Best MHW Iceborne Hammer so far:

• Makhlab al-Nasr II – Kulu Weapon Tree – 1352 Damage 25% Affinity
• Mammoth Hoof II – Banbaro Weapon Tree – 1456 Damage 0% Affinity
• Dawning Tranquility – Final Boss Weapon Tree – 1456 Damage
• Victorious Northlein – Velkhana Weapon Tree – 1404 Damage

Below are the in-depth break down of the current best Hammers in MHW Iceborne!

A detailed guide on MHW Hammer in regard to Iceborne expansion. I have been playing with the hammer since Iceborne release on September 6, and I am happy to report that this is one the best weapon to play in the MHW Iceborne Expansion.

I will cover the basic Hammer Moveset (including the new move from MHW Iceborne) as well as the advance combo and the best tips to become the Hammer bro!

MHW Hammer Overview [Iceborne Version]

Hammer is one of the weapons in the arsenal since the very first release of Monster Hunter. Which mean it has appeared since 200

MHW Hammer is known for the ability to stun the monsters. The weapon completely doesn’t have the ability to cut the monster’s tail but is compensated by the overwhelming power to give the monster some spinning stars.

MHW Hammer Basic Combo

The hammer does not have any fancy combo that require you to morp your weapon or anything. Most of the moveset are pretty straight forward

Up Swing Combo Starting with a side bash and a slam. Finish with a huge swing – which is often called as “Golf Swing” by veteran Hammer players. The last hit is the most powerful hit of this combo.

[gfycat data_id=”delayedthickafricancivet”]

I knocked the Banbaro with the Golf Swing and quickly follow up by the Big Bang combo. This is one of the most efficient move for MHW Hammer.

Big Bang Combo Stand your ground and just smash! This combo will only continue if the previous hits land on the target. The subsequent hit will deal higher damage than the previous one, leading to the ultimate finisher at the end.  The catch is to keep pressing after the previous hit land to perform successive blows. If the first hit does not land, you will be station for a brief time due to the recovery frame.  This attack is used when the monster is immobilized or already stunned

Hammer Charge Attacks

Similar to Great Sword, the main damage source of Hammer come from the powerful Charging Attack. However, you don’t need to time the release on time to get the most damage. 

The only thing to notice when charging your hammer is which move you gonna unleashed. 

You can press R2/ RT at any time to start charging. This charge last up to 3 level (Indicating by a red flash and minor vibration on controller for each charge) When you release R2, depend on the charge level, you can then unleash a different attack.

Charging Side Bash (Up Swing) (Level 2) >> Release While Moving This will result in a quick shoulder charge up swing- which can be used as a quick hit on the monster’s head

[gfycat data_id=”brokensamebear”]

This is definitely your best option when you want to quickly land a stunning blow to the monster! But make sure you release R2/RT at the right time! As this may result in the spinning attack below and can leave you wide open to monster’s attack!

Spinning Hammer (Level 3) >> Release While Moving At last charge level 3. If you release R2/RT while moving, the hunter will perform a spinning hammer attack. Each attack dea moderate damage and stun power. At each spin, you can chain into normal combo by pressing after a spin.

[gfycat data_id=”seriouspartialbrownbear”]

This spinning attacks might look fun to perform, it is not the most efficient attack for MHW Hammer. This is pretty situational and should not be used as your main way to stun the monster!

Power Charge + Combine R2 with O/ B you can perform the Power Charge. This add more damage to your Charge Attack as well as stun power, the hunter will also immune to flinch during the charge, give you more chance on landing that powerful charge attack.  Utilize Power Charge will drain your stamina more quickly, but this is definitely the way to go if you want to quickly stun the monsters

Hamer Iceborne New Moves

[gfycat data_id=”jaggedhonorablehypacrosaurus”]

With Iceborne, Hammer gains several new moves related to the Clutch Claw, the newest toy in the arsenal.

You can now perform a Slinger Shot while charging with R2/RT. This look innocent at first, but can be used as a quick and dirty way to build up the stun meter.

The second ability is the clutch claw link attack. After a successful Charge Attack, (level 2 or 3) You can perform a Clutch Claw move by pressing L2 right afterward. 

