Hammer

If you were looking for the weapon component, see Sledgehammer

Hammers have all one thing in common: weapons attached to a burst motor with a long extender (more than 60cm) between the motor and weapons.

Despite the bot's name, they are not limited to actual hammers as weapons, and can use indeed anything as a weapon. A common name for a hammer around newbies, especially Robot Wars-influenced ones, is "axe".

Hammer (vertical)

Real life examples: Frenzy, Killerhurtz, The Judge, Diesector (partly)

RA2 examples: Grog, BEAR, Bushido

A bot that basically brings down a weapon on the opponent using a burst motor (not to be confused with Torque reaction hammer or a popup). Can be everything: Bear claws, Axe, Samurai Sword, Sledgehammer... but most commonly builders use multiple razor tips for efficiency.

A hammer is basically better against bots with a vulnerable roof (rammers). It can be efficient against a bot with a lot of extenders and against horizontal spinners if built (extremely) well.

PROS

• Attacks the top of a bot, which tends to be unarmored
• Can attack freely when pinning an opponent
• Weapons tend to be hard to reach

CONS

• Needs front protection
• Not the most stable of bot types
• Vulnerable to flanking.
• Especially in Stock, fragile weapon extenders
• Difficulty self-righting
• Very specialized design: good against several bot types, poor against most others
• Low number of weapons.

Side Hammer

Real life examples: Splinter (Robot Wars)

RA2 examples: Atom Smasher

A side hammer is exactly what it says on the tin : a hammer with side-swinging weapons. Rather than bringing down the weapon, it is bringing it from the sides, like a claw closing on the opponent. Can overlap with Clamps.

This type hasn't generally the damage values of a normal hammer and doesn't avoid horizontal weapons, but can be made invertable then.

If you want your hammer to be damaging, then put several weapons on your hammer head. A hammer head featuring three razor tips is way better than a simple sledgehammer.

PROS

• Hard to flank
• Can attack freely when pinning an opponent
• Can attack wheels more easily than other designs

CONS

• Tends to hit the opponent's weapons
• Wide - may have mobility issues when next to walls
• Very specialized (good against rammers, awful against HS and SnS)

Trivia

Hammers are a rarely built type.

A few builders still perpetuate the species, mainly Sage, Clickbeetle and to a lesser extent Naryar.