Bug Fixes

• Level 1
  • Ambush
    • Now displays the remaining duration until the Cloak becomes active around the Trait button.
• Level 7
  • Pulse Detonation Core
    • First instance of damage is now displayed as Spider Mines in the Death Recap.
    • Mana restored is now bundled together when multiple Heroes are hit.
    • Mana restored is now combined for Siege Mode attacks.
• Level 20
  • Shrapnel Mines
    • Duration of all Armor reduction stacks are now refreshed when re-applied.

Updates

Base

• Concussive Blast [W]
  • Base duration reduced by 20%. Distance pushed back from blast is not reduced.

Bug Fixes

• Base
  • Concussive Blast [W]
    • Targets are now knocked away a point 2 range behind where Concussive Blast was fired, instead of Sgt. Hammer's position. Targets will now move in the direction where Concussive Blast was fired.

Bug Fixes

• Base
  • Thrusters [Z]
    • Fixed an issue with Thrusters' Store Icon.

Bug Fixes

• General
  • Sgt. Hammer's level 1 talent icon changes have been reverted.

Bug Fixes

• Level 16
  • Giant Killer [Passive]
    • Fixed an issue that caused Giant Killer to damage Invulnerable targets.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue that caused Orbital BFG to not be affected by damage reduction.
• Pulse Detonation Core will replace Spider Mines in the recap if chosen.
• Spider Mines damage is now modified by Defense Matrix and Ultimate Evolution damage modifications.
• Spider Mines duration will continue while they are chasing.
• Spider Mines will no longer detonate on Invulnerable targets but will continue to chase them.
• Spider Mines will now display their damage when clicked in the Target Info Panel.

Bug Fixes

• Tank Mode Splash now triggers Physical Attack-limited on-hit effects (Example: Block charges will now be consumed).
• Tank Mode Splash will now trigger if the Sgt. Hammer is Blinded. Splash damage and triggering effects will still be prevented.
• Tank Mode Splash will now reveal the effect area for 0.75 seconds.
• Tank Mode Splash attacks will no longer reveal targets hit.

Updates

Talents

• Level 1
  • Ambush [D]
    • Bonus damage increased from 100% to 125%.
  • Advanced Artillery [D]
    • Splash damage increased from 50% to 60%.
  • Maelstrom Rounds [Active]
    • Cooldown reduced from 100 to 80 seconds.
• Level 7
  • Hover Siege Mode [D]
    • Move speed increased from 40% to 50%.
  • Graduating Range [D]
    • Time between increased range reduced from 2 to 1.5 seconds.
• Level 20
  • Shrapnel Mines [Q]
    • Maximum Armor reduction increased from 30 to 50.
  • Ultra Capacitors [D]
    • Attack Speed per stack increased from 5% to 10%.
    • Maximum Attack Speed increased from 40% to 60%.

Developer Comment: Sgt. Hammer has decent talent parity, so we're just increasing the power of some keystone talents to further separate the different builds' identities.

Updates

Talents

• Level 1
  • Maelstrom Rounds [Active]
    • Bonus damage reduced from 35% to 30%.
    • Cooldown increased from 90 to 100 seconds.
    • Additional functionality: Basic Attacks against enemy Heroes while in Siege Mode reduce the cooldown of Maelstrom Rounds by 5 seconds.
• Level 4
  • Barricade [W]
    • Cooldown reduction increased from 3 to 4 seconds.
• Level 7
  • Pulse Detonation Core [Q]
    • Cooldown reduction increased from 1 to 1.5 seconds, and from 1.5 to 2.5 seconds while in Siege Mode.
  • Graduating Range [Trait]
    • Duration between Basic Attack range increases reduced from 3 to 2 seconds.
• Level 16
  • Mechanical Know-how [E]
    • Shield amount increased from 5% to 20% maximum Health.
    • Basic Attack damage reduced from 50% to 30%.
    • No longer requires the Shield to be destroyed to gain bonus damage.

