Great HammerChanged in 7 patchesVerified on build 25080141

Pickaxe

With its requirements met (Str 22 · Dex 10), Pickaxe reaches 457 attack rating at +25; the strongest affinities at those stats are Flame Art and Sacred at 623.

Show all 6 on the map →

Farm: Stonedigger (2%) · Weeping Peninsula, Caelid, Altus Plateau, Capital Outskirts and 2 more regions

Also dropped by enemies placed all over (no markers): Drop: Stonedigger (2%) · Caelid, Altus Plateau, Weeping Peninsula and 3 more

Attack rating (+25): 457
Scaling (+25): Str C · Dex D
Class: Great Hammer
Weight: 10
Requires: Str 22 · Dex 10
Skill: Endure · FP 9
Upgrades with: Smithing Stones (+25), takes Ashes of War

Pickaxe, rendered from the game's 3D model — Rendered from the game's model

Attack rating by affinity 13

At Str 22 · Dex 10 · Int 10 · Fai 10 · Arc 10 (each stat at the weapon's requirement, 10 where it has none), one-handed.

Affinity	+0	Max	Damage at max	Scaling at max
Standard	172	457 +25	Physical 457	Str CDex DInt –Fai –Arc –
Heavy	171	475 +25	Physical 475	Str ADex –Int –Fai –Arc –
Keen	149	405 +25	Physical 405	Str EDex BInt –Fai –Arc –
Quality	155	414 +25	Physical 414	Str BDex BInt –Fai –Arc –
Fire	258	598 +25	Physical 290Fire 308	Str CDex EInt –Fai –Arc –
Flame Art	248	623 +25	Physical 306Fire 317	Str DDex EInt –Fai CArc –
Lightning	238	543 +25	Physical 269Lightning 274	Str EDex CInt –Fai –Arc –
Sacred	220	623 +25	Physical 306Holy 317	Str DDex EInt –Fai CArc –
Magic	220	620 +25	Physical 298Magic 322	Str EDex EInt CFai –Arc –
Cold	232	545 +25	Physical 333Magic 212	Str BDex DInt CFai –Arc –
Poison	144	419 +25	Physical 419	Str BDex DInt –Fai –Arc D
Blood	144	419 +25	Physical 419	Str BDex DInt –Fai –Arc D
Occult	146	412 +25	Physical 412	Str DDex EInt –Fai –Arc B

Try your own stats, two-handing and any upgrade in the AR calculator.

Attack rating by stat (Standard, +25)

Strength
Dexterity

Each line raises one stat from the requirement to 99 with the others held at the requirement; dashed lines are Strength's soft caps.

Show the numbers

Stat level	Strength	Dexterity
10	–	457
13	–	463
16	–	470
19	–	476
22	457	482
25	469	488
28	481	493
31	493	498
34	504	504
37	515	509
40	526	514
43	537	518
46	547	523
49	557	528
52	566	532
55	575	536
58	582	539
61	588	542
64	595	545
67	601	548
70	608	551
73	614	554
76	621	557
79	627	560
82	631	561
85	634	562
88	636	564
91	639	565
94	641	566
97	644	567
99	645	568

Stat	Soft caps	AR per point, by stretch	At 99
Strength	60, 80	22–60: +3.39 · 60–80: +2.2 · 80–99: +0.79	645 from 457
Dexterity	18, 60, 80	10–18: +2.25 · 18–60: +1.57 · 60–80: +1 · 80–99: +0.37	568 from 457

Soft caps are the breakpoints of the scaling curve the game assigns this weapon; past each one a point adds less (or, for some curves, more).

Attack rating by upgrade, by affinity

Standard
Flame Art
Sacred
Magic

At the weapon's requirements (Standard and the 3 strongest other affinities at those stats).

Show the numbers

Upgrade level	Standard	Flame Art	Sacred	Magic
0	172	248	220	220
1	183	262	235	235
2	193	277	251	250
3	204	291	267	266
4	215	306	282	282
5	226	321	298	297
6	237	336	314	314
7	248	351	331	329
8	259	365	346	345
9	270	381	362	362
10	281	396	379	377
11	292	411	395	394
12	304	426	411	409
13	315	441	428	426
14	326	457	444	441
15	338	472	459	458
16	350	487	476	473
17	361	502	492	490
18	373	517	509	506
19	385	533	526	522
20	397	548	542	538
21	409	564	558	555
22	421	579	575	571
23	433	593	591	588
24	445	609	607	603
25	457	623	623	620

Status buildup by upgrade

Cold · Frost
Poison · Poison
Blood · Blood loss

Per hit at Arcane 10. Affinities not shown keep the same buildup at every level.

