Path of Exile
Mercenaries Guide

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Created for Patch 3.26

The newest 3.26 Mercenaries of Trarthus League introduces the eponymous Mercenaries at your service. To form a contract with them, you will first need to pay their price in Gold and defeat them in a duel. Once you persuade the Mercenary to cooperate, he will join your hunts in Maps without extra payments. If your Mercenary dies, you can pay a small Gold fee to resurrect them, but they will no longer join the Map they died in, but they won't lose any of their equipment. 

Mercenaries come with their own set of Skills and Equipment. You can't alter their abilities or behaviour, but you can swap out their Gear if they fulfil the Attribute Requirements. They don't need to have a specific amount of Attributes; they only need to match the type. For example, a Dex/Int Mercenary can equip any Gear piece that requires any amount of Dexterity, Intelligence, or Dexterity and Intelligence, but they won't accept any Equipment that requires any amount of Strength, such as pure Strength bases, Strength and Dexterity, or Strength and Intelligence. It is a fair system that ensures quite complex Itemisation without easy access for one best Setup for all the various Mercenaries at once. 

Travelling together with your Mercenary triggers the Party Difficulty system, although only at half effect. It means your Enemies will have more Health, but they will also drop more Loot. For this reason, it is recommended to always have your Mercenary with you, even if it means extra spending to make them useful. 

There are two primary uses for the Mercenaries: Combat and Utility.

• The Utility Setup is quite obvious, you will use your Merc for extra Auras, Curses, Charge Generation, or provide various benefits from equipping Unique Items, such as applying Scorch Ailment or granting you extra Damage. Their Damage output is usually quite low, but the extra power you gain can easily offset that. However, relying completely on the Mercenary for the essential Utility can be very punishing if you are left on the battlefield alone. 
• The Combat Mercenaries specialise in dealing Damage by themselves. Usually, they are used to cover the weakest part of the player's Build, whenever it is AoE Clear or Single Target Damage. Their maximum potential is not as high as players', and they probably won't slay Pinnacle Bosses on their own, but they can definitely carry their weight. They can also provide some Utility, but simply not to the same extent as a fully specialised Utility Merc. Additionally, losing your Combat friend in battle won't be as punishing since you are not losing the essentials for your own Build. 

Generally speaking, Combat Mercenaries are great at the start of your journey, but their usefulness falls off as you upgrade your Character. Getting extra bonuses for your already strong Build is usually more efficient than trying to boost the Merc to match your level. However, extra power does not always mean better Clear Speed if your Build simply lacks AoE Coverage, even if you can defeat any Enemy with one Hit. For such cases, gearing up a Clear Speed-focused Mercenary that uses Bows or Wands might be a better idea. 

You will sometimes encounter Infamous Mercenaries. They are more durable, deadlier, and carry more valuable loot. It is a good idea to hire them, as they will provide much more reliable assistance. To encounter them more often, you should build up your own Fame by defeating any Mercenaries you encounter on your way. It is very quick to max out, so don't worry about skipping a fight or two if you deem them too dangerous or rewardless. 

Mercenary Gear Setups

There is no simple best Utility Mercenary for all Builds. You will have to decide if you want more Damage, Defense, or Quality of Life in the form of automation. Mercenaries have all the Equipment Slots available, except for the Jewels. They also don't interact with Skills granted by Gear. Usually, you will want at least one useful Aura, Curse, or Buff Skill, such as Sigil of Power, and Equip them with some of the Unique Items from the list below. For that, you should also keep in mind their behaviour - a Mercenary that uses long-distance Attacks won't be a good pick for Items that apply Debuffs to Nearby Enemies, such as Legacy of Fury. You also need to remember about their survival - a dead Mercenary grants no bonuses after all. They have a high initial Damage Reduction, but usually lack Recovery, so any bonuses that grant Life Regeneration, Recoup, or other ways of Recovery are very valuable. Capping their Resistances is also mandatory. 

The Mercenaries DO NOT count as Party Members for the sake of Conduit Keystone or other Unique effects. They are still Allies, so any effect that specifies works with Allies will work here correctly. 

