Gravity hammer (fiction)

The Type-2 Energy Weapon/Hammer, also called the Gravity Hammer is the largest weapon in the Halo 3, usually wielded with both hands, and can only be used for close combat.

Background
The Gravity Hammer is a large hammer that serves as an excellent and powerful melee weapon because of its tremendous weight and through the enormous strength, of its intended user species. It can also manipulate gravity, allowing it to propel objects and enemies away from its wielder. This tremendous weapon may also ricochet rockets being shot at the user, if used at the appropriate time.

The Gravity Hammer was first seen in Halo 2 called the Fist of Rukt which was used by Tartarus, although it was unusable by the player at the time. In Halo 3 a weaker and much more common variant of the Gravity Hammer appears and can be used. This weapon has been labeled a nub weapon, as it features a one hit kill. It is used only by Brute Chieftains as a sign of rank, except in multiplayer. Despite being labeled a Hammer, it, like all Brute weapons, has a blade attached to the backside for slashing opponents.

The very notable Gravity Hammer, is the Fist of Rukt, which was wielded by the Chieftain of the Brutes, Tartarus before his death. Tartarus acquired the Fist of Rukt from Maccabeus, his uncle, in a fight to the death. During the mission Tartarus attempts to kill the Arbiter but instead fails and is killed.

Fist Of Rukt
The Fist of Rukt was Tartarus's personal gravity hammer. It was passed down from Brute Chieftain to Brute Chieftain in a Brute pack, and belonged to Maccabeus before Tartarus defeated him in combat and claimed the legendary hammer for himself. This is stated in Halo: Contact Harvest. It also seems that the hammer had no effect on gravity at the time of Halo: Contact Harvest, but was upgraded around the time of Halo 2. This hammer is believed to be the strongest Gravity Hammer in existence. The Fist of Rukt is basically an overpowered version of a normal Gravity Hammer. It can also be noted that instead of the "implosion" sound that the Halo 3 hammer makes, the Halo 2 hammer merely sounds like a grenade exploding.

Appearances
Gravity Hammers were never seen or mentioned in Halo: Combat Evolved, and are only wieldable in Halo 3 and seen in Halo 2

Halo 2
Tartarus was always seen with his personal Gravity Hammer, the Fist of Rukt.

After the conclusion of the Battle of the Gas Mine and after the Arbiter killed the Heretic Leader, Tartarus appeared on the scene, using his Gravity Hammer to freeze 343 Guilty Spark, and send him hurtling towards the hammer. Tartarus proceeded to pluck it out of the air and disposed of 343 Guilty Spark up the Gravity Lift of a nearby Phantom.

After the conclusion of the Battle of the Quarantine Zone on Installation 05, Miranda Keyes and Avery Johnson of the UNSC were able to retrieve the Sacred Icon from Delta Halo's Library. The Arbiter, however, knocked Johnson unconscious, and Tartarus once again appeared on the scene. The Chieftain of the Brutes was able to levitate Miranda towards himself with his hammer. Subsequently, Tartarus used the Fist of Rukt to attack the Arbiter, using the gravity shock wave to send the Arbiter flying into a seemingly bottomless pit.

At the Control Room of Installation 05, the Arbiter, Johnson, and numerous Elite Councilors, Zealots, Ultras and Special Operations Elites attempted to kill Tartarus and deactivate Installation 05. The Fist of Rukt was one of Tartarus's few advantages, and despite being heavily outnumbered, the massive area effect damage was able to send most of the Elites flying into oblivion, and any Sangheili that attempted to attack Tartarus at close range with Energy Swords were beaten to death by the massive Fist of Rukt. After the Arbiter and Johnson killed Tartarus, the Fist of Rukt fell from the Brute Chieftain's limp hands, although its fate afterwards is uncertain. It is assumed that the Elites kept it as a trophy to remember their bloody war against the Brutes. The Gravity Hammer is unusable by players in Halo 2.

