Cleric = fun fun fun

[Crystalion]

I now recommend an ACT 3 COLD SORC - Glacial Spike and Ice Blast both freeze

I think it is a yet unsettled question, v1.10s, whether the merc's skill in glacial spike synergizes the freeze duration of the Ice Blasts (which are the predominent attack m.o. for the merc). In any event a quick test (with my level 52 "zombie garden" character, HolyFist, who was rushed to hell incidentally although he continues to "live" in Pindle's nightmare courtyard) suggests this works quite well in nm and falls apart in hell. Certainly in Diablo 2 Classic the act 3 freeze sorc merc was a god, so it is somewhat nostalgic to realize he still can rock for crowd control.

The advantage of the slowing of Holy Freeze is that it isn't shortened or voided by monsters having immunity or high cold resist. Indeed current v1.10s discussion suggests that when the merc then jabs a monster that has already been slowed by HF that the chill damage HF adds to the weapon also stacks some slowing on the monster (if they are suspectible to chill). This makes "monster flee" a beautiful sight to behold (as the merc is repeatedly jabbing them in the back as they attempt a slo-mo getaway). Of course, you can always hire a new merc later (from nightmare) for hell (and then power level them by slumming). I am not aware, v1.10s, of which monsters can not be slowed by any means, although I recall seeing a list posted in a thread recently.