Best Axe?

[Churchill]

Garuda's Axe easily out DPS's Ifrit's. It's not even close.

[Molly_Millions]

Garuda's Axe easily out DPS's Ifrit's. It's not even close.

I agree with this as well. DPS is higher on Garuda's Axe, the effect of which is that your stats cap higher allowing more overall damage.

I don't have Garuda's Axe so I can't test this, but I suppose it may be possible that if your stats are not close to cap that you may be getting more DMG from the seargeants axe because of the attack power. You have to consider that the effect of attack power on overall DPS is like 2/3 of what STR or VIT would do up to the cap. This is in addition to what I just said above about stat caps.

The other possibility is that your ACC is capped before adding Garuda's Axe, thus negating one of the biggest benefits of that axe. That would probably also mean that your stats are not otherwise capped.

Allendar, what's your STR, VIT, and ACC at? Have you parsed for ACC with the seargeant's axe? if so what's your actual hit rate with that axe? (before anyone jumps down my throat for my methods, SGT axe has no acc bonus, so it's best to start testing with that.)

[Judge_Xero]

Garuda's Axe easily out DPS's Ifrit's. It's not even close.

Garuda's Scream @ the same stats (STR/VIT below cap) as Ifrit's Battle Axe will pretty much do the same damage.
The added accuracy + capping the stats is a huge gain, trumped only by the Relic. So yeah Garuda!!!

I use Immortal Flames Sergeant Axe if I want max HP (with Sanction it's superior, because of it's immense AtkPwr bonus)

You may not be too far off there. The difference in DPS is only 0.77 (~2% difference in damage)
The Flame Axe with Sanction and the +45 ATK (~4.5% extra damage)
So ~2% higher.
Capping the stats will still bring Garuda higher, + 25 Acc. But that is the reason people us it.
** The stat numbers came from testing I've been doing on the % gain per stat and should not be taken as 100% accurate

[SwordCoheir]

Yeah, putting aside bonus stats like STR, Acc., or Crit. Atk. that are attached to a weapon, higher DPS really doesn't give you better damage unless you can realistically up your jobs bonus attributes beyond what they were previously (proving you weren't over the cap to begin with). The selling point of the weapon really comes down to what stats are attached to it and if those stats benefit you more than others. Case in point despite the higher DPS (and my stats being below cap) my average damage went down 1.5k with a Garuda's Gaze when fighting Garuda versus my Giantsgall Longsword, and much of that is attributed to the STR, MND, and Acc that is on the Giantsgall.