Starry Night
The first hint of the Gravity Hammer's appearance in Halo 3 was seen in the "Starry Night" TV spot released on December 4, 2006. In the very end of the trailer (00:52), one of the Brute Chieftains that SPARTAN-117 was about to attack was carrying a Gravity Hammer.

Halo 3 ViDoc: Et Tu, Brute?
In the video documentary Et Tu, Brute? released December 20, 2006, there were a few animations of Brutes using Gravity Hammers, and Brutes in game play that were wielding hammers in mostly untextured alpha builds.The hammer in the video showed an almost exact resembleance with the Fist of Rukt of halo 2. The hammers were unique in the fact that when they swung, a massive electric blue shock wave was projected in a spherical blast from the head of the hammer, mirroring a Plasma Grenade's detonation, except possibly larger and stronger. Crates and other objects in the path of the shock wave were displaced. Also, there is a Brute Chieftain seen holding a gravity hammer that resembled the Fist of Rukt.

Halo 3
The Gravity Hammer is usable only in Halo 3. It is devastating in close quarter combat, capable of smashing vehicles away, and bouncing grenades and rockets (with lots of practice) away from the wielder. The attack is an instant kill on any target (unless damage resistance or shields have been modified), except if the target deflects the blow with an Energy Sword. In addition, anyone within the radius will be flung backwards and sometimes fall off a ledge, gifting the user a kill. Even then, it is an instant shield drain, although the Sword-wielder will normally kill a Hammer wielder before a second blow can be made. But if an Elite jumps and tries to hit the wielder with the sword, the Hammer can and will kill the Elite player. This can only happen in multiplayer. The Hammer creates small shock-waves, shaking the perspective of players nearby. The Hammer also hurls targets backwards if it connects, often times sending them incredibly far. In addition, rockets shot at the wielder can be knocked away if the attack is timed well. However, to make up for the power of the weapon, the battery drains slightly faster than an Energy Sword, and attacks can be very slow. On maps with platforms in the air, the weapon can be utilized to fling an opponent off. On very rare occasions, Flood-infected Brutes have been seen wielding Gravity Hammers particularly on the level Halo. Giving a Gravity Hammer to Elite allies in Halo 3 is a bad idea; they will not swing it at all & will charge uselessly into battle, probably because it's a Brute ceremonial weapon, such as its Sangheili counterpart, the Energy Sword. Upon killing the Arbiter, leaving a Hammer near his corpse will result in him springing up with it. He will not swing it, but will charge you bellowing a war cry. After a while he will put the Hammer on his back & pull out an Energy Sword.
 * In the Campaign, Gravity Hammers can be found on all levels except in Tsavo Highway.
 * The Gravity Hammer is an excellent anti-Flood weapon. It is capable of killing multiple Flood enemies in one swing due to its massive shock wave, this is useful for killing swarms of Infection forms or combat forms. (Though use it wisely on Cortana as it is easy to miss and hit the sacs of infection forms on the walls.)
 * It should be noted that taking out a Hammer in the midst of Grunts will cause them to immediately panic (even Ultras will panic).
 * The Shotgun is seemingly better than the Hammer in Multiplayer, as in a Hammer vs Shotgun, the Shotgun wielder normally wins...this is in opposition to the Campaign though, as the Hammer can kill Brutes in one swing; the Shotgun on the other hand, takes two blasts to kill a Brute.

Halo: Uprising
In Halo: Uprising, on the cover of Issue 3, John-117 is seen holding a Gravity Hammer. It is virtually identical to the one seen in Halo 3.

