Throwing axe

Bannerlord v1.4.8 · checked 2026-11-11 · updated 2026-11-12

This page answers two questions for the throwing axe: which piece drives which stat, and which recipe gives the best result for each goal once you have unlocked pieces up to a given tier. The formulas were read out of the game's own code: they were recovered from v1.4.6 and compared method by method against v1.4.8, where none of the compared methods changed (some could only be compared by their headers; Value and price has the details). Rows labelled "NavalDLC" give the best result with NavalDLC active, which adds pieces and changes which pieces each weapon type can use; they are listed only where they beat the base game. How smithing works in general is in the Crafting guide; the usages, grips and blade ranges in full are in Weapon templates.

Usages and damage

The throwing axe has only two slots, a handle and a blade. One crafted item has two usages:

Throwing axe: thrown, one-handed grip. 4 blades in the base game, 9 with NavalDLC; the blades have stack sizes from 3 to 5.
One-handed axe: the same item swung in melee, one-handed grip. 29 blades in the base game, 45 with NavalDLC.

A usage is only there if every piece you picked is allowed for it, so the item only throws when you use one of the throwing axe blades.

Pieces from the bottom up: Handle, Blade.

Usage	Grip	Blades in the base game	Blades with NavalDLC	Swing damage factor	Thrust damage factor	Stack size
Throwing axe	One-handed	4	9	2.5 to 3.8	-	3 to 5
One-handed axe	One-handed	29	45	2.1 to 4	-	-

Damage factor and stack size ranges cover every blade, NavalDLC ones included.

Usage	Swing drag per unit of reach	Tier score multiplier	Thrown damage factor	Missile speed factor
Throwing axe	1.17	1.2	2 × swing strength	3.2
One-handed axe	1.17	1	-	-

Example recipe:

Slot	Piece	Tier
Blade	axe_craft_4_head	4
Handle	axe_craft_11_handle	4

Usage	Handling	Swing speed	Swing damage	Thrown damage	Missile speed	Weight	Length
Throwing axe	111	-	-	64 cut	27	0.68	37
One-handed axe	111	118	32 cut	-	-	0.68	37

Result	Amount
Tier score from the stats	2.9743
Tier score from the pieces	3.7635
Tier score	3.2900
Rounded tier	3
Value	2,509
Sell price with Trade 86, no market data	711
Smithing difficulty	200

Thrown damage = 2 × swing strength × the blade's swing damage factor

Swing strength: grows with the weight and with the square of the swing speed.
Swing damage factor: a number on the blade, from 2.5 to 3.8 for the throwing axe blades.

Missile speed = 3.2 × thrust speed, rounded down

Thrust speed: the thrust speed the game works out for the item, even though the damage comes from the swing.

For the tier score, the throwing usage's stats count 1.2 times.

Which piece drives which stat

Blade: sets the damage factor, the damage type and the stack size. It also counts most for difficulty, and with no pommel on this weapon type its appearance sets the value multiplier.
Handle: adds weight and length. The blade sits on top of it, so a longer handle means a longer axe.
Weight: the two pieces added up. More weight means more swing strength, so more thrown and swing damage, but a heavier axe usually swings slower and handles worse.
Length: a longer axe is usually harder to turn, which costs handling and swing speed.

Smithing calculator

Every piece at scale 100. Pick a piece for each slot.

Loading pieces…

Best results from tier 1 to tier 5

With only tier-1 pieces there is no throwing axe recipe at all. From tier 2:

Thrown damage: 67 with tier-2 pieces, 77 from tier 4. NavalDLC pieces give much more: 78 at tier 2, 108 at tier 3 and 123 from tier 4.
Missile speed: 26, then 27 from tier 4.
Length: 41, then 43 from tier 4, or 48 with a NavalDLC handle.
Weight (lightest): 0.82 kg, then 0.68 kg from tier 4.
Value: 1,043, then 7,352 from tier 4. NavalDLC pieces reach 12,144 at tier 3 and 73,617 at tier 5.

For the one-handed axe usage of the same item:

Swing damage: 33, then 39 from tier 4; with NavalDLC 39, 54 and 62.
Swing speed: 111, then 118 from tier 4.
Handling: 107, then 111 from tier 4.

Best recipes by highest piece tier

Each row is the best recipe for one goal using only pieces at or below that tier. The highest piece tier is the highest tier among the pieces you have unlocked for the throwing axe.

Line charts of the best throwing axe result for each goal against the highest piece tier, 1 to 5, every piece at scale 100. Throwing axe usage. No recipe at tier 1. Thrown damage: tier 2 67 (NavalDLC 78), tier 3 67 (NavalDLC 108), tier 4 77 (NavalDLC 123), tier 5 77 (NavalDLC 123); Length: tier 2 41, tier 3 41, tier 4 43 (NavalDLC 48), tier 5 43 (NavalDLC 48); Weight (lightest): tier 2 0.82 kg, tier 3 0.82 kg, tier 4 0.68 kg, tier 5 0.68 kg; Missile speed: tier 2 26, tier 3 26, tier 4 27, tier 5 27; Value: tier 2 1,043 (NavalDLC 1,861), tier 3 1,043 (NavalDLC 12,144), tier 4 7,352 (NavalDLC 34,812), tier 5 7,352 (NavalDLC 73,617). One-handed axe usage. No recipe at tier 1. Swing damage: tier 2 33 (NavalDLC 39), tier 3 33 (NavalDLC 54), tier 4 39 (NavalDLC 62), tier 5 39 (NavalDLC 62); Swing speed: tier 2 111, tier 3 111, tier 4 118, tier 5 118; Handling: tier 2 107, tier 3 107, tier 4 111, tier 5 111; Length: tier 2 41, tier 3 41, tier 4 43 (NavalDLC 48), tier 5 43 (NavalDLC 48); Weight (lightest): tier 2 0.82 kg, tier 3 0.82 kg, tier 4 0.68 kg, tier 5 0.68 kg; Value: tier 2 1,043 (NavalDLC 1,861), tier 3 1,043 (NavalDLC 12,144), tier 4 7,352 (NavalDLC 34,812), tier 5 7,352 (NavalDLC 73,617). With NavalDLC, results are better in 20 of 44 goal and tier pairs.

