No the first chop does meager damage it's the follow up stab that does double the damage... Still not worth the stamina to execute. At like 40 stamina I will have to use all stamina to kill a turtle but with craftsman hammer it takes 3 hits.. Much faster and only half the energy (yes I am aware of hammers>halberd against armor however even flesh units damage is still the same Yhea I made a dark build recently. You can call it whatever but for someone like me who tanked DS... It's a completely new thing to roll and actually have to run back at times. Plus, chime hammer seems to do well in the sunken city dlc (in there now first time). My trusty craftsman hammer isn't doing well and same for hexes but that hammer 2 hit ko. I'm glad I went in there as a hexer because of those ghost knights... Don't take any phys damage but I can use hexes. Without it I would have never gone as far as I have (haven't finished and yea I know hot the bodies to weaken them but I couldn't find bodies at times)