Act V mercs

[dutes]

I'm playing as a blizzard/meteor sorceress and was wondering whether it would be a good idea to swap my defiance Act II merc for one of the locals, I've never used a barbarian merc before, how do they stack up? I'm looking for a tank to get stuck in while I pound with blizzard and meteor so I want a merc who can absorb a lot of damage (as well as dish it out) and is always going to be in the thick of it, would a barbarian do the trick (or do i just want a different Act II merc?)?

[Rawness]

I'd stay with act2 merc, act5 would go well with Last wish in his hands - and some gear, however a act 2 can do the same job more efficiently.
Get your merc some decent eq and switch him for the Freeze aura, it doesn't have defense but it lower the damage done over time(with slow), and adds a big of crowd control. Make sure your merc has appropiate damage and leech so that he can survive.

[PhatTrumpet]

I believe the only advantages Act 5 Mercs have over Act 2 are the Stun skill and slightly higher life regen. This generally does not make up for all the aura possiblities of the Act 2 Mercs.

[MaStAViC]

Thanks for the information, Rawness.

[Advisory]

Get your merc some decent eq and switch him for the Freeze aura, it doesn't have defense but it lower the damage done over time(with slow), and adds a big of crowd control. Make sure your merc has appropiate damage and leech so that he can survive.

Last season, I ran NM Baal for awhile with my Meteorb sorc at about lvl 70. My defiance merc was great help, able to tank Lister and the whole pack. I heard your advice before, and switched out for a Holy Freeze merc. I went on a run and things went well. Then Lister & Co popped out. Within a few seconds, I had to throw a full rejuv at my merc. I promptly switched back. That defiance is a godsend. Of course, once you get rich enough you can get the best of both worlds with Doom:thumbsup:

[LRSAIA]

FYI holy freeze is useless vs baal. An a5 merc w' eth last wish and eth fort will rock anything non IM'd. For less than godly gear the a2 merc is a cheaper bet. I would gladly take an a2 merc w' eth reaper's toll vs baal than almost anything else. Even an up'd hone sudan or kelpie snare will do similar things to baal.

[Demongod]

If you have an eth last wish and an eth fort on an a5 merc...

YOU HAVE WAY TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS.