Wolfman

[Baajikiil]

1. I usually use Act2 Mercs but am open to suggestions, which Merc would you recommend?.

Assuming you are using Oak sage, act2 mercs will probably give you the most benefit. Might and holy freeze are the prime contenders. Both help you survive--might helps you kill faster as well as leach more per hit, and freeze will slow down the rate you take damage. Defiance is not recommended, unless you have some very high defense gear to use at higher levels.

Note that holy freeze *will* slow down cold immunes, it just won't damage them(some monsters, including Baal and Diablo are immune to holy freeze though).

2. What is the best method/equipment (Merc?) for dealing with PIs?

Any unique with decrep or amp would do the trick for most monsters. Popular ones are atma's or the Reapers toll. Also, a high elemental damage weapon can do the trick. Many elite uniques have tons of elemental damage, and fury can apply it rapidly. Fire claws require too many points(or great + skill gear) to be effective, and none of the elemental skills are worth anything unsynergised.

An elemental merc(act3) can handle phys immunes, but not very well, and are very fragile. Rogues can do well if given a high base damage bow. Neither offer you a great benefit in regular play though. Also, the unsynergised cold damage of a holy freeze merc is laughable in hell. Don't even consider holy freeze for that purpose.

It's often best for a shifter to simply skip phys immunes, only killing those he absolutely has to. Open wounds can handle the infrequent unavoidable unique who spawns phys immune.

3. How do I handle the Chaos Sanctuary/monsters who have IM as a curse?

Very carefully. Usually, I combat cast a bear to the back of a Knight pack, and use it to distract the mage's curses. Then I stay at the fringes and kill enough knights so that I can charge the mages. I stop using fury when fighting them, and stick with only feral rage. Alternately, use a low physical/high elemental damage weapon for the sanctuary.

My mercs tend to die alot in there, but I figure that the curse he soaked up is one less curse cast on me.

4. Stick with maces or invest a few points in Dex for weaponchoice?

It depends on what weapons you can expect to have in your future. Plan it out. Do you want to be able to use an IK maul? It's one of the best easily attainable weapons for a shifter. Tons of strength to use though. A buriza can carry you through all of hell, at that point just put enough to use a ballista. A ribcracker is also a great choice, very low requirements, and is one of the best possible were weapons once upgraded.

I don't think that one route is better than the others. More dex will also help your AR, a chronic problem for many shifters. But if you have a solution for AR, more life can only help. There are plenty of weapons in both groups(dex or no dex) that are viable for end game hell.

I play HC only, and always go with no dex unless I already have a weapon in mind that requires some.