Sledgehammer · ArkhamDB

Reviews

Is Arkham Horror not a game you actively enjoy playing? Roped in by a friend or family member, do you just wish that your turn would end faster? Well, call me Bob Jenkins, because FFG has the deal for you!

With Sledgehammer (4), you can make sure your turn is over and done with in minimal time. Spend every iota of your effort and all of your actions crushing that Swarm of Rats into nothing but juicy red pulp, and leave the actual minutiae of doing something so base as looking for clues or discovering locations to the other members of your team.

Sledgehammer (4) -- It's better than just watching.

(As an aside, I'm eternally amused that upgrading to Sledgehammer (4) adds five pounds of weight to the head of the hammer. Lol!)

9/26/21

fiatluxia · 50

I would rather imo run the lvl 0 sledgehammer with Carolyn and attempt to kill rat >:) — Therealestize · 43 9/26/21

This is basically a weapon that deals 2 damage per action which in itself is good if it wasn't for the fact it costs 4 XP. If you are using the first ability, which is basically what you will mostly use, you then only get +1 Combat, which is pretty low as most level 2 weapons and some level 0 weapons offer +2. On the plus side there is no gimmick (as in Fire Axe and Meat Cleaver) and it's unlimited (unlike the .18 Derringer). This weapons only finds its value in the second ability that allows to deal 6 damage for 3 actions (so still 2 damage per action) but with a hefty +5 Combat and you only need to draw one token instead of 3 (this is basically a ritual to summon the tentacle). However this is an ability that you only ever want to use on enemies with 5+ Health and there are really not a lot of them. Moreover if you are fighting some boss then you'd rather have a weapon that deals 3 damage per action like the Chainsaw. I't worth to note that Yorick might like this weapon in conjunction with well prepared since it has 3 Combat icons. But then again so does the already mentioned Chainsaw. — Killbray · 4721 9/29/21

Put the excess damage on Relentless for maximum profit — MiskatonicFrosh · 139 9/29/21

Yeah, this is definitely an end campaign Smack The Boss weapon. — fiatluxia · 50 9/29/21

I never understand why people make comparisons between items with limited uses and those that are unlimited. E.g., the already mentioned Chainsaw. — puert · 48 12/4/21

The God of One Thousand Forms emerges, in all it's hideous majesty. It does not speak, there is only the shrieking discordnat voices from it's many maws and the wet slapping of it's tendrils But in your mind, as clear as though it were a voice, the reality forms: The age of man is done. This being is greater than you could ever fathom From a world beyond your comprehension In a universe so small the you, our race, our entire history and civilization, are powerless and meaningless before the entropic gravity of this harsh truth that- ~~~ Some hobo: "AHHHHHHHH!!!" ~~~ Runs 40 yards across a field to swat Nyar with a sledgehammer ~~~ Nyarlathotep: "Blergh" Dies instantly — The Nue · 1 8/10/22

Here are a few cards you may be interested to look at if you wanna slam around this bad boy:

• Relentless that can be recurred by Yorick to turn all these silly damages into resources, that you can spend with Scrapper to boost the smaller attack, or in Plucky (3) to investigate when there are no other enemies. Keen Eye covers for both in .

• Safeguard (2) so that you can save all the moving actions, and simply spend your turns eradicating everything that you collected on behalf of your teammates.

• Drawing Thin to turn the ridiculous +5 into resources/card draw.

• Live and Learn and Oops! as mentioned, especially paired with Drawing Thin to one-shot big bosses. It was correctly mentioned that you can use 2 Live and Learn on the same failed test, and even use Resourceful while doing the new test of Live and Learn to get it back and so on.

• Well Prepared for a +4 +1 damage, ammo-free weapon. You can also use it on Plucky (3) is you took it too for a good capacity to discover clues on empty turns.

• Riot Whistle to engage the enemies that your teammates draw and still have the 3 available to kill the threat without risking the 360--No-Scope on your partner in crime.

• Police Badge for the extra 2 actions that allow you to use the big hit and still have 2 actions to play. Also helps you with Well Prepared against tests.

• Nightmare Bauble and Eucatastrophe can also give you a little safety net against friendly fire.

• Jury-Rig for the 1 attack.

• Prepared for the Worst of course to find it.

