Ever since MZ released the first mercenaries, many players wondered if a gear set would ever be released to increase their survivability. Last week, prayers were finally answered, when the Mercenary Commander’s Gear Set was finally released.

This article will review the new gear set, explain how you can get it, and also help you determine if it’s the right gear set for you.

Mercenary Commander’s Gear Set Overview

The Mercenary Commander’s Gear Set is unlike any other set that had previously been offered in the game.

While all other gear sets such as Grim Reaper’s Gear Set, Glacian’s Gear Set and Aranea’s Gear Set dramatically increase the attack of specific troop types, such as Warrior, Cavalry, or Mage, they also buff the overall HP and Armor stat to raise the survivability of base troops. Aranea’s does so by increasing Troop HP and Troop Armor; Grim Reaper increases the Banishment Portal duration and Attack, which in turn increases Troop HP and Troop Armor; and Glacian’s Gear Set increases Mage HP, Mage Armor, and Troop Attack so dramatically that they counteract the deficit otherwise experienced by Cavalry and Warrior.

However, the Mercenary Commander’s Gear Set does not benefit base troop stats at all. Instead, it is a set that was made specifically for Mercenaries, increasing their overall Attack, HP, and Armor significantly, as well as their training queue and speed.

Let’s take a look at the pieces and the buffs offered by each:

Mercenary Commander’s Coif (Helmet)

79% Mercenary Troop Attack Bonus

171% Mercenary Troop Armor Bonus

+5090 Mercenary Training Queue

Mercenary Commander’s Guard (Armor)

479% Mercenary Troop Armor Bonus

49% Mercenary Troop HP Bonus

+5,090 Mercenary Training Queue

Mercenary Commander’s Treads (Boots)

174% Mercenary Troop HP Bonus

+4,820 Mercenary Training Queue

9% Mercenary Training Speed

Mercenary Commander’s Bribe (Weapon)

525% Mercenary Troop Attack Bonus

11% Mercenary Training Speed

Mercenary Commander’s Band (Accessory)

77% Mercenary Troop Attack Bonus

45% Mercenary Troop HP Bonus

10% Mercenary Training Speed

The Full Gear Set Bonus adds up to:

835% Mercenary Troop Attack Bonus

358% Mercenary Troop HP Bonus

1305% Mercenary Troop Armor Bonus

50% Mercenary Training Speed

15,000 Mercenary Troop Queue

Should you succeed in crafting a full legendary set, the Additional Set Bonus from the Mythic Forge would add:

200% Mercenary Troop Attack Bonus

200% Mercenary Troop HP Bonus

200% Mercenary Troop Armor Bonus

A player wearing a full legendary set with the Mythic Forge Set Bonus would have the following Mercenary Troop stats:

1035% Mercenary Troop Attack Bonus

558% Mercenary Troop HP Bonus

1505% Mercenary Troop Armor Bonus

50% Mercenary Training Speed

15,000 Mercenary Troop Queue

Who is This Gear Set Good For?

One of the biggest drawbacks of Mercenary Troops is the cost associated with them — they are not cheap, by any means, and often require several packs to create a significant amount.

Regardless of whether they are part of a march, rally, or are defending your empire, most Mercenaries take damage before troops of the same HP level, so therefore usually die first. In situations where you are sending Mercenaries to attack or reinforce another empire, or the Crystal/Titan, their high attack and low survivability makes them glass cannons — Mercenaries often have huge explosive power, but are ultimately very fragile.

Even Frost Guardians die quickly, though they have the highest HP in the game, when placed in a rally or when defending against an attacker who laces their rally with Frost Guardians or Corsairs. They also die immediately when reinforcing, because they do not have the benefit of being sent into a hospital. While Frost Guardians and City Guardians, in particular, raise the defense of an empire significantly and do not die as easily defending an empire, at present, they can no longer be trained, which makes them a very rare commodity that must be protected at all costs.

The prohibitive costs associated with Mercenary loss can easily be offset by the Mercenary Commander’s Gear Set, which increases the overall Attack, Armor, and HP of all Mercenary types very significantly.

When used with the right type of Mercenary, such as the Samurai Mercenary, which has 900% Attack, 800% HP, and 1600% Armor as a base stat, it’s easy to see how insanely powerful this gear set can be, which makes it perfect for anyone who likes to use Mercenaries.

Trap players in particular can benefit from using this gear set, because they often use Mercenaries to help protect their empires. However, the costs associated with losing Mercenaries can often be painful, which is why investing in a good gear set to protect them can be beneficial.

Attack players (or “leads” as we like to call them) also benefit by being able to use Mercenaries in solo attacks, rallies, and Crystal/Titan battles, without having to fear losing them quite as quickly. In battles of attrition such as Titan, where holding control of the Titan requires a significant amount of Mercenaries, this gear set can mean the difference between winning or losing.

In other words: this gear set is right for everyone, as long as you use Mercenaries.

How to Get Mercenary Commander’s Gear Set

If you are interested in reaping the benefits of the Mercenary Commander’s Gear Set, going for the set while the Mercenary Commander Proving Grounds is available is the best strategy for obtaining it.

Each tier of the event offers additional Mercenary Commander Chests; completing all three tiers of the event would reward you with a total of 20 extra chests per event, as well as a significant amount of Iron Scraps, which can be useful in the Mythic Forge.

Look for the packs that say Mercenary Commander Gear on it, which provide a total of 200,000 Elixirs per pack. You can also get the Holiday Elixir Pack from the Proving Grounds by clicking on the “Get More” button after clicking on your supply of Elixirs.

However, please be advised that unlike previous dungeons and gear sets, this particular dungeon is extraordinarily difficult. There are no monsters between bosses — essentially, you fight bosses the entire time. The material drop the boss provides also isn’t guaranteed to be blue or purple, which means that the costs associated with Mercenary Commander’s Gear Set will be higher than any other gear set in the game at the time of this writing.

In other words: unless you have a lot of money to invest, don’t expect that you’ll be able to walk away with a full legendary gear set easily.

Conclusion

The Mercenary Commander’s Gear Set is a great option for players who want to use a gear set to increase the survivability, attack, and overall effectiveness of Mercenaries. It is a good investment for players who have already invested significantly in Mercenaries, and who want to be able to play without fear of losing them quite as easily.

Additionally, it must be noted that because this set only buffs Mercenary Troops, your normal troops will not receive the same benefits, and will therefore be reduced to your base armorless stats.

Please keep in mind that this set will not be an affordable set to obtain — you will need to invest, and invest significantly, to create one gold piece of armor. But for those of you who do manage to achieve this goal, we hope you enjoy the overall benefits.