Axes of the North — Guide des unités Conqueror's Blade
Front-line unit with two modes: shield to get in, axes to break the line.
Quick facts
- Unit type: infantry
- Tier / era: T5 / golden
- Weapon type: Special
- Leadership cost: 290
- Role / classification: frontline, shield-breaker, dual-mode, rage, cleave
- Recommended veterancy line: Middle line (upper branch) (10/10 points)
- Core doctrines: Anti-Infantry Doctrine V, Linebreaker Doctrine V, Defiance Doctrine V, Iron Damage Doctrine V
- My tier: C
Updated 1 November 2026
My take: C tier
Overview
Front-line unit with two modes: shield to get in, axes to break the line. Built to break shields.
Strengths
- Breaks shield block
- Tank or burst, depending on Rage
- Very high burst at full Rage
- Unbreakable: 30% less damage, +30% damage for 1.4s after a block
- Great Sweep: 180° cleave with heavy knockback
Weaknesses
- Slow until the Rage is there
- Small squad, every loss costs output
- Cavalry dives in axe mode
- Ranged AoE like Flamethrowers and Shenji
How to Play
- Rage comes from blocking damage and from kills. You spend it on axe mode.
- Unbreakable (7s): shield wall. 30% less damage taken, 40% slower movement and attacks. After a successful block, +30% damage for 1.4s. Use it on the approach to soak arrows or a pike charge.
- Raging Onslaught: swap to axes. +400 damage and armour penetration, and two Rage skills unlock. Press it at 80 Rage or more.
- Shatter Shield: overhead smash that breaks block and staggers. Open with it against shields.
- Great Sweep: 180° cleave with heavy knockback. Chain 3 or 4 of them while the Rage lasts.
- The loop: Unbreakable, block to build Rage, Raging Onslaught, Shatter Shield, Great Sweeps.
- Rage under about 20? Back to the shield, Unbreakable, build again.
- In axe mode they have no block. Keep a friendly shield or pike line on your flanks, that's when cavalry gets them.
- Siege attack: after the breach, shield up under the arrows, then axes on the clustered defenders.
- Siege defence: stand at the inner gate, let them stack, then Onslaught and cleave.
- Field battle: behind your shield infantry. When the enemy is pinned, step through and go.
Doctrines
- Slot 1 · Anti-Infantry Doctrine V
+200 damage dealt to infantry · +250 block
Wins the infantry trades.
- Slot 2 · Linebreaker Doctrine V
After 3 hits: much better block break for 2 s
Opens shield walls.
- Slot 3 · Defiance Doctrine V
Below 70% HP: +150 damage & defences for 3 s · below 60%: heal 6% max HP (every 3 s)
Fights back harder when hurt.
NEW · values confirmed from the game files
- Slot 4 · Iron Damage Doctrine V
Ironsides: +175 defences for 12 s · +120 all damage while active
Ironsides with a damage boost.
Veterancy
Start
- The Soldier's Life: 2/2 points · +6% health
Per level: Lv 1: +3% health / Lv 2: +6% health
Top line
- Toughen Up: 2/2 points · +6% piercing defence
Per level: Lv 1: +3% piercing defence / Lv 2: +6% piercing defence
- Reflexes: 2/2 points · −10% ranged damage taken
Per level: Lv 1: −5% ranged damage taken / Lv 2: −10% ranged damage taken
- Rearguard: 1/1 points · Reduces damage taken from rear attacks by 10%.
Tooltip: Reduces damage taken from rear attacks by 10%.
- Unwavering: 0/3 points · Not taken
Per level: Lv 1: +5% block recovery rate / Lv 2: +10% block recovery rate / Lv 3: +15% block recovery rate
- The Soldier's Life: 0/3 points · Not taken
Per level: Lv 1: +3% health / Lv 2: +6% health / Lv 3: +9% health
- Close Quarters: 0/3 points · Not taken
- Shield of the Empire: 0/1 points · Not taken
Per level: Lv 1: −10% melee damage taken
Middle line (shared start)
- Razor-Sharp: 2/2 points · +6% slashing damage
Per level: Lv 1: +3% slashing damage / Lv 2: +6% slashing damage
- Cold Blood: 2/2 points · +6% slashing armour penetration
Per level: Lv 1: +3% slashing armour penetration / Lv 2: +6% slashing armour penetration
- Move as One: 1/1 points · +10% movement speed
Per level: Lv 1: +10% movement speed
- Cold Blood: 2/2 points · +6% slashing armour penetration
Per level: Lv 1: +3% slashing armour penetration / Lv 2: +6% slashing armour penetration
Middle line (upper branch)
- Rushing Thunder: 3/3 points · Each level increases Great Sweep's blocking break by 5%.
Tooltip: Each level increases Great Sweep's blocking break by 5%.
- Bloodbath: 3/3 points · Each level increases Colossal Strike's damage by 5%.
Tooltip: Each level increases Colossal Strike's damage by 5%.
- Assault Training: 3/3 points · Each level increases Shatter Shields's blocking break by 5%.
Tooltip: Each level increases Shatter Shields's blocking break by 5%.
- Axe of the North: 1/1 points · Each level increases damage dealt to infantry by 15%.
Tooltip: Each level increases damage dealt to infantry by 15%.
Middle line (lower branch)
- Hone: 2/2 points · +6% piercing damage
Per level: Lv 1: +3% piercing damage / Lv 2: +6% piercing damage
- Butcher's Bill: 2/2 points · +6% blunt damage
Per level: Lv 1: +3% blunt damage / Lv 2: +6% blunt damage
- Breakthrough: 1/1 points · Increases the number of enemies each soldier can attack with a single normal strike by 1.
Tooltip: Increases the number of enemies each soldier can attack with a single normal strike by 1.
Bottom line
- Toughen Up: 0/2 points · Not taken
Per level: Lv 1: +3% slashing defence / Lv 2: +6% slashing defence
- Reflexes: 0/2 points · Not taken
Per level: Lv 1: −5% ranged damage taken / Lv 2: −10% ranged damage taken
- Unswerving: 0/2 points · Not taken
Per level: Lv 1: +3% blunt defence / Lv 2: +6% blunt defence
- Shield Bash: 0/1 points · Not taken
Build totals
- +6% · health
- +6% · piercing defence
- −10% · ranged damage taken
- +6% · slashing damage
- +12% · slashing armour penetration
- +10% · movement speed
- +6% · piercing damage
- +6% · blunt damage
Values from game files · client 1.10.3721.330067.
Linked doctrines
- Epic Combat Doctrine
Every 3rd hit +11% · every 6th heals 15% · every 9th 2.5 s CC immune
Rewards staying in the fight.
NEW · every 9th hit: 2.5 s CC immunity (was missing in the old text)
- Linebreaker Doctrine V
- Iron Damage Doctrine V
- Anti-Infantry Doctrine V
- Unshakable Ward
Acala's Aegis: −75% damage over time · no daze or knock-back · 7 s · 28 s cooldown
Ignore damage over time and dazes.
Balance history
2026-03-26 · rework
Can now be unlocked via Honour in the all-new 'Soul of the Norse' Unit Tree.
[Season Echo] Update Log2026-01-22 · buff
Increased Health (11550 to 12627).
January 22 Unit Balance Adjustments2025-12-04 · other
New Epic Rupture Doctrine added to the Windswept Plain pool. Effect: When enemy Units take damage from Unit 5 times within 3 seconds, they are inflicted with Bleed and Slow for 3 seconds.
December 4 Update and Maintenance Log2025-11-20 · bugfix
Fixed health recovery delay and targeting/cooldown issues with specific doctrines and skills.
November 20 Balance Adjustment Announcement2025-11-20 · buff
Increased base Piercing Damage, Slashing Armour Penetration, and Slashing Damage; Raging Onslaught grants temporary Health limit; Skill durations for Great Sweep, Colossal Strike, and Shatter Shields increased; Great Sweep Block Break doubled.
