The Lawbringer - Heavy Armor 2H Axe Build - Stoneshard

Introduction

Overview

This is a heavy armor 2H Axe build which leverages the defensive properties of heavy armor to fight with unrestrained violence and unmatched ferocity. 2H axe is one of the strongest weapon classes in Stoneshard, and are distinguished by their huge raw damage output. To the untrained eye, 2h axes may seem one-dimensional - all gas no breaks, perfect for glass cannon builds. But that could not be further from the truth.

In the hands of a skilled player, 2h axe builds become a unique exercise in pacing. By conciously holding back on the immense damage output of 2h axes a skilled player can distribute it efficiently, using skills when and where theyre needed to clear entire hordes of enemies, instead of burning through their resources and being overwhelmed.

At the same time, by combining 2H axes with heavy armor, this build obtains an enormous amount of resiliency. This makes the build very forgiving to play, and overall less reliant on having polished gameplay fundamentals. This is my most beginner-friendly build so far.

Character Selection

This build does not depend on any one character's passive, but several of them prove to be very useful.

Character	Strength
Jorgrim	Jorgrim's trait is Gore and Glory​. Jorgrim has the strongest endgame with this build, but he is the first to reach it as he levels up and gains reputation faster than the others. He is weaker than Dirwin in tier 2-3 before gradually overtaking him in power around tier 4.  ​
​​Dirwin​	Dirwin's trait is Ranger's Grit​. Dirwin has the strongest early game and has an easier time than others, transitioning into heavy armor. His trait also encourages you to explore the map and see what this game has to offer. I recommend Dirwin for a new player.
Leosthenes​	Leo's Trait is Might and Magic​. Leo, like Arna, will struggle in the early game as he does not start knowing 2h axes. But if you look past that, in the endgame, he will be by far the tankiest character on this build, with somewhere around 180 hp.
Arna​	Arna's Trait is Vow of the Feat​. Arna does not know 2h axes and cannot learn them until Mannshire. Her trait helps maintain your morale high, and in combat, she often gains heroism, which is very good on all builds. She is my second recommendation for a new player.

Final Stats

Stat	Value
Strength	25
Agility	10
Perception	15
Vitality	25
Willpower	10

Final Skills

Dirwin	Everyone Else

Final Gear

Item	Contribution
Forholt Staff	This is our non-unique BiS. It offers accuracy to reach 96% without relying on jewelry too much, and bleed chance to supplement the weapon's low base damage.   Best enchantment is fire damage, or crit chance.
Noble Armor	BiS non-unique chest armor. It offers all the most important stats without costing excess energy.   Max HP, or Healing efficiency, are the optimal enchantments
Knight Gauntlets	Non-unique BiS. These are the only heavy tier 5 gloves that money can buy.   Max hp or healing efficiency are the optimal enchantment
Noble Sabatons	BiS. These boots offer more bleed and move res as well as better energy at the cost of less raw damage mitigation.    Move res, HP or healing efficiency are optimal enchantments.
Pig-Faced Bascinet	BiS. Provides just enough protection to prevent your head from being targeted by seize the initiative, while being more economical than the Grand Bascinet.   Max HP, and healing efficiency are the optimal enchantments.
Captain Waistband	non-unique BiS. This belt reduces fumble chance and offers crit efficiency. The added 1% of accuracy makes it an easy sell.   HP, Bleed, move or control resare the optimal enchantments.
Pagan Pendant	This Unique amulet is obtained from the new quest a Matter of Faith. Make sure to folllow the instructions listed further below to complete the quest correctly and obtain this item.
Silver Emerald Ring	Only 1 such ring is needed. This build needs a bit of extra fumble reduction from jewelry   Bleed resist, Healing efficiency, Control and Move Resists are all good.
Silver Ruby Ring	Only 1 such ring is needed. This Build needs a little bit extra accuracy from jewelry.   Bleed resist, Healing efficiency, Control and Move Resists are all good enchantments.
Jousting Cloak	BiS. This cloak offsets the -6% damage taken penalty from the Pagan Amulet. It offers many fantastic bonuses which stack with those of heavy armor.

