Holy fire Paladin (self use Conviction): What is the best Merc?

fredkid wrote: 3 days ago

In this case

Kelpie Snare would be better (higher % ed and higher Slow)

Higher slow would work only on trash:

Maximum ST 50% applies to player, mercenary, Champion, Unique, Super Unique and boss monsters.

Damage would be higher, though, but at the expense of HBT, FT and OW.

Well, it is largely capped anyways so I'd probably take the OW proc over still bad ED.

Though either one isn't a real consideration imo.

Schnorki wrote: 3 days ago

stealth wrote: 3 days ago

[..]

Woestave
[..]

That..could be fun. Basically turning your A2 merc into a

Clay Golem.
Though 40ED is just painfully low.

That's right, that's why I chose that particular mercenary since I need him to do the hits for those modifiers to work on the enemies and about the damage, well you can't ask for everything :/
I'm planning to make a socket later and put a

Dol rune on it xD because that's the only thing missing It's the only thing you need to block anything that comes your way ;D

stealth wrote: 3 days ago

Schnorki wrote: 3 days ago

stealth wrote: 3 days ago

[..]

Woestave
[..]

That..could be fun. Basically turning your A2 merc into a

Clay Golem.
Though 40ED is just painfully low.

That's right, that's why I chose that particular mercenary since I need him to do the hits for those modifiers to work on the enemies and about the damage, well you can't ask for everything :/
I'm planning to make a socket later and put a

Dol rune on it xD because that's the only thing missing It's the only thing you need to block anything that comes your way ;D

diablo 2.png

Could make it a

Ber instead and get him at least some dmg via the CB proc.

DasNarf wrote: 3 days ago

I'm using an Act 5 merc with dual Plague for a huge

Cleansing aura and chance to proc LR.

This guy is the only one capable of keeping up with the paladin and he really adds convenient value to me and the party.

Just wanting to ask to all of you if this is BiS selection or should i go with act 1 or act 2 merc?

And what about base? Is PB sufficient of should i look for something etheral?

The point is that with Dragondin you are normally planning killing things off screen with your radial damage (I use my Dragondin to farm for some specific ilvl items on Nightmare. Even uniques die off-screen...).
If this is your case too, Merc can help very little to increase your damage... So go for the utility route
I was using Act 1 Merc with Ice + Delirium and will try Harmony + Delirium (made Harmony yesterday, didn't play yet )

On the other hand, if in your regular play you need to

Zeal monster frequently go with something to max your attack speed or increase your physical damage

Szambodiver wrote: 1 day ago

Just wanting to ask to all of you if this is BiS selection or should i go with act 1 or act 2 merc?

Guides normally recommend Ethereal

Cryptic Sword instead of

Phase Blade with Act 5 Merc on any Runeword with 4 or less runes.

Szambodiver wrote: 1 day ago

And what about base? Is PB sufficient of should i look for something etheral?

fredkid wrote: 1 day ago

The point is that with Dragondin you are normally planning killing things off screen with your radial damage (I use my Dragondin to farm for some specific ilvl items on Nightmare. Even uniques die off-screen...).
If this is your case too, Merc can help very little to increase your damage... So go for the utility route
I was using Act 1 Merc with Ice + Delirium and will try Harmony + Delirium (made Harmony yesterday, didn't play yet )
[..]

Agreed with the base argument, disagreed with the conclusion.

If you typically kill stuff before it even gets on screen (which is kinda true, also on hell) then yes, a merc won't do much (read: anything) to increase your damage on that stuff. But utility/CC will be equally as useless, seeing how that, too won't hit stuff off-screen (and wouldn't matter even if it did).

Realistically, the only thing you'd care about for your merc there is solid support for those few things that do make it on-screen and don't die without touching them a split second thereafter. I.e. bosses/ubers/...
That's what you'd optimize the merc for. And since those same mobs generally can't be cc'd much, something like a Delirium/frost A1 merc is just a waste.

Depending on your HoJ base choice and overall gear (read: IAS), A1 fana might actually make sense there in order to max your attack speed and hence plow through those bosses asap.
Otherwise, you're right back to good ol' A2 aura sticks or - since you're looking at one of the few builds actually able to afford it without missing the aura too much - A5 boss killer loadouts.
If you're quite focused on higher player counts exclusively and see other stuff make it to your screen on a regular basis - A2 freeze is actually kind of baller as things will still pretty much never make it to you fast enough before they still die to the aura ticks.

Even in those scenarios though and with bosses/ubers as your target, they still die pretty darn fast so not only does it remain a first world problem but it also makes the A5 Plague approach kind of a waste more often than not as you stand a good chance of never even getting an LR proc to begin with.

That why I will give Harmony a try over Ice

Schnorki wrote: 1 day ago

....And since those same mobs generally can't be cc'd much, something like a Delirium/frost A1 merc is just a waste.

fredkid wrote: 1 day ago

That why I will give Harmony a try over Ice

Schnorki wrote: 1 day ago

....And since those same mobs generally can't be cc'd much, something like a Delirium/frost A1 merc is just a waste.

I'd expect that

Vigor to fall off quite a bit, seeing how you can (should ^^) just

Charge when trying to get somewhere quicker. If it doesn't,

Vigor doesn't help you with

Charge quite as much as it does with normal running, due to the underlying calculation of

Charge speed. And do keep in mind that if you do keep it on, even with the comparatively lower benefit of it, it does make

Charge desync noticeably worse (at least in my experience).

there go my expectations...
(well ... at least it roll 6

Valkyrie, may use on my Javazon pre-buff )

Schnorki wrote: 1 day ago

fredkid wrote: 1 day ago

That why I will give Harmony a try over Ice

Schnorki wrote: 1 day ago

....And since those same mobs generally can't be cc'd much, something like a Delirium/frost A1 merc is just a waste.

I'd expect that

Vigor to fall off quite a bit, seeing how you can (should ^^) just

Charge when trying to get somewhere quicker. If it doesn't,

Vigor doesn't help you with

Charge quite as much as it does with normal running, due to the underlying calculation of

Charge speed. And do keep in mind that if you do keep it on, even with the comparatively lower benefit of it, it does make

Charge desync noticeably worse (at least in my experience).

fredkid wrote: 1 day ago

there go my expectations...
[..]

By all means, do give it a try regardless.

I'd actually be quite curious as to your findings re

Vigor->

Charge desync.

After all, I'll also never understand why anyone would ever bother with a 200FCR sorc, seeing how for me that just results in constant tele-desync regardless of which server I'm on (and regardless of what line/connection I use to get there so..ya know..none of that "your interwebs just suck!"..the countries interwebs in general on the other hand..kinda bad I guess ^^). Wouldn't even go to 105 if I want to play on US or Asia.
Hence the "in my experience". Anything desync and lag based may well be different for others who play from a less "stoneagy" country.

I ended up liking Harmony on Act1 Merc (at least feels more useful than Ice...)
As I not play in a "optimized way" (I run way more than

Charge... I

Charge mostly when I'm going back on the dungeons path),

Vigor is almost always up to me.

(I saw after that

Vigor 10 range is kinda big - 28.6 yards - almost 1.5 screens)