Best mercenary survivability

[Firestrider]

Ok my mercenary has 8% Life leech, 20% DR, 35 MDR, 20 PDR, 50% PLR, +42 life/tick[every 3 seconds?] (AFAIK), and 50% all resists. I'm not sure what to socket (2 o/s) to get the best survivability vs. everything in Hell. What combination of Bers, Sols, Mals, or resist/life jewels should I get?

[MasterMynd]

You didn't mention what you're planning on socketing (armor, weapon, helm) but my first thought was to get his resists up to 75% (at least).

If you're talking about a white, 2os armor, then the obvious choice is the Smoke runeword.

Anything else: Ums (first choice) +all res jewels (2nd choice) /Ral/Ort/Tal/Thul runes (if desperate).

[Firestrider]

Chest, and helm. I was initially planning on going 75% all resists also, but since cold damage is usually lower and gets regenerated faster through prayer and LL% I was thinking +FR%/life and +LR%/life jewels, but maybe MDR is better. Although MDR doesn't work for poison, PLR% and prayer should be good enough.

[Darkflight]

Can you give us mercenary type, level, stats and equipment?

[MasterMynd]

IMHO +25% all res in Hell > almost any life or DR you could possibly get from non-runeword socketing.

One way of looking at it: a popping LE/CE unique in Hell (fugeddabout a popping FE in NM) can do over 1000 elemental dmg in a 1 player game. 25% of that is 250. So you'd have to add +250 life to balance out -25% res.

[Zon2000]

In general, I find my mercs die most from elemental attacks + conviction (e.g., Council with conviction and those damn hydras).

So I'd say, stack resists on your merc as much as you can.

[Firestrider]

I think I would only need +15 all resistances with my mercenary at level 90.

Only considering armor and helm should I Ber my Gaze and Um my Gladiator's Bane? Or is there a better combination of those (e.g. Um Gaze, Um Guardian Angel)

[MasterMynd]

Based on my own experience, I have agree with Zon2000.

Personally, I'd go with the Um'ed Guardian Angel and UM'ed Gaze to get the effective resists up to 90% and the stacked resists up to (whatever they would be - I don't know the numbers offhand).

The potential physical damage savings from one Ber are insignificant when compared to the potential elemental damage savings frpm one UM. (ref: my previous post)

Not to mention the fact that physical is one type of damage, and the merc has to be in melee range to receive it. But there are four different elemental damage types, all of which can be received from "ranged" attacks (simultaneously AND in conjunction with a physical attack!!!)

Of course, both your playing style and the your character will have a big influence on how your merc is outfitted. e.g. a teleporting fishymancer will use his merc much differently than a Lightning Trapper will use hers.

[Firestrider]

I'm an ES lightning sorceress that uses either a prayer/insight or holyfreeze/infinity depending on if I want survivability or killability.

I think Um GA + Um Gaze is going to be my best bet also.

[lendial]

eth umed or 15allres jooled GA along with gaze or COUGH coa COUGH is the all around best choice. helm can be replaced by perhaps andies if u want the merc to do some damage as well.

if the merc is defiance and has doom polearm(silly, i know) then there wont be much that can phase much less kill him.

[Jednowlosy]

for lightning trapper, eth forti in 1100+ bugged armor and eth gaze :)