Maybe it’s like whit auras? The higher lvl rules?
That would make sense. It might also depend on which hand which weapon is in. Like, I have Lawbringer in a Cryptic Sword and usually have it in his right hand, while Unbending Will phase blade was in his left. That set up resulted in what I described earlier.
I switched to a Act 3 merc to test the lightning one and then switched back to my Act 5 but switched the hands of the two swords and Taunt was taking precedence and would overrule the decrepify.
I switched them back but got the glitch where the game crashes when you switch floors in the Tower and wasn’t able to test it properly.
I’m rather curious how a Death Phaseblade with Lawbringer would do for the high CB chance on something cheaper than LW.
Death is indestructable, has massive ED and deadly strike. Phaseblades cant be ethereal, and have pants damage. Are there any 1 hand swords that allow 5 sockets at all? If not, there must be some other way to find that crushing blow for cheaper.
Edit: having just checked, i cannot find a 5 socket 1 handed sword 
The one handed swords go from 2 to 3 to 4 (for most) and the phase blade can have up to six.
1 Like
Maybe the better option is to have a high damage sword + gface then? Leech would be an issue - but i still think death in PB just doesnt sit right.
Lawbringer has life steal, I think, and Unbending Will has it too. Together they give the merc something like 16% life steal. Good enough to keep him alive. I don’t have the gface, so he doesn’t get crushing blow or deadly strike or open wounds, and he does all right.
If I had the helm, he’d probably be amazing.
1 Like
I play with my summoner Druid (Offline) and i am using a merc with Lawbringer sword and Headstriker, He does quite well tbh, he hits so fast and applies the curse so fast as well.
Will upgrade the Headstriker to see how it will perform later on.
1 Like
My thought process is mercs already have pretty high base damage even weaponless… so it would still hit pretty hard… and have crushing blow and deadly strike to multiply the base damage. Be worth testing in single player with an editor to check.
Also Kingslayer is an option as well. Mal Um Gul Fal. Crushing blow and open wounds at decent percentages. Pretty cheap. Honestly if I was going to go for a budget Act 5 merc… I’d prob run Kingslayer + Lawbringer.
3 Likes
Gul can be a little rare. I used the one I’ve gotten so far to make a Death Ettin Axe for my zealot. If you’re looking for cheap, Unbending Will is the way to go. +3 to Combat Skills, Life Steal, Damage percent, Taunt Proc, Prevent Monster Heal, all for the price of a Fal.
1 Like
Isn’t unbending will ladder only though? I personally won’t be touching ladder.
Also no crushing blow.
It’s available in Single Player Offline right now but won’t be available till Ladder hits on-line. I figure most will be playing Ladder when it hits, so it will be available to most shortly on-line and to all when Ladder ends.
I’m actually not sure about that, lot of people prob won’t want to delete slots for it.
Yeah, that’s true. As far as not having crushing blow, I’m thinking if you can pick it up somewhere else, you should be good.
If you farm specific zones, you don’t need it in the Ancient Tunnels or Countess’s Tower. But if you’re running different zones then you might need it.
But it is my opinion, that the Act 5 mer works best with a physical dealing character. Where he can help you kill but what he’s really there for is procs to do with physical immunes.
The only issue I have with the act 5 merc in general is when you are playing a physical build most of the time you already have a way to deal with immunes, and the act 2 merc just ends up being a better buff bot with pride.
I actually think act 5 merc might be best suited to something like a FO/ES build.
Hmmm, I mean I have an Atma’s Scarab on my zealer to help but sometimes it doesn’t want to proc, the Lawbringer on the merc solves that issue for me. I mean, I went with fanaticism over something like Holy Shock or the like. Putting a point in Vengeance just doesn’t seem worth, not when decrepify can break the immunity and lasts long enough that one proc will deal with just about any mob.
That is just my experience though. I’m the kind of guy that finds something that works and doesn’t look much further.
People probably will have better setups.
1 Like
Actually I’d considered editing that. Zealots and Fire druids comes to mind as well.
Though honestly… other what what moon lords you can just foh/holt bolt every other physical immune to death these days on pally.
ohh and those one dudes that spawn around Nil sometimes… w/e they are called… jungle beasts?
1 Like
No it proc
please try again
that’s not a bug Sanctuary aura ignore undead targets immunity
try again to Hell temptress it also physical immunity but it’s demon
and Lawbringer has huge elemental damages so it can to kill eventually
1 Like
Honestly sad part about pally right now is FoH is so strong right now I couldn’t imagine not using it.
Even with just level 40 FoH it tears though chaos so damn quick it’s broken. From WP Full clear CS is like 1:30 to 1:45.
I’ll take your word for it. Was just relating my experience and even said, my perception could be faulty.
I hear taunt procing a lot but see the decrepify marker more often than the taunt unless it’s a big group because I think taunt has a bigger radius. But you could be right on account that after within just a few seconds in the zones I play, all the minions are dead and only the named unique is standing and as you said, Taunt doesn’t effect those. So that may be the reason for my confusion.