background: I keep forgetting to level so I haven't bought the last few expacs yet, so I haven't firsthand used mercs. I have grouped significantly with my brother and his mercs though.
Question, well a couple of questions amid some comments:
So in what contexts are people finding mercs essential?
I mean, I have been playing a necro mostly in my sporadic play the past few years. I don't see mercs doing much at all for me, aside from maybe a boss fight I otherwise might not attempt?
I see people running them in the Tutorial which makes me laugh just because a couple of hp items and a few spike pots and I am done the tutorial in a short night no matter the class. I suppose if you got the option, might as well use it...
My brother relies on his cleric merc to let him molo on his bard (he likes tanking in hotzones). I can see classes that used to be brutal to solo level (warrior, rogue, cleric, etc.) benefitting of course.
I read a fair bit of forum stuff, so I've seen lots of comments on "switching to this type of merc at X level" and so on.
What class/merc & level combos do other alla posters recommend? I curious at differences of opinion here to be honest.
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Ranger cleric merc. I have seen some lower level (under 70) ranger tank mercs.
My shaman used to use a cleric merc, but going to a tank merc was a better choice.
Rogue cleric merc works at level 50 t0 60. Havent leveled anymore.
My Paladin uses a cleric merc, and my cleric uses a tank.
My shaman used to use a cleric merc, but going to a tank merc was a better choice.
Rogue cleric merc works at level 50 t0 60. Havent leveled anymore.
My Paladin uses a cleric merc, and my cleric uses a tank.
I use mercs whenever I can. When on Drinal, I 2-box a druid, beastlord combo with a cleric and tank merc. Great 4-some there, and it allows me to do a lot of things I couldn't without them. I did all the quests for the shield (one more to go). Also ran the quests for the TBS augment a while back. Basically, ready to go group, and I'm on my way. Not waiting for anyone else to log in or begging people to join me.
I haven't found any content that absolutely requires mercs, given you have the minimum number of real players and appropriate classes. That being said, it depends on the real player's classes. Definitely by SoD, if not earlier, if you don't have both a real tank and real healer, you will need a merc for those missing roles. To help explain, I'll list my usual transitions.
Level 1-50+: Grab a J1 tank merc. If boxing, add in an App5 melee merc or anther J1 tank, depending on classes. If I played much casters (been thinking of 2 mages), I'd probably go with 1 tank and 1 App5 caster.
Somewhere between 55 and 65, I switch to one of the mercs to a J1 cleric. It depends on the real toon's classes. For a tank, I go with a clr. For melee dps, I go with either a rog, tank or clr, depending on whether I will be primarily boxing or not, and if boxing, what the group needs. Molo, it's generally a clr. For healers, I keep the tank. For casters, it depends mostly on what the groups I'm in needs (I don't play many casters though, and mostly to box when I do).
Generally, around 70-75, I start working on the Oceangreen progression to get Void B and Tier 2 mercs, as that theme is pretty doable by then if boxing with mercs, and upgrade when finished, if still in the 70s. If in the 80s by the time, I finish, I look for getting in on Warrens progression or doing the harder arcs myself, as well as doing any open raids (much faster progression doing successful raids). The goal is to get T5 and Void E or higher by 85. I don't have UF or HoT, so can't give really good advise on mercs in those expansions or post 85.
Getting a merc at 1st level is good for a couple of reasons: 1) It's free; 2) They level up with you for a reasonable amount even if you aren't using them; 3) tank mercs are severely twinked (other than dps) at lower levels [In comparison to real twinked War, the real one will be slightly better if it has good worn regen and descent or better dps weapons, and alot better aggro-wise with good procs (1 blade of carnage will out do a merc till 50+ for both dps and aggro)].
Clr mercs are not effective until the 40s when they get Complete Heal. Until then they burn up mana fast, especially trying to keep buffs up, and have low heals. Even to the 20s, heal potions are way better than a clr, as they will burn up all of their mana just keeping buffs up. I've heard caster mercs have a similar problem keeping mana up at low levels without crack.
