Pick the Hammer if you want the satisfaction of cracking a monster's best material and creating stuns for your squad. It is a medium-difficulty weapon with a clear, readable purpose.
The rhythm
Hammer overview
The Hammer exists to ruin a monster's head. It is the best blunt weapon for creating stuns, breaking crowns and turning a dangerous face into a farmable material pile. Outlanders gives the Hammer a mobile charge identity, so you can reposition while holding power.
It is not a low-skill weapon. The Hammer's damage is concentrated in committed swings, and the head is often the most dangerous place to stand. The reward is worth it: a well-timed head break can shorten a hunt by a full phase.
Weapon snapshot
Melee · Blunt damage · Medium difficulty · Best first pick: Barroth tree.
Trade-offs
Hammer strengths & weaknesses
Strengths
- Best blunt part-break pressure in the roster
- Stuns create team-wide damage windows
- Mobile charging keeps pressure up between attacks
- Excellent against armored heads and bone plating
Trade-offs
- No shield; defense is entirely positional
- Head-targeting is risky against fast monsters
- Big Bang finishers require rhythm and commitment
- Low reach on tails and elevated weak points
Practice route
Hammer combos & core moves
These are the routes worth learning first. Treat the inputs as a description of the flow, not a controller-specific notation — touch layouts can be customised.
| Move | Input concept | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Moving Charge | Hold the charge input and reposition while charging | The core identity. Stay mobile, bait a turn, then release into the head or a closing gap. |
| Mighty Charge | Reach maximum charge and release | A heavy forward strike for a verified recovery window. Do not start it while the monster is still turning. |
| Big Bang Combo | Land the rhythmic finisher inputs | The biggest punish after a stun or topple. Practice the timing on a stationary target before using it in a real hunt. |
| Spinning Bludgeon | Charged follow-up while moving | A wide, mobile hit that can catch a turning head or clear a pack. Use it to cover distance without sheathing. |
Build direction
Best skills for Hammer
prioritize one offensive core and one comfort skill. The exact armor set depends on what the launch forge provides; these are the skills that change the weapon's feel.
- Attack Boost and Weakness Exploit for head damage
- Slugger if it improves stun thresholds in the launch build
- Focus if charge uptime feels slow
- Evade Extender for safer head repositioning
- Earplugs to protect Big Bang windows
Forge targets
Best Hammer paths to aim for
Barroth tree
TargetThematically perfect for a blunt head-breaker and useful against armored early monsters.
Diablos tree
TargetA high-raw option for horn breaks and stun-focused builds.
Nergigante tree
TargetAn endgame raw target for players who want the biggest possible head punish.
Tree names and material requirements are based on pre-launch data. Check the live forge after October 29 for the final upgrade layout.
Good hunts
Hammer monster matchups
These hunts let the weapon do what it is designed to do. Use them to learn the moveset before taking it into an unfavorable target.
Check every elemental weakness before building the next weapon.
Touch controls
Hammer tips for mobile play
- Use the moving charge window to fix your camera before releasing.
- Do not chase the head with the charge; let the monster turn into your swing.
- Big Bang timing is easier with a stable grip and a familiar control layout.
- When in doubt, a body hit is better than a whiffed head swing.
Quick answers