Throwing axe usage

Goal	Highest piece tier	Pieces from	Blade	Handle	Stat
Thrown damage	2	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	67
Thrown damage	2	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_04_2	naval_axe_handle08_2	78
Thrown damage	3	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	67
Thrown damage	3	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_05	naval_axe_handle08_2	108
Thrown damage	4	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_12_handle	77
Thrown damage	4	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_05	naval_axe_handle04_2	123
Thrown damage	5	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_12_handle	77
Thrown damage	5	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_05	naval_axe_handle04_2	123
Length	2	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	41
Length	3	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	41
Length	4	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_12_handle	43
Length	4	NavalDLC	axe_craft_13_head	naval_axe_handle04_2	48
Length	5	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_12_handle	43
Length	5	NavalDLC	axe_craft_13_head	naval_axe_handle04_2	48
Weight (lightest)	2	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	0.82
Weight (lightest)	3	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	0.82
Weight (lightest)	4	Base game	axe_craft_4_head	axe_craft_11_handle	0.68
Weight (lightest)	5	Base game	axe_craft_4_head	axe_craft_11_handle	0.68
Missile speed	2	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	26
Missile speed	3	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	26
Missile speed	4	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_11_handle	27
Missile speed	5	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_11_handle	27
Value	2	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	1,043
Value	2	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_04_2	axe_craft_28_handle	1,861
Value	3	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	1,043
Value	3	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_05	axe_craft_28_handle	12,144
Value	4	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_12_handle	7,352
Value	4	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_05	naval_axe_handle04_2	34,812
Value	5	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_12_handle	7,352
Value	5	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_13	naval_axe_handle04_2	73,617

All pieces at scale 100. Weight in kg. No recipe when the highest piece tier is 1.

One-handed axe usage

Goal	Highest piece tier	Pieces from	Blade	Handle	Stat
Swing damage	2	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	33
Swing damage	2	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_04_2	naval_axe_handle08_2	39
Swing damage	3	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	33
Swing damage	3	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_05	naval_axe_handle08_2	54
Swing damage	4	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_12_handle	39
Swing damage	4	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_05	naval_axe_handle04_2	62
Swing damage	5	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_12_handle	39
Swing damage	5	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_05	naval_axe_handle04_2	62
Swing speed	2	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	111
Swing speed	3	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	111
Swing speed	4	Base game	axe_craft_4_head	axe_craft_11_handle	118
Swing speed	5	Base game	axe_craft_4_head	axe_craft_11_handle	118
Handling	2	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	107
Handling	3	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	107
Handling	4	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_11_handle	111
Handling	5	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_11_handle	111
Length	2	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	41
Length	3	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	41
Length	4	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_12_handle	43
Length	4	NavalDLC	axe_craft_13_head	naval_axe_handle04_2	48
Length	5	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_12_handle	43
Length	5	NavalDLC	axe_craft_13_head	naval_axe_handle04_2	48
Weight (lightest)	2	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	0.82
Weight (lightest)	3	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	0.82
Weight (lightest)	4	Base game	axe_craft_4_head	axe_craft_11_handle	0.68
Weight (lightest)	5	Base game	axe_craft_4_head	axe_craft_11_handle	0.68
Value	2	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	1,043
Value	2	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_04_2	axe_craft_28_handle	1,861
Value	3	Base game	axe_craft_31_head	axe_craft_28_handle	1,043
Value	3	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_05	axe_craft_28_handle	12,144
Value	4	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_12_handle	7,352
Value	4	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_05	naval_axe_handle04_2	34,812
Value	5	Base game	axe_craft_13_head	axe_craft_12_handle	7,352
Value	5	NavalDLC	naval_axe_head_13	naval_axe_handle04_2	73,617

All pieces at scale 100. Weight in kg. No recipe when the highest piece tier is 1.

Every recipe here has every piece at scale 100, the piece's default size. The scale slider changes weight and length, and with them the other stats; how it works is in Scaling a piece. What the solver research found about scale is in Getting the best weapon from your pieces.

Worked example. With tier-3 pieces and NavalDLC, your best thrown damage is 108 with blade naval_axe_head_05 and handle naval_axe_handle08_2. Without NavalDLC the best at tier 3 is still the tier-2 recipe, axe_craft_31_head on axe_craft_28_handle, for 67. The same NavalDLC pair also gives the best tier-3 swing damage of the one-handed axe usage, 54.

Practical tips

NavalDLC pieces matter most here. They beat the base game for thrown damage, swing damage and value at every tier from 2.
Tier 3 adds nothing in the base game. Every base-game best at tier 3 is the tier-2 recipe; the next gains come with tier-4 pieces.
Tier 5 adds nothing for damage. The best thrown damage, with or without NavalDLC, is the same at tier 4 and tier 5.
The lightest axe also swings fastest. At tier 4 the lightest recipe, axe_craft_4_head on axe_craft_11_handle, also has the best swing speed of the one-handed axe usage.