Merciless Hammer could use a rework?

1) The Hammer doesn't really lend itself towards Condition, so the Confusion is kinda worthless.

2) The damage increase is too specific and pales in comparison to the 33% extra damage you can get with Berserker's Power - and that is very generous in how to achieve and maintain said damage increase.

I think it'd be kinda handy to change the confusion to increased CC duration. Make the weapon be about what it's supposed to be about.

@Red Haired Savage.5430 said:I think it'd be kinda handy to change the confusion to increased CD duration. Make the weapon be about what it's supposed to be about.

Peeling 2-5 stacks of stability per cc swing? :)

@Choppy.4183 said:

@Red Haired Savage.5430 said:I think it'd be kinda handy to change the confusion to increased CD duration. Make the weapon be about what it's supposed to be about.

And knockback on every swing á la Sauron in the first Jackson movie!

@Oglaf.1074 said:

@Choppy.4183 said:

@Red Haired Savage.5430 said:I think it'd be kinda handy to change the confusion to increased CD duration. Make the weapon be about what it's supposed to be about.

I meant CC instead of CD (was thinking CC and knock down).

What about Slow (the rarely-used Turtle condition)?

Interrupt ignores stability, maybe not just on hammer skills but any interrupt if traited for merciless hammer?

@Loading.4503 said:Interrupt ignores stability, maybe not just on hammer skills but any interrupt if traited for merciless hammer?

Way too powerful. Just think about how many interrupts we have access to, especially from Berserker (quantity) and Spellbreaker (with combined debuffing).

Yes a rework is in order. I also don't get the confusion; there is little way to get any advantage of it. I sort of get the limitation on the damage increase, though I think it's too restrictive.

I would lessen the damage restriction but lower the damage increase; 10% increase against mobs with a broken, non-existent or recharging breakbar.

I would remove the stacks of confusion; I feel it's more appropriate to try to close gaps than do superficial damage ... perhaps add a leap finisher or a teleport to one of the hammer skills?

What about a knockback on the third auto (not far or a long stagger, but enough to pull a stability stack), and then convert hammer 4 into a launch?

They already reworked it and won't look at it for another 3 years.

@Obtena.7952 said:I would remove the stacks of confusion; I feel it's more appropriate to try to close gaps than do superficial damage ... perhaps add a leap finisher or a teleport to one of the hammer skills?

Adding a leap to 5 would be neat.

Especially in combination with the cooldown reduction the trait also gives.

EDIT: Or on 4. No idea how that would work, but the idea of spin-coptering into a group of enemies seems hilarious. Ok, maybe not add it to 4. But think of the visuals, lol.

If Hammer got different role, its most likely to be CC or soft CC or debuff - not damage nor mobility. It might be easiest to simply switch the effects of Hammer and Mace traits. I personally really like the playstyle of Body Blow + former Distracting Strikes. But on Mace + OH rather than on Hammer.

Mobility that helps you better apply CC should definitely be considered.

Merciless Hammer confusion interrupt should be in Arms, and then a couple of skills (sword 3 against under 50%, or sword 5 on counter, axe 4 is boring) should gain a 1/4 second daze (as an interrupt).

Hammer should be about lockdown, not timed interrupts. Like, seriously, when do you actually interrupt people with hammer with those cast times. Never. It's just about locking them down then setting up another skill.

Alternative to Merciless Hammer passive: CCing enemies with Hammer Skills (no Physicals sorry) inflicts Paralyze for 3 seconds, disabling all movement skills (dash, blink, any of them). Does not affect run speed whatsoever. Paralyze must be waited out. All damage to Paralyzed enemies is increased by 10%.

Boom, powerful lockdown. Force enemy Mesmers to take a stunbreak besides Blink. Stop thieves from Shadowstepping out of your followup. Druid will be forced to pop stealth before being able to Staff 3 or GS 3 away.

Thats why I think it should lengthen your CC times to make it more of a shutdown weapon vs an interrupt weapon. Longer CC on your F1 and longer CC on your skill 5, not sure what to turn skill 4 into maybe make it a launch rather than a knockback.

Well, that does inch on the Mace's trait though. We could use a new lockdown effect that doesn't directly stun you, especially since we have mobility creep (Mesmer Jaunt lol)

Maybe we could just merge the Mace and Hammer traits? Then shuffle something from Arms to the now vacant hammer spot in Strength and put the interrupt trait in Arms.

I’d rather not. It should remain in Strength. Arms is a terrible trait line in comparison. But maybe move it down from Grandmaster. Does anyone ever use the Power-to-Vitality trait? I doubt it. Could put it there.

That's technically even worse as it would then compete with Body Blow, which is more consistent on average with its condition output (ignores stability, just need to land the hits).

Also, you would never move the Hammer portion of the trait to Arms, only the Interrupt portion (you know, the technique/condition type part). If Hammer would be moved anywhere, it would be Defense to be combined with the Mace trait (similar to how necro got Focus and Axe combined).

EDIT: Oh, you could merge the interrupt part with Body Blow, then rework the hammer trait.

3rd attack on auto attack = blast finisher, evade when using hammer burst.

@Kiroshima.8497 said:That's technically even worse as it would then compete with Body Blow, which is more consistent on average with its condition output (ignores stability, just need to land the hits).

Also, you would never move the Hammer portion of the trait to Arms, only the Interrupt portion (you know, the technique/condition type part). If Hammer would be moved anywhere, it would be Defense to be combined with the Mace trait (similar to how necro got Focus and Axe combined).

EDIT: Oh, you could merge the interrupt part with Body Blow, then rework the hammer trait.

Hammer is not a condi weapon (despite Anet thinking) so Body Blow doesn’t really bother me.

I’d rather take a reworked M.Hammer + Berserker’s Power as a result.

Now that I think about it you're right, it wouldnt be bad to move MHammer to the middle and take off the interrupt part, then give it a rework (chain cc? Disable mobility skills? something). It'd actually work with MMR (Hambow Blasting) or Zerker's Power (somewhat). Then a new grandmaster could be added to strength.

Maybe just dump Body Blow out of Strength too xD

Hammer on Warrior has always been my favorite Weapon but I still have never picked up Merciless Hammer - so yes, I agree it needs a rework (again).In my opinion they should just replace confusion with 1s Slow or 2s Cripple since as a Hammer Warrior the most important thing (in WvW) is to be able to stick to your targets, which would be a lot easier with some more crippling blows!

The confusion by interrupt should remove from merciless hammer, and merge with body blow, then swap it with unsuspected foe. Merciless hammer then should add cc duration.

Doing so will make unsuspected foe + merciless hammer attractive in strength as well.

@TwilightSoul.9048 said:Hammer on Warrior has always been my favorite Weapon

Same here. ;)

Visually and thematically it is satsifying to use, but as far as actual performance is concerned it feels rather lackluster...