For the offensive Mercenaries, we recommend checking our regular Path of Exile Builds, and applying the Itemisation logic to your preferrable Mercenary. Just like the regular Characters, your Mercenaries require more than just one good Weapon to deal a solid amount of Damage by themselves; you will have to commit more resources to achieve satisfying results. 

BODY ARMOUR

Doryani's Prototype - the most popular choice for all Lightning-based users, pair it with Rare Rings with negative Lightning Resistance. It makes your Mercenary susceptible to Lightning Damage, but their initial Damage Reduction is usually enough to keep them alive.

Requires: Strength&Intelligence (150-200)% increased Armour and Energy Shield +(60-90) to maximum Life Deal no Non-Lightning Damage Armour also applies to Lightning Damage taken from Hits Lightning Resistance does not affect Lightning Damage taken Nearby Enemies have Lightning Resistance equal to yours

Sporeguard - this Armour creates the Fungal Ground, which grants you an extra 25% Chaos Resistance while Enemies lose 10% of all Resistance instead. It is created when your Mercenary Kills Enemies or stands still. The Explode effect is also very good for your Clear Speed.

Requires: Strength&Intelligence Trigger Level 10 Contaminate when you Kill an Enemy (200-250)% increased Armour and Energy Shield (7-10)% increased maximum Life +(29-43)% to Chaos Resistance Enemies on Fungal Ground you Kill Explode, dealing 10% of their Life as Chaos Damage You have Fungal Ground around you while stationary

Kaom's Heart - provides a massive amount of maximum Life for your Mercenary, and the downside of lack of Socket does not apply to them as they do not use Sockets at all.

Requires: Strength Has no Sockets +1000 to maximum Life

Cospri's Will - it not only raises the maximum Curse limit, which is essential for a Utility Mercenary, but it also ensures it works even against Hexproof Enemies.

Requires: Dexterity (150-200)% increased Evasion Rating +(31-53)% to Chaos Resistance You can apply an additional Curse Your Hexes can affect Hexproof Enemies Always Poison on Hit against Cursed Enemies

Cloak of Flame - a simple defensive Armour that converts incoming Physical Damage to Fire Damage, which can be easily resisted with Fire Resistance. Unlike the Lightning Coil, it applies to various Bleeds or other DoT effects, which are very deadly for your Mercenaries.

Requires: Intelligence +(50-75)% to Fire Resistance (40-75)% increased Ignite Duration on Enemies Reflects 100 Fire Damage to Melee Attackers 40% of Physical Damage taken as Fire Damage

Garb of the Ephemeral - a very powerful option, it prevents enemy' Critical Strikes, and grants you a minimum Action Speed similar to Juggernaut or Trickster Ascendancy.

Requires: Intelligence&Strength (180-230)% increased Energy Shield +600 Strength and Intelligence Requirement Gain a Divine Charge on Hit +10 to maximum Divine Charges You gain Divinity for 10 seconds on reaching maximum Divine Charges Lose all Divine Charges when you gain Divinity Nearby Allies' Action Speed cannot be modified to below Base Value Nearby Enemies cannot deal Critical Strikes

Fenumus' Shroud - a very good option for the type of Mercenary that has the Aspect of the Spider Skill initially. This armour will empower that Debuff even more, and the extra ES Regeneration also helps.

Requires: Intelligence +(30-40) to Intelligence (120-140)% increased Energy Shield Regenerate (80-100) Energy Shield per second Enemies affected by your Spider's Webs deal 10% reduced Damage Enemies affected by your Spider's Webs have -10% to All Resistances (50-70)% increased Aspect of the Spider Area of Effect

Gruthkul's Pelt - grants a massive amount of Life Regeneration, but disables Spell Skills. In some cases, it can be a benefit, as it will stop your Mercenary from casting useless Spells, but it is quite rare.

Requires: Strength&Dexterity  100% increased Global Physical Damage +(240-300) to maximum Life (300-400)% increased Armour and Evasion Regenerate 10% of Life per second 15% increased Character Size Spell Skills deal no Damage Your Spells are disabled

Belly of the Beast - an old classic, it simply grants tons of maximum Life for your Mercenary, as well as some Elemental Resistances.

