Magic Find Blessed Hammer Paladin Guide

Introduction

The Blessed Hammer Paladin (Magic Find Hammerdin) is the highest damage PvM build in the game. They excel at quick kills and do excellent at some of the most difficult content in the game. Hammerdins are commonly used to magic find the Chaos Sanctuary, Nihlathak (Key of Destruction runs), and Baal runs due to their high dps and great survival. Their popularity has, however, increased the cost of gearing them up with high prices for Paladin Torches and Combat Skills grand charms with life.

Blessed Hammer Paladin Skills

The top spot for a Magic Find Paladin goes to the Blessed Hammer Paladin which is excellent at both survival and damage.

Recommendation: Blessed Hammer Paladin (Hammerdin)

Stats: Enough Strength for gear, enough dexterity for maximum block, all remaining points in Vitality, and 0 Energy.

Skill Points:

20 Blessed Hammer

20 Vigor (Blessed Hammer synergy)

20 Blessed Aim (Blessed Hammer synergy)

20 Concentrate

1 Redemption

All remaining points in Holy Shield for increased block chance and defense.

Magic Find Hammerdin Gear

Main Weapons

Heart of the Oak (Ko Vex Pul Thul) - Gives +3 to skills, 40% faster cast rate, 40% to all resistances, 10 dexterity, and level 4 Oak Sage.

Shield

Ethereal Exile Vortex Shield (Vex Ohm Ist Dol) - Gives up to level 16 Defiance Aura, +2 to Offensive Auras (Paladin), high enhanced defense, 30% faster block rate, repairs 1 durability in 4 seconds, 5% to maximum cold resistance, 5% to maximum fire resistance, and 25% increased magic find. The Paladin shield base can also have up to 45% to all resistances. Using an ethereal Vortex Shield is important because the Exile runeword has repairs durability and high enhanced defense which can take the shield above 1000 defense. Exile also has level 16 Defiance Aura which then gives even more defense.

Budget Shield

Rhyme Sacred Targe (Shael Eth) - Sacred Targe is the best base for high block. Rhyme gives 20% increased block chance, 40% faster block rate, all resistances +25, cannot be frozen, 50% gold find, and 25% magic find. The base can also have up to 45% to all resists.

Weapon Switch

Call To Arms (Amn Ral Mal Ist Ohm) - Gives up to +1 to all skills, +6 to Battle Orders, and +6 to Battle Command. Battle Orders and Battle Command are important because they give greatly increased life and mana and +1 to all skills for a long duration. You should use a Paladin Shield Spirit (Tal Thul Ort Amn) for its +2 to all skills which also increases the level of your Battle Orders.

Helmet

Harlequin Crest (aka Shako) - Gives +2 to all skills, 10% reduced physical damage taken, high life and mana, and 50% magic find.

Body

Enigma Dusk Shroud (Jah Ith Ber) - Gives the Teleport skill (important), +2 to all skills, high strength per level, magic find per level, 5% increased life, 8% reduced physical damage taken, high added defense, 15% damage taken goes to mana, and life on kill.

Gloves

Trang'Oul's Gloves - Gives 20% faster cast rate and 30% increased cold resistance.

Belt

Arachnid's Mesh - Gives +1 to all skills, 20% faster cast rate, and 5% increased maximum mana.

Feet

War Travelers - Gives 25% faster run walk, 50% magic find, 10 strength, 10 vitality, and 15-25 base weapon damage.

Amulet

+2 Paladin Rare Amulet - Look for +2 to all Paladin skills, high all resistance, and increased magic find with other great modifiers.

Amulet (Budget)

Mara's Kaleidoscope - Gives +2 to all skills, 5 to all attributes, and 20-30 to all resistances.

Rings

Nagelring x2 - Gives up to 30% increased magic find each.

Note: You can also use two magic 40% magic find rings if you can afford them.

