Mercenaries Overview

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 skill tree and attacks that you can customize. More details will be added once we have access to the full skill trees.

• Raheir the Shieldbearer: 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.
• Varyana the Berserker Crone: A former cannibal who left her clan when they started dealing with even darker arts, Varyana has a 'Massacre Meter' that measures your kill streak. The more enemies you kill in a row, the stronger she gets. She is your close-quarters combat and requires you to be in high-density areas to make the best use of her. She also has some interesting utility skills, although details are not yet known.
• Aldkin, the Cursed Child: Half-child, half-demon, Aldkin is your caster. He can shapeshift into a demon to fight by your side, utilizing magic to support you.
• Subo, the Drunken Archer: A disgraced archer who is now a bounty hunter for hire, Subo is your guy if you want someone who's out of melee range. He is more of a utility hero, and his mechanisms include things like marking enemies for disposal and once they're killed, you gain benefits such as Cooldown reduction.

Skill Selection

Each Mercenary has their own unique set of skills and abilities. Similar to your own skill tree, there are passives 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.

Summary

• Mercenaries are unlocked during the campaign of Vessel of Hatred, 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 Seroc Ifkre
Reviewed by Avarilyn