Progression

Stat Allocation Order

This build has 2 main priorities, which inform our stat allocation. 

•  Unlocking the Rampage​ Stance and Reign In Blood​ at level 7
• Having enough energy to wear heavy armor in tier 3

With these 2 things in mind, we know that our first 2 break points must be taken in STR/PER to unlock the stance prematurely, but we cannot afford to delay our vitality investment any further, as we would be unable to fight in heavy armor without raising our max energy.

Stat	Investment
Perception	15
Strength	15
Vitality	20
Strength	20
Vitality	25 (Leosthenes can skip this)
Strength	25

Skill Order

Since this build can be replicated on multiple characters, ive included multiple versions of the skill order to accomodate for each possible character choice.

IMPORTANT - A Matter of Faith

A Matter of Faith is the new Tier 3 story quest that was added to the game by the Blood Omens update, and it is very important for this build. This quest is unlocked at the Rotten Willow Tavern when you reach 3000 reputation, and is given by L'Owcrey the Occultist.

This is a very complicated quest, with multiple different endings and multiple different rewards. It can be harder or easier to complete depending on the path you choose, and based on your choice, you will receive different rewards.

A Matter of Faith - Instructions

I will list the instructions in a manner that minimizes story spoilers while including all the critical information.

After receiving the quest:

1. Travel to the Roadside Chapel and prepare for a short but tough fight.
2. Go inside, and learn more about the object that L'Owcrey sent you to retrieve.
3. Receive the keystone, and return to camp. Prepare to clear a tier 3 dungeon.
4. Head to the Theosopher's Refuge, and clear the dungeon. Find the quest item.
5. Return directly to your caravan. Do not visit the Roadside Chapel.
6. Return to L'Owcrey and hand over the quest item. Claim your Reward.

Early & Midgame Gearing

This section will discuss notable pieces of gear that can be found throughout the early / mid-game

Weapon Progression

This build uses the Sword-staff branch of 2H axes, which gives accuracy and bleed chance to compensate for their relatively low base damage.

Item	Source
Doloire	Can be bought from the Osbrook Smith at the start of the game. Prime contender for the strongest weapon in tier 1.
Voulge	Can be bought from the Osbrook Smith upon reaching 3000 rep
Skadian Sovnya	Can be bought in Brynn Docks starting 3000 Brynn rep, either at the dock general merchant, or Zdenebrad the Skadian merchant. Can also be found at the pawnshop before then. Slight upgrade over the jagged voulge due to the 2% crit chance.
Glaive	Can be bought in the Rotten Willow tavern, or pretty much anywhere in Brynn, starting 4000 rep. Alternatively can be bought from the Brynn Fence, or the pawn shop, starting with 3000 rep.

Breaking into Tier 3

The entrance to tier 3 is a very pivotal moment for this build, as it is here where it faces its greatest challenge - which is a good thing. It's only up from here. 

At this time, we are beginning to switch into heavy armour. Since Dirwin starts with Make a Halt and takes Pathfinder, when playing this build with him i also recommend that you pick up some Plate Mittens.

Item	Source
Old-Fashioned Armor	The Mannshire smith can sell it starting 4000 reputation. After killing the Ancient Troll, this is the cheapest place to buy it.
Klappvisor Bascinet	The Mannshire smith can sell it starting 4000 reputation. After killing the Ancient Troll, this is the cheapest place to buy it.
Soldier Gloves	The Mannshire smith can sell it starting 4000 reputation. After killing the Ancient Troll, this is the cheapest place to buy it.
Mail Boots	The Mannshire smith can sell it starting 4000 reputation. After killing the Ancient Troll, this is the cheapest place to buy it.
Brass Agate Ring	No consistent source, but many vendors can roll it. Check Ol' Tott, and the pawn shop any chance you get. Can also be dropped as loot from necromancer dungeon bosses. I typicallly always find at least 1 before i start clearing tier 3.
Trophy Necklace	Sold by the Dwarven Merchant in Brynn Port, or the Portside General merchant.
Norse Belt	Sold by the Dwarven Merchant in Brynn Port, or the Portside General merchant.

