His blade in Path of Exile 2 is at your service: How to make a Mercenary build

If you're intrigued by the buzz around Path of Exile 2 but not a fan of traditional fantasy elements like swords, bows, and magic, the Mercenary class might just be your perfect fit. This class transforms the game into a thrilling, top-down experience reminiscent of Doom, where you can wield a powerful crossbow (think of it as a shotgun) and dive into waves of enemies with reckless abandon!

Table of Contents

• Features of the Mercenary in Path of Exile 2
• Main Characteristics of the Mercenary
• Useful Skills in Early Game Stages
• Fragmentation Rounds
• Permafrost Bolts
• Explosive Grenade
• Gas Grenade
• Galvanic Shards
• Herald of Thunder
• Explosive Shot
• Passive Skills of the Mercenary

Features of the Mercenary in Path of Exile 2

Properly leveled, the Mercenary turns into an efficient monster-clearing machine, adept at turning both regular mobs and bosses into mere fertilizer. For instance, the first act's final boss, a formidable challenge for the Witch class, can be easily defeated by a well-optimized Mercenary on the first or second attempt.

Let's explore how to build an effective Mercenary in the early access version of Path of Exile 2 (PoE2). Note that this guide is based on game version 0.1.0f. As Grinding Gear Games (GGG) may update the game for its release, some parts of this guide might become outdated.

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Like all characters in PoE2, the Mercenary can use any weapon without restriction. However, for this class, you'll want to keep your distance from melee combat with demons, opting instead for a crossbow. This versatile weapon functions as a hybrid of an automatic rifle, shotgun, and grenade launcher. While the Mercenary can also use bows, we'll focus on the crossbow, your ideal companion. As the saying goes, adapted from Full Metal Jacket: "Without me, my crossbow is useless. Without my crossbow, I am useless."

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Main Characteristics of the Mercenary

Dexterity is the key attribute for the Mercenary. Aim to maximize your Dexterity through items and the passive skill tree. Prioritize Evasion over Armour for better survivability, and don't overlook Movement Speed to navigate around enemies effectively. Allocate points to Strength and Intelligence as needed, based on your equipment and skill requirements.

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Useful Skills in Early Game Stages

Fragmentation Rounds

At the outset, Fragmentation Rounds can be handy, but don't rely on it too much as you'll soon move past it. Enhance it with Brutality (35% increased physical damage) and Leverage (50% increased crit chance against immobilized enemies). However, consider saving your gems for more impactful skills later on.

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Permafrost Bolts

A solid starting skill, Permafrost Bolts allow you to freeze and immobilize enemies with frost projectiles. Enhance it with Frost Nexus (increases chance to freeze the ground around an ice-bound enemy) and Leverage. Alternatively, use Double Barrel to load two bolts, albeit with a 30% increased reload time, which can be mitigated later.

Remember, different skills allow varying numbers of bolts in your crossbow. You can refresh your charge by pressing the quick key again. Also, keep in mind that attack speed impacts reload speed, so don't neglect this stat.

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Explosive Grenade

Grenades are indispensable for dealing with large groups of enemies. Use Scattershot to throw three grenades instead of one, albeit with a 20% damage reduction. Second Wind can also be beneficial. Grenades have a long range and follow physics, so be mindful of obstacles when aiming to surprise enemies. When throwing into doors or corridors, get close to ensure all grenades reach their target.

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Gas Grenade

Gas Grenades release a cloud of poisonous gas that expands and poisons enemies. Enhance it with Corrosion to reduce enemy armor by 80% from poison damage, replacing the need for Armour Piercing Rounds and High Velocity Rounds. Use Bursting Plague to boost damage. The best feature is that you can detonate the gas with fire for increased damage, using skills like Explosive Grenade or Explosive Shot.

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Galvanic Shards

Available in the second act, Galvanic Shards transforms your crossbow into an automatic shotgun with five charges, firing lightning. Enhance it with Conduction and Lightning Infusion for increased damage. With faster reloads, it becomes an electro-automatic rifle capable of mowing down waves of enemies.

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Herald of Thunder

A powerful early-game buff, especially when combined with Galvanic Shards and Conduction. It guarantees a 100% chance to shock monsters, activating the Herald of Thunder buff that calls down lightning strikes. It requires 30 spirit units, obtainable by defeating a boss in the first act.

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Explosive Shot

Channel your inner Doomguy with Explosive Shot, which detonates grenades on the ground when a bolt hits. Enhance it with Fire Infusion for increased fire damage, making it an effective AoE clearing method. Unlike Galvanic Shards, it allows you to maintain distance from enemies and is particularly effective against foes weak to fire.

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These skills should suffice to level your Mercenary to around level 20-25, helping you grasp the class mechanics. Aim to acquire as many of these abilities as possible, as they'll be crucial in tackling tougher locations with various elemental damage types.

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Passive Skills of the Mercenary

Focus on passive skill nodes that include increased projectile damage:

**⚔️ Remorseless** — 15% increased projectile damage, 30% increased stun buildup against enemies within two meters, +5 strength and dexterity. A solid starting buff.

**⚔️ Ricochet** — 15% increased projectile damage, projectiles have a 10% chance to chain an additional time. Enhances your damage output.

**⚔️ Blur** — 4% increased movement speed, 20% increased evasion rating, +10 dexterity. Boosts survivability and main attributes.

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**⚔️ Heavy Ammunition** — 8% reduced attack speed, 40% increased projectile damage, 40% increased projectile stun buildup. A powerful damage booster if you choose Blur.

**⚔️ Careful Aim** — 16% increased Projectile Damage, 40% increased Accuracy Rating at Close Range. Essential for improving accuracy.

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**⚔️ Cluster Bombs** — 50% increased grenade fuse duration, grenade skills fire an additional projectile. Beneficial when using Explosive Shot.

**⚔️ Adrenaline Rush** — 4% increased Movement Speed if you've Killed Recently, 8% increased Attack Speed if you've Killed Recently. Useful on the path to Instant Reload.

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**⚔️ Doomsayer** — Herald Skills have 30% increased Area of Effect, Herald Skills have 30% increased Damage. Enhances Herald of Thunder's effectiveness.

**⚔️ Instant Reload** — 40% increased Crossbow Reload Speed. Crucial for faster reloads, and unlocks a Jewel Socket on the way.

**⚔️ Volatile Grenades** — 25% reduced Grenade fuse duration. Only take this if you're not using Explosive Shot.

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These passive skills should provide a strong foundation, requiring about 30-35 skill points. As you acquire them, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the Mercenary's mechanics in PoE2. Remember, the joy of playing a Mercenary lies in experimenting and discovering your own unique builds and combinations!