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What Is the Best Greataxe in D&D 5e? A 2014 and 2024 Rules Comparison

The greataxe's value in D&D 5e depends on your rules version and on whether your character can use its 2024 Cleave mastery. Here is how the stats, Cleave, and alternatives compare.
WorldD&D 5e? A 2014 and 2024 Rules Comparison Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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There is no single best greataxe in D&D 5e. The weapon’s core stats are the same in the 2014 and 2024 rules, but the 2024 version adds a mastery property, Cleave, which only helps a character who can actually use it. The greataxe is a strong choice when your table uses the 2024 rules, your character has access to weapon mastery, and you regularly fight groups of enemies. Outside those conditions, its value depends on the damage dice you care about and whether reach matters for your position in combat.

Greataxe stats by rules version

Name the rules version before comparing weapons, because the 2024 entry adds a property the 2014 entry does not have.

Property 2014 Basic Rules 2024 rules
Cost 30 gp 30 GP
Weight 7 lb. 7 lbs
Damage 1d12 slashing 1d12 slashing
Properties Heavy, Two-Handed Heavy, Two-Handed, Cleave
Weapon classification Martial melee weapon not stated in the 2024 equipment entry
Mastery property None in the 2014 rules Cleave

The 2014 values come from the 2014 Basic Rules as published by Wizards of the Coast and presented on D&D Beyond. The 2024 values come from the greataxe entry in D&D Beyond’s 2024 equipment listing.

How Cleave works

Cleave is a weapon mastery property. It only applies when your character has a feature that lets them use the mastery of this weapon. When it applies, the sequence is:

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  1. Make a melee attack with the greataxe against a creature and hit it.
  2. Look for a second creature that is within 5 feet of the first and within your reach.
  3. Make one weapon attack against the second creature.
  4. On a hit, the second creature takes weapon damage. Your ability modifier is left out of that damage unless it is negative.
  5. Use this extra attack no more than once per turn.

Suppose your Strength modifier is +3 and you hit a goblin with a second goblin standing beside it. The second goblin takes 1d12 damage on a hit, not 1d12 + 3. That makes Cleave most useful against lined-up or clustered enemies, not as a way to add a large second attack to a single target.

Greataxe versus the greatsword and reach weapons

For a plain comparison of base damage dice, the greatsword’s 2d6 averages 7 damage, while the greataxe’s 1d12 averages 6.5. That is a comparison of the dice alone, not a claim that one weapon is better overall, and it ignores the character’s ability modifier, proficiency, and any class features.

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Weapon Base damage Average of base damage Notable property for this comparison
Greataxe (2014) 1d12 slashing 6.5 Heavy, Two-Handed
Greataxe (2024) 1d12 slashing 6.5 Heavy, Two-Handed, Cleave
Greatsword 2d6 7 Properties not compared in this article
Glaive or halberd Not compared in this article Not compared in this article Reach

A single larger die behaves differently from two smaller dice when a feature adds or rerolls damage dice, so a feature of that kind can change which weapon comes out ahead. Reach is a separate advantage: a reach weapon lets you strike from a different position, which can matter more than a small difference in average damage.

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How to choose for your table

Work through these questions in order.

  1. Which rules version does the table use? Under the 2014 rules, Cleave does not exist, so compare the greataxe on base damage and other properties. Under the 2024 rules, check the next questions.
  2. Is the goal single-target damage or hitting a second nearby enemy? Single-target work favors the greatsword’s higher base average. Clustered enemies favor Cleave.
  3. Does the character have a feature that changes damage dice or grants weapon mastery? A damage-dice feature can shift the comparison, and weapon mastery is required before Cleave can be used.
  4. Does reach matter for this build and encounter? If it does, a glaive or halberd deserves a closer look alongside the greataxe.

Choose the greataxe when

  • Your table uses the 2024 rules and your character can use the greataxe’s mastery.
  • You regularly fight groups of enemies that stand within reach of one another.
  • You want to keep the 1d12 die for features that add or reroll damage dice.

Consider another weapon when

  • Your table uses the 2014 rules and you care only about base damage, where the greatsword’s 2d6 average of 7 is higher.
  • Your character needs reach for positioning more than they need Cleave.
  • Your character cannot use weapon mastery and mostly fights single targets.

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