The Axe and Warhammer: Tad too weak?

[MoronicCinamun]

I am trying to do an analysis of the new melee weapons, although my methods are nowhere near as robust as others, so I hope someone can fill in.

I'm also not entirely sure how melee combat works; I notice at times that cutting strokes (e.g. with sword) will sometimes cause reduced damage to multiple body parts across a layer, i.e. cut the torso and arm, and melee damage seems to vary a lot to be random, in a way that does not include armor (will see it happen against unarmored targets).

First, the Warhammer:
I like it overall, had always wanted a stronger blunt option at the long blade tier (side note: maybe "long blades" research should get a name change?
Like the longsword, the Warhammer is stronger per hit and slower to swing than its next small equivalent (mace); Unlike the longsword, which has a straight on-paper DPS higher than a gladius, but a slower attack speed that can limit it in less skilled hands, the Warhammer actually has less DPS than a mace, despite the higher damage on the initial hit. The armor pen is still higher though, and while my testing is not rigorous a uranium one seems to very often fell a pawn on a single hit, so that lower dps may still not be a problem if it kills/downs on the first hit. So conclusion= Warhammer might be a bit suboptimal, but seems good nonethless? Will probably really need to face serious armor (Marine/Cataphract) to reach a more definitive conclusion.

The Axe though is a real piece of work. It needs regular smithing tech to make, like the Ikwa and Gladius. It has 2 attacks, a cut and a handle poke, with identical stats to the cut and poke of the ikwa (damage, speed, and DPS).

Thus, the Axe has the same on-paper total DPS and AP of the Ikwa. It requires the same tech as the Ikwa, same skill, same amount of materials, but is also slower to make; 117 Work vs. the Ikwa's 80.
So it really seems like it's just another Ikwa, and may be even worse if my understanding of "damage types" is correct, because the axe's lack of stabbing means it doesn't often strike interior organs, unlike a good shank.

So maybe the axe needs some love? I don't know, it currently just seems its only purpose is "it looks cool"; we already have the ikwa as "basically a worse gladius for flavor reasons", as the gladius' only downside is it having a work to make of 200, same material and skill needs. Again, someone more knowledgeable please correct me anywhere I'm wrong.