Guild Wars 2

One of my favorite weapons in the game is the hammer, but as a warrior it has a couple problems… its big, slow and there really isn’t a reason to use it above the mace, the mace is just better in every single way.

Increase the recovery time of hammer attacks, hammer should be a little faster and more dangerous.

B Earthshaker
Jump to the targeted location and slam your hammer down, damaging and stunning foes.
Damage: 344
Level 1 stun: 1 s
Level 2 stun: 1½ s
Level 3 stun: 2 s
Radius: 240
Combo Finisher: Blast
Range: 1200

1-1 Hammer Swing (½)
Bash your foe.
Damage: 333
Range: 150

1-2 Hammer Bash (½)
Bash your foe again, causing more damage and crippling your foe.
Damage: 444
Cripple: 1 s
Range: 150

1-3 Hammer Smash (¾)
Smash the ground and damage nearby foes.
Damage: 555
Combo Finisher: Blast
Range: 150

2 Fierce Blow (½, 8 second cooldown.)
Weaken your foe with a fierce blow.
Damage: 518
Weakness: 8 s
Range: 150

3 Hammer Shock (½, 10 second cooldown.)
Smash the ground and send out a crippling wave.
Damage: 333
Crippled: 5 s
Range: 1200

4 Staggering Scream (Instant, 15 second cool-down.)
Push back and chill nearby foes with a Staggering Scream.
Damage: 481
Knockback: 180
Chill: 5 s
Range: 600

5 Backbreaker (1, 20 second cool-down.)\
Knock down all foes in-front of you.
Damage: 554
Knockdown: 2 s
Range: 150

I think the hammer should have slightly more damage, a lot more mobility and a lot more utility. The chill on the scream will help a lot with getting enemies off you when you need them to be off.

Although I like stuns, I feel that Earthshaker should be more utility, a leap that suprises the enemy.

I hate this forum, and how it just eat my first reply.

Regarding Earthshaker:
1200 range leap will never happen. It will break stuff.
Alot of stuff.
Such a leap will allow warrior to jump into certain towers and keeps in WvW.
It will not happen.

Also the damage on Earthshaker is fine, and does not need a nerf.

Regarding autoattack:
Blastfinisher on an autoattack will not happen either.
Just the amount of AoE blind spam done with a necro using wells and a warrior would be insane.
Might stacking, AoE healing and perm team retaliation would also be possible.
It might be happening like other autoattack finisher:
20% chance to blast finish.
The current damage is fine aswell.
Your suggestion would make the hammer DPS higher than that of an Axe mainhand.
What do you want to do with Axe then? Buff it aswell?

Regarding Fierce Blow:
100% weakness uptime from a single skill is too much.
But I agree on a cooldown reduction.
10s cooldown, with 6~7s weakness.

Regarding Hammer Shock:
Slight damage increase? Yeah ok.
Higher range than bladetail or any other ranged cripple (it would actually outrange even ranger bows xD) while have not projectiles etc. Yeah… not gonna happen man.
600 range for how reliable it is, is fine.

Regarding Staggering Scream:
What is this? It certainly isn’t a hammer skill. It looks like a utility.
Staggering Blow just needs a new animation, which allows movement while casting it.

Regarding Backbreak:
Agreeing on this one. Backbreaker was the hammer signature skill in GW1 and should be stronger in GW2 than it is right now. 20s cooldown and actual cleave AoE seems fine, especially compared to something like Magic Bullet which is 900 range.

Varonth.5830:

Staggering Blow just needs a new animation, which allows movement while casting it.

Sweet mother of god yes. Lately I’ve only been reading the forums without logging in but I needed to second this notion! FOR GOD SAKES YES!

I may actually start using my Juggernaut again if it wasn’t such a liability causing me to be rooted all the time and missing what should be an easy interrupt.

You hit the ground so hard, dust comes up and blinds your foes….
You hit the ground so hard in a field of fire, causing might….
You hit the ground so hard…

It adds a lot of flavor and makes sense, seeing as Guardians ‘3’ offers protection and a combo field.

Staggering Blow getting an animation that allows movement was brought up in a dev stream last week. The devs don’t like the skill either and are considering options for making it easier to use. The example given was to only have it reduce movement speed and not lock you in place.

Veritas.6071:

Staggering Blow getting an animation that allows movement was brought up in a dev stream last week. The devs don’t like the skill either and are considering options for making it easier to use. The example given was to only have it reduce movement speed and not lock you in place.

