How to Make The Most Of D2R Mercenaries

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There are four kinds of mercenaries, Rogues (Act 1 archers), Town Guards (Act 2 spear carriers), Iron Wolves (Act 3 sorcerers) as well as barbarians (Act five warriors).

Mercenaries are NPCs players hire to fight together. Although Mercenaries were largely a novelty in the early editions of Diablo II, they are substantially upgraded when playing Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, and can be very effective if properly equipped and supported.


 Each player can only utilize one mercenary per time, and hiring a new one permanently dismisses the current merc.


Mercenaries are able to be outfitted with weapons (of the correct type) or body armor and headgear. They get the same benefits your characters are able to enjoy. They are also able to benefit from inherent bonuses and stats too and can live with good equipment, although combat mercenaries are generally unarmed without a weapon.


In v1.10and up, Mercs are readily available to hiring at levels that are similar to those for your characters. In earlier versions of the game, they were typically lower and newly hired Mercs had to be extensively leveled to be useful and durable enough to last particularly when they were acquired on Hell difficulty.


Special and set items


When it comes to unique and set armor items We're searching for items that have useful stats for defense and durability.


Riphook is actually the only feasible end-game weapon alternative for those who aren't running. It increases attack speed and damage while inflicting a slow and open wounds. which has a significant damage-over-time effect.


Andariel's Visage is a fantastic all-around pick for any mercenary, thanks to the 20% increase in attack speed and the amount of life taken per hit. A fantastic budget helm in the Life Steal department is Vampiric Gaze. Giant Skull is a cheaper alternative for those looking for Knockback's usefulness. If you're out for one that is tough, Crown of Ages adds lots of defensive power thanks because of the Damage Reduced mod.


While the majority of mercenaries wear chest armors for runewords, there are some unusual armors available for their armor. A properly rolled Shaftstop for instance will ensure that every mercenary is a happy NPC due to its defense statistics. In addition, both Skin of the Flayed One and Spirit Forge provide life-related modifiers and enhanced defense for a solid resilience.


Act II Mercenaries Item Builds


Like we said before, Act II mercenaries are the most well-known mercenary choice in Diablo II. Their aura support gives them an abundance of needed utility for various builds and the fact they're engaging in melee combat transforms them into excellent tanks to play content that is endgame.


Base Items


Over the years, the Act II Mercenary base item discussion has reached unprecedented heights, only to reveal the one truth: Attack speed is king!


They both Giant Tresher and Thresher might appear less powerful in damages per unit as compared to other polearms of elite quality, however, the faster attack speed combined with the broad selection of runewords, or unique items will yield the highest quality outcomes.


Unique and Set Items


In terms of unique weapons, the Desert Wolves of Act II have great alternatives if you're looking for raw damage. A Ethereal Reaper's Toll is able to cause terrible harm to your foes, particularly if you add other Deadly Strike items like Guillaume's Face. Also, Tomb Reaver and Hone Sundan are great alternative to damage, if you're in need of support for your aura.


Similar to Act I Rogues, Desert Wolves have the option of choosing between a variety of strong and unique armors as well as the helmet "meta" is dominating By Andariel's Visage, Giant Skull and Vampiric Gaze.


Popular Build/Mercenary Choices on Diablo II: Resurrected


The most effective Mercenary choice is mostly based on the character type it's built to complement. While Minion-based builds want an Act 2 Desert Warrior with Might to boost their summons, spellcasters depend on the defense of Holy Freeze to unleash their full potential for damage.


Read our comprehensive Diablo II: Resurrected Build guides to find the best mercenary for your build!


Diablo II: Rediscovered


In terms of leveling gear Mercenaries aren't particularly difficult-to-get-to-be-with requirements.


Most builds utilize an Act II merc during leveling due to their auras, so always keep an eye out for a magical or rare polearm with good damage modifiers. Weapon sockets are an advantage since you can put in skulls for the ultimate lifesteal.


Other than that, anything can be used to increase survival. Try to get as many resists and defense modifiers as possible. Also, aim for an initial Insight polearm if you're need of mana regeneration. Keep in mind that Vitality isn't a factor for mercenaries but +Life modifiers do.


For all other mercenaries, similar rules apply. Rogues from Act I love decent attack speed and don't require as much lifesteal. This is also true for Act III Iron Wolves who make excellent use from the FCR (faster casting rate) modifier.


TOP MERCENARY GEAR


When selecting the best mercenary is crucial, equipping them with appropriate gear should never be overlooked and in fact required if you believe that you Act 2 mercenary to survive for more than a few minutes. The below equipment guide to your mercenary will be focused specifically on an Act 2 mercenary although some elements will apply to other types of mercenary models you're experimenting with.


At the heart of it all, you're looking to achieve what you can from the confined slots in the equipment (weapon armor, helmet, and weapon) which your mercenary has the ability to equip. Below are the top mercenary armour, best mercenary weapon, and runewords for mercenaries to think about when creating your allies.


Lifesteal: To keep your mercenary in good health, you'll need a reliable source lifesteal that allows them to recover from the damage they've suffered. You'll need to equip them with a decent weapon to make the most of the lives gained from attacking. The helm slot is typically utilized to gain this lifesteal . Other options include Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest, Crown of Thieves, Vampire Gaze and Andariel's Visage being popular as they offer a wide range of other beneficial stats and are frequently considered to be the best armor options for mercs in D2. The less well-known but still beneficial options for obtaining stolen life per hit are Undead Crown, Wormskull, Stealskull the Reaper's Toll and Bonehew.


Defence and Resistance As with the player a lack of resistances can quickly reduce a mercenary's all health to zero, therefore you should always seek to maintain these to the highest level achievable (75%) or near however it should be considered in conjunction with other requirements of a mercenary. Fortunately, mercenaries can gain all resistance with each level , meaning you don't need to invest a lot of money for the more advanced levels of character. Fortitude is generally regarded to be the best mercenary armour in this respect, giving you all resistance (+25) along with a significant increase in damage and defense. Additionally, Treachery is an affordable armour choice that again provides a balance of defense (through Fade) and damage boost statistics (attack velocity and Venom). Other possible options include Shaftstop, Smoke and Duriel's Shell that all have good defence statistics as well.


Damage: Maximising damage is an important step to ensuring that you benefit from the amount of lives taken for each hit you're equipping your mercenary. The most popular choices for the top weapon for mercenaries are Insight or Infinity runewords because they come with great damage and also provide a lot of utility making them ideal runewords for mercenaries. Players can also utilise tools for mercenaries such as Bonehew, Tomb Reaver, The Reaper's Toll, and Obedience for maximum damage to the mercenary with ethereal weapons particularly useful as they have enhanced damage and durability is not used when equipment is used by mercenaries.

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