Best Hammer Builds

Here are the best Hammer Builds in Monster Hunter Now. Check out the best early-game build and the best Hammer build progression against large monsters in this guide!

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Full List	How to Use	Builds

Best Hammer Builds

Hammer Build Selection

Jump to a Hammer Build
Early Game Build			Raw Build
Water Build		Fire Build		Thunder Build
Ice Build			Dragon Build

Early Game Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Blooming Hammer	100	0%	50
Armor	Skills
Kulu Headpiece (Grade 2)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1
Jagras Mail (Grade 2)	▸ Rising Tide Lv. 1
Girros Vambraces (Grade 2)	▸ Sneak Attack Lv. 1
Leather Belt (Grade 2)	▸ Health Boost Lv. 1
Kulu Greaves (Grade 2)	▸ Critical Eye Lv. 1

As you unlock the Hammer after Chapter 2, a good All-rounder Hammer is the Blooming Hammer, which has the ever-useful poison status ailment. Pair this weapon with generally good skills to start farming more difficult Large Monsters.

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Raw Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Chaos Shatterer At least Grade 5	576	-30%	None
Alternative: Diablos Sledge At least Grade 5	512	0%	None
Armor	Skills
Rathalos Helm (Grade 5)	▸ Attack Boost Lv. 2
Rathalos Mail (Grade 6)	▸ Weakness Exploit Lv. 2
Rathian Vambraces (Grade 6)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1 ▸ Burst Lv. 2
Banbaro Coil (Grade 6)	▸ Attack Boost Lv. 2 ▸ Firm Foothold Lv. 1
Diablos Greaves (Grade 6)	▸ Slugger Lv. 2 ▸ Partbreaker Lv. 1

Alternative Raw Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Carapace Sledge At Least Grade 5	473	0%	None
Armor	Skills
Rathalos Helm (Grade 5)	▸ Attack Boost Lv. 2
Rathalos Mail (Grade 6)	▸ Weakness Exploit Lv. 2
Rathian Vambraces (Grade 6)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1 ▸ Burst Lv. 2
Diablos Coil (Grade 5)	▸ Partbreaker Lv. 1
Diablos Greaves (Grade 6)	▸ Slugger Lv. 2 ▸ Partbreaker Lv. 1

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Water Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Purity Hammer (at least Grade 5)	335	10%	230
Alternative: Aqua Hammer (at least Grade 5)	370	0%	181
Armor	Skills
Pukei Lagoon Hat (Grade 8)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1 ▸ Weakness Exploit Lv. 2
Jyura Mail (Grade 4)	▸ Water Attack Lv. 1 ▸ Last Stand Lv. 1
Jyura Vambraces (Grade 6)	▸ Water Attack Lv. 2
Rathalos Coil (Grade 5)	▸ Focus Lv. 1
Jagras Greaves (Grade 6)	▸ Water Attack Lv. 2

You can replace the Pukei Lagoon Hat with the Kulu Headpiece if you don't have the materials.

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Fire Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Blazing Hammer (at least Grade 5)	370	0%	181
Armor	Skills
Pukei Lagoon Hat (Grade 8)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1 ▸ Weakness Exploit Lv. 2
Rathalos Mail (Grade 6)	▸ Weakness Exploit Lv. 2
Anja Vambraces (Grade 6)	▸ Fire Attack Lv. 2
Rathalos Coil (Grade 6)	▸ Focus Lv. 1 ▸ Fire Attack Lv. 1
Jyura Greaves (Grade 6)	▸ Focus Lv. 2 ▸ Last Stand Lv. 1

If you can handle not having Lock On, equipping the Anja Helm to max out Fire Attack is a great alternative to deal even more damage against monsters weak to fire.

You can also replace the Pukei Lagoon Hat with the Kulu Headpiece if you don't have the materials.

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Thunder Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Usurper's Thunder At least Grade 6	461	0%	320
Armor	Skills
Pukei Lagoon Hat (Grade 8)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1 ▸ Weakness Exploit Lv. 2
Kadachi Mail (Grade 4)	▸ Evade Extender Lv. 1 ▸ Thunder Attack Lv. 1
Zinogre Vambraces (Grade 6)	▸ Thunder Attack Lv. 2
Kadachi Coil (Grade 6)	▸ Thunder Attack Lv. 2
Diablos Greaves (Grade 6)	▸ Slugger Lv. 2 ▸ Partbreaker Lv. 1

This Thunder Hammer build incorporates two levels of Slugger from the Diablos Greaves and maxes out Thunder Attack thanks to the Zinogre and Kadachi armor pieces.

This build requires you to get Zinogre materials which are usually available only in Hunt-a-Thons. You can also replace the Pukei Lagoon Hat with the Kulu Headpiece if you don't have the materials.

