Welcome to the Hammer of the Ancients (HotA) Barbarian Endgame Guide! This iconic skill, a fan-favorite in the Diablo franchise, returns in Season 11 as the Barbarian’s most powerful Core Skill. If you're looking to unleash the raw power of massive earth-shattering blows and crush your enemies under the Diablo IV Items weight of ancient fury, this guide will help you dominate the endgame.

Core Mechanic: Hammer of the Ancients

Hammer of the Ancients is all about delivering devastating, single-target damage, while simultaneously triggering massive Earthquakes. The core of this build revolves around stacking Fury to empower Furious Hammer of the Ancients, which is your most potent attack. However, the skill comes with a few inherent limitations. Its area of effect (AoE) is relatively small, and there are constraints on how much Fury you can stack to boost its power. But fear not – with the right gear and build choices, we can solve these problems and transform this skill into a true powerhouse.

Overcoming Limitations

To increase the AoE of your Hammer of the Ancients, you’ll use the Aspect of Ancestral Force, which dramatically extends the range of your hammer strikes. Additionally, Mantle of Mountain's Fury helps amplify the damage of your Earthquakes, making them even more devastating. These aspects are key to improving your damage output, especially when you’re surrounded by multiple enemies.

Another limitation comes with stacking Fury. Luckily, Ramaladni's Magnum Opus, a powerful weapon-agnostic item, significantly boosts your Fury generation, while the revamped Enhanced Hammer of the Ancients and Melted Heart of Selig provide additional damage scaling. These items, combined with your natural Fury generation mechanics, let you deal massive blows with HotA while keeping your Fury at optimal levels.

Earthquake Management

One of the most important aspects of this build is managing Earthquakes. The Mantle of Mountain's Fury affix requires you to trigger an Earthquake at least once every 5 seconds to maintain its powerful damage multiplier. This constant Earthquake uptime is crucial to maximizing your damage potential, and your gear and abilities should focus on maintaining this cadence. Tec (techniques) and Earthquake affixes will help you keep this momentum going.

Optional Overpower & Generatorless Approach

In the endgame, you’ll have the option of integrating the standard Overpower package, which increases your damage significantly. Alternatively, you could go generatorless, focusing solely on spamming HotA for raw damage. This approach maximizes your single-target output, making your Barbarian a destructive force on the battlefield.

Early Game Requirements

To start the Hammer of the Ancients build, focus on Moni and Tec. These abilities will help carry you through the early stages of the build, ensuring you generate Fury and lay the foundation for more powerful abilities later.

Conclusion

The Hammer of the Ancients Barbarian is a high-damage, AoE-focused build that thrives in the endgame. With the right gear, itemization, and Fury management, you can crush entire groups of enemies with massive Earthquakes and unrelenting hammers. By using key aspects like Mantle of Mountain's Fury and stacking Fury through items like Ramaladni's Magnum Opus, you will unlock the full potential of this powerhouse skill. Get ready to cheap d4 mats smash your way through Sanctuary with Hammer of the Ancients!