You’re standing in front of a boss that looks like a literal mountain of gold and muscle. You have two options. You can poke it with a needle-thin rapier for ten minutes, praying your rolls are frame-perfect, or you can pick up a big hammer Elden ring players have feared since launch and turn that boss into a pancake.
It’s about the "bonk."
Honestly, the philosophy of the Great Hammer and Colossal Weapon class in Elden Ring isn't just about high damage numbers. It's about poise. It's about the sheer, unadulterated joy of watching a Demi-God flinch because you hit them with a piece of a literal crumbling temple. If you aren't using a massive stone mallet, are you even playing the same game?
Some people call it "unga bunga" gameplay. They aren't wrong, but there is actually a surprising amount of math and timing behind making these oversized tools work in the Lands Between, especially with the 1.10 and Shadow of the Erdtree balance shifts.
The Stance Break Secret
Most players look at the Attack Power (AR) first. That's a mistake. The real reason to use a big hammer Elden ring offers is the stance damage. Every enemy has an invisible "posture" bar. When it hits zero, they drop. You get a critical hit.
Small swords deal maybe 5 or 6 stance damage per light hit. A fully charged heavy attack from something like the Giant-Crusher? You’re looking at nearly 40 stance damage in a single swing. Two of those and even Malenia starts to rethink her life choices.
It's a rhythmic dance. You aren't reacting to the boss; you're dictating the pace. When you land a heavy blow, the boss gets staggered. This interrupts their AI. It gives you a window to heal or go for the kill. This is why "Strength builds" are often considered the "easy mode" by veterans—not because they are brainless, but because they effectively disable the boss's ability to fight back.
The Giant-Crusher vs. Everything Else
If we are talking about the absolute peak of the big hammer Elden ring category, we have to talk about the Giant-Crusher. You find it in a chest in the back of a carriage near the Outer Wall Phantom Tree in Altus Plateau.
It requires 60 Strength. That is a massive investment.
But it’s worth it. It has the highest physical damage potential of almost any infusible weapon. When you slap the Cragblade Ash of War on it, the stance damage goes through the roof. I’ve seen players literally stunlock the final bosses of the DLC just by cycling jump attacks and charged heavies.
But it's heavy. Like, 26.5 weight units heavy.
You have to build your entire character around it. You need the Great-Jar's Arsenal talisman just to wear pants while carrying it. If you don't manage your equipment load, you'll be "fat rolling," and in Elden Ring, a slow roll is a death sentence. It’s a trade-off. You become a literal tank, but you move like one too.
Why Strike Damage is King
There are three main physical damage types: Standard, Pierce, and Strike.
Strike damage—the kind dealt by every big hammer Elden ring features—is arguably the best in the game. Why? Because almost everything is weak to being hit by a heavy, blunt object.
Think about the enemies that give people the most trouble.
- Crystalians: Their skin is literal rock. Blades bounce off. Hammers shatter them in three hits.
- Heavy Armored Knights: Their armor is designed to deflect slashes. It buckles under the weight of a Great Mace.
- Stone Miners: You’ll see them in the tunnels. Your katana will literally recoil when you hit them. A hammer ignores that recoil.
Basically, Strike damage is the universal "I don't care about your defenses" button. Even the Elden Beast, the final cosmic entity of the base game, has zero resistance to Strike damage. It’s the most consistent way to deal damage from Limgrave all the way to the Elden Throne.
Great Stars: The Thinking Man’s Hammer
Not every big hammer needs to be a 60-strength slab of rock. The Great Stars is probably the most versatile weapon in the entire game. It’s a massive morning star that comes with innate bleed buildup.
Think about that for a second.
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You get the massive stance damage of a hammer, the "bonk" factor, AND you can make the enemy bleed for a percentage of their total health. Plus, every time you hit an enemy with it, you recover 1% of your HP.
It's ridiculous.
If you put the Prelate's Charge Ash of War on it, you can literally run through enemies, ticking the "hit" box dozens of times, proccing bleed and healing yourself to full in seconds. It’s one of the few weapons that stays relevant from the moment you find it in Altus Plateau all the way through the toughest encounters in the Land of Shadow.
The Jump Attack Meta
If you've played online, you've seen them. The players wearing the Raptor's Black Feathers cape and the Claw Talisman. They don't walk; they hop.
