Act 5 Merc

[slick4hire]

Has anyone built a solid act 5 merc in 1.10?

I figured you could build one for fairly cheap as melee weapons don't have near the value now.

I was thinking the following set up:

Doombringer
Vampire Gaze
Gladiator Bane

Here is the problem:

It takes 25 IAS to reach a 13 frame attack, or 55 IAS to reach a 12 frame. It seems to me that the faster they attack, the better survivability they have. But you can't give more that 50 IAS with this set up.

Any suggestions?

[BaNiSeR]

one of my kickasins used one with a Crainte Vomir. i never got the chance to up it because she died to gloams in hell anya quest :(

he also had a blackhornes IIR and a durys shell

[LuckyDwarf]

I think the best setup a barb merc could have would be a beastly powerful and fast weapon, uped gaze and shaft. I never see mercs die to elemental, just make sure they have decents resists.. maybe throw Ums in the gaze and shaft.

Lucky

[STINGER]

My BarbMerc is 95 and uses some 260 or so ED ETH Legend, 6 LL Circlet and a 1500 or so Rare Balrog. Only thing that has killed him since he was a young lad was IM and frankly if he was faster he would die more often!

[WingBlade]

My Trapsin has a lvl 92 Barb -

Gaze / Flamebellow / i can't remember armor off hand.

[doubleOObubble]

I don't have anything solid to provide as I wouldn't use an act5 merc for just about any char. But that's not the discussion here. I'm sure there is a reason or two to use them.

What I'd like to comment on though is this (as "general info" for the public):

"I think the best setup a barb merc could have would be a beastly powerful and fast weapon, uped gaze and shaft."

I wouldn't waste the rune on that one. Gaze always gets the highest def that's possible (125). That mod is randomly rerolled when upping the thing to a Bone visage, bearing a possible 100-157 base def. Hence, you have a ~44% chance of actually getting a lower defence!

Just a heads up.

[Lu The Confused]

if you have a sazabi set laying around, act 5 mercs like those alot for the leech and bonus to life even tho the damage (esp. low end) isn't stellar
latah,
lu

[Shadoway]

May I suggest an etheral Crescent Moon legend sword? You need 23, 42, 75 to reach 12, 11, 10 fpa respectly. Just use a shael Glad's Bane to reach 5-frame hit recovery and 15%ias stealskull to reach 11 fpa.

[masakerr]

I love the Act V Barb for my Sorceress. He actually goes out there looking for trouble and that's where I need the silly buggar, out front being my meat wall. He's level 89, wears Black Hades armor, uses Bul-Katho's Sacred Charge and I forget what he's got on his head.

He dies, from time to time, but in hard core I don't care as long as it him and not me.

Masa

[ventilator]

My deceased Java (lvl89) had a Barb Merc with eth Demonhorns Edge (10%IAS, 4%LL, +3 Combat Skills) and some rare eth Kraken Shell with FHR and 1700ish defense. When I did CS/Dia runs with her I equipped him with an Azurewrath to deal with the LI but undead Finger Mages as well as the undead Knights. The speed at which he took down the Grand Vizer of Chaos was amazing. For normal questing or gaming he used an eth rare Balrog Blade with something like 250ish ED. I liked him very much.

[LuckyDwarf]

I wasn't aware that upgraded Gazes could get worse defense. Mine has much higher defense and I always thought it was the whole max defense for the Gaze, as all of mine have 252, or something like that... it's been a while since I opened D2. :P

Lucky

[STINGER]

Barb Mercs should use Taunt!

[rachil0]

Barb Mercs should use Taunt!

Or shout or battle orders (drool). They should get a neat aura feature, especially since they are honest to god barbarians (not just paladin impersonators like the town guards). Warcry or battle cry would be cool too.

[masakerr]

I think I'm gonna drop a Rainbow facet jewel on my Barb Merc. Since he does die from time to time, I think it would be a nice show of fireworks, especially when I have to go into act Iv and those silly curses! IM always gets him. Cha ching 50K, Cha ching 50K, Cha ching 50K

Masa

[Mr.Bogohossian]

Rainbow faclet! great idea! nd btw Sazabi's Full set on a barb merc. Just kicks butt.

[NeoSolidSnake]

Full Sazabi is great on a barb merc, although the damage isnt stellar it still kicks well :p


Using doombringer for act5 merc is pretty good, as weaken is very useful, My old sorc had an act5 merc using 34/15 doom, ik armor, with jewels for the BP, and Ptopaz for the mf :p

He was just using ptopazed tals helm, but the 18, or was it 17?, life leech did well, and rarely died, as everytime we went into battle, the monsters were weakened very quickly!

I think mercs should have their own skill trees, something not to godly but something that will help, like iron skin, concentrate, etc.

but that'd be more work for blizz :p

[minion]

but that'd be more work for blizz :p

and we ALL know that wont happen

[NeoSolidSnake]

of course...

perhaps they'll add a "instant kill merc" skill along with "Kill minions" !!

[WingBlade]

Much better Avatar Neo... :thumbsup:

[NeoSolidSnake]

No going off topic!!!!



also, do auras from runewords work on merc? if they do, and if you can afford it, i guess thatd be cool!

[kurg]

one of my kickasins used one with a Crainte Vomir.

That sword works great on a barb, esp for boss MF-ing with a sorc. Slows the boss, for easier kills, and still does enough dmg to get the kill if you're patient.

[slick4hire]

May I suggest an etheral Crescent Moon legend sword? You need 23, 42, 75 to reach 12, 11, 10 fpa respectly. Just use a shael Glad's Bane to reach 5-frame hit recovery and 15%ias stealskull to reach 11 fpa.



What are the FHR breakpoints for mercenaries? I looked all over DII.net and couldn't find them.

Crescent moon seems to be a good choice. I have the runes for it. The ethereal 3 socket legend sword is another matter entirely... :lol:

Anyone have one on EHCL they would like to part with? :flip: