Who this page is for
The general mercenary guide covers which act to hire and how auras work. This page is the mercenary runewords checklist people search after they already know they want an Act 2 merc: exact recipes, bases, and the Insight → Infinity decision. Facts below track Maxroll's mercenary setups and our runewords database (req levels: Insight 27, Infinity 63, Fortitude 59, Obedience 41, Pride 67).
Insight — the Meditation engine
Insight is the default Act 2 weapon for casters and many hybrids. Recipe: Ral + Tir + Tal + Sol in a 4-socket polearm (staffs and bows/crossbows also work after 2.4; spears do not). The roll that matters is Meditation aura level 12–17 — about one in six Insight poles hit 17.
- Best merc base: ethereal elite polearm (Thresher, Giant Thresher, Cryptic Axe, Great Poleaxe). Ethereal never loses durability on a merc.
- Budget: any 4os polearm while you wait for an ethereal elite.
- Aura pairing: Holy Freeze or Might from the hire, plus Meditation from Insight — mercs can run two auras.
Deep dive (ilvl socket traps, strength gates, staff vs polearm): the dedicated Insight runeword page. Ladder timing sits next to Spirit in the mid-20s — see runewords by level.
Infinity — the Conviction upgrade
Infinity replaces Insight when your damage type needs enemy resist cuts more than mana. Recipe: Ber + Mal + Ber + Ist in a 4-socket polearm (req level 63). Conviction lowers fire / cold / lightning resist and, at high aura levels, can break many immunities at the usual 1/5 effectiveness — full math on break immunities.
- Who upgrades: Lightning / Fire / Cold mains that stall on Hell immunes without a Sunder, or want the damage spike after a Sunder opens the door.
- Who stays on Insight: physical mains, summoners who mainly need mana, and anyone still farming Ber. Two Bers is a real ladder tax — do not rush Infinity before your own gear is playable.
- Bases: same ethereal elite poles as Insight (Thresher / Giant Thresher / War Pike per Maxroll). Keep the old Insight for alts or a second character.
Insight vs Infinity in one line: Insight solves your mana; Infinity solves their resistances. They are not parallel upgrades for every build — elemental characters graduate; physical characters often branch elsewhere.
Other Act 2 weapons worth knowing
- Obedience (Hel + Ko + Thul + Eth + Fal, req 41): cheap 5-socket pole with Crushing Blow and defense — a strong mid-ladder physical merc stick before Infinity-tier wealth.
- Pride (Cham + Sur + Io + Lo, req 67): Concentration aura on top of Might — Maxroll's physical / summon endgame Act 2 option when Conviction is not the goal.
- Doom (Hel + Ohm + Um + Lo + Cham): Holy Freeze on the weapon for cold support builds; niche next to hiring Holy Freeze directly.
- The Reaper's Toll (unique, not a runeword): Decrepify on hit — Maxroll lists it as the physical-immunity answer when you do not want an Act 5 Lawbringer merc.
Filter poles in the database; keep ethereal elites with the right socket count using runeword bases and how to add sockets.
Armor and helm that carry every setup
- Fortitude (El + Sol + Dol + Lo in armor, req 59): Maxroll's default merc body armor — huge enhanced damage and defense. Ethereal elite armor is ideal because the merc ignores ethereal durability loss.
- Treachery (Shael + Thul + Lem): budget armor with Fade and attack speed — common before Fortitude.
- Andariel's Visage: standard merc helm (life leech, attack speed). Socket a Ruby Jewel of Fervor (or Um for resists) to offset the fire resist penalty, matching Maxroll's Act 2 setups.
- Vampire Gaze / Guillaume's / Crown of Thieves: budget or Crushing Blow alternatives when Andy is out of reach.
Act 1, Act 3 and Act 5 runeword notes
- Act 1 Rogue: Faith (Ohm + Jah + Lem + Eld) for Fanaticism on physical attackers; Harmony for Vigor movespeed. Bows only — see the mercenary guide for Cold vs Fire rogue roles.
- Act 3 Ironwolf: rarely about a signature runeword pole. Fire Enchant and Lightning Static Field setups use uniques (+skills gear); ethereal Spirit monarchs appear only after Fal in the armor for strength. Stay on Act 2 if you need Insight or Infinity auras.
- Act 5 Barbarian: dual Lawbringer (Amn + Lem + Ko) for Decrepify against physical immunes; dual Plague or Lawbringer + Death for niche Crushing Blow packs. These are specialist swaps, not the default Insight/Infinity path.
Suggested upgrade order
- Hire Act 2 (Might for physical, Holy Freeze for most casters) — details in mercenary guide.
- Craft Insight as soon as you have Sol and a 4os polearm (often with Spirit on the character).
- Stack life leech / resists on helm and armor (Treachery → Fortitude).
- Elemental endgame: farm two Bers and move the same ethereal base class to Infinity; keep Insight for second characters.
- Physical endgame: Pride or Reaper's Toll instead of Infinity when Conviction adds little.
Fresh-ladder level gates for the cheap pieces: runewords by level. Teleport armor for your character is a separate Jah/Ber chase — Enigma — and should not delay the first Insight.