The Unanswered Blow

In forty years nobody has answered the Hammer-Lord's blow. He says it isn't the hammer; it's the waiting.

Mode

Charge

Used with

Warhammer, Greataxe, Greatsword, Mace

Stamina

180

Fury

100

Cooldown

180s

Range

1.8 tiles

Price

not for sale

Needs first

Hammer-Hail, Wyrm-Feller

Deed

A task from the teacher. A blow nobody answers is held for as long as it takes, and that needs breath. Thrand teaches it only to someone who holds twenty Koch Stars of stamina, and then fights them for it.

What it does

Hold its key and raise the weapon for up to 4 s: you move x0.3, can't be knocked back, flinched or staggered, and take 30 % less damage; a ground ring shows your reach + 1 tile. Its power climbs from 6.0 at 0.5 s to 10.0 at 4 s. Release to strike at the aim, or let them come: the first foe that begins a melee attack on you within reach + 1 tile, or steps into your reach, is answered at once with no wind-up. Its attack is cancelled (an L body's or a dragon's still lands, at half) and it takes the blow at the power reached: staggered at once whatever its meter (bosses and named beasts: +150 stagger instead), 5 Sunder, knock 500 (S/M). Every other foe within 2.2 tiles takes 40 % of the power and 40 stagger (foe-only). At 4 s the blow falls by itself at the aim. Released before 0.5 s it is cancelled (nothing paid; cooldown 10 s).