Mercenary

The Mercenary is one of the playable characters in Risk of Rain 2.

How to Unlock

The Mercenary is unlocked upon completing the Challenge "True Respite". (Obliterate yourself at the Obelisk.)

Skills

Cybernetic Enhancements

Cybernetic Enhancements

	Type	Passive
	Description	The Mercenary can jump twice.

Laser Sword

Laser Sword

	Type	Primary
	Proc Coefficient	1
	Description	Slice in front for 130% damage. Every 3rd hit strikes in a greater area for 300% damage.
Notes
The base swing speed is 0.42s per swing, with a 0.64s recovery window after the third swing which artificially reduces the base swing speed. Any bonus attack speed will decrease the time spent in the recovery animation, but will not remove / negate it. is not interrupted by other animations.

Whirlwind

Whirlwind

	Type	Secondary
	Cooldown	2.5s
	Proc Coefficient	1
	Description	Quickly slice horizontally twice, dealing 2x200% damage. If airbone, slice vertically instead.
Notes
The animation speed is improved with attack speed, which also reduces the time taken to cast other skills.

Rising Thunder

Rising Thunder

	Type	Secondary
	Cooldown	3s
	Proc Coefficient	1
	Description	Unleash a slicing uppercut, dealing 450% damage and sending you airborne.
Notes
Unlocked via the "Mercenary: Demon of the Skies" Challenge. (As Mercenary, don't touch the ground for 30 seconds.)

Blinding Assault

Blinding Assault

	Type	Utility
	Cooldown	7s
	Proc Coefficient	1
	Description	Dash forward, stunning enemies for 200% damage. If you hit an enemy, you can dash again, up to 3 total.
Notes
The color of the icon will change depending on how many uses the skill has before going on cooldown; Blue for three, Yellow for two, Red for one. The animation speed and total distance travelled is improved by attack speed bonuses. The player has 2.66 seconds to use this ability again after striking an enemy (while a charge is available).

Eviscerate

Eviscerate

	Type	Special
	Cooldown	6s
	Proc Coefficient	1
	Description	Target the nearest enemy, attacking them for 110% damage repeatedly. You cannot be hit for the duration.
Notes
Lasts for 1.3s after casting. Deals 7 damage ticks on cast, the amount of damage ticks is improved by attack speed without affecting its duration. Invincible for 0.6s after Eviscerate ends. Mecenary's position will remain at the point of cast for the duration.

Slicing Winds

Slicing Winds

	Type	Special
	Cooldown	8s
	Proc Coefficient	1 per hit.
	Description	Fire a wind of blades that attack up to 3 enemies for 8x100% damage.
Notes
Unlocked via the "Mercenary: Ethereal" Challenge. (As Mercenary, complete a Prismatic Trial without falling below 100% health.)

Tips

You should always hold your Primary skill down. Laser Sword combos are not interrupted by your non-Primary skills, sprinting, or jumping, allowing you to slash while using Whirlwind, Blinding Assault, and Eviscerate. A Laser Sword combo will, however, only start when you are not in the middle of using another skill.
Whirlwind Can be used on slanted edges / ramps that you can walk up to launch the player vertically.
Whirlwind when used on the ground dashes you forward, when used in the air it acts like a double jump. Use it in the air to stay airborne, but use it on the ground to be evasive as it covers more distance faster.
There is a short delay before attacking again after the third hit in the Laser Sword combo. Activating Whirlwind immediately after the hit connects can cancel this delay.
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.
Your Blinding Assault cooldown reset leaves just enough time to use Laser Sword twice or combo Whirlwind + Laser Sword before you need to dash again. You have just enough time to Eviscerate between Blinding Assaults, if you do it immediately without any delay between dashes.
Your longest distance jump combo is Sprint-Jump-Whirlwind-Blinding Assault-Eviscerate-Double Jump-Whirlwind.^[Verify]
Prior to Build ID #3731106, Eviscerating directly into the ground when airborne would cause you to take heavy fall damage.
Mercenary's health regeneration is noticeably higher than other survivors, allowing him to recover faster than the other survivors without the use of healing items.
Some bosses have heads which act as solid platforms, which the Mercenary can stand on to resume attacking the boss without as much danger from the swarm of enemies below.
Wax Quail's boost applies for Mercenary's first two jumps, whereas other survivors can only receive the boost on their first jump, even with the Hopoo Feather
Using your Primary attack on enemies such as the Wandering Vagrant while airborne also noticeably reduces your rate of decent.
If you use Blinding Assault very close to Wandering Vagrant, you can push it into a wall at high speeds causing massive damage. This can be easily achieved if you hit directly on top of its mantle.
Blinding Assault can slam nearly any flying enemy into walls for massive damage including airborne bosses, but it cannot affect Alloy Vultures.
The damage dealt when using Blinding Assault to slam enemies into walls can receive critical hits
Slicing Winds does NOT scale with attack speed, unlike Eviscerate
It is advised to provide at least one or two Backup Magazines to the Mercenary if they have Rising Thunder because the added air time can allow them to dodge attacks even if Blinding Assault and Eviscerate are on cooldown.
Rising Thunder can still hit enemies directly below the Mercenary
Slamming smaller enemies into a ceiling with Rising Thunder can deal extra damage to them

Gallery

Trivia

Mercenary was one of the playable characters in the first Risk of Rain.

History

Build ID #3731106

Extend timeout duration to recast Blinding Assault from 2s to 3s.