Many weapons, such as the great sword favoured by some Empire troops or the great axes of the Dwarfs, are very heavy and require considerable training and stamina to wield. Such a weapon is described by the term 'strikes last'.

Troops armed with a weapon that strikes last will always strike last during close combat where they would otherwise strike in Initiative order. If fighting enemies who also suffer from the same penalty, they would use their respective Initiative to decide who is going to strike first. In the case of same Initiative, the troops that won the combat in the previous turn will strike first. If this does not apply, roll a dice to determine who goes first.

Note that troops that charge will still strike first in the initial turn of close combat, as charging troops always strike first rather than in Initiative order. For example, troops armed with great axes will strike first on the turn they charge and strike last thereafter.