Warrior Dynasty AX1

[bwhockey17 12]

Warrior Dynasty AX1 Grip

Flex: 85

Curve: Kopitar

Height: 5'10

Weight: 145

Postition: Forward

Time-frame of use: 2.5 months

Aesthetics: I'm really digging the new sleek and toned down designs Warrior is coming out with. The sleek matte finish, along with the colour scheme was very appealing to the eye when I first got it. Not that crazy about the sparkly top portion though.

8.5/10

Weight and Balance: The Dynasty was originally a bit heavy before I cut it down (due to the extra 3" of material warrior adds to OPSs). After I cut it down the weight and balance was phenomenal, not exactly top top end like a Nexus, but very, very good nonetheless.

8.5/10

Blade: The blade is amazing. They added an extra layer of material around the outer edges (which visually looks pretty sleek), and the blade wasn't "pingy" like the APX, or prone to breakage like the Easton's.

9/10

Shaft/Flex: The stick is a mid-kick stick, as opposed to the lower kick points found in sticks like the APX, or V9 series. I personally liked it, as it had nice pop to it on every one of my shots, and it took little to no effort when loading to get off a decent shot. It is a little slower on release, but this shaft really gets the job done in terms of durability, power, accuracy and release time.

9/10

Stickhandling and Passing: My stickhandling and passing were relatively unchanged (a new stick won't automatically give you good hands), but going from a T90 to a Dynasty to a Dynasty AX1 was interesting to say the least. My passes were crisp, receiving passes was a ton easier, and stick handling was smoother. Mostly because the blades on my other sticks were pretty much cooked.

9/10

Shooting: My wrist and snap shots were a tad harder with this stick, but my slapshots were back to where they used to be when I had my S19.. First slapshot I took with the AX1 in warmups went bar down. Very powerful, and accurate. One timers improved with this stick (psychological or new kick point?), and I was very happy with this stick.

9.5/10

Durability: Great so far. Over the past month I've used it 4-5 times a week and nothing in terms of chips or scratches appeared on the blade (aside from where tape had ripped early on in a game, but that wasn't the sticks fault). The shaft is holding up pretty good, considering I play both wing and center when needed. Just little scratches, no nicks or gouges on it yet. The velvet grip is peeling a bit, so I'm a tad disappointed at that, but in terms of the stick structure, I am thoroughly impressed.

9/10

Conclusion: This was a warranty replacement, and after testing multiple sticks for Easton over the years, this is right up there with the top guns from them. Better on durability by far, and just lacking by a tiny bit in performance in comparison. I have to say, bravo Warrior; this is a hell of a stick.

9/10