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A simple offense is the best defense! Bash faces in!

The Hammer is simple. It has hardly changed ever since Monster Hunter first began, and its goal is as simple as it gets: Get to the monster’s head and bash their faces in, knock them out to leave them incapacitated, and repeat. The Hammer is an Impact weapon.

Guild Style

Guild Style is all about the simplicity. Unleash level 3 charges (superpounds) to the head, and if you want to get a quick pop attack and can’t risk charging, use your basic X or A attacks or combos. Be aware that superpound can send players flying through the air if you are playing with others, greatly disrupting them. Make sure you are consistently aiming for the head if it is possible.

If you unleash the level 3 charge as you’re moving, you will begin spinning like a top. Press X to unleash one of your most powerful attacks in your arsenal, the Golf Swing . This will also send other players flying.

Striker Style

If Guild Style wasn’t simple enough for you, try Striker Style instead, which becomes even more stripped down in favor of brute strength. Your X and A combos are much more uniform and less diverse. In exchange, you charge faster and you have access to three Hunting Arts. Pick one or two that are good for utility (such as Absolute Evasion) and pick one or two that are good for dishing out a ton of damage in a short amount of time.

Aerial Style

In Aerial Style, several of your best, most powerful attacks in your toolbox get shifted into air-only. This includes your fabled charged superpound attack. Your evasive roll is also replaced by the evasive somersault. Pressing A after vaulting off a monster will do a slower swing that will hit twice if the first hit connects! Be sure to somersault onto monsters so that you can vault and then perform your charge in the air to superpound monsters when you land. Aerial Style can be very stamina intensive since charging uses up stamina on top of your constant somersaulting so manage stamina carefully.

Aerial Style can equip one hunting art, so pick damage or utility, whichever suits your style.

Adept Style

Your level 2 charge uppercut has been removed, and you cannot chain attacks after your level 1 charge, while most every other attack plus your evasive roll remain intact. In exchange, if you successfully perform the perfect evade, you can immediately press R and you will begin doing a special adept charge . This is indicated by a blue aura around your weapon. Achieve the level 3 charge for a super superpound that does super damage! If you’re still moving when you unleash the super superpound, you will jump forward a bit as you attack, letting you cover distance (or cause you to miss).

You can equip one hunting art, so be sure to pick one that really aids your personal playstyle.

Recommended Skills

Knockout King is a standout, letting you pile up KO damage quicker. If you’re unsheathing and sheathing your Hammer a lot, Critical Draw increases your weapon affinity by 100% for the first attack you do when you unsheathe. You can unsheathe directly into a charge for major critical damage! Since your Hammer has no shield, consider Evasion +1/+2 (note that these do not affect aerial somersaults or your Bushido evasions). If you play aerial, Airborne increases damage done by your air attacks, and Mounting Master helps you mount the monster more often.

As a generally good Blademaster skill, Sharpness+1/+2 are very handy to have alongside Mind’s Eye and Razor Sharp .