Multiplayer Recommendations

 * Try to use the Gravity Hammer as a secondary weapon because its battery runs out too fast. Whip it out when someone throws a grenade at you. If you hit the ground soon enough, the grenade will fly away. Also, if someone is coming towards you in a ground vehicle, hit the ground to send the vehicle flying away from you. Try to melee with it as much as you can, but otherwise use another weapon. If the vehicle gets away, try doing another primary attack. The shock wave will sometimes flip the vehicle leaving its occupants exposed for a follow up. At the same time you can also flip a vehicle off a map if they're near the edge on maps like Rat's Nest and Standoff. The Gravity hammer is great during CQB.
 * On Guardian try to hide behind one of the walls near the lift so enemies not coming by the lift can't see you and they will be easier to kill.
 * On maps with a Gravity Hammer, use your built-in scope to look at opponents. Since their secondary weapon is on their back or side, the Gravity Hammer is visible even when not in use. If you can, it is advisable to take the hammer-wielder out from a distance using a Sniper Rifle, Beam Rifle, Carbine, or Battle Rifle. Some skilled marksman may attempt to use a Magnum at a medium range. Spartan Lasers can also be used due to their one-hit kill and 2x zoom, however, like the Hammer, ammo is scarce, so this is not recommended.
 * The Gravity Hammer may also be used to gain distance from another player or stay in the air for a certain amount of time if timed right but you must aim at the ground and attack while in air with the hammer to do this. As an addition, if unlimited ammo and minimal gravity are enabled, repeatedly using the hammer after jumping causes the shock waves to drastically increase the distance of your jumps. This is called a grav hammer jump and is like the brute shot jump and the grenade jump. It is particularly useful on Valhalla, as combining the effects of the Man-Cannon with the Smash-Jump can propel the user nearly across the entire map.
 * The best tactic in Hammers-Only matches, such as "Hammerzeit", or "Hammer Time" is to use lots of grenades. If you can get a grenade hit on an enemy they will die easier with a hit. And since the Hammer has area effect damage you can score a hit at a bit longer range than standard Melee then drop a grenade for the kill. Another good tactic is to wait until the targeting reticule turns red and you are apt enough to attack the enemy. Be aware, however, as waiting for the reticule can create situations where you both either cancel out, if you both have the gravity hammer, or don't make contact at all and miss. The best allies when using the gravity hammer are distance and timing, and it is a good idea to use them well.
 * The Gravity Hammer is also one of the only two weapons available in the Grifball gametype along with the Energy Sword. It is the cause of many betrayals, however you can also "ride the wave" and use your enemy's gravity hammer to launch yourself to their goal.
 * If you time the shock wave from the hammer at the right time you can send a Rocket Launcher missile in a another direction and blow up but there have been some cases in which the missile doesn't blow up.
 * The Hammer may be known as a great CQB weapon, but it is far too slow to compete against the Energy Sword or the Shotgun. If you find your self up against one of these weapons, create space between you and your opponent, and either change to a dual wield configuration, such as plasma rifle and SMG (great combo with the plasmas shield drain and SMG's flesh cutting rounds) or use grenades and head shots to take down the enemy. Although it is important to remember that the Mauler is considered an easy target for the Gravity Hammer.
 * If someone is using a light vehicle like a Brute Chopper or a Mongoose a good tactic is to sneak up to the vehicle with active camo and do hit assaults to all parts of the vehicle with the Gravity Hammer. Make sure you are moving quickly and closely around the vehicle so your opponent can not pinpoint you for an attack.
 * When playing in a large map with a low gravity and high speed game type, it is possible to "fly" across the map by running at top speed and jumping while attacking with the gravity hammer.
 * Try combining a gravity hammer jump and grenade jump to get to spots that arent normally reachable and camp/snipe people

