08-22-2003, 03:43 AM
Yeah, the hammerdin is powerful. I've played a hammerdin up to level 84, he can solo hell without any problems. Although he isn't as powerful as a fully-twinked poison necro or some other ridiculously overpowered build, he is very powerful as a first charcter, since he doesn't require any powerful uniques/runewords (Good luck finding Bramble legit).
Things to note: Blessed hammer scales _FAST_ at higher levels. My hammerdin does about 6000 damage per hammer. A skill shrine boosts this to 7000, and he doesn't have any über gear. He uses things like a 4-diamond paladin shield, a Lore circlet, a magical scepter with +2 concentration and +2 all paladin skill levels, +1 paladin skills amulet etc.
My build:
Max blessed hammer, concentration, vigor, blessed aim
1 in salvation
the rest in holy shield (around level 5 now).
Enough strength to use decent equipment (around 100)
Enough dex for max block with holy shield
no Energy
the rest in vitality
Pick up all socketed paladin shields you find. I found a very nice 4-socked sacred targe with +21% to all resistances. With 4 perfect diamonds that's 97% resist all, so maxed resists in hell is no problem. Shop for a +2 paladin skills scepter. Soloing at least players 4-5 or even 8 shouldn't be any problem at all until hell.
The best thing about a hammerdin? Only wailing beasts (yeti-type monsters in the temples in act 3) are immune to blessed hammer.
The worst thing: Maggot lair :(
Things to note: Blessed hammer scales _FAST_ at higher levels. My hammerdin does about 6000 damage per hammer. A skill shrine boosts this to 7000, and he doesn't have any über gear. He uses things like a 4-diamond paladin shield, a Lore circlet, a magical scepter with +2 concentration and +2 all paladin skill levels, +1 paladin skills amulet etc.
My build:
Max blessed hammer, concentration, vigor, blessed aim
1 in salvation
the rest in holy shield (around level 5 now).
Enough strength to use decent equipment (around 100)
Enough dex for max block with holy shield
no Energy
the rest in vitality
Pick up all socketed paladin shields you find. I found a very nice 4-socked sacred targe with +21% to all resistances. With 4 perfect diamonds that's 97% resist all, so maxed resists in hell is no problem. Shop for a +2 paladin skills scepter. Soloing at least players 4-5 or even 8 shouldn't be any problem at all until hell.
The best thing about a hammerdin? Only wailing beasts (yeti-type monsters in the temples in act 3) are immune to blessed hammer.
The worst thing: Maggot lair :(