Greataxe Build

Greataxe is one of my favorite weapons for aggressive solo PvP because of how much damage you can deal when your opponent can't escape your Whirlwind.

The weapon itself is pretty straightforward, but there's a big difference between simply spinning on someone and actually getting the most damage out of your E.

The main goal is to keep your opponent close, maintain your bleed stacks, and use Adrenaline Boost before Whirlwind to maximize your damage.

We're also using Fiend Robe and Mercenary Hood for crowd control, giving us additional ways to deal with opponents trying to escape or fight back.

And since we have Life Leech and Snapper Roast, we can recover some health while continuing to deal damage.

However, this isn't a build where you want to stand still and fight everyone. Your main damage ability has a long cooldown, and opponents with enough mobility or defensive abilities can make it difficult to get full value from Whirlwind.

1. Main Abilities

Here's the default ability setup we're using.

Slot	Ability	Purpose
Q	Rending Rage	Damage, bleed stacks, and a root
W	Adrenaline Boost	Increased damage, movement speed, and attack speed
E	Whirlwind	Main area damage and sustained burst
Passive	Life Leech	Additional healing from normal attacks

Rending Rage (Q)

Rending Rage is our main Q ability, and it works extremely well with Greataxe.

It has three stages.

The first two stages deal damage in a cone in front of you and apply Rending Bleed Charges.

These charges deal damage over time, stacking up to three times. When an enemy reaches three stacks, their healing received is also reduced.

This makes Rending Rage useful against pretty much every opponent, especially builds that rely on healing.

The third stage is different.

Instead of simply attacking in front of you, you leap toward a targeted position, dealing damage and rooting nearby enemies.

For most fights, I recommend using the first two stages unless you actually need the root.

The third stage is particularly useful when someone is trying to run away or when you want to keep them close enough to land Whirlwind.

For example, if you're fighting a mobile opponent, you can deal damage with your first two Q casts, wait for them to use their mobility, and then use the third stage to catch them.

You don't always need to finish the entire Q combination immediately.

And remember that the combo has a limited time window, so you can't hold the third stage forever.

Habo Tip: Try to save the third stage of Rending Rage for an important moment. Rooting an opponent just before Whirlwind can make it much easier to land several consecutive hits.

Adrenaline Boost (W)

Adrenaline Boost is one of the most important abilities in this build.

It increases your damage, movement speed, and normal attack speed.

That's exactly what we need for Greataxe.

The additional damage makes Whirlwind considerably stronger, while the movement speed helps us stay close to enemies during the channel.

However, there's one mechanic you need to understand.

Adrenaline Boost can end early if you stop dealing direct damage for too long.

This means you don't want to activate it while your opponent is still far away.

Instead, try to get close enough that you can start dealing damage immediately.

You can use Rending Rage and normal attacks to maintain pressure before activating Whirlwind.

The ideal situation is having Adrenaline Boost active throughout most of your E channel.

But don't activate it too early if you think your opponent is about to create distance or use a defensive ability.

Sometimes waiting a couple of seconds can make a huge difference.

Whirlwind (E)

Whirlwind is our main damage ability and the reason why this build works.

When activated, you start spinning with your axe, repeatedly dealing damage to enemies around you.

You can move while channeling, and the channel cannot be interrupted by regular interrupts.

However, that doesn't mean enemies can't counter it.

The important mechanic is that Whirlwind deals more damage with consecutive hits against the same target.

The longer you keep hitting someone, the more damage you can deal.

You also gain a temporary movement speed bonus when you successfully hit enemies, making it easier to follow them.

But if your opponent manages to get out of range, you're losing a lot of potential damage.

That's why I recommend using your other abilities to prepare Whirlwind instead of activating it immediately at the beginning of every fight.

For example, you can slow someone with Howl or root them with the third stage of Rending Rage before spinning.

You can also use Adrenaline Boost to increase your movement speed and damage.

