Hawkmen focus on physical attacks and physical defense. As such, they can be considered a higher tier equivalent of an Orc. Because of their utility in tanking, ease of use, and moderate damage dealing capabilities, the Hawkman has become a favorite of nearly all classes. Hawkman cards may drop from any monster that is level 20 to 119.
At lower levels, any two-handed weapon may be used. At r2/r3 the differences in p.atk between the 2h weapons is noticeable but not significant. However, at r4/r5 and higher the 2h axe rises above the other weapon choices in terms of p.atk, both enchanted and levelled (i.e. a same + and lvl 2h axe will do more dmg than a sword, spear or mace).
Some people suggest using a sword or spear due to their slightly faster attack speed, but an extra 5 or 10 basic attacks every two minutes generally doesn't bridge the damage gap when the hawk is using skills, especially at higher levels. On the other hand, spears and 2h swords tend to be cheaper than 2h axes.
A typical balanced hawk build of 140JP at Lvl 115+25 includes:
30 - Passive P.Atk and P.Def
10 - Bless the Body
15 - Double Slash
10 - Power Slash
10 - Unity
10 - Clarity
1 - Hawkman Blast, Creature Item Expert, Vital and Fighter Unit