Axe

WEAPON

The Axe in Manhunt.

“*Brought back into fashion by Starkweather, this medieval weapon is frequently used by the Innocents. The hand axe is a devastating weapon.*”
―Valiant Video Winter / Spring catalogue, p.12
The **Axe** is a blue class weapon in *Manhunt*.

## Description

Snuff film director Lionel Starkweather has reduced (or perhaps elevated) this camping and survival implement into a brutal weapon great for hacking through flesh and bone for some great footage. Exclusively used by the Innocentz gang who viciously hack their runners to death with it, Cash can pry one of these Axes from a dead gang member's hands to do some chopping of his own, perhaps surpassing the original wielder's brutality by performing bone-splitting executions to the Director's delight.

After Starkweather's last series of snuff films, Valiant Video Enterprises sold hand axes that were either the original ones used in his films or copies of them exclusively to their members for $124 each.

## Influence/Appearance

The Axe resembles the Vintage Stanley No. SC 1-1/4 "STEELMASTER" Camp Axe with its metallic handle and blade, black grip, and the small groove on its beard.

## Abilities/Properties

Below is a list of things the player can do with the Axe equipped as well as the Axe's generic and unique properties.

### Melee System

The Axe can be used in melee combat situations. Some of these mechanics are only available when the player is spotted, which is also when the player enters combat mode.

#### Attacking

Players wielding an Axe can deal quick attacks―attacks that come out quickly but deal low damage―and hard attacks—attacks that come out slow and telegraphed, but deal high damage and are unblockable, as well as perform combos that are composed of either attacks and have a maximum of 3 attacks in them.

Each attack from the player's Axe―whether it's a quick attack or a hard attack―that doesn't connect with anything (like hunters or surfaces) produces a small pulse of noise. But if these attacks connect with something else, they will create a large noise pulse, making melee combat noisy and attractive to hunters. Each hit from a hunter (including those wielding an Axe) towards the player―whether the player blocks them or not―creates a medium pulse of noise.

Additionally, the player is able to attack downed hunters using their Axe to finish them off after beating them in melee combat. Like all player-made hits on hunters, beating a downed hunter makes a large noise pulse per hit. Hits like this will also interrupt and prevent downed hunters from getting up. Once the hunter's killed and becomes a corpse, continuing to hit their remains will only make a small noise pulse per hit.

#### Blocking

Since it can be used in melee combat, players wielding the Axe can block melee attacks. Blocking attacks are done by doing nothing while facing the attacking hunters, which reduces incoming melee damage by two-thirds.

The player moves slightly faster while blocking, but it also prevents you from running backwards. If you wish to escape close combat, move out of the hunter's attack range or face away from them to stop blocking.

#### Grappling

The player may grapple enemies when wielding the Axe via pressing Action button and Action2 button together, causing Cash to reach out his hand to grab a hunter. During a grapple, Cash can land up to three damaging hits on the hunter if he isn't interrupted. Each hit in a grapple deals the same damage as a single hard attack.

#### Staggering

When a player or hunter with an Axe hits an enemy who isn't blocking or with an unblockable hard attack, it will cause the target to stagger. This mini-stun can interrupt many actions, allowing players and hunters alike to cancel enemy actions to their advantage.

### Indisposability

As a Blue class weapon, the Axe is not consumed after performing an execution, allowing the player to continue using it to execute other hunters.

### Noisy Executions

All executions made by an Axe produce a medium pulse of noise that can be heard by hunters within its range, instantly alerting them to the player regardless if they're in the idle or suspicious states. Choose your targets carefully and know when to strike.

### Swing Out Attack

While pressed against cover and at the cover's corner, the player may perform a swing out attack with the Axe. When a swing out attack is able to be done by fulfilling the said requirements, the player will have their Axe raised up behind them when facing to the right, or they will hold their weapon to their chest when facing left. Despite the different stances, they have no significant effect on a swing out attack.

If the swing out attack successfully lands on a hunter in the idle or suspicious status, it will deal damage and stun them for three seconds. The player is able to lock on to the stunned hunter and execute them. However, if done to a hunter in the spotted status, the player can't lock on to them since they are in the spotted status, locking the player in combat mode which prevents performing executions. One can tell if they're unable to execute a hunter if Cash enters a combat stance where he holds his weapon up while continuously bouncing in place. That being said, the Axe's swing out attack will always stun regardless if the player is standing or crouched before performing the attack.

Any weapon's swingout attack, including the Axe's, does more damage than its hard attack. This is balanced by the player not being able to quickly perform multiple swingout attacks like in a combo due to the specific conditions required to perform one.

The stun of the Machete's swing out attack functions the same as the stuns of Yellow class weapons. See this page to learn techniques on exploiting this game mechanic.

### Surface Knocking

With an Axe equipped, the player can knock on surfaces to produce one large pulse of noise that travels instantly to attract hunters within its range. The player may tell when they are able to knock on a surface if Cash is holding his Axe closer to himself when he is very close to and facing a surface. The player is unable to perform any quick attacks or hard attacks in this state until they exit it by backing off or facing away from a surface. Pressing either the Action button or the Action2 button will cause Cash to swing his Axe at a surface and make a large pulse of noise. The player is also able to knock on surfaces while pressing against cover to the same effect.

However, the player may still produce the same large pulse of noise without getting close to a surface by simply performing any quick attack or hard attack towards a surface without getting too close to it, otherwise Cash will detect that he is near and facing a wall thus he will knock on it instead.

## Executions

**Note:** *The Axe shares execution animations with the unobtainable Ice Pick.*

 **Gruesome** |  | From behind, the player lodges the axe up the target's flank. The player struggles to tear the lodged axe upwards before ripping it out.

## Combos

**Note:** *All Blue class weapons, except the Knife, share the same attack animations for both quick and hard attacks.*

## Appearances

*Manhunt*
* Drunk Driving (Wielded and dropped by several Innocentz)

## References

1. ↑ Official Hunter Weapons - Melee Weapons: Hand Axe, p. 12
2. ↑ `levels\GLOBAL\DATA\ManHunt.pak\levels\global\data\AISounds.ini`, line #49
```
# Sound Name volume interest level confusion
EXECUTION\_MEDIUM medium high false

```

`levels\GLOBAL\DATA\ManHunt.pak\levels\global\data\WeaponTypeData.ini`, line #479
```
 DAMAGE\_TYPE MEDIUM

```