History Main / PowerfulPick

* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseman%27s_pick horseman's pick]] and other warhammers often had large pick-ends for piercing chain armor. The hammer end was for plate, as the pick would get stuck, but the heavy hammerhead would smash bone and muscle regardless.

* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseman%27s_pick horseman's pick]] and other warhammers often had large pick-ends for piercing armor.

* [[PlayerCharacter Harry]] acquires a pair of ice picks late into ''VideoGame/PitfallTheLostExpedition''[[note]]Ported to [[UsefulNotes/NintendoWii Wii]] as ''[[MarketBasedTitle Pitfall's Big Adventure]]''[[/note]]. Although they're mainly used for their intended purpose as a climbing aid, they can also be used to perform a rather potent SpinAttack; which is useful if the player hasn't unlocked the [[DanceBattler Breakdance Strike]]. The same technique is also used by some [[HollywoodNatives Native]] {{Mooks}} encountered in [[SlippySlideyIceWorld the mountains]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Manafinder}}'': Pickaxes are effective against rock monsters or monsters with rock-like exteriors, and they all have the Excavate Unleash to deal three hits to a single foe. Lambda recieves a pickaxe from her fellow manafinders, and she can obtain better ones by completing Gobithia's questline.

* In the ''WebVideo/DreamSMP'', after Technoblade's failed execution, he uses a netherite pickaxe as an ImprovisedWeapon until he is able to recover his items. While making his escape, Techno is evenly matched with three people at one point while weaponizing his pickaxe, [[spoiler:and he even manages to kill one of his pursuers, Quackity (who was wearing ''full enchanted netherite armour and using an axe''), with it by putting it [[TheToothHurts through his teeth]] and [[EyeScream partially blinding him]].]]

A SubTrope of ImprovisedWeapon and closely related to ShovelStrike, pickaxes are tools used to break up rocks and earth but like most handheld objects can easily be appropriated as a weapon. Like the [[DropTheHammer sledgehammer]], which is highly similar in use, most pickaxes are far too heavy to wield effectively against an armed or skilled opponent. On the other hand, its large size and shape make it highly intimidating, and against slow moving enemies like zombies its power and ease of use make it a brutal skull-smashing machine. (That is, unless the spike gets stuck).

The use of pickaxes as weapons in ancient warfare [[TruthInTelevision is actually true]]. Their shape also influenced some [[DropTheHammer warhammers]] and traditional axes to have a big spike on one side of their heads for punching through armor (and, on occasion, ribcages, heads and other things).

** Gnomes even had a special pick weapon of their own in 3rd Edition: the Gnomish Hook Hammer. It was a DoubleWeapon that consisted of a pick on one side and a [[DropTheHammer warhammer]] on the other. However, due to gnomes' small size reducing the damage dice of their weapons combined with their racial penalty to Strength, it was pretty much never seen in actual gameplay.

[[caption-width-right:335:''[[LetsPlay/DreamSMP I have a pickaxe, and I'll put it through your teeth!]]'']]

* In the ''LetsPlay/DreamSMP'', after Technoblade's failed execution, he uses a netherite pickaxe as an ImprovisedWeapon until he is able to recover his items. While making his escape, Techno is evenly matched with three people at one point while weaponizing his pickaxe, [[spoiler:and he even manages to kill one of his pursuers, Quackity (who was wearing ''full enchanted netherite armour and using an axe''), with it by putting it [[TheToothHurts through his teeth]] and [[EyeScream partially blinding him]].]]

* In the ''LetsPlay/DreamSMP'', after Technoblade's failed execution, he uses a netherite pickaxe as an ImprovisedWeapon until he is able to recover his items. While making his escape, Techno is evenly matched with three people at one point while weaponizing his pickaxe, [[spoiler:and he even manages to kill one of his pursuers, Quackity (who was wearing ''full enchanted netherite armour and using an axe''), with it by, as the image quote points out, putting it [[TheToothHurts through his teeth]] and [[EyeScream partially blinding him]].]]

* The Russian Tolkien parody ''The Zwirmarillion'' references this with puns. This particular pun is that the Quenya name of a constellation "Valacirca" sounds in Russian like "a Vala's pick", and the constellation is Varda's threat to beat Melkor up with a pick.

* One of the harvesting tools/melee weapons players can use in ''VideoGame/{{Fortnite}}'' and ''Fortnite: Battle Royale'' is a pickax... made out of lawn flamingo heads attached to a shovel handle with a garden hose. The Death Valley harvesting tool in the shape of a pick mattock with a [[DesertSkull cow skull on top]].

* The Russian Tolkien parody ''The Zwirmarillion'' references this with AWorldwidePunomenon. This particular pun is that the Quenya name of a constellation "Valacirca" sounds in Russian like "a Vala's pick", and the constellation is Varda's threat to beat Melkor up with a pick.

* In episode 19/Volume 3 of ''LightNovel/HeavyObject'', an unnamed pacifist uses one to save Qwenthur from being killed by a traitorous Nutley.

* The Pickaxe of Despair is by far the most damaging-per-swing weapon you can find in ''VideoGame/SilentHill4: The Room'', and its ChargeAttack is a 720 degree SpinAttack that will [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom kick anything close to you away by a good 7 feet]]. [[AwesomeButImpractical The drawback is that the thing is so slow that you'll often get hurt while trying to use it, taking around 4 seconds for a single attack and over 20 to charge a spin.]] Interestingly, with it, your [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown stomp attack]] is replaced by Henry thrusting the shovel against the enemy when it's down.

* Both the original ''Film/MyBloodyValentine'' and [[Film/MyBloodyValentine3D its remake]] had killers with pickaxes as their WeaponOfChoice.

* ''Webcomic/{{Digger}}'' uses hers primarily for, well, digging, but it's also her WeaponOfChoice when things get hairy.

The use of pickaxes as weapons in ancient warfare [[TruthInTelevision is actually true]]. Their shape also influenced some [[DropTheHammer warhammers]] and [[AnAxeToGrind traditional axes]] to have a big spike on one side of their heads for punching through armor (and, on occasion, ribcages, heads and other things).

* You ''can'' use your pick this way in ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', but it deals less damage than the more devoted weapon types. Fighting with a pickaxe usually means you're pressed for materials, because making a pickaxe first will make sure you can get more materials to make a [[HeroesPreferSwords sword]] or [[AnAxeToGrind axe]] with, both of which do more damage than the pick regardless of version.

* In ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaCurseOfDarkness'', the Zaghnol is the best one-handed axe, taking the appearence of a highly-ornated pick with a bird motif. Also surprisingly easy to made, making it overall BoringButPractical.

* In ''film/{{Outpost}}'', one of the undead Nazis hits Cotter hard enough in the chest with a pick to leave him PinnedToTheWall.

* The ''VideoGame/Minecraft'' creepypasta Herobrine is often depicted brandishing a diamond pickaxe as a weapon.

* The ''Videogame/Minecraft'' creepypasta Herobrine is often depicted brandishing a diamond pickaxe as a weapon.