e.g. won like this multple times - after wrenches, axes still dominate the game due to balancing issues (better to be able to shoot through the deck fast, since the game doesnt let you keep cards in hand and decide when to play them. This is the core balancing problem: player has very little control, so things that make up for the lack of control win much more often)
Card draw will always be strong in deck building games, especially in games like this where you stack all your upgrades on individual cards. Drawing your key cards more often is just makes sense. Axe isnt your only drawing option, mineshaft is a strong card (10-10 for 1 and refunds the energy and draws if in a action combo) and builds together quite well with minecarts (3-3 draw 2 cards cost 1 refunds itself if used in a action combo) compass plays well with these cards situationally it can be better then axe. Axe is by no means a bad card in fact it is quite strong but it also needs your deck to be strong to be good, in the first store i would take pickaxe, mineshaft even mybestfriend (the 15ore actioncard) and screwdriver before i would take axe