Guide [Issue 74] Editorials: A Professional's Guide to Hammer

[C.O.N.Q.U.E.R.O.R 3,845]

 

Hammer is one of those turrets that can be used by nearly everyone, others being turrets such as Firebird or Magnum, to name a few. The essence of Hammer is quite simple to understand, but a common misconception is that once you have the core of a turret down, you are good to go. For Hammer, the bar is raised far higher. Yes, any newbie can drive around aimlessly and smash that space bar when he sees a tank, but Hammer is capable of so much more. Please welcome: A Professional's Guide to Hammer!

 

Hammer could very well be the coolest looking turret in the game, barring Shaft or Thunder. Any modification of this fashionable turret would smash the competition if a Tanki Beauty Contest was held. Besides having exceedingly good looks, Hammer carries the unique traits of a shotgun-style turret and the ability to hold its pellets inside a clip. It pairs well with most hulls, and a professional can speed along any map, devastating any tank unlucky enough to spawn in its sights. But, reaching this level of pure omnipotence takes a huge amount of practice and discipline. If you are ready to continue down this road, look no further than here - jump right into the guide! 

 

Note: All statistics are compared from the M2 level.

In CTF mode, Hammer functions best as either an aggressive attacker or a defensive midfielder. If your favoured position is being a defender, look elsewhere; Hammer's clip functionality works against it in this regard because if a speedy hull zooms in to nab your flag, you'll likely only be able to fire one shot.

 

When attacking, the best choices for a hull would be either Viking or Hornet. Viking has a notably higher speed than its relative Dictator, but it is somewhat lacking in terms of stability. However, the extra speed more than balances the aforementioned disadvantage. Hunter, also a medium hull, is somewhat in the middle ground, having decent speed and being slightly weightier. As for the final choice between medium hulls, Viking is definitely the top choice for CTF because of its high speed.

 

Hornet and Wasp, on the other hand, are light hulls; therefore, stability is extremely important. In this regard, Hornet is better, though its health is slightly lower than its younger brother Wasp. Hornet also has an insanely high acceleration rate, trading off for only a minuscule speck of top speed - speed is of little importance if low stability allows a Smoky or Railgun to slam the front of your tank into a wall, only to have an abysmal acceleration rate that leaves you at a sluggish pace for more than a few seconds.

 

If your preferred choice is to take control of the midfield, my top choice would be Dictator. When controlling the midfield, you should focus only on one-third of the map's midfield, so that your defenses will not be spread too thin. Therefore, speed is not as necessary in this position as it is if playing an attacking role. It's better to lock down a section of the map, rather than to take out only a few of the opposing team's attackers. Be sure to stay behind cover as often as possible, for obvious reasons. It is also best to switch where you are midfielding occasionally in order to confuse the opponent as to which side is open. To keep them guessing, it's best to switch in an erratic order, instead of just going from left to right, or right to left. Be sure to target Isidas or supporting tanks first. Also, do not be afraid to stray from your post if you see a sniper coming too close to your base. After all, tanks live, die, then respawn after only a few seconds; dying is of no consequence in the Tankiverse.

 

TDM mode is often described as a 'not as fun CTF mode', and, to be completely honest, it's sadly true. However, there's always a chance that you'll stumble across a mission that forces you to play in TDM; Thus, TDM must be taken into consideration, just as the other modes. I would highly recommend using Hunter when playing in a TDM. It has decent speed, a very respectable number of hit points, and seemingly lasts forever. 

 

Why Hunter? The main reason I prefer to use Hunter in TDM is because it is the most balanced hull in the game. Speed (Viking) is of lesser concern if you don't even have enough health to reach the other side. However, Dictator is far too slow to make it across the no-man's-land that somehow never fails to end between the Red and Blue borders. Wasp and Hornet are out of the question in a TDM; many players of TDM are drugged up Magnum or Shafts - both of which will easily one-shot a light hull before you can make it across to their base to fire your close-range turret.

