Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

[Xiphoid]

Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

I am having issues keeping my A2 holy freeze merc alive during MF'ing on my Meteorb sorc and I was hoping you'd have some suggestions.

My MF route usually is: Countess, andy, summoner, meph, and sometimes pindle, eldritch and shenk.


Merc stats:
lvl91
2100 life
2500 def
Insight on Eth CA
Duriel's shell (non-socketed non-upped)
Andy's Visage (29str, 10% ll, not-socketed)
45/75/75/85 resist

My stats:
Lvl91
1300 life
max resists @ hell
368% MF
7.5-8.1k Fireballs
67% FCR

I have also tried giving him a 18% DR 6% ll vamp gaze, but that wasn't much better due to lower life leach rates.

Does anyone have a suggestion on how to improve his surviability on a low-mid budget? I'm interested in socketing suggestions and input on if its worth upping the duriel's shell. Other low-mid value armor suggestions would be great too.

Try to keep suggestions under Ist values please. I also have a 4os great hauberk I plan to put fort in when I have the funds.

 

[Glenzo]

Re: Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

Heya, I'm not a total guru but I've picked up a few things......so maybe I can offer some advice

lifeleech - in hell mode needs to be at least 9% or it doesnt work (might be 10% but not sure)- just in case it either doesn't work or is so poor that it might as well not !

Duriels Shell, I'd up it at least

Try to get something like a wand and cast lifetap in s tough area too its good for a switch and will give your merc health each hit.

Depending on your build - cast enchant on the merc

Teleport away if the merc is almost dying heal and go again - he always teleports with you so works pretty well

cant think of anything else off hand but its a start - good luck !!

 

[Xiphoid]

Re: Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

His most common death spots are probably meph and andy, where I'll have to throw him a super health pot and usually a full rejuv.

He has 10% life leech, but thats not enough against bosses. (Probably due to the -75% damage penalty to mercs.)

One major thing I'm debating is to either up the duriels or get a shaftstop and up that. Could make up most of the resist problems with an um, but 40/70/70/85 is lower than I'd like. Two um's in helm and body seem overkill only giving an extra 15/5/5/0. (total of 55/75/75/85)


Edit: I don't have enchant and I usually just use full rejuvs instead of teleporting away.

 

[Glenzo]

Re: Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

Heya,

I'd probably try to get a cheap shaftstop jus to try it out - one um in the helm would be no big loss regardless. Try out the shaftstop and see how it goes - if better then up it and ditch the duriel etc

 

[droid]

Re: Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

I have a SS and a 19% vgaze (unupped, unsocketed) on my prayer/insight merc and can run Meph, half the time without using any pots, at L85. His tankability in other areas is pretty reliable too. Andy gives me a problem with her poison damage, but again usually just a pot or two's worth. I really recommend SS+vgaze as merc armor. Socket a pair of 15 RA jewels if you need the extra resists and dont want to use an Um.

Gbane with a Sol is another option for integer PDR and CBF, though the penalty vs act bosses might negate that a bit, but will definitely toughen him up vs Tomb Vipers if you run Nihl.

 

[WhentheSkyFalls]

Re: Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

Life tap wand for mephy. Or you can just moat trick him. As for Andy, you really shouldn't have trouble with her when you have 7.5k fireballs. I have 5k fireballs with 65 fcr and she goes down in like 3 secs.

 

[Stevomoo]

Re: Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

you could try getting a prayer merc then he will heal himself with double aura

 

[Robobaby]

Re: Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

Socket your Andy and stick a Ral rune in it to get max fire resist. Better still, try to get a jewel with +fire resist/+ias socket it with that instead.

Socket the Duriels with an IAS jewel. Faster attacking = more dmg mitigated with life leech.

With max fire resist he should not be dying to those meteor/firewall mobs around Meph. Ever. For andy, focus on killing her faster as I found that killing speed was the best way to mitigate the monstrous damage she can do to your merc (even with an Andy's face).

 

[negullah]

Re: Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

How about replacing Duriel's with Leviathan? Comes with a hefty damage reduction, strength to help with damage (life leech) and has good defense.

 

[McCain123]

Re: Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

1. Socket Andy with a Ral to get your mercs fire res from 45% to 75%.
2. Shop for a Wand with Charges of Lifetap.

From the monsters in your mf-runs Mephi and Andy should be "lifetapped" first. Mephisto in hell is unleachable and Andy dishes out quite some damage. Your merc should be fine at the others without tap. With the investment of a socket quest, a Ral rune and <200k Gold you are way below Ist.

 

[Robobaby]

Re: Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

You can also trade lower than ist runes for shaftstop which is a killer merc armour when upgraded to Boneweave. It has a whopping 30% dmg reduction and boy do you notice it.

 

[Morpheen]

Re: Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

I'd have to agree with the upgraded Shaftstop armor, socket with resist all jewel. I was having the same problems as the OP with merc survivability on my Meteorb sorc and once I found a vamp gaze and shaftstop the merc's survivability went way up. Meph hits hard but my lvl91 merc can tank him with only needing the occasional health pot. Andy can still mess him up but just nuke her down with Fireballs and she'll be dead in no time.

 

[Robobaby]

Re: Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

Shaft is awesome. Dmg reduction (shaft) + max resists (um runes) + life leech (andy face) often mean that your emilio can wade in and poke away and he will actually heal himself when he is fighting. There are still certain situations where that won't happen (like mini ubers, super uniques with amplify damage and sheer overwhelming numbers) so use teleport to keep him alive. Wherever your merc is, his location will reset to yours whenever you teleport.

Just teleport on the spot to yoink your merc out of harms way. I do this alot and with modest gear (ral'ed andy face, insight CV and eth up'ed um'ed shaftstop) my merc almost never dies. The only time he does die with any regularity is in chaos sanctuary to Iron Maiden. That kind of merc setup is good enough for him to tank most immunes on his own with a bit of baby sitting.

If at some point you can afford a low Fortitude runeword then go for it because it will amp up your merc's damage something crazy. The faster he kills, the less damage he takes which makes it easier to cover with dmg reduction and life leech. Hope this helps.

 

[Xiphoid]

Re: Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

Wow, wasn't expecting so many responses.

I think I'll end up going for an Eth Upped Shaft with Um and a Ral (or jewel w/ fire res + other) in the andy. Long term, I'll probably end up going for a Fortitude, but Lo is pretty rough to get.



Been taking a bit of a break though to try out Spore. (Which is ultra-glitchy for me right now. >_< )

 

[petrov]

Re: Merc Survival for my MF Sorc?

My merc is a Normal Defiance Merc (defensive), level 85. He wears an Andy (not socketed yet, but I will socket for more fire resist with a Ral or jewel - all other resists are maxed), a 3-socket Hellforge plate I found (can't recall off the top of my head if it was etheral or not) with the Duress runeword, and a Doom runeword cryptic axe.

His defense with defiance activated is about 15k, so he's very tough. His damage is about 4k with the polearm. And he also has Holy Freeze on all the time due to the Doom poleaxe. He never gets killed by Meph or Andy, as my meteorb sorc kills Andy in about 3 seconds with about 6 fireballs and Meph dies in about 10-15 seconds when I tele straight up to him and fireball/meteor him. The Doom poleaxe was very expensive though, for me at least!

Petrov.