Ultimate D2R Mercenary Guide

Ben Author

Created - 15.11.2025 Updated - 14.04.2026

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Mercenaries are a fundamental aspect of D2R PvM gameplay, providing assistance and utility when needed. They also act as meat shields, soaking up damage as you go away to recover. Having mercenaries in D2R is actually good, especially in the early game when your character is not properly geared yet.

If you are looking for a resource that gives you every information you need about mercenaries in the game, then you are in the right place! Welcome to our ultimate D2R Mercenary guide (updated for Season 12)!

Table of contents

1. Overview
2. General Information
3. Types of Mercenaries
4. A1 Mercenary (Bow)
5. A2 Mercenary (Spear)
6. A3 Mercenary (Spell)
7. A5 Mercenary (Barbarian)
8. Mercenary Breakpoints
9. Best Merc Weapons (A1)
10. Best Merc Weapons (A2)
11. Best Merc Weapons (A5)
12. Best Merc Armors
13. Best Merc Helmets
14. A3 Merc Gear
15. Choosing your merc
16. Conclusion

1. What You Need to Know About D2R Mercenaries

Mercenaries are a fundamental aspect of D2R PvM gameplay, providing useful utility, and additional damage. They also act as meat shields, soaking up damage as you go away to recover. This aspect of mercenaries in D2R is actually good in the early game when your character is not properly geared yet.

Another reason why mercenaries are a must in Diablo II: Resurrected is that some of them grant incredible bonuses through auras. These auras can either be in the form of equipped weapons (like Insight) or innate abilities, such as the Might Aura from the Act 2 mercenary.

The importance of the Mercenary becomes more pronounced in Hell Difficulty, especially for solo farming or single-player runs, where you do not have a party to provide you with aid, utility, or damage.

For example, D2R builds that rely on a single element, such as the Nova Sorceress, can find great value in an Act 2 Mercenary that has the Infinity Runeword equipped. The said runeword allows the desert hireling to reduce the elemental resistance of enemies because of Infinity’s innate Conviction Aura.

Just like your character, mercenaries in Diablo II: Resurrected can wear a few pieces of gear as well. This is limited to the helmet, armor, and weapon/shield slots. They also benefit from increased stats from leveling and are subject to item restrictions (e.g. level or strength requirements on gear).

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2. D2R Mercenary Info: Behavior and Mechanics

• Hiring a new mercenary replaces all of your existing mercenary's equipment.
• You can always hire a mercenary one level below your character.
• Completing the A1 Normal quest—Blood Raven—will reward you with a bow-wielding Rogue Scout.
• Mercenary gear doesn't lose durability. That is why Ethereal (ETH) items are always preferred for their increased damage and defense (as well as the lower requirements).
• Mercenary revive costs are dependent on their level and are capped at 50,000 gold.
• Mercenaries can be healed with healing or rejuvenation potions. Just drag the potion and “drop” it on their portraits (at the upper-left corner of the screen). Alternatively, you can press Shift+Right-click to do the same thing.
• On-hit effects (e.g. % chance to cast x on striking) granted by gear are effective on mercenaries (note: a mercenary will not use ability charges granted by an item).
• Teleporting with your character relocates the mercenary to your current location. This is a useful tool for ensuring correct targeting and aura dispersal. Additionally, the mercenary provides safety while teleporting as a damage shield.
• The passive aura of the A2 Desert mercenary varies based on the difficulty level you are hiring him from

Hire your mercenary by speaking to:

Kashya in Act 1 Rogue Encampment (Rogue Mercenary)

Greiz in Act 2 Lut Gholein (Desert Mercenary)

Asheara in Act 3 Kurast Docks (Iron Wolves Mercenary)

Qual-Kehk in Act 5 Harrogath (Barbarian Mercenary)

Much like D2R characters, mercenaries of each class have unique abilities, stats, and gearing options. Let’s go over each type of mercenary you can hire, shall we?

3. Types of Mercenaries

4. Act 1 Rogue Mercenary

Abilities: Cold Arrow/Freezing Arrow or Fire Arrow/Exploding Arrow and Inner Sight (which lowers defenses of enemies).

Equipment Slots: Bow, Helmet, Armor.

The A1 Merc, aka the Rogue Scout, provides useful ranged DPS, and has improved AI in D2R when compared to the classic Diablo 2. As a ranged mercenary, she provides little in the way of tanking, though she certainly has a good kit for utility.

