A question on merc gear

[Mighty Joe Moon]

A question on merc gear

Hallo everybody, haven't been here in a while.

Wondered about my merc: I play a common meteorb with a lvl 65 or so merc (holy freeze), who seems intent on dying at the drop of a hat.

Methinks this is a trifle unfair, as I've given him these (I think?) nice items:

1. Weapon: Spire of Honor - spear class - (with amn for 7% leech): good damage (~1100 dmg), 25% bonus to attack rating, 20% faster hit recovery.

2. Armor: Griswolds Heart

3. Helm: some crap MF crown.

Ok, I know I should be going for leech and absorb, but how do I get the absorb? And which is the most important? There are three sockets in the armor, how should I best utilize those? (only for the merc, I won't be using that armor myself).
What headgear would you recommend instead of that crap MF crown I have on him now? Nohing TOO fancy now, I'm not very rich.

So, I think I'm getting the damage up there, but how do I achieve the leech/absorb? Is 7% leech even enough for him in the long run? Is Griswolds armor?

Questions, questions.

Thanks!

 

[Damnatorius]

Hiya, instead of that MF crown you might consider giving him a crown of thieves, it has some nice mods like high life leech, life, fire resist and pretty decent defense. I don't think it's very expensive since it's a pretty common exceptional drop. maybe a couple of perfects. The armor is good imo, just socket it with whatever your merc is lacking (for example put a couple of perfect amethysts in if he needs more strength for his next weapon, something like that) I'd also suggest getting him a reaper's toll (the unique thresher, I believe that's the name, if you play on europe I can give you one for free). It has lvl 75 required so it might be a while till he gets there, but once he does he becomes an awsome tank. My own holy freeze merc has the equip I just described and he can easily tank minions of destruction in hell mode :clap:

 

[Miladys-Knight]

Hallo everybody, haven't been here in a while.

Wondered about my merc: I play a common meteorb with a lvl 65 or so merc (holy freeze), who seems intent on dying at the drop of a hat.

Methinks this is a trifle unfair, as I've given him these (I think?) nice items:

1. Weapon: Spire of Honor - spear class - (with amn for 7% leech): good damage (~1100 dmg), 25% bonus to attack rating, 20% faster hit recovery.

2. Armor: Griswolds Heart

3. Helm: some crap MF crown.

Ok, I know I should be going for leech and absorb, but how do I get the absorb? And which is the most important? There are three sockets in the armor, how should I best utilize those? (only for the merc, I won't be using that armor myself).
What headgear would you recommend instead of that crap MF crown I have on him now? Nohing TOO fancy now, I'm not very rich.

So, I think I'm getting the damage up there, but how do I achieve the leech/absorb? Is 7% leech even enough for him in the long run? Is Griswolds armor?

Questions, questions.

Thanks!

The Spire of honor does a lot of damage but it is too slow for the merc to leech much before he dies. He needs a faster weapon.

Cheap lower level gear that works:

Hat - Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest

10% Life Stolen Per Hit
10% Mana Stolen Per Hit
All Resistances +15
+45 Defense
+30 To Mana
+60 To Life

Crown of Thieves

+160-200% Enhanced Defense (varies)
9-12% Life Stolen Per Hit (varies)
Fire Resist +33%
+35 To Mana
+50 To Life
+25 To Dexterity
80-100% Extra Gold From Monsters

Steel Skull

+200-240% Enhanced Defense (varies)
10% Increased Attack speed
10% Faster Hit Recovery
5% Life Stolen Per Hit
5% Mana Stolen Per Hit
30-50% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items

Armor

Duriel's Shell

+160-200% Enhanced Defense (varies)
+ (1.25 Per Character Level) 1-123 Defense (Based On Character Level)
+ (1 Per Character Level) 1-99 To Life (Based On Character Level)
Resist Fire +20%
Resist Lightning +20%
Resist Poison +20%
Resist Cold +50%
Cannot Be Frozen
+15 To Strength

Weapon

Hone Sundan

+160-200% Enhanced Damage (varies)
Adds 20-40 Damage
45% Chance of Crushing Blow
Repairs 1 Durability In 10 Seconds
Socketed (3)

1 shael and 2 amn runes are good

If any of the gear is etherial so much the better.