Jump attacks with a big hammer Elden ring are the most efficient way to play. They come out faster than a standard heavy attack, they deal massive stance damage, and they allow you to dodge certain low-sweeping ground attacks simultaneously.
It feels a bit silly.
You spend the whole game jumping like a lethal frog. But when that jump attack lands and deals 1,500 damage while flattening a Leyndell Knight, the silliness evaporates. It’s just pure, raw power.
The community often debates if this "trivializes" the game. Honestly? FromSoftware put these tools in the game for a reason. Elden Ring is a game about using every advantage you can find. If that advantage happens to be a 500-pound hammer and a vertical leap, go for it.
Dealing with Slow Swing Speeds
The biggest hurdle for new hammer users is the "recovery frames."
When you swing a Colossal Weapon, you are committed. You can't just cancel out of it like you can with a dagger. If you miss, you’re going to get hit. This is where "Poise" comes in.
You need to wear heavy armor. You need to be able to take a hit without your own animation being interrupted. This is called "trading." You accept that the boss is going to hit you for 300 damage because you know your hammer is going to hit them for 800 and take half their posture bar.
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It's a high-stakes game of chicken.
The Best Hammers You Might Have Missed
Everybody knows the Giant-Crusher. Everyone knows the Brick Hammer you find early in Stormveil Castle. But there are some weird ones that actually dominate if you know how to use them.
- Cranial Vessel Candlestand: This thing is a nightmare to look at, but it scales with Faith and Strength. Its unique skill, "Surge of Faith," literally showers the area in fire. It’s a hammer that doubles as an artillery strike.
- Devonia’s Hammer (DLC): This is a new favorite. It’s a Crucible Knight weapon. The weapon art is a massive overhead slam that creates a vortex of holy energy. It's essentially the "bonk" but with a magical explosion at the end.
- Rotten Battle Hammer: Found in the Consecrated Snowfield. It applies Scarlet Rot. Imagine hitting a boss three times, breaking their stance, and then walking away while they slowly melt from magical super-flu.
Practical Advice for the "Bonk" Build
If you’re going to commit to the big hammer Elden ring life, you need to optimize your stats correctly.
Don't just pump Strength.
You need Vigor. Because you are going to be "trading" hits, having 60 Vigor is non-negotiable by the time you reach the late game. You also need enough Endurance to not only swing the hammer but also have enough stamina left over to roll away.
A common mistake is neglecting the Flask of Wondrous Physick. Use the Stonebarb Cracked Tear. It increases the likelihood of breaking an enemy's stance even further. For 30 seconds, you become a poise-breaking god.
Also, look at your talismans.
- Shard of Alexander: Boosts the damage of your weapon skills.
- Great-Jar's Arsenal: Necessary for the heavy weight.
- Bull-Goat's Talisman: Increases your poise so you don't get interrupted.
Moving Forward with Your Build
So, you've got the hammer. You've got the armor. What now?
First, go to the Gatefront Ruins in Limgrave. Practice the timing of your charged heavy attacks on the poor soldiers there. Learn exactly how long it takes for your character to recover after a swing.
Second, experiment with Ashes of War. Lion's Claw is a classic for a reason—it gives you near-infinite poise during the animation, meaning nothing can knock you out of the air while you're flipping toward the enemy's skull. Waves of Darkness is another great choice for hammers if you’re running a Magic-Strength hybrid, providing excellent crowd control.
Third, don't be afraid to use a shield early on. While two-handing a hammer gives you a 1.5x Strength bonus, "Guard Countering" with a Great Hammer is one of the fastest ways to break an enemy's stance. You block, you hear the "ding," you press heavy attack, and—BAM. They’re on the ground.
The big hammer Elden ring experience is about feeling the weight of your actions. Every swing matters. Every miss is a risk. But every hit feels like you’re rewriting the laws of physics in your favor.
Stop poking the gods with toothpicks. Go find a rock on a stick and show them why the Age of Fracture needs a little more "bonk."
Actionable Next Steps:
- Head to the Sealed Tunnel in Altus Plateau to grab the Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing [2] so you can upgrade your hammers easily.
- Locate the Giant-Crusher in the carriage south of the Outer Wall Phantom Tree site of grace.
- Respec your stats at Rennala, aiming for at least 54 Strength (which becomes 81 when two-handing) to maximize your damage scaling while leaving room for Vigor and Endurance.
- Farm the Large Club near the Forlorn Hound Evergaol if you want a lighter, faster "big hammer" to start your journey.