There are two types of Rogue Scouts in Diablo II: Resurrected. The first one is the Fire Rogue Scout, which uses Fire Arrow and Exploding Arrow to deal with the enemy. Exploding Arrow is nice as it burns enemies in an area. This is the one to get in Normal Difficulty when you do not have access to good gear just yet.

The second type of Rogue Scout is the Cold Rogue. She specializes in providing some crowd control thanks to her Cold Arrow and Freezing Arrow. If you are going to hire an A1 mercenary, definitely go for the Cold Rogue because her value is good no matter what difficulty level you are trying to play.

5. A2 Desert Mercenary

Abilities: A few passive auras are available based on difficulty. They stab their enemies with a spear or poleaxe.

Normal and Hell: Prayer (passive healing), Defiance (defense), and Blessed Aim (attack rating).

Nightmare: Thorns (physical damage reflection), Holy Freeze (crowd control with freeze), Might (physical damage).

Equipment: 2-handed Polearm, Helmet, Weapon

The A2 desert hireling is the most commonly used mercenary in Diablo II: Resurrected, mainly because of their additional passive auras. Holy Freeze provides a safety blanket that is particularly useful in Hardcore, enabling safer farming due to the enemies being slowed down as they get close.

Prayer is utilized by some to last longer on the battlefield. The Prayer Merc is usually given an Insight due to the doubling effects and synergy with the Meditation Aura from the said D2R runeword.

Thorns, Defiance, and Blessed Aim are rarely used. If anything, these desert hirelings are acquired only for very niche cases. For instance, if you are struggling to hit enemies while playing a Bowazon, then perhaps you will find the services of the Blessed Aim Offensive Merc helpful.

The most widely used A2 mercenary, by far, is the one with the Might Aura. For those who do not know, Might is incredible for physical damage builds, such as Zealers, Barbarians, and Bowazons, because the said aura allows them to hit harder than without it.

Desert mercs are excellent tanks, providing a much-needed frontline to fragile classes like the Sorceress who does not have access to minion summons. If you have the budget, buy the Infinity Thresher for your A2 Mercenary. It is a popular weapon because of that Conviction Aura, which has no problems breaking monster immunities, resulting in far more efficient Hell farming.

6. A3 Iron Wolf Mercenary

Abilities:

Fire: Enchant, Firebolt, Fireball.

Ice: Shiver Armor, Ice Blast, Glacial Spike.

Lightning: Static Field, Charged Bolt, Lightning.

Equipment: Sword (1-hand), Shield, Helmet, Armor.

Among the mercenaries that you can hire in Diablo II: Resurrected, the Iron Wolf Mercenary is the least popular. It is not that they are bad; it’s just that the others perform so much better than this one. Be that as it may, the A3 Mercenary does have some tricks up their sleeves.

The Fire Merc has the ability to imbue your weapons with fire damage thanks to Enchant. If you are playing the Frenzy Barb or Whirlwind Barbarian build in D2R, then you will find this particular mercenary incredibly useful in improving your damage.

If you need someone to CC enemies, then the Cold A3 Merc is your guy. He casts both Ice Blast and Glacial Spike to keep monsters at bay. Although the Holy Freeze A2 Mercenary and the Cold A1 Rogue Scout are better in this regard, the Cold A3 Merc is still somewhat helpful.

Finally, you have the A3 Lightning Mercenary. This guy is able to chip off the enemy’s HP thanks to his ability to cast Static Field. Among the three, only the lightning and fire variants are popular because of their utility. The Cold A3 Merc is not that useful, especially when you consider that the mercenaries you can hire in Act 1 and Act 2 are better at crowd-controlling the minions of Hell.

7. A5 Barbarian Merc

Abilities: Frenzy, Taunt, Ironskin (Dual-wield) OR Bash, Battlecry (Single-wield).

Equipment: Two 1-handed swords OR One 2-handed sword, Armor, Helm.

If all you need from a companion is to deal so much damage, then look no further than the A5 Barbarian Mercenary. When properly equipped, the Barbarian Mercenary can obliterate any monster from Hell!

This is the only D2R mercenary who can either dual-wield a couple of one-handed swords or utilize a heavy two-handed sword for maximum damage. If you are going for the former, it makes sense to hire the Frenzy Barb because he uses a skill that’s meant for dual-wielders.

