Dauntless | Best Hammer Builds & Recommended Loadouts

Check out this Dauntless guide on how to build for the weapon - Hammer! Includes build guides, overview of each build, & more!

Recommended Builds & Loadouts

Sword Builds	Axe Builds	Hammer Builds
Chain Blade Builds	War Pike Builds	Repeater Builds

Overview & Strengths

Focus on High Stagger Damage

Builds using the hammer focuses on maximizing the high stagger damage that the hammer can inflict on Behemoths. Your main role as a hammer wielder is to stagger Behemoths and strike their heads!

Slow But Powerful

Due to the Hammer's inherent slow attack speed, builds for the hammer will instead maximize on its best attribute - its high damage via Cells, and active abilities granted by Lanterns.

Stagger Hammer Build Loadout

Weapon Mods

• Mighty Landbreaker
• Impulse Crown

Perk Summary

• +6 Aetheric Attunement
• +6 Conduit
• +6 Knockout King
• +6 Overpower
• +6 Predator
• +3 Stunning Vigor
• +3 Tough

High DPS & Stagger Knockout Build

Max Out Stagger Damage

This build maxes out your stagger damage potential with Knockout King, and maxing out damage on staggered enemies with Overpower.

Maximize Damage With Overpower

Since you'll keep Behemoths down most of the time with your stagger, Overpower will maximize the damage you inflict on downed Behemoths!

Downed Behemoths Will Help Activate Predator

Predator further increases your damage potential by giving you a buff when you're not hit for 15 seconds.

Activate Lantern & Landbreaker Buffs

Your Drask's Eye lantern and Landbreaker buffs will grant damage buffs, making you a damage powerhouse.

Impulse Crown To Double Bonus Damage on Heads

Taking your damage boost further is the Impulse Crown weapon mod, that grants bonus damage when you use an Aerial Strike.

Beginner Friendly Hammer Build Loadout

Weapon Mods

• Concussive Salvo
• Weighted Crown

Perk Summary

• +6 Knockout King
• +6 Nine Lives
• +6 Tough
• +6 Aetheric Frenzy
• +3 Agility
• +3 Conduit
• +3 Fortress
• +3 Overpower
• +3 Ragehunter

Survivability Focused Knockout Build

Early Game High Stagger Damage

This build focuses on improving the hammer's high stagger damage in order to knock down Behemoths with early game gear.

Easy To Assemble Build

Gear pieces used in this build can be gathered from Behemoths you can face early in the game. The highest having a maximum threat level of 6 (Stormclaw).

Less Priority on Perks & Cells

As you're starting out, try not to worry so much about which Cells to equip. But if you can, slot in Knockout King, Tough & Nine Lives to improve your stagger damage & survivability.

Makes Use Of Default Weapon Modifications

As with the perks and cells, you don't need to worry yet about weapon mods. The Weighted Crown & Concussive Salvo mods will be enough at this point.

No Particular Elemental Weakness

The gear pieces in this build offsets any inherent element weaknesses. The Sight of Stone and Lightning Boots will cancel each other out, while Gnasher pieces have no elemental strengths nor weaknesses.

Attack Speed Focused Build Loadout

Weapon Mods

• Concussive Salvo
• Impact Crown

Perk Summary

• +6 Conduit
• +6 Knockout King
• +6 Molten
• +6 Overpower
• +6 Wild Frenzy
• +3 Aetheric Attunement
• +3 Iceborne

High Attack Speed & DPS Build

Boost Attack Speed To Amplify DPS

This build focuses on compensating the hammer's inherent weakness of low attack speed. With Molten, Conduit, and Wild Frenzy, the attack speed is greatly boosted, further amplifying your DPS!

Higher Chance of Staggering Behemoths

With Knockout King and an amplified attack speed, you'll stagger Behemoths so much faster. Then Overpower amplifies your damage to another level when Behemoths are down!

Favors High Risk Play

Because of the hammer's slow attack animations, it is sometimes harder to dodge through attacks as usual. Wild Frenzy & Iceborne turns this weakness to an advantage by giving you buffs at risky low health situations!

Can Be Risky Against Blaze Monsters

Since this uses two Frost armor pieces, you'll receive a bit more damage from Blaze enemies. However, as long as you pick up Molten Heart, you'll have a fighting chance thanks to immunity to On Fire, and increased attack speed.

Iceborne Lifesteal Build Loadout

Weapon Mods

• Concussive Salvo
• Impact Crown

Perk Summary

• +6 Aetheric Attunement
• +6 Conduit
• +6 Iceborne
• +6 Overpower
• +6 Rage
• +6 Wild Frenzy

Low Life Iceborne Lifesteal Build

High Survivability Even At Low Life

This build greatly enhances survivability at low life by taking advantage of low life perks Wild Frenzy, Iceborne, & Rage. These 3 work together in keeping survivability up by giving you lifesteal and enhanced attack speed & damage.

High Endgame Potential

Since most end game & higher difficulty enemies hit harder, the low life perks will kick in very often, greatly enhancing your end game viability. Plus, Overpower & Rage are great damage perks overall, which directly affects your lifesteal as well!

Has +6 on All Perks

The armor pieces and weapons in this build have an optimized mix of perks and perk slots that can rank each of them up to max +6. Thus, all perks are fully utilized.

Requires End Game Loot

One major challenge in creating this build is that this requires parts from Rezakiri and Shrowd, 2 of the hardest Behemoths in the game.

Dauntless Featured Articles

Recommended Build / Best Loadouts Per Weapon

Sword Builds	Axe Builds	Hammer Builds
Chain Blade Builds	War Pike Builds	Repeater Builds

vs Behemoth Battle Guide

Boreus	Charrogg	Drask	Embermane
Gnasher	Hellion	Kharabak	Koshai
Nayzaga	Pangar	Quillshot	Rezakiri
Riftstalker	Shrike	Shrowd	Skarn
Skraev	Stormclaw	Valomyr	-

Beginner Tips

Weapon / Armor Database

Useful Information