How to keep my merc alive?

[:1]So I started with a trapper, but then xfered all my items over to a sorc, which is now level 54. My skills are: 20 blizz, 20 glacial spike, and now working on fireball, then meteor. I have a spirit shord, rhyme, lore, smoke, manald, and some crafted items. I kill pretty fast but my issue is my merc instantly is dying in /P1 Nightmare act 5.

He has:

143dmg insight

rattlecage

ethereal wormskull

Might merc

What kind of items should I be looking for to keep him alive? Thanks!|||Big hurty stick and life leech.

The damage on the Insight is not particularly good for nightmare so if you can afford to find a better base to put the insight into I would.

This guide might help too.|||Hey thanks Evasive!|||Agreed with Evasive that the damage on that Insight is rather low for NM A5. Resistances are also going to play a fairly big factor. If you have a decent 2os armour base lying around, I'd look into making Smoke for him (or Treachery if you have a 3os base). Both will really help to sure up resistances, and Treachery will have the added benefit of IAS.

Wormskull only has 5LL, but it's better than not having any at all . Consider gambling circlets as they can spawn with +skill for you and potentially LL for the mercenary.

Also, never underestimate teleporting and glacial spike. As a sorceress (especially with the near unlimited mana-pool with an Insight merc), you have the ability to instantly (re-)position your mercenary or cast glacial spike around enemies to freeze them if situations get hairy. If he's surrounded and/or taking large amount of damage, tele back and toss him a health potion. Learning how to position him correctly will go a long way to helping his survivability, especially without godly gear.

So, my order of recommendations: (1) sure up resistances, potentially with Smoke or Treachery; (2) increase damage with a better-base insight (Partizan would probably be the best base you could find around now); (3) practice re-positioning the mercenary; (4) find a more utility helmet with higher LL (consider gambling circlets).|||Also, is he the same level as you? Level 54 is a little low for NM A5 and if the merc is lower level than that he will be suffering even more.

There will be penalties applied to his chance to hit, which with his low damage will mean that his life leach will be very low, meaning that he dies a lot.

Level him up a bit more until you are in 60's or so and he should have a better chance at leaching back the health he loses from getting hit.|||In NM A5 I'm usually at least level 68. You can get away with less most of the time, mercenary is way trickier. I'd level at /p8 in earlier acts. You're getting less experience from where you are at the moment, due to penalties. And the moron is easier to hit and has harder time hitting things at low levels. 'Treachery', 'Duress' are good armor options. Blizzard is insane boss killer (plus, you have static), you don't need crushing blow for anything. 'Insight' needs to go higher roll and in an eth Elite polearm to handle Hell relaibly. Hopefully some other helm with Life Leech will come along.

Or you can try and use combination of teleporting and Telekinesis (to push monsters away) to try & keep your moron safe. Blizzard - Teleport - Blizzard - Teleport - Rinse - Repeat. That way he won't have time to die.|||combobreaker, I apologize in advance for potentially hijacking your thread...

my only character is a fishyzon, level 82 or 83 - and i've always had a might merc... however the last few days i've been thinking that i should really get a holy freeze merc, since the might only really helps himself and doesn't really do that good of job since i don't have godly gear for him

i should get a holy freeze merc right? and since i'll have to go back to act 2 to get him, how can i quickly level him up because he'll be a good number of levels away from me..|||and i hate to double post, but evasive's link to the merc guide is outstanding

thanks!|||A certain update has changed the starting levels of mercenaries to nearly the same of your character. So you should have no problem hiring and experimenting different auras, just remember to remove all equipment and you'll be fine.|||Quote:








combobreaker, I apologize in advance for potentially hijacking your thread...

my only character is a fishyzon, level 82 or 83 - and i've always had a might merc... however the last few days i've been thinking that i should really get a holy freeze merc, since the might only really helps himself and doesn't really do that good of job since i don't have godly gear for him

i should get a holy freeze merc right? and since i'll have to go back to act 2 to get him, how can i quickly level him up because he'll be a good number of levels away from me..




As Hector said, the levels are very similar, so leveling shouldn't be a problem. I believe, for my Fishyzon (year+ ago) that I used a Prayer + Insight mercenary for the mana regeneration and double-life regeneration from Prayer. However, if I wasn't playing RWM and didn't have access to Insight, either Blessed Aim (the animation can proc without the actually hitting when a FA pierces, IIRC) or Holy Freeze would be my mercenary of choice. Holy Freeze with Kelpie Snare can be a nice way to keep a boss slowed while you pound on them with your CS.


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and i hate to double post, but evasive's link to the merc guide is outstanding

thanks!




Agreed!