Should you use Hammer or not? (At least in PvP)

[Shao.7236]

Hi, I've basically used this weapon in it's trash state ever since it was changed 3 years and I just want to say, if you are confused about how it's supposed to be the technically good weapon that I constantly claimed for all this time and to be sorta busted the moment the changes are released, feel free to nudge or ask what can be considered fundamentals because this weapon is EXTREMELY quirky and does not play nice with mistakes, if you are not the type to constantly (not joking, we're talking bottom barrel scrapping) attempt at giving the best value in the skills in big bulks, Hammer playstyle is not for you.

At the very basics, it's a weapon that requires way more patience than what you'd find the others to do for a pay off but that plays in favor of Revenant energy mechanic to use costly skills more often because Hammer skills are cheap and you never have to use any utility as often since you're away from danger, which is why there is a immense value in condensed teamfights.

As a Core player, I get to use RotGD/Jade Winds a lot while the ability to hurt multiple targets at once is not something you usually get from Revenant, that really helps a team out in attacking and sustaining.

The newer changes will be a big deal because placement was extremely jank to burst anyone, now it's easier than ever as a sidenoder to fight on point rather than having to plan your positioning more than you already had to. The changes to Field of the Mists will likely be good as a counter to blinds/Aegis even though to remind Hammer is a heavy single hit which plays well with unblockables.

Regardless, there hasn't been much of anything that I couldn't do with this build that I have for it's versatility and I'd recommend who really enjoy Rev to give it a shot.

There's seriously a lot of funny yet already effective things available before this patch and more will come from it.

[Master Ketsu.4569]

The biggest buff is that CoR fix. The main reason most serious players do not run Hammer is because everyone in 1600+ knows how to exploit the fact that CoR is bugged. With this fake-downside finally removed, it may get seen as a viable defensive alternative to shortbow.

[arazoth.7290]

Hammer will be used more, though it requires some more effort then the other weapons which is not everyone playstyle. I love hammer, my favorite weapon for revenant. I already had lot of fun with it, it will only be better now. The COR change will make it now easier to land in close combat, without requiring a small repositioning like I had to land it. Also hint to everyone,  use drop of the hammer cc with quickness or to keep an already ccd target longer down.

Field of the mists will require some more skill useage now since it also does some damage and grants self aegis. Will you use it now for some extra damage/defense same time or waiting for more projectile denial. More decision making for what you want to use it. Which will affect faster kills or might kill yourself if wrongly used. 

Hammer will be even more interesting to use then before and more available in general ☺️

[Chronardis.4028]

Well, hammer is already meta in wvw for zergs, and this will make it even better. 

[Shao.7236]

5 hours ago, Chronardis.4028 said:

Well, hammer is already meta in wvw for zergs, and this will make it even better. 

For 1v1 encounters definitely. Hammer was always good in WvW because you can fire and forget CoR in a mob and the last hit was easier to manage than in PvP where there's not a lot of map where you could make use it of. Foefire was the last one I remember landing 16ks on light armored but even that was stupidly hard to try.

8 hours ago, arazoth.7290 said:

Hammer will be used more, though it requires some more effort then the other weapons which is not everyone playstyle. 

It is a heavy slow hitter that pays off, afaik not often thought to be good because players think it's easy to dodge but thats where the skill ceiling comes from, figuring out when dodging is no longer the option.

That goes with a lot of weapons but this one quite in particular.

12 hours ago, Master Ketsu.4569 said:

The biggest buff is that CoR fix. The main reason most serious players do not run Hammer is because everyone in 1600+ knows how to exploit the fact that CoR is bugged. With this fake-downside finally removed, it may get seen as a viable defensive alternative to shortbow.

Even if people didn't know about it, FE had 600 range a bit ago and that made landing CoR with it a very delicate task. Overall still, just being up in your face which is a normal thing to do would just pay off the opponent.

I'd argue that Hammer is superior to Shortbow in everyway just because it has very high projectile hate and that's not counting in with Dome of the Mists. Fact they built in piercing in Shortbow does make it a bit better but generally still utility wise, you can't depend on Shortbow like you can with Hammer. I've literally never lost against one and anything that is ranged usually I win those encounters hands down simply for having Field of the Mists.

[Sereath.1428]

Yeah maybe in sPvP, like you said, because I'm very sure they will retain all the CoR and Phase Smash nerfs for WvW. Unfortunate.
The animations are atrociously slow for 0.91 and 1.0 coefficients.

Edited November 2 by Sereath.1428

[Buran.3796]

21 hours ago, Shao.7236 said:

   I'd argue that Hammer is superior to Shortbow in everyway just because it has very high projectile hate and that's not counting in with Dome of the Mists. Fact they built in piercing in Shortbow does make it a bit better but generally still utility wise, you can't depend on Shortbow like you can with Hammer. I've literally never lost against one and anything that is ranged usually I win those encounters hands down simply for having Field of the Mists.

  Last few times I faced Auramancers and Scrappers in WvW they also though that a Vindi with short bow would be a easy meal, only to find out that reflecting and blocking projectiles doesn't work vs Scorchrazer, Spiritcrush, Scavenger Burst or Jade Winds, not to mention Eternity's Requiem. Short bow biggest advantage vs hammer is not the better dps (both sustained or in burst) but havings kills with functional cast times which allows to land both cc and damage...

[Shagie.7612]

hope the change to CoR also helps its pathing
feels pretty bad when the skill flips out on various types of terrain

i also think the change to the 4 skill is kinda weird in that you continue mashing the key to throw out the projectiles that are seemingly the same as hammer 1?

glad it's getting changes though

[phokus.8934]

1 hour ago, Shagie.7612 said:

hope the change to CoR also helps its pathing
feels pretty bad when the skill flips out on various types of terrain

i also think the change to the 4 skill is kinda weird in that you continue mashing the key to throw out the projectiles that are seemingly the same as hammer 1?

glad it's getting changes though

They really should've just reverted CoR back to its original design.  Changing to what it is today was a top 5 boneheaded design move by them.

[arazoth.7290]

1 hour ago, Shagie.7612 said:

hope the change to CoR also helps its pathing
feels pretty bad when the skill flips out on various types of terrain

i also think the change to the 4 skill is kinda weird in that you continue mashing the key to throw out the projectiles that are seemingly the same as hammer 1?

glad it's getting changes though

It's only 1 press. The devs put cd off to show how it looked, that's why you think it's spammable, which isn't.

[LucianTheAngelic.7054]

2 hours ago, phokus.8934 said:

They really should've just reverted CoR back to its original design.  Changing to what it is today was a top 5 boneheaded design move by them.

One million times always this. Been saying this since they changed it *sigh*

[ArthurDent.9538]

Funny fact: this will be the first time hammer has ever been buffed in pvp despite having never having seen significant meta usage. Probably the only weapon across all classes to be so neglected for so long.

[Avatar.3568]

59 minutes ago, ArthurDent.9538 said:

Funny fact: this will be the first time hammer has ever been buffed in pvp despite having never having seen significant meta usage. Probably the only weapon across all classes to be so neglected for so long.

what about necro dagger, i believe since hot release its trash

[ArthurDent.9538]

26 minutes ago, Avatar.3568 said:

what about necro dagger, i believe since hot release its trash

If you check version history for the individual skills for necro dagger (mainhand and offhand) you can see numerous pvp buffs to most of the skills at various points in time. Additionally I do recall dagger mainhand being used on various bunker necro builds that have shown up in the meta on rare occasion while offhamd dagger has been a staple for condi builds (at least before torch was available to non scourge necro). None of that can be said for revenant hammer.