 

[Shanksie1337]

the weapon is a hone sundan btw

and it's an excellent choice

 

[Stiertje]

Things that are improtant for a mercenary

- Max resist
- Cannot be Frozen
- Life Leech
- Damage Reduction
- Fast Attack Rate
- High Damage

Some nice and cheap armour combo's. Socket them with Shael's for FHR (mercs have pretty crap FHR)

- Kira's Guardian with either Shaftstop or Leviathan (slightly more expensive)
- StealSkull and Duriels Shell

These work with most good merc weapons, but you are looking for fast high damaging weapons with ultimately some nice mods

- Reapers Toll (Shael)
- Arriocs Needle (Amn)
- Bonehew (Amn-Shael)
- Tomb Reaver (Amn-Shael-Shael)

With these combinations your merc will only die from Iron Maiden and some crazy a$$ Extra Strong or Extra Fast, Fanaticism Enchanted uber Bosspacks.

 

[sorc4ever]

I have taken a new thought on what is the best merc gear. I have looked to kit my merc out with nice gear (currently botd/gaze/upded durials with ias/ed etc). While he cuts thorugh alot of monsters unfortunatly this just makes him die easier when iron maiden is about.

So one day im running act 4 and think - cant be arsed reviving my merc 5 times slowing my run so i took his weapon off him and he managed to stick around the whole run......

So now im looking at making the best defensive merc possible (guardian angel is a good place to start for resists i think) . I will want damage reduction (im thinking gaze or shako) max resists as much life as possible - good defense and some leech to revive him (even know damage will be intentionally low).

Im thinking kelpine snare for its slowing effect and low damage (enough for some leech) or similar.

Anyway ill post back with my findings.

 

[melianor]

I have taken a new thought on what is the best merc gear. I have looked to kit my merc out with nice gear (currently botd/gaze/upded durials with ias/ed etc). While he cuts thorugh alot of monsters unfortunatly this just makes him die easier when iron maiden is about.

So one day im running act 4 and think - cant be arsed reviving my merc 5 times slowing my run so i took his weapon off him and he managed to stick around the whole run......

So now im looking at making the best defensive merc possible (guardian angel is a good place to start for resists i think) . I will want damage reduction (im thinking gaze or shako) max resists as much life as possible - good defense and some leech to revive him (even know damage will be intentionally low).

Im thinking kelpine snare for its slowing effect and low damage (enough for some leech) or similar.

Anyway ill post back with my findings.

Add Dimaok's Hew in ETH version to that

 

[sorc4ever]

hmm melianor - I dont quite get y that would be a good option (Dimaok's Hew ) except for the low damage. ??? Maybe ur joking but im serious about low damage weapon being better for a merc if him staying alive (ie aura and distraction) is more important than him doing damage......

 

[melianor]

hmm melianor - I dont quite get y that would be a good option (Dimaok's Hew ) except for the low damage. ??? Maybe ur joking but im serious about low damage weapon being better for a merc if him staying alive (ie aura and distraction) is more important than him doing damage......

My bad! I actually meant the "The Meat Scraper". Sorry :blush:

 

[Mighty Joe Moon]

Things that are improtant for a mercenary


- Reapers Toll (Shael)
- Arriocs Needle (Amn)
- Bonehew (Amn-Shael)
- Tomb Reaver (Amn-Shael-Shael)

With these combinations your merc will only die from Iron Maiden and some crazy a$$ Extra Strong or Extra Fast, Fanaticism Enchanted uber Bosspacks.

I don't understand, do the attributes for the two Shaels stack?

Thank you so much, this has been truly helpful. I see no one mentioned the need for any absorb, so I take it that's not very important?
I'll definetly lose the MF crap crown, and start looking for a new armor, none of you seemed very enthused with Griswolds armor

Thanks again.

 

[melianor]

I don't understand, do the attributes for the two Shaels stack?

Thank you so much, this has been truly helpful. I see no one mentioned the need for any absorb, so I take it that's not very important?
I'll definetly lose the MF crap crown, and start looking for a new armor, none of you seemed very enthused with Griswolds armor

Thanks again.

Ofcourse the attributes stack! The properties of every rune inserted into an item add the effect that the rune has. No matter how many of those runes you insert.

 

[Stiertje]

I don't understand, do the attributes for the two Shaels stack?

Thank you so much, this has been truly helpful. I see no one mentioned the need for any absorb, so I take it that's not very important?
I'll definetly lose the MF crap crown, and start looking for a new armor, none of you seemed very enthused with Griswolds armor

Thanks again.

