Weak merc

[Liam Cognet]

I have a lvl80 Frenybarb with an A3freeze merc. The merc keeps getting killed. He dosen't last 5min.

So my qustion is: which merc is the best for not getting killed.

The A5 merc looks pretty sturdy. All I really need is a tank.

[djoat]

my act2 merc survives better than the barb he accompanies sometimes =p
important thing is leech and resist i guess..enuff damage and good leech and he wun die often.

[De4dEyE]

my act2 merc survives better than the barb he accompanies sometimes =p
important thing is leech and resist i guess..enuff damage and good leech and he wun die often.

The only advantage the Act 5 merc has is he heals faster and can use Barb helms.. That's about it.

The Act 2 guy is about just as tough, but comes with an aura.. that is infinitely more useful.

[chono123]

act 2 might with doom and a good eth armor and a eth leech helm. minr hardly ever dies except 4 im.

[DontFlameMe]

There's one of two possibilities going on here I think.

1. You don't have your merc equipped. Even the best trained soldier will be dead quick if they don't have a gun. Strap Eth Doom Cryptic Axe, Eth Ral'd Andariel's Visage, and Eth Fortitude or Stone onto an A2 Might merc and you will have a supreme tank. Or if you're on the low end of the wealth ladder, you can try using Eth Bonehew, Eth Vamp Gaze, and Eth Up'd Shaftstop on him. My merc used this setup for a very long time, and would stay alive anywhere, especially since I had my Dracul's setting off Lifetap for him.

2. You're driving your merc too hard. Remember that the purpose of the mercenary is to be an aid to you in battle, not to be the main tanker. If you constantly push him into the middle of mop packs, he eventually will die. Remember to feed him potions as he goes into a packed area. (Shift + Potion Hotkey). Rejuv's are usually best for feeding merc's, as once they start taking damage, normal potions sometimes aren't enough.

We need several more specifics so we can tell you exactly what the problem is. Give us your merc's equipment setup and level, and where you hunt in the game most often. With this, we can tell you how you can improve the situation. As for your question on the best barb to use, use a Might Merc with a Doom eth pole. It's like getting 2 mercs in one.

[AnimeCraze]

For Act 3 merc, get dual spirit (eth shield), vipermagi, and andy's helm. That adds a lot of +skills, FCR, and he can freeze a lot faster. I tried it with my tesladin before and it works great.

[Marcanthi]

ive got an act2 merc equipped with Reapers toll, Crown of thieves (i like the lifeleech but other stats arent that great, so might replace it when something else is found) and black hades with tal, ort and thul in it. Also maybe not the best armor but it gives the merc maxed resis and nice killing powers cuz of the reapers. He has a total of 24% life leech and i can take him anywhere without dying (except curses). Ive done cowlvl in hell to see if he could take it and he is able to kill every group of cows without my help. Like i said, might not be the best equip but he lives perfectly and helps me slay more easily. Good thing is, the equip is easy to get :) Hope this is of any help.

[chono123]

mine uses eth doom, eth coh, eth delerium. kind of expensive tho. it works great. if eth bramble then i use andys helm. gotta have life leech somewhere.