McFluffin has been playing and making content for Last Epoch since Alpha. He has also been a Community Tester since the implementation of the program, which has allowed him the opportunity to provide feedback to Eleventh Hour Games on pre release builds since 2020. With degrees in both science and philosophy, McFluffin enjoys applying the analytical processees he's learned to build making, efficiency, and a better understanding of the inner workings of the games he plays. Despite all of that, his favorite thing to do is be weird on Twitch while hanging out with his friendly and welcoming community. Learn about the Skills, Gameplay and Passives for the Hammerdin Paladin Build.
Skills
Hammer Throw
Hammer Throw is your primary Damage as well as the skill this build is themed around. Iron Spiral allows our hammers to spiral similarly to the traditional Hammerdin. Catapult allows us to throw three hammers at once. We take enough points in Ballista to reach zero mana, then invest elsewhere.
Sigils Of Hope
Sigils Of Hope provides valuable buffs, but with a high Mana cost. Empowering Sigils and Decree of Flame provide extra damage. On defense Iron Sigils gives Endurance Threshold. Last Wish, Enduring Hope and Word of Alacrity smooth out the play style.
Smite
Smite provides valuable Attack Speed, Cleanse and Regen buffs through Chance To Cast Smite When You Hit With Throwing Attacks. Keep this off your bar and use Shield Rush as your Movement Skill. If you're mana starved or don't have the Idol, forego using this skill and spec into Shield Rush for Rush Mastery.
Volatile Reversal
Volatile Reversal is a unique Movement ability with tons of utility. Use it after Sigils Of Hope to recover mana. Time Rifts increases enemy damage taken while Warped Time and Catching Up speed up your build. It can also be used for extreme mobility and animation canceling so take the time to master this skill!
Holy Aura
Holy Aura is a strong support ability that provides powerful buffs to you and allies. This setup focuses on granting defenses with the Shelter from the Storm plus Physical Damage from Call To Arms and tons of Throwing Attack Speed with the Expedite and Fanaticism Nodes, with the Haste buff on top!
Alternative Skills & Tips
- If you don't have Bastion of Honour yet and want more tankinees, consider putting points into into Sigils Of Hope's Sign of the Guardian Node over Decree of Flame. You can also take a point out of Empowering Sigils or Word of Alacrity to cap it.
- If you find yourself lacking in Poison Resistance, take 3 points out of Call To Arms in Holy Aura and invest them in Purification. This is also an option if you don't have Cleanse on your belt.
- If you prefer to have your Hammers follow you, take the Hammer Throw node Hammer Vortex. You need to account for the increased mana cost if you go this route.
Passives
Passives provide powerful effects that dictate the playstyle of a Class and its Masteries. Remember that you can allocate Passives on the first half of all Masteries regardless of the one you chose.
- Armour Clad grants Damage Reduction and is crucial for any Sentinel's survivability.
- Juggernaut, Abyssal Endurance and Holy Symbol and Defiance provide tons of Resistances.
- Place at least 1 Point into Gladiator, Steel Aegis, Honour and Shield Wall for the Block Chance.
- The stats granted by Reverence of Duality are extremely powerful.
- Invest your final Points in Prayer Aegis or Weapons Master, depending on your needs.
Make sure to complete the Campaign to get all your Passive Points.
Gameplay
This Paladin uses Hammer Throw to create spirals of death that decimate any enemies who get close enough. Remember that you don't need Smite on your Skill bar. Make sure you are familiar with enemy mechanics to know when to use your Support Skills to stay alive. Pay attention to their telegraphed attacks!
Skill Usage/Rotation
- Cast 4 Sigils Of Hope for their buffs.
- Use Volatile Reversal to recover mana.
- Spam Hammer Throw at enemies. Stand close to them to maximize damage.
- Use unspecced Shield Rush or Lunge to move across the map.
- Cast Volatile Reversal and Holy Aura on top of enemies for their buffs and extra Damage.
- Maintain 4 Sigils Of Hope up at all times.
Mapping
- Rush to the objective with unspecced Shield Rush or Lunge.
- Proc the Haste buff from Holy Aura's Expedite Node for the additional Movement Speed.
- Be careful not to backtrack when using Volatile Reversal.
- Group mobs before using Volatile Reversal and Holy Aura to maximize their Buffs.
- For large groups, use Hammer Throw while staying on the move to maximize clear and reduce incoming damage.
Bossing
- Take advantage of all your defensive buffs and keep them active.
- Actively use Holy Aura to double the effect of its buffs.
- Use Volatile Reversal to ramp up your damage then spam Hammer Throw, staying as close as you can to the boss to maximize damage and the potential for multiple hits from the same hammer.
- Keep unspecced Shield Rush off Cooldown for emergency situations or telegraphed Boss attacks.
Advanced Skill Tips
- Use Volatile Reversal to cancel out animations. This can be used to interrupt Shield Rush mid animation in dangerous situations. This mechanic can be pushed to the extreme by skilful players, creating a choreography of blinks and dashes that the enemy AI struggles to keep up with. At the same time, using this at the wrong time could end up with you in the wrong spot, so be extremely careful while learning how to use this Skill.
- Proc the Haste buff from Holy Aura's Expedite Node before using Shield Rush. The additional Movement Speed gained by the buff applies to the entire duration of Shield Rush, even if the buff expires.
- Standing close to enemies not only maximizes damage, it also increases the likelihood that heals from Smite reach you. This also provides an additional chance to be Cleansed, so stay as close to enemies as possible!
Learn more about how to maximize your gameplay in the Build Scaling section of this guide.