On the other hand, choose the Bash Barb if you want to have him use a two-handed sword. In most cases, the Frenzy Barb is utilized more frequently because of the power and speed he possesses. However, maximizing his damage would require a very steep investment, especially since his best weapons use expensive runes to make.

Luckily, you can buy any rune that you want from our D2R Rune Store. We offer specific runes and rune bundles depending on your needs. If you purchase runes in bulk, you will get better discounts!

8. Mercenary Breakpoints

Just like your main character, your mercenary has certain breakpoints that determine the optimal IAS (Increased Attack Speed), FCR (Faster Cast Rate), and FHR (Faster Hit Recovery) values. Although it is less important to optimize this for your mercenary, it is still useful to keep in mind, especially if you want to improve your companion’s damage and survivability.

In the next sections, we will provide you with tables for each of the mercenaries you can hire in Diablo II: Resurrected.

Act 1 Mercenary Breakpoints

Increased Attack Speed (IAS): If using Matriarchal Bow

Increased Attack Speed (IAS): If using Grand Matron Bow

Faster Hit Recovery (FHR)

Act 2 Mercenary Breakpoints

Increased Attack Speed (IAS): If using Thresher/Giant Thresher

Increased Attack Speed (IAS): If using Great Poleaxe

Faster Hit Recovery (FHR)

Act 3 Mercenary Breakpoints

Faster Cast Rate (FCR)

Faster Hit Recovery (FHR)

Act 5 Mercenary

Increased Attack Speed (IAS): If using Phase Blade (Main hand and Off-hand)

Increased Attack Speed (IAS): If using Cryptic Sword (Main hand only)

Increased Attack Speed (IAS): If using Colossus Blade (Two-handed weapon, only ideal for "Bash" Barbarians)

Faster Hit Recovery (FHR)

The IAS tables for each mercenary in D2R are different because of their base stats and the choice of weapon they have equipped. Now, you might be confused as to how to read such tables, so we will explain it briefly for you to understand.

Diablo II: Resurrected, despite its crisper visuals and better UI compared to the classic, still operates well within 25 frames per second. In the case of the IAS breakpoint, every time your mercenary hits certain thresholds, their frames per attack (FPA) gets lower.

Let’s say that your Act 2 mercenary is using an Infinity Thresher. If he has a 30% increased attack speed, his attack frames are lowered from 14 to 11. This means that he only needs 11 frames to initiate a full attack with the said weapon.

Having said that, you divide the 25 frames that D2R operates in with the new FPA value of your mercenary (in this case, 11 FPA). The result is an attack time of 2.27 attacks per second, which is noticeably faster than the 1.79 attacks per second from not having any IAS bonuses at all.

In short, the lower the FPA value of your mercenary, the more attacks or spells they can accomplish per second. So, if you want them to be an offensive powerhouse, consider lowering their FPA values as much as you can.

To do that, simply equip them with items that provide “% Increased Attack Speed.” For instance, the helmet can be inserted with a jewel that grants 15% IAS. Additionally, Andariel’s Visage does the same thing, albeit at a higher value of 20% IAS.

9. Best Merc Weapon (Act 1)

Ladder store links are provided below. For non-ladder or hardcore, ensure you select the correct category when making a purchase.

The Act 1 Mercenary works really well with the Matriarchal Bow as the base, assuming that you are going to have her use some specific D2R runewords. This bow is the preferred one because of its faster attack speed and relatively good damage.

If you do not have the Matriarchal Bow, the Grand Matron Bow is a good alternative. Although it doesn’t have the same attack speed, the GMB does deal good damage nevertheless.

Faith Runeword

The Faith runeword is the primary reason the A1 rogue is utilized, providing a high-level (12–15) Fanaticism Aura that can’t be found or equipped on any other merc. The Fanaticism Aura is awesome in helping you achieve the higher IAS breakpoints, in addition to providing a great physical damage boost. The bonus skills to Amazons granted by a Grand Matron Bow or Matriarchal Bow base work wonders for the A1 Bow Mercenary.

Ice Runeword

The Ice runeword makes your A1 rogue a powerful CC tool by providing a level 18 Holy Freeze Aura. It should go without saying that this only works well if you hire the Cold Rogue Scout.

