Since the release of 2.4, unless you're dirty rich and expect throwing Ber runes left and right, I'd say non-EthMancatcher is the #1 option.
The freedom to put it on a spearzon and then back on the merc is huge. Even if you don't care about trying the spearzon right now, you might in the future. After all, you want Infinity on the merc for the Conviction aura; you don't expect him to be the killer on your team. 40% CB makes the damage difference on Eth and non-Eth less meaningful too.
I used https://maxroll.gg/d2/d2planner/
Ok, lets talk about DPS and not considering like your Merc is under Decrepify and Fade from Treachery has a huge impact and other like this conditions.
And I'm not considering about STR or DEX req., level req. and so on.
Flat numbers.
First of all Fortitude is much better then Treachery in regards of Merc DPS (even if Venom skill is active). Andariel's Visage with 15IAS + 30FR jewel is BIS for Headgear. Top 2 I think is Vampire Gaze with 40%ED + 15%IAS Jewel.
P.S. actually it does not really make any sense because for example WW Barb DPS is more than 100k. So, whatever weapon Merc is using he is still scratching the target..
P.S.S. IAS for CB and for LL is more important then flat numbers.
The best one I have found so far. I sold it for tons of Ber and Jah runes on the other trading platform. I don't need Infinity, it is so overrated in my book.
@Zloymad
You didn't include hits per second.
It has an impact on Crushing Blow and life leach.
Maybe CB damages are included in maxroll calculations...?
But if I'm not mistaken, more hits per second = more life leach = better survivability for merc. It's an important point to take into consideration imo.
Considering how everyone prefers T and GT, I am pretty sure @zloymad 's calculations must have something fishy.
I think it's due to the fact that GT and T and Mancatcher with the right IAS (like Andy with IAS jewel) hit one frame quicker, so generate an overall better or as good DPS, and with more chances to proc CB etc.
As for polearms, usually most guides put GPA after (the best if you don't have IAS on your Andy) with CA just after, and CV being by far the worst as being the slowest.
I know less about spears.
Of course, it assumes all Eth.
And Jab / non Jab should not be weighted 50/50 but more 75/25, as far as I remember.
Main: Necromancer / Second: Assassin / Third: Amazon / Check my stash, my crafts and my many cheap Annihilus
A very qualified community member of Sanctuary named Pavke that a handful of you may know, already did one of the most thorough analyses to answer this exact question.
Kriss_De_Valnor_ wrote: 10 months ago
The best one I have found so far. I sold it for tons of Ber and Jah runes on the other trading platform. I don't need Infinity, it is so overrated in my book.
Screenshot019.jpg
That’s juicy bro. Those things sell crazy high. Superior Ed makes things absurdly overpriced relative to the benefit. I’ve found one superior ethereal 4 socket polearm. A Thresher, with 15 Ed.
WTF Col. Voulge and Stygian? All the numbers come from perfectly rolled infinities except a 15ed sup Colossus Voulge will cost you Lo to Jah, same as 15ed Stygian Pike and always get 4 sockets from Larzuk. Increasing your odds of rolling better with a top of 340 ED which makes col. voulge at 329+ ED better than 325 cryptic at 35 IAS and while stygian is literally the same as Great Poleaxe, a 325+ ED styg is better than 325 gpa at 0 IAS.
The more bosses you want to fight with your merc, if they live, and the more player8 games you play, the better get the faster bases, this is where the Crushing blow percentage has a chance to even show up:
This is the only case where 325ed Giant Thresher and Thresher are marginally better than other bases at 35 IAS while still worse than Mancatcher and little better at 0 IAS than GPA/Ghost/Styg (non-sup)
So, in conclusion, for:
sale - Giant Thresher, Thresher, Great Poleaxe
p8/bosses - Giant Thresher, Thresher, Mancatcher, 15ed Stygian Pike/Colossus Voulge based on IAS
Minmaxing at affordable rate - 15ed col. voulge at 35 IAS, 15ed stygian pike at 0 IAS.
