The lvl18 smite/hammer hybrid paladin

I wanted to write this guide since long time and some of you asked me about it lately so here it is:

I found this build to be really strong against melee / close combat chars however cant really compete ranged chars.
Based on this I chose the defensive route for the smite switch. Smite operates with crushing blow and open wounds - not by its main damage (that would be really weak)... so getting items with enhanced damage mods are useless here (and ofc maxdam is totally useless).
On hammer switch blessed hammer does magic damage - you can increase it only by its synergies.

Stats:
strength: enough to wear your gear (hardest item is steelclash: 47 str req)
dexterity: enough for maxblock (will be 60 on smite side with swordback hold shield)
vitality: all what you have left
energy: none

Skills:
Defensive tab
Prayer 1
Cleansing 1
Defiance 13
Vigor 1

Offensive tab
Might 1
Blessed Aim 7
Concentration 1

Combat tab
Holy Bolt 1
Blessed Hammer 1
Smite 2


I found no use for the skill charge as it eats up too much mana and you will never have enough mana to do off-screen charges just to cause desync.
I never use vigor either (for the same reason) it is just skilled to increase hammer damage (synergy)
a

Brakepoints:
faster cast rate: 75 -> 25(stealth)+10(scepter)+10(circ)+10amu+20(rings) - you can drop it to 48 in case you cant find a 1pc/10fc circlet
faster hit recovery: 48(27)(15) -> 25(stealth) ( +30(bloodfist) or +24(belt) or +10(belt) )

Gear:
armor: stealth rune word in an eth-bugged breast plate or light plate (defense should be over 200)
amulet: 1pc amu with some of these mods: 1pc 10fc 40life 40mana 10replife, str/dex/res/etc
rings: 10fc mana rings with some of these mods: 10fc 40mana 5repl 5str 5dex 10life
helm: 1pc 10fc circlet with some of these mods: 1pc 10fc 40life 40mana 10repl 2sox (socked with pskulls) - a temp solution is a tarnhelm with pskull socked
gloves: death set (or bloodfist if you use hammer more and need fhr - so you sacrifice 20 ias)
belt: death set (or 24fhr/40life/20mana/5repl or 10fhr/10fc crafted if you do not need cbf or you need fhr/fc)
boots: cow king set

hammer switch:
10fc 3hammer 3concentration grand scepter (ideally 2sox - socked with str/life/mana stat jewels)
steelclash unique kite shield (should be socketed with a 6dex/-15req/add jewel)

smite switch:
crushflange unique mace (socked with 6dex/20def/add jewel)
swordback hold unique spiked shield (idealy 60ed - socked with a perf amethyst)

inventory:
30* 15life/8def scs
10* 15life/7mana scs

You can reach the following:
stats:
1070 life 200 mana

hammer switch:
225 hammer damage (75fc)

smite switch:
33%cb, 50% ow, 2k defense



Some tactics:

Use concentration aura on hammer switch and defiance on smite switch.
This char is really strong against all the melee builds. You can smite (causing crushing blow) your opponents down to 10% life and finish them off with some hammers. This applies to zealots, kickers, conc barbs, javazons, etc

Remember that crushing blow does less and less damage as your opponent is having less life. So you cant use smite to kill him. For that you have to use hammers at the end.

Against a charger you should predict when he gonna charge... until this happens throw hammers around your char and as soon as you see him charging towards you switch to the smite side (2k def hi!) and hope for a successful block... try to smite him a few times as he is close (stun will help you keeping him close for more time)... repeat this each time he tries to attack from distance

This post was edited by minifoot on Feb 28 2012 05:33am

n1 guide, n1 build!
works a like a charm. had some duels vs this little guy on my hammer/charge hybrid. was good times
1 thing i dont get: how can you get 225 hammer dmg (75 fc)?
with tarnhelm or eye of ethlich amu? cuz as i counted with 1/10 amu/circ the max you can reach (and i reach on mine) is ~188-200 (or something like that, ima at school now cant check)

great guide

guide good

donete some fg's

Hallo peterfood

Nice guide mini but here is come critism 200 mana is too low needs 400 in my opinion. My smite charge hammer works fine vs range chars too. U can reach 75 fcr when using a 3/3 5 sock scepter vs range chars. I highly recommend it. I use that for hammer and charge and same smite switch as u. Nice guide gj
Edit I bet ur defense is sick

This post was edited by chum on Feb 28 2012 06:10am

lol leevolka scammer Multi account

what for? smite cuts down the opponent's life to ~20-30% in a couple of sec (in close combat ofc..) than you can cast more than enough hammers for finishing off.

How many tvts have you done with this char? Trust me that mana wouldn't last. But as mini said this is not for killing range chars so I guess I'm stating things that's not applicable. If all u want to do is kill melee this will do the job

this build is not for tvt, nor vs ranged chars... ( ie: i havent joined any tvts with my trophy conc barb.. )
its tottaly a different build than your or mine lvl 18 hammer. as your and mine hab charge as a secondary attack, for sure 400+ mana is recommended on those.