Just remember that being uninterruptible doesn't make Whirlwind immune to damage, reflects, or other defensive effects.

You can still take a lot of damage while spinning.

And if you're fighting someone with a powerful reflection ability, you might end up hurting yourself more than your opponent.

Life Leech (Passive)

For our passive, we're using Life Leech.

It restores some of your health through normal attacks, giving us a little extra sustain during fights.

This works particularly well with Adrenaline Boost because the additional attack speed lets us attack more frequently.

And since we're also using Snapper Roast, we have another way to recover health while dealing damage.

However, remember that Life Leech requires normal attacks.

Whirlwind itself doesn't trigger your Life Leech passive on every damage tick.

Your food provides the additional healing from damage during the spin.

That's why I recommend weaving normal attacks between your other abilities whenever you can safely stay close to your opponent.

2. How to Fight With Greataxe

The biggest difference between a good Greataxe player and someone who's just learning the weapon is how they use Whirlwind.

You don't want to activate every ability immediately and hope your opponent dies.

Instead, try to force them into a position where they can't easily escape your damage.

Basic PvP Rotation

Here's a simple example of how I would approach a favorable fight.

Step	What to Do	Why
1	Start with Rending Rage	Deal damage and build bleed stacks
2	Use normal attacks	Maintain pressure and benefit from Life Leech
3	Activate Adrenaline Boost	Increase damage and movement speed
4	Use Howl or your third Q	Slow or root the opponent
5	Use Fear Aura if necessary	Disrupt the opponent's response
6	Activate Whirlwind	Deal your main damage while staying close
7	Continue with Q and normal attacks	Maintain pressure after the spin

This isn't a fixed combination you should follow every single fight.

Sometimes you'll want to use Howl earlier to stop your opponent from escaping.

Other times, saving the root from Rending Rage until they use their mobility might be much better.

The important thing is making sure you're getting as much damage as possible from Whirlwind.

Preparing Your Whirlwind

Before activating Whirlwind, I recommend checking three things.

1. Is your opponent close enough?

If they're already moving away, you might struggle to keep hitting them.

Try to close the distance first.

2. Do they still have important mobility abilities?

If your opponent can immediately dash out of Whirlwind, you might lose most of its damage.

Sometimes it's better to force them to use their movement first.

3. Do they have defensive abilities available?

For example, if they're using Hunter Hood with Retaliate, you don't want to blindly activate Whirlwind and attack into their reflect.

The same goes for major damage immunity abilities.

If possible, force those abilities first and then use Whirlwind.

Using Fear Aura With Whirlwind

Fiend Robe gives us Fear Aura, which is extremely useful for disrupting enemies.

However, there's something important to understand.

Fear Aura makes nearby enemies flee from you.

That means it can temporarily stop them from fighting back, but it can also cause them to move away from your Whirlwind.

That's why timing matters.

You can use Fear Aura just before Whirlwind to disrupt your opponent, but make sure you're close enough to follow their movement.

You also have Adrenaline Boost and Whirlwind's movement speed bonus to help stay in range.

Against certain opponents, it might be better to save Fear Aura for when they try to counterattack instead of automatically activating it before every spin.

Don't treat Fear Aura like a stun that keeps someone standing in one place.

It's a powerful defensive and offensive tool, but you still need to position yourself properly.

What to Do After Whirlwind

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is using Whirlwind and then having no idea what to do afterward.

Remember that your E has a fairly long cooldown.

If you don't manage to kill your opponent, you need to survive until your next opportunity.

Keep using Rending Rage to apply pressure and maintain your bleed stacks.

Use normal attacks whenever possible to recover some health through Life Leech.

And don't waste your remaining defensive abilities unnecessarily.

If your opponent still has most of their health after your Whirlwind, consider whether continuing the fight is actually worth it.

Against someone with much better sustain, you might struggle to finish them without another E.

3. Equipment and Defensive Abilities

The rest of our equipment gives us the crowd control and additional protection we need to make Greataxe work.

