Clash For Dawn - Mercenary Guide

Considering which mercenary is best for your Chosen One? Fret not. Here's a basic guide for beginners who are looking to level a mercenary but aren't sure who to prioritise and how to proceed.

This article will cover the following topics:

1. Types of Mercenaries
2. List of Purple-S Classed Mercenaries
3. Prioritising Mercenaries to Level
4. Enhancing Mercenaries to Orange and Gold
5. Inheriting Mercenaries

1. Types of Mercenaries

There are different types of mercenaries, and they are segregated by colour - white, green, blue, purple and orange. As you will come to realise, white mercenaries are the weakest, and orange mercenaries are the strongest.

This article will cover Purple-S Classed mercenaries, who come with two skills. Do not confuse them with Purple Classed mercenaries (like Eble, Kittyhawk), who only have one skill. Another way to distinguish them is that their card has a silver crown on the top left corner.

In addition to skills, each mercenary has unique 'combinations' with other mercenaries, that will give you bonuses in magical and physical damage. These are detailed in the Mercenary Oaths below.

Each Purple-S Classed mercenary will take 20 pact fragments to craft into a card. Activating this card will enable you to hire them from the Tavern.

2. List of Purple-S classed Mercenaries

1. Phantom Roline (Sharpshooter)

Grade: S
Type: Physical Damage
Pact: Poisonous Arrow
Skills: Dead Dart Space (Jumps Back and Shoot, Beating Back Enemies), Soaring Volley (3 Waves of Crossbow Bolts, Second Casting has chance to Daze Enemies)
Mercenary Oaths:
1. Senior Mercenary: When enhanced to Orange, Physical Damage increases by 10%
2. Cousins: Fight together with Judger White, Physical Damage increases by 10%
3. Friends: Fight together with Hanna, Max HP increases by 5%
4. Endless Battle Desire: Physical Damage increases by 5%
5. Greatly Armed: When a Mercenary is evolved to +7, his Max HP increases by 7%
6. Phantom Rune: Equip EX Battlewill Rune above Lvl.5 will increase 10% Critical Hit Rating
Available through Merit Exchange. (Merit can be earned by increasing your rank in the Arena. To access your Merit points, click on your character profile on the top left, and swipe right twice.)

2. Ranger Nina (Ranger)

Grade: S
Type: Physical Damage
Pact: Nether Sting
Skills: Volley (3 Shots, Beats Back Enemies, Third Casting Beats Enemies Back), Rainstorm Dartle (AOE Damage that Knocks Down Enemies)
Mercenary Oaths:
1. Senior Mercenary: When enhanced to Orange, Physical Damage increases by 10%
2. Lovers: Fight together with Bran the Hunter, Physical Damage increases by 10%
3. Rivals: Fight together with Blizzard Sande, Magical Armor increases by 5%
4. Critical Desire: Critical Hit rating increases by 5%
5. Greatly Armed: When a Mercenary is evolved to +7, his Max HP increases by 7%
6. Spirit Bow Rune: Equip EX Fatality Rune above Lv.5 will increase 10% Physical Damage

3. Lionheart Itha (Berserker)

Grade: S
Type: Physical Damage
Pact: Lionheart
Skills: Pound (Charges Forward Dealing Damage, Grants Broken Armor, Grants Super Armor) Shockwave (Fire 3 Seismic Waves, Third Casting has chance to Daze Enemies)
Mercenary Oaths:
1. Senior Mercenary: When enhanced to Orange, Physical Damage increases by 10%
2. Old friends: Fight together with Sara the Just, Physical Damage increases by 10%
3. Former friends: Fight together with Alienor, Max HP increases by 5%
4. Legacy of Life: Max HP increases by 5%
5. Greatly Armed: When a Mercenary is evolved to +7, his Max HP increases by 7%
6. King's Rune: Equip EX Battlewill Rune above Lv.5 will increase 10% Physical Damage

4. Undead Niven (Guardian)

Grade: S
Type: Physical Damage
Pact: White Bone
Skills: Brutal Charge, Warrior Bark
Mercenary Oaths:
1. Senior Mercenary: When enhanced to Orange, Physical Damage increases by 10%
2. Gang Members: Fight together with Fran the Lightheart, Physical Damage increases by 10%
3. Criminal Associates: Fight together with Hellfire Baron, Max HP increases by 5%
4. Endless Battle Desire: Physical damage increases by 5%
5. Greatly Armed: When a Mercenary is evolved to +7, his Max HP increases by 7%
6. Eternal Ruin: Equip EX Fortification Rune above Lv.5 will increase 12% Max HP

5. Judger White (Judge)

Grade: S
Type: Magical Damage
Pact: Mace
Skills: Wing of Ruling (Increases Physical and Magical Attack of Allies Nearby), Hymn of Discipline (Draws Enemies Near and Deals Damage, Grants Darkflame, Third Casting has chance to Daze Enemies)
Mercenary Oaths:
1. Senior Mercenary: When enhanced to Orange, Magical Damage increases by 10%
2. Mentor: Fight together with Lena the Flame, Magical Damage increases by 10%
3. Old friends: Fight together with Blizzard Sande, Physical Armor increases by 5%
4. Magical Affinity: Magical Damage increases by 5%
5. Greatly Armed: When a Mercenary is evolved to +7, his Max HP increases by 7%
6. True Sight Rune: Equip EX Demonheart Rune above Lv.5 will increase 10% Magical Damage

