A cult and adored players of Diablo 2, the Hammerdin is a classic Paladin build that is based on the Blessed Hammer skill. Owing to Magic damaging abilities that are very rare to be resisted by monsters this Hammerdin is the ultimate player who can do everything with unbeatable versatility across the entire game.
Apart from its many damage types, Blessed Hammer boasts both high damage output and adequate area of effect. This gives the Hammerdin an extremely efficient build in almost all aspects of the game, even though it is never as efficient at each task as other more specific builds. Still, the unmatched flexibility of the Hammerdin has earned it its rightful place as the best design in Diablo 2, a trend that is likely to last in Diablo 2: Resurrected. The popularity comes with a price however the Paladin's items are historically costly and you should be prepared to trade for Hammerdin items at a premium.
The following section shows the fundamental skills needed by the Hammerdin. For a comprehensive analysis of each of the core and optional skills as well as the preferred method of allocating skill points go to the section on skills in this guide.
Be aware that Blessed Hammer is only available after level 18, playing as an Hammerdin at the beginning of the game is not an option. To ensure a smoother and more comfortable leveling experience We recommend using the generic melee Paladin build and respecializing upon getting to level 18. For more details, go to this guide's Early Leveling section of this guide.
103 Strength total, or enough to fit your largest piece of gear. For the average Hammerdin the 103 strength target enables you to fulfill the Strength requirement for an Enigma Archon Plate Archon Plate. In reality, however, you may only need to reach around 40 % base strength, and the gear making up the remaining Strength required.
Be aware that allocating more attributes points to Strength that the points required for your gear is not necessary since the damage of the Hamemerdin isn't proportional to Strength.
From 130- 170 Dexterity total that is enough to achieve the maximum of 75% chance to block. For the typical Hammerdin wearing The Herald of Zakarum Herald of Zakarum and wearing a advanced Holy Shield Holy Shield, 130 Dexterity should suffice.
Note that the total Dexterity required to have 75% chances to block depends on your character level, equipment as well as your Holy Shield level. To calculate the specific amount of Dexterity you need for the greatest chance of being able to block your planned Hammerdin, use an online calculator, like this one. To view your current chance to block, you can hover over the Defense field of the character sheets of your characters.
Allocating more attributes points to Dexterity that is necessary to maximise your chance to block is not advised.
How Much Vitality Does a Hammerdin Need?
250+ Vitality. Every extra attribute point must be allocated to Vitality insofar as you meet the Strength specifications of your item by the time you wish use them. In the absence of Strength, you may allot your attribute points to a mix of Vitality and Dexterity, while aiming to increase your chances of survival. A roughly 5:3 ratio of Vitality to Dexterity should keep your chances of blocking within a safe range until you have reached your Dexterity level.
Hammerdin Mercenary
You can either employ a Defensive (Holy Freeze) or Offensive (Might) Desert Guard Mercenary in Act 2 Nightmare difficulty, depending on whether you wish to slow monsters to increase security or to increase the damage to your Mercenary.
For a detailed per-slot breakdown for Hammerdin Mercenary gear, please refer to the Gear area of this manual.
Hammerdin Early Leveling
The following section contains an all-inclusive melee Paladin skill point progression meant to make leveling to a Hammerdin easy. This section assumes that you'll be respecializing towards the final Hammerdin abilities when you reach level 18, where blessed Hammer, Blessed Hammer will become available.
Once you've reached your maximum level you'll want to start looking for the next accessories to enhance your character.
Helmets
Harlequin Crest (Unique) - This option is inexpensive and concentrates on increasing our damage. The +2 to all skills is fantastic for our damage output, and the additional life, mana as well as the damage reductions it provides helps with survivability. You can add a Topaz to gain even more Magic Find.
Crown of Ages (Unique) If you can afford a Crown of Ages with 2 slots and two Ber Runes then this helmet will significantly increase your chances of survival. The crown of Ages can cut down damage by 10% to 15%, and every Ber Rune will increase that amount by an additional 8%. Perfect Crown of Ages with 15 percent Damage reduction and two Ber Runes will offer 31% damage reduction, making you really hard to kill.
Weapon
Heart of the Oak (Runeword) - This is the most powerful weapon to use with this build. There's nothing else I can recommend .
