Marauder's Arm
Marauder's Arms are weapons used by 
marauders and 
warriors. They consist of 2-handed greataxes.
| Item | Icon | Level | Item Level | Requirement | Damage (Type) | Materia Slots | Stats and Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augmented Hellhound Battleaxe | 
|
1 | 1 | MRD WAR | 9 
|
0 | |
| Black Hyposkhesphyra | 
|
1 | 1 | MRD WAR | 9
|
0 | |
| Blackbosom Grim Reaper | 
|
1 | 1 | MRD WAR | 9
|
0 | |
| Bloody Anne | 
|
1 | 1 | MRD WAR | 9
|
0 | |
| Figmental Fish Stick | 
|
1 | 1 | MRD WAR | 9
|
0 | |
| Giant Axe | 
|
1 | 1 | MRD WAR | 9
|
0 | |
| Greycloud | 
|
1 | 1 | MRD WAR | 9
|
0 | |
| Hellhound Battleaxe | 
|
1 | 1 | MRD WAR | 9
|
0 | |
| Shoryu Axe | 
|
1 | 1 | MRD WAR | 9
|
0 | |
| Stampede | 
|
1 | 1 | MRD WAR | 9
|
0 | |
| Tarnished Darkness | 
|
1 | 1 | MRD WAR | 9
|
0 | |
| Tropaios War Axe | 
|
1 | 1 | WAR | 9
|
0 | |
| Weathered War Axe | 
|
1 | 1 | MRD WAR | 8
|
0 | |
| Bronze War Axe | 
|
5 | 5 | MRD WAR | 11 12
|
0 | Strength +1 1 |
| Bronze Labrys | 
|
8 | 8 | MRD WAR | 13 14
|
0 | Strength +2 2 |
| Cloud Axe | 
|
10 | 10 | MRD WAR | 14 16
|
0 | Strength +2 2 Vitality +1 1 Direct Hit Rate +2 2 |
Lore
Just as with swords, the history of axes can be traced back to the dawn of early civilization. Axes of flint and polished stone were used to fell forests—clearing the land for farms and villages, and providing the lumber with which those settlements would be constructed. Axe-like blades were outfitted to tools that would till the earth and carve stone from the mountains. Over the centuries, the size and shape of these items would slowly be adapted to their specific tasks—the haft and head of a hatchet growing smaller so as to allow for the swifter hewing of logs, the bit of a pickaxe growing pointed that it might better carve mineral from the wall of a mine. And then came the battleaxe, though it was not until stone blades gave way to those of bronze and brass that the traditional tool of toil completed its transformation into an instrument of death.
The advantages granted by a greataxe on the field of battle are numerous, provided one has the prodigious strength necessary to properly wield the massive weapon. The blade’s keen twin edges can be used to tear asunder even the thickest of plate armor, whereas the flat can provide a nigh-indefensible blow to both helm and the head within. A greataxe’s value in war, however, need not be limited to the slaying of men. It can also be used as a tool to carve pillars for palisades or siege engines, or make quick work of those raised by the enemy.
Prominent Designs
War Axe
In past ages, rulers fearful of the common man rising up against their power would oft forbid the possession of weapons by all but those conscripted to their armies. Such laws, however, could rarely stand in the way of a man and his freedom, and equipped with naught save the selfsame axe he used to cut his family’s firewood would he march on the lords who would see him suffer.
Labrys
Originally a raider's weapon, it was during the mid to late Second Astral Era that, for reasons unknown, the twin-headed labrys became a symbol of the ruling churches, and its use was restricted to sacred religious ceremonies and sacrificial rites.
Bhuj
A traditional battleaxe of central-southern Ilsabard and the isle of Thavnair, the curved bhuj first made its way into Eorzea by means of Ala Mhigan trade routes in the early Sixth Astral Era. The head’s weight makes for remarkably clean cuts, and as such, has become the favored tool amongst the realm’s headsmen.
Bardiche
Though records claim the first bardiche was crafted by Ilsabardian Elezen following the dawn of the Sixth Astral Era, the name has since been applied to any two-handed battleaxe with a narrow crescent head, regardless of whether or not they were forged post-great flood.
Round Axe
A queer bastardization of the bardiche, the round axe features a hinged circular blade that can be folded down the center. Despite being not particularly effective in battle and highly prone to rust, for many summers such weapons were in vogue amongst self-proclaimed heroes and would-be adventurers.
Storm Officer's Labrys
Designed for use by middle- to high-ranking officers within the Maelstrom of Limsa Lominsa, the labrys’s anchor-like blade not only provides for maximum damage in close-combat situations, it can also be used to hook onto a ship's rails when boarding an enemy vessel.
Martial Axe
While a thousand years of conflict 'twixt man and dragon saw design in the majority of Ishgard’s weaponry shift from short and bulky to long and light, there still exist some stout blades such as the martial axe to deal with matters less draconic—namely heretics whose transformation into scalebound horrors can only be prevented by swift and clean decapitation.
Kintoki
Named for the Doman youth who wielded the axe until his untimely death at the age of but seventeen summers, Kintoki was not originally crafted for use in battle, but to fell timber. So strong was the young warrior that it is said he needed only one hand to see his enemies cloven cleanly in two.
Nymian Royal Marine Battleaxe
With a haft longer than the arms of the men and women who wielded it, this weapon of choice for the Nymian Royal Marines of the Fifth Astral Era is more a halberd than it is a conventional axe. The extra reach provided by the extended haft and crescent granted the soldiers an exceptional advantage on the battlefield.
Conquerer
When the Marauders' Guild was still run by Lominsan pirates, each year they would "award" the captain who scuttled the most vessels with a dual-edged axe crafted by none other than master weaponsmith Gerolt Blackthorn himself (on account of the local Blacksmiths' Guild outright refusing). This tradition was silently abandoned following the Seventh Umbral Era and the subsequent restructuring of many of the city-state's guilds.
Ukonvasara
A marriage of Gerolt Blackthorn’s skill and Ardashir Balyk’s ingenuity, Ukonvasara is a prototype of one of the pair's famed “anima weapons.” Having achieved cognitive self-awareness, the axe will pulse with an aetherial light synchronized to the wielder's battle-heightened humours.
Farsha
Handed down through countless generations, this axe has spent most of its existence in the hands of Berserk warriors hailing from a Hellsguard village hidden deep in Abalathia’s Spine. One of Farsha's more distinctive characteristics is the ability to remove and replace its head, should the bit become dulled in the heat of battle—a common occurrence when wielded by one whose inner beast has been unleashed.
Dual Haken
One of many relics of the Third Astral Era's Allagan Empire discovered beneath the shores of Silvertear Lake by the Sons of Saint Coinach. The stone used to craft this greataxe’s twisted head appears to be giantsgall—a rare material found only on the Near Eastern isle of Thavnair—substantiating the extent of the ancient empire's reach.
Ragnarok
If the legends are to be believed, one of the mighty Zodiac Braves tore this terrible instrument of death and destruction from the icy grip of a slain voidsent lord; yet when he did, it still bore the form of a greatsword. It was not until many moons of carnage in the hands of the hero that Ragnarok completed the metamorphosis into its current shape.
Sparth
In a rare moment of generosity, mad king Theodore rewarded his overworked court executioner with this expertly crafted headsman’s axe. So beautiful was the blade that the carnifex could not bring himself to dull its bit on the sinewy necks of the convicted. Mistaking this as a slight on his gift, Theodore flew into a fit of rage and ordered the immediate beheading of the stubborn servant. [1]
References
- ↑ Encyclopaedia Eorzea: Volume II, page 193-194
