Mercenary (2024)

Mercenary
The Mercenary is a high skill melee survivor that uses his many dodges to weave in and out of combat.
Health	110 (+33 per level)
Health Regen	1.5/s (+0.2 per level) 1/s (+0.2 per level) 0.6/s (+0.2 per level)
Damage	12 (+2.4 per level)
Speed	7 m/s
Armor	20 ( 90)
Unlock	True Respite
Umbra Title
Hired Blade
Ending Phrase
Escaped: ..and so he left, with dreams of good food and a peaceful night. Vanished: ..and so he vanished, reduced to fable.

Mercenary is a playable character in Risk of Rain 2.

A highly mobile and maneuverable fighter, the Mercenary strikes swiftly and rapidly to devastate enemies, gaining both invincibility and mobility with his various attacks. Due to his skills' low cooldowns (which are further reduced by his signature ExposeExpose (Debuff)
Hitting exposed enemies reduces skill cooldowns and increases damage.Hitting exposed enemies reduces all skill cooldowns by 1 second and deals an additional 350% damage. debuff), his playstyle focuses on repeatedly chaining together attacks to stay on the offensive in any situation.

Completing the True Respite challenge will unlock Mercenary as a playable survivor.

Skills[]

Behaviors[]

For an explanation of how these behaviors are implemented read about Enemy AI. This section only applies when the character is controlled by AI.

1. Use special: Mercenary must be within 20m from the target, have line of sight, and be aiming at it. The behavior is active for 1 second and cannot be selected twice in a row. Since the behavior is not explicit about which version of the skill is to be used, this means that even Slicing Winds requires Mercenary to get in close range, even though for an intelligent agent the skill could be useful from further away.
2. Use secondary: Mercenary has to be within 8m from the target.
3. Use primary: Mercenary has to be within 6m from the target.
4. Use utility: Mercenary has to be within 5-30m from the target, have line of sight, and be aiming at it. Since this behavior is implicit for all skills that can occupy the utility slot, ShadowfadeShadowfade (Utility)Fade away, becoming intangible and gaining +30% movement speed. Heal for 18.2% (+18.2% per stack) of your maximum health. Lasts 3 (+3 per stack) seconds.
   Survivor: Heretic is used in the same way, i.e., within proxity of the target and to get even closer, not to get away to safety while low on health or surrounded by dangerous enemies.
5. Chase: no requirements.

Techs[]

• When using another skill during the animation for Laser Sword's third hit, its hitbox remains active during that other skill, even if Mercenary moves. This is commonly referred to as an "M1 extension," and it enables fast combos and negates the endlag of the third strike.
  • This is most valuable when combined with Mercenary's utility skills, allowing the player to Expose a long line of enemies or deal great burst damage to them. It can also be used with Eviscerate to deal more damage to the targeted enemy.
• Whirlwind can be used on slanted edges or ramps to launch Mercenary vertically, gaining a large amount of height for looking around, reaching high areas, or using the H3AD-5T v2H3AD-5T v2
  Increase jump height. Hold 'Interact' to slam down to the ground.
  Increase jump height. Creates a 5m-100m radius kinetic explosion on hitting the ground, dealing 1000%-10000% base damage that scales up with fall distance. Recharges in 10 (-50% per stack) seconds..
• If Mercenary ends Blinding Assault or Focused Assault inside of a flying enemy's hitbox, it will be pushed away at high speed and take colossal damage when colliding with stage geometry. This is extremely effective for dealing with flying bosses such as the Wandering VagrantWandering Vagrant
  Gentle ProtectorHP: 2100 (+630 per level)
  Damage: 6.5 (+1.3 per level)
  Class: Ranged
  Speed: 6 m/s
  Armor: 15 and Alloy Worship UnitAlloy Worship Unit
  Friend of VulturesHP: 2500 (+750 per level)
  Damage: 15 (+3 per level)
  Class: Ranged
  Speed: 7 m/s
  Armor: 30, often killing them instantly.
  • Small enemies can be shoved and slammed in a similar manner using Rising Thunder, which knocks the enemy upwards. However, this force is not enough to move medium or large enemies.
• Blinding Assault can be canceled mid-dash by using either Whirlwind or Rising Thunder, shortening the length of the dash. This is useful primarily to avoid overshooting or in order to precisely end a dash for, say, a slam (the tip above).
• Brilliant BehemothBrilliant Behemoth
  All your attacks explode!
  All your attacks explode in a 4m (+2.5m per stack) radius for a bonus 60% TOTAL damage to nearby enemies. can apply a second Expose stack when triggered by a skill that inflicts Expose, and is currently the only method for doing so. It can also Expose other enemies caught in its explosion, although this usually is not quite as relevant without stacking multiple Behemoths, as the explosion radius is somewhat small.
• The animation of Slicing Winds can be cancelled by using Whirlwind, Rising Thunder, Blinding Assault, or Focused Assault.

