Ok Bros, after the first experience with the DLC, let's rate two-handed weapons. I'll start:
- Greatsword: 9 / 10 Never bad, clearly the best vs mobs with it's versatile AOEs, reliable with the hitchance bonus. The 'Queen of all trades', if you will. Against strong single targets you'd rather have any other 2H weapon (except the Flail) though.
- Hammer: 8.5 / 10 Awesome vs armor, causes great, debuffing injuries, 100 % stagger for the normal attack puts almost every enemy at the back of the turn order, AOE often useful too.
- Axe: 6.5 / 10 Highest single target damage (theoretically) and great vs shields. Doesn't cause as handy injuries or status effects as the hammer though and the AOE can rarely be used.
- Mace: 5.5 / 10 A good debuff weapon against strong, single targets that are hard to debuff otherwise. No AOE though and the damage output isn't great either, a niche weapon.
- Flail: 3 / 10 Clearly the weakest one. You shouldn't have problems with shields once you start using 2H weapons anyway, so that quality falls flat, damage is bad even with headshots and 30% stunchance not reliable. AOE - see Axe.
Not everything needs to be balanced, but if you want a niche for every weapon, buff the flail a bit. What do you think?
Axe AOE is so strange. Why hitting even behind them is the only option for bros? Because waagh me slasha all? But they are humans. It is ok for the big berserker chain but makes no sense otherwise. I mean lorewise, for gameplay I guess axe with flexible aoe would be overpowered.
from Mechanics perspective I think axes and flails were designed with some sort of an invincible lone berserker in mind. An one man army, if you will. Tank but with devastating offence. you jump sideways, get surrounded, lone wolf procs, you do round swing, say hit 3 people, reach advantage procs and thats +15 to defenses for you. With berserk + killing frenzy you get to have another go, utterly devastating enemies. Injuries and possible stun from flail dont hurt either. Ideally you d have to find a super talented recruit for it, with 3 stars in fatique and melee def at least and enough base resolve not to break when he s surrounded. That effectively leaves hedges, sellswords and to a lesser extent wildmen and brawlers as viable options.