Tip: Template for reducing late game MM hell

[Zeldor]

They are a part of MM - simply because everyone must have then and everyone gets them and everyone uses them. You either screwed smth [trade? pretender design?] or are really pressed if you forge smth more expensive without hammer.

Micah is right though that removing hammers would spoil rituals-forging balance. And it would make some nations weaker for sure. Removing them would surely improve gameplay, but costs are too high.