The Ultimate Guide to Mercenary Armor in Diablo 2: What’s Truly the Best?
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Figuring out the best armor for your mercenary in Diablo 2 can be a game-changer. It’s not just about equipping them with the shiniest gear; it’s about understanding the nuances of how each armor type impacts their performance and your overall gameplay. So, let’s cut to the chase: what is the best mercenary armor in Diablo 2? While there’s no single perfect answer for every situation, the most widely effective and versatile choices are Fortitude and Treachery. However, understanding why these are top choices and when one might be preferred over the other is crucial.
Fortitude vs. Treachery: Understanding the Nuances
The debate between Fortitude and Treachery is a common one. Both are powerful runewords, but they cater to different needs and playstyles.
Fortitude: The Powerhouse
Fortitude is a runeword crafted using the runes ElSolDolLo, and when made in an armor, it provides a massive +300% Enhanced Damage boost, making it a fantastic option for increasing your mercenary’s offensive capabilities. It also features:
- +200% Enhanced Defense: Significantly increases your merc’s survivability.
- +200-300 Life (Based on level): Adds a considerable health pool.
- All Resistances +25-30 (Based on level): Enhances your merc’s resistance to elemental damage.
- Replenish Life +7: Improves survivability over time.
- Damage Reduced By 7: Further mitigating physical damage.
- Chilling Armor When Hit: A nice defensive bonus, but less significant than other benefits.
The key here is the massive damage boost. This makes Fortitude the go-to choice for most physical damage-based builds, whether you’re playing a melee character or utilizing your mercenary as your primary damage dealer. It also provides a hefty boost in survivability. However, Fortitude is notably expensive to create, requiring a Lo rune, one of the rarest in the game.
Treachery: The Underestimated Contender
Treachery, made with ShaelThulLem runes, is often considered the budget option compared to Fortitude but shouldn’t be underestimated. Its primary strength lies in its powerful proc of the skill Fade, granting:
- 45% Increased Attack Speed (IAS): This dramatically increases the attack rate of your mercenary.
- 25% Chance to Cast Level 15 Fade When Struck: The crucial part. Fade grants 15% damage reduction, +60 all resitances and a +50% duration curse.
- +2 To Assassin Skills: Irrelevant for mercenaries, but doesn’t detract.
- +30% Faster Hit Recovery: Helps your merc recover quicker from being stunned, which can often lead to death.
- Cold Resistance +30%: A small boost in one resistance type.
Treachery’s main value is the IAS and the Fade proc. Once Fade triggers, the damage reduction and massive increase to all resistances make your merc incredibly tough. Moreover, the increased attack speed will also help with damage over time. It’s considerably cheaper to make compared to Fortitude, making it an excellent choice for players who cannot afford Fortitude or simply prefer the benefits it offers. The downside is it relies on a “proc” which is random.
When to Choose Which
The choice between Fortitude and Treachery depends on your specific needs:
- Choose Fortitude if: You’re running a physical damage-heavy build and want consistent, high damage output and significant added survivability for your mercenary with minimal required effort. Cost is not a barrier.
- Choose Treachery if: You need a more cost-effective option that can still provide fantastic survivability with the fade proc, a high level of IAS, and don’t mind the randomness of Fade proccing. It’s excellent for builds that don’t rely heavily on the merc doing a significant portion of their damage, and for classes such as summoner necro that are not directly dependent on the merc doing a lot of damage.
Other Notable Mercenary Armor Options
While Fortitude and Treachery often reign supreme, several other viable options exist:
- Vampire Gaze: While not a runeword, the life leech and damage reduction can improve survivability, though it’s typically seen as an overall weaker choice than the big runewords.
- Duriel’s Shell (Kraken Shell): The main benefit of this unique armor is its “Cannot be Frozen” modifier.
- Shaftstop: Provides high defense and damage reduction.
These are useful alternatives if you’re lacking the runes for the runewords. However, they generally won’t perform as well as Fortitude or Treachery in most scenarios.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the best base armor for Fortitude?
