Axes in Project Zomboid

In Build 42 the Axe category holds about 40 weapons, far more than in Build 41, because many crafted scrap, bone and sawblade weapons now train Axe. The table below covers the real axes and axe-like tools. Damage is the base minimum to maximum before skill. Condition is the maximum condition and the 1-in-N chance that a hit costs one point, so a higher N means the axe lasts longer. Speed is the stats site's swing speed value, where higher is faster.

Figures come from the Build 42 stat tables on pindrop.gg and pzfans.com, which agree on damage, condition and two-handed status. pzfans.com lists the forged Wood Axe as wearing faster (1 in 25) than the found one (1 in 40). The Entrenching Tool, Flint Saw, scythes and the Scrap Metal Cleaver also train Axe but hit weakly. For the full list of every melee weapon see the melee weapon list.

Several of the strongest Axe weapons are not axes at all. Attaching a brake disc, sawblade, spade head or rail spike to a cudgel or bat turns it into an Axe weapon, and the Axe skill level gates the recipe. Reaching the level teaches the recipe, with no magazine needed (one source).

The cudgels hit as hard as the Wood Axe but swing slower (0.85) and weigh 6. They also last about one sixth as long as a Wood Axe, so treat them as strong but disposable. Scrap weapons such as the Sawblade Axe and Scrap Metal Cleaver-Axe need welding skill (4 to 5) and a blowtorch rather than Axe levels (one source).

Axe raises attack speed and damage with Axe weapons and cuts the muscle strain they cause. You train it by hitting zombies with an Axe weapon. The XP curve is the same as other combat skills: 75 XP for level 1 and 32,775 XP in total for level 10.

• Lumberjack starts with Axe +2.
• Firefighter starts with Axe +1.
• Brawler trait gives Axe +1 (and Long Blunt +1).

Starting levels matter more than they look. With no starting level your Axe XP is multiplied by 0.25, while +1 gives 1.0, +2 gives 1.33 and +3 or more gives 1.66. That makes Lumberjack the strongest axe start. Fast Learner adds 1.3x. See skill leveling and traits and occupations for the full picture.

Any Axe weapon can fell a tree, but tree damage varies a lot. The values below are base tree damage and the number of hits to fell a medium (size 4) tree at full sharpness without the Axeman bonus (one source).

Sharpness scales this: a fully dull blade does about half damage, so keep a whetstone or file handy. The same source says the Axeman trait multiplies tree damage by 1.5 for Axe weapons. Hitting trees also trains Strength. Axes are needed tools in many recipes, such as splitting logs into firewood and log furniture. For the full wood chain see wood and logs and tools.

If you find no axe, you can make one. The Crude Stone Axe takes a tree branch, a sharpened stone and two simple weapon bindings, with Maintenance 1 (one source). It is fragile (condition 5, 1 in 5 wear) and slow at chopping, but it gets you firewood on day one.

The Large Stone Axe needs a knapped Large Stone Axe Head. The Knap Large Stone Axe Head recipe is a Knapping recipe, but sources give different unlock levels (4 or 7), and one says it must be learned. It is a real step up: tree damage 30, about as good as a fire axe for chopping, and condition 10 with 1 in 15 wear.

Forged axes come from blacksmithing. Forged Wood Axe, Hatchet, Pickaxe and Meat Cleaver versions match the found stats. The Forge Wood Axe Head recipe is learned from the American Bladecraft magazine (one source). Forging is a late-game route, since you need a forge, an anvil and metal stock. See also carving for handles and crafting.

Opinion Early on, take whatever you find, but a Hatchet or Hand Axe is the best first pick. They are one-handed, light (1.5 to 2), last well at 1 in 15 and leave a hand free. A Crude Stone Axe is a stopgap for chopping only.

Opinion Mid game, the Axe or Firefighter Axe is the best balance. Damage reaches 2, they wear slowly (1 in 35) and they chop trees in 5 hits with low stamina cost.

Opinion Late game, the Wood Axe is the best axe in the game: up to 3 damage, the slowest wear of any axe (1 in 40) and the fastest tree chopping. Its stamina cost per swing is high, so pair it with good Fitness. If your Axe skill is 6 or more, a Cudgel with Brake Disc hits as hard but breaks much sooner. For how axes compare with other weapon types see best weapons and weapons.