Guide [Issue 41] The Ultimate Guide to Hammer

[Thekillerpenguin 1,731]

 

Hammer's been around for close to a year now, so players, both new and old, have learned to fear and respect this unique turret. Each thundering boom produced by Hammer sends enemies running into cover, and additional shots send enemies flying across the map. Well, maybe not across the map, but you get my point. This turret has been decried by many as overpowered, and the developers certainly have nerfed it a lot. Let's figure out how to use it, and in the process figure out how to fight it, so you won't be crying "OMG HAMER OP PLS NERF" the next time your tank dies of high-velocity lead poisoning. :)

 

The History of Hammer

 

Hammer hasn't been around for very long- it's the second newest turret, after Vulcan. It was first announced in late 2014, and it made its first appearance in a V-LOG. During this time, Hammer looked quite different from its current incarnation, with a long barrel, thin receiver, and a pump, similar to a real life shotgun. It retained this appearance when the test servers were open for its open testing. The test server incarnation was quite powerful, more so than the current version. My memory is somewhat fuzzy on the details, but I remember it having tighter spread and a faster reload speed than the current incarnation. The pellets were more or less invisible, and the impact force may have been somewhat lower. By the time it was released, it had a new appearance (similar to the current version), fully visible pellets, and slightly weaker stats.

 

Since then, it has been gradually nerfed and granted a new appearance. It's not as powerful as before, but still a force to be reckoned with at close range.

 

Basic Stats
 
Throughout M0-M3, Hammer retains some key characteristics:

• Hammer deals lots of damage overall, surpassed by only Shaft and Railgun. However, the damage is divided into pellets. 21 pellets are fired per shot. Each pellet deals very little damage, but if you can get all of them to hit, the combined damage is equal to the damage displayed in the garage.
• Hammer has very high impact force overall. The impact force is also divided per pellet, but again, if you get all of them to hit, you'll push your target by quite a bit. Note that the impact force listed in the garage is the impact force per pellet.
• Hammer doesn't regenerate its ammunition normally like the other turrets. It can fire 3 shots before reloading, and during the reloading period, you can't fire. If you haven't fired off all 3 shots yet, no reloading for you.
• The rate of fire is pretty good. It's between that of Smoky and Thunder.
• The range is surprisingly far for a close range weapon, but the accuracy isn't up to par. Speaking of the accuracy:
• The pellets have a somewhat random spread. While you can get all of them to hit at point blank range, as you go further away from your opponent, fewer of them will hit, and you will deal less damage and impact force overall.
• It takes a moderate amount of time to reload.
• The rotation speed is quite fast.

 
Pros and Cons
 

Pros:

• Hammer has a very high damage per second. Hornets and Wasps of the same modification can be destroyed in 2 shots, while Hunters and Vikings can be destroyed in 3. Dictators, Titans, and Mammoths can't be destroyed in 3 shots.
• The impact force is incredibly strong, stronger than Railgun, actually. This can flip airborne Wasps and Hornets, and it can seriously mess up the aiming of Shafts and Railguns.
• The rate of fire allows you to switch between enemies quickly.
• Hammer's range is longer than that of the other close range weapons, allowing you to destroy Isidas, Firebirds, and Freezes from a safe distance.

Cons:

• The reloading is a major disadvantage. With Isida, Firebird, and Freeze, reloading starts immediately after you stop firing, which is very convenient. In addition, with those turrets, you can start attacking at any time if an enemy interrupts you. With Hammer, you'll have to empty your clip to reload, wasting precious time and leaving you defenseless.
• Hammer doesn't have any "special" properties compared to the other close range weapons. It doesn't set your targets on fire, nor does it freeze them, and you can't heal your teammates or drain health. You could argue that the impact force is a special property, but even that's kind of iffy.
• Hammer's damage drastically decreases with range. While it can out-fight all but Firebird at close range, you will not be able to do any serious damage at medium range.
• The 3 round clip is a problem. It is enough to take out at least one opponent (assuming your opponent isn't using a heavy hull), but you'll have to stop and reload if you want to tackle another full-health enemy. With Firebird, you can torch light hulls with half a clip and then switch to fight another, but with Hammer, you'll have one shot left and will be forced to reload or retreat.
• The recoil can flip your tank if you are not careful when using light hulls.

