
They are fairly fragile and must be kept from harm, but can dispense solid artillery support from behind the front lines. (She gives one as a reward for completing the Blood Raven quest, and will hire them after that point, or to any character over level 8.) Rogue mercs are ranged attackers who use bows to attack from a distance. Rogue mercenaries are obtained from Kashya in the Rogue Encampment.

In earlier versions of the game, they were often much lower, and newly hired Mercs had to be leveled up extensively to make them useful and hardy enough to survive, especially when obtained on Hell difficulty. In v1.10+, mercs are all available for hire at levels near those of your character. Mercenaries have inherent stats and bonuses as well, and can survive without quality equipment, though the combat mercs are basically harmless without a good weapon. Mercenaries can be outfitted with weapons (of the appropriate type), body armor, and headgear, and they benefit from most of the same bonuses that your characters enjoy. Players can only use one mercenary at a time, and hiring a new one permanently dismisses the current merc. There are four types of mercenaries, Rogues (Act 1 archers), Town Guards (Act 2 spear carriers), Iron Wolves (Act 3 sorcerers), and Barbarians (Act 5 warriors). See the Mercenary Guide for detailed strategy, skill, equipment, and much more information about Mercs.

While Mercenaries were largely a novelty in early versions of Diablo II, they are substantially upgraded in Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, and can be quite effective when properly equipped and supported.

Mercenaries are NPCs players can hire to fight alongside them.
