Mercenary Skill Comparison (3.29)

Selection method

The player gem level is chosen based on the best closest match, not damage alone.
Example: Wild Strike stays at player level 26 because Chains and Area of Effect match, and damage can be corrected with a custom PoB modifier.
Example: Spectral Helix uses player level 9 because it is already within 0.27% damage effectiveness and has no other level-dependent damage stats.

Custom Modifiers

PoB Modifiers are based on modifiers supported in PoB v2.67.2. They are approximations on how to correct damage or other scaling vectors, and will not be perfect.

Skill	Gem Stats Comparison FieldMercenaryPlayer (Closest)		PoB Modifiers / Notes
Wild Strike Type = Attack Granted effect ID = `WildStrikeMercenary` MercenariesCombatantInfamous CombatantMysterious DiverInfamous Mysterious Diver	Gem level26 Added damage effectiveness641.80% Attack damage641.80% of base Lightning beam chains8 Area of effect25% increased Required level82 Behavior and raw data Underlying ActiveSkill`wild_strike` Action type`ElementalStrike` Skill types`Attack, MeleeSingleTarget, Multistrikeable, Melee, Lightning, Cold, Fire, Projectile, Area, Chains, RangedAttack, ProjectilesNotFromUser, RandomElement` Weapon restrictionAll melee weapon types `elemental_strike_physical_damage_%_to_convert`100% `fixed_projectile_spread`70 `base_number_of_projectiles`3 `always_pierce`Present Additional numerical stats2 Additional level flagsNone Base effectiveness1.00 Incremental effectiveness0.00	Closest Equivalent Gem Level26 Added damage effectiveness487.00% Attack damage487.00% of base Lightning beam chains8 Area of effect25% increased Required level82 Behavior and raw data Underlying ActiveSkill`wild_strike` Action type`ElementalStrike` Skill types`Attack, MeleeSingleTarget, Multistrikeable, Melee, Lightning, Cold, Fire, Projectile, Area, Chains, RangedAttack, ProjectilesNotFromUser, RandomElement` Weapon restrictionAll melee weapon types `elemental_strike_physical_damage_%_to_convert`100% `fixed_projectile_spread`70 `base_number_of_projectiles`3 `always_pierce`Present Additional numerical stats2 Additional level flagsNone Base effectiveness1.00 Incremental effectiveness0.00	Wild Strike deals 32% more Damage Copy the line into Custom Modifiers. The integer correction produces 642.84% effective damage, 0.16% above the Mercenary value. PoB still displays 487% added-damage effectiveness on the gem; the more-damage modifier corrects calculated output instead.
Lightning Arrow Type = Attack Granted effect ID = `LightningArrowMercenary` MercenariesThunderquiverInfamous Thunderquiver	Gem level26 Added damage effectiveness185.80% Attack damage185.80% of base Shock magnitude scalingAs though dealing 350% more Damage Required level82 Behavior and raw data Underlying ActiveSkill`lightning_arrow` Action type`LightningArrow` Skill types`Attack, RangedAttack, MirageArcherCanUse, Area, Projectile, ProjectilesFromUser, Totemable, Trappable, Mineable, Lightning, Triggerable` Weapon restrictionBow `skill_physical_damage_%_to_convert_to_lightning`50% `lightning_arrow_maximum_number_of_extra_targets`3 `skill_can_fire_arrows`Present Additional numerical stats1 Additional level flagsNone Base effectiveness1.00 Incremental effectiveness0.00	Closest Equivalent Gem Level26 Added damage effectiveness185.80% Attack damage185.80% of base Shock magnitude scalingAs though dealing 350% more Damage Required level82 Behavior and raw data Underlying ActiveSkill`lightning_arrow` Action type`LightningArrow` Skill types`Attack, RangedAttack, MirageArcherCanUse, Area, Projectile, ProjectilesFromUser, Totemable, Trappable, Mineable, Lightning, Triggerable` Weapon restrictionBow `skill_physical_damage_%_to_convert_to_lightning`50% `lightning_arrow_maximum_number_of_extra_targets`3 `skill_can_fire_arrows`Present Additional numerical stats1 Additional level flagsNone Base effectiveness1.00 Incremental effectiveness0.00	No direct PoB modifier Damage and shock scaling already match. No meaningful numerical difference.
Spectral Helix Type = Attack Granted effect ID = `SpectralHelixMercenary` MercenariesCombatantInfamous Combatant	Gem level26 Added damage effectiveness145.69% Attack damage145.69% of base Attack speed120% of base Required level82 Behavior and raw data Underlying ActiveSkill`spectral_helix` Action type`VaalThrownWeapon` Skill types`Attack, RangedAttack, Projectile, ProjectilesFromUser` Weapon restrictionAll melee weapon types `spectral_spiral_weapon_base_number_of_bounces`3 `spectral_helix_rotations_%`425 `projectiles_nova`Present `base_is_projectile`Present `projectiles_ignore_wall_of_force`Absent Additional numerical statsNone Additional level flagsNone Base effectiveness1.00 Incremental effectiveness0.00	Closest Equivalent Gem Level9 Added damage effectiveness145.30% Attack damage145.30% of base Attack speed120% of base Required level41 Behavior and raw data Underlying ActiveSkill`spectral_helix` Action type`VaalThrownWeapon` Skill types`Attack, RangedAttack, Projectile, ProjectilesFromUser` Weapon restrictionAll melee weapon types `spectral_spiral_weapon_base_number_of_bounces`3 `spectral_helix_rotations_%`425 `projectiles_nova`Present `base_is_projectile`Present `projectiles_ignore_wall_of_force`Present Additional numerical statsNone Additional level flagsNone Base effectiveness1.00 Incremental effectiveness0.00	No direct PoB modifier No damage modifier improves the fit because PoB accepts integer percentages. Player level 9 is 0.27% below the Mercenary damage/effectiveness. The player stat set has a force-wall behavior flag absent from the Mercenary version; it does not affect ordinary PoB DPS.
