D3 Necromancer has a 1 million HP average vs D2 Necromancer that most likely has a 1k HP average, and I don’t even include that D3 Armor system that actually reducing incoming damage.
D3 Necromancer can let D2 Necromancer blast off 20 Bone Spirit first and still can one-shot D2 Necromancer.
D2 Merc has around 1k~2k HP plus if I not mistaken, and D3 followers can easily deal 70k~100k damage. The result is obvious. Not to mention that D3 followers are immortal.
So yeah, D3 will win D2 easily due to the raw stat alone.
If we strictly want to talk about lore-wise alone, Enchantress probably will murder all D2 hirelings because she was trained by the angel himself.
In terms of Gameplay: Diablo 3’s Followers would win.
In terms of Lore: Diablo 2’s mercenaries would likely win
In terms of both gameplay and lore: Diablo 3’s Necromancer would win
In terms of gameplay and lore: Diablo 3
In terms of Gameplay: Diablo 3’s Gargantuan would win
In terms of Lore: Diablo 2’s Golem would have an advantage (Blood Golem variant) and likely score an eventual win as the blood golem heals from from harming and slaying foes, and this includes the dead. As such, so long as it’s summoner is out of harms way, the Blood Golem would be able to fight on for as long as needed.
In terms of Gameplay: Diablo 3
In terms of Lore: Diablo 3
In terms of Gameplay: Diablo 3’s Crusader would win
In terms of Lore: Diablo 3’s Crusader would win
In terms of gameplay: Diablo 3’s Ghom and Butcher wins
In terms of Lore: Diablo 2’s Duriel would win
Reasoning is mostly because in terms of gameplay, Diablo 3 characters and monsters can hit in the millions (at bare minimum), which likely no Diablo 2 character and monster would be able to actually survive (unless said monster/enemy had immunity). As for lore, regarding some of the Diablo 2 and 3 heroes, well Diablo 3 had already established that the Diablo 3 heroes are awokened Nephalems, and as such they surpassed the Diablo 2 heroes in terms of sheer might.
So unless the characters and monsters stats were equalized for the fight, I don’t see the Diablo 2 participants winning very much.
Lorewise, D3 Nephalems are stronger (for better or for worse, storywise). D3 Nephalems beat 7-Evils infused Diablo and Angel of Death/Wisdom empowered by the black Soulstone with 7-Evils in it. D3 stories were set when Blizz was pushing you, players, are the hero, the best angle.
Unless I missed something, Eirena hadn’t done anything lore-wise that would suggest that she’d be strong enough to kill the Diablo 2 mercenaries, especially in a head on head battle.
“Eirena. Know that you possessed the greatest potential of all your sisters, and so I chose you. They gave their lives so that you could survive and fight in the most important battle to come. They did this willingly, and their sacrifice is not a burden, but a gift to you. Live. Fulfill the destiny for which I trained you, and for which your sisters died.”
I’m pretty sure D2 mercenaries are still nothing/nobody, lorewise. They’re just your regular human fighters. D3 followers, while not Nephalems themselves, fought demons alongside with the hero. Scoundrel might be the weakest, but Templar is basically the next founder of the Templar organization, and Enchantress, as mentioned had special training, from the old era (the time when humans didn’t become weaker I presume).
Not really to me, especially since we don’t even know who the angel even is/was. I mean it wouldn’t be any more impressive if they were trained by some unknown demon (unless said demon was a match for the prime evils). Now if the angel that trained them was an archangel held in the same regard as the Angiris Council and Eirena displayed holy magic on top of arcane magic, that’d be another thing.
Sure, but having greater potential than that of her sisters as well as a destiny of assisting the Nephalem, doesn’t really mean that she herself has powers beyond other mortals.
Diablo 2 act 1 rogues fought back against Andariel’s corruption.
Diablo 2 act 2 Lut Gholein Mercenaries kept the beasts of the desert at bay.
Diablo 2 act 3 Iron Wolves held back against the jungle’s corruption (by Mephisto’s hatred) long enough for Ormus to reapply the seal. Then 20 years later, their members would later fight off Belial’s invasion and help secure the town while the Nephalem fought Belial, and Tyrael even had faith in their ability to fight against the reapers.
Diablo 2 act 5 Barbarians fought against Baal’s armies for weeks without breaking (albeit was also thanks to the barrier placed around the city).
Not to mention that any of these mercenaries would’ve had the chance to join the Diablo 2 hero to engage the prime evils, something that the followers never had the chance of doing lore-wise. As I said, lore-wise, the followers outside of a few instances (like Eirena discovering footsteps or Kormac dispelling Jondar’s corruption) where they could display their capabilities, So in terms of the lore I don’t see how they’d be stronger than the Diablo 2 mercenaries unless as said above Eirena managed to charm the mercenaries.
On the other hand, if there were quests that had them hold off hordes of demons while we did something, then that’d be something worth mentioning.
And the win goes to Eirena. The templar would kill all of them if they moved in on his girl and Lynden would rip everyone off when they were not looking. The victory goed to the D3 followers.
All of this was as an organization though, Tyrael’s praise directed at them as well, not D2 mercenaries as an individual.
I meant that D2 mercenaries are just foot soldiers type, not even some high ranking ones. D3 followers still are. Sure, you can argue that ‘leader, high rank’ doesn’t necessarily mean more powerful than a regular soldier, but when it comes to game, fantasy, lorewise, they tend to be so.