Possible combinations
 
Let's see how Hammer does on different hulls.

 
Hammer-Wasp
 

This initially seems like a great idea, considering that Wasp is an excellent pairing for the other 3 close range weapons. However, it does have some weaknesses- Hammer's immense recoil can impede driving and fighting. Firing Hammer while driving forwards can severely reduce your speed due to Wasp's low acceleration, and firing it to the sides can flip you if you're under attack or airborne.

 

How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: This can be fairly effective for flag capturers, since Hammer can destroy defenders very quickly, but you'll run into problems if there are multiple defenders due to its inability to do any serious crowd control. In addition, driving skilfully is important for flag capturers, and Hammer doesn't make the job any easier. It can chase down enemy flag carriers pretty well, however.
• DM: Not particularly good for DMs. This combo can steal kills fairly easily, but you're dead meat if someone catches you reloading. Considering that there are very few "safe zones" in DM matches, you'd best stick with something else.
• TDM: Decent here, but since there is no flag, enemies will be more focused on destroying you.
• CP: Probably not the best idea. You might be able to clear control points with an enemy, but if there are multiple enemies there (like in Polygon CPs), you might not even get a chance to unload a clip before getting destroyed.

Special Notes:
This is nice if you want to do flips. Drive up a ramp, like the one in 2042, and fire to your side. Don't get too dizzy.
  
Hammer-Hornet

 

This is usually seen instead of Hammer-Wasp, and for a good reason. Hornet's increased stability and health really help out here, making this a less risky and more versatile combination. A common sight at all ranks, and perfectly at home with rapid hit-and-run attacks or raiding runs.
 
How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: A better flag carrier than Hammer-Wasp, but still not ideal. You can survive more easily, but you are still limited by Hammer's 3 shot clip and reloading. At the very least, you won't have to worry as much about flipping yourself by accident. Still good at chasing down enemy flag carriers.
• DM: Similar to Hammer-Wasp in DMs, but you'll have more leeway if someone catches you reloading.
• TDM: About the same as Hammer-Wasp here, just a bit slower and more durable.
• CP: See my comments for Hammer-Wasp in CPs.

Special Notes:

Not much to note here.

 
Hammer-Hunter

 

A true hunter-killer. There's a reason why Hammer is recommended for use with medium hulls. Hammer-Hunter is a solid, versatile combo that can destroy light hulls and other medium hulls with ease. This is part of the commonly seen Pitbull kit, where it is paired with Atom paint. If you see one of those brightly marked hounds of doom, stay away!
 
How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: You might be able to capture a few flags with this, but Hunter's somewhat slower speed still limits its use as a flag capturer. Stick with midfielding, attacking, and defending- you can intercept and destroy inbound enemies, lay waste to that annoying Shaft that's sniping everybody, or give prospective enemy flag capturers a face full of buckshot.
• DM: Decent in DMs. Hunter's good survivability lets you take down quite a few enemies before going down.
• TDM: Good here. You can attack, defend, and midfield, but note that enemy long range weapons won't be looking at the flag, instead watching out for enemies like you.
• CP: Still limited by Hammer's 3 round clip, unless you happen to get a Double Power. If that happens, feel free to clear out points.

Special Notes:

Not much to say here. If you're fighting against Pitbull kit users, remember that using a Hammer against them probably isn't the best idea, due to Atom's hefty 35% Hammer protection- stick with something like Firebird (for higher DPS and afterburn) or Ricochet (for superior range and hefty power).

  
Hammer-Viking

 

This seems to be one of the most popular Hammer combinations out there. Viking has plenty of health and a bit of speed. If you can seek cover while reloading, you can survive for a long time and really hurt your enemies. This is a component of the renowned Jackhammer kit (often considered borderline overpowered), where it's paired with Tiger paint, giving it excellent resistance to other Hammers.
 
