Hammer builds?

fang273

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Feb 2007

Hello, everybody. I got a warrior that I haven't done anything with in a while, so I was thinking of getting some hammer builds together. So I was wondering, could anyone recommend some fun hammer builds? I'm going to be pve'ing and
pvp'ing, so a few builds to mess around with would be nice.

Also, I have a max hammer with +15% while in a stance (Had it on hand, and didn't feel like finding a 15>50), and +30 hp, and I was wondering what I should use as the last mod.

Dutch Masterr

Dutch Masterr

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2006

Long Island, NY

Elite Knights [SWAT]

W/

This is my most used hammer build and it works great pretty much everywhere.

12 tactics, 15 hammer, 9 strength
W/D
[skill]healing signet[/skill] [skill]defensive stance[/skill] [skill]pious haste[/skill] [skill]steady stance[/skill] [skill]drunken blow[/skill] [skill]desperation blow[/skill] [skill]hammer bash[/skill] and optional

or go W/Mo and replace defensive stance, pious haste or optional for [skill]mending touch[/skill], [skill]wild blow[/skill] or [skill]sprint[/skill]

Just spam steady stance, drunken/desperation and hammer bash

Pyro maniac

Pyro maniac

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2006

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...&postcount=613


as for PvE, don't bother. If you really want to, it may be usefull for owning monk bosses (willa and the dual monk at thirsty river).
backbreaker + shock + bash is good then.

nebuchanezzar

nebuchanezzar

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2005

功夫之王

N/

In PvE I recommend the permaEarthShaker idea. The build looks something like:
[skill]Earth Shaker[/skill]
[skill]Whirlwind Attack[/skill]
[skill]Crude Swing[/skill]
[skill]"For Great Justice!"[/skill]
The rest is up to you but the general idea is this. Get charged up on adrenaline and have your enemies as balled up as you can manage.
ES > Crude Swing(should charge up ES) > ES > Whirlwind Attack(like Crude it should hit enough foes to recharge ES) > ES > Crude again and keep chaining until they are all dead.
General hammer bar is Dev Hammer, Crushing Blow, Hammer Bash or Heavy Blow and fill in the rest of your bar. IAS, speed buff, rez etc.

ajc2123

ajc2123

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2007

North of the wall

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyro
as for PvE, don't bother. Nonesense, I played a hammer warrior from Pre to RoF and all through GWEN, NF and factions. Using DBS builds or AoE attacks with earthshaker. Play the way you want to, I prefer hammer.

Pyro maniac

Pyro maniac

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by ajc2123
Nonesense, I played a hammer warrior from Pre to RoF and all through GWEN, NF and factions. Using DBS builds or AoE attacks with earthshaker. Play the way you want to, I prefer hammer. oki, I prefer high damage and godmode over hammer

Teutonic Paladin

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Feb 2006

TW

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyro maniac
oki, I prefer high damage and godmode over hammer Unlike most non-Dragon Slash/Triple Chop builds Earthshaker is actually good. It can be used to fuel SY quickly and consistently and can immobilize a large group for aoe damage. I don't prefer ES over DSlash but that's mostly because I like my shield.

Reinfire

Reinfire

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2006

Amsterdam, NL

The Guild of Cunning Artificiers [ANKH]

W/

This combo is grand:

[skill]Devastating Hammer[/skill][skill]Crushing Blow[/skill][skill]Heavy Blow[/skill]

Add an IAS and adrenalin buffs and you got a nice hammer build

Scary Raebbit

Scary Raebbit

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

Dev Hammer
Crushing Blow
Heavy Blow
Bull's Strike
Flail
Enraging Charge
Rush
Res Sig

Hammer 12+1+1
Strength 12+1

Coloneh

Coloneh

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Nov 2006

D/W

Rage of the ntouka. or however you spell that. followed by adrenaline spike. repeat as nessicary. plus you can use LC.