 

Be sure to take advantage of Hunter's high pushing power and Hammer's incredible impact force. If you are facing off against a Railgun or Magnum, quickly ram and shoot the corner of their tank to cause them to miss. Especially for Railguns, try to time your shot so that it begins warming up (or just finishes reloading, in Magnum's case) its shot before firing; the enemy will miss if your aim is true. If you see a long-range to mid-range turret, get behind cover as soon as possible unless you are within range (or close); they will outdistance you and completely demolish you before you even have a chance to damage them. If you encounter a Fire or Freeze, try to keep a good distance between the enemy and you. This will leave your tank minimally damaged, but you'll still be able to finish them off with two hits. 

 

In Deathmatch, I would highly recommend Dictator for larger maps, but Titan for small maps such as Arena or, if you want to stretch it a bit, possibly Highland. Dictator has a very respectable amount of health while still being on the mobile side of the hulls. Titan, on the other hand, has the most health in the game, allowing it to dish out an insane amount of damage.

 

The play style of a Hammer-Titan is dynamically different than when playing a speedier hull, such as Viking or Hornet. A Hammer-Titan simply does not have the mobility required to do this; thus, you will need to lock down one section of the map, preferably one with plenty of spawn points. Try to remember exactly where the spawn points are, then lay a Mine right in front or behind (depending on the general skill level of the competition) so that the tank will be easier to kill - if not killed by the mine.

 

As a Dictator, you can and should play very similarly to TDM. The only difference is the order of supplies; more on that later. For convenience, here is the relevant section from the TDM guide, with minor changes to fit this section.

 

Be sure to take advantage of Dictator's high pushing power and Hammer's incredible impact force. If you are facing off against a Railgun or Magnum, close the distance quickly as possible, then ram and shoot the corner of their tank to cause them to miss. Especially in the case of Railguns, try to time your shot so that it begins warming up (or just finishes reloading, in Magnum's case) before firing your shot; the enemy will miss if your aim is true. If you see a long-range to mid-range turret, get behind cover as soon as possible unless you are within range (or close); they will outdistance you and completely demolish you before you even have a chance to damage them. If you encounter a Fire or Freeze, try to keep a good distance between the enemy and you. This will leave your tank minimally damaged, but you'll still be able to finish them off with two hits. 

 

Rugby is the new kid on the block, the mode having been added only a couple months ago, but Hammer has already shown its prowess in Rugby due to its impact force that can be used to forcibly shove defenders off their point, if necessary. Indeed, there is no better turret for the job, as Hammer carries it all - the ability to hit many tanks at once or a single tank, an easy way to carry yourself to the top of the pile waiting for the ball, and loads of damage capabilities. 

 

For attacking in Rugby, the hulls Dictator and Wasp pair the best with Hammer. Dictator has already established itself as the best hull for catching golds (with Wasp as the only serious contender), and it is no different with a ball. Wasp, on the other hand, is often chosen by skilled parkourists for Rugby and gold boxes as opposed to the famed Dictator. Let's take a look at how to use these two hulls to the best of their capabilities.

 

Dictator has been an all time favorite for catching golds, and with the recent addition of Rugby mode, its popularity has only risen. However, this recognition is well deserved, as it truly is among the best. Viking, with it's almost shameful height, is abysmally useless. Hunter is slightly more useful relative to Viking, as it shares with Dictator the odd ability to climb tanks easily. Still, though, Dictator's large hitbox rules out any other competition. Besides this, it also has the most hitpoints of the medium hulls (heavy hulls are much too slow to stand a chance at scoring). 

 

Wasp is the clear choice over Hornet because of it's extra speed, which is essential in Rugby. When attempting to catch the ball, Wasp's lighter weight is priceless, as stray shots will often launch your tank upward. Wasp's speed is often advantageous if the enemy's goal is on a lower level, as you can easily just drive off an edge onto the goal for an immediate score. Hornet is still a viable option if you prefer it's superior handling, but for many tankers, Wasp is the preferred hull.

 

If defending is more to your liking, Titan is the best choice. Mammoth is a decent option, but Titan's pushing power is invaluable for shoving any would-be goal-scorers away from the goal. If possible, try to recruit an Isida or two, as Magnums are all the rage (and for overly good reason ^{*cough* nub devs, "balance"}) in Rugby mode. The Slugger alteration comes in handy on defense, as the alteration makes it quite easy to take down an attacker while they are still hopelessly out of range.