Requires: Strength&Dexterity (150-200)% increased Armour (30-40)% increased maximum Life +(10-15)% to all Elemental Resistances 50% increased Flask Life Recovery rate Extra gore

Expedition's End - it is a decent option to inflict Chill on all nearby Enemies, which also allows you to reliably use Hypothermia Support in your main Skill. However, Chill is quite easy to acquire from other sources, so it is not a very efficient option.

Requires: Intelligence&Dexterity (100-150)% increased Evasion and Energy Shield (5-10)% increased maximum Life All Damage can Freeze Freeze Chilled Enemies as though dealing (50-100)% more Damage Nearby Enemies are Chilled

Doppelgänger Guise - the best Armour to keep your Mercenary alive, it grants them a lot of Physical and Chaos Damage Reduction, as well as an insane amount of Life Regeneration.

Requires: Intelligence&Dexterity Grants Level 20 Unhinge Skill (40-60)% more Critical Strike Chance while Insane Enemies Killed by your Hits are destroyed while Insane (40-30)% less Physical and Chaos Damage Taken while Sane Regenerate 10% Life over one second when Hit while Sane

Inpulsa's Broken Heart - if your Mercenary kills Enemies or wears Gravebind Gloves, it is a great way to improve your Clear Speed even more.

Requires: Intelligence&Dexterity +(60-80) to maximum Life (20-50)% increased Damage if you have Shocked an Enemy Recently (15-25)% increased Effect of Shock Shocked Enemies you Kill Explode, dealing 5% of their Life as Lightning Damage which cannot Shock Unaffected by Shock

Stasis Prison - a very expensive but effective way to ensure the survivability of your Mercenary. With this Item, they will Recoup almost all the Damage taken over 4 seconds.

Requires: Intelligence&Dexterity +(20-25) to maximum Mana (140-160)% increased Evasion and Energy Shield +(80-100) to maximum Life Temporal Rift has no Reservation (80-100)% of Damage taken Recouped as Life Debuffs on you expire (80-100)% faster

GLOVES

Gravebind - a very important piece for all Merc Setups that rely on Killing Enemies.

Requires: Strength&Dexterity (100-150)% increased Armour and Evasion +(19-29)% to Chaos Resistance Gain (15-25) Life per Enemy Killed Nearby Enemies Killed by anyone count as being Killed by you instead

Abhorrent Interrogation - grants your Merc a chance to inflict a Whither Debuff on Hit, but this version will also increase the Elemental Damage taken.

Requires: Strength&Intelligence (100-150)% increased Evasion and Energy Shield (5-7)% increased Attack and Cast Speed (20-25)% chance to inflict Withered for 2 seconds on Hit Enemies take 4% increased Elemental Damage from your Hits for each Withered you have inflicted on them Your Hits cannot Penetrate or ignore Elemental Resistances

Algor Mortis - use it on Mercenaries with Skills that create Chilling Areas, such as Vortex or Frostblink. It will Sap them and increase the Lightning Damage they take.

Requires: Dexterity&Intelligence +(50-70) to maximum Energy Shield +(15-20)% to Cold and Lightning Resistances (20-30)% chance to Sap Enemies in Chilling Areas Enemies in your Chilling Areas take (25-35)% increased Lightning Damage (15-20)% increased Effect of Non-Damaging Ailments

Breathstealer - Enemies killed by your Mercenary will create a Blighted Spore, which casts a random Aura for you.

Requires: Strength&Dexterity (100-150)% increased Armour and Evasion +(30-50) to maximum Mana +(10-16)% to all Elemental Resistances (5-10)% increased Attack and Cast Speed Create a Blighted Spore when your Skills or Minions Kill a Rare Monster

Asenath's Gentle Touch - provides an extra Curse application and Explosions. You will need to give your Mercenary an Item that raises the Curse limit to benefit properly from this.