Alternate Ring (for Nihlathak)

Nature's Peace - This ring should be used for Nihlathak Key of Destruction runs to disable Nihlathak's corpse explosion attack with the 'slain monsters rest in peace' modifier which is very important. It also has prevent monster heal, damage taken reduced by up to 11, 30% poison resistance, and level 5 Oak Sage charges.

Charms

Hellfire Torch for +3 Paladin Skills, Annihilus for +1 to all skills, Gheed's Fortune for up to 40% magic find, 1 Combat Skills (Paladin) 12% faster hit recovery grand charm, and four +1 Combat Skills (Paladin) with up to 45 life grand charms. For small charms look for 20 life resistance small charms which allows you to use an Ist rune in Shako instead of an Um rune for more magic find. You can also use one 5% faster hit recovery small charm optionally with resistance to reach the next faster hit recovery breakpoint.

Mercenary Type

Act 2 Might Mercenary

Mercenary Weapon

Ethereal Insight Thresher (Ral Tir Tal Sol) - Gives up to level 17 Meditation aura which greatly increases your mana regeneration and it also has 23% increased magic find. On Nihlathak it's important to switch to a low damage Insight so your mercenary doesn't get kills because the 'Slain Monsters Rest In Peace' modifier only works when you get the kill.

Mercenary Armor

Ethereal Fortitude (El Sol Dol Lo) - Gives 300% enhanced damage, all resistances +30%, high life per level, 5% to maximum lightning resistance, and a 20% chance to cast level 15 Chilling Armor when struck.

Budget Mercenary Armor

Duriel's Shell - Gives all resistances +20%, 50% cold resistances, life per level, 15 strength, and cannot be frozen.

Mercenary Helm

Ethereal Andariel's Visage (Ral'd) - Gives +2 to all skills, 10% life leech, -30% fire resistance, and 30 strength. Ral gives 30% fire resistance but you can also use a 30% fire resistance jewel with other great modifiers.

Budget Mercenary Helmet

Tal Rasha's Helmet - Gives 10% life stolen per hit, all resistances +15%, and 60 life.

Magic Find Paladin Leveling Items

You can start off using a melee attack with Hsarus' Belt and Gloves once you are level 3 for added Defense and Attack Rating per level from the set bonus. Civerb's Cudgel is a great starter weapon that increases in damage as you level and can be used as early as level 9. You can add Angelics Amulet and Ring once you are level 12 for more Life and Attack Rating. Skin of the Viper Magi can also be used at level 29 for up to +1 to all skills, 35% all resistances, 30% faster cast rate, and magic damage taken reduced by 13.

Magic Find Runs

Chaos Sanctuary, Nihlathak, and Baal

These magic find spots are all safe to magic find on a Blessed Hammer Paladin once you are well geared. Diablo's minions in Chaos Sanctuary can drop the highest level items and runes in the game. Chaos Sanctuary tends to have the best drops but Nihlathak is also great for Keys of Destruction and he can also drop every item in the game. You will get about 1 Key of Destruction from Nihlathak every 25 minutes which is worth Mal-Ist and you can also get great items from his normal drop table.

The Countess (optional)

Blessed Hammer Paladins can also efficiently do Countess runs and while The Countess doesn't have the best drops in the game it is often farmed for Keys of Terror. The Countess will on the average drop two runes between Ist and Pul every 100 runs. The Countess drops up to Ist on her rune table drops but, she also has a low chance of dropping up to Lo rune from her normal drops.

Sample Drops From 100 Nihlathak Runs - Time to Complete: About Two Minute

Key of Destruction x8 (worth Mal- Ist each)

Boots with 30% Faster Run Walk, 10% faster hit recovery, 35% increased cold resistance, 35% increased fire resistance, and dexterity.

Oculus (worth Mal rune).

Mara's Kaleidoscope with 26% to all resistances (worth Ist rune)

Ethereal 4os Colossus Voulge (worth Mal rune)

Note: Keep in mind that the sample is somewhat small and only took about 200 minutes. You can get better drops with more runs.

And that's all for the Magic Find Hammerdin Guide. You can also check out the Gold Find Barbarian Guide here Gold Find Barbarian.