- The Zombie Axe is a power level 5 one-handed melee weapon rewarded for completing Doric's Quest.
- It deals both Crush and Slash damage simultaneously, a unique dual-type effect.
- Craft it at the Blacksmith's Bench with 6 Steel Bars, 6 Willow Logs, and Artisan level 100.
- It excels against crush-weak enemies like vault guardians and skeletal necromancers, but underperforms vs slash-resistant foes.
- Ascend it at the Mystic Forge with Ascension Cores to push it to power level 7.
Zombie Axe Overview & Stats
The Zombie Axe is one of the standout rewards in RuneScape: Dragonwilds, obtained as the final unlock for completing Doric's Quest in Fellhollow. Modeled after an ancient axe often found in the hands of zombies, it is capable of dealing both Crush and Slash damage at the same time — a mechanic that no other commonly used one-handed weapon shares. This makes it a genuinely interesting choice for endgame melee builds, provided you understand which enemies it shines against.
Here is the full combat profile:
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Power Level | 5 (ascendable to 7) |
| Damage Type | Slash and Crush (dual) |
| Attack Style | Mace |
| Base Damage | 79 - 140 |
| Block | 52 |
| Attack Combo | 5 |
| Durability | 1300 |
| Special Action | Block Breaker (33) |
Video Highlights:
- Complete Doric's Quest by collecting three rare Fellhollow weapons for Doric
- Farm zogres for the Shadow Sword recipe — roughly a 1-in-10 drop rate
- The Zombie Axe recipe unlocks as the quest's final reward
- Return trips to Doric can be done one item at a time or all at once
The journal entry ties the axe to Captain Artorius Flamhanger, who held the line against the undead in Fellhollow long after the region fell. The weapon is described as "infused with vengeance against the dead" — fitting for an axe you earn by farming zogres.
How to Unlock the Zombie Axe: Doric's Quest Walkthrough
The Zombie Axe and its recipe are both granted as the final reward for Doric's Quest. Before you can start it, you must have partially completed Withering Heights and fully completed Seeking Salvation. Doric will ask you to gather three rare weapons that originated from Fell Hollow, and once you deliver the last one, he returns all three items and unlocks the Zombie Axe recipe.
Gather the Undead Ranger's Bow
Head to the Skikkfiend Carrock Vault near Doric and interact with the Dragonkin Effigy to unlock the bow recipe. Craft it at a fletching bench using power level 5 Fellhollow materials. Doric rewards you with his Smelting Supplies.
Craft the Necromancer Staff
Enter the Vectus Vin Karavolt from the Lake of Lost Souls region. Pass through the spectral doors while soul rifted, interact with the Dragonkin Effigy inside, and ignore the sentinel. Use the purification pool on the way out, then craft the staff at your smithing station for Doric's Superior Smithing Supplies.
Farm Zogres for the Shadow Sword
This is the hardest step. Hunt zogres in Fellhollow until the Shadow Sword recipe drops — expect roughly a 1-in-10 drop rate, so several kills are normal. Safe-spotting a zogre inside the Vectus Vin Karavolt is a reliable farming approach.
Claim Your Zombie Axe
Craft the Shadow Sword, return to Doric, and speak with him one final time. He returns all three weapons and unlocks the Zombie Axe recipe as your quest reward.
All three quest weapons require power level 5 materials from Fellhollow. Stock up on crafting resources before beginning, or you will be making repeated dangerous trips back into the region mid-quest.
Before You Start Doric's Quest:
- Fully complete Seeking Salvation
- Partially progress Withering Heights
- Stockpile power level 5 Fellhollow materials
- Set up a base with a fletching bench and blacksmith's bench
- Bring gear capable of fighting zogres safely
Crafting Requirements & Full Material Tree
Once the recipe is unlocked, craft the Zombie Axe at a Blacksmith's Bench. Note that since update 0.12.0 (June 23, 2026), the Smithing Anvil was removed from the game, so the bench is your only option.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Facility | Blacksmith's Bench |
| Skill | Artisan 100 XP |
| Steel Bar | 6 |
| Willow Logs | 6 |
| Output | 1 Zombie Axe |
If you are gathering everything from scratch, here is the full material chain:
| Material | Qty | Sourced From |
|---|---|---|
| Iron Ore | 18 | Mining nodes |
| Coal | 18 | Mining nodes |
| Undead Bone | 9 | Undead enemies in Fellhollow |
| Corpse Cotton | 24 | Harvested in Fellhollow |
| Gold Ore | 6 | Mining nodes |
| Vault Shard | 6 | Vault runs |
Since update 0.12.1 (July 29, 2026), the Zombie Axe can be ascended at the Mystic Forge using Ascension Cores. The power level 6 version needs 1 core (98-173 damage, 59 block), and power level 7 needs another (118-209 damage, 66 block). The power level 9 version is currently unobtainable due to a bug.