Equipment	Ability	Purpose
Mercenary Hood	Howl	Slow, damage reduction, and interrupt
Fiend Robe	Fear Aura	Disrupt enemies and control their movement
Scholar Sandals	Energetic Sprint	Movement speed and Energy recovery
Martlock Cape	Shield of Protection	Automatic defensive bonus at low health

Mercenary Hood

For our helmet, we're using Howl.

It releases a wave in front of you that damages and slows nearby enemies.

It also reduces the damage they deal and interrupts spell casting.

This makes it useful both offensively and defensively.

For example, if someone is trying to run away, you can use Howl to slow them before activating Whirlwind.

But against a dangerous brawler, you might want to save Howl until they activate their strongest damage abilities.

The damage reduction can make a big difference, especially since we're wearing Cloth Armor.

You can also interrupt certain healing casts or channels.

Try not to waste Howl just for a little additional damage.

Its slow, interrupt, and damage reduction are often much more valuable.

Fiend Robe

Fiend Robe is one of the most important parts of this setup.

We're using Fear Aura, which causes nearby enemies to flee from you.

This gives us a strong way to disrupt melee opponents and interrupt their pressure.

It's also useful against enemies who are trying to stay close and deal damage.

For example, if someone activates a strong offensive ability and starts attacking you, Fear Aura can force them away and waste part of their damage window.

However, the fear doesn't last forever, and enemies aren't repeatedly feared every time they enter the aura.

You need to make the first application count.

I recommend thinking about Fear Aura as a tool for controlling the fight rather than simply another button in your damage rotation.

Alternative: Stalker Jacket

If you prefer additional damage, you can replace Fiend Robe with Stalker Jacket.

Its Electric Field deals repeated area damage around your character.

This works well when you can stay close to your opponent, especially alongside Whirlwind.

It's also excellent for PvE because you can damage several mobs at the same time.

However, you're giving up Fear Aura.

That means you'll have fewer ways to disrupt opponents or protect yourself when they commit to attacking you.

Chest	Main Benefit	Best Use
Fiend Robe	Fear and additional control	PvP against aggressive opponents
Stalker Jacket	Additional area damage	PvE and aggressive close-range fights

Personally, I'd keep Fiend Robe for the main version of this build.

Scholar Sandals

For our boots, we're using Scholar Sandals with Energetic Sprint.

This gives us movement speed and additional Energy regeneration.

Both are useful for Greataxe.

We need movement speed to chase opponents, and Whirlwind consumes Energy throughout its channel.

If you're constantly using Rending Rage, Adrenaline Boost, and Whirlwind, you can run into Energy problems during longer fights.

Energetic Sprint helps prevent that.

However, you don't specifically need Scholar Sandals.

You can use any Cloth Sandals with Energetic Sprint, so feel free to choose the cheapest option with the armor passive you want.

Just remember that your boots are also an important escape ability.

If you use them to chase someone, you might not have them available when the fight goes badly.

Martlock Cape

For our cape, we're using Martlock Cape.

Its Shield of Protection automatically increases your defenses when your health drops low enough.

This is particularly useful because Fiend Robe is Cloth Armor, so we're more vulnerable to incoming damage than a build using Plate Armor.

The cape can help us survive dangerous burst combinations or close fights.

However, since it activates automatically, you don't get to choose exactly when it triggers.

Sometimes it might activate against damage that wasn't particularly dangerous.

That's why I recommend not relying entirely on Martlock Cape to save you.

We still have Fear Aura, Howl, and Gigantify Potion for additional protection.

Alternative: Avalonian Cape

If you prefer more damage, you can use Avalonian Cape.

Its additional damage can help you pressure opponents and bring them down faster.

However, you're giving up the protection from Martlock Cape.

For this particular setup, I prefer Martlock Cape because the extra defense makes the build more forgiving.

4. Food and Potions

For this build, we're using Roasted Puremist Snapper and Major Gigantify Potions.

