With the introduction of Mercenaries in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, solo players and multiplayer adventurers alike have gained access to a new strategic element that enriches the gameplay experience. Unlike the hired hands of Diablo 2, Mercenaries in Diablo 4 are pre-established characters with their own unique abilities, skill trees, and utility effects. Whether you are playing solo and Diablo IV Items need an extra hand or you're looking for a powerful reinforcement in multiplayer, Mercenaries offer a layer of depth and versatility that can significantly impact your strategy.

In this guide, we'll explore everything you need to know about Mercenaries in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, from how they work to how you can unlock and utilize them to their fullest potential.

What Are Mercenaries in Diablo 4?

Mercenaries are NPC companions that can join you during your adventures in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred. They can be hired as full-time party members or enlisted as reinforcements to assist you in battle under specific conditions. Whether you’re navigating the campaign solo or playing with friends, these Mercenaries offer both offensive and utility support, depending on the character's abilities and skill tree.

Mercenaries are different from those in previous Diablo games like Diablo 2 in that they are pre-established characters with fully fleshed-out personalities, skill sets, and backstories. This means that each Mercenary has a unique playstyle and can bring a variety of strengths to your party, whether you’re running through the Vessel of Hatred campaign or tackling endgame content.

Types of Mercenaries

Mercenaries in Diablo 4 come in two forms:

Hired Mercenaries:

A hired Mercenary accompanies you during solo play as a permanent party member.

These Mercenaries use their entire skill set and passive abilities while supporting you in combat.

They can be fully customized with a dedicated skill tree and passive effects.

Reinforcements:

A reinforcement Mercenary appears during combat in multiplayer, triggered by specific conditions that you set ahead of time.

You may only have one hired Mercenary and one reinforcement Mercenary active at any given time.

Reinforcements only use one skill, and they will disappear after activating their ability, returning to the ether until their cooldown resets.

You’ll interact with these Mercenaries primarily through The Den, an isolated hub area where you can manage your hired companions, modify their skill trees, and reconfigure their reinforcement abilities.

How to Hire and Manage Mercenaries

Hiring a Mercenary in Diablo 4 is a simple process, but requires you to progress through the Vessel of Hatred campaign to unlock your first companion.

Unlocking Mercenaries:

Raheir is the first Mercenary you will encounter during the campaign and will unlock as part of the main storyline. After recruiting Raheir, you can access the Mercenary menu and The Den, where you’ll be able to recruit more companions.

The remaining three Mercenaries are unlocked as you progress further in the campaign:

Aldkin is unlocked during the "Nameless Mystery" mission.

Varyana becomes available after completing the "Slayer's Retribution" mission.

Subo is unlocked during the "A Feather on the Scale" quest.

Hiring and Enlisting:

You can hire a Mercenary directly in The Den, where they will join you as a full-time companion for solo play. Alternatively, you can enlist them as a reinforcement, meaning they will only appear when specific conditions are met during combat.

Once hired, your Mercenary will be available for use in solo play. If you opt for a reinforcement, you can select the Mercenary's activation condition, which determines when they will appear during combat. Common triggers include:

Casting a specific skill.

Casting any skill in combat.

Becoming crowd controlled.

Taking 30%+ damage from a single hit.

Mercenary Menu:

The Mercenary menu (accessible by pressing Shift + S on PC) allows you to manage your hired Mercenaries and reinforcements without needing to revisit The Den. In this menu, you can configure the Mercenary’s skills and set up their reinforcement triggers.

While the menu allows you to respec skill trees, it’s important to note that switching out Mercenaries entirely requires a trip back to The Den.

Mercenary Skill Trees

Each Mercenary in Diablo 4 comes with a unique skill tree that unlocks as the Mercenary gains experience through combat. These skill trees are fixed paths — if you choose one branch, you cannot switch to another. However, you are free to respec your Mercenary’s skill tree at any time without any cost in terms of gold or resources.

Skill Tree Features:

Each Mercenary starts with a set of passive effects that can be improved as you progress through their skill tree.

Mercenaries also have access to six abilities, but only two of these can be active at any given time. These abilities must be selected carefully, as they can drastically change the dynamic of your playstyle.

Rapport System for Skill Points:

To unlock new skills and passives, you must build Rapport with each Mercenary. Rapport is a reputation system that functions similarly to seasonal vendors in the game.

As you progress through the game with your Mercenary in your party, you will earn Rapport points, which can be spent to unlock new abilities and augment their passive effects.

The first four Rapport ranks grant skill points, which can be used to allocate to your Mercenary’s abilities. Once you reach higher Rapport levels, you will unlock additional perks and bonuses.

Maxing out Rapport:

Rapport ranks go up to Rank 8, with each rank providing a tangible reward, including skill points and new abilities.

Achieving max Rapport with a Mercenary also unlocks their bartering abilities, allowing you to trade Pale Marks for valuable items in The Den.

Reinforcement Mercenaries

While hired Mercenaries are permanent party members, Reinforcements offer a more flexible and situational advantage. Reinforcements are not active members of your party but are instead summoned during combat when certain conditions are met.

Reinforcement Triggers:

You can set various conditions for when a reinforcement will appear. Some common triggers include:

Casting a specific skill.

Using any skill while in combat.

Being crowd-controlled.

Taking significant damage (e.g., 30% or more of your HP in one hit).

Reinforcement Skills:

Once summoned, the Mercenary will use a powerful skill of your choice from their skill tree and then disappear. These skills are powerful but have a cooldown, which can be reduced using specific Legendary Aspects.

Unlike hired Mercenaries, reinforcement skills do not benefit from the Mercenary’s passive abilities.

Mercenary Rapport and Bartering

Building Rapport with your Mercenaries not only enhances their performance but also unlocks the ability to barter with Pale Marks, a special currency that you earn by increasing Rapport levels.

The Bartering System:

Fayira, the vendor in The Den, sells various items for Pale Marks, including loot caches and other valuable items. The vendor's inventory refreshes daily, but you can reset her stock by spending 50 Pale Marks for each additional reroll after the first free reset.

As you raise your Mercenaries’ Rapport, their bartering abilities improve, granting access to better items and more loot caches.

Rapport Rewards:

Each Mercenary has their own set of upgrades for bartering. By reaching higher Rapport ranks, you unlock better inventory options at Fayira's shop. At Rank 8, you can access the best rewards, which often include powerful loot and rare crafting materials.

Conclusion

Mercenaries in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred offer a dynamic and powerful addition to the gameplay, enriching the experience for both solo players and multiplayer groups. Whether you’re looking for an extra hand in battle or a tactical reinforcement to change the tide of a fight, these companions provide invaluable utility, offensive power, and versatility.

By unlocking and building Rapport with each Mercenary, you can tailor your party’s composition to your playstyle, unlocking unique skills and gaining access to valuable rewards. The Diablo 4 Mercenary system adds a new layer of depth to the game, offering countless opportunities for experimentation and strategy. Whether you're a lone wanderer or part of buy Diablo IV Gold a larger group, your Mercenaries are sure to become essential allies in your battle against the forces of Hell.