The Merc Act 3 is still very weak to play even after all the changes. Their skills are not strong enough to help clear the map even with top tier gears.
Also, as for their defense, they cannot block even when holding a shield.
This really needs to be looked at and worked on; otherwise, there is no real practical use for them and the players won’t see any incentive of using them over other options.
Thank you guys for listening and I hope we could see some changes in the future.
i mean, they have gone a long way with this patch, from 400 dmg to something around 4000 and a utility skill, but they still need a bit more. im usually not a fan of “buff everything” but he just needs something more. survivability + more dmg. if the devs are cautious for masteries because of dual dream/dragon, another synergy might achieve the same effect, or even a flat level 1 mastery (with +skills it would max out at around level 7 or so). and the ability to use his shield for blocking would not only raise his survivability, but also the different ways to customize him, like damage for survivability, blockchance, res or dmg reduction choice, facet, amethyst, hel rune or -15 req jewel, etc. one could balance the blockchance usefullness through their framedate if it is too op (slower blockframerate so blocking an attack would reduce dps more, etc.).
If you allowed him to use sorc + skills as well as a new runeword that would give them mastery it could take up one the slots so I doubt it be that big a deal. Say you have a lightning merc you could go dual dream but they don’t have conviction or a melee attack so paladins would still be better, same with sorcs as they could get higher masteries and could be build for melee though that’s dubious. Even dragon when you could give him a phoenix
I don’t think it work that well. But even so a shield or helm runeword that could give act 3 mercs +3 to elemental mastery and cast rate, would go a long way. In fact I’d make it a choose between helm and shield. So you could dual spirit + new rune word and chains of honor or the right ormus would work well to make there damage closer to the other mercs.
Then the true utility of act 3 mercs would be helping take out immunes, and their utility skills. Enchant would be alot better and may be worth for summoners or non elemental melee. Static shock with sufficient faster cast could help boss farming though lightning may just end up being the worst choose, though it does have less immunes in hell so leveling would be safer then fire or cold. Cold is great utility already, always has been and with cold mastery it would only be slightly better but if you could get it to -100 a conviction vengance paladin might find use with one along.
But I think shield block needs to be made a thing, they already die quickly to melee weapon block would help against physical damage since they don’t leech.
Really I think giving them not just a block rate, but a high block rate with fast hit recovery would help a ton.
On top, yes give them access to +Sorc skills like on ormus’ robe, and preferably make them far more aggression and liberal with casting their “good” abilities. There should be static fields/lightning, and glacial spikes going off 24.7