I made my first playthrough with longsword and mace i think, which went pretty good
Im playing hardcore now with only axe which doesnt work too good.
I`m thinking of changing it to axe and mace.
Is the conclusion that you need to use maces for heavies?
if you have great strength and good perks and good axe skill you could get away with the metal plated axe and mace with a heavy shield. May take just a tad longer in the kill but can be done with that axe. Tho ceremonial mace is the best against full plate ( especially with like doll maker poison).
If your on PC check out the pro-bane mod …nasty poison bump 
Long link…I meant Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus
It ain’t stupid if it works…an old saying.
You wanna see a body to loot or the dancing skeletons on the red background on your screen?? It’s a fight not a dance party.
But thats unfair? Not sporty? Wheres your honour, peasant?
We`re Talking noble fighting here,
It’s a street fight. The winner walks away. The honorable guy is bloody dead body on the ground. If ya be noble, mercy kill him.
If it would be like this, it would be more like RL…
In game not so much…,
See no difference and I doubt they were “nice” and “noble” when it came to combat in 1403 and the game strives for realism ( tho not always correct)
One of the games flaws is that you get robbed too often… Im a decendent of a “robbery knight”…These guys had there gear but they didn`t rob people on the roads.
And even if…not as much as is in game