What skill and mods for hammer ?

[Elliott]

Hi there,
I reached 80/80 in Hammer/Shield few weeks ago. Still perfecting my equipment now, and asking myself a lot of questions.
I, for now, use largely these skills :
- Pound
- Pound to slag
- Leaping smash
- Rib shatter
- Seismic impact
- Way of the hammer

-> Sometimes I change for electric skills when needed.

With shield I use :
- Stunning bash
- Fight me u fools
- Fire Shield (or take the lead when i need to run)
- Elemental ward
- Shield team
- Bulwark mode

-> I did put all the damages on the hammer skills. On shield, I've healing with fight me u fools, mitigation with shield team, power and armor regen with bulwark. I feel like a support (i do damages, but not as much as some skills ; and give around +50 mitigation).

I'd like to hear your ideas, suggestions. How do u play hammer ? Which skills u like, u use. Would help me think about that. Not sure it's the right place to talk about it since i didn't see any post like this one, i give it a try.

Thanks anyway, see you around !

[ShieldBreaker]

You have posted in the correct sub-forum :)

I use pretty much the exact same skill on my action bar for Hammer. The only exception is Way of the Hammer, I usually change up what I use in that place (Hurl Lightning or another electrical, Reverberating Strike for high armour enemies and probably more often then I should just because it fits with what my character name implies) , Reckless Slam often.

Shield I go heavy on the bashes and usually include Finish It.

Mods on the Hammer, I usually always try for a Pound to Slag AoE and then just look for good +% to damage for the skills you listed above.
When focusing on the Electric Hammer, I usually go Mentalism as the other skill.

[Elliott]

Oh, thx for the answer.
I never used Reverberating strike, never moded it as well. How many damages can you have when moded ? I dont use it because I never understood really his use. I know it makes lost a lot of armor, but I had the impression that I could make them loose armor with the other skills.
I didnt put the AoE mod on Pound to slag cause I try to give it a low cool down : it's around 30 secs now. I can go under 30 with belts. So I did put the AoE on Seismic impact.
So you use shield for damages more than protection ? How much can you do with Finish it moded ?
Any of you use more electricity skills with hammer ? For which reason ?

[ShieldBreaker]

For the shield I do have the mods for mitigation when using the skill, Chance to Miraculously Avoid Death +% when Shield is active and Armor Master's - While the Shield skill is active, you mitigate 1 point of attack damage for every 20 Armor you have remaining. (Normally, you would mitigate 1 for every 25 Armor remaining.) So getting some protection that way. I tend to think of it as balanced, I am getting some protect from the shield and still using it for damage. Might not be the best way to play but seems to work well enough for me.

One mod I like to have in my gear for shield is
of Finishing Bashes - All Shield Bash Abilities deal + damage and hasten the current reuse timer of Finish It by 2 seconds

I hear you on Pound to Slag AoE and the cool down timer. I just like the extra damage and the AoE has saved me a time or two.

I don't use up mods on Reverberating strike, so not sure of the damage when moded. :)

Sorry, couldn't check my Finished it damage, I got some of my gear in council storage and the rest in Rahu or the Casino. And my current inventory is full and didn't feel like juggling stuff. Working on other skills at the moment.

[Elliott]

Ok, interesting. I'll have to check that then, to see what Finish it can give.
But I feel like we're playing it a bit the same. It seems I have less attack on shield and more defense.
Last time, I did try to solo mobs in gaz keep. I could solo a soldier with a sword (can't remember the name right now).
I was thinking of trying it in fr as well, see how far I can go. Thought it was a way to test different skills.