Mercenary vs Sorceress
vs
The Mercenary is a Strength/Dexterity class (11/11/7 Str/Dex/Int) that starts with a Makeshift Crossbow; the Sorceress is an Intelligence class (7/7/15) that starts with an Ashen Staff. They begin at different points of the passive tree. Across their ascendancies the biggest differences are spells (0 vs 9 nodes), evasion (7 vs 0 nodes) and cold and freeze (0 vs 6 nodes). Patch 0.5.5, from the game files.
Side by side
| Mercenary | Sorceress | |
|---|---|---|
| Attributes | Str11 Dex11 Int7 | Str7 Dex7 Int15 |
| Trait | Totems remain for longer | Natural resilience to elements |
| Starts with |  Makeshift Crossbow |  Ashen Staff |
| First skill gem |  Fragmentation Rounds |  Spark |
| Gems that need its weapon | 28 (crossbow) | 0 (staff) |
| Ascendancies |  Tactician Witchhunter Gemling Legionnaire |  Stormweaver Chronomancer Disciple of Varashta |
Their ascendancies' nodes by theme
| Nodes about… | Mercenary | Sorceress |
|---|---|---|
| Minions | 2 | 4 |
| Spells | – | 9 |
| Projectiles | 3 | – |
| Attack speed | 2 | 1 |
| Critical hits | 1 | 4 |
| Fire | 1 | 2 |
| Cold and freeze | – | 6 |
| Lightning and shock | – | 5 |
| Physical | 1 | – |
| Elemental | – | 3 |
| Totems | 4 | – |
| Life | – | 4 |
| Energy shield | – | 5 |
| Mana | – | 6 |
| Armour | 7 | 1 |
| Evasion | 7 | – |
| Resistances | 1 | – |
| Spirit | 2 | – |
| Area of effect | 3 | 4 |
| Movement speed | 1 | – |
| Cooldowns | 3 | 3 |
| Strength stacking | 1 | – |
| Dexterity stacking | 1 | – |
| Intelligence stacking | 1 | – |
Nodes of all the class's ascendancies added up; each ascendancy's own counts are on its page.
Mercenary ascendancies
- Tacticiantotems 4, armour 4 and evasion 4
- Witchhunterarmour 3, evasion 3 and cooldowns 3
- Gemling Legionnaireattack speed 1, critical hits 1 and resistances 1
Tactician vs Witchhunter · Gemling Legionnaire vs Tactician · Gemling Legionnaire vs Witchhunter
Sorceress ascendancies
- Stormweavercold and freeze 5, lightning and shock 5 and spells 3
- Chronomancerspells 3, area of effect 3 and cooldowns 3
- Disciple of Varashtaminions 4, energy shield 4 and spells 3
Chronomancer vs Stormweaver · Disciple of Varashta vs Stormweaver · Chronomancer vs Disciple of Varashta
More class comparisons: Druid vs Mercenary · Druid vs Sorceress · Huntress vs Mercenary · Huntress vs Sorceress · Mercenary vs Monk · Mercenary vs Ranger · Mercenary vs Warrior · Mercenary vs Witch · Monk vs Sorceress · Ranger vs Sorceress · Sorceress vs Warrior · Sorceress vs Witch.