Mercenaries league for HC players

Greetings,

As fighting mercenaries is risky in Hard Core, mercenary league is a poor league for HC.

A lot of good items obtained from mercenaries during campaign can sell for 5-40 chaos and which eases the launch and scale at league start.

Also, mercenaries increase drop rates. They increase clear speed and survivability with their damage and auras.

Mercenaries league is OP for SC league though, no down sides really.

But for HC, you risk losing a player to gain the mercenary and farming for items them is very risky.

It would be great if mercenaries league could also be an HC league.

That could be changed by making it so death by mercenary hit/spell doesn't 'Migrate character to Standard League'. When engaging duel, creeps and monsters in area (4-5 screens wide) could freeze/disappear for duel duration in certain area around the duel's starting point, similar to Ritual fight area. That way incoming hits would only be from mercenaries and if killed by mercenary, you respawn in Town. Similar to the Trial of the Ancestors league. HC players liked an option to play where they didn't die ('Migrate character to Standard League').

This is only one idea, I'm sure GGG or players here could find a better solution.

It's just sad HC players lost a league mostly because of this new mechanic, especially after waiting almost a full year for a new season...