Slows target + Holy Freeze merc question

I've been researching this for a while now, but the information I find online isn't very conclusive.

I am experimenting with slowness effects with an Act 2 Merc. He's level 89, so high level of

Holy Freeze (is it 16? Can't remember the max skill level). He's also using

Kelpie Snare (Slows Target by 75%) and

Blackhorn's Face (Slows Target by 20%). And the

Holy Freeze Aura is applying approx. 50% slowness.

I've read somewhere that bosses slowness effect is capped at 50% and most monsters are capped at 80%, which means my merc is trying to apply slowness above the maximum, which would be redundant.

Would I be better off replacing, let's say, the

Blackhorn's Face with something else considering the limit above? I am using the helmet as an example instead of the

Pike because I still want to reach the maximum slowness effect.

P.S.: I know OP mercs use other gear like Obedience, Breath of the Dying, Infinity, Pride,

The Reaper's Toll etc. This is just for fun and I am not looking for the best outcome. But I'd still like to avoid redundant bonus, even though

Blackhorn's Face does provide other useful bonuses like Prevent Monster Heal, for example.

https://maxroll.gg/d2/resources/crowd-control -> Slow

- Total Slow % is capped at 90% for Monsters and 50% for Characters, Mercenaries, and Summons.
-- Any Total Slow % from all sources in excess of 90% is redundant on monsters.
- Chill Effectiveness is a monster Stat that reduces the effectiveness of Slow applied by Cold Damage and

Holy Freeze Aura.

So:

Blackhorn's Face +

Kelpie Snare is more than the cap :
75 + 20
= 95 (>90)

Kelpie Snare +

Holy Freeze is more than the cap against monster with more than 15 Chill Effectiveness (which are most of the monster that can be frozen ):
75 + min(30+, "Chill Effectiveness")
= between 75 and 105+

----

Ac2 Merc

Holy Freeze at L89 = L16 (53% slow)
https://maxroll.gg/d2/d2planner/

ChristianKiss wrote: 3 months ago

I've been researching this for a while now, but the information I find online isn't very conclusive.

I am experimenting with slowness effects with an Act 2 Merc. He's level 89, so high level of

Holy Freeze (is it 16? Can't remember the max skill level). He's also using

Kelpie Snare (Slows Target by 75%) and

Blackhorn's Face (Slows Target by 20%). And the

Holy Freeze Aura is applying approx. 50% slowness.

I've read somewhere that bosses slowness effect is capped at 50% and most monsters are capped at 80%, which means my merc is trying to apply slowness above the maximum, which would be redundant.

From Amazon Basin:

• Maximum ST 90% applies to normal and minion monsters, and pets: if ST 100% is applied, 10% is always redundant.
• Maximum ST 50% applies to player, mercenary, Champion, Unique, Super Unique and boss monsters: if ST 100% is applied, 50% is always redundant.
• Sums with attack rate and velocity reduction from cold length,
  Holy Freeze and
  Decrepify, although no unit can be reduced below 15% attack rate or 25% velocity.

https://www.theamazonbasin.com/wiki/ind ... ows_Target

So, the 90% (not 80%) and 50% caps for Slow Target effect only apply to the sum of all Slow Target effects specifically (not considering

Holy Freeze or

Decrepify, those are separate effects). The capped Slow Target sum stacks with

Holy Freeze and

Decrepify, so you can reduce bosses to less than 50% attack rate & movement speed.


EDIT: also about this...

ChristianKiss wrote: 3 months ago

...even though

Blackhorn's Face does provide other useful bonuses like Prevent Monster Heal, for example.

PMH doesn't work for mercs, the PMH effect can only be applied by players.

The Reaper's Toll would be probably best choice for your weapon.

Helm and armor would depend on uber or nonuber.

Thank you all for the replies, that's useful info. So, there are various sources of slowness, and they all stack. I take the most optimal build here then would be: Reaper's Toll, Blackhorn Face and

Holy Freeze aura. i.e. 3 different sources of slowness.

@ShadowHeart
You are right, I completely forgot that PMH does not work with mercs.

@brgljez
Yeah, that's the BiS I am still looking for. No luck so far, but I will keep trying.

A5 Merc would be better, and you play LOD!


Diablo is a quicker run than

Baal!

You could try Fortitude for A5 Merc.

Dual Flee may help!

ChristianKiss wrote: 3 months ago

Yeah, that's the BiS I am still looking for. No luck so far, but I will keep trying.

if you are NL SC PC, can give you one, but not

Eth. add me on bn in that case.

brgljez wrote: 3 months ago

ChristianKiss wrote: 3 months ago

Yeah, that's the BiS I am still looking for. No luck so far, but I will keep trying.

if you are NL SC PC, can give you one, but not

Eth. add me on bn in that case.

Thank you, that's nice of you. Request sent!