Heroes of the Storm: Sgt. Hammer Walkthrough [Guide]

Some men carry big guns, but this particular woman has an entire tank as her arsenal. Sgt. Bama “The Hammer” Kowalski is a soldier on a mission, and having her set her eyes on you will always be a predicament. Highly effective at range, Sgt. Hammer can make mincemeat out of any team, and she can also use her abilities to keep enemies at bay. A specialist from the Starcraft universe, Sgt. Hammer is not an enemy to be taken lightly. Here’s our guide on how to play as Sgt. Hammer in Heroes of the Storm.

Introduction
Sgt. Bama “The Hammer” Kowalski is one of the toughest soldiers around, serving lengthy tours in the Korprulu sector. Piloting her own tank, Kowalski can send shivers down the spine of both her enemies and even her allies due to her abilities to spread mayhem in the field. Capable of destroying targets from a distance, only a fool would stay on her path, and they would be even more foolish to stay within her sights as their complete and utter destruction would surely follow.

Items
Sgt. Hammer’s main weapon also provides her with her method of movement. Her tank is capable of firing shells and other artillery that can deal damage from mid to far range. She can also produce mines and rapid fire ammunition that can strike specific targets or a wide area. While her tank provides her with high defenses, this can also serve as a disadvantage as her mobility is also hindered, especially when entering Siege Mode. However, this is compensated by increased ability to attack from a range.

Build
As a passive trait, Sgt. Hammer is capable of delivering 20% more damage to enemies that are 4.5 distance away. This gives players controlling this hero the advantage as, the farther they are, the more punishment they can deal. Of course, this can also serve as a problem as accuracy and being more able to actively participate in fights can be an issue. Having enemies close in on you will also make the Artillery trait moot.

Sgt. Hammer has three starting abilities, namely Spider Mines, Concussive Blast, and Thrusters. Spider Mines (50 mana cost, 14 seconds cooldown) allows Sgt. Hammer to create and place 3 mines that will last for 35 seconds. Enemies that walk on these mines will get damaged and will also be slowed by 25% for 1.5 seconds. The second ability is Concussive Blast (75 mana cost, 12 seconds cooldown) which damages enemies and also provides a knockback effect. Lastly, Thrusters is an ability which increases Sgt. Hammer’s movement speed by 50% for 4 seconds.

For heroic abilities, players can choose between two, namely Napalm Strike and Blunt Force Gun. Napalm Strike (35 mana cost, 6 seconds cooldown) leaves an area of napalm which deals heavy damage to enemies on impact, but can also damage to enemies that go within the area over 4 seconds. Blunt Force Gun (100 mana cost, 80 seconds cooldown) on the other hand, deals damage to all enemies within a path.

Sgt. Hammer also has the ability to use Siege Mode. This form can be activated on and off. Under Siege Mode, players will be able to deal more damage and they will also have an increase in range as well as gain 25% splash damage. However, players will not be able to move while in Siege Mode.

Build Sgt. Hammer either as a damage dealer or as a crowd control machine. Whenever possible, sprinkle these with abilities that will provide her with the ability to maintain her health, especially if there is a lack of a healer within your team. Both options are viable for Sgt. Hammer to become a certified offensive threat.

This build turns Sgt. Hammer into both a literal and figurative tank, allowing for increased damage while having a high enough health to sustain light to moderate attacks from enemies that may be able to get through the team’s defenses:

Advanced Artillery or Lethal Blast – Advanced Artillery increases the damage of Artillery trait by 10% while Lethal Blast increases the damage of Concussive Blast by 25%

Vampiric Assault or Focused Attack – Vampiric Assault heals 15% the damage dealt by basic attacks while Focused Attack increases the damage of basic attacks by 50% every 10 seconds

Fortify Position or First Aid – Fortify Position prevents enemies from moving you while in Siege Mode and also provides 2 stacks of Block while reduces basic attack damage incurred by 50%. On the other hand, First Aid lets Sgt. Hammer regenerate a percentage of her max health over 6 seconds

Blunt Force Gun – damages all enemies within a path

Giant Killer – basic attacks deal additional damage equal to 1.5% of a target hero’s mac health

Graduating Range or Stoneskin – Graduating Range increases basic attack range while in Siege Mode every 3 seconds while Stoneskin lets Sgt. Hammer gain 30% of her max health as shields for 5 seconds

Fury of the Storm – basic attacks gain splash damage worth 50% which would bounce twice to nearby enemies

With this build, Sgt. Hammer will get to enjoy increased damage capabilities as well as increased health regeneration abilities. This will allow her to withstand attacks from enemies as well as to be more participative offensively.