Depend on your charge level, it could result in a Spinning Hammer Attack or a simple Clutch Claw shot

• Charge Level 2 >> Clutch Claw Hammer Shot – A simple Clutch Claw grapple with one hit from the hammer. 
• Charge Level 3 >> Clutch Claw Spinning Hammer Shot – You grapple on the monster while spinning your hammer!

[gfycat data_id=”gregariouswickedavocet”]

MHW Hammer Advance Combo

As Hammer cannot cut tails being a blunt weapon. Stunning the monster become your main priority. To do this, you must carefully aim each of your attacks to maximize the chance that it is landed on the head of that monsters

Below is an example of properly use the Charge Attack to stun the monster/

[gfycat data_id=”brokensamebear”]

---

One of the most common mistake is not knowing which Charge Attack to use when hold down R2/RT. Depend on your current situation, you should land that Quick Shoulder Up Swing or Simply stand still and perform the Smash instead.

Big Bang Finisher (Level 3) >> Release While Stand still If the monster is not moving, you should aim for this move. Instead of spinning yourself to oblivion, stand your ground and perform the Level 3 Charge Attack. This attack has very high stun power and can also break part of monster easily.

[gfycat data_id=”obviousglassarachnid”]

Here, I land the Level 3 Power Charge Hammer Attack and knock down the poor Banbaro. 

---

After successfully stunning and knock the monster down. Simply navigate close to the monster head and unleash your Smash combo.

Big Bang Combo Stand your ground and just smash! This combo will only continue if the previous hits land on the target. Otherwise, you will suffer from the recovery frame!

Your main playstyle when using the hammer will be like this

• Aiming attacks to the monster’s head >> Monster is stunned? >> Unleash The Big Bang Combo 

But not yet, you have new move!

With Iceborne Released, you can now fire off Slinger Burst during your Charge move. This may not seem much at first, but if you are confident, this can be used as a quick way to build up the stun meter!

The next combo you should perform is the Spinning Claw Attack. After a successful Charge Attack, (level 2 or 3) You can perform a Clutch Claw move by pressing L2 right afterward. 

Depend on your charge level, it could result in a Spinning Hammer Attack or a simple Clutch Claw shot

• Charge Level 2 >> Clutch Claw Hammer Shot – A simple Clutch Claw grapple with one hit from the hammer. 
• Charge Level 3 >> Clutch Claw Spinning Hammer Shot – You grapple on the monster while spinning your hammer!

This let you quickly use the clutch claw on the monster and weaken monster part in the process. Upon landing, you should aim for the weakned part for free damage boosts!

MHW Hammer Builds (Updated with Iceborne Armors)

With Iceborne release, you will now have more option to finally build up a powerful hammer builds. This includes the newly expanded cap for Slugger Armor Skills from Diablos set, as well as several new option for the weapons.

Previously, a meta builds for hammer will look like this:

With Diablos set upgraded skills, you can now get up to Slugger level 5! If you prefer to further enhance your stunning power, I recommend utilizing the Diablos set with Slugger Level 5 as a test for stunning power!

As for weapon choices, you can quickly start off Master Rank with the Kulu Weapon tree, as the Makhlab al-Nasr I provide you an impressive 1092 Damage with 25% Affinity. This beast is also pretty easy to hunt.

The upgraded version of this hammer – Makhlab al-Nasr II give you 1352 Damage with the same 25% Affinity.

Combine this with Elementless and you already got a high damage hammer build! If you prefer the maximum damage and don’t mind the Affinity, you can opt for hammer like the Grinding Mallet.

The rest armor skills entirely depend on your playstyle. But the best option is always to maximize the Affinity and damage.

With the addition of set as Glavenus Armor Bonus (Maximum Might Secret), You can now achieve this with minimal effort.

Below is a quick mid Master Rank build that I used while playing Hammer.

Conclusion

Hammer is one of the easiest weapons to pick up thanks to it’s powerful attack damage and straight forward play style. If you want to change the pace after weapons like Sword and Shield and looking for a meaty weapon, why not pick MHW hammer?

Let us know your current hammer build for MHW Iceborne!

MHW Weapons Guide

The list below are the weapon guides I published previously pre – Iceborne. I will shortly update all the guide with the new gears from MHW Iceborne, stay tuned!