Dont forget your merc either, elite ethereal insight with a treachery can carry a lot of stuff and farming for one in LK from racks or in cows is worth it imo. I like holy freeze since they can get clapped by a lot of stuff until you are a little higher level with life leech but dont sleep on the blessed aim one i think the AR increase is noticeable when your merc is the carry. you can get a life tap charges wand and make tanking meph a lot easier. stuff like an a5 merc with cresent moon and lawbringer really arent that bad either if you get those bases first, mana isnt too unbearable with a 1pt redemption until you get enigma and then insight is mandatory imo.
for players, go as high as you can without getting clapped/killing is tedious. ideally you dont go below p3 for farming
D2:R