Shield Crush Type = Attack Granted effect ID = `ShieldCrushMercenary` MercenariesBastionInfamous Bastion	Gem level26 Base critical chance5% Base off-hand physical damage510 to 765 Physical per 15 shield armour/evasion10 to 15 Radius+8 Base attack time0.80 seconds Required level82 Behavior and raw data Underlying ActiveSkill`shield_crush` Action type`ShieldWaves` Skill types`Attack, RequiresShield, Melee, Area, Multistrikeable, Physical` Weapon restrictionShield `is_area_damage`Present `attack_is_melee_override`Present Resolved numerical stats2 Additional numerical stats3 Additional level flagsNone Base effectiveness1.39 Incremental effectiveness0.033	Closest Equivalent Gem Level26 Base critical chance5% Base off-hand physical damage510 to 765 Physical per 15 shield armour/evasion10 to 15 Radius+8 Base attack time0.80 seconds Required level82 Behavior and raw data Underlying ActiveSkill`shield_crush` Action type`ShieldWaves` Skill types`Attack, RequiresShield, Melee, Area, Multistrikeable, Physical` Weapon restrictionShield `is_area_damage`Present `attack_is_melee_override`Present Resolved numerical stats2 Additional numerical stats3 Additional level flagsNone Base effectiveness1.39 Incremental effectiveness0.033	No direct PoB modifier All damage, radius, critical, and timing values match. No meaningful numerical difference.
Frost Blades Type = Attack Granted effect ID = `FrostBladesMercenary` MercenariesCombatantInfamous CombatantMysterious DiverInfamous Mysterious Diver	Gem level26 Added damage effectiveness559.70% Attack damage559.70% of base Projectiles10 Melee strike range+23 Required level82 Behavior and raw data Underlying ActiveSkill`frost_blades` Action type`IceStrike` Skill types`Attack, Projectile, MeleeSingleTarget, Multistrikeable, Melee, Cold, RangedAttack, ProjectilesNotFromUser` Weapon restrictionAll melee weapon types `skill_physical_damage_%_to_convert_to_cold`60% `total_projectile_spread_angle_override`110 `active_skill_hit_ailment_damage_with_projectile_+%_final`30% less Additional numerical stats2 Additional level flagsNone Base effectiveness1.00 Incremental effectiveness0.00	Closest Equivalent Gem Level26 Added damage effectiveness559.70% Attack damage559.70% of base Projectiles10 Melee strike range+23 Required level82 Behavior and raw data Underlying ActiveSkill`frost_blades` Action type`IceStrike` Skill types`Attack, Projectile, MeleeSingleTarget, Multistrikeable, Melee, Cold, RangedAttack, ProjectilesNotFromUser` Weapon restrictionAll melee weapon types `skill_physical_damage_%_to_convert_to_cold`60% `total_projectile_spread_angle_override`110 `active_skill_hit_ailment_damage_with_projectile_+%_final`30% less Additional numerical stats2 Additional level flagsNone Base effectiveness1.00 Incremental effectiveness0.00	No direct PoB modifier Damage, projectile count, and range already match. No meaningful numerical difference.
Arc Type = Spell Granted effect ID = `ArcMercenary` MercenariesStormhandInfamous Stormhand	Gem level26 Cast time0.70 seconds Base critical chance6% Added damage effectiveness120% Base lightning damage362 to 2054 Chains9 Required level82 Behavior and raw data Underlying ActiveSkill`arc` Action type`Arc` Skill types`Spell, Damage, Trappable, Totemable, Mineable, Chains, Multicastable, Triggerable, Lightning, CanRapidFire` Weapon restrictionNone `arc_damage_+%_final_for_each_remaining_chain`15% `arc_chain_distance`35 `arc_enhanced_behaviour`Present Resolved numerical stats2 Additional numerical stats1 Additional level flagsNone Base effectiveness1.5849 Incremental effectiveness0.0395	Closest Equivalent Gem Level26 Cast time0.60 seconds Base critical chance6% Added damage effectiveness120% Base lightning damage362 to 2054 Chains9 Required level82 Behavior and raw data Underlying ActiveSkill`arc` Action type`Arc` Skill types`Spell, Damage, Trappable, Totemable, Mineable, Chains, Multicastable, Triggerable, Lightning, CanRapidFire` Weapon restrictionNone `arc_damage_+%_final_for_each_remaining_chain`15% `arc_chain_distance`35 `arc_enhanced_behaviour`Present Resolved numerical stats2 Additional numerical stats1 Additional level flagsNone Base effectiveness1.5849 Incremental effectiveness0.0395	Arc has 14% less Cast Speed The line is skill-scoped and parser-validated. The integer cast-speed correction gives an effective 0.698-second cast time instead of 0.700 seconds. This is approximately 0.33% more cast rate than the Mercenary baseline.