Mercenary for Singers?

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TheGreatSanguini

Diabloii.Net Member
Mercenary for Singers?

I've been thinking about this one for a bit, and (like my wind druid thread) I have an idea but would like some input. Mercenaries are probably the thing I know the least about in the game.

For my singer, I already bought a rogue mercenary with cold arrow. However, I've been thinking about getting:

1) an act 2 mercenary for the holy freeze aura, and the ability to hold a reaper's toll or other good weapon

2) an act 5 barbarian mercenary, for (possible?) massive damage.

This is the first time I've honestly considered getting a barbarian mercenary, because I believe with this build my mercenary might get the chance to actually strike a target, instead of just being a hang-along for an aura. This is for PvP (but I would like to make the distinction that I will not use a mercenary in situations where it is considered BM, like in private duels). What do you guys think?
 
ToolToad

ToolToad

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

My singer has a merc with an insight.. since even with good gear Mana is still a problem for him. If you have no problem with mana then I'd suggest a good high dmg wep for either merc (act 2 or 5) and stick with that.
 
Borje

Borje

Banned
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

I haven't played a singer that much but is holy freeze really needed? I mean, your WC will stun anything around you! I found that, just like ToolToad said, Insight is the best option to keep your mana up. Couple with: a) Prayer-merc for double heal effect, b) defiance for higher defence (however, you wont get that big def anyway.. or c) Might to help your merc with dmg so that he leeches more and stays alive, thus making sure you keep getting that Meditation-aura from Insight..

I think alt. won't be that great since you will have quite big life and the heal won't be that big on that life, however, since you can't leech it might be the best option. Alt c is good if your merc have prob surviving but it wont help your barb that much. And Defiance will stack with shout, IIRC you won't have that high shout lvl so it might make a difference but since you probably wont have that high def gear the boost won't be huge...

It boils down to what you need most, I guess...
 
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TheGreatSanguini

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

Yeah, the prayer-merc just had a pretty good case made for him. Is the act 5 barbarian inferior to the act 2 no matter what the situation, espeically when compared to the might act 2 merc?
 
sirwhere

sirwhere

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

Singers work well with merc using insight or reaper's toll. Insight is for staves/polearms and reaper is a polearm. Only act 2 merc can use those, so that's the natural choice. What aura you choose really doesn't matter much. Anything will do.
 
sirwhere

sirwhere

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

Good mercs for a singer are:

Act 2 with insight polearm or reaper's tool. Aura doesn't matter much.
Act 5 with Lawbringer sword.

Reaper or Lawbringer builds require a very high mana pool or singer using an insight weapon.
 
crawlingdeadman

crawlingdeadman

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

i go with might holding insight. i've also tried to get him a bit of crushing blow at times by using coh (for the leech) and orphans hat.
 
Queen Mebd

Queen Mebd

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

That's the same exact setup I used on my goldfinding singer last ladder. The mana regeneration from Insight is just too much to pass up if you blasting a high level warcry at 125 fcr.
 
Kordova

Kordova

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

i use a insight/holyfreeze, for pvp...if i had a reapers id use that ;(
 
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Wingspan

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

1. No reason to pick defensive merc, you stun every damn thing in the game. I remember playing a singer, you're nigh invincible short of vs super unique bosses leap->warcry->rinse->repeat > monsters
2. Your merc should do insane damage since you don't, I'd suggest a might merc with insight. insight does do respectable dmg if it's in an elite etheral weapon
 
Kordova

Kordova

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

the point-o-a holy freeze merc is that wc is block/dodgeable, you need something else to slowed down incase of ablock...use what ever gear but Thats the only way to go IMO
 
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Ax2Grind

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

You'll trigger lightning enchantment enough already, you don't need it being triggered if you take too much damage and try walking away only to get nailed by a set initiated from your mercenary's aura. If you can't immobilize your enemy, then having a back-up slowing ability is nice, but coming at the cost of both making up for other things your build could really use and something that'll possibly get you, him, or someone in your party killed just isn't worth it.

What is the biggest disadvantage of your character that your merc can eliminate?
 
lukefojut

lukefojut

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

Biggest problem I've come across is Physical immunes, so I go with the Reaper's Option (c.1700 Mana, so Insight isn't such a big need).

Really dumb question, but does Might boost WC damage? Other than this potential bonus, I don't see any problem in using a HF Merc, seems to work very well for me.
 
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Ax2Grind

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

War Cry is cast, so it helps no more than with Twister, Tornado, Hurricane, Psychic Hammer, or Mind Blast. Since Blade Sentinel/Fury/Shield use weapon damage, they would, but that's Assassins.

As for Insight, there are all-vitality builds which need little help with mana outside of it, so it depends on other factors. AV set-ups would normally target 200%FCR, which has little in the way of mana to begin with, but because low-strength Enigma is almost always a part of it, this requires a +20%FCR amulet and twin Suicide Branches to reach. Again, the mana isn't the issue, but the resistances tend to become a problem, even when wearing perfect Annihilus and Hellfire Torch, which has trouble with lightning enchanted creatures, among others. Without a 20%FCR amulet, it's impossible to hit 200% with Enigma, so you'd have to settle for 105% and 8FPC.

It all depends on the gear and direction you go: 105%FCR enables resistances, mana, and skills to peak, but you still need the gear to take care all three. 20 skills with 105% or 10 skills with 200% is maximum, the latter having a few problems requiring gawdly gear to fix.
 
Kordova

Kordova

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

would it be worth it to have a tele ring with fcr or staff and then 'w' ...pvp speaking, with this set up i will have around 12oo mana, 75 rez in hell, monster convic only takes it to down to mid 50's and 43 in my skills, which is plenty pvp
 
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Ax2Grind

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

Teleport charges come on staves, orbs, amulets, and circlets... oh, and Spellsteel, but that's a staff for all intents and purposes. Enigma is the only other choice, so if you're talking about an amulet or circlet with Teleport and FCR, then you'll have to find a rare, roll a great craft, or pay throught the nose for either. Circlets can't be rolled, I know, but they can get sockets unlike amulets.

For dueling, teleporting is either key to your build or an emergency skill. The former must use Enigma if not a Sorceress, I just don't see any way around it. Charges are expensive to repair and you don't duel with money in the stash, this assuming you won't use more than the 22 or more they're limited to, so I look at them as PvM items almost exclusively.
 
Kordova

Kordova

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Mercenary for Singers?

what im saying to reach the 2oo fcr or would it even be worth it 4 the 2oofcr, having spellsteel on switch, and using it to tele and have upped vipermagi, whitch would also raise rez and give u the option to cham the armor...or ber...whitch ever is cannot be frozen mod
 
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