What Mercenaries Are in Diablo IV
Mercenaries are NPC companions introduced through the Vessel of Hatred expansion. They are recruited through expansion progression and The Den, their hideout in Nahantu. Once unlocked, they can help your character in combat and provide additional progression through Rapport and Bartering.
Mercenaries Are Combat Companions:
They fight beside you, use skills, apply effects, and help support your build. They are not just cosmetic followers.
Mercenaries Are Tied to Vessel of Hatred Access:
Mercenaries are part of Vessel of Hatred content because The Den is located in Nahantu. Lord of Hatred includes Vessel of Hatred, so players with the correct expansion access can also use the system.
Mercenaries Have Roles:
Each Mercenary has a different role. Raheir is defensive, Varyana is melee damage, Aldkin is magical damage and debuff support, and Subo is ranged utility and marking support.
Mercenaries Have Skill Trees:
You can customize their skills as you increase Rapport. This lets you shape how your companion supports your build.
Mercenaries Do Not Use Gear:
Unlike some companion systems in older Diablo games, Diablo IV Mercenaries are not improved by equipping them with item gear. Their progression comes from Rapport, skill choices, and how you assign them.
Mercenaries Are Best Used With Purpose:
A companion should solve a problem. Choose one for defense, damage, resource support, speed, crowd control, or farming efficiency.
How to Unlock Mercenaries
Mercenaries are unlocked through Vessel of Hatred progression and The Den. Raheir is the first Mercenary players encounter, while the other Mercenaries are recruited through their own questlines.
Start Vessel of Hatred Content:
To access Mercenaries, you need access to Vessel of Hatred content. This means either owning Vessel of Hatred directly or having access through Lord of Hatred editions that include the first expansion.
Unlock The Den:
The Den is the Mercenary hideout in Nahantu. This is where you manage your Mercenaries, assign Primary and Reinforcement companions, barter with Pale Marks, and access related services.
Recruit Raheir First:
Raheir is introduced through the Vessel of Hatred campaign and becomes your first Mercenary option. He is a strong starter companion because his defensive role helps almost every character.
Recruit the Other Mercenaries Through Quests:
Varyana, Aldkin, and Subo are recruited through their own questlines. Completing these gives you more options and lets you use both a Primary Mercenary and a Reinforcement Mercenary.
Alts Benefit After Unlocks:
Once Mercenaries are unlocked on your account state, future characters can benefit much earlier. This makes seasonal alts and new builds smoother after your first unlock path.
Unlock Rule:
Do not ignore Mercenary quests. The more Mercenaries you unlock, the more flexible your character support becomes.
The Den Explained
The Den is the main Mercenary hub. It is where you interact with companions, change assignments, barter with Pale Marks, access services, and manage the companion system.
The Den Is in Nahantu:
The Den is located in the Flayer Jungle area of Nahantu. It becomes an important place for players who use Mercenaries often.
Mercenary Management:
Inside The Den, you can hire a Primary Mercenary, enlist a Reinforcement Mercenary, change assignments, and interact with each Mercenary.
Bartering Vendor:
The Den includes the Bartering vendor, where you spend Pale Marks on gear, caches, and other useful items. As your Rapport increases, Bartering options improve.
Useful Services:
The Den also includes convenient services such as stash access, vendor functions, blacksmith-related access, and Occultist-style support depending on current unlocks.
Why The Den Matters:
The Den turns Mercenaries into more than combat helpers. It connects them to rewards, currency, item farming, and account progression.
The Den Rule:
Visit The Den regularly when leveling Rapport, changing builds, spending Pale Marks, or adjusting Mercenary assignments.
Primary Mercenaries Explained
A Primary Mercenary is your main companion during solo play. This is the Mercenary that follows you in the world, fights beside you, uses selected skills, and provides the strongest companion support.
Primary Mercenaries Help Solo Players Most:
When you are playing solo, your Primary Mercenary can add defense, damage, crowd control, marking, resource help, or utility. This is especially useful for players who do not always group with others.
Primary Mercenaries Use More of Their Kit:
Primary Mercenaries have access to their Perk, Active Skills, and Passive Skills. This makes them much more involved than Reinforcement Mercenaries.
Primary Mercenaries Gain Rapport Faster:
Because they are with you more often, they are usually the fastest way to level a Mercenary’s Rapport.
