Destiny: Rise of Iron adds the impressive Iron Battle Axe to its vast arsenal, giving Guardians the chance to leap through the air and slam enemies with a stream of flame. The special Relic weapon only appears during certain sequences, but most players will get the most use in the Archon’s Forge public event area. There’s no real trick to using the Iron Battle Axe, but there are wrinkles to the design that everyone doing public events should know.
Here you’ll find all the advice fit to print for the Iron Battle Axe. Learn how to keep an infinite supply of ammo, how to do double-damage, and the best ways to farm kills for bounties. If there’s anything we missed, we’re always happy to hear from Guardians in the comments. We’re here to help you use the Iron Battle Axe like a pro.
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The Iron Battle Axe – Everything You Need To Know
Like the Sword or the Elemental Cannons, the Iron Battle Axe is a special weapon that changes your perspective — the camera switches from 1st person to 3rd. The Iron Battle Axe uses ammo with special attacks — 10 shots per attack — and is incredibly powerful in the right hands. Melee attacks don’t expend ammo. Melee has a different effect, one you’ll want to use often.
The Iron Battle Axe Spawns in the Archon’s Forge & Quarantine Patrols
If you want to get the Iron Battle Axe as soon as possible, try playing one of the new Plaguelands Quarantine Patrols. During these missions, you’ll hunt down SIVA Priests and the Iron Battle Axe will spawn.
For most Guardians, you’ll get to use the Iron Battle Axe for long lengths of time at the Archon’s Forge public events. The Archon’s Forge is an enclosed area where teams can join together for large-scale public events where swarms of Fallen spawn.
- To find the Archon’s Forge, follow these directions:
- From Lord’s Watch (Plaguelands Patrol spawn point) take the right path to Giant’s Husk.
- Take the left path in Giant’s Husk to reach the Doomed Sea.
- Go toward the large Fallen tower to enter The Archon’s Keep.
- Enter the Archon’s Keep (left-side door) to enter the Archon’s Forge.
Once you reach the Archon’s Forge, use the terminal or wait around for other Guardians to start participating in public events.
The Iron Battle Axe Regenerates Ammo With Melee Attacks
As explained above, the Iron Battle Axe uses 10 ammo per special attack (using the triggers) — but melee attacks regenerate 1 ammo per attack. If you’re using melee attacks often, you can easily keep a full stock of ammo at all times.
Having a high ammo count is incredibly useful for more than one obvious reason. Not only can you keep using special attacks, your special attacks will deal double damage.
At 60+ Ammo, the Iron Battle Axe Deals Double Damage
Keep 60+ ammo at any given time, and the Iron Battle Axe will be engulfed in flames. While on fire, the Axe does twice the regular damage to enemies. This is vital when the Archon’s Forge gets tough — with double damage, you can destroy suicide Shanks with a single attack.
With the bonus Scorch element, Shanks will disintegrate rather than explode. You won’t take damage from a Shank that disintegrates when using melee attacks against them — keeping your ammo 60+ makes dealing with these high-round encounters much easier.
The Iron Battle Axe Special Attack Debuffs Enemies
This is fairly obvious. Still, there’s a reason you don’t want to only melee enemies — hit them with the special (use triggers) to debuff, then melee to regain your lost ammo. The strategy most Guardians want to employ is as follows:
- Special Attack (Debuffs) -> x10 Melee Attacks (Regen 1 ammo per melee) -> Special Attack -> x10 Melee
That way you’ll always keep opponents debuffed, regenerate your ammo, and continue the cycle.
The Best Way to Farm Iron Battle Axe Kills – Crushing Blows Bounty
If you happen to get a “Crushing Blows” bounty and need lots of Iron Battle Axe kills, start the “The Iron Tomb” quest. This is a later Rise of Iron story quest.
- Continue until you reach the “Initiate Self-Destruct” objective. Once the self-destruct is activated, the Iron Battle Axe will spawn.
- Kill all the minions and the first boss to initiate the second wave.
- Kill all the minions in the second wave, but don’t kill the two bosses. Let them defeat you.
All Iron Battle Axe kills count toward your total, even if you die in combat. Just farm this first two waves of minions in this sequence — kill all the Fallen, die, and repeat — until you earn enough kills with the Battle Axe to complete the bounty.
