Guild Wars 2

What’s the big deal about this summon? I wanted to see what all the hype was about it so I grabbed one with my zerker thief and the dps I was doing with that was significantly lower than what I’d be doing with just my daggers.

Is there something that I was missing because I found I was doing 2k regulars and 4-5k last attacks so about 9k over the course of 3s. With my daggers and against the same target I do 2k with double strike, 2.5k with wild and 3k (poison rounds it up) with lotus. I also get a 4-5k cnd with a 7-8k backstab after each of those rotations.

So now what’s the big deal about lightning hammer? I didn’t notice anything special.

Blast finisher on the 3rd auto-attack.

Thieves have a great single target damage, so those numbers won’t seem like much to you, but they can be a solid DPS boost for other professions.

Damage can be higher than that with a specific build. As a bonus you are also getting a blast finisher (and a blind) within the attack chain.

Here are the details about the hammer build and some analysis: http://www.guildwars2guru.com/topic/81706-ouch-my-everything-the-80-potential-amplified-damage-build-with-sustain-support-and-control/ .

My zerker ele achieved those numbers, have in mind that’s with a team so target has additional vulnerability (ele can get some stacks but not 25):

http://imgur.com/M82ct3f
http://imgur.com/ot4wF4u
http://imgur.com/HuhzMna

That wasn’t some kind of dps test, just normal gameplay without swapping traits for more damage oriented (like piercing shards and staying in water for 20% more damage).

randomfightfan.4091:

I wanted to see what all the hype was about it so I grabbed one with my zerker thief and the dps I was doing with that was significantly lower than what I’d be doing with just my daggers.

so I grabbed one with my zerker thief and the dps I was doing with that was significantly lower than what I’d be doing with just my daggers.

grabbed one with my zerker thief

zerker thief

thief

I seem to have located your problem.

He said damage over 3 seconds, but the hammer’s tool tip says each attack is .5 seconds, is the tool tip wrong? It doesn’t feel wrong.

CallousEye.5018:

He said damage over 3 seconds, but the hammer’s tool tip says each attack is .5 seconds, is the tool tip wrong? It doesn’t feel wrong.

Generally speaking, the tooltip is correct about the animation times for each of the attacks but it doesn’t take into account the delay after most skills that increases the time it takes to use multiple attacks.

For example, Dagger on a Thief/Necro #1 chain says 0.25 seconds for it’s 3 part chain (Totalling 0.75 seconds for the full thing) yet it takes a full 2 seconds to complete.

CallousEye.5018:

He said damage over 3 seconds, but the hammer’s tool tip says each attack is .5 seconds, is the tool tip wrong? It doesn’t feel wrong.

It takes 0.5s from activating the skill until you get the damage, but there is also some post-damage animation. The whole auto-attack chain takes bit less than 3s.

It’s just decent damage, with a fair bit of CC and an auto attack chain that ends with a blind and blast finisher. If fighting in a field, every third attack could yield another 3 stacks of might to you and your allies, AoE Frost Aura, AoE weakness, AoE healing, AoE retaliation, AoE swiftness, AoE stealth, or AoE chaos armor.

The Static Field (5) is great for its stuns, but can also be used to combo with Lightning Leap’s (2) leap finisher to daze a target. Wind blast’s (3) knockback is good for knocking people off cliffs or into the static field for a stun. It has a slowish cast speed, so it’s not a great interrupt unless your target is using a slower skill. It can also be used on downed players to toss them about (and interrupt all their allies trying to rally them).

As a thief, you could always pick up the hammer, use Static Field, then drop the hammer and spam heartseaker to keep a target inside the field dazed. Or if you have the shortbow equipped, provide 30-40 seconds (base) of swiftness to you and your allies.

Few things that have already been mentioned:

1.) For Elementalists, Mesmers, Rangers, Warriors and Guardians, I’m not sure there is a better auto-attack option for single target, much less the AOE potential of the hammer. The final hit can hit 5 targets in a GENEROUS area, Blinds, and Blast Finishers.

2.) Your daggers, as is the necromancers, are purely single target with no cleave. Back-stab is an entirely different beast as well, as it is intended to reward positioning and use of stealth properly, but can’t be utilized consistently back-to-back in every situation.

3.) An Elementalist with a proper build, wielding the lightning hammer, is the highest damage per second in the game, outside of a Mesmer maintaining their Phantasms for long periods without losing them, and when wielding the Hammer themselves while their Phantasms are out, nothing beats a mesmer in this situation, bar none.

In an idea group scenario, as long as I play well and the group can give my Lightning Hammer ele 25 might, fury, and keep burning and vulnerability (at least 1 stack) on a foe, Its common for my auto attack to go 7k-8k on the first two hits, followed by a final hit of 13k+. And this isnt even the maximum potential, requires no back stab positioning, and is 3-target and 5-target hitting, while providing utility from Blast and Blind against non-champs.

Elementalists have the single highest potential damage amplification in the game, which is how these numbers can be achieved. Sucks in PvP mostly, but amazing in WvW and PvE in coordinated groups who know how to “enable” your damage.

I would like the thing more if it at least had more charges.

15 isn’t enough base, neither are conjures good enough to warrant taking a trait that gives them 10 more charges.

You are entirely WRONG about conjures not being “good enough” to warrant the 10 charges trait. The Lightning Hammer allows the elementalist to achieve the highest potential sustained dps in the game while its equipped with the right group and trait build.

Frost bow is devistatingly powerful for condition builds as well as for demolishing structures. If you ran AC explorable over 100 times like I have, you learn to LOVE its potential to obliterate burrows.

Fiery Greatsword is one of THE best mobility elites in the entire game for WvW, and deals fantastic ranged damage compared to many other options, while maintaining mobility and absolutely amazing aoe potential.

The Earth Shield REALLY needs some help on its absolutely worthless autoattack, and a few skills could be better, but its amazing for defense in absolute survival situations.

The Fiery Axe I’m still trying to find a reasonable “use” for at this point.

Yeah the fire axe just feels so left out(why no finishers?), and the earth shield really needs an effect/aoe on the auto…(I love it when ressing people)

the lightning hammer really comes into its own with quickness though, something ele doesn’t really have access to.