Primary Mercenaries Do Not Replace Builds:
Your Mercenary helps, but it does not fix a completely broken build. You still need damage, defense, resource flow, and gear.
Primary Mercenary Limitation:
Primary Mercenaries are mainly for solo play. When playing in a group, your full-time Primary companion does not function the same way.
Primary Rule:
Choose your Primary Mercenary based on what your solo build lacks most.
Reinforcement Mercenaries Explained
A Reinforcement Mercenary is a second companion that appears during combat to perform a selected skill when a chosen condition happens. This system is useful because it works as situational support instead of a full-time follower.
Reinforcement Works Differently:
A Reinforcement Mercenary does not follow you constantly. Instead, they appear briefly when a trigger occurs and use a selected ability.
The Trigger Is Called an Opportunity:
You choose the condition that makes the Reinforcement appear. For example, a Reinforcement can be set to trigger when you use a specific skill or when a combat condition happens.
Reinforcement Can Work in Groups:
Unlike Primary Mercenaries, Reinforcement support can be useful even when playing with other players. This makes the system valuable beyond solo play.
Reinforcement Uses One Skill:
The Reinforcement Mercenary is more limited than a Primary. You choose one active skill for them to perform, so the choice should be intentional.
Primary and Reinforcement Must Be Different:
You cannot use the same Mercenary as both your Primary and Reinforcement at the same time. This encourages mixing two companions.
Reinforcement Rule:
Use Reinforcement to cover a specific moment: danger, burst, crowd control, resource recovery, or enemy grouping.
Primary vs Reinforcement: Which Matters More?
Both matter, but they serve different goals. Primary Mercenaries help your general solo gameplay. Reinforcements help with specific moments.
Primary Is Better for Constant Support:
Use your Primary Mercenary to solve consistent problems. If you always need defense, choose Raheir. If you always want faster clear speed, choose Varyana or Subo. If you want extra area damage and debuffs, choose Aldkin.
Reinforcement Is Better for Timing:
Use Reinforcement for a specific trigger. For example, bring in Raheir when you need a defensive save, Varyana when you want enemy grouping or burst, Subo when you want marked-target resource value, or Aldkin when you want extra area damage.
Solo Players Use Both:
Once you have enough Mercenaries unlocked, solo players should use a Primary and a Reinforcement together for the best value.
Group Players Still Use Reinforcement:
Even if your Primary does not stay active in group play, a Reinforcement can still add useful combat support.
Best Setup:
The best setup usually combines one defensive or utility companion with one damage or resource companion.
Choice Rule:
Primary solves your constant weakness. Reinforcement solves your emergency or combo moment.
Rapport Explained
Rapport is your trust and progression level with each Mercenary. As you fight with a Mercenary, use them as a Primary or Reinforcement, and complete Mercenary-related events, their Rapport increases.
Rapport Unlocks Skill Points:
Early Rapport levels grant Mercenary skill points. These let you improve the companion’s skill tree and choose stronger support options.
Rapport Unlocks Rewards:
Higher Rapport levels reward caches, materials, gold, Pale Marks, and other useful items depending on the Mercenary.
Rapport Improves Bartering:
As Rapport grows, the Bartering system in The Den becomes more valuable. Better Rapport means better item and cache access.
Each Mercenary Has 10 Main Rapport Levels:
Each companion has a main Rapport track with rewards. After reaching the top, additional progress can continue rewarding Pale Marks.
Rapport Is Worth Leveling on All Four:
Even if you use only one companion most often, leveling all four gives more rewards and more Bartering value.
Rapport Rule:
Treat Mercenary Rapport like a long-term account progression system, not just companion experience.
Pale Marks Explained
Pale Marks are the currency earned through Mercenary Rapport and related activities. They are spent in The Den through Bartering.
How You Earn Pale Marks:
You earn Pale Marks as you level Rapport and through Mercenary-related activities. Higher Rapport and repeated progress can provide additional currency.
What Pale Marks Buy:
Pale Marks can be used for gear, caches, and Bartering items in The Den. These can support leveling, gearing, crafting, boss preparation, and endgame farming.
Pale Marks Are Shared by Account State:
Pale Marks are shared across characters within the same state, such as Seasonal, Eternal, Hardcore, or non-Hardcore. This helps alts benefit from earlier progress.