Developer Comment: Sgt. Hammer hasn't seen large changes for some time, particularly to talents like Maelstrom Rounds and Mechanical Know-how. As you've probably seen as a theme of this patch, these talents aren't too popular so we're helping them out by giving them bonuses that should be more consistently achievable.

Updates

Talents

• Level 4
  • Barricade [W]
    • Additional functionality: Reduce the Mana cost of Concussive Blast from 80 to 40.

Developer Comment: We like how the new Barricade is playing, but since Sgt. Hammer's Mana tension is now fairly high, taking the talent often meant that she would very quickly run out of Mana. We're giving it a hefty Mana cost reduction, which should make it an even more attractive pick.

Updates

Talents

• Level 4
  • Barricade [W]
    • Additional functionality: Reduce the cooldown of Concussive Blast by 3 seconds.
• Level 7
  • Pulse Detonation Core [Q]
    • Additional functionality: Basic Attacks against enemy Heroes grant 5 Mana and reduce the cooldown of Spider Mines by 1 second. Increase this bonus to 1.5 seconds while in Siege Mode.

Developer Comment: Both Barricade and Pulse Detonation Core have very low pick rates, so we're giving them some love, which should hopefully incentivize players to try them out more often.

Bug Fixes

• Sgt. Hammer's Siege Mode can no longer out-range kill credit for the Salvaging the Stables questline.

Bug Fixes

• Removed Sgt. Hammer from ARAM

Developer Comment: We have been receiving a lot of feedback regarding Sergeant Hammer's playstyle in ARAM. While we are looking to make larger changes to the game mode in the near future, we decided it was best to remove her from the ARAM shuffle-pick for the time being

Updates

Updates

• Blunt Force Gun (R)
  • No longer deals damage to enemy Structures

Developer Comment: This change is to address situations where Orbital BFG could kill enemy Forts, Keeps, and potentially end the game with no counter-play from the opposing team. We realize that this is a minor nerf to Blunt Force Gun and a fairly hefty nerf to Orbital BFG. Both talents are performing well right now, so we will be waiting to see if they need a buff in some other area to compensate for this loss in functionality.

Bug Fixes

• A.I. Sgt. Hammer will no longer become stuck in a Vent behind the opposing bottom-lane Fort on Battlefield of Eternity.

Bug Fixes

• Neosteel Plating's visual effects now correctly match Sgt. Hammer's model while in Siege Mode.

Bug Fixes

• Can now correctly deploy Biotic Emitters on Volskaya Foundry while in Siege Mode.

Updates

Talents

• Level 4
  • Regenerative Bio-Steel (D)
    • Healing reduced from 15% to 10% of Sgt. Hammer's Basic Attack damage dealt in Siege Mode.
• Level 7
  • Graduating Range (D)
    • Range reduced from 1.1 to 1 per stack, up to a maximum of 3

Updates

Stats

• Health increased from 1638 to 1720
• Health Regeneration increased from 3.4 to 3.6
• Basic Attack damage increased from 128 to 140

Talents

• Level 1
  • Maelstrom Rounds (D)
    • Damage bonus reduced from 40 to 35%
• Level 7
  • Hover Siege Mode (D)
    • Movement Speed increased from 25 to 40%
• Level 20
  • Shrapnel Mines (Q)
    • Armor reduction duration increased from 3 to 4 seconds

Bug Fixes

• The Hyper-Cooling Engines talent will no longer grant cooldown reduction from basic attacks against non-Heroic targets while in Siege Mode.

Updates

• Sgt. Hammer's Basic Attack is now more responsive.