Another benefit from using Ice on the A1 Rogue Mercenary is that she can reduce the enemy’s cold resistance by 20%. If you are playing the Frozen Orb Sorceress, for example, then you can deal insanely high damage thanks to this synergy!

Take note that an A2 Mercenary that is equipped with Infinity is still the preferred option to take for elemental-based builds in Diablo II: Resurrected.

Wrath Runeword

A simple glance at the Wrath Runeword and you can tell that this is something special. This runeword is primarily used for that chance to cast Decrepify and Life Tap on hit. Whenever the Rogue Scout fires her arrow (just a normal attack, not a skill), she will be able to proc any of the aforementioned effects.

Wrath also boosts her damage considerably when fighting against demons and the undead. The only reason that it’s not as popular as it should be is that it is relatively expensive because of the high rune, Ber.

However, if you are interested in trying it out, you could simply buy the Wrath Runeword from our D2R Store directly!

Harmony Runeword

Harmony provides a useful mid-level Vigor Aura, which is great for additional movement speed while farming. Use this whenever you don’t need that extra damage or defensiveness, but require speed to reach certain areas faster.

Windforce Hydra Bow Unique

Windforce is a powerful bow that provides good physical damage to the A1 Rogue Mercenary. Although it does not grant any aura like the other suggested items, it is still a viable option due to its raw damage output.

Aside from that, Windforce adds a knockback component to each attack, allowing the Rogue Scout to prevent enemies from ever coming close. While this isn’t a low drop, it is a fantastic temporary weapon until you can find your desirable runeword if you do stumble across one.

10. Best Merc Weapon (Act 2)

The Desert Hireling is a proficient Poleaxe user in D2R. The ideal bases to look for include the Thresher, Giant Thresher, or the Great Poleaxe. So, which ones are the best in terms of damage and utility?

For the most part, we recommend either the Thresher or Giant Thresher because of their relatively high base attack speed. However, the Great Poleaxe is not bad at all, considering that it does significantly more damage (at the cost of slightly lower attack speed).

Infinity Runeword

The Infinity runeword is a powerful option for many elemental damage builds in Diablo II: Resurrected. That is why it is the most commonly used A2 Merc weapon in the game.

If you are wondering why it is popular, the Infinity Runeword gives the wielder access to a level 12 Conviction Aura. Thanks to the said aura, the A2 Mercenary can reduce the resistances of nearby enemies by 85%, thereby making them more vulnerable to fire, cold, and lightning damage.

The only issue with Infinity is not because of the runeword itself but the runes necessary to create it. It needs a couple of Ber Runes, which may require you to spend numerous runes in order to get them.

Of course, you can simply buy the Infinity Runeword from our online shop to save yourself from the hassle.

Pride Runeword

Pride is the best option for any physical damage build wanting to maximize damage output. This is because of the benefits provided by a powerful level 20 Concentration Aura.

For the uninitiated, the Concentration Aura not only boosts your damage but also prevents your attacks from being interrupted by the enemy. That is why it’s a staple weapon for the Act 2 Mercenary, primarily for those who play the Zealot Paladin or Frenzy Barbarian.

On top of that, the Pride Runeword is commonly used in builds where Fanaticism is already attained from some other source, either directly from a Paladin or by a self-wielding Faith Bowazon. Barbarians who wield Beast might also consider a Pride Merc for additional damage.

Just so you know, the IAS boost from Fanaticism is required to reach the highest IAS breakpoints for endgame builds, so it should be considered a priority.

Insight Runeword

Insight also sees high usage given the usefulness of Meditation Aura (negates the need for mana potions), and its relatively low cost and attainability. Take note that the Meditation Aura from Insight synergizes with the Prayer Aura from the Defensive A2 Mercenary, thus doubling the amount healed.

While it is still recommended you use a Holy Freeze Merc in Hardcore, you may consider the Prayer Aura Mercenary, particularly if you struggle to sustain your HP due to a lack of life leech or passive health regeneration.

Have the Desert Hireling use the Insight Runeword if you are playing a mana-intensive build, such as the Frozen Orb Sorceress, Whirlwind Barbarian, or the Ice Bowazon, among others.

The Reaper’s Toll Unique

The Reaper’s Toll is a powerful choice for its high % Decrepify proc, which greatly negates danger by reducing the enemy’s physical resistance, speed, and damage. This is a must-have for A2 Mercs if you plan on defeating the Uber Bosses in Diablo II: Resurrected.

