Maces Hit, Swords Crit, Axes....?
It's my understanding that the old school medieval fantasy archetypal Cleric wields a mace because maces were better suited for fighting undead. Swords could land critical hits for better damage, but undead (the Cleric's enemy #1) were immune to critical hits, and the higher damage (but lack of critical hits) from a mace was preferred for Clerics.
To fit into the archetype idea, Clerics use Maces, Knights use Swords, Barbarians use Axes, but why?
Maces had better flat damage.
Swords could land critical hits.
What did axes do? What reason was there for a warrior to specialize in using an axe? Was it something that synergized with an older RPG's mechanics for Barbarians, or just that a greataxe fits the ~vibe~ of a Barbarian very well?