Tips[]

• Strafe around enemies and try to stay behind them at all times. Few enemies can attack behind themselves, and most of them cannot keep up with the player constantly strafing.
• Prioritize enemies that are immediate threats, but also remember to flee if things get dicey. Do not constantly rely on Mercenary's invincibility frames to completely negate damage; stay dodgy and avoid being hit altogether when possible.
• Although Whirlwind is smoother and easier to combo with than Rising Thunder, Rising Thunder itself has higher damage output (550% compared to Whirlwind's 400%) and can be more adaptive with dodges due to its quick vertical movement.
• Notably, only Mercenary benefits from hitting an Exposed enemy. If a non-Mercenary character or ally hits an Exposed enemy, the Exposed is not removed and the ally does not deal more damage or get cooldown reduction.
• When fighting bosses, Mercenary can stay safely in the air above their heads for a very long time by chaining together Whirlwind→Eviscerate→Whirlwind along with Laser Sword attacks and double jumps. Laser Sword also has a slight vacuum effect and can be used to stick to and strafe around larger enemies.
• Mercenary actually receives downsides from having bonus attack speed, narrowing the window to perform Laser Sword extensions and shortening the distance that Whirlwind and Rising Thunder move him. Attack speed can still be useful as it shortens the cast time of his skills and gives additional Eviscerate hits, but these losses should be taken into consideration as well.
• Both Whirlwind and Rising Thunder have short enough cooldowns that a single PurityPurity
  Reduce your skill cooldowns by 2 seconds. You are unlucky.
  All skill cooldowns are reduced by 2 (+1 per stack) seconds. All random effects are rolled +1 (+1 per stack) times for an unfavorable outcome. will allow them to be used continuously, allowing them to be used as a re-usable dash or to ascend upwards indefinitely. Note that without a 57 Leaf Clover57 Leaf Clover
  Luck is on your side.
  All random effects are rolled +1 (+1 per stack) times for a favorable outcome. this will lower overall proc chances.
• Blinding Assault's cooldown reset leaves just enough time to use Laser Sword twice or combo Whirlwind + Laser Sword before needing to dash again. There is also just enough time to use Eviscerate or Slicing Winds between Blinding Assaults, if used immediately without any delay between dashes.
• Well timed uses of Blinding Assault can enable the player to maintain invulnerability with only their utility. This can also be achieved with Focused Assault, albeit this skill requires more finesse for the same results.
• Some bosses have heads which act as solid platforms, which the Mercenary can stand on to fight the boss without as much danger from enemies below.
• Slicing Winds is a very effective single-target and area-of-effect tool for Mercenary, as it has a higher general damage output than Eviscerate, as well as inflicting Expose at the end of the skill. Slicing Winds deals 1150% (800% + 350% from Expose) damage on a single target and up to 3450% total damage against 3 targets (1150%x3 targets, as it can Expose those 3 targets). By comparison, Eviscerate deals 770% total damage to a single target, and does not properly hit multiple targets.
  • Although Eviscerate deals more damage with higher attack speed, it needs around ~30 Soldier's SyringeSoldier's Syringe
    Increase attack speed.
    Increases attack speed by 15% (+15% per stack). to match Slicing Winds.
• Eviscerate prevents the player from using other skills during its duration, while Slicing Winds does not. This means that the player can attack and use other skills while Slicing Winds is active, and with a BrainstalksBrainstalks
  Skills have NO cooldowns for a short period after killing an elite.
  Upon killing an elite monster, enter a frenzy for 4s (+4s per stack) where skills have 0.5s cooldowns. or other method of reducing cooldowns (such as a BandolierBandolier
  Chance on kill to drop an ammo pack that resets all skill cooldowns.
  18% (+10% per stack) chance on kill to drop an ammo pack that resets all skill cooldowns. or getting enough cooldown reduction that the cooldown finishes before the skill ends), it's possible to chain multiple uses of Slicing Winds.
• Although Slicing Winds is a ranged attack, its projectile is a bit slow, so it's most effectively used at melee or close range. Make use of its wide hitbox to strike many enemies.
• Mercenary is one of 2 Survivors with a 1.0 proc coefficient on every single skill, making Mercenary fairly decent at procs in any regard.
• Mercenary can be a difficult character to master next to ArtificerArtificerThe Artificer is a high burst damage survivor who excels in fighting large groups and bosses alike.
  Class: Ranged
  HP: 110 (+33 per level)
  Damage: 12 (+2.4 per level)
  Armor: 0
  Umbra: Herald of the House Beyond, and thus requires patience and practice. Learn to chain his abilities and follow up your attacks on exposed enemies to reduce your skill cooldowns.
• Mercenary can easily exploit most enemies with enough stacks of PurityPurity
  Reduce your skill cooldowns by 2 seconds. You are unlucky.
  All skill cooldowns are reduced by 2 (+1 per stack) seconds. All random effects are rolled +1 (+1 per stack) times for an unfavorable outcome. to knock the cooldown Eviscerate down to one second, allowing him to effectively spam Eviscerate until an enemy dies due to a full Eviscerate lasting more than one second
  • With enough stacks of PurityPurity
    Reduce your skill cooldowns by 2 seconds. You are unlucky.
    All skill cooldowns are reduced by 2 (+1 per stack) seconds. All random effects are rolled +1 (+1 per stack) times for an unfavorable outcome., Mercenary can also basically fly by getting enough PurityPurity
    Reduce your skill cooldowns by 2 seconds. You are unlucky.
    All skill cooldowns are reduced by 2 (+1 per stack) seconds. All random effects are rolled +1 (+1 per stack) times for an unfavorable outcome. to get his cooldowns to where he can fly by spamming and alternating between Eviscerate and either Blinding Assault or Focused Assault.