My second name is Rockefeller - 15ed giant thresher, 15ed mancatcher
Love gambling - col. voulge, stygian pike. Rolling low means they are almost unsellable and even good rolls will fetch you less than a more popular base at lower roll.
Hate dilemmas for 1 % gains - play enchantress
None of the above matters anyway, your merc is a tool for aura purposes and you should be doing the killing. Only be wary of Colossus Voulge strength requirement as it needs Andariel's Visage at lvl 83 to wear. Javazon/Elemental Archer will never even let a merc near enemies, same as mosaicsin and most sorceresses. Druid's and trapsin's merc might poke here and there and that's it. Maybe just Corpse Explosion necro might want to get the best base possible for the first kill.
If you get a PM offer, post it in the trade. Promote healthy competition instead of settling for less.
WTF Col. Voulge and Stygian? All the numbers come from perfectly rolled infinities except a 15ed sup Colossus Voulge will cost you Lo to Jah, same as 15ed Stygian Pike (same as a non-sup Thresher and much less than Giant Thresher). Increasing your odds of rolling better with a top of 340 ED which makes col. voulge at 329+ ED better than 325 cryptic at 35 IAS and while stygian is literally the same as Great Poleaxe, a 325+ ED styg is better than 325 gpa at 0 IAS.
The more bosses you want to fight with your merc, if they live, and the more player8 games you play, the better get the faster bases, this is where the Crushing blow percentage has a chance to even show up:
This is the only case where 325ed Giant Thresher and Thresher are marginally better than other bases at 35 IAS while still worse than Mancatcher and little better at 0 IAS than GPA/Ghost/Styg (non-sup)
So, in conclusion, for:
sale - Giant Thresher, Thresher, Great Poleaxe
p8/bosses - Giant Thresher, Thresher, Mancatcher, 15ed Stygian Pike/Colossus Voulge based on IAS
Minmaxing at affordable rate - 15ed col. voulge at 35 IAS, 15ed stygian pike at 0 IAS.
My second name is Rockefeller - 15ed giant thresher, 15ed mancatcher
Love gambling - col. voulge, stygian pike. Rolling low means they are almost unsellable and even good rolls will fetch you less than a more popular base at lower roll.
Hate dilemmas for 1 % gains - play enchantress
None of the above matters anyway, your merc is a tool for aura purposes and you should be doing the killing. Only be wary of Colossus Voulge strength requirement as it needs Andariel's Visage at lvl 83 to wear. Javazon/Elemental Archer will never even let a merc near enemies, same as mosaicsin and most sorceresses. Druid's and trapsin's merc might poke here and there and that's it. Maybe just Corpse Explosion necro might want to get the best base possible for the first kill.
As you are somewhat eluding to and what Pavke called out, is that in the end, the gap between the selections are nearly 1 D2 Frame (miliseconds) of difference. And most importantly, you as the hero are really the DPS so rather than being patient and waiting for specific bases, if you get your hands on a solid Eth Elite Polearm, you can confidently move forward with that unless its a CV!
Th3ory wrote: 10 months ago
As you are somewhat alluding to and what Pavke called out, is that in the end, the gap between the selections are nearly 1 D2 Frame (miliseconds) of difference. And most importantly, you as the hero are really the DPS so rather than being patient and waiting for specific bases, if you get your hands on a solid Eth Elite Polearm, you can confidently move forward with that unless its a CV!
Very much so. I had a different wall of text, before changing it to the current, basically saying exactly that.
The life leech and crushing blow points of discussion are completely moot unless you are killing something for more than 5 seconds where the extra 1 frame finally translates to a full attack.
So that leaves you with DPS as the only consideration.
And at whatever IAS your merc runs with, the bases are pretty much the same unless min/maxing.
Think the better discussion is which base is the best for Pride and Insight. And the answer is Stygian Pike at 15ed for the former (any IAS, be it andy+forti or vampgaze+Shaftstop) and Great Poleaxe for the latter by a tiny amount over the next best choice of Giant Thresher. Cure + Fortitude.
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