Do Not Waste Restocks Early:
Bartering can be refreshed, but restocking costs Pale Marks after free options are used. Do not spend all your currency refreshing unless you know what you need.
Spend Based on Your Goal:
If you need gear, use Pale Marks on items that match your build. If you need materials, focus on caches that support crafting, Masterworking, boss summoning, or other goals.
Pale Mark Rule:
Pale Marks are best spent when you know what your character needs next.
Bartering Explained
Bartering is the Mercenary reward shop system inside The Den. It lets you trade Pale Marks for items and caches.
Bartering Unlocks Through Rapport:
Bartering becomes available after reaching a certain Rapport milestone with a Mercenary. Once opened, it becomes an important reward system for your account state.
Bartering Offers Gear:
The vendor can offer Legendary items. Item types and reward options improve as your Mercenary Rapport increases.
Bartering Offers Caches:
Caches can contain gear, materials, boss summoning materials, Masterworking materials, gems, runes, and other useful rewards depending on Mercenary progression.
Each Mercenary Supports Different Reward Types:
Raheir is connected to armor and defensive-style rewards. Varyana is connected to weapons and offensive farming value. Subo is connected to amulets and boss material value. Aldkin is connected to rings and resource or augmentation value.
Restocking Costs Currency:
You can refresh the vendor, but repeated restocks cost Pale Marks. This can be useful when looking for a specific item type, but it can also waste currency.
Bartering Rule:
Use Bartering to support your build’s next upgrade, not just to buy random items.
Raheir the Shieldbearer
Raheir is the defensive Mercenary. He is trained by the Iron Wolves, fights with a large shield, and specializes in protection, armor, barriers, crowd control, taunts, and emergency saves.
Best Role:
Raheir is best as a tank and defensive support companion. He is excellent for fragile builds, new players, and anyone pushing content where survival is the main issue.
Why Raheir Helps:
Raheir can reduce danger by blocking, controlling enemies, protecting the player, granting defensive value, and providing an emergency response when the player takes a large hit.
Primary Perk Value:
As a Primary Mercenary, Raheir’s defensive perk can save you from a heavy hit, knock down nearby enemies, and briefly help you recover from danger. This makes him one of the safest companions.
Best Builds With Raheir:
Raheir is great for Sorcerer, Rogue, Warlock, Spiritborn, Necromancer, and any build that deals strong damage but lacks safety. He is also useful for aggressive melee players who overextend.
Best Activities With Raheir:
Raheir is strong in bosses, The Pit, Nightmare Dungeons, high Torment, dangerous Helltides, and early endgame when your gear is not stable.
Raheir Weakness:
Raheir is not usually chosen for maximum farming speed. If your build already survives easily, another Mercenary may improve speed or damage more.
Raheir Rule:
Choose Raheir when dying is your biggest problem.
Varyana the Berserker Crone
Varyana is an aggressive melee Mercenary. She fights at close range, thrives on killstreak momentum, and supports fast combat with physical pressure, pulls, crowd control, attack speed, and movement speed value.
Best Role:
Varyana is best as a melee damage and speed farming companion. She is useful when you want more pressure in close combat and faster movement through enemy packs.
Massacre Momentum:
Varyana’s identity is built around killstreaks. As enemies fall, her Massacre value grows and can improve movement speed. This makes her very useful in dense farming content.
Enemy Pulling:
Varyana can help pull enemies into melee range, which is excellent for builds that deal area damage around the player.
Best Builds With Varyana:
Varyana works well with Barbarian, Paladin, Rogue, Spiritborn, Druid melee builds, and other close-range characters that benefit from enemies being grouped.
Best Activities With Varyana:
She is useful in Helltides, open-world farming, Nightmare Dungeons, Whispers, and speed-focused seasonal routes.
Varyana Weakness:
She is less useful when your build needs defense more than speed, or when a boss fight does not benefit much from killstreak momentum.
Varyana Rule:
Choose Varyana when you want faster melee farming and enemy grouping.
Aldkin the Cursed Child
Aldkin is the magical Mercenary. He uses shadow and fire themes, can transform into a demonic form, and offers area damage, Burning, Vulnerable support, crowd control, and risky curse-based value.
Best Role:
Aldkin is best as a caster damage and debuff companion. He is useful for builds that already survive well and want more area pressure or enemy weakening.