Requires: Intelligence +(20-30) to Intelligence +(60-80) to maximum Life +(60-80) to maximum Mana Curse Enemies with Temporal Chains on Hit Non-Aura Curses you inflict are not removed from Dying Enemies Enemies near corpses affected by your Curses are Blinded Enemies Killed near corpses affected by your Curses explode, dealing 3% of their Life as Physical Damage

Rare Gloves - the Implicits on Rare Gloves are also a very powerful option. You can get a source of Exposure, Unnerve/Inimidation Debuff, or extra Curse on Hit.

Recommended modifiers: Inflict Cold/Fire/Lightning Exposure on Hit (Eater) #% chance to Unnerve/Intimidate Enemies for 4 seconds on Hit (Exarch) Curse Enemies with <Curse> on Hit (Corruption)

BOOTS

Legacy of Fury - another top pick for almost any Elemental Build out there, it can be used to reliably apply Scorch at nearby Enemies. Supplement it with Items that grant Non-Damaging Ailment Effects if possible.

Requires: Strength&Dexterity (200-300)% increased Armour and Evasion 30% increased Movement Speed Nearby Enemies are Scorched (30-50)% increased Effect of Scorch (30-40)% chance when you Kill a Scorched Enemy to Burn Each surrounding Enemy for 4 seconds, dealing 8% of the Killed Enemy's Life as Fire Damage per second

The Tempest Rising - this option is best for the Bleed Builds, especially Bows, since they can no longer use Ensnaring Arrow to force Movement on Enemies.

Requires: Strength (80-120)% increased Armour 30% increased Movement Speed (5-25)% increased Duration of Ailments on Enemies Damaging Ailments deal damage (5-25)% faster You and Enemies in your Presence count as moving while affected by Elemental Ailments

Fenumus' Spinnerets - if your Mercenary uses Aspect of the Spider, you can give them those Boots to get additional Spider's Web and improve its uptime.

Requires: Dexterity&Intelligence (160-200)% increased Evasion and Energy Shield +(20-30)% to Lightning Resistance +(17-23)% to Chaos Resistance 25% increased Movement Speed Aspect of the Spider can inflict Spider's Web on Enemies an additional time Gain (15-20) Energy Shield for each Enemy you Hit which is affected by a Spider's Web (40-50)% increased Aspect of the Spider Debuff Duration

Windscream - a decent pair of Boots if you want your Mercenary to apply one additional Curse.

Requires: Strength (50-80)% increased Armour +(10-15)% to all Elemental Resistances 50% increased Area of Effect of Hex Skills 20% increased Movement Speed You can apply an additional Curse

Wake of Destruction - grants your Mercenary plenty of Lightning Damage, but its primary use is the Shocking Ground for easy Shock Debuff on Enemies. Use it only on Melee Mercenaries; otherwise, it won't be reliable.

Requires: Strength&Intelligence Adds 1 to 120 Lightning Damage to Attacks (20-60)% increased Armour and Energy Shield Gain (10-20) Life per Enemy Killed 15% increased Movement Speed Drops Shocked Ground while moving, lasting 2 seconds

Rare Boots - you can get a similar effect with Rare Influenced Boots, but for different, Alternative Ailments. The Brittle grants you a flat Chance to Critically Strike your target, while Sap lowers their Damage. It can also grant you Scorch if your Merc can't use Legacy of Fury.

Recommended modifiers: Drops Brittle/Scorched/Sapped Ground while moving, lasting 2 seconds (Exarch) (23-30)% increased Effect of Non-Damaging Ailments (Crafting Bench)

JEWELLERY

Shaper's Seed - a simple and powerful option, it grants a very good amount of Life and Mana Regeneration for you and your Mercenary.

(60-100)% increased Mana Regeneration Rate Regenerate 4% of Life per second Nearby Allies gain 4% of Life Regenerated per second Nearby Allies gain 80% increased Mana Regeneration Rate

Perquil's Toe - a very good offensive option, when equipped by your Mercenary, it grants you the Lucky Hit Chance. It is especially good for Builds that use primary Lightning or Physical Damage with the Ryslatha's Coil Belt, but most Builds can benefit from it to some degree.

