[3.29] Captainlance9's Luminary Merc Bot

Guide Updates Disclaimer

• Given mercenary are being re-added to the game there are still some uncertainties and things that cannot be tested prior to the launch of the league. I will be league starting this and fleshing out the guide with everything I learn while also optimizing an endgame setup.

Non Ideal Mercs / Brick Scenarios

• Mercs unlisted can still be solid placeholders, just swap to ideal options when you find them.
• Brutality Support links can BRICK damage
• Deadly Ailments(less damage with hits) can lower damage
• Movement Skills Mess up AI of the Mercs, cooldown movements are usable but something to upgrade out of when you can

Leveling Plan

• Act 1 = Spectral Throw
• • Requires Least amount of swaps
  • 3L = Spectral Throw + Volley Support + Chance to Bleed Support / Faster Attacks Support
  • good damage in act 1 / early act 2 when paired w/ Decoy Totem + Sniper's Mark
• Act 2 = Righteous Fire Swap ~ Lvl 18ish
• • Highest overlap with Flame Link support tree for playing as merc bot
  • works well for early campaign
  • REQUIRES BENCH crafting fire res on every available suffix + ruby rings to swap too
  • REQUIRES transmutes (get these by selling magic/rare items unid / only id items that could be potential upgrades for weak slots)
  • Righteous Fire - Elemental Focus Support - Efficacy Support - Burning Damage Support
  • Scorching Ray - Infused Channelling Support - Efficacy Support - Arcane Surge Support
• Act 3 = Get Luminary ascendancy & Hire first Permanent Mercenary
• • Refer Merc Options listed below for recommend mercs to look for
  • Act 3 sceptre of god zone has first guaranteed merc spawn (maybe resettable, not confirmed)
• Act 4 = Get Flame Link
• • Consider using Lifetap Support to solve cost, may require additional fire res / regen on gear.
• Act 5-10 = Righteous Fire -> Full Merc Bot
• • Righteous Fire is there to bridge gap between full on merc bot and needing some supplemental damage if rng gives bad merc ect.
  • Once the merc starts to be able to deal acceptable damage begin transitioning away from righteous fire

Ascendancy

• Normal Lab = Noble Blood - Mandatory to be able to hire a mercenary
• • Act 3 Sceptre of God has guaranteed merc spawn, dont overthink resetting till perfect merc, just use the first halfway decent one as there are more guaranteed spawns later in game (act 4 Grand Arena / Act 6 The Ridge / Act 8 Underbelly)
• Cruel Lab = Oath of Fealty - Giga QoL for permanent link uptime only needing to cast at the start of zones + half cost link skill
• Merc Lab = Golden Glory - Massive Flat Damage scaling for Flame link that incentivizes "%increased light radius" investment
• Uber Lab = Unique Ring + Unique Amulet - Enmity's Embrace + The Untouched Soul + The Taming will essentially x4 the damage of most attack based mercs

Ideal Merc Options

• AVOID Movement Skills on MERCS at all costs
• DISCLAIMER: ziggyd's footage shows mercenaries have some skills added that weren't there before, so most likely some skills / supports have changed. I will be testing new stuff to find best options
• Kineticist
• • BiS Clear Merc
  • Kinetic Blast of Clustering - Multiple Projectiles Support - Returning Projectiles Support - Clear Support(pierce/chain/ect)
  • do NOT get Kinetic Bolt - this will brick merc ai to not use clustering properly
  • Buff Skills: Haste / Inspiring Cry
• Manyshot
• • Good Clear / Single Target
  • Ice Shot - Multiple Projectiles Support - Returning Projectiles Support - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support
  • Vaal Ice Shot(single target needed) - Returning Projectiles Support - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - Cooldown Recovery Support
  • AVOID "icicle rain" this skill does bad damage and interrupts vaal ice shot from occurring properly
  • Buff Skills: Grace / Hatred / Frost Bomb
• Bladebitter
• • Single Target Merc w/ armour stack angle
  • Profane Strike(purple Molten Strike) - Multiple Projectiles Support - Faster Attacks Support
  • Buff Skills: Grace / Malevolence / Withering Step
• Smoulderstrike
• • Single Target Merc w/ armour stack angle
  • Molten Strike - Multiple Projectiles Support - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - Gilded Molten Eruption III(5 extra proj every 5th attack)
  • Buff Skills: Anger / Molten Shell
• Blade Ambusher
• • Good Bossing / Single Target Merc
  • Spectral Helix of Trarthus - Multiple Traps Support - Trap and Mine Damage Support - Slower Projectiles Support
  • Buff Skills: Grace / Summon Skitterbots
• Combatant
• • Good All rounder / Starter Merc (better clear option as armour stack setup late game)
  • Static Strike - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - More Duration Support - Chain Support
  • Frost Blades - Returning Projectiles Support - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - Chain Support/
  • Buff Skills: Wrath / Purity of Ice

Aura Effect vs Flame Link Scaling

• Flame link dwarfs aura scaling in terms of base damage given to mercenary early. Therefore we have a tree heavilly prioritizing flame link buff effect and base # via life scaling.
• Aura effect scaling becomes much more important in giga late game setups like properly supporting an armour stack mercernary but this is just not too relevant for league start setups.