Well I don’t like the fact it knocks people back when I have a hard time getting to people in the first place.

Hammer is just backwards.

If it was a scream or something and instant…

Daecollo.9578:

Veritas.6071:

Staggering Blow getting an animation that allows movement was brought up in a dev stream last week. The devs don’t like the skill either and are considering options for making it easier to use. The example given was to only have it reduce movement speed and not lock you in place.

Well I don’t like the fact it knocks people back when I have a hard time getting to people in the first place.

Hammer is just backwards.

I think it was meant to function as a defensive control ability when they first planned the weapon, but even in that role, they should have known any skills/utilities that lock players in place within the GW2 combat system were not going to be well received.

Veritas.6071:

Daecollo.9578:

Veritas.6071:

Staggering Blow getting an animation that allows movement was brought up in a dev stream last week. The devs don’t like the skill either and are considering options for making it easier to use. The example given was to only have it reduce movement speed and not lock you in place.

Well I don’t like the fact it knocks people back when I have a hard time getting to people in the first place.

Hammer is just backwards.

I think it was meant to function as a defensive control ability when they first planned the weapon, but even in that role, they should have known any skills/utilities that lock players in place within the GW2 combat system were not going to be well received.

I just wish hammer had more immobilize/utility and be a lot faster and responsive.

Chill would be a GODSEND…

For the love of god, if you’re going to suggest something please make it slightly reasonable.

You can’t really think these ideas are balanced can you?

Billy.1879:

For the love of god, if you’re going to suggest something please make it slightly reasonable.

You can’t really think these ideas are balanced can you?

When you ask something you always ask for something unreasonable, the developers will always take what you add if they want it and balance it.

All you’re adding is bad suggestions. People listen to reason, not unrealistic suggestions.

Everything you say is just out of control and hard to relate to because it’s just so over the top. I don’t know what in gods name you want, to be able to 1v5 people in full zerker gear? Turn the class into a 1200 stunning cruise missile?

Billy.1879:

All you’re adding is bad suggestions. People listen to reason, not unrealistic suggestions.

Everything you say is just out of control and hard to relate to because it’s just so over the top. I don’t know what in gods name you want, to be able to 1v5 people in full zerker gear? Turn the class into a 1200 stunning cruise missile?

Last time I saw a full zerker warrior against 5 people, he got cced and kited to death and could not do anything, he was down in 4-5 seconds because he couldn’t press his abilities fast enough.

Daecollo.9578:

Billy.1879:

All you’re adding is bad suggestions. People listen to reason, not unrealistic suggestions.

Everything you say is just out of control and hard to relate to because it’s just so over the top. I don’t know what in gods name you want, to be able to 1v5 people in full zerker gear? Turn the class into a 1200 stunning cruise missile?

Last time I saw a full zerker warrior against 5 people, he got cced and kited to death and could not do anything, he was down in 4-5 seconds because he couldn’t press his abilities fast enough.

Don’t know how to tell you this bro but that happens to most people when 5 people spring them

I don’t balance skills around gear, and its honestly a stupid thing to do. If berserker gear is that powerful then it needs nerfed.

That would be balancing gear around skills bro, as in I wouldn’t ever die with a 1200 range earth shaker.

Billy.1879:

That would be balancing gear around skills bro, as in I wouldn’t ever die with a 1200 range earth shaker.

I think you would.

If all Hammers skills takes ½ activation instead of now, I will be a very happy man. Plus Hammer 4 skill don’t root us though the rooting does have its advantage in zerg.

I want the third hit on hammer 1 to be a blast finisher. So. kitten . Bad! You won’t be able to blast fire fields before a fight as you need to hit something in order to go through the skill cycle. But it would make interesting synergy with fields whilst in combat.

1200 range onn back breaker is just too much. However a little increase would be good.

Hammer 4 Is the skill I always imagine being the hammer whirlwind equivalent of the great sword whirlwind, that would knock people back in its path. Be good for clearing out bridges or disabling a grouped up Zerg. I don’t think a scream would happen as it’s not part of using a hammer. These are weapon skills after all.

Hammer 5 needs to be AoE knockdown. I don’t understand why all of the hammer is AoE except this? It’s a long enough CD to not cause too much of an issue. However I can see the earth shaker and AoE 5 pinning down 5 people as a potential issue. However that just means people need to be spread out or be wary.

I would like to see stomp targetable. I know that’s nothing to do with the hammer but I just feel that would be a good move. I would also love a 15 Minor trait in tactics or something allow burst skills to not be effected by blind. People don’t really fear us getting adrenaline, which is a shame.

