1 - 12
My regex
"[rgb]-[rgb]|.-.-b|.-b-.|b-.-.|Runn|rint|me Sh|s:.+(wa|sh)"
Wand > look for goat's horn (or any flat added damage wand, bonus if it has attack speed)
Get double Iron rings for added phys dmg
you need 7 wisdom scrolls, 4 Trans orbs (2 for Kinetic Fusilade later) to buy the main gems in act 1
Kinetic bolt - Added Cold Damage - Prismatic Burst
Shield charge - Faster Attacks - Momentum
Frostblink (or Flame Dash if you prefer) - Sniper's Mark
Flame Wall
12 - 32
Kinetic Fusillade (swap from Kinetic Bolt) - Volley - Added Cold Damage - Sacred Wisps
Kinetic Fusillade - Balista Totem - Volley
Shield charge - Faster Attacks - Momentum
Frostblink (or Flame Dash if you prefer)
Flame Wall - Sniper's Mark
Precision - Summon Skitterbots - Vitality
32 - 55
Kinetic Fusillade - Volley - Added Cold Damage - Sacred Wisps
Kinetic Fusillade - Balista Totem - Volley
Shield charge - Faster Attacks - Momentum
Frostblink (or Flame Dash if you prefer)
Flame Wall - Elemental Weakness - Arcanist Brand
Precision - Anger - Vitality
Purity of Elements
68+ - Stormblast mines are for the aura
Kinetic Fusillade - Balista Totem - Volley - Added Cold Damage
Shield charge - Faster Attacks - Momentum
Frostblink (or Flame Dash if you prefer)
Precision - Anger - Vitality
Minefield - Stormblast Mine
Purity of Elements
Early/Midgame setup
You can hard swap from using KF totems once your merc's Destructive Link is online (You need Augrye + Ungil's Harmony on you, and Marylene's Fallacy on your attack based merc. Trypanon works too, but it's less tanky and QoL)
Farm Act 10's Control Blocks area until you have a Combatant or Manyshot with a decent setup for clear/single target to get you started for cruising maps.
Your auras are pretty interchangable based on what your mercs have. You can put in Grace, Determination, or any of the Purities based on what your merc is running.
Level your Precision and Vitality, you may need to cap your Precision/Vitality for mana reasons until you start adding in clusters with MRE. Get 500+ Accuracy on merc gear to help them cap accuracy.
Shield charge - Faster Attacks
Frostblink (or Flame Dash if you prefer)
Assassin's Mark
Precision - Anger - Wrath - (vaal) Smite
Minefield - Stormblast Mine - Destructive Link -
Purity of Elements - Vitality - Haste (or whatever aura that helps you and your merc, not just them alone)
Animate Guardian - Raise Spectre - Meat Shield - Minion Life (Minons for more power from auras, we give them many auras, so hopefully they wont just fall over)
Flame Wall - Elemental Weakness - Arcanist Brand
As an alternative if you really hate Animate Guardian and Spectres, you can just opt for more defences
Automation - More Duration - Steelskin + Enduring Cry (if you dont mind the extra button)
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Ascendancy Order
Noble Blood > Oath of Fealty > Legendary Amulets > Legendary Arms > Legendary Rings > Legendary Helmets
(if you use Manyshot, I think Legendary belts are stronger in this slot for Soulthirst power while mapping, unless you perfer more single target)
MERC NOTES
Merc's have higher base levels to their aura's than what the player's have
Brutality Support links can brick damage (we are elemental damage focused)
Deadly Ailments lowers damage if they are not dot ailment focused mercs
Dash bricks AI of the ManyShot and Kineticist, it's good for the Combatant.
Allied mercenaries do not receive the resistance penalties from defeating Kitava in Acts 5 and 10 and take 80% less damage from damage over time effects. They also have innate damage reduction at all levels.
Mercenaries use the monster version of the Soul Eater buff; they will take less damage per eaten soul, but will also lose souls faster.
Permanent Mercenaries cannot use unique items at all except for item classes explicitly enabled through ascendancy passive skills for the Luminary. Even if it spawns with a unique body armour, it will not work.
To equip an item to a Mercenary, the Mercenary's level needs to be within 70% of item level requirements. (EX. Merc from level 30 area can wear gear up to item level 51, but will still scale to 68) - This may change.