6. Holylight Ross (Shaman)

Grade: S
Type: Magical Damage
Pact: Kind Heart
Skills: Divine Sanction (Heals Allies), Holy Field (Deals Magical Damage, Heals, Grants Broken Armor)
Mercenary Oaths:
1. Senior Mercenary: When enhanced to Orange, Healing Effect increases by 10%
2. Mentor: Fight together with Fran the Lightheart, Magical Damage increases by 10%
3. Mentor: Fight together with Kittyhawk, Physical Armor increases by 5%
4. Healer's Kindness: Healing effect increases by 5%
5. Greatly Armed: When a Mercenary is evolved to +7, his Max HP increases by
6. Oracle Rune: EX Curing Rune above Lv.5 will increase 10% Healing Effect
Available through Merit Exchange. (Merit can be earned by increasing your rank in the Arena. To access your Merit points, click on your character profile on the top left, and swipe right twice.)

7. Hellfire Baron (Fire-Mage)

Grade: S
Type: Magical Damage
Pact: Ember
Skills: Fiery Breath (AOE Rain of Fire), Resistive Aura (Fire Damage in Fan-Shaped Area, Beats Back Enemies)
Mercenary Oaths:
1. Senior Mercenary: When enhanced to Orange, Magical Damage increases by 10%
2. Uneasy Allies: Fight together with Park the Viper, Magical Damage increases by 10%
3. Criminal Associates: Fight together with Undead Niven, Max HP increases by 5%
4. Malice: Critical Hit Damage increases by 5%
5. Greatly Armed: When a Mercenary is evolved to +7, his Max HP increases by
6. Bloody Flame Rune: Equip EX Berserk Rune above Lv.5 will increase 10% Critical Hit Damage

8. Blizzard Sande (Ice-Mage)
Grade: S
Type: Magical Damage
Pact: Frost
Skills: Chilling Cones (AOE Wave of Frost, First Casting has chance to Freeze, Third Casting has chance to Beat Back Enemies in PVE), Frost Nova (AOE Ice Damage, Has Chance to Freeze Enemies)
Mercenary Oaths:
1. Senior Mercenary: When enhanced to Orange, Magical Damage increases by 10%
2. Rivals: Fight together with Lionheart Itha, Magical Damage increases by 10%
3. Suitor: Fight together with Mandar the Cold, Magical Armor increases by 5%
4. Magical Affinity: Magical Damage increases by 5%
5. Greatly Armed: When a Mercenary is evolved to +7, his Max HP increases by
6. Frost Rune: Equip EX Demonheart Rune above Lv.5 will increase 10% Magical Damage

3. Prioritising Mercenaries to Level

There are many ways to play the game, and it all depends on your objectives. Here are some objectives that may be relevant to you.

The Brave Trials
Once you hit level 50, the Brave Trials will be open. This is the place where you can gain Unsealers, that will enable you to upgrade your Sacred Ring and Freya's Tear (necklace).

However, there are two types of Brave Trials - Blade Colosseum (open on Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) and Magical Arena (open on Tues, Thurs, Sat, Sun). As the name suggests, the Blade Colosseum can only be cleared if you have sufficient physical damage, and the Magical Arena can only be cleared if you have sufficient magical damage.

So if you Chosen One is a physical-damage dealer like a Ranger, Sharpshooter, Berserker or Guardian, you will have trouble clearing the Magical Arena. And if your Chosen One is a magical-damage dealer, you will have trouble clearing the Blade Colosseum.

This is where mercenaries come in.

Picking mercenaries that excel in the type of damage your Chosen One lacks will enable to you to clear the Brave Trials everyday.

So if you're a Ranger, Sharpshooter, Berserker or Guardian, Judger White, Holylight Ross, Hellfire Baron or Blizzard Sande are suitable options.

If you're a Priest, Judge, Fire-Mage or Ice-Mage, Phantom Roline, Ranger Nina, Lionheart Itha or Undead Niven are possible options.

Arena & Dungeons
Mercenaries are also important (though not as much as the Brave Trials) in the Arena, Dungeons, Ruins of Wyrm and Demon Raids. Fielding mercenaries with skills that Beat Back or Knock Down Enemies can come in useful in PVP (Arena).

Healers (Holylight Ross) and damage-buffers (Judger White) are useful in PVE (Dungeons, Ruins of Wyrm and Demon Raids).

4. Enhancing a Mercenary to Orange (and Gold)

You might have seen some players in the Arena with Purple-S Classed mercenaries that are Orange. These are Senior Mercenaries that have been enhanced/evolved. These mercenaries will be much stronger, as their stats and attributes are greatly improved.

To enhance/evolve a mercenary to Orange requires 8 additional Pact Cards. So for example, to enhance/evolve Phantom Roline, you will need to collect 20 x 8 = 160 Pact Fragments, craft them into Pact Cards and evolve her with the Evolve function (accessible when you select a mercenary to view).

To enhance/evolve a mercenary from Orange to Gold requires 12 additional Pact Cards. Once this is done, your mercenary card will appear as [NAME]MAX.

5. Inheriting Mercenaries  

You may have also noticed that there is an Inherit function when you view each individual mercenary. What it means is that you can further improve the Physical Damage, Physical Armor, Magical Armor, Max HP and Critical Hit Rating of your mercenary, by fusing mercenaries you don't need.

White, green and blue mercenaries may be used for this. Purple mercenaries that are not utilised for battle can also be used. The more powerful the mercenary used, the faster the Inherit bar charges up (i.e. purple > blue > green > white).

Questions? Share them in the comments below. 

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