Hmmmm I have a feeling the dmg done by a 1H sword is so small that the attack speed isnt going to make up much for it.

But I don't have 100% prove, maybe don't empower any skills yet, and try both weapons at level 2x and see which one you like better?

a 1H & Shield fighter isnt made for dmg dealing, so I'm pretty sure it should deal less dmg than an axe fighter, even though they may be slightly slower.

There are pros and cons for both weapons. And it just comes down to which you have fun with. I'll test things out when I get the chance to go online since I use both 1h and an axe. My build has been reset to full END recently to revive a dying breed of 'real' tanks.

From experience the axe will kill much faster but you will end up drinking up a lot of potions and stones. While the 1h will allow you to use less and keep going for a little while longer. If you go full STR and have a good STR based 1h weapon you may have a higher dps than an axe user whose damage is 'unstable'.

What type of armour should I go for?

I have chosen to go with Full STR Axe Fighter
I'm still having a few problems with the skills could anyone help me sort it out

What order do they go in? am I missing anything?
+5 devastate CD/Damage/Duration (Should I do SP?)
+5 Power hits Damage
+5 Mock CD
+5 Precise attack Damage & CD (Do I need Cooldown?)

Armour you should always look for something with END and then STR... maybe some DEX too. But that's the order you should look for END > STR > DEX

With axes you will only be using skills, the normal attacks are too slow and you wouldn't depend on that to kill the mob unless they only have a tiny sliver of HP left.

Since you're still lower level (I'm assuming?) make sure to add max damage for Power Hit. That'll be your main skill for dealing damage.

Then Devastate at 43. The order is really up to you, I don't quite remember which order I went... but probably CD, damage, then duration. I put it in SP as well because that is the single most used skill for any fighter.

Add maxed damage for Precise Strike when you hit 60. Cooldown, I found wasn't worth the points. You still have to wait and during that time you can spam the other skills.

IMO, as a fighter you will have better defense than the rest of the classes (except maybe a full END cleric). So I suggest you add cooldown for Mock. You will at one point or the other have to tank... or even just duo'ing you'll need to keep the mobs off the cleric or whomever else you are with at the time.

I haven't started my fighter yet I wanted to get all the info I needed before I create him just incase I mess up and have to start over
at the moment I'm just selling all my cleric equips

So I should.
1st. +5 Power hits Damage
2nd. +5 devastate CD/Damage/Duration/SP
3rd. +5 Precise attack Damage
4th. +5 Mock CD

I have experiences so much with fighter... and since i got 3 fighter, i can tell you how to build, it depend on how you want it... 1 of my fighter are lvl 7x, and he stay at 7x b/c i want to make money off Phino KQ... enter 10KQ you probably make 1gold... my others one is lvl 50... Torture King Solers, and 1 more at lvl 40 for decomp/and comp...
I already try these build on my fighter ...

- Full Str...
- Full End...
- 25Spr and Full Str...
and now this is my build and i like it very much ...
- 25 SPR, 30 Dex, and Full Str...

- 25 spr for 5% critical ... it is ideal to stop there... after 25 it get lower
- 30 Dex for 6% evasion, 6%aim ... after 30 it get lower ...

- if you go for end at all ... stop at 50end, b/c that when the block rate get lower too ...

- 1h with shield, or 2h axe?
- why not using both, I'm a greedy fighter, so i use boths, at lvl 70 I also use 2h sword "blue" b/c it look cool lmao ...

- 1h and shield for tanking, and 2h axe for soloing... put it as hotkey and you can switch back and foward really fast when you are a PRO...

for skill empower....
max cool down on mock, and devaste... and VIT
- "Vit is very important, you wouldn't know it unless you are not a good player."
- also max damage on Devaste and Vit, then save your point for lvl 60 whirl wind...

as a tanker... you use Vit right before you hops on your hobby and pull... once you finish pull, use devaste right way, b/c at this time your damage is at a mage lvl and you will be able to hold agrroo of the mobs...
once your devaste cool down, use mock... and after that devaste again...
- this trick is usually for lvl 43+, once you got devaste

- for start out at lvl one, i would advice you to go 30dex first for the 6% evasion and aim,
Mobs will hit you 3/5times, after that you go all out str, once you get to lvl 50 then go for 25spr and then the rest are str...

- learn to use hotkey and organize them, they are very effective, you should be able to get to 1-30 in a weeks, "for me i get 1-30 in 1 days"
.... that it for now, if you have anymore question... i'm here to help ...

decompose and compose is very effective ^^ hint hint ...
scroll making come first, then stone, then dec/comp, and potion come last ...

you learn as you go on in the games ...
my chararacter are all tier 3 decomp/comp,
tier 3 scroll maker,
tier 3 stone, and tier 3 potion... effective tier 3 potion for lvl 70+ b/c it hard to afford ^^

don't worry about money, you get a lot when you are at high lvl
use abbyss as a source ... don't go inthere until you are lvl 40 thoguht... b/c of the kill point, it had been abuse, wait until lvl 40 and go there, it help you lvl faster

+Rep me if i was any help ^^