Fire and Shadow Support:
Aldkin’s skill trees can support Burning damage, shadow damage, stuns, slows, Vulnerable application, crowd control, and area damage.
Demon Form Risk:
Aldkin’s Primary perk can transform him into a stronger form but also carries a curse-style drawback for the player. This makes him more complex than the other Mercenaries.
Best Builds With Aldkin:
Aldkin is good for durable builds that can handle extra risk. Paladin, Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, and strong defensive Spiritborn setups may use him well.
Best Activities With Aldkin:
Aldkin can help in dense enemy content, dungeons, Helltides, War Plans, and situations where extra area damage or Vulnerable support matters.
Aldkin Weakness:
New players may find Aldkin less forgiving because his Primary perk has a dark side. If you are already dying often, use Raheir instead.
Aldkin Rule:
Choose Aldkin when you can survive comfortably and want more offensive magic support.
Subo the Bounty Hunter
Subo is the ranged utility Mercenary. He stays outside melee, fires arrows into enemy groups, marks targets, reveals enemies and materials, and can help with resource recovery.
Best Role:
Subo is best as a ranged support and farming utility companion. He helps players find enemies and materials while also marking targets for extra value.
Seeker Utility:
Subo can reveal enemies and materials in the area. This is very useful for farming, open-world movement, Helltides, and players who like efficient routes.
Marked Target Resource Support:
Subo can mark an enemy, and killing that marked enemy restores a large amount of your maximum resource. This makes him excellent for resource-hungry builds.
Best Builds With Subo:
Subo is strong for Sorcerer, Spiritborn, Rogue, Necromancer, Warlock, and any build that spends resource quickly or benefits from ranged utility.
Best Activities With Subo:
Subo is excellent in Helltides, Whispers, open-world farming, Nightmare Dungeons, material farming, and leveling routes where speed and resource flow matter.
Subo Weakness:
Subo may not provide as much emergency defense as Raheir. If you are dying often, defensive support may be better.
Subo Rule:
Choose Subo when you want resource support, ranged utility, and better farming awareness.
Best Mercenary for Beginners
The best beginner Mercenary is usually Raheir. New players make mistakes, push difficulty too early, stand in bad positions, and lack optimized gear. Raheir helps reduce the punishment from those mistakes.
Why Raheir Is Beginner-Friendly:
He protects you, helps against large hits, provides defensive support, and gives your build more room to learn. This makes leveling and early endgame less frustrating.
When Beginners Should Use Subo:
If you are surviving easily but running out of resource constantly, Subo may be better. His marking and resource return can make leveling smoother.
When Beginners Should Use Varyana:
If you play a melee build and want faster movement through enemy packs, Varyana is useful. She feels best in dense content.
When Beginners Should Use Aldkin:
Aldkin is better after you understand your build and have enough defense. He is not the safest first choice.
Beginner Recommendation:
Use Raheir first, then try Subo as a Reinforcement. Once you understand the system, level Varyana and Aldkin for more options.
Beginner Rule:
Start with safety, then experiment after your character feels stable.
Best Mercenary for Solo Players
Solo players get the most value from Mercenaries because Primary Mercenaries follow them directly. The best solo Mercenary depends on your biggest weakness.
Best Solo Defense:
Raheir is best when you need protection. He is ideal for fragile classes, new builds, and hard content.
Best Solo Speed:
Varyana is best when you want speed through enemy packs and strong close-range pressure.
Best Solo Resource Support:
Subo is best when your build spends resource quickly and benefits from marked target recovery.
Best Solo Area Damage:
Aldkin is best when you already survive well and want more area damage or enemy debuffs.
Best Solo Combination:
A strong general solo setup is Raheir as Primary and Subo as Reinforcement. This gives defense plus resource utility. Another strong setup is Subo as Primary and Raheir as Reinforcement if your build survives normally but wants farming utility.
Solo Rule:
Pick your Primary for your constant weakness and your Reinforcement for your emergency or combo moment.
Best Mercenary for Group Players
Group players do not use Primary Mercenaries in the same way solo players do, but Reinforcement Mercenaries still matter.
Reinforcement Is the Main Group Value:
When playing with friends or Party Finder groups, choose a Reinforcement that helps your role. Damage dealers may want extra crowd control. Support-style builds may want defensive help. Resource-hungry builds may want Subo.
