underestimated akiro's hammer

[Marhem]

Most people think akiros hammer is terrible, and a waste. Here are some uses that might change those peoples minds:
1. really good vs annoying wiz tower/any annoying conjuration: Exp: temple of light, vine tree, walls, moktari tree, etc.
2. Turtling is destroyed by the area affect attack.
3. large hit points.
4. When more siege weapons come, the worth will increase.
5. 2-3 range
6. Standard conjuration range
7. Can be annoying and draw attention
8. If you need time and the opponent turtles, this applies pressure and lets you build up

This by no means is a worthless card, and it will become more valuable  the more conjurations come out.
One common complaint: the 8 die attack can't target creatures. My answer: Its a trebuchet, and those aren't known for accuracy, but range. While a trebuchet can hit a building, it can't hit a single target.
My one complaint/critique is that it doesn't have the indirect trait on the aoe attack. please place arguments if you have them.

I've heard people talk about a ballista, could someone send the link. I love siege weapons, and have more ideas for them.

[sIKE]

One or two [mwcard=MW1W01]Fog Banks[/mwcard] and it is worthless as a tit on a bull. Place the Fog Bank on the Zone border of the Hammer and the Hammer (range 2-3) cant even target it.

[Lord0fWinter]

As sIKE mentioned, the problem is that it's range is 2-3 and that it cannot target incorporeal conjurations. All you have to do it stick a wall in front of it that blocks LOS and it becomes useless.

[Boocheck]

Ok, only thing i will agree on is point number 7. I tried Akiros Hammer several times with very low or little effect. For saved up spell points, i included Force Hammer.

It is so much more versatile!

[Marhem]

some spellbooks only have 2 walls, and most have a max of 4. If you have 2, and you use 1, there is no possible way of blocking yourself in in case of emergency. Also, asume the warlord is on the attack, they do that to the hammer, the warlord retreats the opponent follows, and they get blasted if they are swarm type and forget.
 It could also draw the opponent to you earlier than they want, even if it is just 2 zones, you move and place force hold or block their way back with your walls, they are trapped. This card is not all purpose, dont get me wrong, I only think it is good vs turtle, swarm and altar of sculls.
Nice balista

[Boocheck]

Over the months and several loosed games, i learned that i have to ask. Did you actually cast and used Akiros Hammer? My only success with AH was against druid and by success i mean that i was able to shoot twice with hammer before raptor vine eat it. AH is robust, nice on paper but if you read Alexanders West report thread carefully, value of a spell is not just its mana and spellpoints but also its playability. If you can use AH only once in five matches, there is something wrong.

And as Laddifance stated, if you dont to draw a bad cards, dont put them into your spell book. I am a huge warlord fan and was trying to run AH effectivly ( i cast wall of pikes in front of him, so noone will block its LOS, but thats 4 extra mana and wasted action).

[silverclawgrizzly]

It's been working great for me last couple weeks. I one shot destroyed a temple of Asyra with it while the Guardian Angels wept. Not every book runs walls nor do they need to. Yes the hammer draws a lot of hate but it can actually probably take two or three normal hits or at least make your opponent use up his big hits.

I'll cast it early as soon as I see a spawn point and I'll cast it when I'm about to have initiative so my opponent can't react until it's fired. Positioning matters obviously but that's not really an issue if you just watch what you're doing.

[Boocheck]

Dont go "there is not a wrong card, only a wrong situation to cast it" on me In my meta, it just didnt work I will have to wait until my local meta shifts to falcon swarms and then i will start destroying lair

[silverclawgrizzly]

Dont go "there is not a wrong card, only a wrong situation to cast it" on me In my meta, it just didnt work I will have to wait until my local meta shifts to falcon swarms and then i will start destroying lair

Why do you have to hate on my falcons so much Boo? What have they ever done to you? I love my falcons and apparently Gen Con liked them too In my area the hammer does ok.

[Wildhorn]

The proper way to cast an Akiro Hammer i with a Wall of Pikes on its border to prevent Fog Bank to "nullify" it. It also protect it.

I love Akiro Hammer in my Warlord spellbook for when I face a druid. The tree doesnt last long vs it.

[Marhem]

Like I said, the more conjugations, the more worth it will have(more to destroy). Especially when ballista comes, then I expect popularity for AH.

[DaveW]

The proper way to cast an Akiro Hammer i with a Wall of Pikes on its border to prevent Fog Bank to "nullify" it.

That isn't the only location a blocking wall can be set. A wall of fog or flame can block it farther away.

It also doesn't really matter if you put your wall of pikes adjacent since simple attack spells (Flameblast, in particular) from the other side of the pikes can do a lot of damage to it regardless.

[echephron]

I think of it like this
cast in last quickcast
use it in first action phase of next turn
...profit?
it will survive till another attack, or draw your opponents attention

People always complain about the annoying wall bit, but meh


Compare [mwcard=FWJ01]Akiro's Hammer[/mwcard] to [mwcard=FWA02]Force Hammer[/mwcard] which everyone seems to love. I'm just comparing versus corporeal conjurations
3 more mana
same dice
AKhammer has more range
AKhammer sticks around for later
Force hammer has more utility(ethereal; can target creatures with weaker attack; doesnt matter versus corporeal conjurations)

3 mana seems worth the benefits if you were bringing force hammers to take out conjurations.

[Wildhorn]

The proper way to cast an Akiro Hammer i with a Wall of Pikes on its border to prevent Fog Bank to "nullify" it.

That isn't the only location a blocking wall can be set. A wall of fog or flame can block it farther away.

It also doesn't really matter if you put your wall of pikes adjacent since simple attack spells (Flameblast, in particular) from the other side of the pikes can do a lot of damage to it regardless.

But of it is put further away, it will most likely hinder your opponent more than yourself.

Also, I use it vs druids, which do not run wall of fire and most likely not fog bank either.
Versus a Wizard Tower, it would block LoS of the tower.

[Marhem]

When I play it, I place wall of earth on the opponents side down the middle and extend it. Then I place akiros hammer behind the open border.
If they place any wall but fog bank, they block their way in. I usually have talos charging up by then, and the longer they wait, the worse for them it gets because I have a deck packed with power creatures. I give standard bearer to thorg and I run around with 11 dice quick attacks (harshfoge hammer, ability, gauntlets, bear strength, power strike on helm of command, standard bearer). If they block it off, they make their situation get worst as I bring out iron golem, sir corazan, grimson and boltstorm.