On top of that, the weapon’s 33% Deadly Strike chance is a huge boost in the merc’s damage capabilities. And, you don’t have to worry about sustaining the Desert Hireling because The Reaper’s Toll has a very high life steal percentage, alleviating the need for life leech on the helmet, thus opening up the avenue of equipping Guillaume’s Face for more damage.

11. Best Merc Weapon (Act 5)

Plague Runeword

The Plague Runeword shines in the hands of the Act 5 Frenzy Barb. Its main selling point is that it grants the Barbarian Mercenary the ability to lower the resistances of enemies due to the aptly named Lower Resist curse. If you cannot afford Infinity for now, definitely give the Plague Runeword a chance.

Last Wish Runeword

While the runes of this next weapon runeword are insanely expensive, the Last Wish does make up for that by providing the A5 Mercenary with certain effects that enable him to decimate the minions of Hell.

First of all, it grants a level 17 Might Aura, which can benefit both Bash and Frenzy Barbs. Besides that, its insanely high chance to land a Crushing Blow is enough to warrant its high asking price.

Make sure to put the Last Wish runeword into a Phase Blade for incredible damage output and fast attack speed.

Grief Runeword

There is a reason why the Grief Runeword is the most commonly used weapon for Act 5 Frenzy Barbs. Its insane bonus attack speed is one of the highest ever in D2R. On top of that, if you place the Eth, Tir, Lo, Mal, and Ral runes into a five-socketed Phase Blade, you’ll have an awesome weapon that can take you and your mercenary into the depths of Hell and back!

Lawbringer Runeword

The Lawbringer deals nice damage when inserted into a Phase Blade. However, it is mainly used for its ability to cast Decrepify to lower the enemy’s resistance to physical damage. Since Frenzy is technically a physical damage skill, equipping this on the A5 Mercenary makes a lot of sense.

In addition, it grants the Barbarian Mercenary the power to weaken the undead thanks to that level 16–18 Sanctuary Aura. If you are playing the Wind Druid or any other physical damage in Diablo II: Resurrected, be sure to give the Lawbringer to the A5 Frenzy Barb to maximize its effects.

Headstriker

If you want to try the A5 Bash Barbarian, have him use the Headstriker. This unique battle sword gains increasingly high maximum damage per level, up to +99. What’s more, it provides the Barbarian with a whopping 148% chance to land a Deadly Strike at the max level, which is quite insane!

Now, the reason why this is great for Bash Barbs is that they have a peculiar synergy with the Headstriker. For some reason, they deal almost triple damage every time they bash the skulls of their foes. Go ahead, buy the Ethereal Headstriker, and have your A5 Barb take it out for a spin!

12. Best Mercenary Armor

Fortitude Runeword

The Fortitude Runeword is the best for your mercenaries because it has it all. It provides insane damage, incredible defense, and damage reduction, making it the perfect armor runeword for your A1, A2, and A5 mercenaries. The only expensive rune in this one is the Sol Rune, making it a relatively affordable option compared to the next runeword we are going to talk about.

Chains of Honor Runeword

If you don’t have Fortitude for some reason, the Chains of Honor is a great runeword alternative. It increases the level of your mercenary’s skills by two, making their attacks more potent. Besides that, CoH provides strong defensive bonuses, such as 70% Enhanced Defense, +65 all resistances, and 8% damage reduction. What more could you ask for?

Treachery Runeword

A great budget option, Treachery offers a chance to cast Fade when struck (boosting resistances and damage reduction of the mercenary). A fantastic choice for early leveling given the low cost and easy attainability of the runes. Venom, Cold resistances, IAS, and FHR are other useful mods.

Shaftstop Unique

Shaftstop offers the highest defense and damage reduction of the other options, making it the strongest choice vs. physical attackers. With an additional socket available, this offers some flexibility in terms of adding any new mod you might desire. For example, you can insert the Um Rune for additional resistance or the Ber Rune for more physical damage reduction.

Duress Runeword

Duress is surprisingly good, given its relatively affordable price. It grants some insanely good bonuses, including 15% Crushing Blow, 33% Open Wounds, and a whopping 140% Enhanced Defense.