Raheir for Emergency Protection:
Raheir can be useful when your build needs a defensive trigger or Unstoppable-style recovery moment.
Varyana for Grouping and Pressure:
Varyana can help melee groups by pulling or controlling enemies, making area damage stronger.
Subo for Utility:
Subo’s resource support and marking can help builds maintain momentum in group activities.
Aldkin for Damage and Debuffs:
Aldkin can be useful when your group already has enough defense and wants more offensive pressure.
Group Rule:
In group play, choose Reinforcement based on what your build contributes and what your group lacks.
Best Mercenary for Leveling
Leveling is about speed, safety, and resource flow. Your Mercenary should help you keep moving and avoid deaths.
Raheir for Safe Leveling:
Raheir is the safest leveling choice. He is especially useful when you are trying a new class or playing on a difficulty where enemies hit hard.
Subo for Smooth Leveling:
Subo is excellent if your build runs out of resource often. His marked enemy value can make your rotation feel smoother.
Varyana for Fast Melee Leveling:
Varyana is great if your leveling build fights close and clears packs quickly. Her killstreak momentum helps in dense areas.
Aldkin for Damage Leveling:
Aldkin can help clear groups faster, but he is better once your character has enough defense.
Best Leveling Setup:
Raheir Primary with Subo Reinforcement is a strong early recommendation. Subo Primary with Raheir Reinforcement is better if your build is safe but resource-hungry.
Leveling Rule:
Use the Mercenary that makes leveling smoother, not the one that looks strongest on paper.
Best Mercenary for Helltides
Helltides reward speed, enemy density, survival, and resource flow. A good Mercenary can make Helltides much smoother.
Subo for Farming Awareness:
Subo is excellent in Helltides because revealing enemies and materials helps route farming. His marked target support also helps resource-hungry builds.
Varyana for Dense Packs:
Varyana is great when enemies are close together. Her melee pressure and killstreak movement speed fit Helltide farming well.
Raheir for Dangerous Helltides:
If you are farming high difficulty or dying with many Cinders, Raheir can protect your run and reduce risk.
Aldkin for Area Damage:
Aldkin can help burn through enemy packs if your build already survives well.
Best Helltide Setup:
Subo Primary with Raheir Reinforcement is excellent for farming. Varyana Primary with Subo Reinforcement works well for melee speed farming.
Helltide Rule:
Choose Subo or Varyana for speed, Raheir for safety, and Aldkin for extra area pressure.
Best Mercenary for Nightmare Dungeons
Nightmare Dungeons require routing, elite control, survival, and steady damage. Your Mercenary should support efficient clears.
Raheir for Tough Affixes:
If dungeon affixes are dangerous or enemies hit hard, Raheir is a strong choice. He can reduce the risk of sudden deaths.
Varyana for Melee Clears:
Varyana helps melee builds keep pressure and group enemies. She is good when you want faster pack clearing.
Subo for Resource Flow:
If your build runs dry during elite fights, Subo can help restore resource through marked enemies.
Aldkin for Area Damage:
Aldkin can help with large rooms and enemy groups, especially if your build already has enough defense.
Best Dungeon Setup:
Raheir Primary with Varyana or Subo Reinforcement is safe. Subo Primary with Raheir Reinforcement is efficient if your build survives comfortably.
Dungeon Rule:
Use Mercenaries to reduce the thing that slows your dungeon: deaths, resource gaps, weak grouping, or low area damage.
Best Mercenary for Boss Farming
Boss farming is different from open-world farming. You need survival, damage uptime, resource stability, and mechanics support.
Raheir for Survival:
Raheir is one of the best boss companions when the boss hits hard. His protection helps prevent sudden deaths and gives you more room to learn mechanics.
Subo for Resource-Hungry Boss Builds:
Subo is useful if your build struggles with resource during longer boss fights. His marked target support is stronger when the fight includes enemies or targets you can trigger reliably.
Aldkin for Offensive Pressure:
Aldkin can help with damage and debuffs, but he is better when you already survive boss mechanics.
Varyana for Melee Builds:
Varyana can help melee builds with pressure, but her killstreak strength is less important in pure single-target fights.