Magikarp

Magikarp

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2007

[HAWK]

not a fan of LC personally, rather not heal than waste a slot on it.

as for hammer builds, if its pve, its full earth shaker for me. whirl+crude+pulverizuuuur and sy!/fgj! flail ect...

blue.rellik

blue.rellik

Forge Runner

Join Date: Feb 2007

Melbourne, Australia

None

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyro maniac
oki, I prefer high damage and godmode over hammer You DO realize that people are allowed to use weapons other than swords?

Sir Pandra Pierva

Sir Pandra Pierva

Forge Runner

Join Date: Apr 2007

Sardelec yelling at Tenshi

Angels Of Strife

E/

XD

for hammer
Devastating
Crushing Blow
Fierce Blow
Heavy Blow
For great justice
Enraging charge
rez
works fine in pve and well in pvp even without an ias

Scary Raebbit

Scary Raebbit

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

No Bull's Strike?

cellardweller

cellardweller

Likes naked dance offs

Join Date: Aug 2005

The Older Gamers [TOG]

With brawling headbutt in the game, the only niche left to hammers is earth shaker, so you'd need to base your build around that.

[skill]Earth Shaker[/skill][skill]crude swing[/skill][skill]flail[/skill][skill]enraging charge[/skill][skill]enduring harmony[/skill][skill]"for great justice!"[/skill]

Seef II

Seef II

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2005

US

R/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scary Raebbit
No Bull's Strike? In PvE?
Physical-heavy builds like yellow-way are well-suited for an Earth Shaker guy.

Cebe

Cebe

The 5th Celestial Boss

Join Date: Jul 2006

Inverness, Scotland

The Cult of Scaro [WHO]

E/

Quote:
Originally Posted by nebuchanezzar
In PvE I recommend the permaEarthShaker idea. The build looks something like:
[skill]Earth Shaker[/skill]
[skill]Whirlwind Attack[/skill]
[skill]Crude Swing[/skill]
[skill]"For Great Justice!"[/skill]
The rest is up to you but the general idea is this. Get charged up on adrenaline and have your enemies as balled up as you can manage.
ES > Crude Swing(should charge up ES) > ES > Whirlwind Attack(like Crude it should hit enough foes to recharge ES) > ES > Crude again and keep chaining until they are all dead.
General hammer bar is Dev Hammer, Crushing Blow, Hammer Bash or Heavy Blow and fill in the rest of your bar. IAS, speed buff, rez etc. /agree

I've been using a team build like this one on my warrior's hammer build. The monsters run in fear. Seriously. Only difference these days is I take a Splinter Weapon Rit with Withering Aura over the MM in that post.

Pyro maniac

Pyro maniac

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by blue.rellik
You DO realize that people are allowed to use weapons other than swords? ok the builds posted here are nice tho, but still inferior to axe/sword
Imo the only reason to play hammer, is when you already have a warrior (or even better paragon) spamming save yourselves and you have to have some serious shutdown. a 12 sec knockdown is great on shutdown for owning some bosses. Even better then the god interupting of heroes.

Cebe

Cebe

The 5th Celestial Boss

Join Date: Jul 2006

Inverness, Scotland

The Cult of Scaro [WHO]

E/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyro maniac
ok the builds posted here are nice tho, but still inferior to axe/sword Even the one build to own them all would bore me stupid if it's all I played...

People sometimes like a change...and although hammers might not be able to chuck out "Save Yourselves!" as often as an axe or sword can, they're darn fun.

blue.rellik

blue.rellik

Forge Runner

Join Date: Feb 2007

Melbourne, Australia

None

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyro maniac
ok the builds posted here are nice tho, but still inferior to axe/sword
Cool. Thank you for contributing to the thread

Again, do you realize that not everywhere in PvE requires SY? Also in lots of areas in PvE where you're killing things so quickly, does it matter that you finish the fight 20 seconds quicker?

Also I would highly disagree with axes being better than hammers. In HM Ascalon 4-man areas against the grawl monks, I would prefer the shut-down capabilities of a DSlash or Hammer over 3Chop or Eviscerate.

