Merc using Insight, Might?

[michaelsmith]

I apologize if this is a newbie question but here goes:

I have a lvl 80 summoner and want to equip my merc with a really good Polearm. I have heard about having your merc use the Insight Runeword, but I am not sure how that Runeword's Meditation aura would interact with my merc's Might aura. Would they both be active simultaneously, or would one trump the other? (For some reason, I'm thinking I've heard that only one aura applies at a time, but perhaps I'm misinformed?)

Thx!
Michael

[canudig]

They'll both be there.....but if you can afford it Infinity is the best choice for a summoner.....

[nicro tower]

why infinity? your summons dont really have an AR problem, and your mages aren't the primary damage dealers... pride would probably give you more damage...

[zallus]

I am also a fan of pride. The only problem is that your merc will become a non-killer. since pride has no %ed mod on it.

Also making it hard for your merc to kill itself with Iron Maiden.

[canudig]

I thought there have been tons of arguments on the Pride VS Infinity and after strenuous testing infinity was proven to have a faster killing speed especially if you back up your skeles with CE?.............

[illestkhmai]

I thought there have been tons of arguments on the Pride VS Infinity and after strenuous testing infinity was proven to have a faster killing speed especially if you back up your skeles with CE?.............

It's also a lot more expensive.

[canudig]

yeah that's why in the first post I made I said 'if you can afford it infinity is the best choice for a summoner'..................

[MYK]

Infinity is sort of a really expensive Obedience without the chance to cast Enchant, res all, defense, and FHR.

CE and Infinity sort of go together, but if you're using huge CE blasts then you need huge mana points to back it up.
Insight is cheap, gives the merc some nasty damage, and will fuel your CE fun pretty dang well.
Obediance is pretty cool. It gives massive damage, massive damage, and lots of neat merc stats and some CB for big monsters.
Pride isn't too bad. Big damage, it shatters corpses, and some decent lightning damage.

So, for me, the choice depends on what I want to do the mass killing.
Obedience will make my merc a killing machine
Infinity helps my CE blasts(a little) and will make Mages +Trangs more powerful.
Insight fuels CE blasts until my eyes bleed.
Pride pumps my skeleton warriors with a huge shot of steroids.

[maiku]

Michael, I would try to make the "Insight" or any of these other rune words in an ethereal polearm for higher damage. "Insight" is a very trusty polearm. On my Summoner, I have my Merc using an ethereal upped Hone Sundan Yari.

[NumtyDoo]

Insight is an excellent runeword for your merc.

As for the infinity/pride debate. I have tried both, timed each in multiple runs, and Infinity wins hands down.

Infinity has CB and decrease monster defense which helps with bosses.

Pride does increase skellie damage, but GREATLY reduces merc damage.

However, the increased skellie damage of Pride is offset by the reduction in enemy defense by Infinity. The enemy defense reduction means that your merc and your skellies hit more often, in effect, increasing damage per second to about the same level as Pride. Actually against bosses, the DPS is higher with infinity because of improved chance to hit.

Since mages are doing 80% more damage with Infinity this swings total DPS against monsters and bosses in favor of Infinity. Not to mention the great improvement in CE damage.

Infinity was so much better that we didn't even really need to time the runs as there was a very visible difference.

[maiku]

I'm curious, but has anyone tried "Pride" on a Blessed Aim Merc to help increase the skellies' AR?

[Ed from Russia]

Infinity is the strongest choice, because it will make your Corpse Explosion devastating. In later Hell CE will do the most damage, after your merc or skellies makes the first kill. Normally this is your Merc; your skellies will do damage but will mainly be shields until you can start using CE.

Insight is a good (and much cheaper) alternative, but is not essential if you have enough mana from other sources (e.g. Gloom's Trap, Silkweave, Frost Burn). Then again, unlimited Corpse Explosion is pretty cool as well.

Pride makes your skellies stronger, which means the first kill will happen quicker. But you will probably need 2-3 kills before you can spam CE, especially with FIs or PIs. With Infinity you only need one. A drawback of Pride (IMO) is that you can't really use it for any other character, while Infinity and Insight are useful for many builds.

But it really doesn't matter that much. No matter which one you use your summoner will have no problems with the game. I am currently using Insight whenever I play a Summoner because I don't feel like investing in Infinity.

[Mad Mantis]

I'm curious, but has anyone tried "Pride" on a Blessed Aim Merc to help increase the skellies' AR?