Show the numbers

Upgrade level	Cold · Frost	Poison · Poison	Blood · Blood loss
0	80	80	69
1	81	81	70
2	83	82	71
3	85	85	72
4	87	86	73
5	89	88	75
6	91	89	77
7	93	90	78
8	95	92	79
9	96	93	81
10	98	95	82
11	100	96	83
12	102	97	84
13	104	99	86
14	106	100	87
15	108	102	88
16	110	103	89
17	111	104	91
18	113	106	92
19	115	107	93
20	117	109	94
21	119	110	96
22	121	111	97
23	123	113	98
24	125	114	99
25	127	116	101

#10 of 16 great hammer weapons by attack rating

Standard affinity at max upgrade, each weapon at its own requirements. A full bar is the class's strongest (Cranial Vessel Candlestand, 674).

Moveset from the game files

Damage with Standard +25 at the stats above, before the enemy's defense; two-handed moves include two-handing's Strength bonus. MV (motion value) is the hit's share of attack rating (100 = all of it).

One-handed15some can be parried

Move	MV	Damage	Stance	Stamina	1st hit
R1 1Pierce	100	457	13	16.5	0.57 s
R1 2Pierce	101	462	13	16.5	0.63 s
R1 3Pierce	102	466	13	16.5	0.60 s
R1 4Pierce	110	503	14	16.5	0.77 s
R2Pierce	125	571	16.8	26.8	—
Charged R2Pierce	165	754	39.2	37.1	1.57 s
R2 2Pierce	125	571	16.8	26.8	—
Charged R2 2Pierce	170	777	39.2	37.1	1.77 s
Running R1Pierce	105	480	13	19.6	0.67 s
Running R2Pierce	120	548	14	26.8	0.77 s
Rolling R1Pierce	90	411	13	13.4	0.47 s
Backstep R1Pierce	90	411	13	13.4	0.60 s
Jumping R1Pierce	107	489	13	13.4	0.53 s
Jumping R2Pierce	130	594	25.9	26.8	0.53 s
Guard counterPierce	125	571	39.2	26.8	0.87 s

Two-handed15some can be parried

Move	MV	Damage	Stance	Stamina	1st hit
R1 1Pierce	103	515	16.8	19.6	0.57 s
R1 2Pierce	104	520	16.8	19.6	0.60 s
R1 3Pierce	105	525	16.8	19.6	0.57 s
R1 4Pierce	115	576	18.2	19.6	0.73 s
R2Pierce	130	651	18.5	33	—
Charged R2Pierce	170	851	42.7	43.3	1.33 s
R2 2Pierce	130	651	18.5	33	—
Charged R2 2Pierce	175	876	42.7	43.3	1.57 s
Running R1Pierce	110	550	16.8	23.7	0.60 s
Running R2Pierce	130	651	15.4	33	0.73 s
Rolling R1Pierce	95	475	16.8	16.5	0.50 s
Backstep R1Pierce	95	475	16.8	16.5	0.60 s
Jumping R1Pierce	112	560	16.8	16.5	0.50 s
Jumping R2Pierce	135	676	28.7	33	0.50 s
Guard counterPierce	130	651	42.7	33	0.87 s

Criticals2

Move	MV	Damage	Stance	Stamina	1st hit
BackstabPierce · 2 hits	55 + 176	1,056	0	20.6	0.53 s
RipostePierce · 2 hits	55 + 220	1,257	0	20.6	0.83 s

From the player's animation events, BehaviorParam_PC and AtkParam_Pc. First hit: seconds at normal speed from the start of the move's animation (uncharged R2s start from a released charge, so they show —). Criticals include the weapon's critical multiplier. * The elemental motion value differs from the physical one shown; the damage uses each.

