Path of exile currency has always been a game defined by complex systems, evolving mechanics, and ever-deepening customization. With Secrets of the Atlas, Grinding Gear Games once again raised the bar by introducing one of the most exciting features in years — Mercenaries. These powerful companions fundamentally change how Exiles approach combat, mapping, and even boss encounters. Whether you’re a veteran min-maxer or a returning player curious about this new addition, this guide will cover everything you need to know about Mercenaries in Secrets of the Atlas — from how to recruit them, to gearing, synergy, and advanced strategies for endgame use.

Understanding Mercenaries

Mercenaries are AI-controlled allies that accompany your character through the world of Wraeclast and beyond the Atlas. Think of them as an evolution of the Spectre or Animate Guardian concepts, but far more flexible and interactive. Each Mercenary comes with their own attribute profile, skills, AI behavior, and gear slots, allowing you to customize and develop them like a mini character of their own.

While minions in Path of Exile are extensions of your skill gems, Mercenaries are independent companions with their own identity. They level alongside you, can equip specific gear types, and their progression often feels like managing a second adventurer. This system bridges the gap between traditional ARPG follower mechanics and Path of Exile’s deep itemization.

How to Recruit a Mercenary

Mercenaries are first introduced during the Acts as part of the Secrets of the Atlas questline. The initial encounter acts as a tutorial, teaching players the recruitment and command system. After this, Mercenaries can be found in special encounters across Wraeclast and the Atlas. These encounters often appear as Mercenary Contracts — missions where you duel or assist a wandering warrior. Upon completion, you earn the right to recruit them.

Recruitment sometimes requires a cost, such as a Mercenary Sigil, a new currency introduced in the league. These Sigils can drop from league events, bosses, and map chests. Once hired, your Mercenary becomes available in your hideout, allowing you to summon or swap them out before entering maps.

The system encourages experimentation — you’re not locked into one companion forever. You can hire multiple Mercenaries, each with unique skills, and choose which one best fits your current build or challenge.

Mercenary Archetypes and Attributes

Every Mercenary is built upon one of three core attribute archetypes — Strength, Dexterity, or Intelligence — with some hybrid variants combining two stats. These attributes determine what items your Mercenary can equip and influence their natural stats like health, damage scaling, and energy shield.

Strength Mercenaries are typically tanks or melee bruisers. They specialize in physical damage, heavy armour, and life regeneration.

Dexterity Mercenaries excel at ranged attacks, mobility, and evasion. They’re perfect for kiting enemies and clearing maps efficiently.

Intelligence Mercenaries are spellcasters and support types. They rely on energy shield, elemental damage, and crowd control.

Hybrid Mercenaries (such as Str/Dex or Dex/Int) blend roles, allowing for flexible builds. Choosing the right Mercenary depends on your own playstyle — for example, glass-cannon builds benefit from tank mercs, while melee builds may prefer ranged or support types for coverage.

Gear and Equipment for Mercenaries

One of the defining features of the Mercenary system is the ability to equip them with real gear. They have their own inventory slots for weapons, armour, and accessories. While some restrictions apply (they can’t use flasks or active skill gems directly), the rest of their gear follows standard PoE rules — stats, affixes, and uniques all apply.

Several Mercenary-specific uniques were introduced in Secrets of the Atlas. These items grant powerful bonuses exclusive to NPC allies. Examples include helms that grant taunt immunity, chestpieces that share aura effects, or weapons that scale off both your and your Mercenary’s damage.

Because Mercenaries cannot be manually micromanaged mid-fight, durability is key. Prioritize gear with high life, resistances, and damage reduction. Items that grant minion life or minion damage can sometimes affect Mercenaries, depending on how the modifiers are worded — though unique Mercenary affixes are usually better suited.

Pro Tip: Crafting gear for Mercenaries is worthwhile. Because they do not require high attribute thresholds like players, you can focus entirely on functional modifiers without worrying about socket color requirements.

Leveling and Scaling

Mercenaries gain experience alongside you as you clear areas, but their level caps are tied to your character’s progression. In early Acts, they’ll scale automatically with your zone level. Once you reach mapping, Mercenaries level slower and require Mercenary Contracts or Atlas Memories to keep them up to par.