Lore[]

The europian noble paced around in his chambers, nervously glancing at the antique clock adorning his wall. Tick, tock. Tick, tock.The riots had been escalating and showed no signs of slowing down. Effigies burned, statues were torn down, and countless politicians turned their backs on the once-prestigious nobility of Europa. The people have had enough. Tick, tock. Tick, tock.It was only a matter of time– either the noble would have to flee, or the mob would finally breach the palace. Even his bodyguards began to show signs of betrayal. Time, the noble thought, was something he did not have. The antique clock kept ticking, working upon the noble’s mind. Keeping him distracted - just long enough. Tick, tock. Tick, tock.And as the antique clock kept ticking, the noble’s body hit the floor. The Mercenary sheathed his blade. His footsteps were unheard as he left the palace– masked by the rhythmic ticking of the clock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

Version History[]

Gallery[]

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  Default

• 

  Oni

Trivia[]

• Mercenary was one of the playable characters in the first Risk of Rain.
• Prior to the Anniversary Update, Mercenary's ending phrase was "..and so he left, with terrible power in shaking hands."
  • Unlike other epilogues revised in the Anniversary Update, Mercenary's original epilogue was not a reiteration of his epilogue from the first Risk of Rain, which was instead "..and so he left, never to become human again."
• Prior to Build ID #3731106, Eviscerating directly into the ground when airborne would inflict heavy fall damage.
• Prior to the 1.0 Update, Expose did not exist for Mercenary, and as such Slicing Winds would not inflict Expose at the end of its duration. This meant its single-target total damage was 800% and multi-target total damage was 2400%.

