War Hammer

War Hammer
Type	Melee Weapon
Details	Rachel's War Hammer. A Fiend Hunter's weapon, it is suitable for taking the heads off of Fiends.
Statistics
Strength	High
Speed	Low
Range	High
Max. Level	2 (Ryu) N/A (Rachel)
First Appearance
Debut	Ninja Gaiden (B;S;SP)

This article is about the Melee Weapon in Ninja Gaiden. You may be looking for the Inferno Hammer in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2.

The War Hammer is a melee weapon in Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Black, obtained in Chapter 8: Tairon Under Alert. It also appears in Ninja Gaiden Sigma and Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus, used by both Ryu Hayabusa and Rachel.

History

We first see Rachel using the War Hammer in Han's Bar to kill the Galla that attacked it.

The War Hammer is first used in Chapter 5: The Fiend Hunter when Rachel goes to the Dworku Monastery to learn more about the fiends. Later, in Chapter 8: Alma, greater fiend we can use the War Hammer yet again. Rachel uses it to kill SAT commandos, lesser shadow fiends and Galla as well as Black Spider Ninja's. Later at Great Bridge Square Rachel fights Gamov and uses the War Hammer against him before running off to chase Alma.

This is all in Sigma, but we first get to use the weapon in Chapter 10: Tairon Under Alert (Chapter 8 in 04/Black) when Doku overpowers Rachel and abducts her, leaving the War Hammer behind. Ryu can go back and grab it afterwards.

She later gets a new hammer made for her by Muramasa and uses it in Chapter 14: Ancient Twin Deities

Location

• Chapter 8: Tairon Under Alert
  • To the left of the Altar Hall within the Monastery.

Upgrades

• Hayabusa
• Rachel

In the Blacksmith section of Muramasa's Shop, you may spend Yellow Essence to upgrade your Melee Weapons:

Level	Cost	Availability
Lv2	5000	Chapter 8

• This weapon cannot be upgraded

Overview

• Pros:
  • TBA

• Cons:
  • TBA

Techniques

• Hayabusa
• Rachel

Name	Notation		Note	Level
Ram's Head Drop	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Horse Head Crush	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Gleam of Heaven and Earth	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Surging Wave	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Flaming Torrent	Xbox			Lv2
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Thunder Tremor	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Rage Tremor	Xbox	Essence
	PlayStation	Essence
	Nintendo	Essence
Tremor of the Heavens	Xbox	Essence Full
	PlayStation	Essence Full
	Nintendo	Essence Full
Steel Severer	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Flaming Whirlwind	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Earth Slide	Xbox	While running
	PlayStation	While running
	Nintendo	While running
Thunderclap Kick	Xbox	While running
	PlayStation	While running
	Nintendo	While running
Reigning Spiral	Xbox	While blocking or		Scroll
	PlayStation	While blocking or
	Nintendo	While blocking or
Six Paths Spin	Xbox		Throw	Lv2
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Corpse Crusher	Xbox	Next to a downed enemy
	PlayStation	Next to a downed enemy
	Nintendo	Next to a downed enemy
Avalanche Drop	Xbox	While jumping or
	PlayStation	While jumping or
	Nintendo	While jumping or
Guillotine Throw	Xbox	Near an enemy	Throw	Scroll
	PlayStation	Near an enemy
	Nintendo	Near an enemy
Rolling Thunder	Xbox	While on a wall or
	PlayStation	While on a wall or
	Nintendo	While on a wall or
Raging Thunder	Xbox	During a Flying Bird Flip or
	PlayStation	During a Flying Bird Flip or
	Nintendo	During a Flying Bird Flip or
Aqua Thrust	Xbox	While floating on the surface or
	PlayStation	While floating on the surface or
	Nintendo	While floating on the surface or
Water Formation Kick	Xbox	While underwater or
	PlayStation	While underwater or
	Nintendo	While underwater or
Reverse Wind	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Wind Path	Xbox	While jumping near an enemy
	PlayStation	While jumping near an enemy
	Nintendo	While jumping near an enemy
Wind Run	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Flying Bird Flip	Xbox	While on a wall
	PlayStation	While on a wall
	Nintendo	While on a wall

