diablo 2 best merc runewords

2025

2 min read 19-12-2024

Diablo II resurrected the action RPG genre, and its sequel, Diablo II: Resurrected, continues to captivate players worldwide. One key aspect of success in Diablo II is effectively utilizing mercenaries. These hired hands provide invaluable support, and equipping them with powerful runewords significantly boosts their effectiveness. This guide explores the best runewords for your mercenaries in each Act, maximizing your overall performance.

Choosing the Right Merc: Act-Specific Considerations

Before diving into runewords, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each mercenary type is crucial. Your choice of mercenary should complement your character build and playstyle.

Act I Rogue (Bowazon): Excellent for ranged characters, offering consistent damage and distraction. Their primary drawback is low survivability.
Act II Defensive Merc (Spear/Melee): High survivability makes them ideal for melee characters. Their defensive abilities help tank hits, buying you crucial time.
Act II Offensive Merc (Might Aura): Provides a substantial damage boost to your party, making them an invaluable addition to almost any build. However, they're fragile.
Act V Barbarian: The Barbarian Merc is an extremely durable option, particularly good for melee builds that need additional crowd control.

Best Runewords for Each Act Mercenary

The ideal runeword depends heavily on your mercenary type and your own character build. However, several consistently top-performing options emerge.

Act I Rogue: Best Runewords

The Act I Rogue's main weakness is survivability. Therefore, runewords that focus on defense and increased damage are preferred.

Infinity: (Ber, Mal, Ber, Ist, Jah) – Provides a powerful conviction aura, reducing enemy resistances drastically. This is generally considered the best runeword for any mercenary, but requires high-runes.
Fortitude: (El, Sol, Dol, Lo, Res) – While requiring significant runes, this runeword provides exceptional defense and damage.
Faith: (Ptopaz, Ral, Sol, Dol, Lum) – A more accessible alternative to Fortitude, this runeword provides a strong defense bonus, but lacks the same overall power.

Act II Defensive Mercenary: Best Runewords

Defensive mercenaries benefit most from runewords boosting their survivability and damage mitigation.

Fortitude: (El, Sol, Dol, Lo, Res) – This remains a top choice, providing exceptional defense and life.
Treachery: (Shael, Thul, Lem) – Offers a high chance to avoid being hit, along with increased attack speed and a decent defense boost.
Pride: (Cham, Sur, Io, Lo) – Offers a strong boost to both defense and attack.

Act II Offensive Mercenary: Best Runewords

Offensive mercenaries should be equipped with runewords that enhance their damage output and survivability.

Infinity: (Ber, Mal, Ber, Ist, Jah) – The ultimate choice for maximizing damage output, but at a high rune cost.
Fortitude: (El, Sol, Dol, Lo, Res) – Provides a balance between increased damage and improved defense.
Andariel's Visage: (Perfect Amethyst, Ist, Eth, Sol, Tal) – Offers great defense while maintaining offensive capabilities.

Act V Barbarian: Best Runewords

The Act V Barbarian benefits from runewords boosting their already high durability and combat capabilities.

Fortitude: (El, Sol, Dol, Lo, Res) - The best overall option for increased defense and durability.
Last Wish: (Jah, Ohm, Ist, Cham, Sur, Lo) – While extremely rune-intensive, this runeword offers top-tier defenses and a considerable damage boost.
Grief: (Eth, Tir, Lo, Mal, Ral, And) – Provides immense damage, especially when combined with a high-strength barbarian.

Conclusion: Finding the Right Merc Runeword for You

Selecting the best merc runeword involves considering several factors: your character build, your mercenary's role, and the availability of runes. While Infinity and Fortitude stand out as top contenders, more accessible alternatives like Treachery, Pride, and Faith offer excellent performance with less investment. Experimentation is key to finding the perfect combination for your Diablo II journey. Remember to choose runewords that align with your overall strategy and playstyle for the most effective mercenary support.