Skellies already have really great AR. All it would help with is Bosses and there you are more likely to trust CB to do most of the damage.

[Tibernite]

So the overwhelming theme here seems to be Infinity. If I'm holding a Beast while my skellies kill, with a might merc, with infinity, exactly how much ownage is going to be happening?

I'm working on building an uber necro and it seems like the Beast + Might + Infinity would just be unreal in terms of damage output.

[Antifate]

I find insight the best.

Well, if this is your first character, insight is insanely cheap and allows you to do damage by spamming Attract and CE.

If you've got money, definitely go for infinity.

[canudig]

Alot....I am currently using that setup and I just tele around and just let my guys own........ubers are a little trickier but one thing for sure you should do is revive lots of cb guys (urdars, etc.)

[michaelsmith]

First-thanks SO MUCH for all the replies... the "insight" (pun intended) has been great!

I'm still a little confused about how the aura provided by Insight (meditation) or Infinity (conviction) interacts with the Aura that the Merc provides (Might).

I think I understand how Infinity would work: I'm guessing the Conviction aura from Infinity effects the enemies, while the Merc's Might aura affects my skellies.

With Insight, though, what happens? The weapon provides "Meditation", which affects the merc plus everybody in his party. But the Merc provides Might, which also affects everybody in his party. So does everybody in the merc's party (i.e., my skellies) get the effects of TWO auras?

Thanks!
Michael

[Moe the Barkeep]

What I do is make an iron golem out of a cheap insight pole, then give my might merc a big killing weapon. Right now he uses an etheral Obedience great poleaxe.

When I get rich enough, I'll make an Infinity for him, but for now, what I have kills very fast. Merc does insane damage, and I'm able to spam CE as much as I want due to insight golem. (not to mention teleport as much as I want without using mana potions).

If you're gonna go this route, you need to pump your golem mastery to make rusty more durable.

[canudig]

yeah you can stack the auras.....I think the max is three or four? not sure on that so don't quote me

[bruticus]

i don't think there's a max on the number of auras that you can have at once .. they'll all stack, but the most that could be equipped is 8? they would all be active. the Auradin is an example of a build that specifically takes advantage of stacking auras.

dug this up:

http://forums.diabloii.net/archive/index.php/t-452580.html

for a summoner:
Act 2 merc (Defiance) with Infinity (Conviction), Dream (Holy Shock), and Dragon (Holy Fire)

Iron Golem (Thorns) made from a Pride Polearm (Concentration)

Necromancer wielding Beast (Fanaticism), Phoenix (Might), and Bramble (Thorns for everybody!)

[illestkhmai]

Problem is Phoenix gives Redemption, not might.

[maiku]

First-thanks SO MUCH for all the replies... the "insight" (pun intended) has been great!

I'm still a little confused about how the aura provided by Insight (meditation) or Infinity (conviction) interacts with the Aura that the Merc provides (Might).

I think I understand how Infinity would work: I'm guessing the Conviction aura from Infinity effects the enemies, while the Merc's Might aura affects my skellies.

With Insight, though, what happens? The weapon provides "Meditation", which affects the merc plus everybody in his party. But the Merc provides Might, which also affects everybody in his party. So does everybody in the merc's party (i.e., my skellies) get the effects of TWO auras?

Thanks!
Michael

As others have noted, they simply stack. If aura-granting items are on the same character and two items provide the same aura, then the level of the aura stacks additively. A Dreamadin, for example, wearing two Dream items granting Level 15 Holy Shock each will have a Level 30 Holy Shock. And he can use a Conviction Aura at the same time to further boost the damage of those auras.

Your Merc who has Might and is wielding an "Insight" stick will grant both Might *and* Meditation to all party members, skellies, yourself, or anyone you group and quest with. Take advantage of this. :thumbsup:

[Fakky]

personally I 'd go with a tomb reaver.

[michaelsmith]

Thanks to all for your replies!

[Latex Glove]

Make an Insight Iron Golem out of a cheap, weak polearm (such as a Voulge). The reason you want such a weak weapon is so that your Iron Golem doesn't happen to kill itself whenever it becomes cursed by Iron Maiden.

You can find the runes for Insight in a few runs of Nightmare Countess, most likely.

Making an Iron Golem out of Insight frees you a weapon slot for your mercenary. Cheap but very effective options include Hone Sundan Yari, Woestave, Reaper's Toll and Bonehew. People love stacking Crushing Blow on mercenaries, and I can't think of any reason you ought not to.