Hammer of the Lightbringer

The Hammer of the Lightbringer in Hearthstone.

The Hammer of the Lightbringer was the legendary weapon of Uther the Lightbringer. In Uther's final battle against Arthas Menethil in Andorhal, the Hammer of the Lightbringer clashed with Arthas' blade Frostmourne. Each weapon blow erupted in showers of warring Light and Death energies.^[1] Although both the hammer and its wielder were strong and blessed by the Light, it was not a fast weapon. Arthas used his swiftness to overwhelm Uther and managed to almost sever the paladin's arm, causing him to drop the hammer, before killing him.^[2]

In Bastion, Uther's soul continues to wield a hammer identical to the one he used in life. The weapon initially appeared darkened and purple during Uther's time in the Forsworn, but returned to its ordinary golden coloration after he came to term with his memories.^[3]

In the RPG

This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

The haft of the two-handed Hammer of the Lightbringer is polished mahogany, while the head is adamantine. A silver hand emblem rests in a bed of gold design on either side. This mighty weapon was forged when Archbishop Faol created the Knights of the Silver Hand, and the archbishop bequeathed it to the order's first Grand Master — Uther the Lightbringer. A group of paladins recovered the hammer after Uther's death, but none has thought himself worthy of carrying the legendary weapon.^[4]

Notes

The exact Hammer of the Lightbringer model isn't available to players in World of Warcraft, but the [Gilded Warhammer] and [Ardent Hammer] use a very similar (though somewhat simpler) design.
The Hammer of the Lightbringer has undergone several design changes over the years:
- In Warcraft III (2002), the RPG book Shadows & Light (2004), Uther's appearance as a ghost in The Burning Crusade (2007), and his card in the TCG set Betrayal of the Guardian (2013), it appears as a simple maul with little or no ornamentation.
- During Uther's ghost appearances in patch 3.3 (2010) and Legion (2016), he uses a [Grand Marshal's Battle Hammer].
- The current, unique and more ornate design was introduced in Hearthstone (2014) and Heroes of the Storm (2015). It returned in Warcraft III: Reforged (2020) and made its first appearance in World of Warcraft with the revamp of the Lightbringer's statue in Uther's Tomb in Battle for Azeroth (2018).
The name "Hammer of the Lightbringer" was introduced in the aforementioned non-canonical RPG book Shadows & Light. The name was canonized in the Libram of the Dead in Legion.
The Lich King drops a mace named [Valius, Gavel of the Lightbringer]. It's unknown how this relates to Uther's main weapon.
In Heroes of the Storm, Uther has a quest talent named "Hammer of the Lightbringer" which empowers his basic attacks.
In Uther's Book of Heroes story in Hearthstone, he has access to a Hero Power named Equip Lightbringer, which creates a Hammer of the Lightbringer weapon.
The Lightbringer's Hammer appears as an epic paladin weapon in the United in Stormwind expansion for Hearthstone. It can only be used to attack enemy minions, and its flavor text reads: This entire city must be purged. Or at least just the minions.