Blessed Hammer

Active Skill · Secondary · Crusader

5 Runes
From level 12

Effect

Cost: 10 Wrath

Summon a blessed hammer that spins around you, dealing 320% weapon damage as Holy to all enemies hit.

Runes

5 Runes

Burning Wrath

from level 18 · Fire damage · Proc coefficient 0.1

The hammer is engulfed in fire and has a 25% chance to scorch the ground over which it passes. Enemies who pass through the scorched ground take 330% weapon damage as Fire per second.
Thunderstruck

from level 22 · Lightning damage · Proc coefficient 0.1

The hammer is charged with lightning that occasionally arcs between you and the hammer as it spirals through the air, dealing 60% weapon damage as Lightning to enemies caught in the arcs.
Limitless

from level 35 · Holy damage · Proc coefficient 0.1

Increase the damage of Blessed Hammer to 640% weapon damage as Holy and increase its area of effect by 20 yards.
Brute Force

from level 48 · Physical damage · Proc coefficient 0.1

The hammer Slows enemies it passes through and has a 35% chance to explode on impact, dealing 460% weapon damage as Physical and Stunning enemies within 6 yards for 1 second.
Dominion

from level 57 · Holy damage · Proc coefficient 0.1

The Hammer now orbits you as you move.

The proc coefficient scales the chance of on-hit effects (e.g. legendary powers, gems, Life per Hit) for each hit of the skill. Game files, version 2.8.0.

Blessed Hammer

Blessed Hammer is a wrath spender that summons a revolving hammer which circles you and strikes everything in range with holy damage. It is the core of one of the best-known crusader archetypes and delivers reliable area damage without you having to aim precisely – you simply position yourself amid the enemies.

The single most important rune is Dominion: it makes the hammer keep orbiting you even while you move, so you deal damage and reposition at the same time – essential for mobile builds. For pure damage and reach, Limitless doubles the value and noticeably enlarges the area of effect. For extra lingering pressure, Burning Wrath lays down burning ground that damages enemies over time.

Burning Wrath, Thunderstruck, Brute Force

Blessed Hammer is available from level 12: 10 Wrath for 320% weapon damage as Holy. Burning Wrath (level 18) has a 25% chance to scorch the ground for 330% weapon damage per second, and Thunderstruck (level 22) arcs lightning for 60% weapon damage between you and the hammer. Brute Force (level 48) slows and has a 35% chance to explode for 460% weapon damage, stunning enemies within 6 yards for 1 second. Thunderstruck, Limitless and Dominion appear about equally often in practice.

Items built around the hammer

Justinian's Mercy (flail): grants the Dominion effect and frees your rune slot.
Johanna's Argument (flail): 100% more attack speed and damage.
Jace's Hammer of Vigilance (mace): larger hammers.
Guard of Johanna: 200–250% more damage to the first 3 enemies.
Gabriel's Vambraces: 75–100% Wrath refund when hitting 3 or fewer enemies.
Hammer Jammers: 300–400% more hammer damage for 10 seconds after a Blind, Stun or Immobilize, and the stun from Brute Force is one source for it.
Faithful Memory: each enemy hit by Falling Sword adds 60–80% hammer damage, up to 10 stacks.

In Seeker of the Light, every hit trims 1 second off the cooldowns of Falling Sword and Provoke, and the 6-piece bonus raises hammer damage by 15,000%.

Attack speed and Wrath for the hammer

Laws of Valor and Fervor raise attack speed, while Akarat's Champion boosts Wrath regeneration. Iron Skin, Finery and Lord Commander round it out.

by eRnstl