A5 Merc Experiment

I was inspired to try an A5 Barb merc from another forum, and I'm quite pleasantly surprised how it turned out. I understand the general utility and ease of equipping an A2 merc, but I wanted to try something different. This is also because my current character is a Barb, so 2 Barbs wrecking havoc is just a very fun way to go. Here is the equipment:

https://maxroll.gg/d2/d2planner/ly65g090

I happened to have a random Delirium

Helm that I recently made, and no one to use it. This is one of the best rune words I've never used before. Basically, you have amazing crowd control with the constant casting of

Confuse, to the point where the merc can stave off entire hordes of enemies by himself. That, and the Delirium,

Mind Blast and

Terror, your merc becomes much more powerful than he otherwise would be. The other stats are quite good as well. I'd say this is a top-notch rune word for mercs after seeing it in action. Fort is fairly standard stuff, personally my favorite armor rune word as I feel it does everything that an armor or shield should, which is mostly just protecting you. I obtained an ethereal

Headstriker from this site, upgraded it, and that is his primary weapon. Then I made an Unbending Will PB because it was another rune word I hadn't tried. Although obviously not the best secondary weapon, it's adequate enough I feel for now. Overall, this merc is super fast, super tanky, and has incredible crowd control. You

Sacrifice an aura for the speed, but in this case I believe it's worth it. He rarely gets caught on objects unlike the A2 merc, and now I want to try more combinations of equipment.

Comparative performance aside, there is indeed something oddly satisfying about being a

Frenzy barb and charging in with a baby

Frenzy barb next to you doing the same.