+(40-50) to Dexterity (5-8)% increased Movement Speed Lightning Damage of Enemies Hitting you is Lucky Nearby Allies' Damage with Hits is Lucky

The Eternal Struggle - you can use it to grant your Mercenary a 15% Culling Effect. If your Mercenary has a high Critical Strike Chance, you can also use it for the Madness Debuff, which slows down and lowers the Damage of your Enemies, but it's much less reliable.

<<Random Searing Exarch implicit>> <<Random Eater of Worlds implicit>> +(20-50) to Strength +(20-50) to Dexterity +(20-50) to Intelligence (10-15)% increased Global Defences Critical Strikes inflict Malignant Madness if The Eater of Worlds is dominant Kill Enemies that have 15% or lower Life on Hit if The Searing Exarch is dominant

The Untouched Soul - the Mercenaries don't use any Sockets at all, so they can benefit from all 24 Empty Sockets without any downside. Use it to easily cap their Resistance and massively boost their maximum Life or Accuracy.

(12-20)% increased Rarity of Items found +40 to maximum Life for each Empty Red Socket on any Equipped Item +225 to Accuracy Rating for each Empty Green Socket on any Equipped Item +40 to maximum Mana for each Empty Blue Socket on any Equipped Item +18% to all Elemental Resistances for each Empty White Socket on any Equipped Item

Xoph's Heart - if your Build deals primarily Fire Damage, you should give this Amulet to your Ally so all Nearby Enemies are Covered in Ash, increasing their Fire Damage Taken by 20% and slowing their Movement Speed by the same amount.

+(20-30) to Strength +(20-30) to Strength 25% increased Fire Damage +(25-35) to maximum Life +(20-40)% to Fire Resistance Nearby Enemies are Covered in Ash

Rare Amulet - a Rare Amulet can also bring some benefits. If your Mercenary applies Ailments, you can increase their Effect with a simple Crafting Bench modifier. You can also Anoint them, and Blighted Maps can potentially drop Amulets with two Anoints on them.

Recommended modifiers: (23-30)% increased Effect of Non-Damaging Ailments Possible Anoints:  Beacon of Hope - Aura AoE Leadership - Aura Effect and AoE Whispers of Doom - additional Curse limit Cleaving - 15% chance to Intimidate Enemies on Hit with Attacks Glacial Cage - Chill increased Damage Taken by Enemies Dazzling Strikes - Chance to Blind on Hit

Doedre's Damning - adds extra Curse Limit for your Mercenary. A good budget option, and if you need more Curses, you can always use two of them at once.

+(5-20) to Intelligence +(5-20)% to all Elemental Resistances Gain (5-20) Mana per Enemy Killed You can apply an additional Curse

Anathema - a considerably better option to give your Mercenary extra Curse Limit, but it is slightly expensive. By default, your Mercenaries can have up to 3 Power Charges, but it can be increased with other Items.

+(30-40) to Intelligence (10-15)% increased Cast Speed (10-20)% chance to gain a Power Charge when you Cast a Curse Spell Your Curse Limit is equal to your maximum Power Charges

Call of the Void - if your Mercenary deals any decent amount of Damage, you can give them this Ring to inflict Chill that also lowers the Damage output of your Enemies.

+(20-30)% to Cold Resistance +(20-30)% to Cold Resistance All Damage with Hits can Chill All Damage Taken from Hits can Chill you Enemies Chilled by your Hits can be Shattered as though Frozen Enemies Chilled by your Hits lessen their Damage dealt by half of Chill Effect

Squirming Terror - your Mercenary won't Trigger Socketed Spells, but it is still a very nice addition for Builds that can benefit from killing enemies during Boss fights.

Has 1 Socket An Enemy Writhing Worm spawns every 2 seconds 20% chance to Trigger Socketed Spell on Kill, with a 0.5 second Cooldown Lose (20-10) Life per Enemy Killed Gain (5-10) Mana per Enemy Killed

The Highwayman - grants your Mercenary a solid way of Life Recovery, but it is also useful to make Enemies with Charges less dangerous. Charges on Monsters have significantly more powerful effects than the player's version.

