Does anyone actually take Ghost Slaying Axe?
By
Aggelakis,
Posted on: 2009-11-25 08:26 in Player Questions
I took it on a Dark Melee/Regen, because I already have a (better) version, and wielding negative energy damage against ghosts is the suck. I pretty much only break it out to run exemplar content, like Posi's TF, but I do use it.
I pretty much always take SoM, though.
Blue
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I took it once or twice. I even took it on a toon where having an axe would kind of make sense. In the end though, the utter uselessness of the power made me regret it. None of my currently active toons have the axe.
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Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU
Dispari has more than enough credability, and certainly doesn't need to borrow any from you.
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No. | Does anyone actually take Ghost Slaying Axe? |
Correction: If people do, it's almost always for concept reasons. There aren't enough ghosts in the game to justify taking it for gameplay reasons.
Some do by accident.
I'll break away from the pack here - I actually take it a fair portion of the time. I hate the long animation of SoM and I have a fair number of magic or natural themed characters for whom the Axe is a better fit. I also take it on all my Warshades, Dark Blast & Dark Melee users, of which I have several (since fighting ghosts and zombies with NegNRG is a pain and the axe is significantly helpful against both).
Since I'm in a position to get three of the four powers, I usually take SoM (unless on a Dark or a 'shade), the Nemesis Staff or Blackwand (depending on Origin) and then the Axe (or, if on a Dark or 'shade, I'll take the other ranged power).
That's my 0.02, YMMV
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I take it fairly often with the third VR choice as the 2nd ranged attack doesn't do particularly good damage. As I rarely need to use that 3rd choice, I take it whenever the 2nd ranged attack doesn't work thematically (I always take Sands of Mu first).
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As with Justaris, I take the axe on my dark using characters.
Be well, people of CoH.
I take it for CoTs ghosts, I think it works well enough on them.
I take the Axe on a regular basis due to how effective it is against ghosts and the undead. The Axe's dmg is very nice when you need to eliminate those foes. Fortunately, I have played long enough that I get three choices as Vet rewards so I can still choose two more powers from the others. If I had to select only one Vet reward attack, then the choice would really be more theme based or which attack hole the Vet reward attack could fill (i.e. melee toon needing more ranged attacks or vice versa). If I need a melee attack but don't plan to be a big dmg dealer, I'd take the axe, b/c when it has the undead foes to slice, it does it better than any other attack I can think of. My two cents.
Interestingly enough, while I can see the argument for taking the axe on a dark user, I avoid ghosts and zombies on general principle so I have no need to have an attack that works against them.
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Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU
Dispari has more than enough credability, and certainly doesn't need to borrow any from you.
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I usually take Sands of Mu, but quite a few of my characters took the axe instead. Sometimes their concept just makes it so the flurry of fists doesn't feel right. My mace tanker is a collector of medieval weaponry, so it makes sense he would have an axe, even if from a DPS/weapon redraw standpoint the Sands would have been a smarter choice. And as people have said, if you already do negative energy damage, the axe will be a lot more help against neg-resistant foes.
Either way, I hardly ever use either power past the low-teens or so (except maybe on controllers), so I don't fret too much about making the "wrong" choice.
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I take the Axe on characters that are weak against ghosts and zombies (see comprehensive Wiki list here: Undead Enemies ) like characters that are mostly smash, dark, ice and mental.
At higher levels I usually end up with +to Hit on my characters so it's inherent accuracy isn't too bad.
Of course, with the 54 month vet reward I end up taking Sands of Mu on a lot of ranged characters that had the Axe first.
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Only taken it on a couple of characters, including Obs and another. Mostly use it for low-level CoT missions and Halloween (it's nice axing those Spirits before they run off). Otherwise, it's almost always SoM.
I took it on my namesake, as well as on a Sonic/Sonic defender i have.
Other than those two.. i went with Sands of Mu, as the power is better in pretty much every way + doesn't force you to draw up a weapon everytime you attacking with the power.
I've never picked either based on min/maxing. When I do choose its purely concept choice. Axe for any weapon based toon (Archer, gun, sword...) And SoM for dark toons because it looks right. But most of my toon dont have either. If I want a temp power I would rather make a revolver, bat or hammer. I love bashing Zombies with a ballbat.
I've taken it a couple of times - I think on my BS/Regen (was already a high level so I didn't really use it) and another on my Empath. I might have it on someone else, but I really can't remember.
Really I've been skipping Sands/Axe altogether after unlocking Nemesis/Blackwand unless I feel my attack chain is painfully lacking at lower levels. That's not been the case on my more recent characters.
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I prefer it. There's just so many enemies it's good against.
Vazhilok (even though it doesn't do extra damage, they're vulnerable to lethal).
Shivans
Tsoo Ancestor Spirits
CoT Spirits
Banished Pantheon zombies.
Zombie Invasions.
Trick Or Treating - works on the vampires and ghosts and zombies there.
It was ALWAYS my first pick. These days, I can take it and Sands Of Mu both and they each get equal usage.
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Ive taken it on a few toons mainly for concept reasons. Although SoM can generally be more useful (because it is a cone), I think I actually prefer Ghost Slaying Axe (I think it looks cool!)
And it can be very useful when exemping down to do a Positron TF! 
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Originally Posted by Zwillinger
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Yep - I tend to take it on hand to hand lethal/smashing types, whose powers have the least effect on the critters the axe works best against.
My scrapper doesn't need an AoE. She IS an AoE.
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Originally Posted by BBhumeBB
Yep - I tend to take it on hand to hand lethal/smashing types, whose powers have the least effect on the critters the axe works best against.
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Took it on my TA/A Defender. Those damn Specters resist Lethal like mad? Hah! Axe to the face for them.
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Hmmmm...all the good post got me thinking and I went to Paragon Wiki to get some information on the Ghost Slaying Axe (Vet Power). I learned a number of things from that quick read.
This power is slightly different from the Temporary Undead Slaying Axe. Although both weapons cause the same amounts of normal and bonus damage, the Veteran weapon's bonus damage is Energy damage, whereas the Undead Slaying Axe's bonus damage is a special type that is unaffected by resistances. These two powers do different amounts of bonus damage to Undead targets that have a resistance or a vulnerability to Energy damage. Also, the Temporary version's normal damage is buffable.
130% bonus damage vs. Circle of Thorn spirits
100% bonus damage vs. Banished Pantheon zombies
100% bonus damage vs. Tsoo Ancestor Spirits
80% bonus damage vs. Unseelies
80% bonus damage vs. Croatoa Ghosts
60% bonus damage vs Shivans
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It depends on the character. Some characters would benefit hefting the axe. Others, especially the more melee characters, would do better with the Sands.
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Originally Posted by Post_Apocalypse
I've taken it once with a toon to see what it was like, and never again. Just like Sands alot better. Curious if anyone actually ever took it as their first choice because they liked it?
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I picked up the Axe on 2 characters when Vet Rewards came out. And I soon figured out that it sucked. Consider:
- Sands of Mu = double damage, (reliable) melee AOE (whose range was increased recently), -tohit debuff
- Undead Slaying Axe = double damage (to certain foes who, if they tag you first, debuffs your tohit to emphasize how much of a waste the Axe is against said foes)
I really gave serious thought to rerolling these characters. The only reason I didn't were becaue of the Anniversary badges.
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My tree-themed Controller Raintree took the Axe because there is nothing cooler than a tree fighting back with an axe. She particularly likes to root enemies first and then haul out the axe and give them some of their own medicine while they're unable to run away.
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I've taken it once with a toon to see what it was like, and never again. Just like Sands alot better. Curious if anyone actually ever took it as their first choice because they liked it?