Merc rehirability?

[BlargX]

I've just started a sorceress and found my merc got killed pretty quick in normal against Mephisto, and before the battle even started on Diablo, who killed him in one blast before I could even teleport to him(level 28).

I read that people do many Mephisto runs, and they get the merc killed off first so he doesn't interfere/also doesn't keep costing them money to rehire.

So I guess not having your merc around is pretty regular. My question is, if I don't rehire my merc and quit the game, or travel between acts, or whatever, will I always still have the same merc waiting for me even in the next game or zone? You know, the one that I bothered leveling up and putting gear on? Or does fighting without your merc mean you must never switch acts, or save and exit, or you'll lose your carefully tutored moron forever?

[Cleptic]

You can let your lvl 2 merc die in the beginnig of normal and res him in hell a year later when you're lvl 99 (if you dont hire another one) and your merc will be the same lvl 2 with the same gear, or you can constantly resurect and lvl and change yer mercs gear daily from lvl 2 to lvl 99, in any act, in any difficulty (my comp locks sometimes, not sure if it matters but I try to res in act4 where theres no merc "rental", keeps me from accidentally hiring a new one also). As long as you dont hire a new one (the freebie rogue from the act1 quest will not replace a dead or living merc) your mercenary data will stay with your character.

[Cleptic]

As an after thought, if you let your merc stay dead while you baal run upto lvl 90, getting that merc to lvl is a nightmare, so its best to keep em alive as much as possible, or get a new one after you've gotten most of your lvling done (I have a rogue on my lvl 90 sorc I've had since she was 2, and she's lvled along with me the whole way)

[jozipper]

Sounds like you might be playing SP. If so I would bring him with while you were leveling, but not while rerunning areas like meph where he might just get in the way.

If you're playing on b.net you could do what I usually do, which is to not even bother getting one until like lvl 80 or so. If you're getting ruhsed you don't really need him. So, there's no point in getting one until he can equip some decent gear.

I also, agree with cleptic about trying to lvl a merc that is much lower than you .. might as well just get a new one.

Alsp, once you get good end game gear for your merc he is a pleasure to have around. My sorc's merc can tank just about anything in the game. This means no moat trick plus its nice to have his auras on.

[D G F]

Tyrial can ressurect your mercianary by the way. You still got to pay, though. I guess the Alngle needs the gold to pay the bills he gets in heaven, such as rental and electricity for those wings of his.

[BlargX]

Thanks guys! I didn't want to lose a guy I had bothered leveling, and now I'm put at ease about it.