1 - 12
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, 3 Trans (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)
Flame Wall - Elemental Weakness - Arcanist Brand
Precision - Anger - Vitality
Minefield - Stormblast Mine
Purity of Elements
Early/Midgame setup
You can hard swap from using KF totems once your merc's flame link is online with light radius stacking and you start to pick up the cheap uniques (Nycta's might be a little pricy, but it's only a t3 unique)
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 at a lower level for
Shield charge - Faster Attacks - Momentum
Frostblink (or Flame Dash if you prefer)
Flame Wall - Elemental Weakness - Arcanist Brand
Precision - Anger - Wrath - Petrified Blood - (Smite if you want another aura for damage and don't mind the extra button)
Minefield - Stormblast Mine - Flame Link - Haste (or whatever aura that help you and your merc, not just them, Vaal Haste is a nice damage/speed boost, but it's another button)
Purity of Elements - Vitality - Vaal Discipline (In Prism Guardian, Vaal Discipline gives you a nice ES regen against damage)
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)
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 > Golden Glory > Legendary Belts + Legendary Arms
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
Movement Skills brick AI of the Mercs
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), Lori's Lantern, Nycta's Lantern, Ceinture of Benevolence, Victario's Influence, Prism Guardian
Early game uniques for YOUR MERC -
Soulthirst (while YOU have Ceinture of Benevolence), Three Dragons (very good shocks from fire damage), Piscator's Vigil, Zeel's Amplifire, Foulborn Chin Sol (bow merc), Drillneck (bow merc with return proj),
(not Early game, but honorable mentions, Lioneye's Glare for Manyshot, Enmity's Embrace and The Untouched Soul for fire damage scaling)
General Minimum Gear for Merc
Rare gloves with res/life/flat damage and eldritch Implcits for the pinnicle versions (Rage Gain on Hit, Inflict Fire 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 Aspect of the Eagle (increased ele damage/flat added damage is also good to look for)
rare rings with attack speed, accuracy, and increased elemental damage
Rare body armour with res, life, and eldritch Implcits for the pinnicle versions (Gain a Frenzy Charge, 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 (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 (or Legacy of Fury)
Mercs to look out for (subject to change) (CaptainLance has a guide)
Kineticist - best clear / okay single target (good with right conditions)
(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
AVOID Kinetic Bolt - merc's AI is very bad with this
Inspiring Cry
Ideal aura's: Haste
Manyshot - Good clear / Good Single target (with vaal iceshot)
Ice Shot - Multiple Projectiles Support - Any Clearing Support - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support
Vaal Ice Shot - Returning Projectiles Support - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - Cooldown Recovery Support
Frost Bomb
Ideal aura's: Grace - Hatred
Smoulderstrike - Very good single target (especially with armour stacking)
Molten Strike - Multiple Projectiles Support - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - Gilded Molten Eruption III
Molten Shell
Ideal aura's: Anger
Blade Ambusher - Good single target (decent alternative to smoulderstrike)
Spectral Helix of Trarthus - Multiple Traps Support - Trap and Mine Damage Support - Slower Projectiles Support
Ideal aura's: Grace - Summon Skitterbots
Combatant - Good leveling merc and can work with armour stacking
Static Strike - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - More Duration Support - Chain Support
Frost Blades - Returning Projectiles Support - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - Chain Support/
Ideal aura's: Wrath / Purity of Ice