View Full Version : Should I upgrade my merc?
I'm currently soloing nightmare with an assassin of no particular build. I'm definitely melee-oriented, but I use DS for support. I've been using an ice-arrow merc from Act 1 normal since she was awarded to me. She's been able to hold her own ever since and is around level 45 now.
I'm just getting to Act 2 on nightmare and I'm wondering if it'd be smart to hire a merc there. If so, should I get a might, defiance or holy freeze merc? Any one of them seems pretty useful, but I've heard that leveling a merc yourself is a good idea as well.
Short answer - Yes. The 'best' mercs are A2, but most of them can work with the right class / build.
Which one will depend on your build. Post more info & we can give a better recommendation.
Defensive - Holy Freeze
Offensive - Might.
Defiance are better for high defence characters IMHO, and are only available in Normal & Hell.
As of 1,11b patch it isn't as important to level your merc - they are always available to hire at your level -(1 to 5 IIRC).
Superflymdf
19-03-2008, 20:35
If you are building "an assassin of no particular build" (should we sitcky this new build, ha) then an A2 Holy freeze will really help you with a large packs of monsters. The freeze will buy you much needed time. You done have to "level them" you can always buy a new one close to your LV just dont forget to take off their equiptment before you replace them.
If you are building "an assassin of no particular build" (should we sitcky this new build, ha) then an A2 Holy freeze will really help you with a large packs of monsters. The freeze will buy you much needed time. You done have to "level them" you can always buy a new one close to your LV just dont forget to take off their equiptment before you replace them.
my main problem with the holy freeze merc is that alot of the mobs shatter when you kill them and then DS cant explode the corpses.
i didnt worry too much about a merc until i hit 85... then i just hired the Might merc.
davidmcc
20-03-2008, 05:16
Am I right in thinking that a merc which you've levelled up from say lvl45, will be a little bit stronger at lvl85 than one you just hire at that level?
Am I right in thinking that a merc which you've levelled up from say lvl45, will be a little bit stronger at lvl85 than one you just hire at that level?
This is definitely my main concern. Thanks for the advice so far though.
Am I right in thinking that a merc which you've levelled up from say lvl45, will be a little bit stronger at lvl85 than one you just hire at that level?No. Absolutely no difference whatsoever.
No. Absolutely no difference whatsoever.
I'm pretty sure there is actually a difference. Mercs you hire early and level up have, I believe, higher stats than those which are hired at a higher level.
I'm pretty sure there is actually a difference. Mercs you hire early and level up have, I believe, higher stats than those which are hired at a higher level.I don't know how much clearer I can make this. Maybe if I put it in bold?
A merc leveled from the start of normal will have identical attributes to one bought at lvl 99 in normal difficulty.
The only possible thing you could be confusing is that mercs bought in higher difficulties (i.e. in nightmare or hell) have less life. This has nothing to do with what level you buy them at, or whether or not they have been levelled manually.
I don't know how much clearer I can make this. Maybe if I put it in bold?
A merc leveled from the start of normal will have identical attributes to one bought at lvl 99 in normal difficulty.
The only possible thing you could be confusing is that mercs bought in higher difficulties (i.e. in nightmare or hell) have less life. This has nothing to do with what level you buy them at, or whether or not they have been levelled manually.
The merc FAQ on diabloii.net would seem to disagree with you.
Q: Is it better to hire a new mercenary every now and then, or continue resurrecting my first mercenary?
A: By far the type who "grow up with you" will be stronger and better, due to having leveled over time.
Of course it's possible that the information is outdated, or simply incorrect.
chronowarp
23-03-2008, 10:45
I've never seen a diference in lvld mercs, versus hired mercs at high levels...the only difference is the stats in varying difficulties, norm mercs have wayhigher stats.
Dig around in the statistics forum, or just ask there.
Arreat Summit is known to be wrong on many things.
Leveled mercs are stronger then those bought at high levels. I am 100% sure of this, I tested this myself just to make sure. The resists and life will be quite alot higher.
chronowarp
24-03-2008, 21:43
Leveled mercs are stronger then those bought at high levels. I am 100% sure of this, I tested this myself just to make sure. The resists and life will be quite alot higher.
lets see some proof.