At higher levels clr mercs are effective. They're not as efficient nor as responsive as an attentive real cleric, but still adequate and attentive. My real clerics, eventhough under geared comparatively (I keep mana regen and heal foci good, but have less ac, hp, and mana than merc ones), I have better aggro control, waste much less mana, and can respond faster to situational changes, as well as adding in some dps, especially vs undead, but even reverse ds on most mobs, unless healing times require chain heals. A very good Dru or Shm will out do a clr merc, assuming they have descent mana regen and foci to compensate for the Clr's more efficient heals. I really wish the clr mercs had toggles for reverse ds and stuns. Mercs not RDSing nor Stunning is a major draw back compared to a real cleric, as well as not casting lower level buffs.
There are some tactics you can use to get better control and response, as well as counteract low confidence (keep them from running away) with mercs. These tactics should be listed somewhere, and as I'm hungry, I'll not repost them atm. I may come back and edit them in later, after I get some breakfast! :)
Yther Ore.
Level 1-50+: Grab a J1 tank merc. If boxing, add in an App5 melee merc or anther J1 tank, depending on classes. If I played much casters (been thinking of 2 mages), I'd probably go with 1 tank and 1 App5 caster.
Somewhere between 55 and 65, I switch to one of the mercs to a J1 cleric. It depends on the real toon's classes. For a tank, I go with a clr. For melee dps, I go with either a rog, tank or clr, depending on whether I will be primarily boxing or not, and if boxing, what the group needs. Molo, it's generally a clr. For healers, I keep the tank. For casters, it depends mostly on what the groups I'm in needs (I don't play many casters though, and mostly to box when I do).
Generally, around 70-75, I start working on the Oceangreen progression to get Void B and Tier 2 mercs, as that theme is pretty doable by then if boxing with mercs, and upgrade when finished, if still in the 70s. If in the 80s by the time, I finish, I look for getting in on Warrens progression or doing the harder arcs myself, as well as doing any open raids (much faster progression doing successful raids). The goal is to get T5 and Void E or higher by 85. I don't have UF or HoT, so can't give really good advise on mercs in those expansions or post 85.
Getting a merc at 1st level is good for a couple of reasons: 1) It's free; 2) They level up with you for a reasonable amount even if you aren't using them; 3) tank mercs are severely twinked (other than dps) at lower levels [In comparison to real twinked War, the real one will be slightly better if it has good worn regen and descent or better dps weapons, and alot better aggro-wise with good procs (1 blade of carnage will out do a merc till 50+ for both dps and aggro)].
Clr mercs are not effective until the 40s when they get Complete Heal. Until then they burn up mana fast, especially trying to keep buffs up, and have low heals. Even to the 20s, heal potions are way better than a clr, as they will burn up all of their mana just keeping buffs up. I've heard caster mercs have a similar problem keeping mana up at low levels without crack.
At higher levels clr mercs are effective. They're not as efficient nor as responsive as an attentive real cleric, but still adequate and attentive. My real clerics, eventhough under geared comparatively (I keep mana regen and heal foci good, but have less ac, hp, and mana than merc ones), I have better aggro control, waste much less mana, and can respond faster to situational changes, as well as adding in some dps, especially vs undead, but even reverse ds on most mobs, unless healing times require chain heals. A very good Dru or Shm will out do a clr merc, assuming they have descent mana regen and foci to compensate for the Clr's more efficient heals. I really wish the clr mercs had toggles for reverse ds and stuns. Mercs not RDSing nor Stunning is a major draw back compared to a real cleric, as well as not casting lower level buffs.
There are some tactics you can use to get better control and response, as well as counteract low confidence (keep them from running away) with mercs. These tactics should be listed somewhere, and as I'm hungry, I'll not repost them atm. I may come back and edit them in later, after I get some breakfast! :)
Yther Ore.
Hi snailish :)
This answer from another poster sums up my experience with mercs:
As you know from my previous posts, I recently returned to EQ and and have a very casual play style which is 99.999% soloing. I know nothing about raids, progressions, "J" types of mercs, etc., however I absolutely love having mercs and use them on all my toons. I purchased/hired the highest level tank merc available for each one.
My main is a level 68, soon to ding 69, Druid. Although being one of the best soloing classes, the merc allows me to get experience in half the time it normally would, even with the merc taking half the experience as if it were a "live" partner. I also am almost always mounted on the House of Thule expansion gift of the Topiary Lion. Between the merc and not having to sit to med by being on the lion, I have been amazed at how much faster I can gain experience. Again, remember this is from someone with average equipment who just enjoys casual play so I would imagine people much more skilled in EQ than I could utilize mercs even more efficiently.