Dual Damage Mechanics: When the Zombie Axe Wins
The Zombie Axe's special effect — dealing Slash and Crush damage at the same time — is both its greatest strength and its biggest weakness. Both damage types are checked against a monster's weaknesses and resistances. Weaknesses increase damage by +25%, but resistances reduce it by -33%, and this calculation is additive rather than multiplicative (a net factor of about 0.92 when one type is weak and the other resistant).
Great Targets
- Vault guardians
- Putrid rats
- Garou thanes
- Skeletal marauders
- Skeletal necromancers
- Weak to crush, not slash-resistant
Poor Targets
- Skeletal hoplites
- Zogres
- Black knight guardians
- Black knight warriors
- Black knight titan
- Weak to crush but slash-resistant
Better Alternatives
- Skullsplitter: +15% crit chance vs slash-resistant foes
- Black sword / Imaru's talon: faster movesets
- Abyssal whip: better vs slash-weak, crush-neutral enemies
- Faster sword-style attack speed overall
Two more factors shape the axe's performance:
- Higher base damage than comparable one-handed crush weapons — a real advantage when enemies are not also slash-resistant.
- Mace moveset — slower than sword, scimitar, or whip movesets, so against enemies weak to slash but not resistant to crush (abyssal demons, lost souls, zombies, Zamorakian acolytes), faster weapons usually pull ahead.
Treat the Zombie Axe as your specialized anti-crush-weak tool, not your only weapon. Pair it with Skullsplitter for slash-resistant targets and a faster slash weapon for slash-weak enemies to cover every matchup in Fellhollow.
Zombie Axe vs Other Power Level 5 Weapons
| Weapon | Damage Type | Moveset | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zombie Axe | Slash + Crush | Mace | Crush-weak, slash-neutral enemies |
| Skullsplitter | Crush | Mace | Crush-weak enemies that resist slash (+15% crit) |
| Black Sword | Slash | Sword | Slash-weak enemies, faster swings |
| Imaru's Talon | Slash | Sword | Slash-weak targets with mobility |
| Abyssal Whip | Slash | Whip | Slash-weak, crush-neutral enemies |
The comparison comes down to matchup coverage. The Zombie Axe's higher base damage gives it an edge on paper, but only when the target's resistances do not cancel out the dual-damage bonus. For detailed item data, the official Dragonwilds wiki entry on the Zombie Axe is the best reference.
If you regularly fight vault guardians, skeletal necromancers, or garou thanes, the Zombie Axe is well worth the Doric's Quest grind. Against the Black Knight lineup or zogres, swap weapons.
FAQ
Q: How do I get the Zombie Axe in Dragonwilds?
Complete Doric's Quest in full. You need to gather the Undead Ranger's Bow, the Necromancer Staff, and the Shadow Sword for Doric. After delivering the final item and speaking with him, he returns all three weapons and unlocks the Zombie Axe recipe, which you craft at a Blacksmith's Bench.
Q: What materials does the Zombie Axe require?
You need 6 Steel Bars, 6 Willow Logs, and 100 Artisan experience at a Blacksmith's Bench. Gathering from scratch adds up to 18 Iron Ore, 18 Coal, 9 Undead Bones, 24 Corpse Cotton, 6 Gold Ore, and 6 Vault Shards through the full crafting chain.
Q: Is the Zombie Axe good in Dragonwilds?
It depends on the target. Its dual Slash + Crush damage is excellent against enemies weak to crush but not resistant to slash, such as vault guardians and skeletal necromancers. Against slash-resistant enemies like zogres and the Black Knight titan, Skullsplitter or other weapons perform better.
Q: Can the Zombie Axe be ascended?
Yes. Since the July 29, 2026 update (0.12.1), you can ascend it at the Mystic Forge using Ascension Cores, raising it to power level 7 with 118-209 base damage. The power level 9 version is currently unavailable due to a known bug.