Early game uniques for YOU -
Tasalio's Sign (in Acts), Augyre, Ungil's Harmony, Ceinture of Benevolence, Victario's Influence, Hands of Phrecia
Early game uniques for YOUR MERC -
Marylene's Fallacy number one priority
FOR COMBATANT MERC - (until midgame just use Wrath essences on claws until you have good ele dps with crit multi until you can afford Paradoxica(s) )
FOR WANDER MERC - Piscator's Vigil, Zeel's Amplifire
FOR BOW MERC - Foulborn Chin Sol, Drillneck
(not Early game, but honorable mentions, Lioneye's Glare for Manyshot, Enmity's Embrace and The Untouched Soul for fire damage scaling on flamelink)
MIDGAME after Uber Lab
Run Double The Taming
FOR COMBATANT MERC - Replica Abyssus
For Manyshot - Fractul Thoughts (or a rare Helmet with pierce if your Manyshot doesn't have Pierce on their main clear and instead grab Soulthirst and get Legendary Belts instead of helmets )
General Rare Gear for Merc
Rare gloves with res/life/flat damage and eldritch Implcits for the pinnicle versions (Rage Gain on Hit/+ Non-Vaal Strike target if combatant, Inflict Lightning Exposure on hit)
Rare boots with res/life/movement speed and eldritch Implcits for the pinnicle versions (Action speed, life regeneration rate)
rare amulet with attack speed, accuracy, increased elemental damage, and annoited for Forces of nature (Crit Multi/flat added damage is also good to look for)
rare rings with attack speed, accuracy, Flat ele damage, increased elemental damage, and res
Rare body armour with res, life, and eldritch Implcits for the pinnicle versions (Gain a Frenzy Charge/Attack Damage Crit Multi, Physical Damage taken as Cold Damage)
Rare belt with increased elemental damage, life, and res (if you dont use a unique belt)
Rare helmet with res, life, accuracy, crafted pierce (if you don't use a unique helmet) with eldritch Implcits for the pinnicle versions (Area of Effect, attack or spell damage for wand merc)
Early Game gear for Animate Guardian
Dying Breath, Leer Cast, Belly of the Beast, Southbound, Rare boots with MS, Life, and Chaos res + scorched ground implicit and action speed(or Legacy of Fury)
Spectres - Perfect Spirit of Fortune and Perfect Forest Warrior
(Carnage Chieftan and Warcaller until you can afford the perfect spectres)
Mercs to look out for (subject to change) (CaptainLance has a guide)
Kineticist - best clear / okay single target (great ST with right conditions or wall of force, but it's better with A LOT of scaling and money put into flame link setups or late game evasion scaling with destructive link)
(Greater) Kinetic Blast - Multiple Projectiles Support - Returning Projectiles Support - Any Clearing Support
Kinetic Blast of Clustering - Multiple Projectiles Support - Returning Projectiles Support - Any Clearing Support (Fork is BiS with return with good posistioning/Wall of Force)
AVOID Kinetic Bolt, Kinetic Rain, - merc's AI is very bad with this
Inspiring Cry
Ideal auras: Haste
Manyshot - Good clear / Good Single target (with vaal iceshot)
Ice Shot - Multiple Projectiles Support - Any Clearing Support - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - Hypothermia
Vaal Ice Shot - Returning Projectiles Support - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - Cooldown Recovery Support - Pierce/Fork
Frost Bomb
Ideal auras: Grace - Hatred
Combatant - Good all rounder and can work with armour stacking later
Static Strike - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - More Duration Support - Chain Support
Frost Blades - Returning Projectiles Support (If you have A LOT of projectile speed) - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - Chain/Pierce Support - Some added damage/Crit multi
Frostblink/Dash
Ideal auras: Wrath / Purity of Ice
Flamehand - Good alt merc if you cannot find a useful attack merc.
Rolling Magma - Chain - Slower Projectiles
Vaal Flameblast - Damage Support - Cooldown Recovery
Ideal auras: Anger
Stormhand - Good alt merc if you cannot find a useful attack merc early.
Arc - Damage Support - Chain
Ball Lightning of Static - Second wind - Damage Support - Cooldown Recovery
Ideal auras: Wrath