There is only a difference between merc hired in Normal, NM and Hell (Normal being the best, Hell the worst). AT what level you hire him makes absolutely no difference.
Before people start posting screenshots of the merc hire screen it should be noted that the stats displayed there are simply wrong.
AnimeCraze
25-03-2008, 03:00
Leveled mercs are stronger then those bought at high levels. I am 100% sure of this, I tested this myself just to make sure. The resists and life will be quite alot higher.Where did you buy your high lvl merc? I tested it myself as well, and as long as the merc comes from the same difficulty, they are identically strong at the same level.
I thought it used to be different in the 'old days', 1.10, 1.09 maybe, where it was better to keep a merc and level him than to keep buying new ones.
In 1.11, it seems as if they changed this so a merc of a particular difficulty will always have the same stats at a specific level.
This seems better to me, because mercs only tend to get useful at higher levels.
AnimeCraze
27-03-2008, 08:37
No, things never changed. It's just that in the "old days", it would be impossible to high a high lvl merc from norm.
Zigot_HD
28-03-2008, 20:59
There's a 100-150 less life different between let's say a merc hired at lvl 80 compared to a merc hired from very low level and you took the time to level him up.
For just normal playing, 100-150 life is not worth to spend hours or days but for someone who is a bit perfectionist-ish ... then it may make a different.
AnimeCraze
29-03-2008, 06:15
Nope. None. Nada. Absolutely no difference what so ever.
Just tested it by firing my sorc's merc (lvl 86, lvled up from something like lvl 27) and hired a lvl 81. When he reached lvl 86, the stats are identical.
Awesome, thank you for the confirmation. That Diabloii.net FAQ should be updated :-\
There's a 100-150 less life different between let's say a merc hired at lvl 80 compared to a merc hired from very low level and you took the time to level him up.Proof, please.
Zigot_HD
30-03-2008, 01:03
Proof, please.
Of course.... here you go:
My might merc life at lvl 87 ( hired when he was at lvl ~40 in nightmare ): 1847 life
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6729/mymercrz2.jpg
Hiring a merc when you're at lvl 87 in nightmare :
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/4043/mighthiringej5.jpg
Do you notice:
- a lvl 83 offensive merc has 1567 life
- a lvl 84 offensive merc has 1592 life ( => 1567 + 25 )
- a lvl 86 offensive merc has 1642 life ( => 1592 + 25 + 25 )
-> There's 25 life different per lvl.
So a lvl 87 offensive merc should have 1642 + 25 = 1667 life when hiring when you're at lvl 87 ( compared to mine with 1847 life..... )
That's 180 life different between mine and new merc... i was a bit wrong when i said there's 100-150 life different.
Z
AnimeCraze
30-03-2008, 03:56
Nope. None. Nada. Absolutely no difference what so ever.
Just tested it by firing my sorc's merc (lvl 86, lvled up from something like lvl 27) and hired a lvl 81. When he reached lvl 86, the stats are identical.This brings to the conclusion that:
The hire screen is wrong.
In other words, unless you did what I did, it's not a proof. And when I did that, I got identical stats.
chronowarp
30-03-2008, 10:05
The stats the vendor displays for mercs aren't correct, when you buy the merc the life is usually way higher than what's displayed...
Before people start posting screenshots of the merc hire screen it should be noted that the stats displayed there are simply wrong.
I'm a telepath! :tongue:
Thanks for reading. :tongue:
Hiring a merc when you're at lvl 87 in nightmare :
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/4043/mighthiringej5.jpg
Oh dear. The least you could do is read the rest of the thread before posting such "proof".
Zigot_HD
30-03-2008, 22:19
I'm a telepath! :tongue:
Thanks for reading. :tongue:
Thx. Then we should hope Blizz will fix those info "one day"... lol.
And the merc stickies thread provide also wrong information tables.
I will try to get a link to the right one if i can....
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