Artifact · Combat
Combat Artifact
Framing Hammer turns Combat Abilities into a Falter tool. They deal 30% more Falter, and they deal no Damage at all.
+30% Falter from Combat Abilities
Trade-off: Combat Abilities deal no Damage
Best for Falter / Execution-focused builds
+30% Falter
Combat Ability Damage
No exact Framing Hammer render is matched yet, so this page does not use a stand-in hammer image.
The question this Artifact answers is whether you will give up Combat Ability Damage so those abilities become a stronger Falter tool. Framing Hammer is that conversion: Combat Abilities deal 30% more Falter, and they deal no Damage. It is a specialization, not a general Combat upgrade.
Framing Hammer makes Combat Abilities deal 30% more Falter, but those abilities stop dealing Damage.
Gain
+30% Falter
Give up
Combat Ability Damage
This applies to Combat Abilities only. Equipping Framing Hammer does not turn ordinary Melee or Aberrant attacks into 0 Damage, and it does not add Falter to every attack.
No Damage is the game’s own wording. The catalog does not publish it as a −100% Damage stat. The Artifact changes what a Combat Ability is for.
A Combat Ability deals Damage and Falter.
That ability specializes in Falter. It no longer deals Damage.
This is a role change for Combat Abilities, not a debuff on all of Dylan’s attacks.
It is excellent when you want Falter, and a poor damage pick when Combat Abilities are supposed to kill. High Falter value is not high general damage value.
Falter-focused build
Excellent
Execution-focused play
Excellent
Combat Ability setup and control
Excellent
Damage-first Combat Ability build
Poor
Boss damage
Usually poor
Melee-damage build
Depends on ability use
Dominance-oriented loop
Strong
There is no single tier. The fit follows the combat loop you actually play.
Use it when Combat Abilities set up a Falter state and something else finishes the target. This page does not publish a universal loadout.
Abilities are there to reach a Falter state faster.
That Falter state is what opens the Execution.
Abilities are spent on setup, not on the killing blow.
Framing Hammer raises Combat Ability Falter. That Falter pushes an enemy into a Falter state, which opens an Execution. An Execution also starts or extends Dominance, so the Artifact feeds that loop when you are playing for it.
Combat Ability Falter → enemy Falter state → Execution → Dominance
Launch-era achievement notes recommend Framing Hammer when the goal is to keep building Falter and cash it in as Executions. This page does not redefine Execution or Dominance.
Skip Framing Hammer when Combat Abilities are a real damage source. The no-Damage trade-off is the whole point, and it is expensive if you needed that damage.
Your Combat Abilities are a major damage source.
You are building for burst ability damage.
You need abilities to finish enemies directly.
Your setup does not gain much from Falter or Execution.
Inferno, Barrage and Spore Burst are the Combat Abilities this hits hardest when you were using them to deal damage.
These are different combat loops. The useful question is which loop you want, not which Artifact is simply better.
Whetstone adds 20% Damage to Melee attacks and Combat Abilities, and reduces Falter by 20%. Framing Hammer does the opposite job on abilities: no Combat Ability Damage, and 30% more Falter.
Want direct Damage → Whetstone. Want a Falter and Execution setup → Framing Hammer.
Golden Earrings raises Falter by 20% and cuts Damage by 30%. That trade-off is broader and less extreme. Framing Hammer is limited to Combat Abilities and gives up their Damage completely for 30% more Falter.
Keep some Damage → Golden Earrings. Maximize Combat Ability Falter → Framing Hammer.
Brass Dusters makes Combat Abilities deal 50% more Damage and no Falter at all. Framing Hammer makes those same abilities deal no Damage and 30% more Falter. They sit at opposite ends of the Combat Ability spectrum.
Pure ability damage → Brass Dusters. Pure ability Falter → Framing Hammer.
Current launch-era guides consistently place the Untapped Framing Hammer at the Underpass Vendor for 1,000 Source. After you have the Untapped Artifact, form Framing Hammer at the Forgemaster in the Gap.
Underpass Vendor, 1,000 Source. Guides do not list a Vendor Level III requirement for this Artifact.
Untapped Framing Hammer is the Blueprint. The Forgemaster in the Gap forms the Artifact. The game data does not bind a direct reward, chest or quest to it.
Do not treat this as a Vendor Level III unlock. That requirement is reported for other vendor Artifacts, not for Framing Hammer.
The Untapped Framing Hammer is the Blueprint. Forming it at the Forgemaster in the Gap is the confirmed crafting step. Where the Blueprint is sold is the guide-verified vendor route above, not a direct reward record.
No exact in-game Artifact image is matched for Framing Hammer yet.
Framing Hammer owns the Combat Ability Falter conversion: the +30% Falter, the no-Damage trade-off, and the choice against Whetstone, Brass Dusters and Golden Earrings. The Artifact list lives on the Artifacts hub.