Alternative Thunder Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Thunder Hammer (at least Grade 5)	370	0%	181
Armor	Skills
Pukei Hood (Grade 6)	▸ Focus Lv. 1 ▸ Health Boost Lv. 2
Kadachi Mail (Grade 4)	▸ Evade Extender Lv. 1 ▸ Thunder Attack Lv. 1
Rathian Vambraces (Grade 6)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1 ▸ Burst Lv. 2
Kadachi Coil (Grade 6)	▸ Thunder Attack Lv. 2
Jyura Greaves (Grade 6)	▸ Focus Lv. 2 ▸ Last Stand Lv. 1

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Ice Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Glacial Bash (at least Grade 6)	430	0%	251
Armor	Skills
Pukei Lagoon Hat (Grade 8)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1 ▸ Weakness Exploit Lv. 2
Barioth Mail (Grade 6)	▸ Ice Resistance Lv. 1 ▸ Ice Attack Lv. 1
Barioth Vambraces (Grade 6)	▸ Ice Attack Lv. 2
Legiana Coil (Grade 5)	▸ Ice Attack Lv. 2
Diablos Greaves (Grade 6)	▸ Slugger Lv. 2 ▸ Partbreaker Lv. 1

This Ice Hammer build incorporates two levels of Slugger from the Diablos Greaves and maxes out Ice Attack thanks to the Barioth and Legiana armor pieces.

This build requires Barioth materials, so you'll need to go on Hunt-a-Thons. You can also replace the Pukei Lagoon Hat with the Kulu Headpiece if you don't have the materials.

Alternative Ice Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Glacial Bash	430	0%	251
Armor	Skills
Legiana Helm (Grade 6)	▸ Divine Blessing Lv. 1 ▸ Ice Attack Lv. 1
Anja Mail (Grade 6)	▸ Special Boost Lv. 2
Rathian Vambraces (Grade 6)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1 ▸ Burst Lv. 2
Legiana Coil (Grade 5)	▸ Ice Attack Lv. 2
Diablos Greaves (Grade 6)	▸ Slugger Lv. 2 ▸ Partbreaker Lv. 1

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Dragon Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Devil's Due (at least Grade 5)	368	-30%	292
Armor	Skills
Pukei Lagoon Hat (Grade 8)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1 ▸ Weakness Exploit Lv. 2
Rath Heart Mail (Grade 6)	▸ Focus Lv. 1 ▸ Dragon Attack Lv. 1
Vangis Vambraces (Grade 5)	▸ Dragon Attack Lv. 1 ▸ Peak Performance Lv. 1
Vangis Coil (Grade 6)	▸ Dragon Attack Lv. 2 ▸ Tremor Resistance Lv. 1
Rath Heart Greaves (Grade 6)	▸ Special Boost Lv. 2 ▸ Dragon Attack Lv. 1

You can replace the Pukei Lagoon Hat with the Kulu Headpiece if you don't have the materials.

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Best Hammer Skills

Recommended Skills to Equip

Skill	Explanation / Recommended Level
Lock On	This skill ensures our hits will always hit the head for a great chance to stun the monster. Priority: ★★★
Elemental Attack	Take advantage of a monster's elemental weakness by equipping this stat along with a weapon that deals the same elemental damage. Priority: ★★★
Critical Eye	Increases your chance of inflicting a critical hit. It is especially important for damage at higher ranks. Priority: ★★☆
Attack Boost	More attack is always useful to increase your damage output. Priority: ★★☆
Slugger	The Hammer is the main stunning weapon, so we can take advantage of this by getting more stun damage. This will make accumulating the stun status faster but not necessarily make the hunt faster or easier. Priority: ★★☆
Health Boost	A very efficient defensive skill. This will not only help you survive in hunts but also help you save on potions, which we have a limited supply of. Priority: ★☆☆
Focus	This skill will decrease the charging time of our charged attacks. However, the charged attacks are not as optimal as the normal tap combos. Priority: ★☆☆

Hammer Builds Against Monsters

Best Jyuratodus Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Thunder Hammer	128	0%	47
Armor	Skills
Kulu Headpiece (Grade 2)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1
Jagras Mail (Grade 2)	▸ Rising Tide Lv. 1
Girros Vambraces (Grade 2)	▸ Sneak Attack Lv. 1
Kadachi Coil (Grade 2)	▸ Thunder Attack Lv. 1
Kulu Greaves (Grade 2)	▸ Critical Eye Lv. 1

To exploit the Jyuratodus' thunder weakness, craft the Thunder Hammer for a heavy-hitting thunder weapon and the Kadachi Coil for an extra boost of thunder element damage.

