Norse infantry are lightly armored but have a large attack. The Throwing Axeman is good against other infantry, but is weak against other types of units, especially archers. The Throwing Axeman is the strongest of the counter-infantry, and will defeat Greek Hypaspists or Egyptian Axemen. Despite the fact that he uses a ranged weapon, the Throwing Axeman is an infantry unit and benefits from infantry upgrades.

We know little about how warriors fought using throwing axes, but we do know that at least one Norse/Germanic tribe, the Franks, derived their name from a knife or axe that they apparently threw in battle. It is possible that they threw one weapon just prior to joining hand-to-hand combat, at which point they switched to another axe or sword. Throwing a weapon just prior to close fighting may have wounded and shaken many of the enemy just before the moment of contact, giving an initial, and perhaps decisive advantage to the throwers.