User blog:Brainwasher5/Hammerdin notes

Skills

 * 1 to Prayer, Defiance, Cleansing, Might, Holy Bolt, Smite, Charge (7 points)
 * 20 Blessed Hammer (main attack, max first)
 * 20 Concentration (aura, max second)
 * 20 Vigor (synergy)
 * 20 Blessed Aim (synergy)
 * 20 Holy Shield

Consider shifting some points from Holy Shield to the max resists, maybe.

Stats
Str: enough for gear

Dex: enough for 75 block

Ene: nothing

Vit: rest

Gear
Prioritize 125% FCR, +skills, res, block, fhr, hp. Apparently mana is not an issue at higher levels with the right gear. List from best to worst.

Crafting practically all caster gear in the beginning will help with mana issues.

Helm: Early game: Lore, Tarnhelm, Radiance

Mid game: Peasant Crown, Rockstopper

Late game: Harlequin Crest, Veil of Steel?

Armor: Early game: Stealth, Silks of the Victor, Heavenly Garb

Mid game: Skin of the Vipermagi, Spirit Shroud, Lionheart, Que-Hegan's Wisdom

Late game: Enigma, Chains of Honor, Fortitude

Treachery is always good starting mid-game.

Weapon: Early game: Spectral Shard, Scepter with +Blessed Hammer and/or Conc, Gull??,

Mid Game: Half the staves are actually amazing. But no shield? Worth it? Suicide Branch

Late Game: HotO, Spirit, Wizardspike, CtA (ideally in a scepter with +holy shield)

Shield: Spirit. Nothing is better, it's easy to make, it'll carry you through the game in all its OP glory. Drop it in a high res pally shield and you're set.

Gloves: Not much variety here: Magefist. Upgrade when possible. Frostburn, Chance Guards, good pair of caster gloves.

Belts: Early game: Lenymo (surprisingly beastly). Any belt with lots of slots and mana is good enough.

Mid game: Gloom's Trap

Late Game: Arachnid Mesh, Verdungo's Hearty Cord

Boots: Any boots with FRW will do. War traveler, Silkweave, Sandstorm Trek, a good pair of crafted caster boots.

Amulet: Early game: Eye of Etlich, +skills/all res/cast rate/mana/hp rare

Mid game: A good crafted caster ammy, rare

Late game: Mara's.

Crafted caster amulets have the potential to be amazing. +2 paladin skills, +20%FCR, resist all, big bonuses to str/dex/mana/hp, teleportation charges, and the mods to look out for.

Ring: Early game: Res, hp/mana, fcr rare or magical.

Mid-Late: SoJ, Raven Frost (CbF is nice but mana is nicer), Bul Kathos

Charms: Anni, Torch, Gheed. Vita/MF/Mana/Res charms. Lion Branded are highly useful for Hammerdins.

Merc Gear: Insight, Treachery (better than Fort), Andy's Visage, Rockstopper, Guillaume's Face, Reaper's Toll.

Final Thoughts
Probably the greatest thing about the Hammerdin is that magic immune enemies are extremely rare. You've got zombies in lost city, gargantuans in the temples in Kurast, and that's pretty much it. Hammerdins do horribly in cramped areas, but if they have teleport then these fears are gone. While all resources I've found extoll the OP-ness of hammerdins, I found that even with ideal gear and skill distribution, the killing speed was unremarkable. Javazons clear rooms much more quickly, though I'll grant that lightning immunes are far more common than magic immunes.

My main complaint with Hammerdins are that they are very squishy compared to other paladin builds. With ideal gear zealots and smiters are basically invulnerable; not the case here...without relying on life tap/steal, and with items more geared toward magic than survivability, if you get mobbed before you get a couple of hammers out you're liable to die on the spot. Approach groups with caution and don't be afraid to teleport outta there if things get hairy.