The recommended base for Fortitude is an Archon Plate or a Sacred Armor. The main reason to use either of these two are that they are elite armors that have a high armor rating and low strength requirements, and they are both very common. Using the Archon Plate is probably the most common. Be sure to use an ethereal version to further maximize the defense of the armor.
2. What is the best base armor for Treachery?
As long as the base has 3 sockets and is elite, anything will be sufficient. Some players like to put Treachery in armors with high defense, such as Archon Plates or Dusk Shrouds.
3. Is Fortitude worth the cost for a mercenary?
Yes, Fortitude is generally worth the cost if your build benefits from the enhanced damage and you have the resources. The added survivability is also a big bonus. However, consider Treachery if you’re budget-constrained or prefer the fade and increased attack speed.
4. Can a mercenary use any armor?
Mercenaries can use most armor types, but it’s recommended to choose elite base armors to maximize defense. Also be sure to choose an armor with the correct number of sockets for your Runewords.
5. Which Act 2 mercenary is the best?
For most players, the Act 2 Normal Defensive mercenary (Defiance aura) is the best because of the increased defense it provides. If you are running a summon necro, the Act 2 NM Offensive mercenary (Might aura) is better due to the increased damage output for the skeletons.
6. Does Fortitude increase my mercenary’s damage?
Yes, Fortitude, when crafted in armor, provides a massive +300% Enhanced Damage, which significantly boosts your mercenary’s damage output.
7. Is Treachery better than Fortitude for a summon Necromancer’s Mercenary?
Generally, for a summoner necro, Treachery is often better. The increased survivability and the Fade Proc coupled with increased attack speed make your merc more reliable. As your skeletons are doing most of the damage, the Fortitude damage boost is less important.
8. How does the Fade skill in Treachery work?
Fade is a skill that procs (activates) on being struck, reducing damage taken by 15%, boosting all resistances by +60, and also increasing the duration of curses on your mercenary by 50%.
9. What is the best Runeword weapon for a mercenary?
Infinity is one of the best runewords for a mercenary because it has a Conviction Aura that lowers enemies resistances and defenses. For physical damage dealers, Pride is also good, due to the Concentration Aura, which further increases their damage.
10. Does upgrading a unique mercenary armor increase its stats?
Upgrading unique armors generally increases the defense value, but it does not affect other modifiers such as damage reduction or resistances. Often its not worth the cost to upgrade armors.
11. What is the best way to obtain the runes needed for runewords?
Runes can be obtained through farming various areas in the game, particularly The Countess in act 1, The Secret Cow level, or areas with a high density of monsters. Trading is also a popular way to acquire the runes you need.
12. Is an ethereal base important for mercenary armor?
Yes, it is. Ethereal armors have significantly higher defense. However, since they are ethereal, they cannot be repaired and are only useful for mercs who don’t require repair.
13. Should I upgrade Fortitude if it’s not ethereal?
Fortitude can be used on your character as well, so if you make one, it would be beneficial to have the armor be on an non-ethereal item, which can then be used by both you and your mercenary. However, the armor will be lower on defense than a eth version of the armor.
14. Can a mercenary use chains of honor?
Yes, Chains of Honor is another viable runeword option for mercenary armor. It provides high resistance and defense, but the Enhanced Damage is not as high as Fortitude.
15. What is the best way to test different mercenary armors?
Experimenting with different armors and runes is the best way to find what you like. Try using them in different areas to really see how each performs. Always remember that each build can have different needs when it comes to mercenary equipment.
Conclusion
Choosing the right mercenary armor in Diablo 2 is crucial for optimizing your gameplay. While Fortitude provides a raw damage boost and solid survivability, Treachery offers a budget-friendly alternative with excellent defensive capabilities once Fade procs. By understanding your own build and needs, you can make an informed decision, making your mercenary a truly valuable asset. Now that you have the information go forth and make your mercenary the best they can be!