Notable Mentions

Item	Source
Flagbearer Armor	Brynn Pawnshop starting 3000 rep, or general merchant, or the smithing bailiff starting 4000 rep. It can also spawn as random loot in graves covered by loose dirt.
Skirmisher Belt	Rotten Willow Tavern starting 4000 RWT rep. In Brynn, it is sold by general merchants and leatherworking bailiff, starting 4000 rep.

Gameplay

This section is dedicated to specific Gameplay tips, such as skill combos, 

Understanding High Vitality Builds

The most important thing that you need to understand about High Vitality Builds is that you don't need to understand anything. You hit enemies, and if their health reaches 0 before yours does, they will die.

Jokes aside, High Vitality builds don't die easily, and by combining our large health pool with Lifedrain supported by high, reliable damage, makes us very hard to kill. Heavy raises that bar to the next level. It provides an enormous amount of Protection, which is further increased by Unyielding Defence​, allowing us to become an immovable juggernaut for up to 8 turns.

The build uses Adaptability​ to delay the moment when body part damage begins to impede its performance. Meanwhile, First Aid​ allows it to prevent itself from taking injuries even as you are in the middle of a fight, or mend them after the fight without expending a splint.

In the case of 2h axes, our heavy armor and immense survivability play a key role in the tactical performance of the build. This build is comparatively less reliant on ambushing enemies, often preferring to fight entire rooms together to get maximum value out of the stance, cleaving axe crits, and Make Space​. 

Basic Skill Combos

This section discusses common combat skill combos this build likes to use.

Rampage Third-Strike Timing

With Rampage​ your every 3rd strike will deal bonus damage, if it connects. Timing your third strike to be an axe attack skill is a great way to increase your damage and grease the wheels of your build.

Turn 0	Turn 1	Turn 2	Turn 3	Turn 4	Turn 5	Turn 6	Turn 7+
Rampage​	Normal / Skill Attack	Normal / Skill Attack	Stance Empowered Skill​ Attack	Normal / Skill Attack	Normal / Skill Attack	Stance Empowered Skill​ Attack	...

This is most important for Axe skills like Dismember​, Reign In Blood​ and Make Space​, but it works with any attack skill. If this third strike happens to be Seize the Initiative​, it will deal bonus damage as well.

Mighty Kick​, however, does not trigger, nor help you make progress toward that third strike, as this skill is not an attack, but instead a maneuver that deals damage.

Rapid Dismemberment

This combo is good at dealing a lot of upfront damage, potentially disabling an enemy before the fight began. This is a staple way to start the fight as soon as you unlock all the skills. Do not use this if the enemy has Seize the Initiative​.

Turn 0	Turn 1	Turn 2	Turn 3
Rampage​	Seize the Initiative​	Normal Attack	Stance Empowered Dismember​

Seize the Initiative​ targets the most vulnerable body part, which might be enough to injure on its own. By making it the most injured bodypart with the strike from Seize the Initiative​ we guarantee that it will also be targeted by Dismember​.

For most enemies, the least protected bodypart is the head. A Moderate to Severe head injury prevents them from casting spells. 

Delaying Dismember​ by one turn allows us to time it to benefit from Rampage​ 's third strike effect.

Subdue the Suspect

Speed. Surprise. Violence of Action. Don't give the enemy the time to gather their wits when beginning a fight.

This combo allows you to set up a stun on a single enemy by pulling them with Hooking Chop​ such that their back is to a solid object, and knocking them back into it with Mighty Kick​, and then a second time with Reign In Blood​ to secure a stun.

Turn 0	Turn 1	Turn 2	Turn 3
Rampage​	Hooking Chop​​	Mighty Kick​	Reign In Blood​​

This combo will break if Hooking Chop​ fails to pull the target, but that is not the end of the world, as it effectively means that we get a free strike and a bleed against them.

