Ahh, the Hammerdin...

[Magius]

I finally decided after many months of research and memorization to build myself a Hammerdin... I must say, I am disappointed so far. Maybe I am just doing something wrong. I am level 46, just got into NM, and Vigor/Blessed Aim/Hammer are all around level 11-15 each, but I am just not annihilating like the build hype claims. I can solo normal baal, but it's very time-consuming and difficult. Any suggestions?

 

[Induhvidual_1]

first of all, you have to be high level enough to wear your gear (enigma and such). after that you should start working on charms (hellfire torch and annihilus) and pcombat gcs.

hammerdins genearlly suck a lot at low levels (cannot wear enigma and therefore, cannot tele). the rest of his gear will probably suck as well. just wait until around level 70. then you'll see that the hammerdin does in fact own pvm (and doesnt do too poorly on pvp)

 

[Magius]

Yeah, matbe I should make a MF Sorc so I can actually get some gear... good call, don't know how I missed that...

 

[micro.micro]

oh we'll if you don't have gear then no point in makin a hammerdin espicially without enigma cuz u can't tp on top of your target and spam your hammers. he is worthless w/o the items. hammerdin is all gear based.

 

[Magius]

Evrey Guide I read failed to mention the gear-dependence

 

[Induhvidual_1]

Evrey Guide I read failed to mention the gear-dependence

almost all characters rely heavily on "godly" gear
and for that reason, i guess guide writers assumed gear dependence was a given -_-

 

[Shadow-Hunter]

I must ask.. do you use Consentration? you dont tell in your post, but i really hope you do, cus even with the most goodly gear you wont do any real dmg without contentration..'

~Shadow

 

[Death's the name...]

Well, its not all ways based on the gear.....just on how u put skills into things.....

20-hammers

20-vigor

20-blessed aim

20- Concentration(if i spelled it right )

 

[Nalfein]

You won't do any damage worth talking about without maxed concentration

 

[SpACatta]

Okay, the guide in the strategies section has an equipment part, but I've been told in-game that two of the pieces aren't the best anymore, so...

What's the best piece in each slot for a PvM Hammerdin now?

 

[Ntrik_]

I just make hammerdin and level it up to 80 and it pwns in PvM without godly gears =/

 

[SpACatta]

You must be special then, or maybe I'm totally unspecial, because mine is level 78 with no godly gear and even Normal Act V creatures can do him a good bit of damage...

Sure wish I could afford something for him.

 

[Ntrik_]

You must be special then, or maybe I'm totally unspecial, because mine is level 78 with no godly gear and even Normal Act V creatures can do him a good bit of damage...

Sure wish I could afford something for him.

just make sure you have positive resist in hell, and 75% block

+ know what you're doing (when to use what aura, how to aim with blessed hammer, etc)

 

[SpACatta]

Well, after too many deaths today, I've decided to stop playing my Hammerdin. Even my Sorceress that dies in two hits has more survivability than this character. I can't get the equipment I need for my Hammerdin, because I don't have the equipment for my Sorceress required for her to do MF-ing... this character has been the biggest waste of time ever - level 75 and I can't do a single quest in Act 1 Hell.

 

[Ntrik_]

Well, after too many deaths today, I've decided to stop playing my Hammerdin. Even my Sorceress that dies in two hits has more survivability than this character. I can't get the equipment I need for my Hammerdin, because I don't have the equipment for my Sorceress required for her to do MF-ing... this character has been the biggest waste of time ever - level 75 and I can't do a single quest in Act 1 Hell.

No offence, but its either you've maxed out skills in wrong order.. oh wait that shouldnt really matter, since you're lvl 75.

But anyways, no offence, but that just means you suck at controlling character, and did not learn redemption. Just look at where your hammer is coming out, (I think your shield), and use shift key to stand still to shoot, and ... yea just keep practicing with that. Probably in normal, becuase all mobs will die in one hit, you'll know when you hit it, thats how I practiced with my hammerdin

 

[SpACatta]

Nope, I have the correct skills maxed, and I have redemption. I also have the whole Hammerdin strategy down... vigor-run into battle, switch to concentration before I reach the pack, spam hammers to take them out, or if they're faster, shift-fire hammers as I run. I know exactly where the hammers come out and what path they take, as well as how far away I need to be from the enemy to hit it. After (and often during) each wave of enemies, I'll redemption to regain everything.

The problem is my equipment, and the fact that I have no way to get better equipment. It's just frustrating me.