If you are going to do the depths of Hell, a mercenary that is equipped with Duress can take a beating thanks to its added resistance bonuses. If you can’t afford the other options, the Duress Runeword is a viable alternative for both offense and defense.

13. Best Merc Helms

Andariel’s Visage Unique

If there is one particular helmet that is popular among mercenaries in Diablo II: Resurrected, it would be Andariel’s Visage. I mean, why wouldn’t it be? It’s got +2 skills, 20% IAS, 10% life leech, and a whopping +70% poison resistance?

While you might be deterred from using Andariel’s Visage due to its -30% fire resistance, that can easily be addressed by inserting a Ral Rune into the helmet.

Vampire’s Gaze Unique

A powerful defensive helmet for D2R mercenaries, the Vampire Gaze offers life/mana leech, 15–20% physical damage reduction, and 10–15 magic damage mitigation. Really good value for a unique helmet that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg!

Giant Skull Unique

Ideal for A1 mercenaries because of that added knockback, the Giant Skull is quite good for a very low price. Some people may shy away from this one because of its rather “mediocre” stats, but there is value to be had with its guaranteed two sockets.

The two sockets on the Giant Skull can be fitted with Um Runes for additional resistance or a couple of IAS jewels for more damage output. If you are rich, you can even put Ber Runes inside, though they are more suited for Vampire Gaze if you are going that route.

Guillaume’s Face Unique

Otherwise known as the “Gface,” Guillaume’s Face is the de-facto “damage” option for mercenaries in Diablo II: Resurrected. The high chance of Crushing Blow and Deadly Strike, coupled with +30% FHR, are pretty good in just one gear slot.

Since Guillaume’s Face is a set item and not a runeword, you can finish the Siege on Harrogath quest, which will net you a free socket reward from Larzuk. Use this socket to fit any rune or jewel that you want.

14. A3 Merc Build Discussion

The Act 3 merc stands alone as the only mercenary that doesn’t deal physical damage in D2R. Although he wields a sword, he doesn’t hit enemies with it. Instead, he casts powerful spells that destroy monsters, provided that he’s equipped with the right gear.

That said, consider putting the Spirit Runeword into a Crystal Sword and have the A3 Mercenary use it. This runeword is best known for its caster modifiers, such as +2 skills and increased FCR.

For armor, use the Chains of Honor or Skin of the Vipermagi. The former has +2 skills and +65 all resistance, while the latter has the highest FCR value for body armor in D2R. No matter which one you choose, always improve resistances and damage mitigation when hiring the A3 Mercenary because life steal is irrelevant (due to him not dealing physical damage).

Although the A3 Iron Wolf Mercenary is the least popular, they do serve a purpose in certain cases. For instance, the A3 Fire Merc can provide value to physical damage builds in Diablo II: Resurrected, such as the Frenzy Barb, Zealot Paladin, or Maul Druid.

15. Which Mercenary Should You Use for Your D2R Build?

With all of that said, there is just one more question left to ask: which of the four mercenaries should you use for your build in Diablo II: Resurrected?

Well, the answer is easy: go for the Act 2 Mercenary. The Desert Hireling is the most popular in D2R mainly because of its flexibility and utility (by providing you with buffs via his passive auras). Not to mention that he can sustain himself pretty well, so long as he has enough defense, life leech, and attack speed.

After that, it’s a toss-up between the A1 Rogue Mercenary and the A5 Barbarian Mercenary. Between the two, you are more likely going to get value from the Frenzy Barb due to his insane damage output and fast attack speed.

For more utility, however, the A1 Rogue is the best. Equip her with Ice or Faith and you have a mercenary that you can rely on, especially if you are a physical damage build like the ones mentioned earlier in this ultimate D2R Mercenary guide.

While it is the least popular among the four, the Act 3 Iron Wolf Mercenary could be useful, though in very rare instances. Do you play a physical damage build? Go for the A3 Fire Mercenary. Do you want someone who can reduce the HP of tougher enemies? Hire the A3 Lightning Mercenary.

Here is a brief rundown of the most important information about Mercenaries in D2R:

Diablo II: Resurrected—Reign of the Warlock was released not long ago, and with it is the addition of the new Warlock Class. The Warlock is capable of controlling a demon-type monster in the game. This allows him to bind a demon that has the Conviction Aura for free. Of course, that ability makes the Warlock an overpowered class in D2R Season 13, so much so that Blizzard intends to remove Conviction Aura from bindable monsters in the near future.

