Strike damage sits on its golden throne far above the rest, far beyond the places where other plebeian damage types such as slash, fire, or even lightning reside. To put it better in in-game terms, the simple mace (that I’ve decided to honorary mention here) is the strongest starter weapon – and it’s not even a competition. Since all strike weapons are basically hammers of different shapes and sizes (with some exceptions) I’ve tried to add some variety to our ranking, but don’t get your hopes up. Anyways, less talking more smashing!
5. Drakekeeper’s Warpick
This first entry here is possibly the slimmest great-hammer that exists. Even though it’s small compared to its brothers, the warpick packs quite a punch, ending up with a base attack rating of 420. It’s also a solid candidate for infusion (though it kind of defeats the purpose of having a strike weapon), ending up with almost 300 in both damage types. Fun fact: The Drakekeeper’s Warpick is the only hammer that can be infused with bleed. Neat! How to get: Dropped by Drakekeepers.
4. Sacred Chime Hammer
Originally I wasn’t planning to include this, but I was swayed in the name of variety. The weapon of the Royal Aegis himself, the Sacred Chime Hammer comes with a good mix of physical and dark damage, which helps against the audacious enemies that dare resist your strikes. Its two-handed strong attack is a special that unleashes 3 dark orbs which, much like the affinity spell, home-in to the closest enemy. A hit or two will surely leave your opponent’s ears ringing. How to get: Trade the Soul of Velstadt to Weaponsmith Ornifex.
3. Craftsman’s Hammer
Remember the mace? This is it now. Feel old yet? On a more serious note, the Craftsman’s Hammer is essentially the same as the aforementioned mace, edging out the race with slightly more base damage and a better (entirely subjective) moveset. What makes it stand out from the strike-crowd is its attack speed. So use it if you’re tired of slowly swinging large chunks of metal around. How to get: Lost Bastille in the room with Steady Hand McDuff. Light the fires in the room to make him stand up.
2. King’s Ultra Greatsword
King Vendrick decided to honor his great queen Nashandra by creating a statue of her likeness. Well, turns out this slab of solid stone also serves as an excellent tool to pulverize your enemies with. With 99 points in both strength and dexterity, this bulldozer tops out with 710 attack rating. Sheesh, talk about overkill! How to get: Trade the Soul of the King to Weaponsmith Ornifex.
1. Large Club
Yes, your eyes don’t deceive you. A simple piece of wood puts the greatest of Drangleic’s blacksmiths to shame! Not only does the Large Club have a superb moveset, but it comes with one of the best strength scalings in the game as well. If you’re looking for something bigger, its cousin the Great Club is in-essence the same – with the numbers slightly increased across the board. …and if you want to go even bigger, then I recommend giving the Smelter Hammer a try (also known as the chicken wing). How to get: Treasure in Lost Bastille and Frozen Eleum Loyce.
