Up until now,Diablo 4has been missing out on one of the series' past features that would give players the ability to have a companion along to help in the fight to save Sanctuary. Now, four new mercenaries from the Pale Hand are available to unlock in theVessel of Hatredexpansion with unique lore and quests behind them. Each one has specific abilities, which can be leveled up as they accompany the Wanderer across Nahantu, and can even bring valuable rewards.
TheVessel of Hatredexpansion, brings many incredible features toDiablo 4, including a Spiritborn class and opening up the Nahantu region with a storyline that picks up from the end ofDiablo 4’s main campaign.Mercenaries will be unlocked fairly early on in the DLC’s story, with Raheir being the first available.
There aretwo types of Mercenary that players can hire: Primary and Reinforcement. Any of the mercs can fill either role, with Primary meaning they are a constant companion, and Reinforcement has the mercenary come into battle to do a specific ability when a trigger happens. This can be set to happen whenever the player is injured, a certain attack is used, or other options.
The other three can be found in any order, with each having their own initial questlines to unlock them.
Raheir: The Shieldbearer
Tank Mercenary With Defensive Support
Players meet Raheir very early on inVessel of Hatred, andhe plays an important role in the initial narrative before Mercenaries are unlocked with the Den.It is Raheir who helps bring the Pale Hand Mercenaries back together, through the help of the player, providing much of the backstory of where they came from. Raheir, like many in Sanctuary, has a tough background with many trials in his life, but rather than becoming filled with hate, he chooses to become a force for good and devote his life to helping others, particularly children.
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Raheir offers players a strong defensive role of a tankas a companion. Each of his skills are focused on protecting by taunting enemies and providing crowd control. Some of his abilities can also offer damage reduction and armor. He is an ideal companion for players whose characters are weaker,such as the Sorcerer.
When assigned as a Primary Mercenary companion, Raheir offers the Mercenary Perk of Valiance, which states that “When you would be damaged for at least 15% of your current Life at once, Raheir comes to your aid to negate the damage, Knock Down Close enemies for 2 seconds, and grant you Unstoppable for 0.5 seconds.”
Subo: The Bounty Hunter
Archer Mercenary Dealing Long-Range Damage
As his name implies, Subo is a Bounty Hunter, although he once was a very respected and trusted archer in the mountains who many had looked to for salvation. Though disgraced, his connection and friendship with Raheir is strong and he is a welcome sight at the Den.
Subo is designed in a way that he can work well with most player character builds, offering ranged AoE attacks and providing buffs. His distance attacks make it easy to have him follow around as a Primary Mercenary without getting in the way at all. Additionally, Subo’s Mercenary Perk, known as Seeker, can be very helpful in questing and traveling. A passive ability, Seeker makes all enemies and materials in the area be revealed on the minimap for players to easily see what is around them.
Varyana: The Berserker Crone
Berserker Mercenary Specializing In Close-Range Combat
Varyana was a member of the cannibals inDiablo 4, but left her tribe when the leader began to direct the group to engage in darker forces. She has instead turned her cannibalistic and bloodthirsty past into becoming a butcher by trade. Her initial story is an interesting one as she explains some of her beliefs to the Wanderer.
This cannibal-turned-butcher is a surprisingly well-rounded Mercenary, offering a bit of everything for a player. Ultimately, she is best suited for close-range combat and is best when faced with large hordes, as her killstreaks will allow her to get stronger with each kill. Varyana’s Mercenary Perk comes from that, with her Massacre perk allowing the player and Varyana to stack Massacre together on kills. Meeting certain thresholds grants additional Movement Speed buffs for a short time.
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For players who also deal in close-range combat, Varyana can be a bit frustrating at times when she uses a gripping ability to pull enemies into her melee range, which sometimes takes them away from the player.
Aldkin: The Cursed Child
Half-Demon Shadow And Fire Caster Mercenary
Aldkin is perhaps the most controversial of Mercenaries inDiablo 4, because he is a child.This half-demon has the most heart-wrenching of introductory storylines, and after he is brought to the Den it can be a bit difficult from a roleplay standpoint for some players to take Aldkin along to battle. This poor young boy is the victim of dark rituals that were performed on his mother, yet, despite the demon inside him, he acts and talks much like an abandoned child.
As a Primary Mercenary, his Mercenary Perk is not quite as useful due to coming with an added curse, but overall, his powers can be very useful in fighting off Mephisto’s growing influence. Aldkins demonic side allows him to not only deal fire damage but shapeshift into a demon with many terrifying skills. His AoE damage can be impressive, as well as his ability to make many opponents vulnerable. If a player doesn’t mind the idea of bringing a child into battle, albeit a cursed demon child, Aldkin can be one of the strongest Mercenaries inDiablo 4.
