War glaive

The war glaive is a weapon added in the Fallout 76 update One Wasteland For All.

Characteristics
The war glaive consists of a long, dark metallic shaft with light brown accents. By default, it is topped with a broad, double-sided sword-like blade. The edges of the blade are serrated, the central ridge is flattened, and two capacitor-like objects protrude from the base of the blade.

The war glaive can be equipped with multiple elemental heads, with each having a unique appearance. The shocking head consists of dual concave crescent blades attached to a central wave-bladed spike, with electrical arcs between the blade tips. The flaming head has a thick curved blade with a rear spike and a fuel tank to create flames along the blade. The cryo head has a wide, semi-circular, spade-like blade covered in frost. The plasma head consists of a large, thick contraption and metallic enclosure that creates a single-sided beam of plasma acting as the blade.

All of the mods for the war glaive cut the damage as seen in the Pip-Boy in half while adding the full base damage of the war glaive as a secondary damage type (cryo, energy, etc). The secondary damage type will be buffed by global damage boosts such as Bloody Mess or Adrenal Reaction, but will not be impacted by weapon type-specific buffs such as the melee-enhancing Twisted Muscles. This is due to the secondary damage type not being associated to any specific weapon types. The primary damage will continue to be enhanced by weapon type-specific buffs.

For example, the Pip-Boy displays 82 Physical damage for the standard level 50 war glaive. If one adds the cryo blade mod, the war glaive now has 41 Physical damage and 82 Cryo damage. Both specific and global buffs and nerfs will be applied to the primary Physical damage of the glaive, while only global buffs and nerfs will be applied to the secondary damage of the glaive.

Similar in damage to the super sledge, the war glaive is a heavy-hitting two-handed weapon, though bladed instead of blunt. War glaives cannot be traded, dropped, or sold to vendors, and neither can the plans for the war glaive and its mods. Legendary war glaives can be scrapped at a legendary exchange machine.

Weapon modifications

 * War glaive

Locations

 * The war glaive can be crafted at a weapons workbench if Plan: War glaive is known. The plan can be obtained as a rare reward for completing a Daily Op at level 50 or higher.
 * Once the plan is known, war glaives may be found as legendary weapons, earned either as quest rewards, found on legendary enemies, or bought from Purveyor Murmrgh.
 * Plans for the mods can be bought from Regs for gold bullion.

Behind the scenes

 * Despite sharing a name with the European glaive, the weapons in Appalachia do not follow the same blade patterns by default, instead having straight, broad, double-sided blades.
 * Various blade mods resemble historic Chinese polearm designs and blade shapes:
 * The standard serrated blade resembles that of the simple pi (鈹, "sword-staff"), albeit broad and serrated.
 * The shocking blade resembles the fangtian ji (方天戟, "square-sky halberd") with dual crescent blades and electrical arcs between the blade tips.
 * The flaming blade resembles a stylized guandao, or yanyuedao (偃月刀, "reclining moon glaive"), with its characteristic rear spike and a fuel tank to create flames along the blade.
 * The cyro blade resembles a fang bian chan (方便鏟, "convenient spade") with a wide semi-circular blade covered in frost.
 * The plasma blade shares similar characteristics with the ti dao (剃刀, "razor glaive") with a long, curved blade, though is heavy stylized with more industrial elements, including the blade itself being formed of plasma.