Handmaiden with Axe

Although this isn't a meta build, you'll carve through armor like butter with very fast attacks and lots of huge crits~

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We are basically stacking some attack speed, block cost reduction, and spamming push attacks (which we can do on Handmaiden) for crits so we get swift slaying procs to turn ourselves into a Chaos Warrior Patrol killing machine.

Your main job is to kill anything that isn't trash very quickly, and using your dash invisibility to kill specials uncontested. You have okay horde clearing, but that's not where this build shines.

This is what we are taking advantage of for the most part and what i believe makes axe a great weapon.

I like to run stamina for spamming push attacks, and block cost reduction. Swift slaying will proc from the push attack because it has a +20% chance crit modifier, this is huge because you'll be spamming it a lot.

Necklace i always run Health, Block cost reduction, and Barkskin on every single character.

I run Power vs. Chaos and Power vs. Armor since chaos have the most health, armor is just armor :) Also running Decanter.

For trink on Handmaiden I use Revive Speed for instant revive memes with her passive, and Crit chance . Explosive Ordinance is just a random pick, i normally go with Shrapnel for that 20% extra damage.

And weapon that can reliably kill specials works (Moonfire bow, Longbow, Javaline) with Power vs. Armored and Power vs. Infantry since most specials you cant one shot are in one if not both of those categories. You could also run Power vs Monsters for more boss damage and packrats.

5 take Marital Blessing for temp health on killing blows.

10 Asrai Alacrity makes your push attack combo have more attack speed and power.

15 Smiter because we are single target

20 Wraith-Walk lets you squeeze out of situations youd normally be die in.

25 Birch Stance 30% more Block cost reduction is just so good

30 Gift of Ladrielle. From reviving teammates to taking out specials this definitely trumps the other two imo.
Also tiny little side note- the dash does not dodge attacks. Always block during your dash, especially when using the other two talents or you'll eat 15 hits to the face

The axe light combo goes as follows: Sweeping attack>overhead>Rising attack (from the ground up)> another sweeping attack. This combo is mediocre at best.

The heavies are all slower overheads.

The push attack is a fast sweeping attack with a +20%chance crit modifier, and does not count as part of the light attack chains so you can have two fast sweeping attacks back to back.

The axe combo we will be using:
Push attack> light> repeat

With the level 10 talent this combo is very fast when you're pushing enemies, and swift slaying turns you into a lawn mower. The axe does have a tiny bit of cleave, but i mainly try and focus the armored enemies and specials.

The second light in the combo is an overhead, so when faced against an armored enemy you can use Push attack> light> light. The third light attack is really bad, I would just spam push attacks rather than spamming lights.

I never use heavy attacks because i find getting crits from push attacks is just safer and faster.

When you're running out of stamina just add another light or two until your stamina refills faster than you're using it because of Handmaidens passive.

Its defiantly not Sword and Dagger good, but i do believe axe is very under rated. Also i dont think axe is very good on either of the other two careers since you cant spam push attacks, you dont have passive stamina regen, and also SD just a better weapon, but it is my favorite weapon in the game :)

Feel free to leave your thoughts! Do you like axe? Do you think its viable outside of Handmaiden?