Abilities

• Artillery (Trait)
  • Removed (including the +1 Basic Attack range)
• Siege Mode (D)
  • Moved to D (Trait)
  • Mana cost removed
  • Basic Attack range bonus increased from 5 to 6
  • Sgt. Hammer now deals 20% bonus damage to all enemies while in Siege Mode, instead of 30% bonus to Minions and Structures.
  • Sgt. Hammer can no longer cast abilities while entering Siege Mode.
• Spider Mines (Q)
  • While in Siege Mode, the cast range is increased by 100%
  • Mana cost reduced from 50 to 45
• Concussive Blast (W)
  • Cone narrowed from 60 degrees to 45 degrees
  • While in Siege Mode, the cast range is increased by 50%
  • Mana cost reduced from 75 to 60
• (New Ability) Neosteel Plating (E)
  • Activate to gain 25 Armor for 2 seconds.
  • While in Siege mode, increase this to 50 Armor.
  • 12 second cooldown, 30 Mana

Talents

• Level 1
  • Advanced Artillery (D)
    • New functionality:
      • Now increases Siege Mode's splash damage to 50% and its radius by 25%.
  • Resistant (D)
    • Removed
  • Ambush (D)
    • Adjusted functionality:
      • Sgt. Hammer now also enters Stealth after not dealing damage, taking damage, or using an Ability for 3 seconds while in Siege Mode.
  • Regeneration Master
    • Removed
  • (New Talent) Maelstrom Rounds
    • Activate to increase Sgt. Hammer's Basic Attack damage by 40% for 5 seconds. Maximum 3 charges. 90 second charge cooldown. Basic Attacks in Siege Mode against enemy Structures reduce this cooldown by 5 seconds.
• Level 4
  • Vigorous Assault (Passive)
    • Removed
  • Focused Attack (Passive)
    • Removed
  • Excessive Force (W)
    • Removed
  • Barricade (W)
    • Moved from Level 13
  • (New Talent) Siege Tactics (E)
    • Sgt. Hammer becomes Unstoppable for 2 seconds when she uses Neosteel Plating in Siege Mode.
  • (New Talent) Regenerative Bio-Steel (D)
    • Sgt. Hammer heals for 15% of her damage dealt with Basic Attacks in Siege Mode.
• Level 7
  • Mine Field (Q)
    • Removed
  • First Aid (Active)
    • Removed
  • (New Talent) Pulse Detonation Core (Q)
    • Spider Mines explode 3 times over 3 seconds, instead of destroying themselves immediately.
  • Hover Siege (D)
    • Moved from Level 16
    • Movement Speed reduced from 50% to 25%.
  • Graduating Range (D)
    • Moved from Level 16
    • Maximum range bonus reduced from 5.5 to 3.3
• Level 13
  • First Strike (D)
    • Removed
  • Bullhead Mines (Q)
    • Removed
  • (New Talent) Tactical Mine Deployment (Q)
    • Increases Spider Mine's slow from 25% to 40%. Casting Thrusters leaves behind a trail of up to 5 Spider Mines while Sgt. Hammer is moving.
  • (New Talent) Entrenched (W)
    • Increases Concussive Blast's damage and knockback distance by 75% while in Siege Mode.
  • Hyper-Cooling Engines (Z)
    • Moved from Level 7
    • New functionality:
      • Each enemy Hero hit with a Basic Attack in Siege Mode reduces the cooldown of Thrusters by 5 seconds.
• Level 16
  • Stoneskin (Active)
    • Removed
  • Giant Killer (Passive)
    • Moved from Level 13
  • (New Talent) Mechanical Know-How (E)
    • Neosteel Plating grants a Shield equal to 5% of Sgt. Hammer's maximum Health for 2 seconds. If this Shield is destroyed, she deals 50% more Basic Attack damage for 5 seconds.
• Level 20
  • Fury of the Storm (Passive)
    • Removed
  • Nexus Frenzy (Passive)
    • Removed
  • (New Talent) Shrapnel Mines (Q)
    • Each Spider Mine explosion reduces enemy Armor by 10 for 3 seconds.
  • (New Talent) Ultra Capacitors (D)
    • Every enemy Hero hit with a Basic Attack while in Siege Mode increases Sgt. Hammer's Attack Speed by 5% for 5 seconds, up to 40%.