Daecollo.9578:

Veritas.6071:

Staggering Blow getting an animation that allows movement was brought up in a dev stream last week. The devs don’t like the skill either and are considering options for making it easier to use. The example given was to only have it reduce movement speed and not lock you in place.

Well I don’t like the fact it knocks people back when I have a hard time getting to people in the first place.

Hammer is just backwards.

If it was a scream or something and instant…

Know your build as you should know your weapon choices. As such, staggering blow with knock back is the bomb for knocking people off cliffs and such in WvW. That said, that is one reason why I love banish on Guardian, as well. It is hilarious to ping pong an enemy between two or three friendly’s…

Back breaker should have the same AoE as autoattack. No extra range, just what’s in front of you. Staggering blow shouldn’t root you. Anything else and hammer will just be ridiculously OP.

Hammer is very good as it is.

cleave attack on 5 would be great, I would like f1 to be more reliable on uneven surfaces before being a 1200 leap

Things i want from my hammer:

Earthshaker
Faster cast time and animation.

Hammer #1 Chain
Faster Cast time and animations without delay. Example is after doing hammer swing and then hammer bash you get a half second delay if you use other hammer skills other than the last chain.

Fierce Blow 10s cd
Faster cast time and animation.

Hammer shock 12s cd
Increased reliability(missing due to pathing/sloping) and possible range increase(+100?).

Staggering Blow 20s cd
Change into a 2-part skill. 2-3s channeling skill which blocks 1 melee attack then activates the original staggering blow without cast time or activate manually while channeling. Increase attack range to 180. Warrants a name change.

Backbreaker 25s cd
Lower base damage(-55 to -105), make it cleave. Faster animation and cast time. Increase attack range to 180.

Or instead of decreasing the casting and delay, increase the melee range of hammer that would make the skills hit more often unless you’re dodged or slowed.

winshmo.7896:

Things i want from my hammer:

Earthshaker
Faster cast time and animation.

Hammer #1 Chain
Faster Cast time and animations without delay. Example is after doing hammer swing and then hammer bash you get a half second delay if you use other hammer skills other than the last chain.

Fierce Blow 10s cd
Faster cast time and animation.

Hammer shock 12s cd
Increased reliability(missing due to pathing/sloping) and possible range increase(+100?).

Staggering Blow 20s cd
Change into a 2-part skill. 2-3s channeling skill which blocks 1 melee attack then activates the original staggering blow without cast time or activate manually while channeling. Increase attack range to 180. Warrants a name change.

Backbreaker 25s cd
Lower base damage(-55 to -105), make it cleave. Faster animation and cast time. Increase attack range to 180.

Or instead of decreasing the casting and delay, increase the melee range of hammer that would make the skills hit more often unless you’re dodged or slowed.

Agreed with all of this, but the cool-downs should be the same as great-sword.
I feel like hammer warriors should have chill and immobilize somewhere.

Hammer Shock and Earthshaker should have increased range, to match the other utility of the other weapons. I think Earth Shaker should chill (Or cripple+weakness) instead of stun, but be longer.

I really wish it had more immobilize or maybe the autoattack has a small cripple to slow people down.

Actually the devs are planing on remake the animation of Staggering blow so it can be casted while in movement or something, they said that in a live stream where they where showing some warrior builds (one of them was one of the variations of the skull crack build so this says that they know the build every mediocre guy its complaining about and still recommending it to use it, so i dont expect a nerf on that either) there they mentioned that about Staggering blow.

Daecollo.9578:

winshmo.7896:

Things i want from my hammer:

Earthshaker
Faster cast time and animation.

Hammer #1 Chain
Faster Cast time and animations without delay. Example is after doing hammer swing and then hammer bash you get a half second delay if you use other hammer skills other than the last chain.

Fierce Blow 10s cd
Faster cast time and animation.

Hammer shock 12s cd
Increased reliability(missing due to pathing/sloping) and possible range increase(+100?).

Staggering Blow 20s cd
Change into a 2-part skill. 2-3s channeling skill which blocks 1 melee attack then activates the original staggering blow without cast time or activate manually while channeling. Increase attack range to 180. Warrants a name change.

Backbreaker 25s cd
Lower base damage(-55 to -105), make it cleave. Faster animation and cast time. Increase attack range to 180.

Or instead of decreasing the casting and delay, increase the melee range of hammer that would make the skills hit more often unless you’re dodged or slowed.