Do not use this combo if the enemy has a charge attack.

This combo cannot be used while ambushing around corners.

The Can-Opener Special

Used against shielded or otherwise block-reliant enemies to disable their shields and start stacking Shieldbreaker​ as soon as possible.

Turn -1	Turn 0	Turn 1	Turn 2	Turn 3
Rampage​	Brace for Impact​ (If they can charge)	Mighty Kick​	Seize the Initiative​	Normal Attack

This combo will shred enemy Block Chance and Power. After this combo, your next attack will be empowered by the stance, as Mighty Kick​ does not count as a strike.

The Ancient Troll

2h Axes have a very easy time against the ancient troll. Hooking Chop can be used to interrupt the troll's regeneration, while the repeated use of dismember can quickly rack up injuries. Make sure to conserve energy for Hooking Chop as the fight progresses, and you will have no problems. 

The Manticore

This build can tackle the Manticore at any level, as the core skills necessary for the fight are obtained early on in the build. That being said, I recommend waiting until level 16, as that is when you unlock Custom Adjustments, which greatly helps the build maintain its energy.

The biggest factor in how easy the fight will feel is the tier of your weapon. Having a tier 4 Glaive means that you will consistently kill Risen Axonians in 3 hits, or 2 if the second attack is Dismember timed to be the third strike under Rampage.

With a tier 3 weapon, it is impossible to consistently kill the skeletons in 2 hits, and killing them in 3 would require having the stance active. This, at first glance, minor difference drastically reduces the margin of error that you have during the fight.

The best way to deal damage to the Manticore is to stack up Rampage while fighting skeletons, and then use Hooking Chop against the Manticore while at 2 or more Rampage stacks.

I do not advise being overly aggressive in this fight, as you do not need to remain in melee for long in order to make progress. Playing slow and patiently waiting for Hooking Chop cooldowns is a safer approach. 

Managing Repair Costs

When playing this build, armor repair costs are something you will have to deal with, more so than on a block and / or dodge build. You need to be mindful of the repair costs of your gear when you plan your budget while shopping.

Up to and including tier 3, when we first buy heavy armor, it is best to pay the repair costs out of pocket. Bring any metal repair items back to your caravan, only using them on tier 3 armor if you need the inventory space for something else in the short-term.

From the moment that you unlock Darrel, be sure to check him regularly and purchase any bits of iron that can be used in repairs. This extends to all general merchants as well.

This is a form of investment, as we will use these metal pieces to save on repair costs on tier 4 and 5 armor, which would have otherwise cost a lot more. Buying Cloth and Leather is also a good idea, as it can be used to repair broken endgame armor that you find, so we can sell it as loot.

Additionally, make sure to collect Wire, Spools of Thread, and Blacksmith Tongs while you are out adventuring. You will need them in tier 4+ to craft Repair Kits.

Lastly, while in Denbrie, you must find the Desolate Quarry, as inside you will find a crafting recipe for Repair Kits.
It can spawn anywhere around Denbrie, including North East of it, but it will always be on the steppe, and it will show up on the map you can buy in Denbrie, if it spawns in that area. 

Repair Kits are very cost-efficient at repairing scratches, but are almost entirely useless at repairing heavy damage. That is why we needed to collect the iron bits. Consumable repair materials always repair a fixed amount of durability. Make sure to repair damage in excess of 25 durability points with consumables, only using repair kits to polish the armor.

Once you have Self-Repair​, you must maintain your armor at above 80% durability at all times.

Jorgrim Trophy Checklist

Jorgrim's trait Gore and Glory​ allows him to use the skill "Butchering" on the corpses of dead dungeon bosses to produce a trophy. As of the latest update, Jorgrim will say something in text floating above his head whenever an unbutchered boss corpse is nearby. 

Whenever you hand in the contract while a related trophy is in your inventory, there will be additional dialogue after which the contract giver will award you extra gold and reputation.

