When it comes to leveling in Path of Exile 2, certain uniques just hit different — literally. Hrimnor's Hymn, a deceptively simple greathammer, has long been a staple for melee enthusiasts who enjoy crushing enemies into dust with slam skills. On paper, it might look like 'just another leveling weapon,"but once you understand the synergy between its base stats, modifiers, and intended playstyle, it becomes clear why so many players fondly remember the first time they wielded it.

Whether you find Hrimnor's Hymn in the wild, craft it from scraps of luck, or pick it up through POE2 Currency trading, this weapon can single-handedly carry you through the early acts and beyond. If you're planning on playing a slam-heavy bruiser or simply want to make leveling feel like an avalanche of destruction, Hrimnor's Hymn is worth a closer look.

Stats and Flavor

The first thing you'll notice about Hrimnor's Hymn is that it's not a subtle weapon. Its visual design screams raw power — a massive greathammer dripping with cold-themed aesthetic. The flavor text often reflects Hrimnor's in-game lore: a warrior whose might was so absolute that even the mountains trembled at his blows. This fits perfectly with the identity of slam skills, which turn every attack into a seismic event.

While the exact numeric values may vary slightly in Path of Exile 2, Hrimnor's Hymn generally comes with these types of bonuses:

High base physical damage for its level bracket

Added flat cold damage to attacks

Increased Area of Effect for slam skills

Chance to Freeze enemies

Often a small Attack Speed penalty to reflect its sheer weight

This balance of huge damage and utility makes it one of the most satisfying two-handers to wield early in the game.

Why Slam Skills Love Hrimnor's Hymn

Slam skills in Path of Exile 2 are designed to reward timing, positioning, and raw physical damage output. You're not spamming tiny hits; you're lining up devastating blows that ripple through groups of enemies. This playstyle benefits enormously from:

High single-hit damage scaling

Area of Effect boosts

Elemental bonuses that improve status ailments like Freeze or Chill

Hrimnor's Hymn checks all of these boxes. The cold damage not only adds style points with icy shatters, but also provides crowd control through Chill and Freeze, letting you survive longer in melee range. The AoE bonus means your slams feel truly impactful, hitting more enemies with every swing.

Leveling Power and Progression

Most leveling weapons have a short shelf life. By the time you out-level them, their base stats fall behind, and you're better off with a crafted rare. Hrimnor's Hymn manages to remain relevant longer than most uniques in its category for a few reasons:

Scaling with Support Gems -Slam skills scale extremely well with Added Physical Damage, Elemental Damage with Attacks, and AoE supports. Hrimnor's strong base damage makes those multipliers even more potent.

Elemental Freeze Utility -Being able to slow or freeze dangerous rare monsters can prevent deaths, especially in Acts 4–6 when enemy damage spikes.

Synergy with Passive Tree Nodes -Many melee nodes that boost physical damage, two-handed weapon damage, or cold conversion feed directly into the weapon's strengths.

This means you can often take Hrimnor's Hymn from the moment you get it all the way into mid-to-late campaign without feeling underpowered.

When to Swap Out

Even though Hrimnor's Hymn is a powerhouse for leveling, you'll eventually want to transition into a high-tier rare or another endgame unique. The right time to swap usually comes when:

Your base physical DPS starts lagging behind enemy life scaling.

You've invested heavily into critical strikes, which Hrimnor's may not fully support.

You're converting all your damage to a non-cold element (e.g., Fire or Lightning Slam builds).

Still, some players hold onto Hrimnor's for boss-killing duties in early maps, swapping to it for big, slow hits and then back to faster weapons for general clear.

How to Get Hrimnor's Hymn in Path of Exile 2

In Path of Exile 2, loot RNG is king — but there are ways to improve your odds:

Natural Drops -Being a low-to-mid-level unique, Hrimnor's can drop in the early acts from regular monsters, strongboxes, or bosses.

Divination Cards (if available) -Some cards may specifically reward leveling uniques or two-handed weapons.

Vendor Recipe (speculative) -POE 2 might keep or introduce recipes involving magic/rare two-handed hammers plus specific cold-damage modifiers.

Trading -If RNG refuses to bless you, you can always turn to the market and buy one using POE 2 Currency like Orbs of Alteration, Chaos Orbs,POE 2 Orbs or whatever the early-game trading meta prefers.

Build Ideas for Hrimnor's Hymn

If you're looking for inspiration, here are a few archetypes that synergize well:

Pure Slam Marauder/Warrior -Maximize strength, grab AoE nodes, and run Earthshatter or Ground Slam for huge physical + cold hits.

Cold Conversion Chieftain -Convert most or all of your damage to cold, stacking freeze chance and shattering entire packs.

Juggernaut Tank Slammer -Leverage endurance charges and high armor while using Hrimnor's for massive stun potential and safety.

Berserker Burst Damage -Stack more multipliers through Rage mechanics and turn every slam into a miniature nuke.

Tips for Maximizing Effectiveness

Use Fist of War Support -This gem synergizes hilariously well with Hrimnor's heavy hits, giving your slams even more oomph.

Chill-Boss Tech -Against bosses, the cold damage helps slow attack animations and movement, making them easier to dodge.

Leverage AoE Scaling -Don't just stack damage; increasing your AoE can make Hrimnor's feel like you're swinging a wrecking ball through entire packs.

Final Thoughts

Hrimnor's Hymn might not be an endgame weapon, but it has carved out a special place in the hearts of melee players for a reason. It's powerful, flavorful, and makes slam builds feel impactful from the very first swing. Whether you loot it naturally or grab it through trading, it can define the entire tone of your early-game journey through Path of Exile 2. If you want to level in style — and with bone-crushing force — this greathammer is an anthem worth singing.