Quote:
Imo the only reason to play hammer, is when you already have a warrior (or even better paragon) spamming save yourselves and you have to have some serious shutdown. a 12 sec knockdown is great on shutdown for owning some bosses. Even better then the god interupting of heroes. So you're saying that in EVERY single part of PvE, you run the same general builds? You never make any changes? Man I don't know about you but I would get bored of running DSlash/3Chop everywhere, you know that sometimes people want something different?

As long as someone is running something good with a weapon (good skills that work well together) then there's no need to be a jerk and tell him to change weapons. I mean a hammer bar can still run SY, the only different is that you can't keep it up as easily as a DSlasher and even then you don't need it up all the time. Now unless someone was wanting a Warrior dagger build, go and be a jerk, I would agree but in this situation where he's asking something that isn't completely stupid then well, don't.

Stormlord Alex

Stormlord Alex

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Dec 2005

Beyond the Forest of Doom, past the Cavern of Agony... on Kitten & Puppy Island

Soul of Melandru [sOm]

W/E

I know it's pretty hypocritical of me to say it, but Pyro is being over-zealous in his DSlash luvin'.

In actual truth, it isn't really correct to say that hammers are inferior to Axe/Sword in PvE. They've all got a specific speciality.

Essentially, it comes down to this:
Sword - godmode DSlash. Makes party really tough, and can knock-lock a single target ad infinitum. Huge single-target dps with no decent AoE potential.

Axe - Kills mobs. Great for tearing through groups, spamming the AoE attacks availabe to you. If mobs are big, can keep up "SY!" fairly well. Much better damage potential than sword.

Hammer - group knock-lock. Earthshaker is key, a hammer guy can keep several targets knocked down very well. Again, with AoE attacks can keep up "SY!" a fair bit of groups are big enough.

Now the thing to realise is that the sword's greatest strength - perma-SY! - becomes totally moot when you add a Paragon to the party. There, the single-target DPS loses out to the potential AoE devestation/disruption available to Axe and Hammer. An Earthshaker guy is a much stronger option with an Invincigon in the group.

Now, rellik and Pyro can drop it, danke.

Pyro maniac

Pyro maniac

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2006

as people already claimed in other threads: you can finish the game with an empty skill bar. Won't say hammer bar is bad, however why wouldn't you run the best bars available.

Quote:
Man I don't know about you but I would get bored of running DSlash/3Chop everywhere
get bored of PvE in general


But I certainly agree, if you feel like doing something else. Go ahead run a hammer bar, a dagger combo on your warrior, warriors endurance + Hammer. You'll rampage through the game anyway


oh edit:
Quote:
Now the thing to realise is that the sword's greatest strength - perma-SY! - becomes totally moot when you add a Paragon to the party. There, the single-target DPS loses out to the potential AoE devestation/disruption available to Axe and Hammer. An Earthshaker guy is a much stronger option with an Invincigon in the group. I agree, I said that a few posts before. Just don't do anything but H/H, but if you have a human paragon you'll may want to run earthshaker

Scary Raebbit

Scary Raebbit

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Seef II
In PvE?
Physical-heavy builds like yellow-way are well-suited for an Earth Shaker guy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Pandra Pierva XD
for hammer
Devastating
Crushing Blow
Fierce Blow
Heavy Blow
For great justice
Enraging charge
rez
works fine in pve and well in pvp even without an ias
Quote:
Originally Posted by fang273
I'm going to be pve'ing and pvp'ing, so a few builds to mess around with would be nice. Bull's Strike:
Additional Disruption.
High damage (crits are fun on hammer).
Can keep a character on the ground for a long time if they don't get Guardian or Aura Stab/Balanced Stance (Bull's, Dev, Heavy).
Can keep pressure off of your monk by Bull's Strike on a Warrior pressuring.
Just a lot of pressure.

But we're in Campfire, so I'll just shut up now.

fang273

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Feb 2007

Just wanted to say that I know hammer isn't huge dps, and isn't always the best option. But after playing Dslash/Triple Chop for a while, I feel like using a hammer.
Thanks for all of the build ideas, guys.

NamelessBeauty

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2008

Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Mo/

- Sword: Conditions, Constant dmg and DPS.
- Axe: Random dmg, High Crit and DPS
- Hammer: Can kd, Really huge spike dmg.

For Sword: You can pressure off and degen down the foe while using stances to protect yourself. Pressure here mean waste foe's energy/Degen.

For Axe: High DPS, High Crit, can be used to spike more often. Can be used to kill multiple targets fast!

For hammer: Have KD and really high crit dmg. Can be used to shutdown, interupt and kill hard target that axe/sword never can do (kill prot monks, teleport sins and such.) Hammer does not spike fast but they do spike hard.

Sir Pandra Pierva

Sir Pandra Pierva

Forge Runner

Join Date: Apr 2007

Sardelec yelling at Tenshi

Angels Of Strife

E/

I dont usually use bulls strike since most people I run up against in RA are either not moving or waiting for bulls strike to go off. or watch and time it....might just me being an idiot but thats my experience.

Also i never have any problems once i hit with enraging and FGJ so i guess it all depends.

Yukito Kunisaki

Yukito Kunisaki

Forge Runner

Join Date: Mar 2005

Chicago, IL

W/N

Bring Withering Aura with your hammer...

heh heh

If what I've read on wiki is true, then you're heavy blow will NEVER MISS unless you get your enchantment removed in mid swing...

That's gold... Auspicious blow, etc. are hot and Weakness + Hammer = yowza...

yesitsrob

yesitsrob

Elite Guru

Join Date: Sep 2005

Manchester, England

SMS/Victrix

Earthshaker is actually pretty decent when it comes to PVE and is very much worth powering with a decent adrenaline engine with the likes of FGJ, Enraging Charge and whatever.

Obviously it doesn't give you the same adrenaline love the D-Slash does but it's a very solid alternative if you feel like a change. Or if someone is filling in as the godmode warrior, you can play the exploit the bad AI warrior, yay!

Turtle222

Turtle222

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2007

:D:D

D/W

Earthshaker, Whirlwind, Crude swing is great in pve

if you want to have some fun too as a utility person, and evade the melee comin at you, add in belly smash, i had tons of fun blinding everyone

Scary Raebbit

Scary Raebbit

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Pandra Pierva
I dont usually use bulls strike since most people I run up against in RA are either not moving or waiting for bulls strike to go off. or watch and time it....might just me being an idiot but thats my experience.

Also i never have any problems once i hit with enraging and FGJ so i guess it all depends. Then you're not really using Bull's Strike right...
I don't think most people in RA are smart enough to RoF when they see Bull's Strike animation.
Also don't be stupid about it and go straight for the monk who just cast Guardian.
You hit it when you realize that the person doesn't want to tank your damage. Means you have to judge what the person is going to do then predict and hopefully you watched his kiting habits enough.
Harder with a hammer, because if they stop, you can't just Frenzy and go. Have to have Flail ready and it is a lot more dependent on you predicting when they are going to move, otherwise it will be harder chasing them 33% slower unless you Bull's Strike at the right time or bounce off to a close target, or use Rush which means you have to wait for another hit to start your chain.

Sir Pandra Pierva

Sir Pandra Pierva

Forge Runner

Join Date: Apr 2007

Sardelec yelling at Tenshi

Angels Of Strife

E/

I don't go for monks who cast guardian.....I really wanna know where you got that I did that. I just have bad luck with it whenever I am chasing dwn a kiter to use it and they always seem to stop to cast something right as I am about to hit with it.
I just get bad luck with kiters sometimes they see a warrior coming and haul ass out of the way.

