Path of Exile 2 offers a thrilling experience, but if high fantasy isn't your cup of tea, the Mercenary class is your perfect entry point. Transforming the game into a top-down *Doom*-like shooter, you'll ditch the swords and magic for the satisfying crunch of a crossbow – your trusty, versatile weapon of choice. This guide focuses on building an effective Mercenary in the early access version (0.1.0f), though GGG may implement changes later.

Table of Content

• 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

With strategic leveling, the Mercenary becomes a monster-slaying machine, effective against both regular mobs and challenging bosses. Even the notoriously difficult Act 1 final boss, a significant hurdle for other classes, can be conquered relatively easily with a well-built Mercenary. This guide details how to build a powerful Mercenary, utilizing crossbows as your primary weapon, keeping you at a safe distance from the hordes.

While the Mercenary can technically wield any weapon, the crossbow shines as a hybrid of automatic rifle, shotgun, and grenade launcher, offering unparalleled versatility. Forget close-quarters combat; let your crossbow do the talking.

Main Characteristics of the Mercenary

Dexterity is king for the Mercenary. Prioritize it through gear and passive skill tree choices. Evasion trumps Armor, so focus your defensive strategy accordingly. High movement speed is crucial for dodging attacks, while Strength and Intelligence should be allocated as needed to meet skill and equipment requirements.

Useful Skills in Early Game Stages

Fragmentation Rounds

While useful initially, Fragmentation Rounds is a temporary skill. Consider support gems like Brutality (35% increased physical damage) and Leverage (50% increased critical strike chance against immobilized enemies). However, these gems might be better saved for stronger skills later on.

Permafrost Bolts

This is a much stronger early-game skill. Freezing and immobilizing enemies with frost projectiles provides crucial crowd control. Pair it with Frost Nexus (increases chance to freeze the ground) and Leverage for increased critical strike chance. Double Barrel is another excellent support gem, doubling your bolts at the cost of a 30% reload penalty (mitigable with increased attack speed).

Explosive Grenade

Explosive Grenades are essential for clearing large groups of enemies. Enhance them with Scattershot (three grenades instead of one, with a 20% damage reduction) and Second Wind. Remember that grenades have a wide range and are affected by physics; consider this when aiming.

Gas Grenade

Gas Grenades create a cloud of poison gas, further enhanced by Corrosion (80% reduced armor from poison) and Bursting Plague. The key advantage? Detonating the gas cloud with fire-based skills (like Explosive Grenade or Explosive Shot later) significantly increases damage.

Galvanic Shards

Available around Act 2, Galvanic Shards transforms your crossbow into an automatic shotgun, firing lightning. Use Conduction and Lightning Infusion support gems to maximize damage and reload speed, turning it into a powerful area-of-effect weapon.

Herald of Thunder

This powerful buff synergizes perfectly with Galvanic Shards and Conduction, ensuring near-constant shocking and maximizing Herald of Thunder's effect. Requires 30 spirit units, obtainable by defeating an Act 1 boss.

Explosive Shot

Explosive Shot, combined with grenades, creates a devastating chain reaction. Fire Infusion further enhances the damage, making it a powerful AoE clearing method. It offers ranged capabilities compared to the close-range Galvanic Shards and provides a strong alternative for fire-weak enemies and bosses.

Passive Skills of the Mercenary

Prioritize passive skill nodes that increase projectile damage. Key nodes include Remorseless, Ricochet, Blur, Heavy Ammunition, Careful Aim, Cluster Bombs (if using Explosive Shot), Adrenaline Rush, Doomsayer (for Herald of Thunder), Instant Reload, and Volatile Grenades (if not using Explosive Shot). These nodes provide significant damage boosts, survivability, and utility.

This guide provides a solid foundation for building a powerful Mercenary. Remember to experiment and discover your own unique builds!