HoB - Hirelings
Global Changes
Since in 1.11 you may hire a new mercenary with almost the same level than your character's level there's finally no more reason to hire a weaker one from later difficulties. Even in patches before 1.11 the invested time paid off, so there was no incentive to hire any helper from Hell.
In Hoard of Bugtraction the player has the choice of choosing a compagnon with completely different abilities in each difficulty. Similar to unmodified Diablo II - Lord of Destruction the mercenaries hireable in later difficulties are weaker regarding their Status Points. You may say they're exhausted by fighting Evil with no player support. But they've learned some stuff during that time, so they may use other or better skills than their comrades who are supported by players for longer time.
Due to our technical limits some hirelings with new skills aren't flagged properly in hire screen. You may choose a hireling with a short description, and this one resembles an old-fashioned hireling with common abilities. Choose one without a description to get new abilities.
Basic animation stuff is not changed in Hoard of Bugtraction. So the tables provided by the german Hireling Primer are stuill valid regarding Casting Speed and Hit Recovery. But the huge tables regarding Status Points and development are out of date in HoB.
Act I - Sisters of the Sightless Eye
Rogues
Kashya still persists on solving the Blood Raven quest before she allows one of her Rogues to escort your character. First Rogue won't cost hire fee then.
Normal Difficulty
Kashya offer Rogues who either will shoot Magical Arrows or Fire Arrows. Both will cast Inner Sight occasionally.
Cold Arrow Rogues are not available here.
The Rogue who shoots Fire Arrows is flagged properly in hire screen.
Nightmare Difficulty
The girls available here have learned some tricks already.
The Rogue who shoots Fire Arrows will cast Slower Missiles instead of Inner Sight. Occasionally she'll release an Immolation Arrow.
Her sister shoots Cold and Ice Arrows. She'll cast Inner Sight sometimes.
Both Rogues are flagged properly in hire screen.
Hell Difficulty
Having honed their skills without player support for that long time causes the Rogues available in Hell to be most flexible.
The Fire Rogue will Enchant herself occasionally in addition to the abilities known from Nightmare. She won't Enchant any other creature, though.
Her frigid sister protects herself with Shivering Armor. She'll cast Slower Missiles instead of Inner Sight.
Both Rogues are flagged properly in hire screen.
Act II - Mercenaries
Town Guards
Griez doesn't want the player character to do anything for him to allow one of his guards having some fun in following you. You just need enough cash. Quite similar to real life. Still some people think you can't learn anything from playing computer games ...
All guards are flagged in hire screen. However, assignment of aura to text has changed in some cases.
Hirelings' Aurae will activate immediately with enemy contact in Hoard of Bugtraction. AllGuards use their known version of Jab.
Normal Difficulty
You may hire the same guys you've come to know in unmodified Diablo II here.
The Combat Guard will contribute Blessed Aim to your party.
His Defensive Comrade will support your party with Prayer.
Nightmare Difficulty
Again you'll meet already known guys here.
The Combat Guard provides Thorns Aura to reflect suffered physical melee damage.
The Offensive Guard activates Might for enhanced combat damage. However, his native skill level is toned down a bit.
Hell Difficulty
First glimpse may be misleading, but the most powerful hireling aurae regarding gameplay are only available here.
An Offensive Mercenary will provide Meditation. This seems to be useless to most combat builds, but keep in mind that this is the only source to get Meditation without a Paladin in HoB. Also a caster build will be forced to take some care for this companion, since that one is no killer guy by himself.
His Defensive Comrade contributes Holy Freeze, which has its known safety advantages.
Act III - Eastern Sorcerors
Iron Wolves
Asheara, like Griez, just wants you to bring some money as a fee to introduce one of her Wolves to you. Still your first Wolf won't cost gold if you never had a hireling before solving the Ghidbinn quest.
Inspired by lots of travellers and Natalya's regular returns to Kurast Docks some splinter groups of the Sorcerors have explored other Magical Arts than traditional elemental spells.
Asheara's opinions about those are not handed down.
Only two different kinds of Iron Wolves are hireable in each difficulty. The more progressive ones aren't flagged in hire screen.
Normal Difficulty
Already at this early stage of the game you'll meet some of the more progressive Sorcerors who have mastered new spells. Rumors go round that this clan is responsible for Natalya's interest in Kurast.
They've explored the Cult of Rathma and adapted some of the boney spells those pale Necromancers can do. So they can shoot splinters or even spears made from bones upon their enemies. They even protect themselves with a boney armor.
The more traditional Fire Wolves stayed with usage of Inferno and Fire Ball. They've mastered controlling the fiery element so they're able to cast a Meteor occasionally.
Nightmare Difficulty
Again you may choose a more traditional or more progressive variant here.
The more traditional Lightning Wolves still will cast Charged Bolts and Lightning, to protect themselves better against the unaware enemy they'll also activate Thunderstorm.
Their more modern brethren gained some distance to common elemental spells. Insprired by some travelling druids and their victuals of dried pulse those Wolves have devoted themselves to controlling of winds. Thus they're able to produce small Twisters and big Tornados, up to the occasional Hurricane dragging everything along.
Hell Difficulty
In their eagerness to fight Evil on your side the here available Wolves are hardly to keep apart. But their means differ greatly.
The most traditional kind of Iron Wolf is maybe found among those dedicated to freeze the moisture out of the air, despite or probably exactly because of the tropical climate of their country. In the past their sole disadvantage was their protecting spell, which they have improved greatly by now.
The other ones you may encounter here are those who got most impression by Natalya. They've abandoned magical abilities completely and focussed instead of magical spells to mechanical traps. Quite similar to the Assassin the Blade Wolves may throw small and large blades at their enemies. They also can protect themselves with a shield of shards.
Still their Fast Cast Rate is considered by using Blade skills.
Act IV - Angels
Pure Souls
Gosh, you really thought we could manage to provide some native hirelings in Act IV without some serious code changes we aren't able to do? Guess again.
However, you may meet some pure souls of late hirelings, who have decided to continue the Eternal Fight even without their former body. They're not that tough, and they won't obey players. Most probably they remember a huge amount of bad experience regarding players.
Act V - Raw Meat
Barbarians
Quite similar to the unmodified game you'll have to free the lost soldiers in Frigid Highland to earn Qual Kehk's trusting. If you've managed to stay alone all the way up to this quest he doesn't charge a fee for the first barbarian he ordinates to your side.
There's only one kind of Barbarian hireling available in each difficulty. They don't have text flags assigned in hire screen.
Normal Difficulty
The Barbarians from Normal difficulty become the most tough ones regarding Status Points you'll find. However, they're a bit on the slow side. They may use the already known Bash and Stun skills, occasionally they cry to get more defense.
Nightmare Difficulty
Instead of Shout those have an inbuilt kind of Fade skill. They also use Bash and Stun.
Hell Difficulty
The uttermost unhinged guys you'll meet here. In addition to Bash and Stun they may go Berserk. Their damage output is devastating, but they need wise commandment from the player character.
