Welcome to the Heroes of the Storm build guide for Sgt. Hammer. In this guide, you will find basic information on the game and Sgt. Hammer, as well as tips on how to play and build her.
This guide will break down into six categories:
- Introduction – A breakdown of the kind of character you’re playing
- Starter Abilities – The abilities your character starts with at the beginning of the match.
- Heroic Abilities – Pick from one of these two ultimate-like abilities at team level 10
- Talents – The character improvements you can choose from to custom build your hero
- Talent Builds – Recommended builds that I have personally found success with
- Playstyle Tips – Extra information about the character to help you play your best
Introduction
In Heroes of the Storm, Sgt. Hammer is a ranged specialist with a kit that allows her to push lanes and deal extra damage to minions and turrets.
Sgt. Hammer would be well served as a partner with a warrior or an assassin. She could also do well with a support in her lane, but due to her nature as a specialist, she is better served as the in-between a damage dealing Hero and a support herself.
Starter Abilities
- Artillery (Trait)
- Increase vision. Deal more damage to enemies that are far away.
- Siege Mode (Q)
- Cooldown: 5 seconds
- Increases damage to minions and structures, range, and deals splash damage. Cannot move while in Siege.
- 100 Caliber Blast (W)
- Cooldown: 12 seconds
- Knock back and damage enemies.
- Spider Mines (E)
- Cooldown: 14 seconds
- Duration: 35 seconds
- Create mines that slow and damage enemies on contact.
- Thrusters (Z)
- Increases your movement speed by 50% for 4 seconds.
Heroic Abilities (Choose One)
- Napalm Strike (R)
- Cooldown: 6 seconds
- Duration: 4 seconds
- Long range volley that deals damage to enemies in an area.
- Blunt Force Gun (R)
- Cooldown: 80 seconds
- Fires a rocket with unlimited range that damages all enemies it passes through.
Talents (Choose One from Each Tier)
Tier 1
- Regeneration Master: Gather 3 Regeneration Globes to permanently grant you +3 health per second. Stacks.
- Advanced Artillery (Trait): Increase the damage bonus to enemies over 4.5 distance away by 10%.
- Lethal Blast (W): Increases the damage 100 Calliber Blast does by 25%.
- Bribe: Kill enemy minions to gain stacks of Bribe. At 40 stacks, activate to capture target Mercenary Camp. Does not work on Golems.
Tier 2
- Focused Attack: Every 5 seconds, your next Basic Attack deals 50% additional damage.
- Vampiric Assault: Basic Attacks heal you for 15% of the damage done.
- Increased Range: Sgt. Hammer gains +1 Basic Attack range.
- Further Push (W): Doubles the distances that enemies are knocked back.
Tier 3
- Maelstrom Rounds (Trait): Increase the damage bonus to enemies over 4.5 distance away by 25%.
- Have Another Mine (E): Arm 1 additional mine.
- 101 Caliber Blast (W): Also creates a wall of debris that blocks pathing for 4 seconds.
- First Aid: Activate to heal 7.9% of your max Health over 4 seconds.
Tier 4
- Blunt Force Gun (R): Deals 220 damage to enemies in path. Reveals as it travels.
- Napalm Strike (R): Deals 40 damage on impact. Additionally deals 30 damage per second.
Tier 5
- Giant Killer: Basic Attacks against enemy Heroes deal an additional 1.5% of the target’s max Health in damage.
- Crucio X-2 Cannon: Sgt. Hammer gains +2 Basic Attack range and +2 vision radius.
- Hover Siege Mode (Q): Siege Mode allows slow movement.
- Fortify Position (Q): Siege Mode prevents displacement effects. Entering Siege Mode grants 2 stacks of Block, each absorbing 50% of the damage of an incoming basic attack.
Tier 6
- Executioner: Basic Attacks deal 50% more damage against slowed, rooted, or stunned targets.
- Mine Field (E): Increases the number of mines spawned by 2.
- Slowing Mines (E): The slow caused by Spider Mines is increased to 40%.
- Stoneskin: Activate to gain 30% of your max health in Shields for 5 seconds.
Tier 7
- Fury of the Storm: Basic Attacks bounce twice to nearby enemies for 50% damage.
- Resurgence of the Storm: Upon dying, revive back at your Altar after 5 seconds. This can occur once every 120 seconds.
- Orbital BFG (R): Blunt Force Gun’s missile orbits the planet every 5 seconds, continually travelling at its current angle. Recasting Blunt Force Gun again prevents existing missiles from starting new orbits.
- Advanced Lava Strike (R): Napalm Strike’s range is increased by 10 and its impact damage does 50% additional damage.
Talent Builds
Maximum Range Sgt. Hammer
- Advanced Artillery (Trait): This gives you an incentive to stay at a range when fighting enemies.
- Increased Range: Gives you even more range.
- Maelstrom Rounds (Trait): This is like round 2 of Advanced Artillery.
- Blunt Force Gun (R): The ultimate ranged attack.
- Crucio X-2 Cannon: Even more attack range!
- Mine Field (E): Aids in your escapes.
- Orbital BFG (R): An even better version of BFG.
This build is all about staying at a range from your enemies and destroying them. This is great for pushing lanes as much as possible, as well. You can pull this one off well if you have allies that can CC your enemies and keep them away from you.
Master Trapper Sgt. Hammer
- Lethal Blast (W): You will be blasting your enemies a lot with this ability, might as well up the damage.
- Further Push (W): See above.
- 101 Caliber Blast (W): Blocks your enemy from running away allowing your teammates to destroy them.
- Napalm Strike (R): This will work well with your W.
- Any: Take Giant Killer if the enemy has a lot of Health, otherwise your choice.
- Slowing Mines (E): Increased slow means more time to kill your enemies.
- Advanced Lava Strike (R): Make your Napalm even more deadly.
This is all about trapping and isolating an enemy or two, allowing your team to destroy them. The 101 Caliber Blast will force them behind a wall which you can use to force them to stand in your Napalm Strike for longer. The best way of utilizing these abilities is to press z and sprint behind one specific enemy, use your W on them to isolate them, plant a Napalm Strike, and then have your allies help you finish them off. Skilled mine placement will also see an increase to your damage.
Playstyle Tips
Master Siege Mode
- One of the keys to playing Sgt. Hammer is knowing when and where to use Siege Mode.
- Do not use Siege Mode if you are going to have to run away in a few moments. If you use Siege Mode, you commit.
Blunt Force Won
- Blunt Force Gun is your best tool for enemies that leave your range.
- Learning to predict where your enemies will go will help boost your team’s kill count.
- You will miss with Blunt Force Gun a lot until you’ve mastered it.