This build, on the other hand, focuses more on Sgt. Hammer’s siege abilities. This kit allows her to control the crowd more effectively through slows, knockbacks, as well as other ways by which to lea enemies to where you want them to go:

Advanced Artillery or Lethal Blast – same reasons as above

Excessive Force – increases the knockback distance of Concussive Blast

Hover Siege Mode or Hyper Cooling Engines – Hover Siege Mode allows Sgt. Hammer to move while in Siege Mode, albeit at 50% speed. On the other hand, Hyper Cooling Engines reduces the cooldown of Thrusters by 10 seconds and also makes it active always while at the Altar.

Napalm Strike – damages enemies in an area and makes said area being able to do damage for 4 seconds

Barricade or Bullhead Mines – Barricade lets Sgt. Hammer place a wall that will block enemies’ paths for 4 seconds while Bullhead Mines add a knockback effect to Spider Mines

Mine Field or Slowing Mines – Mine Field increases Spider Mines from 3 mines to 5 while Slowing Mines increases the slowing effect and duration of Spider Mines

Advanced Lava Strike – Napalm Strike’s range is increased by 75% and does 50% more damage on impact

The above build serves the purpose of a siege specialist well, as it can be used to push enemies back as well as slow them for easy pickings of allies. Either in low or high number team fights, Sgt. Hammer can be really deadly when added to any team when the above build is utilized properly.

Strategy
The best way to play Sgt. Hammer is to use her at a distance. Within range, she can serve multiple purposes, either as an assassin, a backup support for those who can get into team fights and be more effective close range, or to be able to control the field. Out of all of these, Sgt. Hammer is most effective with the third option as she has many abilities that will allow crowd control. She can also use Concussive Blast to knock back opponents and the heroic ability Napalm Strike can turn Sgt. Hammer into a shepherd that can lead the sheep to slaughter.

Sgt. Hammer must be able to effectively use her range to hit opponents without getting attacked in return. Keep Thrusters handy and only use Siege Mode if you have a solid team that will block enemies from the most direct path towards you. You may also use your Spider Mines to keep enemies at bay. Should enemies be able to get through your defenses, however, make sure that you have a clear path to escape as well as allies that will be able to help you get out of harm’s reach.

Pros and Cons
Sgt. Hammer is a powerful hero to play as, although her range is not that far as compared to other ranged characters. She can also deal some heavy damage, but only at a certain range. Thus, the challenge with making Sgt. Hammer effective is finding the perfect distance so as to keep yourself from danger while still being able to do harm. At close quarters, though, and with multiple enemies around, Sgt. Hammer can be quickly dispatched without a supporting team.

Sgt. Hammer also has good crowd control abilities that can knock back or slow opponents. This allows melee warriors or warriors to pick off targets and finish them off. Despite this, those controlling Sgt. Hammer may find her mobility lacking as it would be difficult for her to find the best position to attack since everyone around her would be moving at a much faster pace.

Tips and Tricks
Use Spider Mines and Napalm Strike as an additional way to control the crowd using this Siege Tank Specialist. It can effectively block paths of escape as well as blitzes of incoming enemies. Narrow down the lanes that enemies will be able to take, and then utilize Concussive Blast to send them towards these obstacles for some added damage.

You can also use this strategy for when you would like to activate Siege Mode and snipe at enemies from afar. However, make sure that enemies would have to work either to get through the mine field and napalmed area or that you have a tanky warrior that can fend off enemies while you blast enemies away. Use knockback capabilities to keep them further at bay so that you and your allies would be safer from attacks with the exception of enemies with the longest ranges.