The other main advantage for me of using mercs is that when I previously soloed and had especially a tank mob snared/rooted, if that snare wore off I could be dead in no time flat, especially with more than one mob or if an add joined in. Now I don't worry if I get adds because I can root them and be dotting them while my tank plows through the whole bunch. I have experimented with nuking during a fight vs. initially dotting to pull a mob and then keeping my merc healed and have found with my Druid I use much less mana by mainly keeping my merc healed. If there are no potential adds and/or mana preservation isn't an issue, I'll throw in a nuke or two to end the fight sooner and move on.
I have found the same experience of gaining experience much faster plus not having to be concerned with pulling adds on my level 37 Paladin (at the moment I have a tank merc for this toon as well since at this level the Paladin can heal sufficiently), 33 Enchanter, and 25 Druid. The pet classes pretty much have their own group using their pets and mercs.
I've been primarily playing in BoT, PoN, and PoI and have noticed that even two or more "live" players are each using mercs as well. I watched a 58 Cleric and 63 Druid in PoI last night pulling up to 8 tank mobs at a time, then sending in their mercs. I was impressed! (Even though they grabbed a couple of my mobs a couple of times then trained me...lol.)
I would be interested in hearing how or if people are using mercs in high end raids.
This answer from another poster sums up my experience with mercs:
Quote:
...it allows me to do a lot of things I couldn't without them
As you know from my previous posts, I recently returned to EQ and and have a very casual play style which is 99.999% soloing. I know nothing about raids, progressions, "J" types of mercs, etc., however I absolutely love having mercs and use them on all my toons. I purchased/hired the highest level tank merc available for each one.
My main is a level 68, soon to ding 69, Druid. Although being one of the best soloing classes, the merc allows me to get experience in half the time it normally would, even with the merc taking half the experience as if it were a "live" partner. I also am almost always mounted on the House of Thule expansion gift of the Topiary Lion. Between the merc and not having to sit to med by being on the lion, I have been amazed at how much faster I can gain experience. Again, remember this is from someone with average equipment who just enjoys casual play so I would imagine people much more skilled in EQ than I could utilize mercs even more efficiently.
The other main advantage for me of using mercs is that when I previously soloed and had especially a tank mob snared/rooted, if that snare wore off I could be dead in no time flat, especially with more than one mob or if an add joined in. Now I don't worry if I get adds because I can root them and be dotting them while my tank plows through the whole bunch. I have experimented with nuking during a fight vs. initially dotting to pull a mob and then keeping my merc healed and have found with my Druid I use much less mana by mainly keeping my merc healed. If there are no potential adds and/or mana preservation isn't an issue, I'll throw in a nuke or two to end the fight sooner and move on.
I have found the same experience of gaining experience much faster plus not having to be concerned with pulling adds on my level 37 Paladin (at the moment I have a tank merc for this toon as well since at this level the Paladin can heal sufficiently), 33 Enchanter, and 25 Druid. The pet classes pretty much have their own group using their pets and mercs.
I've been primarily playing in BoT, PoN, and PoI and have noticed that even two or more "live" players are each using mercs as well. I watched a 58 Cleric and 63 Druid in PoI last night pulling up to 8 tank mobs at a time, then sending in their mercs. I was impressed! (Even though they grabbed a couple of my mobs a couple of times then trained me...lol.)
I would be interested in hearing how or if people are using mercs in high end raids.
Terrillian Mistfyre
Owner/Operator of The Redhead Express
Intellectually honest, not politically correct
Owner/Operator of The Redhead Express
Intellectually honest, not politically correct
Mercs are automatically suspended when joining a raid, and when entering most raid instances. That being said, if you can zone in with a merc, you can form multiple groups without making a raid and use them that way.
Yther Ore.
Yther Ore.
Thanks, Yther. I'm sure I'll never be part of a raid but was just curious. :)
Terrillian Mistfyre
Owner/Operator of The Redhead Express
Intellectually honest, not politically correct
Owner/Operator of The Redhead Express
Intellectually honest, not politically correct
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