can a merc survive ubbers

[GrizzlyGraham]

i have a zeal smite pally and i was wondering if i gave my merc the best gear possible if he could survive in ubber tristram.

if he could what would this gear look like

[Evrae Altana]

I doubt it. Mercs usually die really fast in Uber Trist.

[Senshiki]

Depends on the merc. An act 2 merc is face to face melee, and most of the minions, or say, Mephesto's charged bolt, would more than likely kill him before he could help. An act 3 merc stays away, but the elmental damage is low. For all purposes in your case of having a zealer, an act 1 merc is best. she stays away from most of the fighting, does better damage than an act 3 merc, and at the very least wil lcast inner sight before she dies, which will take down the defense of all targets in the area substantially.

[wildbillboy]

A summoner Necro depends on the merc alive to take down ubers.
see FooSoft's thread on http://forums.diabloii.net/showthread.php?t=476867 for what to use and from later in the same thread a 3 min merc stays up the whole time video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1tPFaNJDZI, That said a smite pally does not depend on it the same way and its probably not needed.

[seralph]

We normaly make trist with a zealer, a smiter and a frenzy barb. Two act two mercs and a rouge. The chars and gear are optimized to provide as many auras as possible. The odds to cast lifetap for the chars is 5%, 5%+15% and 5%. A nice bo does the rest. Normaly the mercs survive.