Scary Raebbit

Scary Raebbit

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Pandra Pierva
I don't go for monks who cast guardian.....I really wanna know where you got that I did that. I just have bad luck with it whenever I am chasing dwn a kiter to use it and they always seem to stop to cast something right as I am about to hit with it.
I just get bad luck with kiters sometimes they see a warrior coming and haul ass out of the way.
You don't necessarily chase kiters, unless every person on the team is pre-kiting AND not casting, which they are not going to be, unless it's some stupid caster spike, but they still can't kite too far away or else they will not be in time for the spike/heal.
You pick targets that have Hard Res (if any), are in great position from your viewpoint, are soft, just ressed, DP'd, are key characters, or don't have prot on them that will reduce your damage output. You don't go looking for a person who is kiting and think "I am going to Bull's Strike him since he is kiting". You bring the damage to an opportune target and force them to kite, which you then take advantage of and knock them down. You have to know what the enemy is going to do in the face of pressure though. It doesn't help if your though process is if you hit them once, they will start to kite and then you Bull's Strike.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Squidget
Bull's by prediction ("I think they're going to move") rather than reaction ("They're already moving") and you'll start to KD a lot more with practice. Bull's Strike will draw some attention, and you can either unload on that target or unload on another target, usually the latter. Switch when prot goes on.
That, or you know how to position yourself so you can catch a character out of a cast/beginning to run.
Other ways can work. You can chase a target if it brings you to another opportune target for mass bouncing. Knowing the range of your weapon and hitting Bull's Strike when you enter that range. Or get a target that is moving past you.

I still can't Bull's someone chasing me though, and it is pretty situational and hard. Still a lot of things to learn.

Tyla

Emo Goth Italics

Join Date: Sep 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by blue.rellik
You DO realize that people are allowed to use weapons other than swords? Meh, warrior is godmode enough! Even with any weapon!

Sir Pandra Pierva

Sir Pandra Pierva

Forge Runner

Join Date: Apr 2007

Sardelec yelling at Tenshi

Angels Of Strife

E/

ill try that though I usually stick in RA when using warrior, never really tried anything higher than that with warrior I generally do other classes in HA more often

and I dont GvG ever

JDRyder

JDRyder

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2007

Great temple of Balthazar

Mo/Me

strength 12+1
hammer 12+1+1

[skill]earth shaker[/skill][skill]crushing blow[/skill][skill]mighty blow[/skill][skill]flail[/skill][skill]bull's strike[/skill][skill]rush[/skill][skill]enraging charge[/skill] res sig for pvp hard rez for pve

for pve you can take out bulls strike for counter blow, backbraker and devastating hammer also works for the elite

1 thing i like to do in pvp is [skill]backbreaker[/skill][skill]crushing blow[/skill][skill]mighty blow[/skill][skill]body blow[/skill][skill]flail[/skill][skill]rush[/skill][skill]enraging charge[/skill][skill]resurrection signet[/skill]

Ajantis

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2005

W/

[skill]earth shaker[/skill][skill]crushing blow[/skill][skill]yeti smash[/skill][skill]"for great justice!"[/skill][skill]flail[/skill][skill]rush[/skill][skill]enraging charge[/skill]

hammer mastery: 12+1+1
strength: 12+1

sentinels + stonefist, have splinter weapon on a hero and watch the yellow numbers with yeti+splinter

yesitsrob

yesitsrob

Elite Guru

Join Date: Sep 2005

Manchester, England

SMS/Victrix

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Pandra Pierva
I don't go for monks who cast guardian.....I really wanna know where you got that I did that. I just have bad luck with it whenever I am chasing dwn a kiter to use it and they always seem to stop to cast something right as I am about to hit with it.
I just get bad luck with kiters sometimes they see a warrior coming and haul ass out of the way. When someone not bad sees a warrior chasing them they will often stop if they expect a bull's strike, don't be predictable with them, don't queue it up in hope that they will keep moving because quite often they won't. Use the oppertunity of them baiting it to smash their face a bit, it's worth picking up the kiting patterns of people and you'll hit with a lot more bull's strike. Obviously they won't all hit but you can definitely increase your success rate.

Trax Reborn

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2006

Michigan

wgk

W/

no love for forceful blow? i guess nobody likes very high damage hammer builds.

Scary Raebbit

Scary Raebbit

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Trax Reborn
no love for forceful blow? i guess nobody likes very high damage hammer builds. Hammer builds get their power from disruption caused by KD. And auto-attacks.
Their adrenaline needs to be dedicated for that.
Also, big numbers draw prot. Since they aren't on their ass, they can just kite away till you Heavy Blow, and you can't Rush otherwise you'd have to hit them two times.
Also you can't Flail until your almost done.