There are 19 Unique trophies in the game, meaning you do not need to collect every single one to fulfill Jorgrim's Trait. With perfect RNG, and some farming, it is barely possible to gain 3 extra stat points before you leave tier 3, but even with the worst RNG, you will still see at least 2.

Here is the full table, as it appears on the Wiki:

Dirwin Exploration Checklist

Dirwin's passive Ranger's Grit​ rewards exploring overworld PoI's with extra attribute / stat points. This ability only counts the types of locations you discover, not the total number of locations you visited. 

Here is the full checklist of the different types of locations that you need to discover

Caves

1. Abandoned Mineshaft - Plenty of evidence of past exploitation. Usually inhabited by Bandits, or Rockeaters. Often houses valuable ore nodes. Sometimes, a pickaxe can spawn at the entrance.
2. Beast Lair - The tunnels are littered with corpses and gnawed bones. Typically inhabited by Wolves, Crawlers, or Bears. Often houses valuable herbs and mushrooms, but also ore nodes. 
3. Overgrown Cave - Prominently features moss and emerging pieces of Axonian Ruins. Usually inhabited by Rockeaters, Crawlers or Wolves. Often houses valuable herbs and mushrooms, but also ore nodes.

Dens

Tier	Den Type
1-2	-
3	Ghouls, Crawlers
4	Harpies, Deathstinger Hive
5	Gulons, Young Trolls

Hunting Grounds

Tier	Den Type
0	Deer, Saiga
3	Wolves, Boars
4	Moose
5	Bears, Bison

Dirwin Trait - Optimal Stat Gain

When planning my playthrough, I found this to be the easiest way to fulfill the scaling on Dirwin's trait, Ranger's Grit​, as early as possible.

Stat Point 1

Location	Advice
Deer Trail	Use Dash early to chase after them, catch up with the second cooldown. Score a kill with opportunity attacks.
Saiga Trail	Use Dash early to chase after them, catch up with the second cooldown. Score a kill with opportunity attacks.
Beast Lair	The easiest one is a wolf lair, in Tier 2. These wolves can be lured by shouting. Bring Traps and a Net. Dont fight more than 1 at a time if you do not have heavy armor.
Abandoned Mineshaft	Can spawn as early as Tier 1, and usually populated by bandits.

Stat Point 2

Location	Advice
Ghoul Den	Ghouls can be lured into 1v1s by shouting. Never fight in the same place twice, as they will eat the corpses. Use nets and Claw Traps on the big Ghouls. Don't let any escape.
Wolf Den	Bring a Net and a claw trap. Build and light a campfire where you plan to fight, as they fear fire. Kill as many as you can as soon as possible. Drink a Vivifying Essence if needed.
Crawler Burrow	Crawlers can be lured into 1v1s by shouting. Make sure to ambush them from behind cover, leading them into a claw trap. If you're spotted - leave the map and reset.
Overgrown Cave	Tier 2 rockeaters can't do much against heavy armor. Lure and ambush rockeater hunters from around a corner. Use your dash only after they use theirs.

Stat Point 3

Location	Advice
Boar Trail	Boars are dangerous and can chain stun with their charges. Light a campfire.
Harpy Nest	Harpies are easily lured into 1 on 1 fights, and are entirely countered with a net.
Moose Trail	Moose are dangerous. You can fight a deathstinger Hive instead, but make sure to kill all the bees and wait 100~ after winning, in case lost bees return. Against Moose, Campfire. For Bees, Antidote syringe.
Bear Territory	Bears can be cheesed earlier in the game with a jar of Deathstingers, as bears will flee at the sight of bees. Use Dash to escape, if necessary.

Endgame Dungeon Preparation

This build can start tackling tier 5 content as soon as it unlocks Make Space​ and Warcry​. Having a tier 5 weapon - specifically the Forholt Staff - is extremely important, as more damage means shorter fights, less damage taken by us, and more damage healed through Lifedrain from the Pagan Necklace. 

Having Will to Survive​ is a powerful assurance that will help you survive very tough situations. As such, I recommend waiting until at least level 23, when playing permadeath.