How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: Flag capturing is out of the realm of practicality here, unless you happen to be drugged up. Instead, focus on attacking, midfielding, and defending, as you would with Hunter. Note that Viking's slower speed means that enemies have a longer period of time to notice you from afar, and you won't be able to get out of sticky situations easily.
• DM: A good combo here. You should be able to deal with nearly anything. Just remember to stay away from the action when reloading, and note that trying to fight a heavy hull by yourself usually won't end very well.
• TDM: Similar to other Hammer combos here, but keep an eye out for anything with more range than you. Viking's slower speed gives enemies ample time to mow you down with Vulcan, snipe you with Shaft, etc.
• CP: At this point, the extra health doesn't help out that much. Hammer's inability to deal with multiple enemies effectively means that the enemy team can simply swarm you. However, you can cruise around and fight enemies that are unlucky enough to spawn next to you or ones that you can catch by suprise.

Special Notes:
Hammer-Vikings can be terrifying, but if you're having problems with them, take advantage of Hammer's reload time. If you use a Hammer paint and a strong hull, even M2 Ricochet can destroy Jackhammers before they can destroy you.
  
Hammer-Dictator

 

Usually limited to parkour. Hammer is best used against light and medium hulls, and Dictator is too slow to keep up with any of those. Hammer-Dictator can be a tenacious defender, but overall there are better combinations.
 
How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: Defense and midfielding. Too slow to cap flags, too slow to get out of sticky situations without teammate backup.
• DM: At this point, the extra survivability doesn't help that much. You won't be able to close the gap between you and a target with a ranged weapon without sustaining a lot of damage.
• TDM: See my notes for this combo on CTFs.
• CP: See my notes for Hammer-Viking in CPs.

Special Notes:

Dictator's height and usability as a ramp makes this great for parkour. You can send light hulls flying for a considerable distance if used in conjunction with mines and other teammates.

 
Hammer-Titan

 

I've never seen one of these in combat before. Titan is a nice defender, but Hammer just doesn't mesh well with it. It's too slow to get close to escaping targets and too slow to get to safe spots while reloading.

 

How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: Defend. Titan's slow speed and sluggish controls, combined with Hammer's short range and long reloads, make you very vulnerable if you try to venture outside of friendly areas. If you're on a tiny map, you might be able to midfield.
• DM: Not being able to run away easily outweighs the benefits of the extra health. You'll take a lot more damage than you would when using, say, a light hull.
• TDM: For defense, unless you're on a tiny map.
• CP: Eh, no. Titan is hard to dislodge once you get to a point, but not being able to constantly fight reduces the usefulness of this combo. It's like a small boulder. It's somewhat hard to move, but it's not going to do a whole lot otherwise.

 

Special Notes:

Not much to note here.

  
Hammer-Mammoth

 

This isn't widely used for a good reason. In terms of gameplay, it's similar to Hammer-Titan, but even slower. It's hard to destroy one by yourself (well, if you get close), but that's about the only thing that it has going for it.

 

How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: Sit on your flag and hope that the enemy team won't be drugging too often. Or coming in waves. Or taking you out from across the map because you couldn't duck into cover in time.
• DM: You can hurt those that get too close to you, but otherwise you're just a target at a shooting range, unable to do anything, especially if you're reloading. Stay in cover while you reload.
• TDM: See my comments for Hammer-Titan in TDMs.
• CP: See my comments for Hammer-Titan in CPs.

Special Notes:

Not much to note here.

 

 

Hammer Tactics

 

Take advantage of the impact force: Hammer's impact force makes fighting Railguns and Shafts (but especially Railguns) at close range pretty trivial. All you need to do is aim slightly off center and fire when you see the charging light. Don't try to fire at the corners as you would with Smoky, however- if you try that, a few of your pellets might miss.

 

Also, try to squeeze shots off at airborne targets, even if they're a little bit too far away. If an enemy flag carrier is jumping off your base in Lost Temple, a single Hammer shot can mess up their jump and cause them to faceplant onto the pavement.

 

Unlike Firebird, crowd control is NOT your job: Hammer fires lots of pellets. To newbies, this means that it can hit multiple enemies. While you can technically do so, you won't do a whole lot of damage, and it's probably not going to happen unless both enemies are somewhat far away. As I mentioned earlier, its 3 round clip also limits the number of enemies you can fight before having to reload. Stick with fighting lone enemies - Hammer is excellent at this.

 

Don't overestimate or underestimate your range: Hammer is best used at point blank range, as said before, but this wouldn't be using its range to its full potential. Hammer can still deal very high damage at slightly farther than Firebird's range. This is important against light hulls, which can be destroyed in 2 shots even if a few pellets miss.