Best Boss Setup:
Raheir Primary with Aldkin or Subo Reinforcement is a strong general boss setup. Durable builds can use Aldkin Primary for more damage.
Boss Rule:
Choose defense first if the boss can kill you. Choose damage only after survival is solved.
Best Mercenary for The Pit
The Pit tests clear speed, defense, elite damage, boss damage, and movement. Your Mercenary choice should match the weakness your Pit runs reveal.
Raheir for Survival Walls:
If you are dying in The Pit, Raheir is usually the best choice. His defensive support can help you finish runs more consistently.
Varyana for Clear Speed:
If your survivability is fine but you need faster pack clearing, Varyana can help with melee pressure and momentum.
Subo for Resource Problems:
If your build loses time because it runs out of resource, Subo is valuable.
Aldkin for Extra Damage:
If you survive easily but need more area pressure, Aldkin can help.
Best Pit Setup:
Raheir Primary with Subo Reinforcement is safe and stable. Varyana or Aldkin can replace Raheir once your build no longer needs defense.
Pit Rule:
Use your Mercenary to fix the reason your run fails: time, survival, boss damage, or resource flow.
Best Mercenary by Class
Every class can use every Mercenary, but some pairings feel more natural.
Barbarian:
Barbarian often benefits from Varyana for melee pressure or Raheir for harder content. Subo can help resource-heavy setups.
Druid:
Druid can use Raheir for safety, Varyana for melee and shapeshift builds, or Aldkin for extra area damage. Subo helps if resource flow is rough.
Necromancer:
Necromancer often likes Raheir for protection or Subo for utility and resource support. Aldkin can work if the Necromancer build is already safe.
Rogue:
Rogue can benefit from Raheir’s protection because Rogue can be fragile. Varyana works well with melee Rogue, while Subo supports resource and farming routes.
Sorcerer:
Sorcerer often appreciates Raheir as a defensive companion. Subo is useful for resource and farming. Aldkin can support offensive caster setups if survival is stable.
Spiritborn:
Spiritborn works well with Subo for resource support, Varyana for speed, or Raheir for high difficulty survival.
Paladin:
Paladin is naturally durable, so it can use Varyana, Subo, or Aldkin well. Raheir is still useful when pushing harder content.
Warlock:
Warlock can use Raheir for safety, Aldkin for thematic caster pressure, or Subo for resource and utility.
How to Choose the Right Mercenary
Choosing the right Mercenary is simple when you start with your problem instead of the companion.
If You Die Often:
Choose Raheir. Survival is the first problem to solve.
If You Run Out of Resource:
Choose Subo. Resource return and utility can make your build smoother.
If You Clear Slowly in Melee:
Choose Varyana. She helps close-range pressure and pack momentum.
If You Need More Area Damage:
Choose Aldkin. He adds magical pressure and debuffs.
If You Farm Helltides Often:
Subo and Varyana are strong. Raheir is better if you lose Cinders from dying.
If You Farm Bosses Often:
Raheir is safest. Aldkin can be used if you already survive and want more offense.
If You Push High Difficulty:
Start with Raheir. Swap later when your gear and defenses improve.
Choice Rule:
The best Mercenary is the one that fixes your build’s biggest weakness.
Mercenary Skill Tree Tips
Mercenary skill trees allow you to shape how companions support you. Do not spend points randomly.
Read What the Skill Does:
Mercenary skills can support taunts, barriers, Vulnerable, slows, stuns, resource recovery, burning, movement speed, attack speed, crowd control, and damage. Choose based on your build.
Choose Skills That Match Your Goal:
If you are bossing, choose boss-friendly skills. If you are speed farming, choose movement, grouping, and area effects. If you are pushing high difficulty, choose defense.
Primary Mercenary Needs More Attention:
Your Primary has more active and passive options, so it matters more. Build your Primary Mercenary carefully.
Reinforcement Needs a Trigger Plan:
Do not choose a Reinforcement skill without thinking about the Opportunity. The trigger should happen at the right moment.
Change Skills When Builds Change:
If you switch from leveling to boss farming, your Mercenary skill setup may need to change too.
Skill Tree Rule:
Mercenary skills should support your activity goal, not just fill empty slots.
Common Mercenary Mistakes
Many players unlock Mercenaries but do not use them properly. Avoid these mistakes to get more value.
