How Do You Recruit Your Mercenaries In Path Of Exile 3.26? – Mercenary Mechanics Explained
A very new mechanic in POE 3.26 is that you can hire mercenaries just like in Diablo 4. They are a unique enemy in your Mercenaries league, and there is only one mercenary wandering around in each area. You can choose to recruit or exile them.
You will encounter many mercenaries in POE 3.26, but the number of available mercenaries is limited, so you need to think about which mercenaries you want to recruit.
How Does Mercenaries Work?
Each mercenary comes with equipment and a reward pouch containing POE currency or scarab rewards.
Most mercenaries have 6 skills or buffs, and each skill also has support gems to provide effects. Some skills and support gems are unique to the mercenary and cannot be used by the player.
Some mercenaries carry unique items. Mercenaries with Infamous modifier usually have better weapons and equipment, and you have a chance to gain items with Infamous modifier.
Infamous Modifiers:
- Gloves (From Cyaxan): 100% of minion fire damage converted to Chaos damage.
- Belt (From Cyaxan): Minions have a 20% chance to have their skills cool down faster.
- Helmet: For every 2 Fortifications you have, nearby enemies take 1% more physical damage.
- Gloves: You can chain skills with 2 additional times.
You can take Trarthan gems from mercenaries, which can be thought of as skill gems. Unlike skill gems, you can also use Trarthan gems on your mercenaries.
Types Of Mercenaries
Mercenaries can be divided into pure mercenaries and hybrid mercenaries based on their damage type.
Pure mercenaries have a single attribute, and you can replace them with any equipment that contains that attribute. Hybrid mercenaries have two or three attributes. If a hybrid mercenary has Strength and Intelligence attributes, you cannot equip him with any item with Dexterity attribute.
Pure Power Mercenaries
Thrak Gorrak (Striker)
- Vigilant Strike
- Enduring Cry
- Physical Ages
- Heavy Strike
- Vitality
- Vaal Ancestral Warchief
Mamoru Lanu (Eruptor)
- Infernal Cry
- Leap Slam
- Triggerslam
- Tectonic Slam
- Ashen Fissure
- Determination
Rokoro, the Unyielding (Eruptor)
- Infernal Cry
- Leap Slam
- Triggerslam
- Tectonic Slam
- Volcanic Fissure of Snaking
- Molten Shell
Ngatui Rata (Eruptor)
- Infernal Cry
- Leap Slam
- Triggerslam
- Tectonic Slam
- Consecrated Path
- Herald of Ash
Ponunu, the Red Hand (Eruptor)
- Infernal Cry
- Leap Slam
- Triggerslam
- Volcanic Fissure of Snaking
- Ashen Fissure
- Herald of Ash
Zarnok, the Detainer (Infamous Striker)
- Vigilant Strike
- Enduring Cry
- Physical Ages
- Boneshatter
- Molten Shell
- Vitality
Pure Dexterity Mercenaries
Kryssa, the Unrivalled (Sniper)
- Ensnaring Arrow
- Poacher’s Mark
- Barrage of Volley Fire
- Rain of Arrows of Saturation
- Grace
- Haste
Zari, the Unrelenting (Thunderquiver)
- Lightning Arrow
- Greater Lightning Arrow
- Galvanic Arrow
- Blink Arrow
- Precision
Draxa, the Wounding (Flamequiver)
- Burning Arrow
- Alchemist’s Mark
- Vaal Burning Arrow
- Molten Well
- Blink Arrow
- Dash
Pure Intelligent Mercenaries
Lotha Druon (Stormhand)
- Conductivity
- Sigil of Power
- Spark
- Arc
- Flame Dash
- Purity of Lightning
Trartha, the Recluse (Flamehand)
- Flame Wall
- Flammability
- Fireball
- Rolling Magma
- Frostblink
- Flame Aegis
Vysera, the Cyaxan-Made/Vysera, the Cyaxan Assassin (Infamous Reanimator)
- Raise Zombie of Gigantism
- Desecrate
- Summon Skeletons/Summon Raging Spirit
- Bone Offering
- Relic of Binding/Blasphemy
- Enfeeble
- Lightning Warp/Relic of Binding
Hybrid Mercenaries
Voltaire, the Illustrious/Voltaire Baztra (Bastion), Str/Dex
- Shield Crush
- Shield Charge
- Spectral Shield Throw of Trarthus or Prismplate
- Tempest Shield
- Intimidating Cry
- Physical Ages
Alak, the Fraudster (Bladecaster), Dex/Int
- Clutches of the Damned
- Bloody Warp
- Seismic Crush
- Bladefall
- Aspect of the Spider
- Flame Dash
Dryan Prowl-linger (Bladecaster), Dex/Int
- Clutches of the Damned
- Bloody Warp
- Ethereal Knives
- Seismic Crush
- Flame Dash
- Dash
Krale, the Depraved (Winter Deacon), Str/Int
- Frost Shield
- Vaal Glacial Hammer
- Earthquake of Winter
- Glacial Hammer
- Arctic Armour
- Frostblink
Alton Torn (Storming Zealot), Str/Int
- Unnevering Blast
- Wave of Conviction
- Shockwave Totem of Shocking
- Divine Ire
- Flame Dash
- Wrath
Vrakelle, the Silver (Kineticist), Str/Dex/Int
- Elemental Weakness
- Flame Wall
- Greater Kinetic Blast
- Barrage
- Flame Dash
- Haste
Brennak Erazik (Infamous Bastion), Str/Dex
- Shield Crush
- Shield Charge
- Spectral Shield Throw of Trarthus
- Tempest Shield
- Physical Aegis
In addition, there are some mercenaries whose specific skills have not yet been announced.
How To Hire Mercenaries?
When you come to any area where mercenaries are active, you have three options.
- Hire: Leave gold to challenge the mercenary. If you win, he will accept your hire. If you lose, you will lose your gold (you cannot hire a mercenary 20 levels higher than you, and you can only hire 3 at most).
- Challenge: If you want to get the mercenary’s items or reward pouch, you can challenge the mercenary directly. After defeating him, he will leave the items or PoE orbs and leave.
- Exile: After you challenge and defeat the mercenary, you can choose to exile him. In the next 10 mercenaries, you will not encounter mercenaries with this attribute again.
Each time you challenge a mercenary, the difficulty will increase, but the reward will also be better.
Although each mercenary has default equipment, you can manually change their weapons, armor, etc. Mercenaries will not automatically equip items. If you remove his weapons, he will remain empty-handed.
You can buy POE currency and then replace them with a set of the best equipment, so that they can act as tanks or ranged output to cooperate with you in battle. But if you plan to fire a mercenary, remember to recycle his non-default equipment first, otherwise he will disappear with your equipment.
When you bring mercenaries into battle, the difficulty of monsters and the loot dropped will be slightly increased, but it will not affect the monster’s stun or abnormal status threshold.
Mercenaries are one of the most important mechanisms in 3.26. It allows single players to pass all campaigns more smoothly and accumulate more currency. Choosing a mercenary who can complement you can speed up your clearance.