Difference between revisions of "Hammer of the Ancients"

Latest revision as of 21:55, 4 November 2017

Hammer of the Ancients is a Fury-spending Secondary Barbarian skill unlocked at Level 2.

Hammer of the Ancients closeup.

This skill creates a mystic hammer which the Barbarian smashes down overhead in a melee attack that deals big damage to all targets in a small area. It costs Fury and thus can not be used indefinitely, but the huge damage to one or a few targets can make it a useful support skill.

Hover for latest stats

Post-Release Changes[edit | edit source]

Patch 1.0.4 buffed the base skill and added additional improvements to two of the rune effects as well:

v1.04 changes: [1]

Hammer of the Ancients
- Weapon damage increased from 200% to 325%
Skill Rune – Rolling Thunder
- Weapon damage increased from 155% to 275%
Skill Rune – Smash
- Weapon damage increased from 270% to 406%
Skill Rune – The Devil's Anvil
- Proc coefficient reduced from 1 to 0.08

Skill Rune Effects[edit | edit source]

The following is a very quick summary. See the Hammer of the Ancients rune effects page for a more thorough description of rune effects, or any of the individual rune pages for numbers, screenshots, blue quotes, and much more.

Name	Stats (Hover over)	Level Unlocked
Smash	(Stats)	15
Rolling Thunder	(Stats)	7
The Devil's Anvil	(Stats)	27
Birthright	(Stats)	53
Thunderstrike	(Stats)	39

Skill Design[edit | edit source]

Early graphical version.

This is a really fun skill to use, and is very powerful. The increased chance to critically hit is assumed to increase the Hammer of the Ancients critical chance, instead of normal melee hits. It's a huge attack, and hits quickly, but the Barbarian takes a second to recover after the strike, leaving him vulnerable to nearby enemies. This looks like a skill that's best used against single large targets, rather than while swarmed. It's not clear if the strike will hit multiple enemies, or just the targeted enemy.

Synergies[edit | edit source]

The following Barbarian passives provide a benefit to Hammer of the Ancients, runed or not:

Bloodthirst - The Barbarian gains life based on the amount of damage he deals always.
Weapons Master - Provides a damage bonus when the Barbarian is wielding a sword or dagger.
Berserker Rage - Inflicts additional damage while the Barbarian is at maximum Fury.
Brawler - Increases the Barbarian's damage when he is swarmed.

Development[edit | edit source]

Hammer of the Ancients was first seen when Diablo III debuted at WWI 2008. At the time, the skill was at Tier II on the Battlemaster Skill Tree; it dealt 100% weapon damage, an additional 2 physical damage and increased the damage of critical hits by 20% at rank one.

By BlizzCon 2009, this skill had gotten a small boost to all of its stats, and had been bumped up to Tier III. Aside from the removal of skill trees, this skill hasn't noticeably changed since then. Flux described using it at BlizzCon 2010 (or maybe BlizzCon 2009) as:[2]

The impact zone seemed very small, like a single monster in radius, which felt weird. Like it should be called Snow Shovel of the Ancients, with a narrow, blade-thin hitting end. As big as the hammer was, it should have had a crushing impact, capable of hitting multiple enemies in the area. Even basic Rank One Cleave did that, and with a much faster, more accurate, and less Fury-costly attack.

Hammering some Fallen.

Skill tiers were removed for the July 2011 Press Event, allowing the skills to unlock steadily from levels 1 to 30. Consequently, all skill levels were adjusted and Hammer of the Ancients became a level 2 skill.

Beta[edit | edit source]

The Diablo III Beta started in September 2011, and while it ran, all of the skills continued to undergo extensive iteration. Skill changes varied from changing the levels the skills are unlocked, to changes in resource cost, damage, and even function. A few skills were removed altogether, and a few new ones were added. Also, the entire skill system received an overhaul with the Beta Patch 13 update in February 2012, with physical runes replaced by rune effects that automatically unlock at various levels for the different skills.

Hammer of the Ancients remained at level 2 when the beta started. With the Patch 13 changes, it was classified as a Secondary skill (but stayed at level 2).

Previous Versions[edit | edit source]

See the Barbarian skill archive for more details on previous versions of Hammer of the Ancients and other Barbarian skills.

Media[edit | edit source]

Hammer of the Ancients can be seen in action on video here:

You can find pictures in the Diablo III screenshot and picture gallery:

Hammer time in the desert.

References[edit | edit source]

BlizzCon 2009 Full Barbarian Skill Trees and Stats
BlizzCon 2010 Barbarian Hands-on Report
Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
Silva's Barbarian Runestone Effects — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
Barbarian Active Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site
Patch v1.0.4 notes.