Risk of Rain 2 Wiki
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Survivors
AcridAcridAcrid is a melee-range hybrid who uses powerful poisons to melt tanky enemies. Class: Melee / Ranged HP: 160 (+48 per level) Damage: 15 (+3 per level) Armor: 20 Umbra: Test Subject • ArtificerArtificerThe Artificer is a high burst damage survivor who excels in fighting large groups and bosses alike. Class: Ranged HP: 110 (+33 per level) Damage: 12 (+2.4 per level) Armor: 0 Umbra: Herald of the House Beyond • BanditBanditThe Bandit is a high-skill combo character that can dish out devastating backstabs while weaving in and out of stealth. Class: Ranged HP: 110 (+33 per level) Damage: 12 (+2.4 per level) Armor: 0 Umbra: Desperate Outlaw • CaptainCaptainThe Captain is a unique survivor that can control the battlefield with utility and damage - with help from the UES Safe Travels. Class: Ranged HP: 110 (+33 per level) Damage: 12 (+2.4 per level) Armor: 0 Umbra: Tired Veteran • CommandoCommandoThe Commando is a jack-of-all-trades character that is reliable in all situations of the game. Class: Ranged HP: 110 (+33 per level) Damage: 12 (+2.4 per level) Armor: 0 Umbra: Cornered Gunslinger • EngineerEngineerThe Engineer is a unique class that requires planning and positioning to be successful. Class: Ranged HP: 130 (+39 per level) Damage: 14 (+2.8 per level) Armor: 0 Umbra: Fortification Expert • HereticHereticThe Heretic is a powerful character who can only be accessed through extraordinary means. Class: Ranged HP: 440 (+132 per level) Damage: 18 (+3.6 per level) Armor: 0 Umbra: Unorthodoxy Risen • HuntressHuntressThe Huntress is an extremely mobile but fragile survivor with a high damage output. Class: Ranged HP: 90 (+27 per level) Damage: 12 (+2.4 per level) Armor: 0 Umbra: Judge, Jury, Executioner • LoaderLoaderThe Loader is a slow but powerful bruiser that can use her grappling hook to uniquely navigate the environment. Class: Melee HP: 160 (+48 per level) Damage: 12 (+2.4 per level) Armor: 20 Umbra: Bionic Powerhouse • MercenaryMercenaryThe Mercenary is a high skill melee survivor that uses his many dodges to weave in and out of combat. Class: Melee HP: 110 (+33 per level) Damage: 12 (+2.4 per level) Armor: 20 Umbra: Hired Blade • MUL-TMUL-TMUL-T is an aggressive survivor who has the tools necessary for any job! Class: Melee / Ranged HP: 200 (+60 per level) Damage: 11 (+2.2 per level) Armor: 12 Umbra: Right Tool for the Wrong Job • Survivors of the Void - DLC Content Railgunner is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info. RailgunnerSurvivors of the Void - DLC Content This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info.RailgunnerThe Railgunner is a long-range, single target survivor that can instantly kill any high priority target - and from any range. Class: Ranged HP: 110 (+33 per level) Damage: 12 (+2.4 per level) Armor: 0 Umbra: Forgotten Nomad • REXREXREX is a half robot / half plant that uses HP to cast devastating skills from a distance. The plant nor the robot could survive this planet alone – but thankfully they have each other. Class: Ranged HP: 130 (+39 per level) Damage: 12 (+2.4 per level) Armor: 20 Umbra: Symbiotes • Survivors of the Void - DLC Content Void Fiend is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info. Void FiendSurvivors of the Void - DLC Content This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info.Void FiendThe Void Fiend is a corrupted survivor that fluctuates between a controlled and corrupted form, each with different strengths and weaknesses. Managing this curse has become its fate. Class: Ranged HP: 110 (+33 per level) Damage: 12 (+2.4 per level) Armor: 0 Umbra: Corrupted Amnesiac
Environments
Abandoned AqueductAbandoned Aqueduct (Stage 2) Origin of Tar You dream of sand beneath your feet. Massive skeletons and pools of tar are littered around, and a towering aqueduct pouring down tar dominates the area. • Abyssal DepthsAbyssal Depths (Stage 4) Tectonic Relics You dream of fire. A hellfire-forged zone of blazing heat, the Abyssal Depths are believed to be a continuation and adaptation of the Magma Barracks from Risk of Rain. • Survivors of the Void - DLC Content Aphelian Sanctuary is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info. Aphelian SanctuarySurvivors of the Void - DLC Content This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info.Aphelian Sanctuary (Stage 2) Cleansing Center You dream of clarity. • CommencementCommencement (Final) Moon of Petrichor V You dream of glass and dirt. Large domain located above the shattered breach of Petrichor V's moon. It is made up of the shattered remains of four individual sections, emblematic of MithrixMithrix King of NothingHP: 1000 (+300 per level) Damage: 16 (+3.2 per level) Class: Melee / Ranged Speed: 15 m/s Armor: 20 and Providence's tools of creation. • Distant RoostDistant Roost (Stage 1) Ground Zero You dream of waves, crashing on cliffsides. Spires of earth jut through the fog and unknown avian