Simple Really [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Which Is better?

There is no better.... but if you are better with one then use that. I would think Greatsword since they are popular hack n slash weapons.

If you´re an Half-orc it looks alot cooler with Greataxe ;)

My Dwarf would be satisfied with nothing other than a Greataxe. ;)

Greatsword:
*Damage: 2d6
*Critical: 19-20/x2
*Weight: 15

Greataxe:
*Damage: 1d12
*Critical: x3
*Weight: 20

As you can see a greatsword does between 2-12 points of damage while a greataxe does 1-12. You have a greater chance of scoring a critical hit with a GS but you do more damage on one if you use a GA. The weight should be negligible. Also noteworthy on the weapons I compared is that the GA costed 54g while the GS costed 137g, more than twice as much.

This choice all boils down to what you yourself want to use and the availability of magical varieties of these weapons.

Warning minor spoil cummin up
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remember to get the book of forges from marrok in the smithy and compare the magic greatsword vs. the magic greataxe ( if such one does exists )


J.

On average, a greatsword will deal a basic 7 points of damage, for the axe this is 6.5. There is also the lighter weight to consider.
Critical-hitwise they are very nearly equal. Having double the threat range of the greataxe but doing half the extra damage means they are equal, with two exceptions.

The first is that the concentrated damage from the axe may enable it to strike through a damage resistance the greatsword cannot.

The second is that against enemies that require a 20 or more on your attack roll to hit for at least one of your attacks. If this is the case, rolls of 19 for those attacks will miss and you basically reach only half the effect of a critical hit. Which means that under such circumstances, your sword will lose a third of its striking power.

Considering that many enemies tough enough to make the axe the better weapon are either rare, immune to critical hits, or shouldn't even be attempted at your level, on the whole the lighter weight and greater average damage of the greatsword would gain preference over the greataxe.

However, once you start pouring feats and weapon abilities into the equation, particularly improved critical and/or possibly, you see the threat ranges improve to 17-20 or even 15-20 for the greatsword, opposed to a 19-20 or 18-20 for the greataxe.
Enemies that require more than 17 to hit on your worst attack are already much more common, even more so those who require more than 15. Which means that when comparing keen weapons plus improved critical feats, the greatsword is becoming less efficient compared to the greataxe.

Of course, you should simply go with whatever looks better (as always) rather than worrying over a few points of damage

well said Legolas, of course the ultimate keen/improved crit weapon combo is scimitar/rapier (I lean towards rapier because it can be used with weapon finesse for lighter fighters/rogues/rangers who have more dex than strength)

with that combo you can get the threat range to 16-20 from improved critical, and down once more to 14-20(or 12-20 I'm not sure which is correct) with keen, making 30-40% of SWINGS criticals, granted you maximum damage per swing is less but the greater % of crits can make up for that.

back on topic: the stonefire axe from the weaponsmith is a good solid weapon, and the elemental damage it does per swing is also tripled on a critical, I'm not sure what the special greatsword does, but getting 3x the elemental damage on a crit is a nice bonus on top of the other critical damage.

The two "biggies" in their respective weapon classes are:

Greatsword = Dagger of Chaos: +2, 50% chance of confusion (2 rounds), +3 vampiric regeneration. (not exactly a paladin's weapon and yet this is often considered the paladin's weapon class of choice, the other being a bastard sword.) This weapon's focus is Defensive in nature (with the vampic regen. and the confusion).

List Here: http://www.gamebanshee.com/neverwint...reatswords.php

Great axe = Axe of the Culling: +3, 1d6 of fire, on hit dispell magic DC-14. Fantasic for the prototypical fighter/barbarian because it fills in precisly where they are weak, both offensive "magic" with elemental damage that bleeds through magical shields AND counter magic to try and remove those shields. Obviously this weapon is Offensive in nature.

List Here:
http://www.gamebanshee.com/neverwint.../greataxes.php

However neither are available until VERY late in the game (I think character level 16) as variable treasure in the "good" chests. So I guess its a matter of which weapon do you want to take to HOTU? (Or you could make your own.)