Having Tier 5 armor, specifically head and chest, will make a significant difference, especially against Brigands. You could try to subsist off of tier 4 armor, but in that case, make sure your boots are the least protected bodypart. You do not want to funnel your enemy's Seize the Initiative​ into any other bodypart.

Useful Consumables

This build makes a very good use of medicinal herbs, as it takes damage gradually, rather than in one big, unlucky hit:

• Silverleaf
• Honey Hyssop
• Crimson Spleenwort

Bringing a Crimson Spleenwort can sometimes be more efficient than bringing multiple healing salves. You should still bring both, of course. I still recommend you carry at least 2 splints, even though you have First Aid​, as it has a long cooldown, and it is best to save it for when you need to use it mid-combat. 

Caravan Camp Buffs

It is important to stay ahead of your fatigue. Dirwin has a huge advantage in this regard, as Make a Halt​ covers most of his fatigue needs. 

For Dirwin

• Banner - Owl, or Stallion
• Leif Training - Strength
• Ideal Food Buff - Honey Glazed Ham

The added energy and fatigue replenishment from Make a Halt and Vigor make the stallion banner and Alda's Brew more of a convenience rather than a must-have item. It is wise to carry a Nikkaf Drug as it fixes most of your fumble and fatigue gaps. 

For Other Characters

• Banner - Stallion
• Leif Training - Endurance
• Ideal Food Buff - Honey Glazed Ham + Daytayler Stew

The lack of Make a Halt​ becomes noticeable in the lategame as fatigue begins to catch up to this build. Either Nikkaf or Alda's brew is more or less mandatory if you want to clear a dungeon in a single day.

Dangers in the Dungeons

This section is dedicated to threats that you need to keep in mind while playing. Many of these apply at all stages of the game, but become all the more important in Tier 5.

Traps

Your vision radius is severely reduced when using a heavy helmet. Even with 15 Perception, it is easy to miss traps when scouting rooms. Take extra care to find them, as with Unyielding Defence​ and Mighty Kick​ or Hooking Chop​ there are many ways in which you could use them to your advantage.

Immobilization

Becoming immobilized prevents you from moving to other tiles. This means you cannot use Unyielding Defence​, which is your main defensive buff. Be careful around enemies with spears, and avoid engaging in prolonged fights with them, as they will gain a lot of value from Spear Passives like No Retreat and One at a Time, and in the case of Immobilization, Precise Hits.

2H Mace Enemies

This build does not take Not This Time until much later, and so Skull Crusher becomes a very dangerous skill for it to face. A specific example is the 2h Mace Renegade - a Tier 5 Bandit enemy. They have Mighty Swing, Skull Crusher, and Forceful Slam.

The Nightmare Scenario is them using Mighty Swing to charge at us with Skull Crusher from 3 tiles away, landing a stun, and then following that up with Forceful Slam, which crits due to its extra crit chance, annihilating our skull. 

In my run, this happened once, except that Forceful Slam did not crit, and it still scored an injury. I was left below half health, but I doubt it would have killed me even if it did crit. 

The lesson is that 2h Mace enemies must be handled carefully and with respect - either ambushed from around the corner to deny them the charge, or by absorbing the Skull Crusher blow through Unyielding Defence​ + Brace for Impact​. 

The other 2h mace enemies, specifically Fiends and the Tier 3 Bandit boss are also dangerous, though not nearly to the same extent. 

Conclusion

The Lawbringer is a supremely powerful build at all stages of the game and possesses the rare quality of having both a low skill floor and a high skill ceiling. This build leverages the strengths of heavy armor to cover the weaknesses of 2H Axes, which historically have given this weapon class a hit-or-miss reputation. 

I think this build has an immense amount of RP potential because of how uniquely visceral 2H Axe gameplay feels when things work as they should. There is no other build in my recent memory that sent me lurching away from the screen, reeling with disgust from the mess that was left of an enemy. Heads will roll, and limbs will fly, when the strong arm of the law directs the Lawbringer to his next victim.