Path of Exile Secret of Atlas: Mercenary Guide (3.26)

Path of Exile: Secret of Atlas has finally introduced Mercenaries to the 12-year-old action RPG. Here’s every detail.

Grinding Gear Games surprised everyone by recently releasing the massive Secret of Atlas expansion for Path of Exile. This huge update brings many new additions to the game that fundamentally change how players play the now 12-year-old dark fantasy RPG. The most notable inclusion so far has been the Mercenaries of Trathus, a brand-new seasonal league.

Players can now discover an increased number of Mercenaries throughout Wraeclast. By defeating these foes, you can get some infamous gear. In addition to that, you can also recruit them to your ranks thanks to the new companion system in Path of Exile. In return, these NPCs will accompany you worldwide, even into boss fights and endgame encounters, and balance out your build’s shortcomings. Here’s every detail.

What Are the Mercenaries in Path of Exile: Secret of Atlas?

Mercenaries are NPCs that you will now find during the Mercenaries of Trarthus League. After the Secret of Atlas expansion, players will often find these killers to hire in almost every zone they go to. Once you find one, you can challenge them to a duel. If you win, you can either hire them as companions or take any item of theirs you want. This is a great way to cover your own build’s weaknesses and get bonus loot.

The Mercenaries you hire will be your permanent recruits. They will follow you throughout your journey, no matter where you go, including boss encounters and endgame areas. Additionally, you can hire three Mercenaries at a time; however, only one of them will actively accompany you. The rest will be staying in your hideout, and you will be able to switch between them whenever you want.

How To Interact With the Mercenaries

As we briefly mentioned, Mercenaries will appear in almost every single zone in the game. Furthermore, you can locate them simply by a crossed sword icon on your map. You can then speak to the NPC to see the items they hold, including armor, weapons, skills, and other resources. You will essentially have four different options while interacting with a Mercenary, and they will be as follows:

1. Take an item from the Mercenary: You can choose any item from a mercenary’s inventory and then challenge them for it. If you win, the NPC will drop the item for you to collect.
2. Hire the Mercenary: You can also hire the NPC as a companion by challenging them to a duel. If you win, they will follow you until you switch them or their health depletes to zero.
3. Exile the Mercenary: You can also choose to exile the NPC if you win the duel. Doing so will ensure that the specific build type doesn’t spawn for the next ten mercenary encounters.
4. Walk Away: If you decide to walk away from the Mercenary without a fight, then your Renown level might decrease if the zone resets.

If you do not walk away from the Mercenary, you will have to engage in a duel automatically for a reward and a Renown increase. You can choose any item from the NPC’s inventory as the reward before combat. Moreover, if you decide to choose their coin pouch instead, they will drop all of their money if defeated.

How Mercenary Renown Works

Path of Exile: Secret of Atlas has also introduced a new Renown system in the action RPG. Which means, as you find and defeat more Mercenaries, you will gain Renown points and become a legend in their ranks. Furthermore, you can check your Renown rating by hovering over a mercenary’s build icon. The higher Renown you possess, the stronger Mercenaries you will find.

Naturally, stronger Mercenaries will have better items with additional modifiers and also supporting gems connected to their skills. A high Renown score also increases the chances of Infamous Mercenary spawns. These NPCs drop unique and rare items with an infamous modifier and are a level above the normal mercs you will find in Path of Exile. Lastly, you can check a mercenary’s status in their build panel.

How To Hire Mercenaries

To hire a Mercenary, first, you will have to find one. They will be virtually in every zone, so that should not be too difficult. After that, you can interact with them and select the “hire” option. You will also notice an amount of gold next to it; it is the fee that you will have to pay to hire them. Mercenaries in Path of Exile do not simply follow anyone for money. If you want to recruit one, you will have to earn their respect by defeating them in combat as well.

If you win that encounter, the mercenary will join your ranks. However, if you lose, your Renown will decrease, and the NPC will disappear. As we discussed, you can only have three mercenaries recruited at a time and one actively following you. Once you hire them, you will be able to find them in your hideout or any hub town.

To switch up the active member, you will have to go to town and pick their replacement. Furthermore, if you try to recruit more while at the three-merc limit, then the game will ask you to replace one NPC to hire another. However, keep in mind that your hired Mercenaries do not level up with you.

Mercenary Archetypes

Every single Mercenary you find in Path of Exile will belong to one of seven archetypes or builds determined by their attributes. The developers have designed these seven archetypes to somewhat mimic already established popular builds in the game. For more details, look at the table below:

Archetypte	Build	Traits
Strength	Melee (Tank)	1. High amounts of HP and features a defensive skill more often. 2. Usually performs slam attacks and war cries.
Dexterity	Bows	1. Avoids close-range and melee combat. 2. Good for crowd control.
Intelligence	Summoners, Casters (Ranged)	1. Can use buff spells such as Sigil of Power. 2. Perfectly suited for summoning or self-casting.
Strength + Intelligence	Melee (Elemental)	1. Holds an aura more often than not. 2. Incorporates elemental attacks.
Strength + Dexterity	Melee (Fast)	1. Aggressive nature. 2. Performs quick and fast attacks.
Intelligence + Dexterity	Casters (Melee)	1. High DPS mixed with low HP. 2. Uses blade-oriented spells.
All Attribute	Varies	1. Might have an aura. 2. Does not belong to a particular archetype.

How To Gear Up Your Mercenaries

It is quite possible to access and adjust a hired Mercenary’s inventory by interacting with them. Moreover, the mercenaries will have different items in different slots, and you can replace those items with something of your own. However, doing so will destroy the original item in that slot permanently. Also, it is not possible to take your mercenary’s original item from their inventory.

In addition to that, as we briefly mentioned, your mercenaries do not level up with you. Which means all of their skillsets, supporting gems, and levels are essentially stuck in their current place. If you want a companion with a better level of skills, you will have to find a higher-level mercenary.

---

Thank you for reading the Path of Exile Secret of Atlas: Mercenary Guide. We provide the latest news and create guides for Baldur’s Gate 3, Path of Exile 2, Stalker 2, and more. Also, watch Deltia play games on Twitch or visit his YouTube channel!

• Path of Exile 2 vs Diablo 4: Which One Is Better For You?
• All Classes and Ascensions in Path of Exile 2 Early Access
• How To Play Path of Exile 2 Early Access
• Do You Need to Play POE 1 before Path of Exile 2