 

Assault mode, a highly requested mode, was a Tanki sensation; that is, until it flopped only a week after being introduced. Nevertheless, a decent percentage of tankers enjoy playing it (myself, for one) during the active hours of Tanki. Hammer can function quite well on either team; on defense, it can demolish any one attacker (emphasis "one" - the clip function dampers Hammer's defensive capabilities somewhat, as previously noted), while on offense, it can clear a path by forcefully shoving away any tanks attempting to hinder your rush to their point.

 

Hammer on the attack is truly a force to be reckoned with, especially when paired with Viking. Hunter is simply outclassed by Viking in Assault mode because of its relatively slow speed. Dictator is simply much too large to be an option; big targets often die the fastest. As the cherry on top, Viking is the smallest of the medium hulls, making it much harder to hit. Though many tankers enjoy the use of light hulls, they are simply not an option due to the fact that both Hornet and Wasp are easily destroyed.

 

If you're placed on the defensive team, the tactics are almost exactly the same as in Rugby mode. For your convenience, the Rugby guide has been reposted here with minor edits to fit the changed mode.

 

If defending is more to your liking, Titan is the best choice. Mammoth is a decent option, but Titan's pushing power is invaluable for shoving any would-be goal-scorers away from their objective, which is your control point. If possible, try to recruit an Isida or two, as Magnums are all the rage in Assault mode; for good reason too, as they can easily sap your health from behind cover. The Slugger alteration comes in handy when on defense, as the alteration makes it quite easy to take down an attacker while they are still hopelessly out of range.

Product kits are one of the most useful mechanics of the game, allowing you to buy equipment earlier than the unlock rank and at a discount. With Hammer, buying a product kit early on will get you fast crystals simply by the sheer power of the turret. Therefore, let's take a look at each product kit containing Hammer to see which will further your career the most.

 

Tsunami () offers you the an odd combo of Swash, Hammer, Titan and Badger T-F M1 (Firebird, Twins, and Freeze) for a very reasonable price of 33 600 crystals. As you may have noted above, this combo isn't all that useful except for DMs, but remember that you can switch any equipment around from a product kit, so it's quite a decent kit. I myself started out with this kit (though I used my Hornet M0 as a replacement when I didn't have any other hulls), and I currently have an extremely successful account. I'd say that the kit finishes with a final score of 6/10 for effectiveness, but a 9/10 for price.

 

Bulldog () contains Alien, Hammer, Hornet and Badger T-C M1 (Isida, Thunder, Freeze), all for only 48 020 crystals. Alien is one of the best looking paints in the game; that said, it also raises the price of the kit substantially. However (excluding the module), you're still saving roughly 20 000 crystals, making this a decent deal considering the fact that Hammer and Hornet M1 is easily one of the best combos for low-rankers. If you can wait a couple more ranks, I would definitely wait for a 50% sale instead of buying this kit. Overall, I'd give Bulldog a perfect 10/10 for effectiveness and a 6/10 for the price.

 

Anvil () consists of Vortex, Hammer, Dictator and Shark T-A M1 (Thunder, Ricochet, Vulcan) and comes at the price of 64 020 crystals. If you're looking for crystal value, don't get this kit. The combo itself costs roughly 63 000, only slightly less than the cost of the kit. Therefore, this definitely isn't a smart purchase, as you can wait three more ranks and get the combo at a 50% sale for 30 000. Unless you're looking for an early edge, don't buy Anvil. It's a decent kit, coming in at 8/10 in effectiveness and a 1/10 for price.

 

Moving on to M2 product kits, the first kit available is the Fireworks kit (), with Spark, Hammer, Hornet and Lion T-B M2 (Firebird, Twins, Ricochet). The price (again raised by the paint's annoyingly high cost) comes to a sum of 170 660 crystals, but the equipment inside of it is quite strong. Hammer M2 takes a huge leap from M1, suddenly raising the damage per clip by 300; this allows you to start one-shotting M2 light hulls and, occasionally, M0 mediums (which are quite common if you choose your battles well) - with a Double Damage, of course. Hornet M2 is a good hull (seriously, what M2 hull is bad amongst a battlefield of M0s), though its relative Wasp M2 is better. For effectiveness, Fireworks receives a 8.5/10, while the price is subtracted by roughly 25 000 crystals, influencing me to give it an 8/10 for pricing. All in all, a great buy. 