Mistake 1: Forgetting to Unlock All Mercenaries:
If you use only Raheir forever, you miss Reinforcement options and Rapport rewards from the other companions.
Mistake 2: Choosing Damage When You Need Defense:
If you are dying, Aldkin or Varyana may not solve the problem. Use Raheir first.
Mistake 3: Ignoring Reinforcement:
Reinforcement is valuable even for group play. Do not leave the slot unused.
Mistake 4: Setting a Bad Opportunity:
A Reinforcement trigger should happen when you actually need help. Random triggers waste the ability.
Mistake 5: Not Leveling Rapport:
Rapport unlocks skill points, caches, Pale Marks, and Bartering value. Ignoring it slows long-term rewards.
Mistake 6: Wasting Pale Marks on Restocks:
Restocking the Bartering vendor can be useful, but repeated refreshes can drain currency fast.
Mistake 7: Expecting Mercenaries to Carry Bad Builds:
Mercenaries help, but they do not replace gear, Paragon, skills, or defenses.
Mistake 8: Using the Same Mercenary for Every Activity:
The best Mercenary for Helltides may not be the best for bosses or The Pit.
Mistake 9: Forgetting Mercenary Rewards on Alts:
Mercenary progress can help future characters, so use it as part of account progression.
Mistake 10: Refusing Help When Progress Slows:
If leveling, gearing, boss farming, or endgame progression becomes slow, BoostRoom can help.
Practical Rules for Mercenaries
These rules help beginners, casual players, returning players, and endgame players.
Rule 1: Unlock All Four Mercenaries:
More companions mean more options, more rewards, and better Reinforcement setups.
Rule 2: Use Raheir When Learning:
Defense makes mistakes less punishing.
Rule 3: Use Subo for Farming Utility:
Resource support and revealed enemies or materials make farming smoother.
Rule 4: Use Varyana for Melee Speed:
She works well when enemies are close and dying quickly.
Rule 5: Use Aldkin When You Can Handle Risk:
Aldkin is best when your build already has enough survival.
Rule 6: Always Use Reinforcement:
Leaving the Reinforcement slot empty is wasted value.
Rule 7: Match Opportunity to Your Rotation:
Your Reinforcement trigger should happen at the right combat moment.
Rule 8: Level Rapport on All Mercenaries:
Each companion gives rewards and improves Bartering value.
Rule 9: Spend Pale Marks With a Goal:
Buy items and caches that support your build or next progression step.
Rule 10: Use BoostRoom When Time Matters:
BoostRoom can help with leveling, gearing, boss runs, seasonal catch-up, and endgame support.
How BoostRoom Helps With Mercenary Progression
Mercenaries make Diablo IV smoother, but they are only one part of progression. To get full value from companions, players still need levels, gear, Aspects, boss materials, Paragon, Glyphs, Masterworking materials, and strong activity routes. If your character is weak, your Mercenary can help, but it cannot fully replace proper progression.
BoostRoom helps players who want faster Diablo IV progress without wasting hours on inefficient farming. Whether you are unlocking Vessel of Hatred systems, leveling Mercenary Rapport, farming Pale Marks, building a stronger solo character, preparing for boss fights, or pushing harder content, BoostRoom can support your journey.
Mercenary Unlock Support:
BoostRoom can help players move through expansion progression and reach systems like The Den faster.
Leveling Support:
If you are starting a new character and want faster access to Mercenary value, BoostRoom can help with leveling and early progression.
Gear Farming Support:
Mercenaries help your character, but your gear still matters. BoostRoom can help you farm better items, Aspects, materials, and build upgrades.
Boss Farming Support:
If you want to use Mercenaries for boss preparation but still struggle with tough fights, BoostRoom can help with boss runs and materials.
Endgame Support:
Nightmare Dungeons, Helltides, The Pit, War Plans, Lair Bosses, and high Torment content all become smoother with proper progression. BoostRoom can help you move through these systems.
Seasonal Catch-Up:
If you start late in a season, BoostRoom can help with leveling, gear, objectives, Mercenary-supported farming, and endgame preparation.
Casual Player Time-Saving:
If your playtime is limited, BoostRoom helps turn short sessions into visible progress instead of slow grinding.
Mercenary Checklist
Use this checklist when setting up your Mercenaries.
Expansion Access:
Do you have access to Vessel of Hatred or Lord of Hatred content that includes it?
