The axe will prevail in hand to hand.
Run from the axe, run toward the crossbow.
> The axe will prevail in hand to hand.
It certainly would, particularly if the ax-man knew how to use it. The European Martial Arts are quite popular here in NZ: they practise with broadswords, daggers, battle axes and the like. Chain mail, helmets: it’s full-on. Quite alot of skill involved, I was surprised to find out.