• Nine of Rods to find more enemies to turn into jam

• Brand of Cthugha potentially for 1 hp attacks.

• Unrelenting to get 2 cards since you don't mind cancelling the better tokens

• Brute Force as a safety weapon for 3 health enemies when you have only one action.

• Galvanize that you can use on a Beat Cop (2) to get an extra action for an extra attack and an extra testless damage, resulting in 10 damages in 1 turn.

• Scavenging so that you can play the first one that you draw and commit the second one on the small attack, and get it back to your hand whenever you would succeed an investigation by 2 or more.

Off colour:

• Lucky Cigarette Case (0) of course, and if your teammate is Bob Jenkins, Lucky Cigarette Case (3).

• Shortcut/Pathfinder to move and hit

• Some succeed by shenanigans like Gregory Gry, "Watch this!" or All In that you can commit on your mate that is playing the Sledgehammer (4).

Feel free to tell me in the comments other good synergies and I'll update that review!

6/23/22

Valentin1331 · 15102

I think you miss to mention, that the investigator for this list is yorick and probably danyela and Tommie. Also why do you mention brand of cthuga? The hammer provides the same effect without drawbacks. And probably you find a friend who enchant your reliable weapon. — Tharzax · 1 6/23/22

Scavenging/recurring tech was great when I use this card for committing the 2nd copy for 3 combat. The first copy found usually stay around. I actually left the lower version in the deck as I quite like the 2 action swing. In the case I setup with lower version, this 4 XP commit to support the lower version's swing. — 5argon · 1665 6/25/22

I thought about it, but couldn't really find an investigator that can somehow succeed investigations by 2 or more reliably, while wanting to use both hand slots with the Sledgehammer. I'll add a line for it though, because who knows what's coming up in the future :) — Valentin1331 · 15102 6/25/22

Probably Ashcan or Zoey with sixth sense as splash card? — Tharzax · 1 6/25/22

I was using a janky Crafty + Jury Rig hammer Wendy deck that manage to use Lockpicks to revive the hammer but involves some clunky hand slot juggling. Otherwise, Prof. William Webb could work for that purpose too. — 5argon · 1665 6/25/22

I can't match how entertaining the other review on this weapon is, but I do want to chime in and say that this doesn't actually look that bad, if a bit on the bland side. When a person building a fighting-focused deck looks at this, they (rightfully) go "meh, I can do better than +1 damage per action." That said, this is a very solid weapon for the fighter who doesn't care that much about fighting, but is still expected to do it:

Leo Anderson wants to do ally shenanigans, but definitely wouldn't mind a solid (cheap!) weapon for smashing little fellows, and he can still put his back into it for bosses.

Roland Banks (particularly Parallel Front Roland playing with Due Diligance) might feel like focusing a little more into his investigative side, but would want a damage boost to murder nuisances who get in his way.

Tommy Muldoon, if he's playing a tank role for his teammates in a multiplayer game, or is investing his time and effort into working Agency Backup.

Silas or Daniela are less likely to go for it, but it's still an option for some builds for them. Basically any time you're going to be building most of your deck around something that isn't fighting, but still have 4+ fight and would rather smash things than run from them, this is a solid choice, if you can stomach the xp cost. Like Fire Extinguisher (3), getting consistent +1 damage on an unlimited use weapon at 3 resources is a steal, and this also lets you get in on the big fights without any further investment.

11/28/21

Malafar · 9

On the other hand, it's 3 xp, 1 resource, and a hand slot more expensive than Taboo Machete, just to make the +1 damage unconditional and give you a second option you probably don't want to use too often. And, I guess, to give Survivors access to it. — Thatwasademo · 44 11/28/21

This thing was made for Yorrick to turn enemies into a thin red paste. It pairs very well with On the Hunt and Scene of the Crime (you can use the single attack feature to do two attacks on the enemy in the above scenario, or galvanize to do it all in the same turn). Throw on some overpowers and a vicious blow or two and it's basically a one and done weapon for all but the most spongy bosses.

Definitely a monster slayer and if your survivor is focused on that, great. If you aren't though, pretty expensive and action intensive.

3/31/22

drjones87 · 65

Opps 2 and live and learn turn this from "cool" to "laughably hilarious", having four prevented misses per game is just so great with it, minibosses beware. — Zerogrim · 254 4/1/22