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer primary

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer secondary

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer corpses

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer bloodandbone

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer reanimation

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer curses

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-<noinclude>
 [[File:IconHammerOfTheAncients.png|left]]
-'''Hammer of the Ancients''' is a Fury Spending [[Barbarian skill]] unlocked at [[clvl|Level]] 2, which causes a big 2-handed hammer to appear in the Barbarian's hands, with which he smacks an enemy for increased % of weapon damage.
+'''Hammer of the Ancients''' is a [[Fury]]-spending Secondary [[Barbarian skill]] unlocked at [[clvl|Level]] 2.
-<br><br><br>__TOC__
+[[File:Hammer-of-the-ancients1.JPG|thumb|400px|Hammer of the Ancients closeup.]]This skill creates a mystic hammer which the Barbarian smashes down overhead in a melee attack that deals big damage to all targets in a small area. It costs Fury and thus can not be used indefinitely, but the huge damage to one or a few targets can make it a useful support skill.
-==Background==
-[[File:Diablo_III_Logo.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Bash in action]]
-The Barbarian calls for aid from his ancestors, and they respond by lending him this huge hammer.
+<strong>[https://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/barbarian/active/hammer-of-the-ancients Hover for latest stats]</strong>
-==Skill Effects==
-The following is a very quick list. See the [[Hammer of the Ancients rune effects]] page for a more thorough summary of rune effects, or any of the individual rune pages for numbers, screenshots, blue quotes, and much more.
+==Post-Release Changes==
+[[Patch 1.0.4]] buffed the base skill and added additional improvements to two of the rune effects as well:
+v1.04 changes: [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/official-patch-1-0-4-notes]
+* Hammer of the Ancients
+**Weapon damage increased from 200% to 325%
+* Skill Rune – [[Rolling Thunder]]
+** Weapon damage increased from 155% to 275%
+* Skill Rune – [[Smash]]
+** Weapon damage increased from 270% to 406%
+* Skill Rune – [[The Devil's Anvil]]
+** Proc coefficient reduced from 1 to 0.08
+==Skill Rune Effects==
+The following is a very quick summary. See the [[Hammer of the Ancients rune effects]] page for a more thorough description of rune effects, or any of the individual rune pages for numbers, screenshots, blue quotes, and much more.
-{{Active skill header}}
-</noinclude>
-{{Skill effects|Hammer of the Ancients|IconHammerOfTheAncients.png|([[clvl|Level]] 2)|
-Call forth a massive hammer to smash enemies directly in front of you for {{c_lime|180%}} weapon damage. Hammer of the Ancients has a {{c_lime|15%}} increased chance to critical hit.<br>
-Cost: {{c_lime|20}} Fury.}}
-| width="40px" | [[image:IconCrimson.jpg|40px|link=Crimson]]
+<table>
-| width="140px" | [[Smash]]
-| Strike a smaller area for {{c_lime|396%}} weapon damage.
+<tr>
-|-
+<th>Icon</th>
-| width="40px" | [[image:IconIndigo.jpg|40px|link=Indigo]]
+<th>Name</th>
-| [[Rolling Thunder]]
+<th>Stats (Hover over)</th>
-| Modifies the strike to create a shockwave that deals {{c_lime|172%}} weapon damage to all enemies in front of you.
+<th class="inc_js_sortable inc_sort_desc">Level Unlocked</th>
-|-
+</tr>
-| width="40px" | [[image:IconObsidian.jpg|40px|link=Obsidian]]
-| [[The Devil's Anvil]]
+<tr id="onslaught">
-| Create a tremor at the point of impact that slows the movement speed of enemies by {{c_lime|40%}} and deals an additional {{c_lime|117%}} weapon damage over {{c_lime|2}} seconds.
+<td>[[File:runea.png]]</td>
-|-
+<td class="name">[[Smash]]</td>
-| width="40px" | [[image:IconGolden.jpg|40px|link=Golden]]
+<td>
-| [[Birthright (rune effect)|Birthright]]
+[https://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/barbarian/active/hammer-of-the-ancients#a+ (Stats)]</td>
-| Critical hits have a {{c_lime|55%}} chance to cause enemies to drop treasure or health globes.
+<td>15</td>
-|-
+</tr>
-| width="40px" | [[image:IconAlabaster.jpg|40px|link=Alabaster]]
-| [[Thunderstrike]]
+<tr id="punish">
-| Whenever you kill an enemy with Hammer of the Ancients every other nearby enemy has a {{c_lime|65%}} chance to be stunned for {{c_lime|3}} seconds.
+<td>[[File:runeb.png]]</td>
-|-
+<td class="name">[[Rolling Thunder]]</td>
-<noinclude>
+<td class="name">
-|}
+[https://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/barbarian/active/hammer-of-the-ancients#b+ (Stats)]</td>
-<p style="text-align:center">Note: Information is based on a level 60 character and rank 7 runestones.</p>
+<td>7</td>
-[[Image:Barb-hammer-ancients1.jpg|thumb|Say hello to my little friend...]]
+</tr>
+<tr id="frostbite">
+<td>[[File:runec.png]]</td>
+<td class="name">[[The Devil's Anvil]]</td>
+<td class="name">
+[https://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/barbarian/active/hammer-of-the-ancients#c+ (Stats)]</td>
+<td>27</td>
+</tr>
+<tr id="instigation">
+<td>[[File:runed.png]]</td>
+<td class="name">[[Birthright]]</td>
+<td class="name">
+[https://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/barbarian/active/hammer-of-the-ancients#d+ (Stats)]</td>