(6-15)% increased Rarity of Items found (15-25)% increased Rarity of Items found 1% of Damage Leeched as Life (5-10)% increased Movement Speed Steal Power, Frenzy, and Endurance Charges on Hit Total Recovery per second from Life Leech is Doubled

The Arkhon's Tools - the Ambusher Mercenary uses Skitterbots Skill, with this Belt Equipped, he will Summon additional Scorching Skitterbots and apply much more powerful Ailments.

+(20-30) to Dexterity and Intelligence (10-20)% increased Mana Reservation Efficiency of Skills (15-25)% increased Trap and Mine Throwing Speed Summon Skitterbots also summons a Scorching Skitterbot Summoned Skitterbots' Auras affect you as well as Enemies (50-75)% increased Effect of Non-Damaging Ailments inflicted by Summoned Skitterbots

Kaom's Binding - a defensive option that Converts Enemy Physical Damage to Fire, which can be much easier negated with the usual Fire Resistance.

+(25-35) to Strength +(30-40) to Strength +(300-500) to Armour Take no Burning Damage if you've stopped taking Burning Damage Recently Nearby Enemies Convert 25% of their Physical Damage to Fire

Pyroshock Clasp - a very similar Belt, but this one is more suited for Mercenaries that tend to stay away from your Enemies, while also being capable of inflicting Shock and Ignite.

+(25-40) to maximum Life +(30-40) to Dexterity +(300-500) to Evasion Rating (10-15)% increased Duration of Elemental Ailments on Enemies Enemies Ignited by you have (10-15)% of Physical Damage they deal converted to Fire Enemies Shocked by you have (10-15)% of Physical Damage they deal converted to Lightning

Belt of the Deceiver - a reliable source of Intimidation if your Mercenary engages in Melee Combat often.

+(25-35) to Strength (15-25)% increased Global Physical Damage You take 30% reduced Extra Damage from Critical Strikes +(30-40) to maximum Life +(10-15)% to all Elemental Resistances Nearby Enemies are Intimidated

WEAPONS

Kingmaker - the default option for the Animated Guardians in the past, now it can be equipped by your Mercenaries as well. It grants you many powerful Buffs, but the range is quite small.

Requires: Strength&Dexterity (300-360)% increased Physical Damage (7-12)% increased Attack Speed (30-40)% increased Critical Strike Chance Nearby Allies have 30% increased Item Rarity Nearby Allies have Culling Strike Insufficient Mana doesn't prevent your Melee Attacks Nearby Allies have +50% to Critical Strike Multiplier Nearby Allies have +10 Fortification

Dying Breath - another classic option, it grants useful bonuses for Mercenaries' Auras, Curses, and your own Damage.

Requires: Strength&Intelligence +20% Chance to Block Attack Damage while wielding a Staff 18% increased Cast Speed 18% increased maximum Mana 18% increased Area of Effect of Aura Skills 18% increased Area of Effect of Hex Skills Nearby Enemies have 18% increased Effect of Curses on them Nearby allies gain 18% increased Damage 18% increased effect of Non-Curse Auras from your Skills

Singularity - if your Mercenary can't use other Weapons, you can give them this Item to apply Hinder on nearby Enemies, slowing their Movement Speed.

Requires: Strength&Intelligence 30% increased Elemental Damage Adds (1-10) to (150-200) Lightning Damage to Spells (14-18)% increased Cast Speed (6-8)% reduced Mana Cost of Skills Nearby Enemies are Hindered, with 25% reduced Movement Speed 100% increased Damage with Hits and Ailments against Hindered Enemies

Sign of the Sin Eater - it's a good option to gain Ailment Immunity by transferring them all to your Mercenary. It is recommended to still get your own Freeze Immunity in case your Mercenary dies or wanders off, as it can be very deadly.

