Mercenaries Overview
Last Updated:March 16, 2025|Changelog
This is a Mercenaries Overview of the new companion introduced in Vessel of Hatred, the new expansion for Diablo IV. These are ordinary people, with extraordinary skills. Like you, they aim to fight the enemies that are threatening Sanctuary.
Unlocked throughout the Main Quest of Vessel of Hatred, these Pale Hand Mercenaries arrive just in time whenever you call for aid. While you start with Raheir, who is available after the Vessel of Hatred campaign, you unlock the others through key quests given through The Den, the Mercenary hideout. You never have to fight alone with your Mercenaries by your side!
Mercenary System
Initially, you meet Raheir, the Mercenary who introduces you to the system. As you continue the Vessel of Hatred storyline, you acquire three Acquisition Campaigns for the other three Mercenaries. As you complete these additional key quests, you can unlock the Mercenaries. However, you can only hire one Mercenary to join you at a time, solo or in a party (via the Party Leader)
Once you have unlocked more than one Mercenary, you are able to equip two at a time. One is your Primary Mercenary, who is with you constantly and has a fully fleshed out skill tree. The second acts as your Reinforcement Mercenary, who has an abbreviated skill tree and comes in tag-team style on command. This Mercenary you attach your skill to one of theirs and when you use that skill, they are summoned to perform the selected skill. More details on these skill trees and mechanisms will be added as they are discovered.
It does not cost Gold to hire Mercenaries. However, they can 'die' in battle - they take a knee and rest, and during this time, they cannot use skills. However, you can rush to them and 'revive' them just like you can a fellow player, which gets them back on their feet sooner!
Rapport
Over time in battle, you establish trust or 'Rapport' with your Mercenaries. This is most quickly done by fighting with them by your side. Rapport is what upgrades your Mercenary, allowing you to buy skill points to unlock more abilities, caches, and also increasing your ability to barter.
Mercenaries gain Rapport when hired (e.g., playing with them Solo) or used as Reinforcements. Mercenary-related events also appear throughout Sanctuary and offer bonus Rapport to be earned with your current companion. Each Mercenary has 10 levels of Rapport to accomplish, and once you reach the top, you can re-complete level 10 over and over again to earn Pale Marks to barter with.
Pale Marks and Bartering
Earned through gathering Rapport, these coins allow you to purchase items within the Den. As you rank up your Mercenaries, it ranks up the different items that you're able to buy.
Available Mercenaries
You unlock four Mercenaries during your time in Vessel of Hatred. Each Mercenary has their own unique set of skills and abilities. Similar to your own skill tree, there are passive and active skills. These selections will change their behavior including how they attack. Below is an example of what a Mercenary Skill Tree will look like as well as your Reinforcement.
Raheir
Trained by the Iron Wolves, Raheir uses his shield to block incoming attacks and protect you while wandering the wilds of Sanctuary. He also has a shield throw attack, among others. He is the defensive-style Mercenary, there to absorb the damage and take the attention off of you.
Skill Tree Overview
Raheir has multiple survivability tools in his kit that allow your character to stay alive, such as Valiance and Bastion. He also has the best defensive passives in the game in the form of Raheir's Aegis and Raheir's Guard.
For those interested in dealing more damage, Inspiration has a high uptime from both Ground Slam and whenever Bastion is triggered.
Raheir is an excellent choice if you need a little bit of extra resistance or armor to be ready for Torment IV.
Summary
- Mercenaries are unlocked during the Vessel of Hatred campaign and can be used during both solo and multiplayer play.
- You can hire both a Primary Mercenary, used during solo play, and a Reinforcement Mercenary, who is summoned when you use certain skills or certain conditions (such as being crowd-controlled).
- Each Mercenary has its own skill tree and Reinforcement skills, and can be customized for solo and group play.
- While playing, you earn Rapport with your Mercenaries, which can be used to upgrade their skill trees.
- Whether you prefer defensive support, trickster utility support, or someone to do some of your fighting while you chill in the background, the Mercenary system has got you covered!
Credits
Written by Avarilyn