Alright folks, let’s talk shop. Been diving deep into Act 2 merc weapons in Diablo 2 again. Specifically, polearms. Everyone’s always yellin’ about what’s “best,” so I figured I’d just grab the damn things and see for myself. No fancy theories, just swinging steel.
First, The Gear Hunt
Thing is, polearms need bases. And runes. Man, the farming. Spent hours yesterday just trashing through Nightmare Cows trying to get myself a decent Thresher base. RNG wasn’t messing around. Finally snagged one with 4 sockets. Small victory! Had the runes ready for Insight – those Tal, Tir, Sol, Amn things rattling around in the stash weren’t doing nobody any good sittin’ there.
The Obvious Choice: Insight
Okay, first up – Insight. Everyone loves this thing. Slapped those runes into my new Thresher like slappin’ butter on toast. Why? That Meditation aura! Holy moly, the mana regen. Suddenly my Sorc was laughin’, spamming spells like it was goin’ outta style. Felt amazing. But…
Big But: Damage? Eh. It felt kinda… meh. Against tougher Nightmare packs, my merc was whackin’ away like he was trying to kill a brick wall with a wet noodle. Yeah, I got my mana back fast, but he wasn’t exactly putting things down quick. Found myself babysitting him with healing potions more than I liked.
Okay, Need More Oomph: Obedience
Right, so felt the damage drought. Needed some real whack. Enter Obedience. Runewise? Tough. Fal, Um, Pul, those ain’t cheap or common early on. Had to trade my soul for an Um rune, practically. Found an Eth Cryptic Axe base – finally! – and shoved those runes in. Gulped hard, Pul rune ain’t small potatoes.
First swing? Different story. That Crushing Blow… oh mama. Watching bosses like Duriel suddenly chunk health away? Satisfying as heck. Freezes target sometimes too? Nice bonus. That 40% Enhanced Damage plus the big resist boost? Merc felt WAY tougher. Held his own. Downside? No more free mana. My Sorc felt thirsty again. Had to manage my potions like before. Trade-offs, man.
The Rich Uncle Option: Tomb Reaver
Alright, so I gotta try Tomb Reaver. Saw one drop earlier this week. Big, fancy-looking thing. Slapped three Perfect Skulls in it. Gotta look the part, right? Stats are mad: attack speed, life leech, huge damage, resist all, MF… reads like a dream. But here’s the rub: It felt… clunky. Maybe it was my merc’s attack speed breakpoint? Dunno. It looked slow. Damage was okay, leech kept him alive alright. But honestly? Without those extra sockets perfectly gemmed just right, wasn’t blowin’ my hair back. Plus, finding it? Forget it. Takes forever. Good? Yeah. Worth grinding days for over something like Obedience? …Not convinced.
So What’s Better? My 2 Cents
- Insight: Get this early. Early mana regen is life-changing for casters. Sacrifice merc damage for your own freedom. Worth it at first.
- Obedience: When your merc needs to be more than just a mana battery. Huge damage spike, Crushing Blown is brutal boss-killer. Prepare to chug blues tho.
- Tomb Reaver: Cool trophy item. If you find it and got sick jewels, great. But farming specifically for it? Overhyped grind trap in my book.
Bottom line? Insight keeps you alive through mana. Obedience keeps your merc alive and crushin’ skulls. Tomb Reaver? Bragging rights mostly, for me. Ended up stickin’ with Obedience in my setup most of the time. More fun watching things explode. Mana potions are cheap. Merc dying constantly? Ain’t cheap on your nerves. Try ’em yourselves, see what feels better swingin’!