Path Of Exile 2: Best Mercenary Build Guide

As a seasoned Path of Exile veteran with countless hours spent mastering every class under the sun, I can confidently say that the Mercenary is a game-changer! The versatility and sheer destructive power this character brings to the table is nothing short of breathtaking.

In Path of Exile 2, the Mercenary is a freshly introduced character class that has quickly gained popularity among fans. Unlike typical Rangers, Mercenaries possess an impressive ability to deal significant damage at range. With suitable equipment, skills, and gameplay strategies, enemies and bosses appear insignificant to the Mercenary.

To reach that stage effectively, it’s crucial to follow a comprehensive build guide for the Mercenary in Path of Exile 2. Luckily, we provide a detailed guide right here, covering the optimal skills, Support and Spirit Gems, as well as the ideal Ascendancy choices for the Mercenary.

Mercenary Overview in Path of Exile 2

In the realm of Path of Exile 2, I’ve found myself adopting the role of a Mercenary, a distinct class from the Ranger. Unlike my bow-wielding counterpart, I’m equipped with a crossbow, a change that significantly alters my playstyle. A majority of my top skills revolve around this crossbow, making it the heart of my gameplay experience.

Mercenaries have the ability to employ a variety of crossbow ammunition types, similar to how a Sorceress can swap between different skills in another class. Initially, switching between these ammunition may seem awkward, but as you progress with the Mercenary, you’ll learn which ammo is best for specific scenarios.

Using your crossbow, you can mainly inflict two distinct types of damage, fire and frost. However, other abilities enable you to shoot regular bolts and armor-piercing rounds as well, giving you versatility beyond just elemental damage. Fortunately, the Mercenary isn’t confined to relying on a specific type of elemental damage for any build, so you’re free to utilize any skill that deals the highest damage.

As a Mercenary, my primary focus will be on honing my agility (Dexterity), which boosts the precision of my strikes. Yet, being a versatile class, certain equipment may demand additional investment in Intelligence or Raw Power (Strength). Primarily, though, my abilities revolve around Dexterity and Strength, so it’s wise to allocate most attribute points towards these areas for optimal performance.

Best Mercenary Skills in Path of Exile 2

With a foundational grasp of the Mercenary character, let’s arm it with its most powerful abilities now. Unlike some classes that shine only in late-game, the Mercenary is potent from the start as the early skills you can acquire deal significant damage right off the bat.

For a Mercenary, it’s beneficial to master a blend of ammunition types inflicting various elemental damages, along with rapid-fire or high-capacity rounds. However, you’ll typically exhaust your elemental ammo after one shot, necessitating reloading. Although these abilities usually cause more damage, reloading in the heat of battle isn’t always advisable. Thus, it’s wise to have skills at hand that allow for quicker shots or extended firing, ensuring you’re prepared for any situation.

Here are the skills we recommend for the Mercenary in Path of Exile 2:

Armor Piercing Rounds
Permafrost Bolts
Flash Grenade
Explosive Shot
Gas Grenade, then Oil Grenade, then Cluster Grenade
Ripwire Ballista
Galvanic Shards

Besides mastering various abilities, you can additionally utilize a fundamental move called “Crossbow Fire.” This skill becomes available when you wield any crossbow, serving as your initial attack option. It may seem simple, yet it proves useful in combating smaller foes, and for maintaining consistent damage against tougher bosses.

The skill called Cluster Grenade isn’t accessible until you advance to the Cruel difficulty level. On the other hand, Gas and Oil Grenades are already set as substitutes for it because they can be unlocked slightly earlier in the game. The remaining skills, which are at Level 12 or lower, can be used during the campaign’s progression. These skills offer a variety of ammunition types, such as different elemental damages and rounds with increased shot numbers and faster firing rates.

Best Mercenary Support and Spirit Gems

Once you’ve mastered a few of the mentioned abilities, proceed to insert the suggested Support Gems for those skills. Don’t overlook Spirit Gems either, as the Mercenary character can benefit significantly from their persistent bonuses.

Here are some Support Gems we recommend for a few skills, as well as the best Spirit Gems to use:

Support Gems

Second Wind (Flash Grenade)
Glaciation (Permafrost Bolts)
Persistence (Oil/Cluster Grenade)
Magnified Effect
Lockdown (Ripwire Ballista)
Ingenuity (Flash Grenade)
Wildfire (Explosive Shot)
Lightning Infusion (Galvanic Shards)
Double Barrel (Armor Piercing Rounds)

Spirit Gems

Shard Scavenger
Attrition

Best Mercenary Passive Skills

Moving forward, it’s advisable to progress along several primary branches in the Mercenary’s Passive Ability skill tree. Generally speaking, enhancing projectile damage, reload speed, area-of-effect (AoE) effects, and attribute boosts for both Strength and Dexterity is the optimal path. But if you prefer a more defense-oriented Mercenary, increasing armor and evasion ratings are equally effective alternatives.

Here are some Passive Abilities we suggest for the Mercenary:

Remorseless
Instant Reload
Reusable Ammunition
Volatile Catalyst
Cluster Bombs
Adrenaline Rush
Repeating Explosives

Best Mercenary Ascendancy in Path of Exile 2

Ultimately, once your Mercenary has been trained to the max level, you’ll have the ability to choose its Ascendancy. In the early stages of the game, there are two possible choices for the Mercenary: Witch Hunter or Gemling Legionnaire.

In my experience, when it comes to choosing a class in this game, Witch Hunter is usually the one I gravitate towards due to its exceptional damage-enhancing capabilities and overall ease of use. The Ascendancy of this class also boasts impressive explosion attributes. With it, you can extend the duration of your explosions, inflict more damage, and even disrupt enemies while they’re in the middle of casting spells.

That does it for our Mercenary build in Path of Exile 2. If you’re looking to run another class, we recommend the Monk, which has a spectacular and balanced build.

2024-12-12 03:39