be "technically" better. You’re here because you want to bury an axe head into a giant’s skull.
Making the Choice
The great axe dnd 5e is a statement. It says your character doesn't care about finesse. It says you trust your luck. It says that when the chips are down, you’d rather have the chance to roll a 12 than be stuck with a pair of 3s.
If you’re building a character right now, look at your race and class features.
- Are you a Half-Orc? Get the axe.
- Are you a Barbarian? Get the axe.
- Are you a Champion Fighter? Get the axe.
- Do you just think axes look cooler? Get the axe.
At the end of the day, dnd is about the story. Nobody remembers the time the Fighter did a consistent 8 damage every turn for three years. They remember the time the Barbarian rolled a 12 on the die, doubled it on a crit, added their Brutal Critical, and cleaved a lich in half.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Session
- Check your math: If you're a Barbarian level 9 or higher, swap your greatsword for a great axe dnd 5e immediately to maximize your Brutal Critical feature.
- Talk to your DM: Ask if they use the "Cleave" optional rule from the Dungeon Master’s Guide (page 272). This allows leftover damage from a killing blow to carry over to an adjacent enemy—a rule that feels tailor-made for the high-damage ceiling of an axe.
- Fish for Advantage: Always look for ways to get advantage (like Reckless Attack or knocking an enemy prone) to increase your crit frequency.
- Visualize the hit: Don't just say "I hit for 12." Describe the weight of the axe and the sound of the impact. The great axe is a visceral weapon; play it that way.
The d12 is waiting. Stop playing it safe and start swinging for the fences.