Bug Fixes

• Re-casting Orbital BFG just as the first missile re-enters the Battleground will no longer cause the new missile to follow the previous path.

Updates

Abilities

• Siege Mode (E)
  • Sgt. Hammer can no longer enter Medivh's Portals while in Siege Mode (without the Hover Siege talent)

Talents

• Level 1
  • Resistant (E)
    • New functionality:
      • If you are Stunned or Rooted while in Siege Mode, gain 50% damage resistance for 3 seconds
• Level 7
  • Slowing Mines (Q)
    • Removed
• Level 16
  • Mine Field (Q)
    • Moved to Level 7

Developer Comment: See for Relentless changes.

Bug Fixes

• Basic Attack range indicators should now appear consistent while Sgt. Hammer is in both Tank and Siege Modes.

Updates

Abilities

• Thrusters (Z)
  • Thrusters are now always active while in the Altar of Storms
• Artillery (Trait)
  • Now also increases Sgt. Hammer's Basic Attack range by 20%

Talents

Level 1

• Lethal Blast (W)
  • Removed

Level 4

• Maelstrom Shells (Passive)
  • Removed

Level 7

• Hyper-Cooling Engines (Z)
  • Cooldown reduction increased from 10 to 15 seconds
  • No longer makes Thrusters always active while in the Hall of Storms

Developer Comment: We're planning to do a deeper dive into our favorite Siege Tank down the road, but in the meantime we felt Sgt. Hammer could use a few changes to make her feel more competitive compared to other heroes. Sgt. Hammer was originally designed to be the master of ranged damage, but has since become outshined by other poke heroes like Li-Ming and Chromie. To help her assert her spot again as a scary ranged damage-dealer, we're making Maelstrom Shells a part of her baseline Artillery Trait, which should also help that tier's pick rates. We're also giving her a bit of a quality of life improvement by making her Thrusters always active when she leaves the Hall of Storms, which should help her get back to the game faster from her base.

Bug Fixes

• The targeting reticule for Blunt Force Gun will no longer highlight targets that are outside its area of effect.
• Enemy AI players will no longer immediately dive Sgt. Hammer if she enters Siege Mode while hidden in a Shrub or Vent.

Bug Fixes

• The tooltip for Sgt. Hammer's Siege Mode will no longer reference a nonexistent Talent.

Bug Fixes

• Sgt. Hammer's Siege Mode will no longer visually persist if she is interrupted while casting Siege Mode.

Updates

• Blunt Force Gun (R)
  • Damage increased from 365 (+4% per level) to 500 (+3% per level)

Developer Comment: Please see the above Developer Comment for .

Bug Fixes

• A Sgt. Hammer clone created by Abathur's Ultimate Evolution will no longer be granted the Napalm Strike Heroic Ability after entering Siege Mode.

Updates

Developer Comment: Hammer is one of our lowest win rate characters so we looked at some easy buffs we could make. We feel like she has a great playstyle and wanted to highlight her fantasy more. The increased health will let you be a bit more aggressive and the increased damage will better reinforce her long range, high damage capabilities. Finally, her Siege Mode can be used much more frequently and with less emphasis on securing the perfect location. It's okay now to Siege up, get a couple shots in, and then get out of danger.

• Health increased from 720 (+140 per level) to 740 (+150 per level)
• Artillery (Trait)
  • Damage bonus against distant targets increased from 20% to 30%
• Siege Mode (E)
  • Cooldown decreased from 5 to 2 seconds
  • Mana cost reduced from 40 to 20

Bug Fixes

• Brightwing's Peekaboo, Diablo's Firestorm (returning fireballs), Johanna's Blessed Hammer, Leoric's Buried Alive, Nova's Railgun, Sgt. Hammer's Napalm Strike (impact damage) and Tychus's Big Red Button (the nuke portion)

Bug Fixes

• Sgt. Hammer's Blunt Force Gun will no longer be placed on reduced cooldown when coming under the effects of Anub'arak Web Blast during Blunt Force Gun's casting time.