Best Anjanath Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Aqua Hammer	182	0%	75
Armor	Skills
Kulu Headpiece (Grade 3)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1
Jyura Mail (Grade 3)	▸ Water Attack Lv. 1
Jyura Vambraces (Grade 3)	▸ Water Attack Lv. 1
Leather Belt (Grade 3)	▸ Health Boost Lv. 1
Jagras Greaves (Grade 3)	▸ Water Attack Lv. 1

For the Anjanath fight, we are fortunate enough to have a good selection of armor pieces with the Water Attack skill. Have the Water Attack armor pieces from Jagras and Jyuratodus and pair them with the Aqua Hammer for a devastating amount of elemental damage.

Best Rathian Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Thunder Hammer	128	0%	47
Armor	Skills
Kulu Headpiece (Grade 4)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1 ▸ Critical Eye Lv. 1
Anja Mail (Grade 4)	▸ Special Boost Lv. 1
Girros Vambraces (Grade 3)	▸ Sneak Attack Lv. 1
Kadachi Coil (Grade 3)	▸ Thunder Attack Lv. 1
Kulu Greaves (Grade 3)	▸ Critical Eye Lv. 1

For the Rathian fight, we'll use the Thunder Hammer that you have used previously. Make sure to upgrade it as much as possible. Aside from the usual generic good skills, equip the Kadachi Coil for some extra elemental damage and the Anja Mail, which boosts the damage that our Special Skill does.

Fill up your Special Gauge from fighting small monsters before engaging in the hunt against Rathian.

Best Legiana Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Blazing Hammer	260	0%	117
Armor	Skills
Anja Helm (Grade 4)	▸ Fire Attack Lv. 2
Anja Mail (Grade 4)	▸ Special Boost Lv. 1
Rathian Vambraces (Grade 4)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1 ▸ Burst Lv. 1
Lumu Coil (Grade 3)	▸ Divine Blessing Lv. 1
Anja Greaves (Grade 4)	▸ Peak Performance Lv. 1

Craft Blazing Hammer to use against Legiana. This weapon takes advantage of Legiana's weakness to Fire.

Aside from the usual damage boosting from the previous builds, such as Fire Attack and Special Boost, we'll add the Peak Performance skill. This gives a massive attack bonus as long as our HP is full.

Before you fight Legiana, ensure your HP and Special Gauge are filled up. This allows us to use our Special Skill at the start of the fight with the Peak Performance buff active for a lot of burst damage at the start of the hunt.

Best Diablos Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Girros Hammer	144	0%	100
Armor	Skills
Pukei Hood (Grade 4)	▸ Focus Lv. 1 ▸ Health Boost Lv. 1
Anja Mail (Grade 4)	▸ Special Boost Lv. 1
Rathian Vambraces (Grade 4)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1 ▸ Burst Lv. 1
Girros Coil (Grade 2)	▸ Paralysis Attack Lv. 1
Kulu Greaves (Grade 4)	▸ Critical Eye Lv. 1

Since there is no ice elemental hammer, we will use the Girros Hammer in this fight with Diablos because of its secondary weakness against Paralysis. Use the Girros Coil for Paralysis Attack. We'll now also use the Pukei Hood for the Focus skill, which will decrease the charging time for our charged moves.

If crafting the Girros Hammer is too expensive to upgrade, it may be more efficient for your resources to use an ice elemental build from another weapon type instead.

Best Rathalos Hammer Build

Weapon	ATK	AFF	ELE
Thunder Hammer (at least Grade 5)	370	0%	181
Armor	Skills
Pukei Hood (Grade 4)	▸ Focus Lv. 1 ▸ Health Boost Lv. 1
Anja Mail (Grade 4)	▸ Special Boost Lv. 1
Rathian Vambraces (Grade 4)	▸ Lock On Lv. 1 ▸ Burst Lv. 1
Kadachi Coil (Grade 4)	▸ Thunder Attack Lv. 1
Diablos Greaves (Grade 5)	▸ Slugger Lv. 2

We'll exploit the Rathalos' thunder element weakness and use the Thunder Hammer and the Kadachi Coil's Thunder Attack. If you prefer more Thunder Attack, you can equip the Kadachi Mail instead.

With the Hammer weapon, one of our specialties is building the Stun status effect. And to take advantage of that, we'll use the Diablos Greaves for 2 points of Slugger. Remember to continuously hit the monster's head to stun them!

The Diablos Hammer is a Good All-rounder Weapon

If you find it expensive to upgrade multiple armor sets and weapons to counter specific monsters, you can go for a less optimal non-elemental build with the Diablos Sledge.

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Hammer		Light Bowgun		Bow
Lance		Dual Blades		Charge Blade
Gunlance			Heavy Bowgun