creatures circle far peaks guarding their broods. • Rallypoint DeltaRallypoint Delta (Stage 3) 'Contact Light' Survivor Camp You dream of quiet snowfall. Rallypoint Delta is the remains of a makeshift camp constructed by a group of scattered crew members from the UES Contact Light, somewhere in the frigid tundra of Petrichor V. • Scorched AcresScorched Acres (Stage 3) Wisp Installation You dream of wind, blowing through trees. Large, circular platforms make up the majority of the stage, and embers float through the air. • Survivors of the Void - DLC Content Siphoned Forest is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info. Siphoned ForestSurvivors of the Void - DLC Content This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info.Siphoned Forest (Stage 1) Ground Zero You dream of fire and ice. The map is blanketed in a layer of snow, with large trees surrounded by platforms spanning multiple levels. • Siren's CallSiren's Call (Stage 4) Ship Graveyard You dream of wind. • Sky MeadowSky Meadow (Stage 5) Sprite Fields You dream of serenity. • Survivors of the Void - DLC Content Sulfur Pools is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info. Sulfur PoolsSurvivors of the Void - DLC Content This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info.Sulfur Pools (Stage 3) Pungent Spring You dream of brimstone. Tiered lakes of shallow sulfur pools. Arcing bridges and underground caves connect the map together. • Sundered GroveSundered Grove (Stage 4) Dormant Locus You dream of violent growth. Ancient flora has risen up to reclaim this once sacred refuge. Mazes of roots and overgrown fungus have twisted the landscape, leaving only ruins. • Titanic PlainsTitanic Plains (Stage 1) Ground Zero You dream of rolling hills. Gigantic stone arches bracket the skyline, while the main play-field overlooks a vast fractured tectonic lowland. • Wetland AspectWetland Aspect (Stage 2) Rehabilitation Zone You dream of twisting roots. Full of ruined stone structures and swampy areas filled with water.
Hidden Realms
A Moment, FracturedA Moment, Fractured (Hidden Realm) Hidden Realm: A Moment, Fractured Multiple floating islands in a void, with sharp blue crystals embedded in them. The Obelisk can be found on top of the last island. • A Moment, WholeA Moment, Whole (Hidden Realm) Hidden Realm: A Moment, Whole A bleak and desolate realm. The refuge of the Twisted Scavengers, safe from Mithrix'sMithrix King of NothingHP: 1000 (+300 per level) Damage: 16 (+3.2 per level) Class: Melee / Ranged Speed: 15 m/s Armor: 20 vengeance and destruction. • Bazaar Between TimeBazaar Between Time (Hidden Realm) Hidden Realm: Bazaar Between Time This stage serves as the shop in Risk of Rain 2. Players can purchase various Items with Lunar Coins or exchange items for higher-rarity ones in two crucibles. • Bulwark's AmbryBulwark's Ambry (Hidden Realm) Hidden Realm: Bulwark's Ambry The area consists of block-shaped platforms, with the Artifact Reliquary in the center. • Gilded CoastGilded Coast (Hidden Realm) Hidden Realm: Gilded Coast You dream of wealth. This area is where the player fights the boss Aurelionite, the Titanic Goldweaver. • Survivors of the Void - DLC Content The Planetarium is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info. The PlanetariumSurvivors of the Void - DLC Content This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info.The Planetarium (Final) Cell V The Planetarium is an area somewhere within the Void, housing a collection of planets detained by the Void's denizens. It is inhabited primarily by the Voidling, the guard of the Planetarium or potentially the controller of the Void itself. • Void FieldsVoid Fields (Hidden Realm) Cosmic Prison Hidden Realm accessible only through the Bazaar Between Time. Until the cell is stabilized, the Void Fields will constantly "suffocate" the player for a small percentage of their current health. • Survivors of the Void - DLC Content Void Locus is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info. Void LocusSurvivors of the Void - DLC Content This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info.Void Locus (Hidden Realm) Cell IIIVIIIIIILVIIIVLVILIVLLLVVVILIVLI You dream of potential. The Void Locus contains many Void Potentials and Cradles in place of chests, and is inhabited by Void monsters.
Expansions
Survivors of the Void - DLC Content This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info.Survivors of the Void
Alternate Game Modes
Eclipse • Prismatic Trials • Survivors of the Void - DLC Content This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info.Simulacrum
Mechanics
Armor • Damage • Directors • Enemy AI • Family Events • Gold • Health • Item Stacking • Lunar Coins • Movement Speed • Proc Coefficient • Survivors of the Void - DLC Content This content is part of the Survivors of the Void DLC. It is only available if the DLC is enabled when starting a run. Click for more info.Void Fog
Other
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