 

Up next is Pitbull () with its fancy Atom, Hammer, Hunter and Lion T-A M2 (Firebird, Twins, Hammer) for the decent price of 230 600 crystals. Pitbull overall is probably the best M2 Hammer kit of the three in terms of usefulness, but the glamorous Atom paint adds an obnoxious amount of crystals to the overall price. Pitbull is severely overpriced, but the early equipment (somewhat) makes up for it. In terms of power, Pitbull is easily a 9/10. The price... not so much, with a score of 3/10. 

 

The Glaze kit () is essentially a cheaper (but with a later unlock rank) Pitbull kit with Viking instead of Hunter. For the price of 194 400 crystals, you'll receive Winter, Hammer, Viking and Kodiak T-E M2 (Isida, Thunder, Shaft). Glaze is just as effective as Pitbull, but because of the delayed unlock, it becomes slightly less useful, but still a solid 8/10. The price is exceptional, and it can easily be categorised as a 9/10 because of the hilariously inexpensive paint.

 

First up on the M3 list is the famous Jackhammer kit (). It consists of Tiger, Hammer, Viking and Grizzly T-J M3 (Smoky, Railgun, Hammer). It's an exceptional kit that remains one of the strongest M3 kits. As would be expected, Jackhammer is amongst the more expensive M3 kits, with a final price of 412 335 crystals. For a power rating, I'd give this a 9/10, with a price rating of 6.5/10. 

 

Lastly, Bumblebee () comes in with the fancy Hive paint, Hammer, Hornet and Grizzly T-H M3 (Freeze, Ricochet, Vulcan). The kit is quite strong, and it's available for the almost outrageously inexpensive price tag of 327 580 crystals. The attacking potential is enormous, and it's easily one of the better kits around. I'd give Bumblebee an 8/10 on strength, and a 10/10 on pricing. If you're a Hammer fan, definitely save for this kit.

 

Hammer has two alterations, both of which boost the turret's strength immensely. Let's go a bit more into detail about the two. 

 

Slugger tightens the pellet spread by an almost overpowered amount, but it also reduces the turning speed by 30%. However, though at first glance this might seem like it has a stronger disadvantage than advantage, the -30% is noticeable, but still leaves the overall effectiveness untouched. The tightened spread turns Hammer into a viable midfield option, while still being able to dominate in close combat. I highly recommend this alteration.

 

Let's just start this off by noting that the developers were probably high when they made this alteration, because High Capacity Drum is insanely overpowered. It increases the amount of shots per clip by two (a grand total of five) while only increasing the reload time by a few seconds. Though this might mean that you'll have to play more in short bursts of a godlike state, your power will go off the charts if you manage to play the alteration to its advantages. Just remember to avoid fights when reloading and you'll demolish the competition. Easily one of the best Alterations in the game. Buy this as soon as you can.

 

When playing Tanki, one of the most important keys to success is to travel as stealthily as possible. This tip applies to any turret, but staying hidden is especially necessary for Hammer users. The reason I say this is because Hammer only has three shots in its clip, so if an enemy doesn't see you, there is no need to attract their attention to you; you will only take extra damage and waste a shot. My mantra when playing Hammer is, 'If they don't see you, you don't see them.' Being stealthy is useful even when chasing down an enemy carrying your flag, as you'll be hit significantly less, and the thief probably won't even realise you're there until you smash him to pieces. A good tip to remember about how to stay camouflaged is to use nature. This includes staying inside foliage, equipping the correct paint for each map (more on that in this guide by ex-Newspaper Reporter @Shedinja), staying close to walls so that you're out of their line of sight, and, most importantly, to be patient. If staying hidden from an enemy sniper requires you to play dead for fifteen seconds, remain calm and wait; It's better than having three-quarters of your health taken out. This is also useful for midfielders venturing out to destroy a sniper coming to close to your base. In DM, this rule applies less so, due to having so many enemies who can see you, but it's still a good directive to follow.

