Hammers are some of the strongest pure-strength weapons in the entire game, and a good handful of them have a surprising amount of nuance. To top it off, almost all of them are acquirable early-game. So you can really tailor your run around them. But which ones are the best? In this list I’ll be ranking every hammer available in DS1, from worst to best, to help you find one to fit your build.
9. Blacksmith Hammer
Kicking us off is the blacksmith hammer, which is let down not by its stats, but also by how you obtain it: You have to kill Andre for it! Anyone who can take down that lovable lug must truly have gone hollow, as he’s seemingly one of the only nice people left in the dire world of Dark Souls. It’s a shame too, because the weapon is decent! With good base damage and a B in strength at +15, it’s certainly viable. But there are superior options for sure. Maybe let Andre live another day. How to get: Kill Andre the blacksmith.
8. Blacksmith Giant Hammer
In a similar vein to the blacksmith hammer, this huge version is wielded by the similarly useful and kind-hearted giant blacksmith in Anor Londo. And yes, this means more cold-blooded murder. While this hammer may not seem all that strong thanks to the maximum of a D-scaling in strength, it’s the huge innate lightning damage that sets it apart. This, paired with its low stat requirements, makes it fantastic for challenge runs like SL1 and speedruns. Even un-upgraded, it’ll destroy most opponents. But for a fully leveled character? You’re better off with a scaling weapon. How to get: Kill the giant blacksmith.
7. Warpick
Unlike its DS3 iteration, the DS1 warpick is far inferior to the pickaxe, at least in my opinion. With a high attack range (second only to the giant blacksmith hammer) and good swing speed, the warpick can definitely be useful – especially when paired with the leo ring. But it’s the C/D scaling that lets it down for me. Sure, it has good base damage. And it’s the only hammer that scales with dex. But it’s not enough. And it has a horizontal swing on its 2-handed R2 that just loves to bounce off walls… How to get: Sold by Andre.
6. Hammer of Vamos
As the third and final blacksmith hammer, Vamos’ tool of choice beats out the others largely because I don’t feel nearly as bad about murdering the skeletal smith. But I’ve also placed it higher because it’s actually quite a cool weapon. With innate fire damage, decent base damage, and a C-scaling in strength, this is another choice that can be used early-game or on low-level characters. However, I wouldn’t personally recommend it. Because, again, you have to kill a useful NPC to get your hands on it. How to get: Kill blacksmith Vamos.
5. Morning Star
The morning star is where things start getting good. Huge base damage, B-scaling in strength, and a nice chunk of bleed auxilary makes this weapon truly fearsome – and 100% viable for a strength build. And the cherry on top is that this powerhouse of a weapon is found in Firelink, available immediately upon leaving the asylum! This makes it likely the best starting choice for most characters, and is personally my go-to up until at least the undead burg. How to get: In a chest below the elevator near Petrus in Firelink.
4. Reinforced Club
Remember how I said I’d use the morning star until the undead burg? That’s because of this bad boy. The reinforced club is basically a direct upgrade of the morning star, boasting higher base damage and similarly low stat requirements! All the while still possessing innate bleed. It is, hands-down, one of the strongest low-requirement weapons in the game. And only gets better as you level it up! How to get: Sold by the male undead merchant in the undead burg.
3. Club
Despite being placed higher than complete monsters like the morning star and reinforced club, the base club is definitely more of a late-game choice. While it has low base damage during early reinforcements, it’s the A-scaling in strength that’ll cause its power to gradually overtake the competition. A 2-handed +15 club is absolutely no joke on a high-level strength build. The R1 spam alone is enough to utterly destroy any foe, and it even gets good scalings on infusions! How to get: Starting equipment for the deprived class, or sold by the male undead merchant in the burg.
2. Mace
But instead of using the club, why not just use the mace? Retaining the A-scaling in strength, the mace boasts tons more base damage, and still responds well to infusions for hybrid builds. Like all hammers. it’s hampered by its short range. But once you get up in an enemy’s face, you can easily stunlock them to death. Plus it beats out the club on style points, because it’s actually a weapon and not just… a big stick. But hey, maybe the caveman look is what you’re going for? How to get: Starting gear for the cleric, looted from the catacombs, or sold by Patches once he gets to Firelink.
1. Pickaxe
It’s no joke, the pickaxe is insane. Its fantastic moveset is complimented by its huge base damage and A-scaling in strength, but if you know me you know what I’m more interested in: The thrust damage. Slap on a Leo Ring and rejoice as you one-shot your foes with a well-timed counterattack. And it can even be buffed to pump its damage higher! The pickaxe is a bit of a grind to get, but well worth the effort. Your poor, unassuming opponents will have no idea what’s coming. How to get: Rare drop (5% chance) from the boulder-wielding barbarians in Blighttown.