Disadvantages in Multiplayer
The Gravity Hammer is clearly visible on your back (unless the player has active camouflage, unlike the Energy Sword which emplace on the Spartan or Elite's thigh is considerably hard to see, and if you rush head on with a Gravity Hammer, your opponent may just back pedal and fire at you out of fear. It has a shorter and slower lunge distance compared to that of the Energy Sword. Having the Gravity Hammer on open maps with little inside fighting makes the wielder a sniper target. Just like the Energy Sword in Halo 2, the Active Camouflage has little effect on the Gravity Hammer, making it highly visible to your opponents. Also, even when you are invisible, the little blue light on top of the hammer is still able to be seen, thus making hammer attacks while invisible useless against a vigilant player.
 * Also, if you're too slow to swing your weapon, your opponent may have the chance to evade the attack, and can quickly take you down or the weapon's shock wave could simply knock the player back far enough to be out of range of your hammer and finish you off with a well placed grenade or weapon bursts. It also gives time for Sword or Shotgun users to counter.
 * The chief concern when using the Gravity Hammer is the powerful splash damage surrounding a hammer stroke and blow. If used too close to other players, the massive shock wave will take down their shields. This makes friendly fire a very real and factual possibility and concern.
 * If you get too close to another player while wielding the Gravity Hammer, they may simply sidestep and strafe to evade the attack.
 * An enemy wielding a Shotgun can easily take down a player with the Gravity Hammer before he has time to swing.
 * A big concern with the Gravity Hammer is that if the player misses with the Hammer, the shock waves will push the enemy out of range, weakening the enemy's shields, but making the Hammer carrier an easy target. For this reason, it is advantageous to carry a Battle Rifle along with a Gravity Hammer.
 * The Hammer is heavy and slow, allowing an Energy Sword user to sidestep the blow and follow up with a sword lunge, resulting in a quick kill.

Glitches

 * The Hammer, has been seen to have no alternate third person animation for melee, in third person, you would simply look like you're swinging the hammer with just no explosive effect or splash effect. This will only work for Spartans, though. Elites have the same animation they have if you melee someone with a flag.
 * When you combine RT with clicking LT, the shock wave will have no sound effect, the attack will be negated, and it will count as a normal melee attack.
 * Occasionally, if you hit the roof of the Elephant's cabin, the Hammer's blast will go through and kill the driver and its occupants.

Trivia

 * The Gravity Hammer has been seen to be used in a game players call 'Baseball' were the Gravity Hammer deflects rockets shot by the Rocket Launcher or when a friend is in Forge mode and throws crates/barrels at the person or someone uses grenades instead of rockets.
 * If you use the Armless Glitch, the range of the Gravity Hammer will be greatly increased and will cause players to float and will cause loss of their shields.
 * The melee of a Gravity Hammer uses no energy and has medium damage.
 * The Gravity Hammer is the only weapon that can travel through solid walls.
 * The Gravity Hammer is used in the popular Double xp weekend playlist Grifball, in which the players have no shields and must somehow take their bomb and get it to the other team's base.
 * In Heroic and Legendary difficulties, one hit by the Gravity Hammer is enough to kill you.
 * This is described as the most popular weapon in Halo 3 along with the Energy Sword.
 * It is possible that all Brute tribes' Gravity Hammers have names, like the Fist of Rukt.
 * The Gravity Hammer is mostly used as a primary weapon in Grifball.
 * The Thel 'Vadam is the only known Elite to wield and use the Gravity Hammer.
 * A picture from Halo Wars shows that the Brute Chieftains may be able to wield the Gravity Hammer.
 * Brutes, with the exception of the Thel 'Vadam and/or Master Chief are the only species seen with the Gravity Hammer.
 * It is said that one can parry a Hammer with a Energy Sword but needs confirmation. More likely is that it would merely produce a Double Beatdown, as seen in Grifball.
 * The Flood never use the Gravity Hammer but instead just use the normal melee.
 * A useful trick for taking down Mongooses with the Gravity Hammer is to use it when it is in medium range,about 3 or 4 feet away. This will cause the Mongoose to flip or spin.
 * In the Halo 3 ViDoc: Et Tu, Brute?, the Gravity Hammer had a much more barbaric and rough appearance than the Gravity Hammer in Halo 3.
 * It is possible that the Fist of Rukt is one of many original Gravity Hammers, and that the ones appearing in Halo 3 are the ones that the Brutes make after they take the Elites spot, therefore making them the equalvalent of modern replicas. Another theory for the change in appearance is that Bungie thought the old model of Gravity Hammers would be too big for the screen, and will cover much of the players view.

Related Pages

 * Grifball