Two-handed mace build

Use a two-handed mace for a mix of strong single-target damage and control. Cudgel can Daze a dangerous enemy, reducing its damage. A Qatal ally can use Deathblow on a Dazed or Stunned target, but the setup depends on turn order.

Recruit and equipment

Two-Handed Flanged Mace Polemace

Prioritize Melee Skill and Melee Defense, then Health and Resolve. As long-term goals, aim for 85+ Melee Skill, 30–35+ Melee Defense before gear and morale, about 90 Health after Colossus, and 50–60 Resolve. Equip heavy armor, a heavy helmet, a two-handed mace and a pocket Polemace; both use Mace Mastery. Work toward heavy armor near 300/300 body/helmet durability for Battle Forged. “Usable Fatigue” means the pool left after armor and all weapon penalties, including pocket weapons; aim for 25–30 as an emergency buffer. Position a Qatal brother near the target when safe, but do not expose the mace user just to force a combo.

Perk order

Immediate combat

Level	Perk
2	Colossus
3	Gifted
4	Steel Brow
5	Mace Mastery
6	Underdog
7	Battle Forged
8	Pathfinder
9	Quick Hands
10	Fearsome
11	Fortified Mind

For a recruit protected while leveling, use these changes. Keep other levels unchanged; at 11, spend the normal and returned points. Student and Gifted.

Student route	Perk
2	Student
3	Colossus
11	Fortified Mind + Gifted

After Mace Mastery and Pathfinder at level 8, the usual turn on ordinary terrain is one step and one mastered strike: 12 Fatigue for Cudgel and usually 2–3 for the step, against 15 recovered each turn. Swamps, slopes, injuries and emergency actions can cost more. Quick Hands adds the two-tile Polemace backup at level 9; keep the remaining Fatigue for emergencies rather than repeated strikes.

Play it

Before Battle Forged, avoid engaging several enemies at once. After level 8, use Cudgel on a high-value enemy; from level 9, Quick Hands lets you switch to the Polemace when a two-tile attack is safer. For Qatal, land Deathblow while the target is still Dazed. Arrange the Qatal’s turn after the mace applies Daze and before Daze expires; Wait or adjust turn order when useful. The setup is situational. Daze lowers damage but does not bypass armor.

See weapon builds, the dagger guide, weapon reference and combat.

Sources

Weapon and perk values use the 1.5.2.3 game-data manifest. See the In-Depth Perks Guide by turtle225 and Abel, CarveaHole’s fatigue-neutral build video, and the community discussion of two-handed mace builds.