The reason why you need to know this is that you will now need the services of the Act 2 Mercenary more than ever. Since you won’t have access to Conviction Aura anymore from monsters (in a future patch), you’d have to go with the desert mercenary that is equipped with the Infinity Thresher to get it back.

In the next section, I will go over the reasons why the Act 2 Mercenary is the most popular hireling in Diablo II: Resurrected, even in the new Reign of the Warlock DLC.

Best Overall Mercenary: Act 2 Desert Hireling

If you are new to Diablo II: Resurrected, you’re probably wondering why so many people go for the Act 2 Mercenary instead of the other hirelings. Well, there are several good reasons:

• Free Bonuses: The Act 2 Mercenary has the innate ability to provide some useful buffs in the form of Paladin Auras. The Might Aura is the most popular, especially since most people want to improve their damage output.
• Assist via Runewords: The desert hireling utilizes polearm-class weapons, which means that he has access to powerful runewords, such as Insight for that Meditation Aura, Infinity for the Conviction Aura, and The Reaper’s Toll for raw damage, among others.
• Draws Aggro Well: In terms of combat, the Act 2 Mercenary not only provides utility but also draws aggro really well. This is why you should equip him with D2R items that have some form of life leech to improve his survivability. Besides that, this merc’s combat AI is tuned to be more aggressive, so he will always attract the monster’s attention easily.
• Works with Budget Gear: While some may argue that the A5 Barbarian is better in terms of offensive capabilities, the said hireling requires more expensive items for his power to be felt. The Act 2 Mercenary comes alive even with budget gear.

Best Act 2 Merc Skills and Variants

The desert hireling in Diablo II: Resurrected only has one attack in his kit, and that is the Jab. This is the same attack used by budding Amazons in D2R Season 13, particularly those that wield a spear instead of a bow.

Having said that, Jab allows the A2 Mercenary to do three quick thrusts to nearby enemies, with the potential to deal so much damage depending on the weapon he has equipped. For this reason, you want to put weapons that give the desert hireling a chance to land a Crushing Blow or Deadly Strike (like Guillaume’s Face).

But more importantly, you want to have an Act 2 Mercenary because of his auras. Here are the possible auras that you can get from A2 Mercenaries in D2R Season 13:

• Prayer
• Defiance
• Blessed Aim
• Thorns
• Holy Freeze
• Might

Most people will hire an Act 2 Mercenary with Might Aura for the simple reason that the said aura increases damage by a certain percentage. Holy Freeze is a good alternative, especially because it not only slows enemies down, but also deals considerable damage by itself.

Since the said auras are only available once you get to Nightmare Difficulty in D2R Season 13, you can go for Prayer or Defiance auras in the meantime.

Alternative Merc Choices (When Act 2 Mercenary is Not Required)

Most D2R builds work well with the Act 2 Mercenary because of his auras and damage potential. However, if you want to try other mercenaries in Diablo II: Resurrected, you can look at the A1 Rogue and A5 Barbarian as viable alternatives.

Why Choose the Act 1 Rogue Mercenary

In terms of utility, the Act 1 Rogue is actually not bad. Here are some of the reasons to consider the A1 Rogue over the A2 Desert Mercenary:

• Access to Certain Auras: While the list of auras available to the A2 Mercenary is fine, it might not be good enough for your particular D2R build. The A1 Rogue Merc can equip certain bow-only runewords like Harmony, which provides a level 10 Vigor Aura to help you run around faster. If you are playing the Echoing Strike Warlock build in D2R Season 13, you can have the A1 Rogue use the Faith Runeword for that level 15 Fanaticism Aura.
• Higher Survivability: There is one glaring issue with the Desert Mercenary in that his AI would have him rush to a pack of monsters, only for him to die in the process because he is undergeared. The A1 Rogue is tuned to be more well-balanced, firing arrows at the enemy from a safe distance, and running away to safety when the going gets tough.
• Good Crowd Control: If you are going for the A1 Rogue, hire a Rogue that has the Freezing Arrow skill. This particular mercenary provides some CC, which is useful in Nightmare and Hell Difficulty, where enemies are tougher.

