Mercenaries and Reinforcements in Vessel of Hatred introduces a new layer of strategy and gameplay, allowing players to recruit and utilize NPCs to fight alongside them or support them in various ways. Here's a comprehensive guide on what Mercenaries and Reinforcements are, how they work, and how to make the most of these new features.

What Are Mercenaries?

Mercenaries in Diablo 4 are NPC allies you can recruit to accompany you on your adventures. They follow you around in combat and assist you in fighting monsters, clearing dungeons, and taking on difficult bosses.

Unique Abilities and Playstyles: Each Mercenary has its own unique set of abilities, making it useful in different situations. You can choose the one that best complements your character's playstyle.

Mercenary vs Reinforcement: While Mercenaries actively follow you and assist you in combat, Reinforcements are NPCs you can call upon to perform specific actions at key moments during battle. You can switch between the two to maximize your damage output and utility.

How to Unlock Mercenaries

You'll unlock Mercenaries as you progress through the game and complete various quests. Your first Mercenary, Raheir, will be unlocked after completing the main quest, The Hand Remembers the Blade (Act VII).

Rather: Unlocked by completing the quest The Hand Remembers the Blade.

Varyana: Unlocked by completing Slayer's Retribution.

Aldkin: Unlocked by completing A Nameless Mystery.

Subo: Unlocked by completing A Feather on the Scale.

When you unlock a Mercenary, you also unlock a new personal hub area known as The Den. The Den serves as the base of operations for managing your Mercenaries, and it's where you'll recruit and interact with them.

How to Use Mercenaries and Reinforcements

Once you've unlocked your Mercenaries, you can hire one to join you as your companion. Here's how they work:

Mercenaries: Once hired, Mercenaries will follow you everywhere. They will automatically perform their class actions at regular intervals, contributing to your overall effectiveness in combat. They are always by your side and can provide buffs, healing, or direct damage.

Reinforcements: If you already have a Mercenary following you, you can recruit another Mercenary to serve as a Reinforcement. Reinforcements don't follow you around but are instead summoned when needed. You can control what actions they perform, such as:

Combining with your abilities

Reacting to specific conditions, like when you take damage or when enemies become stunned

Timing their actions based on your cooldowns or in reaction to combat events.

Reinforcements are available only at certain times, and their abilities follow cooldowns, so timing is key.

Rapport and How to Gain Rapport

Rapport is a system that governs your relationship with your Mercenaries. The stronger your Rapport with them, the more powerful they become in combat. Here's how it works:

Rapport Ranks: You can increase your Rapport with Mercenaries by keeping them active during your activities and defeating enemies alongside them. Rapport levels up automatically over time, but you can also actively improve it by engaging in Mercenary-related events.

Skill Points and Perks: Each Mercenary gains skill points as you progress through Rapport ranks. These points can be invested in their unique skill trees, enhancing their abilities and effectiveness.

• The first 4 ranks allow you to invest skill points into their tree, increasing their power.

• Ranks past 4 offer other bonuses, like access to Bartering at Rapport Rank 5.

• Pale Marks: Once you reach Rank 10, you can earn Pale Marks, a special currency used in Bartering.

Maxing Rapport: Rapport caps out at Rank 10, but every additional rank after that grants you Pale Marks. These marks can be used to barter for rare and powerful items.

Bartering and Pale Marks

Once you reach Rapport Rank 5 with any Mercenary, you will unlock Bartering. Fayira, Raheir's daughter, will move to your Den and offer a special Bartering service. This allows you to trade Pale Marks for valuable items.

Bartering: This system is similar to a regular merchant but offers a better selection of goods, including Legendary items. You can refresh the item selection once per day for free or purchase additional refreshes using Pale Marks.

Pale Marks: This is the currency used in Bartering. You can earn Pale Marks by increasing your Rapport with your Mercenaries or by completing Mercenary Events scattered throughout Sanctuary. These events are similar to normal world events but feature one of your recruited Mercenaries.

Mercenary Skills and Passives

Each Mercenary has a set of active skills and passive abilities that you can use to enhance your character's build. Here's how they work:

Mercenary Skills: Each Mercenary has a selection of 5 skills to use, one of which is their core skill. You can modify these abilities by selecting passives that enhance them.

Iconic Skills: Each Mercenary has two Iconic Skills per branch. These skills can be further modified with passives that influence how they work, adding additional utility, damage, or support to your combat strategy.

Mercenary Skills Overview

Each Mercenary comes with unique skills and perks. Here's a quick overview of what you can expect from them:

Rather: A versatile Mercenary who can specialize in support abilities, providing buffs, healing, and crowd control.

Varyana: A high-damage Mercenary, great for aggressive playstyles that benefit from powerful offensive abilities.

Aldkin: Focuses on tank-like abilities, capable of absorbing damage and keeping enemies focused on him.

Subo: A more utility-based Mercenary, excelling at summoning minions and controlling the battlefield.

Each Mercenary can be tailored with skill points and passive upgrades, so you can adjust them to fit your playstyle and class synergy.

Conclusion

Mercenaries and Reinforcements in Vessel of Hatred adds an exciting layer of strategy to gameplay. By recruiting the right Mercenaries and building a strong rapport with them, you can unlock powerful abilities and gain access to rare and legendary Diablo 4 items and Diablo 4 gold through Bartering. These features add depth and versatility, giving you new ways to tackle the dangers of Sanctuary.