Mercenaries: Types, Skills, Auras and Equipment Rules
Diablo 2 Resurrected mercenaries: all 13 types in Acts 1, 2, 3 and 5, their skills and auras, the difficulties they can be hired in, their equipment rules, the resurrection cost and the most popular picks.
Mercenaries ("mercs") are helpers hired for gold in town who fight alongside your character. They are hired in Acts 1, 2, 3 and 5 (not in Act 4); each act's mercenary has its own skills and equipment rules. This guide covers every type, the difficulties they can be hired in, their skills and their equipment.
1.Basics
- A mercenary has only three slots: weapon (plus a shield in Act 3), helm and body armor. The item's requirements must be met by the merc's own strength, dexterity and level.
- A merc cannot level above your character and gains experience alongside you.
- Ethereal items never lose durability on a mercenary, so ethereal weapons and armor (more damage and defense) come free of downside.
- A dead merc is resurrected for gold at a town's mercenary NPC (Kashya, Greiz, Asheara, Qual-Kehk; Tyrael in Act 4); the cost grows with level: (level² ÷ 2, rounded down) × 15, capped at 50,000 gold. Example: a level 80 merc costs 48,000 gold.
- Hiring a new merc replaces the old one and the items on it are lost; take its gear back first.
2.Rogue Scout (Act 1)
Hire from: Kashya — Rogue Encampment · Equipment: Bow (Amazon bows included), helm, body armor
| Type | Skills | Can be hired in |
|---|---|---|
| Fire |  Inner Sight ·  Fire Arrow ·  Exploding Arrow | Normal, Nightmare, Hell |
| Cold | Inner Sight ·  Cold Arrow ·  Freezing Arrow | Normal, Nightmare, Hell |
Inner Sight (lowers enemy defense) was added to both types in Diablo 2 Resurrected 2.4.
3.Desert Mercenary (Act 2)
Hire from: Greiz — Lut Gholein · Equipment: Spear, javelin or polearm; helm, body armor
| Type | Skills | Can be hired in |
|---|---|---|
| Combat — Prayer |  Jab ·  Prayer | Normal, Nightmare, Hell |
| Defensive — Defiance | Jab ·  Defiance | Normal, Nightmare, Hell |
| Offensive — Blessed Aim | Jab ·  Blessed Aim | Normal, Nightmare, Hell |
| Combat — Thorns | Jab ·  Thorns | Nightmare, Hell |
| Defensive — Holy Freeze | Jab ·  Holy Freeze | Nightmare, Hell |
| Offensive — Might | Jab ·  Might | Nightmare, Hell |
Since Diablo 2 Resurrected patch 2.4 all six auras can be hired in Nightmare and Hell; Normal only has Prayer, Defiance and Blessed Aim. The aura affects the merc and the party near it.
4.Iron Wolf (Act 3)
Hire from: Asheara — Kurast Docks · Equipment: One-handed sword and shield; helm, body armor
| Type | Skills | Can be hired in |
|---|---|---|
| Fire |  Fire Bolt ·  Fire Ball ·  Enchant | Normal, Nightmare, Hell |
| Cold |  Glacial Spike ·  Chilling Armor ·  Ice Blast | Normal, Nightmare, Hell |
| Lightning |  Charged Bolt ·  Lightning ·  Static Field | Normal, Nightmare, Hell |
5.Barbarian (Act 5)
Hire from: Qual-Kehk — Harrogath · Equipment: A sword for the Bash type, two one-handed swords for the Frenzy type; helm, body armor
| Type | Skills | Can be hired in |
|---|---|---|
| Bash |  Bash ·  Stun ·  Battle Cry | Normal, Nightmare, Hell |
| Frenzy |  Frenzy ·  Iron Skin ·  Taunt | Normal, Nightmare, Hell |
The Frenzy type (two swords, the Iron Skin passive, Taunt) came with Diablo 2 Resurrected 2.4.
6.Most Popular Mercenaries and Gear
| Mercenary | Why | Common gear |
|---|---|---|
| Act 2 Holy Freeze (Nightmare/Hell) | The aura slows nearby enemies; suits melee and caster characters alike. | Infinity (Conviction aura) or Insight (Meditation aura) polearm; Fortitude armor |
| Act 2 Might (Nightmare/Hell) | Raises the party's physical damage; for physical builds. | Insight or Reaper's Toll (Decrepify) polearm |
| Act 2 Prayer | Constantly heals the party; comfortable when starting out. | Insight polearm (mana regeneration) |
| Act 5 Frenzy | A tough melee fighter hitting fast and hard with two swords. | Two one-handed swords (e.g. runeword swords) |
| Act 3 Cold | Freezes enemies; useful while progressing up to Nightmare. | One-handed sword and shield |
Insight and Infinity are polearm runewords, and only the Act 2 merc can use them because it is the only one that equips polearms.
7.Data Source
Mercenary types, skills and hire difficulties come from the Diablo 2 Resurrected 3.3 (Reign of the Warlock) game data. Equipment rules and the resurrection cost are hard-coded in the game, so they follow the known rules.