While Standing

• Right Fang: S
• Left Fang: S,S
• Viper Bite: S,S,S
• Copperhead Kick: S,S, —> S
• Viper Crunch: S,S,S,S
• Bare Fangs: S,T
• Savage Snake: S,T,T
• Yell In Pain: S,S,T
• Max Pain: S,S,T,T
• High Kick: --> S
• Double High: --> S,S
• Integral High: --> S,S,S
• Python Bite: --> S,S,S,S
• Python Crunch: --> S,S,S,S,S
• High Kick Venom: --> S,T
• Double High Venom: --> S,S,T
• Integral High Venom --> S,S,S,T
• Stinger: --> T
• Snake Hunt: --> T,T
• Snake Killer: Near an enemy --> T,T,S or --> T,T,T
• Venom: T
• Sidewinder: Hold T (Ultimate Technique)
• Jormungandr: Hold T (Ultimate Technique, 2 essences)
• Anaconda Clutch: Circle T (throw)

While Running

• Piercing Kick: While running S
• Deadly Venom: While running T

While Jumping

• Serpent Hammer: While jumping S or T
• Night Adder:  While jumping near an enemy X + S (throw)

While Blocking

• Naga's Reverse:  While Blocking S or T

Misc

• Roll Through:  L1 --> (dodge)
• Roll Over: Near an enemy --> L1 (dodge)
• Roll Over and behead:  Near an enemy --> L1, T (dodge + throw) (unlisted move)
• Dolphin Leap:  While on a wall X
• Hunter's Jump:  X + S (like Ryu's Wind Path, brief invincibility + jump towards nearest enemy)

Strategy

The War Hammer's heft makes it even more challenging to use than the Vigoorian Flail and requires expert timing and anticipation to use effectively. It is very useful for breaking walls and decapitating enemies. Due to its considerable mass, it is impossible to swing quickly.

Though generally considered inferior to the Dabilahro, which has a maximum upgrade level of 3 as opposed to maximum upgrade level of 2 of the Warhammer, the Warhammer does have a few specific unique advantages amongst the other heavy weapons of the game, along with the fact that it is found fairly early and requires no scarab searching. This includes the following:

The Warhammer has the Steel Severer move, which is the fastest heavy weapon attack in the game, and features a knockdown effect on enemies, making it an easy and reliable way of dealing safe damage against certain targets (including doppelgangers). Controlled usage of this move is VERY effective at times.

The Warhammer has the Six Paths move, which is not only extremely useful for crowds, but though it appears similar to the Hundred Man Slash move of the Dabilahro and Dark Dragon Blade, it actually counts as a throw, meaning it works with the armlet of potency for very high damage.

The Warhammer's Surging Wave is safer than the Dabilahro aerial version.

The Warhammer's UT has a 360 degree area of effect.

The Warhammer's Flaming Torrent move is unique, and quite useful. It is similar to Lunar's Shrouded Crescent, but has drastically higher damage.

In Ninja Gaiden Black, the Warhammer deals substantially higher damage against Awakened Alma compared to the Dabilahro. It is not known why, and this only seems to apply to Ninja Gaiden Black, but it's a decent benefit in that specific fight.

Notes

• While Rachel uses the bladed side to attack, Ryu uses the spike side to attack.
• It is unconfirmed if the Hammer will be upgraded when Rachel uses it during the Ancient Twin Deities chapter, depending on whether or not Ryu obtained and upgraded the hammer earlier. However at least once it has been seen to be upgraded for Rachel regardless of whether Ryu upgrades the hammer he finds or not.  
• Many of Rachel's combo strings end with her jumping, which set her up perfectly for on-land moves, such as a quick Venom, or an Ultimate Technique if any essence is nearby. This is very useful.  
• There is an unpainted War Hammer hanging in Muramasa's shop in Ninja Gaiden 1.

Gallery

NG1: War Hammer hanging in Muramasa's shop

DOALR War Hammer