Even if you want to say it was an orginazation, each of them if chosen, could’ve faced everything that the Diablo 2 hero had faced if they were enlisted, which includes facing a prime evil and surviving. Something that the followers never had the chance to do, as Diablo prevented them from doing so.
Considering that killing Blood Raven literally had the rogues give you one of their finest members as a reward, then yes, I’m referring to the lore. Also, the Diablo 2 heroes, weren’t Nephalems, they were normal humans (simply with great powers). Only the Diablo 3 heroes were Nephalems. But that does add the feat of facing the Nephalem spirits as well for the Diablo 2 mercenaries (not much of an achievement in comparison to the D3 followers as they also faced Nephalem spirits in the form of Alaric’s people).
Yes, only Diablo. However for Belial and Azmodan is no greater achievement than the D2 mercenaries, as they also faced 2 lesser Evils. As for Malthael, well he was attuned with death, and only those who were also attuned with death could harm him, which according to the lore as far as I know of, only the Diablo 3 heroes. That said, the followers certainly deserve credit for simply surviving.
Didn’t know that. But then, you’re saying they defeated the 3 Ancients, who were Nephalems? I say Shenanigans! Minus points for D2 lore!
Saw the edit later. Still call bs on the story! Not regarding mercenaries, but regarding the hero.
Not as an individual though. Not face to face either, but I’m pretty sure D3 followers didn’t really face the Evils or the boss Angels face to face as well, lorewise.
I still say D2 mercenaries were just your regular soldier type, with no name basically (not demeaning soldiers irl just to be clear. fiction storywise, credit of the great feat doesn’t really go down to individual soldiers so). Soldiers in Bastion Keep fought against the full invasion from Azmodan, lorewise the best tactician/commander and whatnot. I see D2 mercenaries as those type, not in the level of D3 followers who accompanied the Nephalems in their adventures and feat.
That’s kind of the thing. Neither Followers nor Mercenaries faced any of the battles by their lonesome, they did so at the company of the Diablo 3 and 2 heroes. That said, the fact that they even survived the ordeals they faced are praiseworthy enough, even if they did little damage to the enemy.
Although, I’ll at least admit, that the Diablo 3 followers had more feats achieved than the Diablo 2 mercenaries. However, I wouldn’t even consider Eirena’s feats noteworthy (besides maybe she and her sisters killing their masters who were attempting to summon demons, but were fatally wounded in the process). In fact, I’d say Kormac had more noticable feats then Eirena, considering not only was he brainwashed by his order, but he was also captured and managed to withstand the cultists attempt at corrupting him long enough for the D3 heroes to enter the fray. Then he was able to later reclaim his lost memories, with little to side effects or lasting problems.
Honestly, I’d say in that regard, Kormac had far greater achievements then either Eirena or Lyndon, in terms of mental fortitude that is.
Honestly I don’t see that especially since it’s mentioned that you were given a mercenary by the Rogues. The way I see it is that the Diablo 2 mercenaries were just unsung allies of the Diablo 2 heroes (who also at times are unnamed in the lore, even when folks mention the horrific events in Diablo 2).
I’m completely ignoring the gameplay side of things because the two games work completely different and there’s no equivalence to be made (D3 numbers are inflated as hell compared to D2 numbers, gameplay and combat is completely different, etc).
In terms of playable characters and purely speaking in lore, D3 main characters are built on some dumb protagonism idea of being awakened Nephalems which makes them stronger than all the previous heroes (with the whole nephalem thing). Which is super boring but hey, it’s how the lore is written and whether I like it or not is irrelevant in this discussion.
In terms of mercs, D3 enchantress is the only one who gives the impression of being considerably powerful, I’m not sure about the templar, but I think an act 5 merc from D2 could probably beat the D3 followers except maybe the enchantress, as he’s a proper Barbarian from Harrogath and barbs are notoriously powerful by lore.
In terms of mobs, idk. I think a D2 doll probably beats them all and it’s probably the single strongest Diablo mob of all time, don’t quote me on that :v
In terms of bosses, Duriel is a lesser evil, I think he can solo Ghom and the Butcher no problem. Even though in Diablo 1 the Butcher was pretty terrifying.
Diablo would win should heroes choose to engage each other. PvP is encouraged by the fell demonic forces of prime evil simply because it force eliminates a potential threat/rival.
But, should it happen, the numbers for D3 characters are about a hundred million billion googol greater. That doesn’t mean they’re “better.”
D2 and D3 timelines split by destruction of Worldstone and it’s a rumor of sorts that D2 heroes were Nephalems as well. The trio of Ancients call the heroes trying to follow Baal as Nephalem for example.
Giving the heroes equal equipment, won’t really solve anything either as Diablo 3 hereoes can be invulnerable for short periods of time or go at their uber form with ease and cheat death. Let along by mathcraft side of things, cast of D3 have their skills much more efficient and abundant for offering higher weapon damage efficiency.
I mean, let’s look at D2 Assassiner’s Tiger Strike, one of the highest damage efficient skills in game, at third charge it’s 1440% damage efficiency without the finisher hit added in. D3 Monk, Demon Hunter and Necromancer would still laugh at this pathetic 1440% weapon damage after three hits while their skills are far sustainable.
The leverage point of D2 heroes here perhaps their weapon mastery related abilities to increase their damage and perhaps and crushing blow. Any caster oriented D2 character can not hope to have an equal ground with any D3 character.
.