Those 2 shaels give your merc a 10 frames hit recovery animation instead of the normal 15 frames. This majorly improves your merc survivability against hard and fast hitting monsters. Fast hitting monsters like frenzytaurs are able to get your merc into hit-recovery lock because they can hit faster then your merc can recover. This of course limits your mercs ability to leech, and thus limits your mercs life.

Getting a Shael in a StealSkull improves your mercs hit recovery even more, getting him to 9 frames hit recovery. There are very few monsters who can hit 9 frames so your hit recovery is almost always faster then the monsters attack speed. 9 frames is the same breakpoint you strive for in a teleporting sorc (63% FCR), and exactly for the same reasons. You're teleporting faster then a monster can hit, and thus you've teleported away from danger before a monster has a chance to hit you.

And now you know why Shaels are valued much by more advanced players. They may be cheap but they have a big impact on your gameplay and survivability.

 

[bipolar]

That's almost the exact same setup my trapsin's merc was using. Spire of Honor is nice, especially when up'ed and socketed with an Amn. However, it is so, so slow. So in the Gris armor, I put 2 x jewels of fervor and a 30% ed jewel. Helm is Guillame's Face -- the crushing blow is very nice.
He does very well. Level 85 and can tank most things in Hell -- have to feed him one full rejuv for Council, for instance, but he's quite tough.

I just recently changed out his weapon for an Honor eth mancatcher. Overall damage is slightly lower, especially against demons, but it is so much faster that it more than balances out. Debating whether to make Duress to replace the armor -- he'll lose 30% ias and anywhere from 10-20% ed, depending on the roll I get with Duress, but gains more crushing blow, open wounds, and resistance.

In short, if you stick with Spire of Honor, you absolutely *must* get his attack speed up. Mercs live and die by their leeching ability, so the more often he attacks, the more often he leeches and the longer he lives.

 

[sorc4ever]

That makes more sense melianor

I still think there are better options (having tested that weapon on him - eg kelpine snare seems to keep him alive longer and the slow effect is nice) for making the best possible tank of a merc.

Im now thinking along the lines of Gaze + GA + tomb reaver (for its 3 sockets and huge resistances and life after kills etc) and preferably non eth and low damage to get his resistances way up but initial tests show he dies quicker than with no weapon when in iron maiden areas......(im testing in act 4).

My aim is to have the sturdiest possible act2 defensive merc so that he is giving me the aura and taking a few hits and holding the monsters still.....

I just found a high def 4 soc eth armour that will make an excellent stone so im gonna try that to see if that helps

 

[melianor]

Sounds nice sorc4ever!
I will want to see the faces of people when you go trading for that Tombreaver and you keep asking for the one with the lowest base damage! :lol:
The will all go :cheesy: and think you mad. This is already one reason to like this version of a Mercenary, since there is some thought behind building him and equipping him!

I guess you are testing in Chaos Sanctuary? I have stopped going there with Merc company. Rather rely on my Teleporting skills. Though i would like to try ot this version of a Merc. I have noticed too, that without a weapon he is less likely to die.

 

[Black_Rose]

Well.. There is only one monster in the chaos sanctuary that I cannot finish off myself (those guys that throw curses are cold immune) and thus they are the only ones that I need my merc for. What irony

IM curse is just one of many, sometimes my merc dies, but I often try to look out for it. Its just something that doesn't make me fall asleep when making another chaos run.

 

[darzog]

Just one comment, the question about stacked Shael runes was being inserted in a Tomb Reaver. Inserting Shael in a weapon will improve the attack speed, not hit recovery. Hit recovery is in Armour and Helm, but weapon is for a faster attack speed.

That being said, what are the break points for merc attack speed? I have a Reaper's on two of my mercs and an upgraded hone sundan on the other. I'm planning 1 socket to be a -15req jewel so my merc can wield it, but was thinking about shaels for the other two. Didn't know if this would help with hitting a new breakpoint or not though.

_________________
Darzog

 

[Miladys-Knight]

With 3 shaels in the Hone Sundan the merc is at 6.5 FPS. Another 5 IAS will get him to 6 FPS.

The tomb reaver is at 6.5 FPS to start with. 1 shael and a 15 IAS jewel gets it to 6 FPS. You would need an additional 52% IAS to hit 5.5 FPS

 

[darzog]

Is there a table somewhere with the merc IAS breakpoints?

____________________
Darzog