The Headsman’s Axe is the executioner’s tool of Skyrim – the longest weapon in the game, and the axe you nearly met in Helgen. The one you can actually take belongs to Ahtar, the headsman of Solitude, who uses it on Roggvir.
How to get it
- Recruit Ahtar (complete a bandit job for him, or drop a piece of clothing or armor and let him keep it) and take it from his inventory.
- Pickpocket it with the Misdirection perk, or while he sleeps.
- Kill him and loot it. On the Stormcloak side he may show up in the Battle for Solitude, where you can kill him without a bounty.
- Disarm him with the Disarm shout, hide the axe in a container, pay your fine and come back for it.
He walks around Solitude, the Castle Dour dungeon or Jala’s House. If you kill him during Roggvir’s execution before he’s brought out the axe, he won’t have it.
Why use it?
17 damage, 11 weight – modest numbers, but the reach is exceptional. You can hit enemies before they can hit you, and wide sweeps and backward power attacks connect more easily.
Smithing
It can’t be improved at a grindstone, but it can be enchanted.