Requires: Strength&Intelligence 26% increased Elemental Damage +(10-30) to Strength and Intelligence Grants Level 30 Smite Skill Enemies inflict Elemental Ailments on you instead of nearby Allies

The Dark Seer - with this Weapon, your Mercenary can Blind on Hit, which also inflicts Enemies with Maladiction, increasing their Damage Taken and lowering the Damage output.

Requires: Strength&Intelligence 22% increased Elemental Damage +2 to Level of all Spell Skill Gems 10% Global chance to Blind Enemies on hit Unaffected by Blind Enemies Blinded by you have Malediction +(1-2) Maximum Energy Shield per Level +(1-2) Maximum Life per Level

Dreadarc - a very easy source of Curse on Hit, in this case, it is a Flammability Curse, which lowers the Fire Resistance.

Requires: Strength&Dexterity Adds (5–15) to (20–25) Physical Damage Adds (5–15) to (20–25) Fire Damage (7–10)% increased Attack Speed +(15–25)% to Fire Resistance 5% increased Movement Speed Curse Enemies with Flammability on Hit

Obliteration - even if your Mercenary is very weak offensively, the Explosions created by this Wand will immensely boost your Clear Speed as they will easily obliterate entire packs of Enemies at once.

Gain (30-40)% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage Enemies you Kill have a 20% chance to Explode, dealing a quarter of their maximum Life as Chaos Damage

Ahuana's Bite - a very good option when paired with the Ice Shot Mercenary, it will allow you and your Mercenary to deal more Damage.

Adds (30-40) to (60-70) Cold Damage to Attacks +(20-30)% to Cold Resistance Enemies Chilled by your Hits have Damage taken increased by Chill Effect Chill Enemies as though dealing (60-100)% more Damage

Victario's Charity - a quite reliable source of Frenzy Charges for you. It also increases the Area of the Mercenary's Aura Skills.

Requires: Strength&Intelligence +8% to all Elemental Resistances +(50-70) to maximum Life +(20-30)% to Lightning Resistance +11% to Chaos Resistance 20% increased Area of Effect of Aura Skills 10% chance to grant a Power Charge to nearby Allies on Kill 5% chance to grant a Frenzy Charge to nearby Allies on Hit

Replica Victario's Charity - the Replica version is very similar, although it generates Endurance Charges instead. It also increases the Effect of Auras instead of the AoE.

Requires: Strength&Intelligence +8% to all Elemental Resistances +(50-70) to maximum Life +(20-30)% to Lightning Resistance +11% to Chaos Resistance 10% increased effect of Non-Curse Auras from your Skills 5% chance to grant an Endurance Charge to nearby Allies on Hit 10% chance to grant a Frenzy Charge to nearby Allies on Kill

Matua Tupuna - a good Shield for your Aura-focused Mercenary, it considerably increases their Effect. The Tar spread upon Block is a nice addition to slow Enemies down..

Requires: Intelligence +2 to Level of Socketed Minion Gems (40-80)% increased Energy Shield +(15-25) to maximum Mana 20% increased effect of Non-Curse Auras from your Skills on your Minions 20% increased effect of Non-Curse Auras from your Skills Spreads Tar when you Block

Sentari's Answer - a good option to get additional Curses during Mapping, but it won't be very reliable against Bosses. It works best on Mercenaries with Warcries, which allows them to Taunt Enemies.

Requires: Strength&Dexterity  10% Chance to Block Spell Damage +(20-30) to Intelligence +5% Chance to Block Curse Enemies with Punishment when you Block their Melee Damage, ignoring Curse Limit Curse Enemies with Temporal Chains when you Block their Projectile Attack Damage, ignoring Curse Limit Curse Enemies with Elemental Weakness when you Block their Spell Damage, ignoring Curse Limit

Dawnbreaker - a very good Shield that grants your Mercenary tons of Block Chance for better survivability, but it will also inflict Scorch on nearby Enemies.

Requires: Strength (150-250)% increased Armour +(20-25)% Chance to Block -1% Chance to Block Attack Damage for every 200 Fire Damage taken from Hits Recently (10-20)% of Cold Damage taken as Fire Damage (10-20)% of Lightning Damage taken as Fire Damage (10-20)% of Physical Damage taken as Fire Damage Scorch Enemies in Close Range when you Block

HELMETS

Ylfeban's Trickery - every Hit applies a random Hex, ignoring the limit. With a fast enough Mercenary, you will have all the Curses at once, but keep in mind they are only level 1.