Animate Guardian / Spectres

Both Animate Guardian & Spectres are some fairly low cost additional power for the build if we can spare the gem sockets, not mandatory but good to include for some extra power.

• Animate Guardian
• • Additional Ailment via Transfer-attuned Spirit Shield / Legacy of Fury
  • Extra damage scaling w/ items like Leer Cast / Crown of the Tyrant / Kingmaker / Glimpse of Chaos (Malediction)
  • Exposure / Intimidate via Rare glove eldritch mods
  • survivability can be increased via items like Doppelgänger Guise / Block rolls on shield / regen from enduring cry / resistance cap
• Raise Spectre
• • a temporary source of onslaught while you have extra gem slots available via the "warcaller" found in act 6 "karui fortress" to the left of tukohama fight in middle of lake where tattoo drops
  • frenzy charge generation via "stygian silverback" act 2 riverways OR "carnage chieftain" act 7 ashen fields
  • Later on "forest Warrior" = perma onslaught/cull / "perfect guardian turtle(5pdr + Determination) / perfect warlord(endurance generation)"

Useful Tech

• Pyre Support can be added to an attack like shield charge to proc cover enemy in ash for 20% increased damage taken when you can afford the gem socket space(shout zerothepeopleschamp)
• Eldritch implicits with "pinnacle" work for animate guardian / merc and are much stronger
• • body armour: Frenzy gain ever x second pinnacle (shout out Oscrix)
  • boots: action speed pinnacle
  • gloves: rage on hit / fire leech / additional strikes(strike skill mercs) pinnacle
• "Rotmother's Mutiny" pearlescent amulet is an insane amulet for build, definitely a premium upgrade to consider for its high light radius and chaos resistance + max res stats

Videos

• Build Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5RWEyNW_DU
• Leveling Plan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNeTIMbxqco
• Luminary Basics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-jJT6Z9-ZU
• Merc Gloves / Boots Crafting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuPexMx1aZM
• Player Char Rings / Shield / Belt crafting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx1dcQNQfDc
• Day 1 Update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvpA2ALdC_M
• Day 2 (damage) Update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnFcggxyGBI
• Day 3 (tank) Update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twqpWPuceSM
• Day 4 (crit) Update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Daj-ruVmXU
• Day 5/6 Tank + QoL optimizations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyTtVRPzFQg

FAQ

• Bandits? Kraityn(speed) / Kill All(+1 passive best late game power)
• Where to find mercs? Act 3 Sceptre of God / Act 4 Grand Arena / Act 6 the Ridge / Act 8 Underbelly(small grate underground passage can be found in "grain gate" or "the bath house" zones)
• When to swap out of RF (I swapped roughly in act 6 when rf started to be too much degen and I could buy all supports / skills needed from lily)
• What Spectres? Carnage Chieftain(frenzy gen found in act 7 ashen fields) / Warcaller (onslaught for allies found in act 6 Karui Fortress to the left of tukohama where tattoo drops)
• Best ways to Improve Damage?
• • The Merc is the key, a bad merc and a good merc can be a massive power difference with good skills/supports
  • Third Lab = Light radius is king, get it on every gear piece as recommended through the buylist (rings/helmet/weapon)
  • Attack Speed / %increased elemental damage / Accuracy / (Flat Ele damage on merc gear is very important early but much less useful outside of campaign when flamelink gets more support from merc lab and gear)
• Pantheons? Lunaris + Ralakesh
• Many Shot Links: Vaal Ice Shot is the single target skill and this is priority for Returning Projectiles Support while regular Ice Shot is for clear and should prioritize Greater Multiple Projectiles Support

Play style consists of casting Flame Link once at the start of each zone on your mercernary; then simply shield charge around as the merc unleashes havoc upon monsters as you shield charge by. The only additionally effort would be using Enduring Cry to add to proc regen / endurance charges when needed. Then for single target on bosses placing Stormblast Mine , casting Assassin's Mark and proccing Battlemage's Cry will greatly enhance the mercs damage output when needed for single target.