Overview of the Soul Shroud War Hammer

Weapon Type: War Hammer

Gear Score: 600+ (Legendary)

Primary Attribute: Strength

Recommended Role: Tank / Crowd Control / AoE DPS

Notable Perks:

Sundering Shockwave: Reduces enemy’s armor with Shockwave by 9.5%.

Thwarting Strikes: Increases damage while you have active Grit.

Refreshing Move: Reduces cooldowns by 2.5% on light and heavy attacks.

These perks make the Soul Shroud War Hammer one of the best War Hammers for PvE and PvP alike, offering durability, control, and sustained pressure.

Stat Allocation and Attributes

The War Hammer scales 100% with Strength, so you’ll want to invest heavily into that stat for maximum damage.

Recommended Stat Spread (Level 60):

Strength: 300–350

Constitution: 150–200 (depending on survivability needs)

300 Strength unlocks a perk that grants grit on all light and heavy attacks, which synergizes directly with Thwarting Strikes for massive bonus damage. Having 150 Constitution gives you 10% more max HP and reduced crit damage taken—ideal for tanking.

Weapon Pairing

The War Hammer works best when paired with weapons that offer mobility, ranged damage, or healing. Consider these options:

1. Great Axe

Synergizes well with crowd control.

Gravity Well followed by Shockwave sets up big AoE bursts.

2. Sword and Shield

Ideal for tanking mutated expeditions.

Use Shield for blocking, Hammer for CC and debuffs.

3. Void Gauntlet

Apply debuffs and self-heal.

Combo Oblivion and Petrifying Scream with Shockwave for full control.

Best War Hammer Skill Tree: Crowd Crusher Focus

The Crowd Crusher tree is where the Soul Shroud War Hammer truly shines. These abilities provide massive control, defense, and area denial.

Core Abilities:

1. Shockwave

Effect: Slam the ground, causing a 3-meter AoE stun for 2 seconds.

Perk (Sundering Shockwave): Applies a Weaken debuff and reduces armor.

Use: Initiate fights, interrupt, or control enemies in PvP and PvE.

2. Path of Destiny

Effect: Sends a shockwave in a straight line, dealing damage and staggering enemies.

Use: Ranged poke, disruption in tight corridors, interrupt enemy casts.

3. Clear Out

Effect: Knock back enemies in a 180° arc in front of you.

Use: Zone control, buy breathing room in PvP, or push enemies off capture points.

Passive Skills to Prioritize:

Outnumbered: Gain increased damage resistance when facing multiple foes.

I Can Do This All Day: Reduce block stamina damage.

Facilitated Expedition: Gain stamina on crowd control hits.

Resurgence: Restore some HP when debuffing enemies.

Concussive Impact: Deal more damage to stunned targets.

Gameplay Tips: Using Soul Shroud in PvP

1. Engage with Shockwave

Shockwave is your bread-and-butter CC tool. With the Sundering Shockwave perk, you not only stun targets but reduce their armor, setting up big follow-up attacks from allies or yourself.

Tip: Use it to punish clumped groups or interrupt abilities like Ice Storm, Beacon, or Incinerate.

2. Weave Light Attacks

Due to the Refreshing Move perk, consistently landing light attacks reduces your cooldowns significantly. Use light attacks between abilities and after dodges to keep the pressure up.

3. Control Objectives

Soul Shroud excels in Outpost Rush and Wars where controlling territory matters. Use Clear Out to knock players off capture zones, and Path of Destiny to stop reinforcements or retreating players.

4. Maximize Grit Use

Thanks to 300 Strength, all light and heavy attacks have Grit. Combine this with Thwarting Strikes to maintain aggressive pressure while staying tanky.

Gameplay Tips: Using Soul Shroud in PvE

1. Aggro Control in Expeditions

Use Shockwave to open fights and apply Weaken. Follow up with Clear Out to push enemies off squishier teammates or away from AoEs.

2. Skill Rotation

Open with Shockwave, then use Path of Destiny as mobs group up. Clear Out can reset aggro lines or help in repositioning mobs into AoEs from your team.

3. AoE Farming

Path of Destiny hits multiple targets in a line and staggers them—perfect for tagging mobs in elite zones or events. Combine with AoE taunts to keep threat.

4. Mutation Modifiers

In mutated dungeons with elemental resistances or curses, the CC-focused War Hammer gives your group room to breathe. The armor shred and stuns help reduce incoming damage and increase your team’s output.

Gear and Perk Optimization

Armor Perks to Prioritize:

Fortifying Sacred Ground (if using life staff offhand)

Freedom (reduces crowd control duration)

Elemental Aversion / Physical Aversion

Refreshing / Refreshing Ward

Jewelry Perks:

Health (Amulet)

Stamina Recovery (Ring)

Purifying Toast (Earring)

Gems:

Opal (for bonus damage when stamina is not full)

Carnelian (if you’re tanking, for taunts)

Onyx (for physical mitigation in PvP)

Combos and Strategy

PvP Crowd Control Combo:

Initiate with Shockwave (stun and armor break)

Light attacks to reduce cooldown

Path of Destiny to stagger and disrupt

Clear Out if enemies close in or to displace

PvE AoE Tank Combo:

Taunt with Shockwave

Position mobs with Clear Out

Spam light/heavy attacks for cooldowns

Path of Destiny for crowd stagger and extra threat

Conclusion

The Soul Shroud War Hammer is a top-tier weapon for those who enjoy heavy crowd control, area denial, and tanky frontline play. With its synergistic perks—Sundering Shockwave, Thwarting Strikes, and Refreshing Move—you can maintain high uptime on cooldowns while constantly disrupting enemy formations.

Whether you're storming forts in PvP or standing strong in mutated expeditions, mastering the Soul Shroud means knowing when to engage, how to weave attacks, and buy New World coins how to keep pressure up without overcommitting. It's not just about raw damage—it's about timing, control, and momentum.