Agreed with all of this, but the cool-downs should be the same as great-sword.
I feel like hammer warriors should have chill and immobilize somewhere.

Hammer Shock and Earthshaker should have increased range, to match the other utility of the other weapons. I think Earth Shaker should chill (Or cripple+weakness) instead of stun, but be longer.

Losing the stun from Earthshaker would destroy the effectiveness of the weapon, you’d render 2 traits that synergize with burst instantly useless, and you’re now left with 2 CC’s that miss 75% of the time.

My best bet would be increasing the melee range of hammer, that should make us hit more with our normal attacks and skills and promote enemy dodging rather than them just moving(doing nothing) while getting free misses.

As for requiring more damage on hammer, you do realize the AA chain does more damage than the greatsword. No the greatsword doesn’t attack faster either, both weapons have a 1/2 second cast time on their AAs.

NinjaSonic.1392:

As for requiring more damage on hammer, you do realize the AA chain does more damage than the greatsword. No the greatsword doesn’t attack faster either, both weapons have a 1/2 second cast time on their AAs.

The aftercast makes it slightly slower, but nowhere near as slow as people say it is.
A complete chain is ~10% slower than an GS chain. That is kinda offset by the fact that the chain deals almost 50% more raw damage.

Varonth.5830:

NinjaSonic.1392:

As for requiring more damage on hammer, you do realize the AA chain does more damage than the greatsword. No the greatsword doesn’t attack faster either, both weapons have a 1/2 second cast time on their AAs.

The aftercast makes it slightly slower, but nowhere near as slow as people say it is.
A complete chain is ~10% slower than an GS chain. That is kinda offset by the fact that the chain deals almost 50% more raw damage.

The problem is the great-sword is more of a complete weapon, sides its burst skill.

Looks like some people want the hammer to be faster and not just have to use frenzy. Hammer is the most destructive weapon out there for warrior with some good timing. I used a standard cc build…mace/shield-hammer, but the traits are what you need: Merciless Hammer, Desperate Power and Empowered. (full lyssa rune set) it can be a little risky, but it just about kills anything in one burst. Wait until the halfway point, pop your elite (might want to stick with SOR.) Throw skullcrack on your opponent, pop frenzy, swap to hammer, and just drive your opponent’s head into the ground. XD It’s great in pve and pvp as well. BUT it does get a little predictable if you happen to fight the same people.

CMstorm.8679:

Looks like some people want the hammer to be faster and not just have to use frenzy. Hammer is the most destructive weapon out there for warrior with some good timing. I used a standard cc build…mace/shield-hammer, but the traits are what you need: Merciless Hammer, Desperate Power and Empowered. (full lyssa rune set) it can be a little risky, but it just about kills anything in one burst. Wait until the halfway point, pop your elite (might want to stick with SOR.) Throw skullcrack on your opponent, pop frenzy, swap to hammer, and just drive your opponent’s head into the ground. XD It’s great in pve and pvp as well. BUT it does get a little predictable if you happen to fight the same people.

It feels off on the 3 part of the 1 chain, and the ‘4’ roots you and feels clunky as all heck.

The ‘5’ should cleave and be a little faster like the mace knockdown, it cleaves and hits twice to get through aegis.

I agree with most of what is suggested, but:
- Auto attack range should NOT be increased to 150, it should stay 130.
- Earthshaker range could go to 900, but 1200 is WAY too much.

Serdoc.7261:

I agree with most of what is suggested, but:
- Auto attack range should NOT be increased to 150, it should stay 130.
- Earthshaker range could go to 900, but 1200 is WAY too much.

I suggest big changed and let the devs figure out the rest. I agree it should be more but maybe 1200 is a bit much?

The reason Auto-attack should be 150 is because of the way the animations are, and the fact that some attacks are 150.

Consistency is a HUGE part of the game, imagine swinging thinking your hammer has 150 range because your last attack did, and missing.

All attacks should be the same range.

The hammer also has a strong hidden after-cast on some of the attacks, making chaining them very hard.

Animations also need to be looked at.

As hammer doesn’t work against bosses because of defiant which make them immune to CC, hammer is only useful against normal and veteran mobs, but really is a weaker weapon than axe or gs.
Increased damage and/or some conditions on skills would make it more viable for tanky/support builds, maybe even zerkers would use it but please leave some weapon away from zerk builds. Zerk warriors already have axe, gs, sword, mace,longbow,rifle..