Regarding the Hammer Ability

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To be 'fair' though, 'punch the ground so hard it explodes in a burst of magma would, in nearly any other game, be the 'expected and correct' way to achieve the effect required here.

I don't think it would work in Ashes as EASILY because I think the point is to telegraph the attack more easily, and if you augment it with an element, some might not look as sensible.

But on the other hand, they have the 'easy' option of making an attack like that where the 'function' is 'hit this AoE in front of me' have many different visual indicators, if the animators have time (could even be 'cheap' and borrow from different creatures with similar 'impact' abilities).

I mention this only to say that if you don't like the 'Celestial Hammer' and others do, rather than clashing over it, we might be better served trying to get Intrepid to change the 'base ability', to give "Celestial Hammer" as like, one of the visuals for the Highsword Augment options, and if more people come with the 'I don't like the groundbreaker punch/slam either', find out what THEY want to put under it.

I don't think anyone's seriously going to complain if the Highsword in their party who WANTS the shiny Hammer has it, right?

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They could at least change it so that the Hammer is the 'Augmented version' and something that Physical Fighters like better is the 'base version' though, if it's bothering people that much.

I'm really curious why they didn't use the 'ground eruption' telegraph for this one. Making it very visible is both 'a consideration for design' and 'a problem for design' at the same time, I guess.

Can we even come up with something that hits the same spot with similar startup but doesn't either 'look silly' or 'fail to communicate who initiated the attack'?

(this is my assumption for why this looks this way, but Mage and Cleric skills that seem to exist have the same 'problem')