 

Be wary of other close range turrets: Hammer users often get a bit caught up in the power of their turret, and some get so bold that they engage Firebirds at very close range. Not the brightest idea- Firebird can still beat Hammer in a damage race over time, thanks to the afterburn. If you run up to a Firebird and fight, you might destroy them first, but you'll burn to death very shortly, and they'll end up respawning before you do. This is even more important to note when both you and your target are drugging.

 

Oh, and remember that Freezes can catch you from behind and Isidas can sometimes survive 2 shots.

 

Don't bite off more than you can chew: Yes, even Bulldogs and Jackhammers can't destroy everything by themselves. Hammer is incredibly strong versus light hulls and medium hulls, but Dictator, Titan, and Mammoth can survive 3 shots. With a reasonably strong weapon, these three stronger hulls can destroy you while you're reloading. As such, if you want to attack one of those three hulls, be careful. You can still do a ton of damage, but you might need help from teammates to finish the job. In DMs, go for damaged ones only- otherwise, a opportunistic enemy can take both you and your damaged target out.

 

Assorted Tips:

• A tip that I learned from using Thunder: if your enemy is in your line of sight, hold down the spacebar. This way, you'll minimize the delay in between shots, which can give you the upper hand in Hammer duels.
• If you don't have a full clip, fire off the remaining shots to initiate reloading, but only do this if you're in a safe spot. I suggest taking potshots at more distant and distracted targets- if you don't hit them, you don't lose anything, and if you do, you might get a lucky kill.
• Get used to the time it takes to reload. If you're driving to an enemy base and see an enemy at medium range, you can empty your clip and continue driving to the base. If you timed it correctly, you should arrive with a full clip.
• Hammer makes the sound of 3 shells being loaded as the reloading finishes. This is a useful audio indicator of when reloading is finished, so you don't need to keep your eyes peeled on the ammo bar.
• Hammer relies on its auto aim to hit. If you fire at a wall, your shots will go further upwards than they should. This was introduced in an update, since many Hammer users were annoying their teammates. Keep this in mind when parkouring.

Hammer against other turrets:
 
This will tell you what to do if you're engaging other turrets in combat.

 

Against Firebird:

Stay out of range if you can. Firebird is typically used with light hulls, so you can two-shot them without taking much damage if you backpedal carefully.

 

Against Freeze:

You should win in a direct confrontation (unless both of you are using heavy hulls), but watch your behind. If a Freeze gets behind you, you won't have the upper hand.
 
Against Isida:

Stay out of range. While Isida's damage isn't particularly good, the self healing can let Isidas survive shots that would destroy other turret users, and if that happens, you're in trouble.

 

Against Vulcan:

 

 

You will definitely win at close range, unless your opponent is using a heavy hull, but the tricky thing is getting there. Vulcan can impede your movement while dealing high damage, and you'll often get shredded before getting close. Once you do get close, however, Vulcan's slow rotation speed and delay before firing can give you plenty of opportunities to attack.

 

Not that Vulcan isn't affected much by Hammer's impact force, thanks to the wide cone of auto-aim and the gyroscope.

 

Against Twins:

Treat Twins as you would Vulcans, but note that they're more dangerous at close range and slightly less so at range. They also have absolutely no need to stop firing and a fast rotation speed, so it might be harder to catch a Twins user off guard.
 
Against Ricochet:

Ricochet deals a lot of damage, even more so than Vulcan, so you need to be careful when getting close. The bouncing effect can let Ricochet users destroy you before you even see them. But other than that, you should win.

 

Against Smoky:

Smoky is an annoying turret to fight, but at close range, Hammer still takes the cake. Get close, but note that many Smoky users know how to fight stronger turrets, and you may be destroyed before you get in range.

 

Against Hammer:

In Hammer duels, fire as quickly and accurately as possible (holding down the spacebar is helpful). Stay on your toes and try to make your opponent miss.

 

Against Thunder:

You will almost certainly win against Thunder users at close range- it deals less damage and has a slower rate of fire, not to mention the self damage. Unfortunately, its range is similar to that of Railgun, and if you get spotted, you can take a beating before you get close enough to fight.
 