The Den:
Have you unlocked The Den in Nahantu?
Mercenaries:
Have you recruited Raheir, Varyana, Aldkin, and Subo?
Primary:
Does your Primary Mercenary solve your biggest solo weakness?
Reinforcement:
Have you assigned a different Mercenary as Reinforcement?
Opportunity:
Does your Reinforcement trigger happen at the right time?
Rapport:
Are you leveling Rapport on all companions?
Pale Marks:
Are you saving and spending Pale Marks with a goal?
Bartering:
Are you checking Bartering options for useful gear and caches?
Activity Goal:
Are you choosing Mercenaries based on leveling, Helltides, bosses, dungeons, The Pit, or group play?
BoostRoom:
Would support with leveling, gear, bosses, or endgame save you time?
Final Advice for Diablo IV Mercenaries
Mercenaries are one of the most useful companion systems in Diablo IV because they help your character in several ways at once. They make solo play safer, add utility to your build, provide Reinforcement options for group and solo play, reward long-term Rapport progression, and unlock Bartering through Pale Marks in The Den.
The best way to use Mercenaries is to choose them based on your build’s weakness. If you die often, use Raheir. If you need farming utility and resource support, use Subo. If you want melee speed and enemy pressure, use Varyana. If you already survive well and want more magical damage or debuffs, use Aldkin. Once you unlock more companions, combine a Primary and Reinforcement setup so you get constant support plus a triggered combat ability.
Do not ignore Rapport. Leveling Rapport gives skill points, caches, Pale Marks, and better Bartering options. Even if you only use one Mercenary most of the time, leveling all four gives better account value. Do not waste Pale Marks randomly. Use them for items and caches that help your next goal, whether that is gearing, Masterworking, boss summoning, or farming materials.
Mercenaries are helpful, but they are not a replacement for a good character. Your build still needs damage, defense, mobility, resource flow, Paragon, Glyphs, and proper gear. A strong Mercenary setup makes a good build smoother. It does not make an unfocused build perfect.
If you want faster progression, better gear, boss support, seasonal catch-up, or smoother endgame farming, BoostRoom can help you make the most of Diablo IV’s Mercenary system and the larger progression path around it.
FAQ
What are Mercenaries in Diablo IV?
Mercenaries are companion NPCs introduced with Vessel of Hatred. They fight beside you, provide support skills, act as Reinforcements, earn Rapport, and unlock rewards through The Den.
How do you unlock Mercenaries in Diablo IV?
Mercenaries are unlocked through Vessel of Hatred progression and The Den in Nahantu. Raheir is the first Mercenary, while Varyana, Aldkin, and Subo are recruited through their own questlines.
Do I need Vessel of Hatred to use Mercenaries?
Yes. Mercenaries are tied to Vessel of Hatred content because The Den is located in Nahantu. Lord of Hatred includes Vessel of Hatred access through the correct expansion purchase.
Who are the four Mercenaries in Diablo IV?
The four Mercenaries are Raheir the Shieldbearer, Varyana the Berserker Crone, Aldkin the Cursed Child, and Subo the Bounty Hunter.
What is a Primary Mercenary?
A Primary Mercenary is your main companion during solo play. They follow you, use selected skills, provide a perk, and offer more active support.
What is a Reinforcement Mercenary?
A Reinforcement Mercenary appears during combat to use one selected ability when a chosen trigger, called an Opportunity, happens.
Can I use the same Mercenary as Primary and Reinforcement?
No. Your Primary and Reinforcement Mercenaries must be different companions.
Which Mercenary is best for beginners?
Raheir is usually best for beginners because he provides defensive support and helps prevent dangerous damage spikes.
Which Mercenary is best for farming?
Subo and Varyana are strong farming choices. Subo helps with resource support and revealing enemies or materials, while Varyana helps with melee speed and killstreak momentum.
Which Mercenary is best for boss fights?
Raheir is the safest boss choice because defense matters in tough fights. Aldkin can be useful if your build already survives and wants more offense.
What is Rapport?
Rapport is your progression level with each Mercenary. It unlocks skill points, caches, Pale Marks, and better Bartering options.
What are Pale Marks?
Pale Marks are Mercenary currency earned through Rapport and related activities. They are spent in The Den through Bartering.