In a relatively recent update, Hammer received the ability to ricochet its pellets off of a wall a single time - utilization is shown in the below spoiler. At the time, the ability was shunned and left unused, but over time, tankers adapted to it, and it was realised to be quite a significant buff. This has now become one of the most important tools of a Hammer user. The number of Hammer users I see using this mechanic is depressingly low; in fact, if you use it to hit an enemy, you'll often be called out for using hacks! In order to master Hammer, you must learn to use this mechanic whenever possible - it is incredibly useful for lowering a defender's health without them ever being able to touch you. Getting the angle exactly right takes practice, but you should be able to perfect the maneuver within 5-6 days. 
 

This is something you don't see in most guides, but honestly, it's quite important - strategic drugging. In most battle types, drugging is relatively straightforward, but there are still subtle differences in each mode. If you're low on drugs, you may skip this section, but you should definitely stock up soon. 

When midfielding in either CTF or TDM, the first drug to equip is - well, not quite equip - the Mine. First and foremost, your job is to keep would-be attackers out of your base. The Mine is absolutely essential to being able to do so. Be sure that the Mine is in a place that they will not easily notice it (under a bush, perhaps) and that it is in their path. After dropping a mine, I often wait until I see an attacker that approaches your tank. Wait until he comes into your range, then quickly equip a Double Damage and come out from cover. Typically, the attacker will be using a light hull; therefore, you should be able to take him out in a single shot unless he has a Double Armour equipped. If the odd medium hull shows up, you will often need to release two or three shots; In either situation, be sure to release the last one or two shots into a wall in order that you may have a full clip. This is one of the marks of a professional Hammer user; there is no use of walking around with your clip only one-third full; it won't be enough to kill much. Double Armour should be equipped after Double Damage; no point in surviving if your three shots don't even deal much damage, is there? Nitros are not much use for a midfielder unless you need to retreat to an Isida for a short health recovery. Finally, the Repair Kit: I, personally, do not use my Repair Kits when midfielding. However, this is only because most teams at my level typically have at least one Isida. My strategy is to just survive as long as possible until an Isida spawns on your side of the map, at which point I quickly leave my post to get a quick break from the action and a heal. This is also a chance to switch which section of the map you wish to defend.

 

When attacking in either mode, I typically wait until I reach the edge of my base, then equip a Nitro. I wait in a safe space until my Double Armour becomes available, then immediately rush out and cross the no-man's-land as quickly as possible. If I reach their base with 60% of my health or more, I equip a Double Damage and deal as much damage as I can in a short period of time. In CTF, the previous tip is disregarded; save your clip for defenders. Rush toward the flag, and then quickly smash them with a couple shots. If possible, ricochet your pellets off a wall (as mentioned earlier) so that you suffer minimal damage. Then, once I nab the flag, I run to my flag through a side route. If I manage to survive for more than three seconds after grabbing the enemy flag, I mash the 1 key and the 5 key. This is just my preference and strategy; there are times when I need to change it to fit the conditions, but this is a rule of thumb to follow.

In an all-out Deathmatch, everyone is your enemy - that's a given. That means that at every turn, you will almost definitely run into an opponent. For this reason, my first supply is typically a Double Armour. If I'm about to make a turn and I accidentally run into something like a Hammer-Hunter, there's no use to have a Double Damage if I'm just going to get one-shotted without being able to get a shot off due to surprise. The next is Double Damage, simply because Nitros are quite useless in DM, and Repair Kits are not put on a cooldown when using Double Damage, yet if you use a Repair Kit, you're forced to wait.

 

For Control Points, the first and foremost objective is to reach an uncaptured point and turn it over to your side as quickly as possible. Therefore, your first supply equipped should be a Nitro as they only place other supplies on cooldowns for only a very short period of time. Next, equip a Double Armour so that you can actually hold the point; there's no reason to waste a Double Damage getting to the point if you only have a sliver of health left. If there's no one guarding the point, drop a mine around the point, and just wait to capture, then rush to another point. If someone's there, just equip a Double Damage and smash them to smithereens.

 

 

 

Ever since its release, Hammer's renown as an incredibly useful parkour turret has only grown. After the release of Space mode, it has become the most popular turret, perhaps only second to the famed Thunder, to use for OMP (One Man Parkour), or even in team parkour. And for good reason! It has strong recoil - this comes into use very often - coupled with incredible impact force, both of which are useful when supporting a jumper or even just doing parkour on your own. Its ability to rebound its pellets off any surface always comes in handy, especially when attempting to scale a building of extreme height in Space mode. Simply wheelie until you are perpendicular to the ground, then fire a shot at the ground. It is an easy beginner move that is used even by the professionals in various ways. Here's a quick video by F&F that showcases the best of Hammer's abilities.

