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Warriors of Chaos builds · Berserkers
Best weapon for Berserkers: flails or additional hand weapons?
The best weapon for Berserkers depends on who charges. Flails won 76.6% of charges in my simulations, while additional hand weapons did better when receiving.
Quick answer: the best Berserkers build depends on the job
- If they charge
- Flails (76.6%)
- If they receive
- Additional hand weapons (59.3%)
It depends on who charges. I would take flails for a hammer and hand weapons for a unit that has to hold.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 6,000 complete combats for each Berserkers build on this page: 500 against each of six benchmark opponents, charging and receiving. The whole Warriors of Chaos lab ran 478,800, and these were the Berserkers results.
No simulation is perfect, and my Berserkers results are no exception: the dice fall on open ground, with no magic, no extra characters and no opponent making decisions. Flails only get their bonus on the charge, and every Berserker charge in the lab succeeded, which is the best case for the flail build. They tell you what to point Berserkers at, not what will happen every time.
13 Berserkers, 137 points, averaged across six opponents. n = 500 combats per matchup
| Weapon | Charging | Receiving | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flails | 76.6% | 55.8% | 66.2% |
| Additional hand weapons | 53.1% | 59.3% | 56.2% |
Why I think this happens
Berserkers have no selectable Mark or Cult. They are Undivided with built-in Frenzy, so the weapon is the main decision you make.
Under the 2026 rules the flail’s Strength bonus and Armour Bane only apply against an enemy the wielder charged that turn. That is why flails dominate on the charge and drop back when receiving, and why I rate flails higher overall.
Unit-by-unit Battle March results
I also ran smaller, narrated Berserkers batches against each opponent:
- Berserkers with flails137 pts · All-round melee infantry
More Warriors of Chaos builds
- Best Mark for Chaos Warriors, and the weapon to pair it with
- Best Mark for Chaos Knights: is Khorne worth it?
- Best Chaotic Cult for Marauders, and are they good?
- Best Huscarl build: a Mark of Chaos or a sixth model?
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use flail Berserkers for a charging hammer, and take additional hand weapons only if the unit has to hold. I would not use flail Berserkers where I expect the enemy to charge first.
FAQs
Are Berserkers good?
Yes. 13 flail Berserkers won 66.2% of fights overall in my simulations, and in my separate 10-fight tests they won 29 of 40 charges against four very different opponents.
Why do additional hand weapons do better when receiving?
The extra attack is always there, while the flail’s bonuses only apply when the Berserkers charged. Hand weapons won 59.3% when receiving against 55.8% for flails.