Cleaver

)   Cleaver
Base item	battle-axe
Damage vs. small	1d8+1d4 +1d6 (3-18)
Damage vs. large	1d6+2d4 +1d6 (4-20)
To-hit bonus	+1d3
Bonus versus	(any)
Weapon skill	axe
Size	two-handed
Affiliation	neutral (Barbarian)
When carried	(none)
When wielded	(none)
When invoked	(none)
Base price	1500 zm
Weight	120
Material	iron

Cleaver is an artifact battle-axe which does +d3 to hit and +d6 damage. It is the first sacrifice weapon for Barbarians.

Uses

As a first sacrifice gift, Cleaver is moderately useful. It is somewhat more effective than a barbarian's starting weapon, thanks to its bonuses to hit and damage. Perhaps more useful is the fact that if gifted by your god, Cleaver will be rustproof, which is useful since the barbarian's two-handed starting weapon is twice as likely to be corroded by a rust trap. In general, however, it loses its utility as the game progresses. Its damage in the late-game pales in comparison to a well-enchanted Grayswandir or Frost Brand, and even worse, it is two-handed and not intelligent. If it becomes cursed, it will leave you without use of your hands and likely require a prayer to uncurse. Remember that one cannot pray in Gehennom.

Cleaver, like other axes, can be [a]pplied in a direction to attempt to chop. This will, over a few turns, fell trees and destroy doors. If you attempt to chop down ([>]) then you get the message "Your Cleaver merely scratches the floor."

SLASH'EM

Like all artifacts with damage bonuses (as opposed to double damage), Cleaver receives a boost in SLASH'EM, for it will always give +3 to hit and +6 damage. However, the above still applies, especially given the proliferation of item-cursing spellcasters in SLASH'EM. Note, however, that non-human barbarians have a second guaranteed sacrifice gift in SLASH'EM, Deathsword. This weapon is only particularly effective against humans; as such, it mostly gets in the way of getting a better weapon, meaning some barbarians may find themselves using Cleaver for longer than they might like.

Average damage calculation

We assume the player has expert skill in axe, which gives a +2 damage bonus. A blessed weapon deals 1d4 extra damage against demons and undead. The worst case scenario is against a non-undead, non-demon small monster. The best case scenario is against a undead/demon large monster. Further, this damage calculation is based per 3.4.3, and not SLASH'EM.

Weapon	Against regular small monsters (worst case)	Against regular large monsters	Best case scenario
Blessed Cleaver +0	$\frac{1+8}{2}+\frac{1+4}{2}+\frac{1+6}{2}+2=\bold{12.5}$	$\frac{1+6}{2}+\frac{2+8}{2}+\frac{1+6}{2}+2=\bold{14}$	$\frac{1+6}{2}+\frac{2+8}{2}+\frac{1+6}{2}+\frac{1+4}{2}+2=\bold{16.5}$
Blessed Cleaver +7	$\frac{1+8}{2}+\frac{1+4}{2}+\frac{1+6}{2}+2+7=\bold{19.5}$	$\frac{1+6}{2}+\frac{2+8}{2}+\frac{1+6}{2}+2+7=\bold{21}$	$\frac{1+6}{2}+\frac{2+8}{2}+\frac{1+6}{2}+\frac{1+4}{2}+2+7=\bold{23.5}$