Their stats scale with their level, but their effectiveness truly shines through equipment and synergy. Investing in their gear early on pays huge dividends in the endgame. Some passive nodes, Atlas notables, and even new unique jewels offer bonuses to Mercenaries — such as increased life regeneration, faster action speed, or enhanced skill cooldowns.

Combat Behavior and Commands

Mercenaries are semi-autonomous. They act according to their AI personality — aggressive, balanced, or cautious — and prioritize different enemies depending on the encounter. However, Secrets of the Atlas introduced a Command Wheel, letting players issue simple orders such as:

Attack – Directs the Mercenary to focus on a specific target.

Hold Position – Keeps them in place, ideal for setting up defensive lines.

Retreat – Useful in boss fights when heavy AoE mechanics appear.

The command system allows strategic micromanagement without overwhelming complexity. Experienced players can time these orders to maximize survivability and DPS output.

Synergy With Your Build

Choosing a Mercenary isn’t just about filling a slot — it’s about complementing your weaknesses. A good Mercenary feels like an extension of your build rather than a passive tagalong.

For example:

A glass-cannon spellcaster benefits from a Strength merc that tanks and taunts.

A melee juggernaut may enjoy a Dexterity merc who deals with ranged threats.

A summoner can amplify their army’s effectiveness by bringing an Intelligence support merc that grants aura synergy.

Mercenaries can also trigger certain item effects that benefit you, like aura-sharing equipment or conditional buffs on kill. This opens the door to creative combinations — a Mercenary wielding a debuff weapon can amplify your own damage significantly.

Mercenaries in Endgame and Boss Fights

Mercenaries hold up surprisingly well in the endgame, but they’re not immortal. High-tier bosses can still wipe them out quickly if they’re not properly geared. To keep them alive, focus on mitigation rather than pure damage. Items that grant damage reduction, block chance, and life regeneration make a huge difference.

During Pinnacle Bosses or Uber fights, Mercenaries serve best as utility tools — they distract, apply debuffs, or offer aura support while you handle mechanics. In some cases, you may choose to disable their aggressive behavior and use them purely for passive benefits, like aura sharing or taunt immunity.

One particularly advanced technique involves “burst summoning.” You summon your Mercenary mid-battle to apply a buff or taunt, then dismiss them before a dangerous phase. This micro-optimization is especially valuable in Hardcore leagues where safety is paramount.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many new players make similar missteps when experimenting with Mercenaries:

Overreliance on their damage. Mercenaries enhance your power, but they are not meant to replace it. You still need to pull your weight in every fight.

Ignoring survivability. Without adequate defenses, Mercenaries melt in high-tier maps. Treat their gear with the same care you give your own.

Mismatched roles. Pairing a glass-cannon Mercenary with a squishy caster build is a recipe for disaster. Choose synergy over style.

Neglecting updates. Mercenaries need constant gear and level updates as you progress. A level 60 Merc in a level 90 map will be useless.

Understanding these pitfalls early ensures that your Mercenary remains a powerful ally throughout your journey.

Advanced Strategies

Veteran players have already begun finding ingenious uses for Mercenaries. Some support-oriented builds focus entirely on amplifying the Mercenary’s damage — essentially turning them into the main damage dealer while the player stacks auras and buffs. Others use Mercenaries as “trigger carriers,” equipping them with items that activate effects when they hit or get hit.

Another creative strategy involves dual-synergy scaling, where both you and your Mercenary benefit from overlapping stats, such as shared auras or curses. When optimized, this can rival some of the strongest solo builds in the current meta.

Final Thoughts

The Mercenary system in Path of Exile: Secrets of the Atlas is a masterstroke of design — a perfect blend of depth, experimentation, and accessibility. It empowers players to explore new playstyles, bridge build weaknesses, and inject fresh strategy into an already rich endgame. Mercenaries aren’t just followers; they’re true partners in battle.

As the league evolves, the community will undoubtedly uncover even more hidden synergies and optimal setups to buy POE exalted orbs. But one truth is already clear — with the right Mercenary by your side, even the most daunting challenges in Wraeclast become a little more survivable, and a lot more fun.