 

[Pale_Horse]

Do you have a act 2 merc, with holy freeze aura? They help alot. Try to make the merc a Insight weapon(if you are playing ladder the runes and weapon are easy to get) RAL, TIR, TAL, SOL in a polearm. This will give you almost endless mana. Not to mention he will take out anyone that gets close.

Since as you stated are a bit poor. You can do some decent damage with even the crappiest of gear, just look for Faster cast Rate, + skills, Mana Leech.

Hear is some gear that will work and easy to get.
Gardian Angel
Sigon Set
Spirit sword & Shield
Magefist
Shaftstop
String of Ears


Easy way to get items is do alot of key runs (like 50 a day) trade them for gear you need, or for profit. If you do this enough you can afford anything out there. If you can actually get the body parts, that will trade for more. If you are smart trade sets of them like 9 keys (3 of each) or all three body parts.

Just out of curiosity, what are your stats, skills, and skill lvls without gear. This could help to figure out if their is a problem. It could be as simple as you not using Holy Shield, or using wrong aura. Naked without a aura, you should be doing somewhere in the 500 damage area at least if I am right. Try not charging into them, but have your merc hold them off while you spam, you might have them too close where the hammers are flying past them.

Stats:
str - 90 (avaerage)
Dex - 125 (at lvl 99 you will have max block with gear)
Life - all the damn rest!
Energy - not a point

Skills:
Concentration - 20
Holy Shield - 20
Blessed Aim - 20
Vigor - 20
Preregs - 1 into
Rest into - Defience (HS synergy, since you need the def) or Charge

 

[SpACatta]

Alright, I'll respond to everything here:

My merc is indeed an Act 2 Nightmare Merc. I got him at level 25 and leveled him all the way to 75 with me, and will continue to. He has Shaftstop, Tal-Rasha's Helmet, and a Rare spear with 150 damage or so. He still dies like crazy, even against Act 1 Hell monsters.

Right now, I only have two of the usual "endgame" Hammerdin items: Sandstorm Trek boots, and Magefist gloves. I'm also using Peasant Crown, The Eye of Etlich, Sigon's Armor, Sigon's Belt, a +2 Paladin skills shield, a "Spirit" runeword sword, and two really crappy rare rings with some AR and resistances. Some of this is okay equipment, but not really helping.

I can't do MF runs, because none of my characters have the equipment to survive the runs, or to get high enough MF to get anything. I know everyone says a Skelemancer can MF naked, but mine (built exactly as everyone else's is) gets destroyed not only by bosses, but also by small groups of Hell monsters.

My damage naked and without an aura is actually around 1200. I have no +skills charms either, obviously. My merc has trouble surviving anything past the Countess Quest in Hell Act 1, so having him tank isn't really working. Also, it's not that I can't hit the enemies... it's that, in stopping to let my hammers loose, they gang-rape me. It might be the fact that I have only 500 defense, or that my block rate is under 10%, but I get destroyed in a few seconds in Act 1 Hell. I'm pretty good at aiming my hammers. It's just survival that's the problem for me, and I think getting that endgame Hammerdin equipment would fix that.

Base Stats:
Strength - 90
Dexterity - 30 (but all stat points from now until forever will go into it, getting it to 100-something)
Vitality - 350
Energy - none

Skills:
Hammer - 20
Concentration - 20
Blessed Aim - 20
Vigor - 17 (will max before I start working on Holy Shield)
Redemption - 1
Prerequisites - 1
Holy Shield, as soon as I max Vigor in three levels, will get every single skill point from now on. I should be able to get it to 15 or 16 or maybe more.

 

[Pale_Horse]

Wait you mean to tell me you have NO holy shield and your Dex is only 30!
Right their is your problem. You can't block any attacks what so ever, raise dex asap and put at least 1 into Holy shield NOW! You are basically fighting in Hell with the ability to block act 1 normal monsters. This is why you are dying. Plain and simple.

Now your merc is dying left and right because their is no life leech on him. Basically socket everything he has with skulls so he can leech life and regen life alot faster. After this give it a Insight Runeword Polearm.

With both of these basis covered you will do fine at MF and killing anything in your way.

Wait till you see what your hammerdin can do once it can actually block a spitball, let alone a few melee attacks from hell minions.

If you put every stat point into dex, and put at least 5 into Holy shield, from here on out, you should survive a hell baal run by 90-92
I doute you will be able to reach max block without some help from gear though.

 

[SpACatta]

Does blocking protect against ranged attacks as well, because the archers in the Countess Quest were killing me more than anything.

I'm going to do some Baal runs today and get to the high-80's and get my Holy Shield as high as I can, and see if this helps.