Why Choose the Act 5 Barbarian Mercenary

While the A1 Rogue is not bad if you are looking for a hireling for utility purposes in D2R, it’s really a toss-up between the A5 Barbarian and A2 Desert Mercenary in terms of endgame viability. Why? Here are some good reasons:

• Best Raw Damage: There are two variants of the A5 Mercenary: one that has Stun, War Cry, and Bash, and the other that has Taunt, Iron Skin, and Frenzy. Both of them are good, but if you want a mercenary you can rely on, nothing compares to the Frenzy Barb in terms of damage output.
• Good Survivability: Just equip the A5 Barb with a Fortitude and Andariel’s Visage, and you have a mercenary that just won’t die, even when he’s up against a Herald of Terror in D2R Season 13.
• Awesome Suite of Runewords: Despite being known for its combat abilities, the A5 Barb can actually provide utility, too, by equipping him with the right runewords. For example, Last Wish allows the Barb to cast a level 18 Life Tap, which helps a lot if you are playing melee builds like Zeal Paladin and Fury Druid. There is also the Lawbringer, which acts as a pseudo-Bone Break that breaks physical-immune monsters.

Best Mercenary Gear in D2R Season 13

Weapon

• Infinity: This is one of the main reasons why people choose the Act 2 Mercenary over the others. Infinity has that all-powerful Conviction Aura, which weakens nearby enemies, allowing you to deal more damage no matter what D2R build you are playing.
• Insight: Insight is more for utility rather than damage. This runeword allows your A2 Mercenary to give you an increased mana regeneration rate through the free Meditation Aura. Just make sure to get life-leech somewhere else to help sustain him in Hell Difficulty.
• Last Wish: The ideal weapon to use for the Act 5 Barb, mainly for that Might Aura and 375% Enhanced Damage. Pair this with the Plague Runeword, and you’ll have a formidable ally that can shred through enemies with ease.
• Faith: The A1 Rogue can give you Fanaticism Aura via the Faith Runeword. This is especially useful for physical damage builds, such as the Whirlwind Barbarian, Zeal Paladin, and the new Echoing Strike Warlock.

Armor

• Fortitude: This is the best armor runeword for any mercenary in D2R Season 13. Its insane defense, life, and resistance boost help any mercenary survive in Hell Difficulty.
• Treachery: A viable alternative to Fortitude, Treachery also provides good survivability to any mercenary, albeit in different ways. It does this by casting a level 15 Fade when the merc is struck, giving a 15% increase in physical resistance and 60% resistance to other damage types for nearly 5 minutes.
• Shaftstop: A level 38 body armor that is accessible. Shaftstop is amazing at keeping any mercenary alive. It offers up to 220% Enhanced Defense and a 30% physical damage reduction—all in one affordable package.

Helmets

• Andariel’s Visage: With the new Heralds of Terror in D2R Season 13, you want your mercenary to survive on their own. Fortunately, Andariel’s Visage gives that much-needed life steal and attack speed in the helmet slot to make that possible.
• Guillaume’s Face: Although this helmet does not provide life leech whatsoever, the “GFace” makes up for it by increasing the mercenary’s chance to land a Deadly Strike and Crushing Blow. Just make sure to get life leech elsewhere.
• Vampire Gaze: A unique helmet that gives life/mana leech and physical/magic damage reduction. What more can you ask for?

16. Final Thoughts on Mercenaries in Diablo 2 Resurrected

Mercenaries in Diablo II: Resurrected are an extension of your main character and should be treated as an ally to further amplify your strengths or cover up your weaknesses.

The gear and build recommendations provided in this guide will help you choose the right mercenary for your build. We hope that you’ve found our ultimate D2R Mercenary guide helpful!

As always, feel free to visit our D2R Store for all your needs. We offer discounted packs for Mercenary Gear if you want to deck out your allies with cool and awesome items!

FAQ

What is the Best Mercenary in D2R Season 13?

The Act 2 Mercenary for his auras and compatibility with useful runewords like Infinity and Insight.

When Should I Use the Act 1 Mercenary Instead of the Act 2 Merc?

You can use the A1 Rogue if you need certain runeword effects, such as Harmony for that Vigor Aura or Faith for Fanaticism. Go for the Cold Rogue for that extra CC via Freezing Arrow.

What is the Best Mercenary for Warlocks in D2R Season 13?

Act 2 Mercenary with Infinity for that Conviction Aura. An A5 Barb with Lawbringer is a close second due to the Sanctuary Aura.