+ Smithing Hammer

[redsnow]

I have a +60 smith hammer. Can i equip it in my hand and use another hammer and still get the bonus? Will it still take a charge off it? I dont want to use it up until im ready to make something truly great. Thanks

 

[Setnaffa]

The only way to activate it is to hold it in your weapon hand. You can use a different hammer (such as a runic hammer) in your backpack while you are holding it. Each time you craft or enhance something while holding it, you will use a charge.

But here is something very important: You only need to hold a +60 if it is required to have a 100% chance to make something exceptional. It doesn't add to the intensity of an item and it doesn't add any properties. As a Legendary Smith, I can make almost everything exceptional, but for Plate Armor, I need to hold a +10 ASH for the Helm, Gloves, Arms, and Gorget. I need a +15 to make Plate Tunics and Legs. I need to hold a +30 to make some of the ML weapons.

I only hold a +60 ASH when I'm trying to enhance something. Even with a +60 ASH, I still fail most of the time when trying to enhance, but at least it does help.

 

[Basara]

It will take a charge off it, regardless of what actual tool is used to craft, PLUS the tool used..

For example, you equip it for using a gold runic hammer. Making something with the gold hammer will take one charge off the runic, and one charge off the ancient hammer.

NOTE:

Nearly everything, if not everything, can be made using a lesser hammer and a talisman. You should use the +60 ONLY to enhance items.

Assuming that a person has at least a +25% Exceptional Blacksmithing talisman*

1. At 120 Smithing, without a hammer, but with a +25% Exceptional Blacksmith talisman
a. If the talisman has a 10% or better normal Blacksmithing bonus, ALL of the recipe items can be crafted 100%, but with varying chances of exceptional (see next few entries), if possible.
b. A smith can get 100% exceptional on anything up to the difficulty of Platemail Gloves and Daisho.

2. At 120 Smithing, a +25% Exceptional Blacksmithy talisman, and a +10 Ancient Smithing Hammer.
a. With no normal Blacksmithy bonus, can craft everything EXCEPT Chaos & Order Shields, Dragonscale Breastplate, Tessen, Platemail Do, and the Kabutos, at 100% normal.
b. if the talisman has at least 20% normal Blacksmithy bonus, ALL blacksmithy items will be at 100% normal crafting.
c. with that 25% exceptional bonus, Everything up to War Cleavers will be 100%. Swamp Dragon Barding deeds will be 95% exceptional. All recipe items that can be made exceptional will be 90%.

3. With 120 Smithing, a +25% Exceptional talisman, and a +15 ASH...
a. ALL Smithing items except for the Platemail Do and the Kabutos are 100% normal to make, even without a normal bonus talisman. (the Do is 96% chance to craft, the kabutos 90%)
b. All ML Recipe items that can be made exceptional, are 100% exceptional at this point.
c. Only various pieces of Dragonscale (sleeves, legs, breast), Samurai empire plate, Lajatang, Tessen, Order shield & chaos Shield are less than 100% exceptional.

4.A. With 120 Smithing, NO talisman at all, and a +30 ASH
a. ALL smithing items are 100% chance to craft.
b. All items up to and including applicable recipe items and the Dragon Sleeves, are 100% to make exceptional.

4.B. As 4.A., with a 25% Exceptional talisman
ALL smithing items (except the craftable artifacts, that can't be exceptional) are now 100% exceptional.


As you can see, a +60 is completely unnecessary for crafting. It should be reserved for where its use actually gives an appreciable bonus - enhancing.

This is because there is a +1% bonus to enhance for every 10 points of Smith skill.




* (fairly common - it only takes a few dozen quests to get one in the 20s - I got mine the first week of ML, from the Dreadhorn quest, but they also come from the crafting quests amd ML monster loot)

 

[redsnow]

Thank you so much for the information.

My plan is to make a 100lrc dragon armor suit with good resists. My tali is a 15%exceptional and 20% bonus. From what your telling me i could use a +30 hammer and my tali to make it all exceptional. (120 smith)

 

[Basara]

pretty much - with 120 skill, +30 hammer and +15 ex talisman, the only things you aren't 100% exceptional on is the Platemail Do and the 3 Kabuto styles.

 

[imported_Kallie Pigeon]

Basara, that would be useful information in the FAQ somewhere although I don't have even +30 ash so far if I ever get there I would want to know

 

[Basara]

Actually, as a newly-minted Mod, I was planning on adding such information in a Smith FAQ revision, after I was done redoing the Miner FAQ.