See! Mercenaries and Pets are different things already ^^.
But I feel you. So what do you want from a Mercenary?
I view Hirelings as a great tool for generalist players who value Utility.
On that point, Katarina in The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing is one of my favorite:
- She can be set on Melee or Ranged,
- has a ton utility in her skill trees (Magic Find, Healing, Freezing…)
- she can go back to town and sell your loot.
It’s just that Grim Dawn wasn’t designed with Hirelings in mind.
If you’re dying to have Hirelings in Grim Dawn, I recommend:
Reign of Terror (Mod): this is literally Diablo 2 in your Grim Dawn.
Reign of Terror Includes Hirelings, Runewords and even the Cow Level.