Both work really well with Greataxe because they help us survive while dealing damage.

Consumable	Purpose
Roasted Puremist Snapper	Increased maximum health and healing based on damage dealt
Major Gigantify Potion	Temporary maximum health increase and protection against forced movement
Major Healing Potion (Alternative)	Additional direct healing during fights
Hellfire Potion (Alternative)	Additional burst damage and healing reduction

Roasted Puremist Snapper

Roasted Puremist Snapper is one of the best food options for this build.

It increases your maximum health and gives you healing based on the damage you deal.

This works extremely well with Whirlwind because we're dealing repeated area damage while spinning.

Against multiple enemies, you can potentially recover quite a bit of health, although the food has a limit on how much healing it can provide over time.

And since we also have Life Leech, we get additional healing from our normal attacks.

The important thing is that Snapper Roast rewards you for actually dealing damage.

If your opponent escapes your Whirlwind, blocks your damage, or becomes immune, you're also losing some of that potential healing.

That's another reason why keeping enemies close is so important.

Major Gigantify Potion

Gigantify Potions temporarily increase your maximum health and protect you from forced movement effects.

This gives us a lot more durability during dangerous moments.

For example, if you're fighting someone with strong burst damage, you can activate Gigantify before their most dangerous abilities land.

It can also help against opponents who want to knock you away during your engagement.

However, Gigantify isn't a Healing Potion.

It temporarily increases your maximum health rather than directly restoring a large amount of missing health.

You still need to use your sustain and defensive abilities properly.

I recommend saving it for important damage windows instead of using it immediately at the beginning of every fight.

Healing Potion Alternative

If you want additional sustain, Healing Potions are another good option.

They allow you to recover health directly during fights.

This can be particularly useful against opponents who don't deal most of their damage in one big burst.

However, you're giving up the temporary health increase and forced movement protection from Gigantify.

Personally, I prefer Gigantify for the main setup because it gives us another way to survive dangerous situations while continuing to pressure enemies.

5. Alternative Royal Helmet Setup

There's another version of this build that I really like if you want a more aggressive playstyle.

You can replace Mercenary Hood with Royal Helmet and use Hellfire Potions instead of Gigantify Potions.

You can also switch Martlock Cape to Smuggler Cape to reduce your potion cooldown.

How the Combo Works

Step	Ability	Purpose
1	Rending Rage	Build bleed stacks and pressure
2	Adrenaline Boost	Increase damage and movement speed
3	Ballista Support Fire	Stun your opponent
4	Hellfire Potion	Deal additional burst damage
5	Whirlwind	Follow up with your main damage ability

The main idea is to stun your opponent with Royal Helmet so they're much less likely to escape your damage.

However, Ballista Support Fire has a short delay before it lands.

That means you need to predict where your opponent is going rather than always casting directly underneath them.

Once you land the stun, you can throw your Hellfire Potion and follow up with Whirlwind.

This version has much stronger offensive potential when everything connects.

But there's a downside.

You're giving up Howl's damage reduction and interrupt, as well as the defensive value of Gigantify Potion.

If you miss your Royal Helmet stun, the combination becomes much easier to avoid.

That's why I recommend practicing this version before risking an expensive set.

Smuggler Cape

Smuggler Cape is another option for this setup.

It reduces your potion cooldown, allowing you to use Hellfire Potions more frequently.

This works well when you're playing around repeated burst opportunities instead of relying on the defensive protection from Martlock Cape.

However, you lose some survivability.

I'd recommend this version mainly if you're comfortable with Greataxe and want to play more aggressively.

6. Matchup Tips

Greataxe can deal a lot of damage, but certain matchups can be difficult if your opponent knows how to counter Whirlwind.