Against Railgun:

Hammer is more or less the ultimate counter to Railguns at close range. Railgun is typically used with Hornet, which is a piece of cake to destroy. Hammer's impact force can prevent them from landing hits, and it is for this reason that most Railgunners start running away when they see a Hammer.

 

Stay away at range and watch out for mines.
 
Against Shaft:

Shaft can be even weaker than Railgun at close range, so Shafts should pose you no trouble. The issue is that Shafts are typically mounted on medium or heavy hulls, and heavy hulls are hard to destroy with Hammer. Stay out of their line of sight and pummel them up close.

 

 

Well, we're done. Have some tips of your own? Suggestions? Corrections? Post them below. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!

 

 

Edited July 29, 2017 by Hexed

[Darren4Turbo 4,913]

I really didn't know that hammer would be such a good turret :O

 

The best hull with Hammer at my opinion would be Hunter...

 

Nice guide TKP  ^_^

[Flexoo 6,980]

It sure is great, I don´t regret buying it through Jackhammer

[momy950666 960]

I really didn't know that hammer would be such a good turret :o

 

The best hull with Hammer at my opinion would be Hunter...

 

Nice guide TKP  ^_^

[Quarks 2,255]

Wow, well done TKP.

[lukey0 27,543]

The Hammer Hunter Atom Kit is called Pitball. :P

 

Nice article though Dict+Hammer is more than just parkour, just saying. 

[greyat 2,972]

The Hammer Hunter Atom Kit is called Pitball. :P

 

Nice article though Dict+Hammer is more than just parkour, just saying. 

You saw nothing  :ph34r:

[kostas604 106]

ERROR#

 

in the hammer hunter part you said "bulldog" and then you are talking about atom paint which is in PitBull.

[VxV 40]

Nice

[rothro3 50]

I once saw a M3 Hammer-M2 Titan wrecking a polygon DM.  The carnage...

[Sleek 43]

Omg I've been waiting so long for this guide it's like not even funny  :P Good job TKP  :)

[applications_tanki 129]

I once saw a M3 Hammer-M2 Titan wrecking a polygon DM.  The carnage...

was probably me. :ph34r:

[AN_602 280]

Epic guide! :) Mine Hammer is still at M0 tho... that's quite embarrassing...

[Derpist74 2]

Rather depressing...... but Great Advice!  Now I'm seriously considering whether to buy Hammer...  :rolleyes:

[Loadingpleasewait 16]

I use it with wasp or hornet to completely outpace railguns and knock off their shots to protect myself and team - easy.

 

But if I'm on a long range map with good vantage points, hammer isn't as effective, so I use the mighty railgun.

 

Still, massacres in short - mid range lol. 

 

And don't get me talking about double power  :blink:

Edited October 4, 2015 by Loadingpleasewait

[MJROCKS05 428]

Nah, not gonna buy hammer.... If I have a hammer protection paint (E.g Atom ), then hammers r a piece of cake fr me :P 

And isidas are very effective against hammer ( if they've got a paint against hammers) ,  but with the update isida aims at the centre of the tank and hammer's impact force makes it damn harder to keep em in ur line of fire  -_-

Anyway, nice guide  :)

[TheGoldenTanker 4,951]

Brilliant guide!

 

Good job :)

[suhas_best 334]

The time i bought pitbull (it didnt offer paints at that time), it was a really OP turret! I received 300 double damage as a bonus for buying the kit and that I used up in almost no time :P. But double damage is a hammer's best friends and you can wipe out hoards of enemies if you have all three drugs on :)

[asdasemm 925]

i am a hammer fan with viking!

it surely is good in wave coz when players with light hulls jump to get the flag just flip them from shooting from below :P

 

my selfie!

Edited October 5, 2015 by asdasemm

[celroti 133]

I have mo hammer so am I noob? Kididing waiting TD or a sale.

[Jboymark53 508]

On of my all-time favorite articles! nice job TKP!

[marc.jp_44 20,837]

On of my all-time favorite articles! nice job TKP!

Oh yeah, you love Hammer!

[Jboymark53 508]

Oh yeah, you love Hammer!

:P

[P_E_R_S_I_A_N 246]

Love it <3

[TG159 734]

micro upgrading to 45/50 perhaps

Getting Viking with it asap