Monster Hunter Outlanders Hammer Guide: Combos and Charges

To play the Hammer effectively in Monster Hunter Outlanders, prioritize head strikes while charging your weapon on the move, then unleash your highest-damage stationary combos once the monster collapses. The Hammer deals blunt trauma and exhaust damage rather than severing tails, building an invisible stun threshold on monster heads until the creature is knocked down.

Hammer Charge Levels and Movement

Holding the attack input consumes stamina over time while allowing full running movement. Releasing the input triggers an attack determined by your current charge level and whether you are stationary or moving.

Charge Level	Input State	Primary Move	Best Tactical Use
Level 1	Immediate release	Side Swipe	Quick poke with minimal recovery; chains into base combos or an evade.
Level 2	Held to second aura flare	Advancing Upswing	Closes distance with forward momentum; hits elevated monster heads.
Level 3	Released while stationary	Overhead Smash	Multi-hit downward smash with heavy stun accumulation.
Level 3	Released while moving	Spinning Bludgeon	Multi-hit horizontal sweep; locks animation unless canceled into a golf swing.

If an opening closes before you can attack, roll to cancel the charge immediately. Letting your stamina completely deplete locks your hunter into an involuntary recovery animation. When fighting near slopes, sliding down an incline while charging activates an aerial spinning bludgeon that strikes repeatedly along the monster's body.

Stun Combos and Opening Windows

Once a monster flinches, staggers, or suffers a complete knockdown, switch from mobile charging to stationary combo chains.

Standard Triple Swing

The Standard Triple Swing is your reliable option during brief staggers or monster recovery windows:

Pound 1
Pound 2
Golf Swing

The final Golf Swing carries high vertical reach and strong stun properties, making it an effective tool for finishing brief attack windows safely.

Big Bang Flurry

The Big Bang sequence delivers the Hammer's highest burst damage during full knockdowns, traps, or paralyzes:

Smash 1
Smash 2
Smash 3
Smash 4
Big Bang Finisher

Each successive hit in the flurry scales upward in damage. However, every strike must connect cleanly with the target's hitbox. If any hit misses, the combo terminates immediately and triggers a lengthy recoil recovery. Always stand directly against the monster's head before starting this attack chain.

Head Positioning and Exhaust

Blunt impact cannot sever tails, making the head and facial crests your primary targets. In addition to triggering knockdowns via stun buildup, blunt hits apply exhaust damage to both the head and body. Exhausted monsters drool, move slowly, and suffer extended windup animations on their attacks.

To attack safely without standing directly in the line of forward charges or breath attacks:

Circle the monster at a 45-degree forward angle while holding a charge.
Allow the monster to commit forward into an attack animation.
Step into the head area during the monster's attack recovery using a Level 2 Advancing Upswing or stationary Level 3 Overhead Smash.