November 20 Balance Adjustment Announcement2025-02-27 · bugfix
Fixed abnormal attack damage when pressing and holding V.
February 27 Update Log2024-10-17 · bugfix
Fixed an issue where the shield did not have a blocking effect while in the shield-back position.
October 17 Update Log2024-04-17 · bugfix
Fixed abnormal attack animation when activating Unbreakable while in formation.
April 18th Update Log2024-03-21 · buff
Damage reduction of Unbreakable increased from 30% to 40%. All types of armor penetration during Raging Onslaught increased from 300 to 400.
New Season Dragonrise is Available Now!2024-02-01 · bugfix
Fixed the issue of unit models floating in the air after death.
Feb 1st UPDATE LOG2023-12-07 · bugfix
Fixed the issue where the Unit's head model would behave abnormally when changing Unit Attire.
December 7th Update Notice2023-12-07 · bugfix
Fixes the issue where some Units couldn't face the enemy while using their skills.
December 7th Update Notice2023-12-07 · bugfix
Fixed the issue where changing units might cause skill locking with a certain probability.
December 7th Update Notice2023-09-20 · buff
Improved block ability against ranged attacks, including ability to block arrows while moving and fighting.
September 21st Update Log2023-09-19 · buff
Improved block ability against ranged attacks; can now block arrows while moving and fighting.
BALANCE CHANGES2023-08-16 · buff
Increased the number of targets hit with battle-axe attacks by 1 (can now hit 4-5 enemies). Leadership cost reduced from 300 to 290.
Update Log for August 172023-07-06 · bugfix
Fixed an issue where the charge of some sword & shield units failed to block ranged attacks.
JUL 6 UPDATE LOG2023-06-28 · bugfix
Fixed an issue where sword & shield units were unable to block ranged attacks during [Shield Rush].
JUN 29 UPDATE LOG2023-06-28 · buff
Leadership cost reduced from 315 to 300.
JUN 29 UPDATE LOG2023-03-22 · buff
Improved the hitbox of sword & shield units' charge skills, reducing the chance of missing.
MAR 23 UPDATE LOG2023-01-16 · bugfix
Fixed an issue where crowd-control immunity had too short duration when using skills in axe form.
JAN 17 UPDATE LOG2022-12-15 · nerf
While [Raging Onslaught] is active, all skills share a 3-second cooldown during which the unit attacks freely with axes, reducing burst control.
Dec 15 Balance Changes2022-12-14 · nerf
While Raging Onslaught is active, all skills share a 2-second cooldown to prevent excessive burst and allow for better counterplay.
Balance Changes2022-09-07 · bugfix
Fixed a bug where the unit might attack before throwing axes or strike the air during multiple attacks.
SEP 8 UPDATE LOG2022-09-07 · nerf
Colossal Strike reduced to 1 strike (down from 2).
SEP 8 UPDATE LOG2022-09-07 · buff
Shatter Shields increased to 3 strikes (up from 2) and damage increased by 25%.
SEP 8 UPDATE LOG2022-09-07 · rework
Raging Onslaught adjusted to hit 2-4 targets; strike damage increased by 25%.
SEP 8 UPDATE LOG2022-09-07 · buff
Colossal Strike damage increased by 50%.
SEP 8 UPDATE LOG
Questions about Axes of the North
Which veterancy line do I use for Axes of the North?
My imported build puts the most points in Middle line (upper branch): 10/10 points.
Which doctrines are in the Axes of the North guide?
Anti-Infantry Doctrine V, Linebreaker Doctrine V, Defiance Doctrine V, Iron Damage Doctrine V
How much leadership does Axes of the North cost?
Axes of the North costs 290 leadership.
What is the latest recorded balance change for Axes of the North?
2026-03-26 · rework: Can now be unlocked via Honour in the all-new 'Soul of the Norse' Unit Tree.
Related units
All Conqueror's Blade units · Best units for beginners · All doctrines