Like everyone this season I started with AoV; I shifted away from HF and into FoH-based. It’s very effective, but I feel more like a mage-type than a warrior-type. I really liked Sweep Attack leveling up, so once I completed Roland’s set and rolled a decent Fury and Denial, I went ham. I really enjoy the playstyle, and how very tanky I am! I clear GR90 fairly easily with either build.
Well, I’ve also completed the other class sets and thought I would give Hammerdin a try. I followed the build here just to get started…
…and holy hell, I crumple like a cheap suit. If anything looks at me, I die. I’m terrified to Falling Sword, because I’ll die. To be fair, my hammers melt monsters, too – but it’s really unsatisfying to die so often.
Probably there is just a playstyle adjustment here, and it’ll get better. But I was just wondering if Hammerdins are known to be fragile, and if you could please look at my character (Europe) and offer any advice?
Thanks!
Edit: OK, just finished my first T16 Nephalem Rift without dying. Progress!
Hi, i just finished a 115 with that build with my HC toon. You need to do a few changes.
1.- Captain crimson on belt and boots/pants.
2.- royal grandeour instead of obsidian ring.
3.- this is more a personal choice, but i prefer stromgard bracers instead of Gabriel’s, because i like the interaction with falling sword (it activates stromgard bonus) into a convention of elements holy rotation.
4.- with captain crimson, u need law of valor, unstoppable.
5.- If u want just farm T16, go for goldwrap on belt, if not, crimson as i say.
And that’s it, sorry my english, non native speaker here.
PD: I’m a HC player on NA, You can see my progress in leaderboards as “Metal” and get some ideas from builds that i have.
PD2: I love AOV, currently at 140 with shotgun build, but it needs serious love from blizz…
Yes, the Captain 2-piece with RoRG + Law of Valor (Unstoppable Force) is what I use with AoV and Roland’s, and I considered it here, too. (The Sacred Harness and Hammer Jammers are just so hard to pass up!) I have been adapting my playstyle with much better results, but if I hit a wall then will give this a try. Thanks!
Your quote is an accurate description of the Hammerdin’s current defensive status. The build has been thoroughly neglected by Blizzard for many years now…and no amount of posts pleading for a rework, has so much as sparked a note of acknowledgement from the said Blizzard entity.
Thanks Harnor, glad to hear I’m not crazy (or bad…well, not that bad)!
After a bit more playtime, what I can say is that I have found the following to be true:
AoV (FoH): mage play-style (keep distance)
Roland’s (SA): tanky, warrior playstyle
Hammerdin: rogue playstyle (dart in and back out)
So I’ll often Iron Skin first and immediately Falling Sword, spam hammers for a second or two and then Provoke and run out to re-engage (if things aren’t already dead). This was definitely a paradigm shift after spending time tanking with Roland’s!
Update:
You were right, Metal. I decided to try…
-Convection of Elements; +Ring of Royal Grandeur (i.e., wearing, not in the cube)
-Sacred Harness, -Towers of the Light; +Captain Belt and Pants
-Gabriel’s Vambraces; +Strongarm Bracers
-LoH (WoA); +LoV (UF)
…because this lets me keep Hammer Jammers and ORotZ in the cube.
It feels like I might be killing stuff a bit slower(?) but the survivability is significantly higher, and Wrath generation is smoother with LoV.
It really sucks that we have no survivability without Captain Crimson’s/Ring of Royal Grandeur + LoV. Oh well…
So, I played around with AoV a bit tonight. Previously, I had not touched the build since it was capable of running GR 150…
On that note, first thing first. What has been done to the AoV build is nothing short of malicious on the part of Blizzard. This build has been nerfed into the ground. I usually keep away from judgmental statements but, at this point, I am beginning to feel actual resentment toward Blizzard. I can’t stress my disappointment regarding the state of AoV. And as we add Seeker of Light and Roland’s, the mood sours further. And let’s not forget that crusader also holds gold for the most boring build in the entire game - Invoker.
That having said, I squeezed GR 140 in NS out of this toothless Quasimodo, so here are my build details:
5 pcs AoV set
2 pcs Camptain Crimson set
Pig Sticker in hand
Bracer of Fury, Shield of Fury
Rings: Convention of Elements and Compass Rose
Amulet: The Traveler’s Pledge*
I dropped the Crit Hit Chance of amulet and replaced it with Cooldown Reduction. In fact, I used cooldowns on every single item that could have it.
Kanai Cube: Fate of the Fell, Aquila Cuirass, Ring of the Royal Grandeur
Ancient Gems: Bane of the Stricken, Bane of the Trapped, Goggok
Typically, I would post/link a video of my run but, honestly, I am so shocked and dismayed by the state of this build that posting anything AoV, frankly, seems like self-mockery.
Maxroll for begginers it’s ok, i learned a lot there, BUT they just copy paste every new season trait and they just don’t update the guides anymore. It’s dissapointing, but whatever.
@Harnor i feel you buddy, i never played a lot AOV but its my favorite build and atm is so bad…
I feel a lot of anger towards blizz
The gap between AoV FotH and Heaven’s Fury is closer than you may expect. I’d try that one next, but you have to use the awful Norvald’s with it. I can’t remember where I left off on non-season, maybe GR137?
2 piece Captain crimson set with RROG in cube is mandatory for every set-based crusader build, which means every crusader build except for LOD bombardment and LOD blessed shield. The crusader class is nothing more than one giant cooldown rotation fest, which the captain crimson set strongly benefits. It’s also why the S28 altar bonus of empowered shrine proc on potions is very strong for crusaders.