Requires: Intelligence Trigger Level 10 Shock Ground when Hit Adds 1 to (60-80) Lightning Damage to Spells and Attacks (130-170)% increased Energy Shield +(25-35)% to Lightning Resistance Curse Enemies which Hit you with a random Hex, ignoring Curse Limit

Galesight - allows your Cold-based Merc to inflict Brittle instead of Chill, which is a very valuable debuff for all Crit-based Builds. There is also a variant with Scorch and Sap.

Requires: Intelligence (240-280)% increased Energy Shield +(30-40)% to Cold Resistance (30-40)% increased Elemental Damage (25-50)% chance to inflict Brittle Cannot inflict Freeze or Chill

Maw of Conquest - this Helmet grants a large chunk of Life Recoup, as well as makes your Merc unaffected by Poison.

Requires: Intelligence (60-80)% increased Spell Critical Strike Chance (200-250)% increased Energy Shield +(50-70) to maximum Life Unaffected by Poison (10-20)% of Damage taken Recouped as Life

Crown of the Tyrant - lowers the all Resistances of nearby Enemies, including Chaos. It also grants you and your Mercenary a decent amount of flat Damage.

Requires: Intelligence&Strength Has 1 Socket +(50-175) to maximum Life Nearby Enemies have -10% to all Resistances You and Nearby Allies have 64 to 96 added Fire Damage per Red Socket You and Nearby Allies have 56 to 88 added Cold Damage per Green Socket You and Nearby Allies have 16 to 144 added Lightning Damage per Blue Socket You and Nearby Allies have 47 to 61 added Chaos Damage per White Socket

Voll's Vision - provides a large amount of Life Regeneration and bonus Maximum Life if no other Items are Equipped, which is usually a fairly easy requirement to fulfil.

Requires: Intelligence&Strength +(260-300) to Armour +(26-32)% to Fire Resistance +(8-16)% to Chaos Resistance 20% increased Light Radius (8-12)% increased Maximum Life if no Equipped Items are Corrupted Regenerate 400 Life per second if no Equipped Items are Corrupted

Leer Cast - a classic low-budget Helmet that grants a bit of increased Damage for you and your Mercenary.

Requires: Dexterity&Intelligence +(20-30) to Dexterity 25% reduced Damage +(60-100) to maximum Life +(60-100) to maximum Mana You and nearby allies gain 50% increased Damage

Eye of Malice - if you can bring Enemy's Resistance under 0%, this Helmet will punish them even more. This option is usually good only for the Elementalist Ascendancy or double Elemental Curse users.

Requires: Dexterity&Intelligence (400-500)% increased Evasion and Energy Shield +(20-40)% to Fire Resistance +(20-40)% to Cold Resistance 25% chance to inflict Cold Exposure on Hit 25% chance to inflict Fire Exposure on Hit Nearby Enemies have 50% increased Fire and Cold Resistances

Rare Helmet - you can also benefit from a Rare Helmet with Influence-specific modifiers that lower the Resistance of nearby Enemies.

Possible modifiers: Nearby Enemies take 9% increased Physical Damage (Elder) Nearby Enemies have -9% to Elemental Resistance (Elderslayers/Delve)

Notable Mercenary Archetypes

There are many Mercenary Archetypes with Unique Names. Each Archetype possesses over 10 various Skills, but a single Mercenary spawns with only 6 of them at random. To find your perfect Ally, you will have to spend a lot of time fighting other, less favourable Mercenaries, so it is worth knowing what Archetypes you are looking for. Below, you can find a short compilation list of useful Utility Mercenaries. We have filtered out the generally less useful Mercenaries, although there might be some Builds that benefit from their niche Utility more than generic Auras or Curses.

If you have any other build requests please leave that in the comments below. We are always open to suggestions and constructive feedback.

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