+40% FCR: Perfect for our building A huge flat FCR bonus.
3.0 to all Skills Increases the amount of damage we can do, thereby increasing our ability to use all of our core abilities.
+30-40 for all Resistances Greatly increasing these. A +40 is not necessary and will depend on your other gear. You can start off by building a less than perfect model and then see where you are when you're done.
+15percent Maximum Mana: It is great for expanding the mana pool.
Shield
Spirit (Runeword) Spirit (Runeword) an essential component for this build as it adds a huge boost to FCR. Depending on the rest of your equipment, you'll need to find a perfect +35% FCR one to reach the 125% level.
Herald of Zakarum (Unique) - If you're not able to hit the 125% mark or you want to run the 75% FCR build, then this Shield will grant you +2 for all Paladin Skills and +2 to Combat skills which will greatly increase the damage you suffer. Be aware that even if you deal more damage with each hammer, the damage you deal will be less than a 125 FCR build.
Offhand
Call To Arms (Runeword) + Spirit Shield (Runeword) - The Call to Arms Runeword provides you with the Battle Command and Battle Order shouts that are fantastic buffs.
Armor
Enigma (Runeword) It is the most expensive item in the build. The Teleport skill lets you precisely where the hammers will damage enemies as soon as they are spawned. By using this ability, your speed will greatly increase as enemies won't wander across the field when you fight them. Enigma also provides us a huge boost to Survivability and gives us even more damage as well as Magic Find.
Boots
When it comes to boots you have a few of different options:
Hotspur (Unique) If you are operating Chaos Sanctuary then these boots will dramatically increase the odds of survival. The +15percent Maximum Fire Resistance will enable you to take on fire-prone enemies without issue.
War traveler (Unique) If you are comfortable with your build's efficiency and want to maximize Magic Find these are perfect for you.
Sandstorm Trek (Unique) - If you want to increase your survival rate, but do not have Chaos Sanctuary, then the +20 percent FHR (Fast Hit Recovery) of these boots could be a good option.
Rings
Here you have two different alternatives.
Increased Survival: 2x Bul-Kathos' Wedding Band to improve your quality of chances of surviving.
Mana Boost 2x Stone from Jordan to increase your mana.
I personally prefer the Bul-Kathos Wedding band, because the Mana problems can be easily dealt with by installing the Insight (Runeword) to your character. Remember that you can also add FCR to your rings in case you're not able in achieving the 125% threshold since the effects of not having the Bul-kathos and Stone of Jordan will not be noticeable.
Amulet
Crafted Amulet: Here you'll want to find a +2 boost to paladin skills and then a +10 percent FCR. These amulets are very expensive and if you are unable to spend the money, go with an amulet like Mara's Kaleidoscopy (Unique) or with a +2 Paladin Skill and search for any other stat that is not getting.
Mara's Kaleidoscope The amulet will grant +2 to all skills in addition to +20-30 for all resistances and +5 to all attributes.
You'll want to get the Act 2 Holy Freeze Mercenary (from Act 2 Nightmare) to build this model. This Holy Freeze Aura is great for dealing with huge crowds of enemies.
In terms of equipment, you'll want to get an Insight Runeword on the firearm as well as an Fortitude Runeword for the Armor and Andarie's Visage for the helmet. The Insight Runeword provides Lvl 17 Meditation Aura, which greatly increases the Mana recovery rate. Utilizing this feature will allow you to clear the slots on your rings for bulk-kathos, or FCR Rings.
The Holy Hammer can always spawn on top of the left side of your shoulder. To avoid this, it's recommended to teleport beneath enemies so that they're hit as soon as you cast the spell.
I personally like to run my belt with 3 Health Potion columns along with 1 Mana Potion columns, but the combination of 2 Healing Potion or 2 Mana Potion is a great option too. You don't require a lot of Mana Potions when properly setup.
Your Mercenary gets the full effect of the Concentration Aura, allowing him to strike really hard. If you meet a resistant enemy, you can let your mercenary rid of it.
Be sure to walk to maximize Block Chance. You'll be teleporting across the map, so it's possible to forget to click"walk. This is very important to keep your life going, since your Block decreases by 1/3 while running.
This build is designed for PVE but can also be effective in PVP. Be sure to keep moving and don't use too many Blessed Hammers simultaneously.