Holy Hammers

Overview

• Skill Name: Holy Hammers
• Skill Type: Active Attack
• Gem Color: Red (Strength/Intelligence hybrid)
• Gem Tags: Attack, AoE, Melee, Physical
• Weapon Restriction: Mace hoặc Staff
• Base Radius: 1.8m
• Base Damage: 220% weapon damage
• Release: 3.28 Mirage (skill mới)

How It Works

Core Mechanic

Holy Hammers là một trong các "holy skills" mới trong 3.28 Mirage. Skill này được thiết kế từ đầu với tư duy overlap multiple hits lên single target:

1. Initial Slam: Bám đất, gọi 1 hammer rơi từ trên xuống
2. Power Charge: Tiêu thụ Power Charge để spawn thêm 2 hammers ở 2 bên (total 3 hammers)
3. Cascades: Mỗi hammer cascade 2 lần khi hit enemy -- max 9 hammer areas với Power Charge
4. First Hit Bonus: 3 hammers ban đầu (initial + 2 side) deal 100% more damage

Damage Breakdown

Với Power Charge (Level 20, 20% Quality):

Hammer Overlap Mechanics

Holy Hammers được thiết kế để shotgun -- nhiều hammer areas overlap trên cùng một target. Tuy nhiên, để overlap cần AoE scaling:

Base radius: 1.8m → cần AoE scaling để overlap reliable
Reveal footage character: ~3.1m radius (đã có AoE investment)

AoE Scaling Breakpoints

Research từ Dreamcore cho thấy các AoE breakpoints quan trọng:

Base (1.8m radius) -- Không có overlap

• Initial hammer và first cascade cách nhau quá xa
• Không overlap tự nhiên

Moderate Investment (3.1m radius)

• Character trong reveal footage có ~3.1m
• Cần để achieve: 50% more AoE (Seismic Cry) + 100% increased AoE
• Overlap: 2 first hits overlap trong small area
• Damage: 1,056% weapon damage (2 × 528%)

High Investment (4.6m radius)

• Overlap: 4 hits overlap trong red area
• Damage: 1,584% weapon damage
• Investment required:
  • Fist of War Support (59% increased)
  • Pulverize Support (44% increased)
  • Juggernaut Unyielding + nodes (90% increased)
  • Brinksmanship wheel (40% increased)
  • Seismic Cry (50% more)
  • Blood and Sand Sand Stance (15% more)
  • Tree nodes (60% increased)

Extreme Investment (6.2m radius)

• Overlap: 4+ hits, trong đó 3 là first hammers
• Damage: 1,848% weapon damage
• Investment: Tất cả ở trên + thêm ~296% increased AoE
• How: Strength stacking với Elder mace mod (3% AoE per 50 STR)

AoE Scaling Formula

New Radius = Base Radius × (1 + Increased AoE%) × More AoE Multipliers

Example (4.6m):
1.8 × (1 + 293% increased) × 1.5 (Seismic) × 1.15 (B&S) ≈ 4.6m

Sources of AoE

"More" AoE (Multiplicative -- Most Valuable)

"Increased" AoE (Additive)

Build Archetypes

AoE Overlap Holy Hammers (High Investment)

• Ascendancy: Juggernaut (best native AoE scaling)
• Core setup: Holy Hammers + Fist of War + Pulverize
• AoE sources: Seismic Cry + Blood and Sand + Unyielding
• Goal: Reach 4.6m+ radius cho reliable overlaps

Strength Stacking Extreme (Meme/Late League)

• Ascendancy: Juggernaut
• Weapon: Elder mace với 3% AoE per 50 STR
• Goal: 5,000+ STR cho 300%+ increased AoE
• Damage: Extreme radius, full screen coverage

League Start Budget

• Ascendancy: Juggernaut hoặc Champion
• Core setup: Holy Hammers + Fist of War
• AoE sources: Seismic Cry only
• Reality: Low overlap, rely on base damage + cascades cho clear
• Note: Damage vẫn OK do base 220% + 100% more multiplier

Gem Links & Synergies

Core Setup (6-Link)

1. Holy Hammers -- main skill
2. Fist of War Support -- AoE + damage + exert
3. Pulverize Support -- AoE + damage multiplier
4. Melee Physical Damage Support -- core damage
5. Brutality Support -- physical scaling (if not converting)
6. Impale Support -- impale stacking cho physical

Warcry Setup

1. Seismic Cry -- 50% more AoE exert
2. Ancestral Cry -- defensive option
3. Intimidating Cry -- damage option

Utility

• Power Charge on Critical -- maintain Power Charges
• Blood and Sand -- 15-21% more AoE trong Sand Stance

Best Use Cases

Strengths:

• Base damage cao (220%) + 100% more multiplier cho first hits
• Designed cho overlap -- damage ceiling cao với AoE investment
• Cascading hammers cung cấp excellent clear speed
• Power charge mechanic thêm depth vào rotation
• New skill -- sẽ được discover và optimize thêm trong league

Weaknesses:

• Cần SIGNIFICANT AoE investment để overlap reliable
• Base 1.8m radius quá nhỏ cho natural overlap
• Extreme overlap (6.2m+) cần strength stacking -- late league build
• Pre-league theorycraft -- overlap consistency chưa test in-game
• Power charge generation cần setup (PCoC, Assassin's Mark, tree)

Limitations

• Pre-league theorycraft: Tất cả overlap calculations dựa trên reveal footage analysis. Actual in-game behavior có thể khác.
• AoE investment required: League start sẽ không có reliable overlap -- build chỉ shine với gear investment.
• Unknown breakpoints: Chưa có exact numbers cho cần bao nhiêu AoE để overlap on various boss hitboxes.
• Power charge sustain: Cần tree investment hoặc items để maintain charges trong sustained combat.

Sources

• Dreamcore YouTube (2026-03-03): "AoE Scaling Theorycraft for Holy Hammers Overlaps | Path of Exile: Mirage"
• CaptainLance9 YouTube (2026-02-22): "Big Strong Big Slam Big Smile" -- Extreme AoE scaling strategies
• GGG Patch Notes 3.28.0 Mirage -- Skill description và base stats

Changelog

Relationships

• synergizes_with Holy Sweep — Cùng holy skill family, tương tự AoE overlap mechanics
• used_by Holy Hammers Chieftain — Primary build utilizing hammer overlap mechanics with Chieftain synergies