After Sigils rework on patch 1.2 Hammerdin get better feeling in game. Now is so fun and I think I am OTP of Hammer Throw xd
Let’s look at that skill what we can do actually and what can be added for more viable Builds (of course I was playing as Paladin Bleed Hammerdin to pushing Corruption 800+ but just for fun I wanted check other ways to Build around that).
1) Just typical Spiral Hammers with focusing on dot damage - easy with deal both clear and bossing, additional we don’t build crit cuz it’s dot
- Paladin Bleed - clear speed is very good, bossing is nice, we are tanky, but the main strenght is sustain from leech on Relic, easily to get max ress cuz of Holy Aura.
We can also Build around Fire, but it causes lags and it’s weaker compare to Bleed - Void Knight Disintegrating Aura - better dmg output than Paladin, but sustain is average
2) Nova Build with focusing on Hammer Throw direct damage - clear is nice, but we have to Build crit. The downside is of course single target on big Bosses when we have to respecting into just one throwing Hammer but with more damage, without that on higher Corruption the boss takes forever and it’s create further another problem cuz we can’t do every Boss (for example Dragon from Reign of Dragons is so annoying, cuz spawned minions take 90% hits instead of directly to boss).
- Paladin - honestly nothing special, sustain is good but I feel like it’s lacking of dmg
- Void Knight - we have to build more ressistance than Paladin, but Echo passive 10% from Mastery and further 30% from tree passive are big. We get more dmg and imho it looks so better and fun than Pal version, also nice is thing that we have easier way to Build crit, why?
a) base - VK tree 5% vs Pal tree 3%
b) increased - VK tree 80% + Anomaly 150% vs Pal tree 100% + Holy Aura 40% (80% active)
So we get more 2% base and increased 90% (50%), also Anomaly’s Bubble is almost whole time, but Holy Aura is just around half time of active effect
3) Chaining - Ricochet + Chaining Hammers. Every time one hammers can hitting 4 targets if they are close. On paper it seems good, but we can’t use node to get 100% double dmg, cuz Iron Spiral node just deactivating of Chaining. Also problem is we lose 4% base crit on that skill. Single target is nice, but clear is so limited.
4) Catapult - we throwing 5 Hammers at one cast in forward, maybe it’s look cool, but clear is average cuz of aoe and single target is MEH. Both Pal and Vk doesn’t change too much.
5) Smite - just cast Spiral Hammers to cast Smites, clear speed is very nice, but single target is average. Also here we are so dependent of Idols mode to chance for cast Smite (10-25% each Idol) and flashes of whole screen are a bit painful to our eyes. So I don’t like that way Build at all.
My ideas to get more viable option focusing on showed my 4 ways:
- Spiral - don’t needed anything, honestly I think it’s even too OP
- Nova - something node or item / Idol etc. for improve single target. I don’t talk about to just add single target cuz it will too powerful. Although my idea is transfer change something from clear to single target - actually we have just respect skill and is so annoying, but if it would be in change item or Idol etc. it will be less clunky
- Chaining - First idea here will be any way to conversion Hammer into Lightning so we would can Build around electrify dot. Other idea is maybe more chaining targets, although lost base crit and double damage is too much painful.
- Catapult - I was think so much, but I don’t have any idea what can help around this way Build. Maybe Hammers would back to us with dealing damage to moobs, but it’s still won’t be enough I think.
How about your thoughts? Greetings 