Blessed Hammer
Spirals outward from you, circling two and a half times. Magic Damage, and 150% to Undead and Demons.
Diablo II · Paladin
Alexis
Blessed Hammer Paladin
The Hammerdin. Spiralling hammers, a wall of Holy Shield, and nothing in Hell that is safe.
HammerAuraShieldRepeat
Records
Diablo II Achievements
Highest level99The Diablo II level cap
Seasonal Ladders3 timesReached Level 99 on three ladders
The build
The Hammerdin
One of the great Diablo II builds. Blessed Hammer deals Magic Damage, which almost nothing is immune to, and hits Undead and Demons for 150%, so Chaos Sanctuary never stood a chance. Pair it with Concentration, keep Holy Shield up, and let the hammers do the walking.
How It Plays
- Cast Holy Shield before combat, and keep it up.
- Use Vigor to move around, then close the distance.
- Switch to Concentration and cast Blessed Hammer through the pack.
- Against dangerous groups, lay down a hammer field and let them walk into it.
- Weave in Redemption after a kill for Life and Mana, and Cleansing to clear curses and poison.
Hammers disappear when they hit a wall, so give them room. Smite and the mercenary handle anything Magic Immune.
Skill Order
- Blessed HammerMax first
- VigorMax second
- ConcentrationMax third
- Blessed AimMax fourth
- Resist LightningMax last
- Holy Shield, Cleansing, Redemption, FanaticismOne point each
Stats & Setup
- StrengthJust enough to wear the gear
- DexterityEnough for 75% block with Holy Shield
- VitalityEverything else
- Spirit Sacred TargeShield
- Hellwarden's WillPart of the 125% Faster Cast setup
- Act II Holy Freeze mercenaryInsight, Andariel's Visage, Fortitude
Why It Works
Very tanky, almost no immunes, great for Magic Find, and easy to learn while still hard to master. The trade-offs are narrow corridors, repetitive casting and gear that takes time to collect, and it can feel clunky without Teleport.
Concentration
The aura that pumps hammer damage, for you and the party.
Holy Shield
Needed at all times. Boosts Defense and block, and quietly speeds up the block animation.
Vigor
Faster movement for you and the party, in town and between fights.
Smite
Always hits, always stuns. The answer to anything hammers cannot touch.
Redemption
Turns corpses into Life and Mana, and saves a lot of potions.
From the old days
“Stay awhile and watch the hammers.”
Run It Yourself
The full build, with gear variants and breakpoints, is in the Maxroll Blessed Hammer Paladin guide.