Opponent	What I Recommend
Melee Brawlers	Use Howl and Fear Aura to control their damage
Ranged Kiters	Save your boots and third Q for closing distance
Reflect Builds	Avoid channeling Whirlwind into active damage reflection
Burst Builds	Use Howl and Gigantify to survive their important damage
Healing Builds	Maintain three bleed stacks for healing reduction
Immunity Builds	Wait until their important defensive abilities expire
Highly Mobile Builds	Force their movement abilities before committing E

Against Melee Brawlers

Against melee opponents, we can usually get good value from Whirlwind because they need to stay close to deal damage.

However, you still need to be careful.

Some melee builds have enough burst damage or sustain to win direct trades.

Try to use Howl when they're dealing the most damage.

And if they activate an important offensive ability, you can use Fear Aura to interrupt their pressure.

Once their strongest abilities are unavailable, you can look for an opportunity to use Whirlwind.

Just remember that you shouldn't automatically activate Fear Aura right before every E.

Sometimes making your opponent run away can actually reduce your damage if you aren't able to follow them.

Against Ranged Kiters

These fights can be difficult because Greataxe needs to stay close to deal most of its damage.

We have movement speed from Adrenaline Boost, Energetic Sprint, and Whirlwind, but we don't have unlimited mobility.

That's why I recommend saving the third stage of Rending Rage whenever possible.

You can use its leap and root to catch opponents who are trying to create distance.

Howl is also useful because the slow makes it easier to stay close.

However, don't activate Whirlwind while your opponent is still too far away.

You want to make sure you can actually hit them before committing your most important damage ability.

Against Reflect Builds

These are some of the matchups where you need to be particularly careful.

Since Whirlwind repeatedly deals damage, attacking someone with damage reflection can be extremely dangerous.

For example, if your opponent activates Hunter Hood with Retaliate, you generally don't want to keep spinning into them.

You can end up taking a lot of reflected damage.

Try to make them use their reflection first.

Then create some distance and wait until it expires before using your main damage ability.

Whirlwind being uninterruptible doesn't protect you from reflected damage.

Against Burst Builds

Against opponents who rely on one big damage combination, try to save Howl and Gigantify Potion.

Howl reduces the damage your opponent deals, while Gigantify increases your temporary health pool.

These abilities can make it much easier to survive powerful attacks.

You also have Martlock Cape for another defensive layer when your health gets low.

However, don't automatically use everything at once.

Sometimes Howl is enough to survive their main damage.

If that's the case, you can save Gigantify for later.

Against Healing Builds

Against healing builds, maintaining your bleed stacks is particularly important.

With three Rending Bleed Charges, you reduce the healing your opponent receives.

That can help you pressure opponents who rely on recovering health throughout the fight.

However, you still need to deal enough damage to actually finish them.

If you use Whirlwind and your opponent immediately recovers most of the damage, you might struggle to win a longer fight.

Try to interrupt important healing casts with Howl whenever possible.

And if you're using the Royal Helmet version, landing your stun can create a good opportunity to deal burst damage before they recover.

Against Highly Mobile Builds

Against highly mobile opponents, patience is important.

You don't want to use Adrenaline Boost, your boots, and your third Q just to get close, only for them to immediately escape your Whirlwind.

Try to force them into using their movement first.

Then respond with your own mobility.

If they still have several ways to escape, sometimes it's better to wait rather than commit your E immediately.

And if someone keeps creating distance every time you get close, consider whether the fight is actually worth continuing.

7. PvE and Open World Roaming Tips

Greataxe is also a strong option for solo PvE because it has excellent area damage.

Whirlwind can clear groups of mobs quickly, and Snapper Roast gives us additional healing while dealing damage.

However, I recommend making a few adjustments depending on what you're doing.

Clearing Groups of Mobs

Here's a simple way to approach regular mob packs.

Step	What to Do	Why
1	Group several mobs together	Make your area damage more effective
2	Use Rending Rage	Apply bleed stacks and start dealing damage
3	Activate Adrenaline Boost	Increase your damage
4	Use Whirlwind	Hit as many enemies as possible
5	Continue with Q and normal attacks	Finish remaining enemies and recover health

The most important thing is grouping mobs properly before using Whirlwind.

