Axes are the favorite weapons of barbarians and rangers. While a common use for an axe is to chop firewood, if you want to use an axe for a weapon, you'll find that your targets are not as easy as a tree to hit, since they tend to try to avoid you, making it difficult to hit them with full force. Axes, to the unskilled user, are very unwieldy to use, due to the differences in balance between an axe, and say a sword, or a club. Axes are very top heavy. In order to be able to hit your foe solidly, you must know how to swing an axe smoothly, or all you will end up with, are glancing blows, not the flesh ripping direct hits you yearn for.