By upgrade level (Standard)

Level	AR	Physical	Cost
+0	172	172	—
+1	183	183	Smithing Stone [1] × 2
+2	193	193	Smithing Stone [1] × 4
+3	204	204	Smithing Stone [1] × 6
+4	215	215	Smithing Stone [2] × 2
+5	226	226	Smithing Stone [2] × 4
+6	237	237	Smithing Stone [2] × 6
+7	248	248	Smithing Stone [3] × 2
+8	259	259	Smithing Stone [3] × 4
+9	270	270	Smithing Stone [3] × 6
+10	281	281	Smithing Stone [4] × 2
+11	292	292	Smithing Stone [4] × 4
+12	304	304	Smithing Stone [4] × 6
+13	315	315	Smithing Stone [5] × 2
+14	326	326	Smithing Stone [5] × 4
+15	338	338	Smithing Stone [5] × 6
+16	350	350	Smithing Stone [6] × 2
+17	361	361	Smithing Stone [6] × 4
+18	373	373	Smithing Stone [6] × 6
+19	385	385	Smithing Stone [7] × 2
+20	397	397	Smithing Stone [7] × 4
+21	409	409	Smithing Stone [7] × 6
+22	421	421	Smithing Stone [8] × 2
+23	433	433	Smithing Stone [8] × 4
+24	445	445	Smithing Stone [8] × 6
+25	457	457	Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone × 1

From +0 to +25: 12 Smithing Stone [1], 12 Smithing Stone [2], 12 Smithing Stone [3], 12 Smithing Stone [4], 12 Smithing Stone [5], 12 Smithing Stone [6], 12 Smithing Stone [7], 12 Smithing Stone [8], 1 Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone.

Where to find Pickaxe

Dropped by 1

Enemies the game gives no name, up to 2% per kill · Caelid, Weeping Peninsula, Ruin-Strewn Precipice, Altus Plateau, Liurnia of the Lakes, Capital Outskirts

At Discovery 100. "Once" drops stop after the first (the game sets a flag).

Source not yet traced: the game files we read don't say yet how to get this item.

Attack rating, patch by patch

At max upgrade, Standard affinity, every stat at 40: 577 in 1.02.1 → 583 in 1.17.1, changed by 1 patch.

1.09577 → 583 (+1.0%)

Rebuilt from the weapon's own patch history; upgrade and scaling-curve tables are taken as they are today.

Patch history 7

Every patch that changed its numbers, read from the game's balance file (regulation) of each version.

1.03.1from 1.02.1
Every changed value (1)
Value Before to After Change
Linked data 1
Level Sync Correction ID 330 310 changed
1.04.1from 1.03.3
- Physical guard negation52→68
- Guard boost36→44
1.07from 1.06
- Stance damage6.5→7.5
Every changed value (2)
Value Before to After Change
Key changes 1
Stance damage 6.5 7.5 +1+15%
Defence and poise 1
Poise ×0.062 ×0.072 +0.01+16%
1.08from 1.07.1
- Stance damage7.5→7
1.09from 1.08.1
- Strength scaling53→55Standard
- Strength scaling56→57Heavy
- Strength scaling15→16KeenFlame ArtSacredMagic
- Dexterity scaling40→41Keen
- Strength scaling49→51Quality
- Dexterity scaling49→51Quality
- Strength scaling33→34Fire
- Dexterity scaling7→8Fire
- Faith scaling32→33Flame ArtSacred
- Strength scaling7→8Lightning
- Dexterity scaling33→34Lightning
- Intelligence scaling35→36MagicCold
- Strength scaling47→49Cold
- Strength scaling50→52PoisonBlood
- Strength scaling21→22Occult
- Arcane scaling66→68Occult
1.10from 1.09.1
Every changed value (1)
Value Before to After Change
Defence and poise 1
Poise ×0.072 ×0.077 +0.005+6.9%
1.12.1from 1.10
- Stamina damage95→100
Every changed value (2)
Value Before to After Change
Key changes 1
Stamina damage 95 100 +5+5.3%
Health, stamina and weight 1
Weapon Regain HP Amount 60 90 +30+50%

Value	Before	to	After	Change
Linked data 1
Level Sync Correction ID	330	→	310	changed

Value	Before	to	After	Change
Key changes 1
Stance damage	6.5	→	7.5	+1+15%
Defence and poise 1
Poise	×0.062	→	×0.072	+0.01+16%

Value	Before	to	After	Change
Defence and poise 1
Poise	×0.072	→	×0.077	+0.005+6.9%

Value	Before	to	After	Change
Key changes 1
Stamina damage	95	→	100	+5+5.3%
Health, stamina and weight 1
Weapon Regain HP Amount	60	→	90	+30+50%

Other great hammers with similar AR

Overview

Class: Great Hammer
Weight: 10
Requires: Str 22 · Dex 10
Affinities: Standard, Heavy, Keen, Quality, Fire, Flame Art, Lightning, Sacred, Magic, Cold, Poison, Blood, Occult
Game ID: 12140000