You want to hit several enemies at the same time instead of using your E against a single weak mob.

Since Whirlwind deals repeated area damage, you can clear packs quickly when enemies stay close.

And with Snapper Roast, dealing damage also helps you recover health.

Fighting Stronger Mobs

Against stronger enemies, focus on avoiding dangerous attacks while keeping your damage going.

You can use Rending Rage to maintain bleed stacks and Adrenaline Boost to increase your damage.

Then use Whirlwind when you know you can stay close enough to land most of its damage.

Just be careful with the channel.

Even though it can't be interrupted normally, you can still take damage while spinning.

If a strong enemy is about to use a dangerous attack, sometimes it's better to reposition rather than continue dealing damage.

Don't Waste Every Cooldown on Mobs

Since we're playing in potentially dangerous areas, we always need to consider other players.

For example, if you use Whirlwind, your boots, Howl, and Fear Aura against a regular mob pack, you might have very few options left if someone attacks you.

Try to keep at least one important defensive ability available whenever possible.

And if you see another player approaching, pay attention to your cooldowns before deciding whether to fight.

Choosing Your Fights

Greataxe can be extremely strong when someone is forced to stay close to you.

But against opponents with better mobility, strong damage reflection, or multiple defensive abilities, it can be much more difficult.

That's why I recommend checking your opponent's equipment before committing.

If someone has several ways to counter Whirlwind, you might want to avoid the fight.

You don't have to fight everyone you see.

And if you're carrying valuable loot, think carefully before committing to a fight where your escape options are limited.

8. Common Beginner Mistakes

Mistake	What You Should Do Instead
Using all three Rending Rage stages immediately	Save the third stage when you need the leap or root
Activating Adrenaline Boost too early	Use it when you can maintain direct damage
Using Whirlwind against someone far away	Get close and control their movement first
Spinning into damage reflection	Wait until the reflect expires
Using Fear Aura without considering positioning	Remember that feared enemies move away
Forgetting normal attacks	Use them to benefit from Life Leech
Using every defensive ability at once	Spread your defenses out over the fight
Relying entirely on Gigantify	Remember that it isn't direct healing
Using Whirlwind on a single weak mob	Save it for larger groups or stronger enemies
Chasing highly mobile players too far	Know when to disengage

9. Final Tips

Don't automatically use the third stage of Rending Rage. The root and leap are useful for catching opponents, so save them when you actually need them.

Activate Adrenaline Boost before Whirlwind. The additional damage and movement speed make it much easier to get value from your E.

Stay close during Whirlwind. Your damage increases with consecutive hits against the same enemy, so positioning is extremely important.

Use Howl for more than damage. The slow, damage reduction, and interrupt can make a huge difference in PvP.

Be careful with Fear Aura. It can disrupt your opponent, but it also makes them run away. Make sure you can follow them if you're using it to set up Whirlwind.

Don't forget Life Leech. Normal attacks provide additional healing, especially when combined with your Snapper Roast.

Avoid spinning into reflect. Whirlwind can deal a lot of damage, but you can also take significant reflected damage if you're not careful.

Use Gigantify against dangerous damage. It's a strong defensive potion, but don't confuse temporary maximum health with direct healing.

Try the Royal Helmet version if you want more burst. It's a fun alternative that can deal a lot of damage when you land your stun and follow up correctly.

Choose your fights carefully. Greataxe is dangerous against opponents who can't escape, but it can struggle against builds with superior mobility or defensive abilities.

Overall, Greataxe is an excellent choice if you enjoy aggressive solo PvP and want a weapon that's also capable of clearing PvE efficiently.

The build has strong area damage, useful crowd control, and good sustain from its passive and food.

It's not the easiest weapon to play against highly mobile opponents, but if you learn when to use your root, how to maintain Adrenaline Boost, and when to commit to Whirlwind, you can deal an incredible amount of damage.