Diablo IV

Diablo 4 mercenary guide for Lord of Hatred. Raheir, Varyana, Aldkin, and Subo ranked. Best Hired and Reinforcement pairings per build. How to unlock mercs and skill tree priorities.

Endgame Lord of Hatred 8 min read

Mercenary Guide — Best Picks for Lord of Hatred

By the DiabloBytes team · Updated May 2026

Mercenaries are the four AI companions you can recruit from the Den in Nahantu. You always have two slots: a Hired merc who fights alongside you using their full skill tree, and a Reinforcement merc whose passive support skill triggers under specific conditions. Build pairing matters — the right merc compensates for what your build lacks.

Mercenary Tier List

Raheir

Tank / Support

Best all-round mercenary. Highest damage reduction of all four. Heals, buffs, debuffs. Compliments any class or build.

◆ Highest damage reduction in the merc roster
◆ Shield-based protection — actively absorbs damage
◆ Heals teammate via skill rotation
◆ Strong with low-survivability builds (Sorc, Warlock, Rogue)

Raheir is the consensus top pick across the community. If you don't know which mercenary to bring, bring Raheir.

Varyana

Damage / Movement

Aggressive damage merc. Grows stronger with every kill. Gives Movement Speed boost — ideal for low-mobility builds.

◆ Stacks damage from kills
◆ Movement Speed aura — useful for slow builds
◆ Strong on mob-clear-focused builds (Whirlwind Barb, Apocalypse Warlock)
◆ Weakens against single-target boss fights vs. Raheir

Default reinforcement pick on Whirlwind Barbarian builds for the kill-stack scaling and movement speed.

Aldkin

Caster / Debuff

Half-demon caster. Core skill Haunt deals Shadow damage over time and jumps to new targets on kill. Shapeshifts into a demon via Blasphemous Fate, applying Vulnerable or Burn to nearby enemies depending on curse type.

◆ Haunt DoT that jumps between enemies
◆ Vulnerable application via Curse of Darkness
◆ Magic damage that pairs with caster builds
◆ Cheapest reinforcement option for builds that don't need merc damage

Default reinforcement pick when you don't care about active merc damage — used as "filler" passives slot.

Subo

Marks / Vulnerable

Drunken Archer. Marks enemies for resource and cooldown reduction on kill, and his Wire Trap path applies Vulnerable. Decent damage but outclassed by Varyana for kill-stack builds and Raheir for survival.

◆ Vulnerable application via the Wire Trap skill path
◆ Mark-on-kill grants resource and cooldown reduction
◆ Ranged attacks — stays out of melee danger
◆ Seeker perk reveals enemies, traps, and materials in the overworld

Niche pick. If your build wants Vulnerable uptime plus the Mark CDR loop and you don't need a tank, Subo is the answer.

Mercenary Pairings by Build

Recommended Hired + Reinforcement combos for the current S-tier and S+-tier builds:

Build	Hired	Reinforcement	Why
Whirlwind Barbarian	Varyana	Aldkin	Varyana scales with kill volume; Aldkin's Slow proc helps dense packs.
Ball Lightning Sorcerer	Raheir	Aldkin	Sorc lacks defensive cooldowns — Raheir's damage reduction is essential. Aldkin reinforcement is filler.
Apocalypse Warlock	Raheir	Aldkin	Warlock has minimal defensive skill tree. Raheir keeps you alive while you cast.
Dread Claws Warlock	Varyana	Aldkin	Demonform melee playstyle benefits from Movement Speed and kill-stack damage.
Minion Warlock	Varyana	Aldkin	Demon companions absorb hits — you need merc damage and movement, not a tank.
Penetrating Shot Rogue	Subo	Aldkin	Subo's Vulnerable application stacks with Cold Imbuement's frozen state for big crit windows.
Wing Strikes Paladin	Raheir	Aldkin	Paladin is already tanky but Raheir's heal stacks with built-in barriers.
Auradin Paladin	Raheir	Aldkin	Auradin is melee-range — Raheir's damage reduction lets you stay in aura range longer.

Pairing Rules of Thumb

Squishy build → Raheir Hired. Sorc, Warlock, Rogue all benefit from the damage reduction stack. Don't overthink this.
Mob-clear / Echoing Hatred build → Varyana Hired. Kill-stack scaling pays off when you're chewing through 30+ mobs per pack.
Boss-pushing build → Subo Hired. Permanent Vulnerable uptime gives you the highest single-target multiplier of the four mercs.
Already tanky build → Varyana Hired. Paladin and Druid don't need Raheir's protection — take the damage scaling instead. (Wing Strikes Paladin is the exception due to barrier synergies.)
Don't care about Reinforcement → Aldkin. Aldkin's debuff aura is universally useful and they're the cheapest passive slot.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I unlock mercenaries in Diablo 4?

Mercenaries were introduced with Vessel of Hatred and remain in Lord of Hatred. Complete the early Vessel of Hatred quest line in Nahantu (Hawezar region) to unlock the Den hub. From there, hire one mercenary at a time and assign a second as your Reinforcement (passive support).

What is the difference between Hired and Reinforcement mercenaries?

You always have two merc slots: a Hired mercenary that fights alongside you using their full skill tree, and a Reinforcement merc that triggers passive support skills when specific conditions are met (e.g., when you crowd-control an enemy, when you take damage, when you crit). The Hired merc deals significant damage; the Reinforcement is more like a passive aspect.

Can I change my mercenary mid-fight?

No. You select your Hired and Reinforcement mercenaries from the Den hub or the Mercenary screen. To swap, you have to return to that menu — it cannot be done mid-encounter.

Which mercenary is best in Lord of Hatred?

Raheir is the consensus top pick for most builds — highest damage reduction, healing, buffs, and debuffs. Varyana is best for kill-stack and aggressive builds. Aldkin is generally weakest for active Hired duty but works as a default Reinforcement filler. Subo is a niche pick for builds that want permanent Vulnerable uptime.

Do mercenaries scale with my level?

Yes. Mercenaries scale with your character level and gain skill tree access as you level up. Their damage output scales primarily off their own equipped gear (which you control via the merc inventory) and their skill tree investment.