 

 

Well, that's all I have to offer for this guide. I hope you were able to learn a lot! As always, good luck on the battlefield but only if you liek adn subscirbe okey nuba?! This was Conq, signing off!

Edited April 6, 2018 by C.O.N.Q.U.E.R.O.R

[You.Have.to.die 519]

Nice man!

[Magenta 5,165]

High-five, buddy!

[X-Toxical 174]

Nice! Didn’t know you were a writer! :) :D

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

Good effort!

[omarhero1 401]

This is terrific man, keep up the good work!

on a side note, Slugger alt. reduces turret rotation speed by 70% not 30% ^_^

[gokuMI6 1,290]

Nice article , almost convinced me to buy a M3 Hammer when i rank 

[Picassoo 134]

Awesome guide, but you forgot that since the 2016 Global Balance update all medium hulls have the same health (same goes for light and heavy ones), and Titan actually has less pushing power than Mammoth.

Edited April 7, 2018 by Picassoo

[C.O.N.Q.U.E.R.O.R 3,845]

Note: All statistics are compared from the M2 level.

 

Awesome guide, but you forgot that since the 2016 Global Balance update all medium hulls have the same health (same goes for light and heavy ones), and Titan actually has less pushing power than Mammoth.

This is terrific man, keep up the good work!

on a side note, Slugger alt. reduces turret rotation speed by 70% not 30% ^_^

That's completely my fault, must've misread the stats on the alteration page. My bad :lol:

[Best_of_thunder_2015 1,354]

NIce article, BTW I ain't fan for Thunder, also... 

 

you got time to write this instead of doing missions. :-\ whoa. 

[spra100 7]

very good

 

[JAGMAN2468 104]

Amazing bro!  :D .

[20bullets 6]

I'm already planning on getting jackhammer but is it worth getting the m4?

[A-G-O-14 79]

 

In CTF mode, Hammer functions best as either an aggressive attacker or a defensive midfielder. If your favoured position is being a defender, look elsewhere; Hammer's clip functionality works against it in this regard because if a speedy hull zooms in to nab your flag, you'll likely only be able to fire one shot.

 

great post but i will have to disagree with u on this one, hammer is one of the best defensive turret  in my point of view ( when u sit on the flag) u forget to mention the impact force that hammer have, if u practice turrets with high impact like hammer rail smoky u will easily control the ur enemy movement to either block him , knock his aim or even make him fall off the map for me i mostly use it to flip and to block which is effective with hammer's high impact     

[LUCIFER1_the_dark 1,230]

Nice post really useful....

[RevengeAttacker 217]

Is this the guide you said you were releasing? Great job btw, really helpful :P

[RevengeAttacker 217]

Best of short range- hammer?

[austen_pierce 1,948]

Good article, but using M2 stats instead of M3 made for recommendations which might not hold later in the game.

[shooter8 0]

Awesome man! Totally correct  :)

[ThirdOnion 4,898]

Why do you recommend Dictator?

[GuidoFawkes 2,361]

the 2 m3 kits unlock at major general instead of general

[Nemesis_Pro_TO_2.0 361]

Best of short range- hammer?

dude definitely best of short and medium, u have no idea what hammer can really do. i might right a piece on it myself... because i already see a few things missing in this one...

even though he is like one of my best friends in the game, i have to disagree with some of his stuff, especially the pick of dictator

[C.O.N.Q.U.E.R.O.R 3,845]

dude definitely best of short and medium, u have no idea what hammer can really do. i might right a piece on it myself... because i already see a few things missing in this one...

even though he is like one of my best friends in the game, i have to disagree with some of his stuff, especially the pick of dictator

OOOOOOOOF

 

 

 

 

jk

[Nemesis_Pro_TO_2.0 361]

Awesome guide, but you forgot that since the 2016 Global Balance update all medium hulls have the same health (same goes for light and heavy ones), and Titan actually has less pushing power than Mammoth.

yes that is true, however mammoth is slower, making it less valueable as it is slower, but titan has more a balanc of pushing power and speed, making its torque much more useful.