+<td>53</td>
+</tr>
+<tr id="pulverize">
+<td>[[File:runee.png]]</td>
+<td class="name">[[Thunderstrike]]</td>
+<td class="name">
+[https://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/barbarian/active/hammer-of-the-ancients#e+ (Stats)]</td>
+<td>39</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
 ==Skill Design==
+[[Image:Barb-hammer-ancients1.jpg|thumb|300px|Early graphical version.]]
 This is a really fun [[skill]] to use, and is very powerful. The increased chance to critically hit is assumed to increase the Hammer of the Ancients critical chance, instead of normal melee hits. It's a huge attack, and hits quickly, but the Barbarian takes a second to recover after the strike, leaving him vulnerable to nearby enemies. This looks like a skill that's best used against single large targets, rather than while swarmed. It's not clear if the strike will hit multiple enemies, or just the targeted enemy.
 ==Synergies==
-* No [[synergies]] with any of the [[passive skill]]s are yet known.
+The following [[Barbarian passives]] provide a benefit to Hammer of the Ancients, runed or not:
+* [[Bloodthirst]] - The [[Barbarian]] gains life based on the amount of damage he deals always.
+* [[Weapons Master]] - Provides a damage bonus when the [[Barbarian]] is wielding a [[sword]] or [[dagger]].
+* [[Berserker Rage]] - Inflicts additional damage while the [[Barbarian]] is at maximum [[Fury]].
+* [[Brawler]] - Increases the [[Barbarian]]'s damage when he is swarmed.
@@ Line 58: / Line 98: @@
 <blockquote>''The impact zone seemed very small, like a single monster in radius, which felt weird. Like it should be called Snow Shovel of the Ancients, with a narrow, blade-thin hitting end. As big as the hammer was, it should have had a crushing impact, capable of hitting multiple enemies in the area. Even basic Rank One Cleave did that, and with a much faster, more accurate, and less Fury-costly attack.</blockquote>
-Skill tiers were removed for the [[July 2011 Press Event]], and Hammer of the Ancients became a level 2 skill.
+[[File:Hammer-of-the-ancients3.jpg|thumb|350px|Hammering some Fallen.]]Skill tiers were removed for the [[July 2011 Press Event]], allowing the skills to unlock steadily from levels 1 to 30. Consequently, all skill levels were adjusted and Hammer of the Ancients became a level 2 skill.
+===Beta===
+{{Beta skill notes}}
+Hammer of the Ancients remained at level 2 when the beta started. With the Patch 13 changes, it was classified as a Secondary skill (but stayed at level 2).
 ===Previous Versions===
 See the [[Barbarian skill archive]] for more details on previous versions of Hammer of the Ancients and other Barbarian skills.
@@ Line 73: / Line 117: @@
 Hammer of the Ancients can be seen in action on video here:
 * [[Gameplay WWI2008|Gameplay: WWI 2008]]
-* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRM2UJ0PYFE Diablo 3 Barbarian Skill Animations]
+* [[Skill Animations Videos#Barbarian Video|Video: August 2011 Barbarian Skill Animations]]
 You can find pictures in the Diablo III screenshot and picture gallery:
@@ Line 79: / Line 123: @@
 * [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/search.php?keywords=Hammer+of+Ancients&cat=all '''Hammer of the Ancients''' specific gallery contents]
-<!--
 <gallery>
-Image:Diablo_III_Logo.jpg|Skill use 1
+File:Hammer-of-the-ancients2.jpg|Hammer time in the desert.
-Image:Diablo_III_Logo.jpg|Skill use 2
-Image:Diablo_III_Logo.jpg|Skill use 3
-Image:Diablo_III_Logo.jpg|Skill use 4
 </gallery>
--->
-<!--
-==Related Articles==
-''Articles that are related, but not emphasised enough in any other section, or articles that just need further attention.''
--->
 ==References==
 * [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/full-barbarian-skill-trees-and-stats1/ BlizzCon 2009 Full Barbarian Skill Trees and Stats]
 * [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hands-on-from-blizzcon-mega-pvm-report-barbarian BlizzCon 2010 Barbarian Hands-on Report]
-* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7960229#post7960229 Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report] -- IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
+* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7960229#post7960229 Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report] — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
-* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8007726&postcount=1 Silva's Barbarian Runestone Effects] -- IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
+* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8007726&postcount=1 Silva's Barbarian Runestone Effects] — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
-* [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/barbarian/active/bash Barbarian Overview] -- Diablo 3 Official 13th Sep 2011
+* [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/barbarian/active/ Barbarian Active Skills] — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site
+* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/official-patch-1-0-4-notes Patch v1.0.4 notes].
+{{Skill navbox Diablo III|Barbarian|secondary}}
-{{Skill navbox Diablo III|Barbarian}}
 [[category:Barbarian skills]]
 [[category:Active skills]]
-</noinclude>

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