An in-depth guide on the Iron Sledgehammer
While most survivors prefer overcoming obstacles in 7 Days to Die with clever solutions or avoiding them altogether, others prefer a more direct approach. If you’re the kind of player who insists on going through the problem rather than over it, then the Iron Sledgehammer should be just your style. This hefty melee weapon utilizes a hunk of solid iron to smash through whatever is in its path, be it an enemy or a solid wall.
This guide will walk you through crafting an Iron Sledgehammer in 7 Days to Die and offer advice on utilizing it best.
How to craft an Iron Sledgehammer in 7 Days to Die
This blunt instrument is slightly more refined than a boulder strapped to a branch, so you’ll need some good metal and mid-level skills. You must have reached the second level in the Sledgehammers crafting skill to assemble this weapon successfully. The number of resources required depends on the quality of the hammer being constructed:
| Material | Quality 1 | Quality 2 | Quality 3 | Quality 4 | Quality 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forged Iron | 30 | 45 | 60 | 75 | 90 |
| Wood | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 |
| Leather | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Duct Tape | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Sledgehammers Crafting Skill | 11 | 17 | 24 | 31 | 38 |
- Forged Iron can be crafted at a Forge or salvaged from machines like construction equipment and rusted cars.
- Wood can be harvested from trees and shrubs or reclaimed from wooden structures.
- Leather may be obtained by salvaging furniture and vehicles or harvested from animal carcasses.
- Duct Tape may be crafted by combining Glue and Cloth Fragments or scavenged from household or parts containers.
- The Sledgehammers crafting skill can only be improved by finding and reading issues of the Get Hammered skill magazine.
Iron Sledgehammer Overview
Base Stats
| Property | Quality 1 | Quality 2 | Quality 3 | Quality 4 | Quality 5 | Quality 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melee Damage | 32.3 | 36 | 39.5 | 40.6 | 44.3 | 47.8 |
| Power Attack Damage | 72.3 | 76 | 79.5 | 80.6 | 84.3 | 87.8 |
| Sneak Damage | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Block Damage | 52.7 | 58.7 | 64.4 | 66.1 | 72.2 | 77.8 |
| Stamina Cost | 36.7 | 36.7 | 36.7 | 36.7 | 36.7 | 36.7 |
| Attacks / Minute | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
| Max Durability | 200 | 240 | 280 | 320 | 360 | 400 |
| Mod Slots | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Mods
The Iron Sledgehammer accepts the following mods. Note that only one mod of any category may be attached at a time except accessory mods.
- Accessory: Structural Brace, Wood Splitter, Bunker Buster, Grave Digger, Iron Breaker, Burning Shaft
- Tech: The Hunter, Rad Remover
- Grip: Fortifying Grip, Ergonomic Grip
Tips and tricks for using the Iron Sledgehammer
As a member of the Sledgehammer weapon class, the Iron Sledgehammer scales in power with the player’s Strength attribute and the Skullcrusher perk. The attack speed of this weapon can also be increased by investing in the Big and Fast perk.
Sledgehammers are specialized weapons that excel at dealing massive damage with a single blow. However, these weapons are especially slow and cost a lot of stamina to swing. Like Clubs, Sledgehammers can also knock enemies to the ground, though less frequently. Adding the Weighted Head mod to your hammer can improve your chances of knocking down enemies and increase damage.
Sledgehammers are the only melee weapon class with more damage to blocks than enemies. That isn’t to say they are weaker in combat, but they can be used to splinter doors, break open safes, and even smash through walls. This makes sledgehammers ideal for Breachers and allows them to be used to create a quick escape route if things go south on a scavenging run.
The raw power of the sledgehammer class is balanced by their lack of speed and heavy stamina requirements. Players planning to use a sledgehammer as their primary weapon should seriously consider investing in perks that increase their overall stamina and stamina recovery. Equipping the Ergonomic Grip modification can also greatly help with managing stamina.
Sledgehammers are designed for loud, in-your-face combat, and so they naturally lack subtlety. Not only do sledgehammer melee attacks create much more noise than other weapons, but they also cannot benefit from sneak damage. This means attacks will deal normal damage regardless of whether or not the enemy is aware of you.
Though much more powerful than the Stone Sledgehammer, the Iron Sledgehammer is much slower and costs significantly more stamina to swing. We strongly recommend players utilize stamina cost reduction and overall stamina increase bonuses wherever possible. Consuming high-quality food and drinks can help recover stamina and reduce your chances of exhaustion in combat.
We also recommend wearing heavy armor if you plan to use this hammer as your primary weapon. This will help protect you in close encounters and prevent debilitating critical effects. That said, wearing lighter armor with a lower stamina penalty is also a valid strategy for hit-and-run tactics.
Final thoughts on the Iron Sledgehammer
There’s an obvious benefit to wielding a hammer heavy enough to smash rocks as easily as it can smash heads. The Fun Pimps didn’t design this weapon for subtlety, so if you’re the type to face challenges head-on, start swinging one of these around to show them you mean business.
Looking for some more pointers to help you survive 7D2D? Check out our 10 Tips for Getting Started or our in-depth Beginner’s Guide.
