An in-depth guide on the Steel Sledgehammer
Whether you are the kind of player who always grabs the biggest, heaviest weapon you can find or need a fitting tool to smash your way through the side of a house, we’ve got a treat for you. The Steel Sledgehammer in 7 Days to Die (7D2D) is a huge, heavy melee weapon capable of easily breaking through solid walls and dealing enough damage to settle your grudge against whatever is directly in front of you.
This guide will walk you through crafting a Steel Sledgehammer in 7 Days to Die and offer some advice on utilizing it best.
How to craft a Steel Sledgehammer in 7 Days to Die
This massive, custom-built weapon is formed from solid steel, so you’ll need plenty of that and some impressive skills before you can make one. You’ll need to have reached the final tier in the Sledgehammers crafting skill and have access to a Workbench 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel Sledgehammer Parts | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Forged Steel | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
| Wood | 10 | 20 | 30 | 45 | 50 |
| Leather | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Duct Tape | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Sledge hammers Crafting Skill | 39 | 48 | 57 | 66 | 75 |
- Steel Sledgehammer Parts cannot be crafted but can be collected by scrapping Steel Sledgehammers, searching gun safes and weapon chests, or can be purchased from traders.
- Forged Steel can be crafted at a Forge or salvaged from advanced machines like street lamps and vending machines.
- 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.
Steel Sledgehammer Overview
Base Stats
| Property | Quality 1 | Quality 2 | Quality 3 | Quality 4 | Quality 5 | Quality 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melee Damage | 55.4 | 61.7 | 68 | 70 | 76.3 | 82.4 |
| Power Attack Damage | 124.1 | 130.4 | 136.7 | 138.7 | 145 | 151.2 |
| Sneak Damage | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Block Damage | 85.9 | 95.7 | 98.6 | 108.5 | 118.2 | 127.7 |
| Stamina Cost | 40.5 | 40.5 | 40.5 | 40.5 | 40.5 | 40.5 |
| Attacks / Minute | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
| Max Durability | 400 | 480 | 560 | 640 | 720 | 800 |
| Mod Slots | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Mods
The Steel 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 Steel Sledgehammer
As a member of the Sledgehammer weapon class, the Steel 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 with less frequency. 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 that actually deals more damage to blocks than they do to enemies. That isn’t to say they are weaker in combat, but they can easily 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.
The Steel Sledgehammer is the most powerful melee weapon in the game in terms of raw damage. One hit from this mighty hammer is enough to put most enemies down for good. That said, swinging this monstrous mallet is going to cost you time and energy. Make sure to start your swing before you approach your target to ensure you have time to connect.
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 use this hammer as your primary weapon. This will help protect you in close encounters and prevent debilitating critical effects.
Final thoughts on the Steel Sledgehammer
Door locked? Smash it. Are you trapped in a house? Smash it. Are zombies in the way? Smash. Whatever the obstacle, The Fun Pimps made this weapon for the players who would rather go straight through. Wield one of these monstrous hammers and become an unstoppable force that can smash through concrete walls and hordes of zombies alike. Just be careful not to wear yourself out in the meantime.
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.
