Author Topic: Optimal non-psi hammer build  (Read 5923 times)

harperfan7

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Optimal non-psi hammer build
« on: April 28, 2024, 06:07:06 am »
https://underrail.info/build/?Hg0HBwoDAwMAcwDCoB4AAGwAAADCkcKFTl19AAAAAFwwQzkmLWMWTgg8VVBgGR9iwrZUS8OO4qGHBOKijAPioo0D4qOTBd--

I posted this in Hammer Wizard's hammer bible thread, but I think it deserves its own thread.  It's been known forever that some mp boosts ignore armor penalty, like sprint and contraction.  What was not widely known was that hit & run would ignore armor penalty when refunding those boosts (thanks to Peet for this discovery).  Now we have a consistent way for a 95% ap tank to move around the battlefield.  This build is essentially a full tungsten tank but it has the ability to move from enemy to enemy without wasting action points.  Jumping bean and the drifter tattoo provide some mp when sprint is on cooldown. 

Another thing that's somewhat recent is spiked hammers and the way the damage from spikes is calculated.  Basically, each spike gets bonus damage from certain sources (most notably Super Slam).  Quake is your off-hand weapon, because it can proc opportunist via daze, but also because it dazes as an AoE.  An AoE daze is superb; not only does it make enemies slower and have less ability to attack on their turn, it boosts your own damage.  The AoE also does some decent damage of its own.  So you want a spiked tichrome hammer in one hand, and Quake in the other.  The spiked hammer can be poisoned, and quake can have blasting caps and CACs.  Also, since you'll spend a good deal of combat dazed yourself due to Thick Skull, you'll be happy to know that a tichrome hammer (17 ap) and Quake (18ap) can be used once each for 35 ap. 

I played through most of the game with a 3 dex 10 agi version of this (for strider and blitz) and it was great, but I definitely felt the lack of escape artist.  With its addition, I feel its perfect.  Strider and blitz were nice to have but not necessary at all.  You don't need maxed strength since you aren't using any of the big boy hammers, and with taste for blood and opportunist, your damage is plenty good enough.  The serrated blades on your armor will sometimes proc a bleed on your enemies, allowing you to get tfb started (but you also get a stack whenever you kill somebody, so it was already a decent choice for hammers), and with nail-bombs you can jumpstart it basically instantly if you want. 

Some people will scoff at grenadier, but since we're only using it for nail-bombs and flashbangs, I don't feel its egregious.  If you still can't stand it, take trigger happy so you can win initiative a decent amount of the time or at least not go dead last.
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harperfan7

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Re: Optimal non-psi hammer build
« Reply #1 on: April 28, 2024, 05:08:49 pm »
Forgot to say:  items are listed in the pic.  Also the feats aren't set in stone; for instance if you want the crit feats sooner, take em.
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peet

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Re: Optimal non-psi hammer build
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2024, 01:56:20 pm »
Nice. Yeah def deserves its own post, and I agree the lack of escape artist on the 10 agi version was very painful.

Eidein

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Re: Optimal non-psi hammer build
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2024, 02:37:16 pm »
Good build beat 95% of quests with it in 21 hours, midgame is ofc rough since its psiless hammer but once you have your gear it rly picks up and becomes a bit of a monster.

Only thing I changed in my variation was replacing grenadier with dirty kick.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2024, 11:54:34 pm by Eidein »

harperfan7

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Re: Optimal non-psi hammer build
« Reply #4 on: October 02, 2024, 01:21:48 pm »
Tungsten greaves with dense foam!
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Eldakar

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Re: Optimal non-psi hammer build
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2024, 11:05:00 am »
Hey harperfan7.

Will this build work with machettes if i replace pummel and super slam with flurry and onslaught?

harperfan7

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Re: Optimal non-psi hammer build
« Reply #6 on: November 29, 2024, 02:58:50 pm »
Hey harperfan7.

Will this build work with machettes if i replace pummel and super slam with flurry and onslaught?

And heavyweight.  Yes, it'd work but not as well. 
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Antalos

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Re: Optimal non-psi hammer build
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2024, 07:01:37 pm »
I don't see how you can do any build without investing in lockpicking and pickpocketing to steal insignia from NPCs. However, the build looks interesting because it's easy to do an OP build and dominate, and dominating through tanking is much more enjoyable ^^
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Eidein

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Re: Optimal non-psi hammer build
« Reply #8 on: November 29, 2024, 07:49:14 pm »
I don't see how you can do any build without investing in lockpicking and pickpocketing

Very easily.

haze1103

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Re: Optimal non-psi hammer build
« Reply #9 on: November 30, 2024, 10:17:40 pm »
I don't see how you can do any build without investing in lockpicking and pickpocketing to steal insignia from NPCs.

Probably classic exp. I know people will swear they can do Oddity without lock/hack/pickpocket, and I believe it, but it's quite slow. Granted I'm probably too reluctant to kill useless named NPCs which might have some of the oddities you normally pickpocket

harperfan7

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Re: Optimal non-psi hammer build
« Reply #10 on: November 30, 2024, 11:08:38 pm »
I always play on oddity.
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